Raphael Englander
Executive Editor
From left to right, Lavar Aikens, Larry Boston, Luis Castillo, Mike Crepack, William Pollard, Agrait Rodriguez
Mr. Lavar Aikens
Mr. Aikens has been a security guard at Barrack for 12 years, joining the school in August of 2009. He grew up in West Philadelphia and has been in security his entire life, since age 17. His favorite thing to do is cruise, which he likes to do about two times a year. Mr. Aikens is an avid sports fan of all the Philadelphia teams, Penn State, and Villanova Basketball. His favorite sport is boxing. He has a 22-year-old daughter who is a senior at Penn State University, and a fiance, whom he hopes to marry sometime next year. JBHA was his first experience with the Jewish community, and he has appreciated learning about the culture and teaching his daughter. “They make us feel like family here,” he says.
Mr. Larry Boston
Mr. Boston has been at Barrack for 22 years, working security for ten. He grew up in Philadelphia and likes sports, movies, and bowling, as well as other activities. Although he likes to watch sports, he prefers playing them. Favorite movies of his include Scarface and other gangster movies, Grease, and West Side Story, enjoying the singing and dancing. Mr. Boston has seven sons, one daughter, and three grandchildren. “Being around here brings back the love part of me from being a parent,” he says in regards to interacting with students. “It just makes me want to be here… it feels like a family.”
Mr. Luis Castillo
The 2021-2022 school year is Mr. Castillo’s fourth year working at JBHA. He grew up in North Philadelphia and has a wife, a 27-year-old son who lives in Florida, and three younger children who are currently in elementary school. Mr. Castillo likes reading news articles, mobile gaming, and spending time with his children. His favorite movies include Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings, and he has enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
Mr. Mike Crepack
Mr. Crepack has worked at Barrack for a year. He grew up in Brookhaven, Pennsylvania, and is a retired federal Air Marshal, a job in which he worked in counter-terrorism on airplanes, a role that allowed him to travel all over the world. He has been married for five years and has a 12-year-old son. Mr. Crepack loves to do activities both he and his son can enjoy, regardless of age, whether it is an amusement park, a water park, or skiing. Mr. Crepack would like to say that “he really enjoys being here. The people and the parents are great.”
Mr. William Pollard
Mr. Pollard has worked at Barrack since September of 2017. He grew up in Philadelphia and is a retired State Corrections Officer, working for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections for 24 years before retiring in February of 2017 and becoming a security guard at JBHA later that year. His hobbies include recreational shooting and athletics; he enjoys working out and playing football and basketball. He is also a big fan of both the Eagles and the 76ers. Mr. Pollard has been married since 2004 and currently lives in Phoenixville along with his family.
Mr. Agrait Rodriguez
This is Mr. Rodriguez’s first school year. He was born and grew up in Puerto Rico and, after graduating from high school, joined the United States Navy. After serving in the Navy for four years, he came to Philadelphia and joined the Philadelphia Police Department. Now, as a retired police officer, he is one of the school’s security guards. Mr. Rodriguez has a wife, a 23-year-old daughter, and a 32-year-old daughter who is a registered nurse. In his spare time, he does repairs in his and his daughters’ homes and enjoys watching YouTube.
Photo Credits - All photos taken from JBHA staff photos or provided by those photographed
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