Dwight ’68

Apr 16, 2018 | Our Community of Learners

Ricka Sacks Rak shares, “My apologies for not being more communicative all these years. Here’s an update on my life since Dwight. I moved to Israel in the summer of ’71, immediately after handing in my last paper at Cornell (where I majored in French, of course!), and enrolled in a master’s program in archaeology at Hebrew University. One of the TAs caught my eye, and we were married in October of ’72. About then, I switched from archaeology to the field that I’m passionate about, linguistics. The next phase of our life was in Berkeley, Calif., where my husband, Yoel, did a PhD in paleoanthropology and I did a mother’s degree—our two boys, Ariel and Benjamin, were born there in ’75and ‘78. On our return to Israel, Yoel started teaching at the medical school of Tel Aviv University, where he is a professor emeritus today; I started my career as an editor in the academic and high-tech sphere; and, in 1982, our daughter, Carmi, was born. Today the family is a geographically diverse clan. We have two grandchildren in New Jersey; two in Sydney, Australia; and two in Tel Aviv. My sister, Meryl (Dwight ’65), lives in northern California, and my mother is in San Diego. In addition to enjoying my work, I’ve concentrated on pursuing my interest in language and languages beyond the French, Spanish, and Hebrew acquired during high school and college days. I’m happy to say that I can more or less hold my own in Mandarin Chinese and Arabic—“more or less” being the operative phrase!”

“I must share with you how grateful I am that I had the opportunity toattend Dwight and to study under such wonderful teachers and in such a nurturing, stimulating environment. Dwight School provided me with the most meaningful educational experience of my life.”

What did you think of this article?
End-of-Year Celebration Recognizes Faculty/Staff Service Milestones & Awardees, and Honors Retirees
History Department Spotlight: Taking Lessons of the Past Into the Future
D-E Summer 2026 Programs
Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights
Commencement 2026: Relishing ‘Moments of Awe’ Now and in the Future
World Languages Spotlight: Making Cultural Connections Through Language Learning
US Farewell & Awards Assembly Highlights
Upper School Athletics Highlights Reel 2025-2026
D-E 360° After Care and Enrichment
Athletics Schedule
Admissions
D-E.org
D-E Today - News and Editorial Content

Spring 2026 Live Concert Performances Highlights

This spring D-E’s student musicians of all ages participated in live performances that were a culmination of discipline, training, and a deep-seated passion for music. They represented a journey of artistic growth, proving that in music the process of learning is...

Read More

7th Grade “Make It Better” Presentations

How can we build a better world? This was the question posed to 7th graders tasked with selecting a pressing issue connected to one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development goals that was personally meaningful and presenting them as part of their “Meet the...

Read More

Third Graders Discover the Joy of Playing the Ukulele

Little hands, big sounds! For one of their final units in Ms. Fiona Crawford’s 3rd Grade Music class, students learned how to play the ukulele, which is among the most versatile instruments for musical beginners. “It is well suited for developing melody, harmony,...

Read More

Class of 2030: 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony Highlights

The Class of 2030 is moving on up! During a ceremony in Schenck Auditorium, 93 8th graders celebrated the transition to high school with a ceremony filled with warm memories of their Middle School experiences and words of advice to guide them into their next...

Read More

Loading...