The other morning I was watching the news (a daily mistake) and was overwhelmed by how small I felt. Hurricane Harvey had just ravaged Houston, and Irma was on the footsteps of Florida. There were the social and political issues … Read More
Character
The Power Within Us
Our words and actions can impact the entire world – really! A kind word or an act of helpfulness in a child’s life or an adult’s life can literally change the trajectory of that person’s path, and we may never … Read More
The Whole is Greater than the Parts
Anyone who has been to school knows it is a microcosm of society that allows children to practice becoming successful adults. It is where they learn not only facts and figures, and other academic skills, but also where they learn … Read More
ANSWERING THE CALL TO SERVICE
By Michael Schostak, Hillel graduate (1993), husband of Alexis, and father of current Hillel students, Hayley (K) and Benji (ECC-2). When we retell the Passover story at our Seders this year, we will no doubt talk about Moses and his … Read More
From Public School to Hillel: Why I Made the Switch, and Where it Got Me
By Julie Tigay, first and second grade general studies co-teacher In the summer of 2012, I was an exhausted public school teacher. I had 30 kids in my class, not enough space and the pressure of the Common Core curriculum. … Read More
My Encounters with an Incredible Man: Bill Farber
On a sunny day in October, 2013, Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple Israel came to visit me with an essential question. I remember it clearly: “I have a potential donor who would like to know what transformational dream do you … Read More
The Courage to Live
Last week I had the good fortune to hear writer and speaker, Brené Brown, a professor at the University of Houston, and the bestselling author of Daring Greatly, speak at the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Conference. Brené Brown … Read More
I Won’t Back Down – And Neither Should You
In the past month, two anti-Semitic incidents impacted me personally – two more than in my entire life, and I am 58. The first was the bomb threat at school, and this past week, the Jewish cemetery that was desecrated … Read More
What We Can Learn Today Having Been “Strangers” Ourselves
How do we help our older children, who may be aware of all that is unfolding in our country, make sense of the uncertainty and conflicts between large segments of our citizenry? Every family has a right to their own … Read More
MLK Day – More Timely Than Ever!
While many students were at home on MLK Day, playing games, going to movies or hanging at malls, our children were immersed in learning about and understanding the significance of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King’s … Read More