By Robert Victor, 8th grade student at Hillel Day School I bet at one point you have been asked, “What are the necessities of life?” Your response most likely sounded like this: “Food, water, and shelter.” Yet you have never … Read More
Core Jewish Values
Na’aseh v’nishma and the Maker Movement
“Na’aseh v’nishma– We will do and we will understand.” That is what the Israelites proclaimed as they were about to receive the Torah from God. We will be commemorating that moment in the creation of the Jewish nation next week … Read More
Only At a Jewish Day School
This time of year I am especially proud to be Head of Hillel Day School. These past two weeks have been very special as we observed Yom Hashoah, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha-atzma’ut. These three holidays emphasize our Jewish peoplehood … 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
Does a “Loyalty” Tuition Grant Program Work?
Jewish day schools across the country share a mission to educate as many Jewish children in their community as they can. They also share the challenge of finding creative ways to address affordability, reducing barriers to entry, while staying fiscally … Read More