I have never pretended to be an expert in anything, let alone everything. There are things that I know, and when I am wrong, I am always open to learn. At 60, however, I would like to believe that I … Read More
Core Jewish Values
Shavuot: A Moment to Focus on Our Mission
By Rabbi David Fain, Rav Beit Hasefer In a world where distractions are increasing, and focusing on our values and priorities is becoming more challenging, the holiday of Shavuot offers us a moment to reflect on what is important to … Read More
Closing Thoughts Part II – Finding Ourselves
Every time we walk away from something Jewish, we lose a little of ourselves, sometimes without realizing it. It doesn’t have to be that way. Just as many of us have chosen to walk further away, so can we come … Read More
Love Israel
Last year, on Yom Hashoah, I published the following blog. Today, on Yom Ha-atzma’ut, I feel compelled to republish a somewhat revised version because I believe these words need to be read and internalized, and, sadly, because nothing has changed. … Read More
The Urgent Question: Who Am I?
Yogi Bera once said, “It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” That has not stopped innumerable people, from all walks of life, from predicting what the future will be for our children when they are grown. A day … Read More
Our Vision is Alive – And Evolving
By Melissa Michaelson, Principal Our visionary approach to education is one of the many reasons that Hillel Day School is unique. We don’t stay in one place; rather, we are always seeking the next best version of ourselves while keeping … Read More
Inspired Early Childhood Education Respects Children
By Robin Pappas, Director of Early Learning Nine years ago, when our Early Childhood Center opened, we committed to providing a play-based, child-centered, and developmentally-appropriate preschool. Students took ownership of their learning, understood the process behind their projects, and most … Read More
Utopia or Dystopia?
Hardly a week goes by that I don’t come across an analysis that either warns of how automation and Artificial Intelligence are going to wreak havoc on humanity or how they will solve all of humanity’s problems. Either way, our … Read More
You’ve Got To be Carefully Taught 2.0
I originally wrote this blog in 2015, and feel it is necessary to update and share again within the context of the violence of these last several weeks in Pittsburgh, Tallahassee, Thousand Oaks, and this week in Israel. It is … Read More
The Great Miracle of Hillel
By Amy Sapeika, PTO President My first clue that this family trip was going to be different was the loud cheering when we first told our children that we had booked flights to Israel for Sukkot. My 9-year-old and 7-year-old … Read More