“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
HDS mission
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
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
Our Commitment to Constancy – and Change
Over the past several years much has changed at Hillel. The most visible changes are, of course, our facilities. We have created a learning environment that is truly second to none. But just because Hillel does not look like the … Read More
Choosing Good
If you had to choose a single attribute to bestow upon your child, would you choose happiness, success, or goodness? Our Jewish narrative places goodness at a premium. I suspect, and others have suggested, however, that more people choose happiness, … Read More
Death and Life Are in the Power of the Tongue (and Finger)
“Death and Life are in the power of the tongue.” This quote comes from the book of Proverbs (18:21). In today’s world, this quote may have been extended to include: “Death and Life are in the power of the text … Read More
Insane Day School Tuition?
This week the Jewish Forward* published an opinion piece, written by a parent, about the high cost of Jewish day school tuition. The op-ed responds to a spreadsheet created by a father in Massachusetts that has gone viral – it … Read More
The Homework Question Revisited
Nothing much has changed since the last time I wrote about homework, in 2010. The most recent research supports earlier data that shows little to no correlation between homework and achievement in the elementary grades, with one caveat: there is … Read More
Step Back!
At the recent NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) Conference there was a panel discussion on the future of education. The panel was made up of current and past presidents of colleges and universities. It was an informative conversation covering … Read More