As exquisitely expressed in the Torah, Israel has inextricably been integral to who we are and why we exist. There is a direct and clear connection between the land, God, and how we should act. This can be found in … Read More
Blog Archives
Will Your Children Be Ready?
The tension between the realities of the future and the comfort of a reliably perceived past are palpable. Put another way, the security of “this is the way we have always done it,” versus the uneasiness of preparing for an … Read More
Be Aware of Technology and Social Media
In 1908, in Detroit, cars were seen as a vexing problem. That summer, 31 people were reported to have been injured or killed after being hit by a car, or after a car accident. Many more deaths were not even … Read More
Wrong, Wrong and Wrong Again!
Over the weekend, I read the New York Times bestselling book, “The Subtle Art of Not Giving A…: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life,” written by Mark Manson. In it, he points to studies that show the human … Read More
The Verdict – No Homework
We can no longer ignore the data showing that there is little to no correlation between homework and achievement in the elementary grades. Prof. Harris Cooper of Duke University has done extensive research on homework. Cooper compiled 120 studies in … Read More
Why Jewish Education Cannot Fade Away
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
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
“Change or Die”
This New Yorker cartoon puts it plainly: change, or be left behind; change, or become irrelevant! In the world of education, more than ever, many parents, politicians and educators need to “wake up” to the changes that are essential for … Read More