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
For the Love of Israel
We live in complicated times where almost everything seems to be politicized. Israel is no exception, and is a lightning rod when it comes to political divisiveness both globally, and more concerning, within the Jewish community. It is not that … Read More
What Makes Us Family
When I arrived at Hillel, in 2003, everyone loved calling Hillel a family. At the time, I did not like the concept of the “Hillel Family;” I preferred calling us a community. We were the Hillel community. Five years ago … 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
Why We Need Free Preschools
This past Sunday reminded me why the Detroit Jewish community is special. In the morning, my wife, Joan, and I attended an AIPAC breakfast featuring Dennis Ross and James Woolsey. Both speakers were amazing – and so was the turnout. … Read More
Israel: A Cry for Truth!
With each passing year, the truth about what has led to the endless cycle of violence in Israel falls deeper and deeper behind a dark cloud of distortion, misinformation, collective amnesia, and lies. As history is overrun by revisionism, politics, … Read More
Standing By Israel on Israel Independence Day and Every Day
At Hillel, Tzionut – Zionism is a core Jewish value: “We believe in the importance of Israel, Zionism and the Hebrew language. The modern State of Israel is a place where Jewish values come to life, and a home for Jews from … Read More
Hillel, Israel, and Ten Years Later
In the winter of 2005, just one year after the end of the second Intifada, I announced that Hillel would be instituting an eighth grade class trip to Israel, beginning in 2006. My letter announcing the trip read, in part: … Read More
2058
I often imagine what it must have been like to be in the Detroit homes of Rabbi Jacob E. Segal and others, back in the 1950s, when a group of visionaries discussed the possibility of opening a Jewish day school. … Read More
Imagine
Imagine… Imagine an America where no one exercised their right to vote … Imagine an America where no one understood the meaning of the Constitution and the rights guaranteed by the Constitution … Imagine an America where no one understood … Read More