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
Blog Archives
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
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
A Way for Our Students to Remember: One Stone at a Time
Welcome to my first “vlog” – video blog, an interview with Mr. Alan Eidelman, Hillel’s 8th grade Holocaust Studies teacher. Watch and listen as he describes a powerful and personal project our eighth graders are creating that demonstrates their understanding … 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
Hillel, Fantasy, Superheroes and Beth!
At Shabbat services last week, Dr. Mitch Parker, B’nai Israel Synagogue’s spiritual leader, handed out a source sheet about God, with this on it: Recently, on Arrow, a highly-acclaimed, fantasy superhero television show, the following exchange took place: (Earth is … Read More
The Problematic Election and Our Children
Elie Wiesel said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it’s indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, its indifference…” As a Head of a Jewish day school, I can … Read More
The Future Is in Our Memory
One of my favorite twentieth century Jewish thinkers is Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. I found a poignant quote attributed to him as I read reflections in a Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Mahzor (prayer book): “The authentic individual is neither … Read More
On Happiness: Wisdom from a Current Parent
This past week, a Hillel parent and actively involved Hillel Board member, Josh Levine, won the Detroit Jewish Federation Frank A. Wetsman Award for his outstanding leadership, service and commitment to the Jewish community both here and beyond. At his … Read More
“I Love Bacon”
I love bacon! Well, not me. I don’t eat it, but this slogan appears next to the blue HDS magnet on the bumper of a car that frequents our school parking lot during drop-off. I hear about this bumper sticker … Read More