Save Hillel

There have been many “accusations” on this website, as well as numerous cases of “finger-pointing” and placing “blame.”

However, at this point, I feel that it is important to hear from the “other side.”

We KNOW you frequent this site. I am sure you do not agree with what is posted here. Let us have a constructive conversation.

To the board members: Please post on this site why you believe Hillel is moving in the right direction. Please refute any accusations you feel is untrue. Let us have a constructive conversation!

To the administrators: Please explain what system was used to decide which faculty members will be a part of the Hillel family next year. Post it on this site! Let’s have a conversation!

To the parents: Please explain to us what was wrong about the “Old Hillel” and how this “New Hillel” is an improvement. Let us converse!

To the students: You are at ground zero! Let us know what is going on. Let us discuss.

Only through an open and public discourse can we begin to heal our wounds. Enough with the yelling (from both sides). Enough with the threats (from both sides). Enough with the accusations and innuendo (from both sides). Enough with the rhetoric (from both sides).

Please.

The future of our community is at stake.

Let us have a conversation.

Hey Gang!

As Passover approaches… (or as some like to call it Peasach) we should all use our time to reflect…

You all know that for quite some time, due to legal threats, this website, for all intents and purposes, went down. However, it had seemed that the danger had passed and some semblance of sanity had returned to Hillel.

We were wrong. For this website to have any meaning… for this project to be purposeful we MUST BE CONSTRUCTIVE.

People need to know that we’re back: Tell your friends. Tell your friend’s friends. We need parents, students, teachers, administrators and alumni posting (and reading) again. We MUST dialog. Knowledge is power. Let us re-build a community.

But once we start posting again, there is a second, harder step- SOLUTIONS.

This website is called SAVE HILLEL and is thus dedicated to SAVING Hillel. It is predicated on the theory that Hillel can be saved. (If you are of the opinion that it can not, then this website is probably not for you.)

So let’s save Hillel.

Any suggestions?

After many years of service, Dr. Abraham, Mrs. Steiner and Mrs. Peiken have been told that they will not be asked to come back to Hillel next year.

Why?

Perhaps the answer lies in the recently released BLUEPRINT TO “EXCELLENCE” UPDATE below:

Dear Hillel Parents,

We are pleased to bring you the eleventh edition of Hillel’s Blueprint to Excellence Update.

This year has seen many enhancements and improvements, reinforcing our confidence that raising Hillel’s standards of success is enabling all of us to sustain the essence of our special school and ensure its longevity. Outcomes of our commitment to excellence are goals to offer quality education and to establish financial security. Thus, in an effort to achieve these goals, the Board has endorsed the recommendation of the Budget & Finance Committee and the administration to right-size our school community of students, faculty and administrators.This model has proven to be successful in other independent and Jewish day schools. This proactive, strategic approach will enable Hillel to focus on and refine our program so we may offer children the highest standard of Jewish education.

Enrollment will be capped at about 1,000 students, which means a student body 15% smaller than our current one. Faculty will be right-sized by 16-20%, and administration will be rightsized by 22%. Lower School classes will continue to be capped at about 20 students per class, and Grades 6-12 now will be limited to 66 per grade. Enrollment to date is very close to these numbers; as we recently have shared, waitlists already have developed in several grades.

We are pleased to share that CAJE President/CEO Dr. Chaim Botwinick has spent a great amount of time with our administration and has approved our thoughtful, just process. Coupled with a comprehensive administrative review, Hillel has right-sized throughout every division. Today, administrators will begin to meet with faculty regarding contracts to teach in the 2008-2009 school year. As a demonstration of our appreciation for the contributions of those teachers who will not receive contracts to teach next year, some will be offered severance and all will receive support packages of a range of services from tuition assistance to career counseling.

As in every fine school, Hillel contracts are extended based upon a variety of criteria including qualifications, ability to enhance school community (i.e. leading enrichment activities) and an overall skill set of professionalism, dedicated work ethic, flexibility, organization, educational philosophy and abilities to reflect, problem-solve and inspire children to reach their full potential.
We have in fact also recruited new teachers. Yet, these are mainly in the Upper School where parents, Board and administration have identified a significant need for program improvement.

Hillel not only prepares students for higher education, but also helps develop individual character. And we do this through our fine teachers. Hillel prioritizes critical, independent and creative thought and expression in the classroom and offers students a unique program. We are confident that Hillel will become strong, secure and stable next year through this right-sizing so we may enrich our program with a rigorous curriculum, religious and cultural experiences, comprehensive service learning, performing arts, competitive athletics and other educational opportunities.

It is your continued partnership that will ensure the success of what clearly is a turning point for this institution. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to be in touch. We wish you and your family a happy, healthy Pesach.

Sincerely,

Rafael Russ, Chairman
Dr. Adam Holden, Head of School
Rabbi Michael Druin, Rabbinic Dean

…is that it causes history to repeat itself.

This blog is open again for commenting.

Note: Because I do not have much time to administer the website, there will be a team of individuals who have agreed to help run this website from this point onwards.

Announcement:

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE!

Hillel’s Board of Governors and Administration
Invite Parents, Faculty and Staff to Attend

2007 Blueprint to Excellence Update

Hillel’s strategic plan was launched in 2005.
Learn how this foundation is strengthening us today
so we may build for tomorrow.

Monday, November 5, 2007
24 Cheshvan 5768
7:30 PM
Friedman-Uhlar Auditorium

rsvp@hillel-nmb.net / 305.931.2831 x588

Postcard here.

If there’s something news-breaking related to the Mission Statement of this site, use the contact form above.

If you still feel the need to communicate, offline venues are always available.

I apologize if I am not able to meet everyone’s expectations and act as an announcement service for matters unrelated to Saving Hillel. I would hope Hillel is doing the announcing themselves.

Thank you.

An anonymous tip just came in. Go if you can.

Hillel has sent out an invitation to all Parents, Faculty and Staff to attend:

2007 Blueprint to Excellence Update

“Hillel’s strategic plan was launched in 2005. Learn how this foundation is strengthening us today so we may build for tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007 @ 7:30 p.m. in the Friedman-Uhlar Auditorium.

Invitation link is here.

Kindly RSVP to rsvp@hillel-nmb.net

The school is mourning the loss of our beloved pre-school teacher Carolyn Levy z”l who passed away on Yom Kippur from Leukemia. It was just one year ago that she was diagnosed. She was 43 years old. She has one child who graduated and two still at the school. The funeral was yesterday.

The school sent out a notification:

It is with sadness that we announce the loss of Carolyn Levy, mother of Wayne, Todd and Sara, wife of Zvi, and longtime Hillel teacher. May those who have suffered loss be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

An anonymous person has informed me that the first Kol Hillel is now available for download at Hillel’s website. Click here to view.

Kudos to Mr. C. who is profiled in this issue.

This was sent to me by an anonymous parent:

The initial purpose of this site was to Save Hillel.

As a short recap….There were many issues that came about as a result of teacher non-renewals for the school year scheduled to start on August 20, 2007. Then there were elections amongst other changes, recruits, etc that were and are continuing to take place at the school.

This website became an outlet for those individuals who were not board members who had thoughts and issues that they felt were important enough to convey to the general population. The discussions and dialogues continued throughout the summer and heated up again when the news of the Androns’ departure was announced. This was a tremendous loss and it saddened many. However, the school’s personal loss was a wonderful gain for the community at large.

Things quieted down after this big event and people began to go on vacation.

As we move forward to next week when our beloved teachers go back to school, we will once again have the opportunity to share news, thoughts, feelings, and suggestions on how we can continue to make a positive difference.

We all have the ability to make a difference in the life of a child. We must take this responsibility very seriously. We all have a vested interest of some sort in our beloved Hillel, whether a parent, teacher, student, alum, member, donor or other interested party. Therefore, each and every one of us must do our part to SAVE HILLEL - for our Children, Our Teachers, and Our Community.

Important Dates:
August 13, 2007 - Teachers return
August 20, 2007 - Student begin the 2007/2008 School year.

To all of the current HILLEL students and teachers - - Hatzlacha Rabba - - may you have a wonderful and successful school year.

We will be watching (they will be reading) and we will be assisting in any way we can to Save Hillel and make it the special place it has always been.