Save Hillel

246 responses so far ↓

• 1 teacher // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:38 am

  Mr. Kastan-now there’s a fine educator. Won’t this interfere with the other business he runs from the teacher’s lounge. I guess the need for a Jew was greater than the need for an educator. It seems that the educational credentials of our “dean” were omitted. If only the parents knew the bill of goods they were being sold.

• 2 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:09 am

  Good thing they left the fraud, Mr. Adam Holden’s, credentials out of the picture.

  A public school or university would have canned him long ago.

  Good thing to know that this board is governed by a toothless crew of cronies and pathetically weak individuals whose incompetence, arrogance, and innumerable shortcomings illustrate how they are in way over their heads and are unable to take appropriate action.

• 3 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:17 am

  Basically a lot of FLUFF and MEDIOCRITY(with a couple exceptions) running the so-called school of EXCELLENCE….no surprise there…they’ve run and are continuing to run most of the truly excellent out. For the few excellent veterans who remain and are practically an anomaly at this point, we wish you luck in navigating through the turbulent seas with this crew at the helm along with the ”toothless crew of cronies” (as was so aptly put) “protecting” you from them.

• 4 Aaron // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:29 am

  Some of these new administrators do not have the credentials to be a teacher- let alone an administrator?

  A lot of this line-up actually scares me.

• 5 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:08 pm

  So basically the high School doesn’t have a Judaic principal , just a “principal of student life”.

  Is Rabbi Druin supposed to be in charge of the Judaic curriculum?

  He has no experience in education, curriculum or teacher development. HE DOESN’T EVEN HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE.

  And with all due respect to Mrs. Rosenberg-Gottlieb , I don’t believe she is well-versed or comfortable teaching Torah or Talmud in-depth in Hebrew the way Rabbi Feinerman (who we’ve lost), Rabbi Ackerman or Rabbi Kaplan are. From what I’ve been told her Hebrew is deficient, and therefore, her ability to teach Judaic texts from primary sources is greatly hindered because she is not comfortable with the language.

  Is she the one in charge of the Judaic curriculum?

  It’s a scary, scary day for Judaics at Hillel. Say Goodbye.

• 6 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:09 pm

  “Good thing to know that this board is governed by a toothless crew of cronies and pathetically weak individuals whose incompetence, arrogance, and innumerable shortcomings illustrate how they are in way over their heads and are unable to take appropriate action.”

  A scary day indeed Aaron.

• 7 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:29 pm

  Love reading the Blueprint of Bull@&$* updates.

  They must think we’re all a bunch of uneducated idiots.

• 8 Akiva Cohen // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:32 pm

  As a guy who knew Yossi Kastan way back when - don’t knock him.

• 9 Hillel Teacher's Association "Wanna-Be" Member // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:34 pm

  Credentials, as we have seen, real or phony don’t mean a whole lot. They are only as good as the people that they represent. In some cases they are the true mark of the person, in others they are just a facade. The current administration seems to be more concerned with the facade; the way things look rather than they way they actually are. An environment of good sales pitches, PR and hype seems to prevail creating a smoke and mirrors effect. Maybe this is all that they are capable of doing. But, keep in mind what a great American once said,” You can’t fool all of the people all of the time..” The ones who have experienced all that has been written here…cannot be fooled.

• 10 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:45 pm

  “As a guy who knew Yossi Kastan way back when - don’t knock him.”

  No one has knocked Yossi Kostan here. HE is NOT the problem. He is enthusiastic, compassionate, knowledgeable, and gasp, religious too. He has quite a lot of potential.

  “But, keep in mind what a great American once said,’You can’t fool all of the people all of the time..’

  Many of the parents are fooled but more and more of them are opening their eyes. Some are downright teed off and complaining now. Rightfully so.

• 11 sara // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:50 pm

  “Many of the parents are fooled but more and more of them are opening their eyes. Some are downright teed off and complaining now.”

  Are more really opening their eyes? Are they complaining, and to whom? Do you have proof/confirmation? I hope the answer is yes.

• 12 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 1:57 pm

  Actually not enough parents to matter.

  “* From Harvard University to Yeshiva University, every division’s administrative team is comprised of educational experts with esteemed credentials and experience.”

  Sure!!!

• 13 sara // Jun 28, 2007 at 2:33 pm

  From the update: “ To ensure Jewish values and Judaic studies are infused throughout Hillel’s curriculum”

  The assumption IS a Jewish day school WILL BE/IS infused with Judaism. By definition that IS a Jewish day school. Certainly should not be a point that needs to be explained or justified in light of administrative appointments.

  From the update: “From Harvard University to Yeshiva University, every division’s administrative team is comprised of educational experts with ESTEEMED CREDENTIALS and experience.”
  What about Holden’s ESTEEMED CREDENTIALS??
  What about Druin’s ESTEEMED credentials??

  A challenge to the Board: List these, too.

  Seems there is much money going toward administrative salaries…. an additional administrator in each division.

  Meanwhile, the high school still does not have quality teacher consistency in its core secular subjects, including consistency in AP courses.

  From the updadate: “Laura Ingoldsby will apply to Hillel her successful teaching career in diverse classroom settings, ranging from inner-city to established independent schools. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington and Lee University and a master’s degree in school leadership from Harvard University.
  Ms. Ingoldsby completed her graduate degree from Harvard while simultaneously completing a
  400-hour principal internship at the Boston College High School. She also has special education experience from her roles as resident group leader and assistant director of the Atlantic Coast Special Education Services.”
  Did the board once again fail to do its research? Here are the reasons I am very troubled:
  1. A google search of “Boston College High School” brings up a Jesuit boys’ school! Board, you need to clarify now!
  2. A google search of “Atlantic Coast Special Education Services” brings up nothing except a couple of pages of photos. But, searching this term on yahoo, brings up the following site:
  http://www.atlanticcoast.org/information2.html

  An excerpt from their home page :
  Atlantic Coast Special Educational Services
  Participants & Staff Join Us From All Parts of the USA & the World!
  This is where social and independent living skills HEAT UP!
  Type: Residential full year & summer/fall group home
  Supervised community living with personal care services
  Structured living and recreational programs
  Educational aspects focused on Social and Inter-dependent Living Skills
  Population Served: Adults (minimum age is 18 years)
  Capacity: 24 guest & 16 staff

  Owner: Tom Ingoldsby
  Address:1412 Laburnum Street, McLean, VA 22101
  br> Telephone:1-703-533-1019
  3. “successful teaching career in diverse classroom settings, ranging from inner-city to established independent schools” Which independent schools? To the board: A person with experience in inner city schools and special needs populations is the most qualified person for OUR students and our environment???????? Swayed by “Harvard.” Indeed.

• 14 sara // Jun 28, 2007 at 3:03 pm

  Forgot to include–note the name of the owner of
  “Atlantic Coast Special Education Services”

• 15 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 4:12 pm

  “In addition, Hillel’s newly created Student Life division will be led by some of Hillel’s strongest, most admired educators who have served us well for many years. Frumma Rosenberg-Gottlieb will head this department. From classroom lessons to extracurricular activities, her team will create an atmosphere that will infuse every facet of our children’s education with Torah ideals. This division has been established to ensure uncompromising attention to the cultivation of Jewish values in every aspect of Hillel, from Lower School through Upper School and beyond.”

  This is a fancy was to tell someone they’ve been demoted. Create a new title and division to graze them out.

  It is questionable if Sara were to do a check of the credentials mentioned here whether Sara would be very impressed …probably not.

  Sara raises the question that several have raised: Why in the world does a Jewish Day School need to create a division to INFUSE Jewish values????

  A strong Judaic curriculum has Jewish values built into it automatically. It does not require a division or a distinct entity to take care of this.

  How is that they refer to Mrs. Frumma Rosenberg - Gottleib–who is allegedly not fluent enough in Hebrew to comfortably teach primary texts of Torah and Talmud in their original, primary language (we all know meaning gets lost in translation)–as one our “STRONGEST” Judaic educators????

  This is laughable and we are not easily fooled.

  Rabbi Feinerman, yes. Rabbi Ackerman, yes.

  C’mon. Give us a break.

  With weak leaders in charge of Judaics, good luck producing students who are capable of sitting and learning in a yeshiva for their year in Israel or for those perhaps fewer and fewer who wish to continue on at YU with such a meager, watered down Judaic curriculum and with such weak leadership at the helm.

  (It has already been mentioned that the Assistant Head has no curriculum, teacher development experience or even a bachelors degree! We won’t rehash the Dean’s fraudulent Ed.D either)

  Here’s what the leaders THEMSELVES of Schools of Excellence like Ramaz are able to do as are the students who graduate (many of whom are not even religious but still well-educated in Judaics nonetheless) –

  schools of EXCELLENCE are able to make sure their students have these EXIT SKILLS by the time they leave:

  “Depending on the grade and level, focus will be on different skill sets, all geared to creating varied opportunities depending on background and motivation. These range from acquiring an appreciation of the relevance of Talmud study to contemporary society, to developing independence in Talmud study (making a leigning) by the time they graduate. In advanced sections, that much more attention is paid to pronunciation, punctuation, intonation, vocabulary, identifying the structure of a sugya, the systemic study of Rashi, and the development and literacy in the classic commentaries (Rishonim) and how and when they are employed.”

  http://www.ramaz.org/school_upper/fsj_talmud.cfm

  Does this board really believe they are adhering TO BEST PRACTICES in terms of instituting such weak leadership???

  This bloated organization–with all of its embellishing of credentials, establishing of wasteful bureacratic departments, and bestowing of glorified titles–will accomplish nothing but mediocrity as far as Judaics is concerned.

  For the few students who actually do want to learn in Israel for the year or go on to YU or Stern, they will find that their peers from other Jewish day schools (including Solomon Schecter) far surpass their skill set.

  Individual veteran teachers may be able to give them this skill set IN SPITE OF the fact that INADEQUATE administrators are in charge.

  The fact remains that whether kids are religious or not, their parents are being MISLED into paying big bucks and are being told that their kids are getting a strong Judaic eductaion, when in truth, they are NOT.

  Parents are buying in to false advertising (false advertising is extremely unethical) and paying a lot of money to make sure their children acquire a SUBSTANTIVE Judaic and Talmudic education (and gain certain advanced, interpretive EXIT SKILLS) ON PAR with JEWISH SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE (whether Modern Orth. or Conservative) across the nation.

  Parents who spend close to 20 grand a year: Expect mediocre returns on your educational investment at Hillel next year.

• 16 Another Teacher // Jun 28, 2007 at 4:18 pm

  There’s nothing wrong with Yossi Kastan but he is extremely inexeperienced. As a seasoned teacher, I prefer to work for a seasoned principal and not someone who is so green. How Yossi got promoted to Assistant Principal so quickly while a seasoned educator like Rabbi Kaplan is hung out to dry is simply beyond comprehension–defies logic.

• 17 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 4:27 pm

  ” Most of next year’s administrative leaders have been promoted from within the Hillel family, and some new ones have joined us.”

  How misleading is this?

  Look at how many of the administrators will only be IN THEIR SECOND YEAR AT HILLEL (at most)…

  Help me out if I miss some!

  1.Adam Holden
  2. Michael Druin
  3. Tym Bonnilla
  4. Laura Ingoldsby
  5. Mr. Peirce
  6. Valerie Lustgarten
  7. Yossi Kastan

  Rabbi Sachs, Meisels, Rosenberg-Gottleib, Mr. H (that’s 4)

  7 out of 11 administrators are practically brand new to Hillel…who are they kidding?

  SHAMEFUL PROPAGANDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  How any teacher could want to work for such a pack of unethical propagandists defies logic.

• 18 Juno // Jun 28, 2007 at 7:23 pm

  sigh…

• 19 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 7:50 pm

  sigh is right Juno

  these people can use help in the wisdom dept. from some ancients

  If I had a dollar for every time now I’ve heard them use terminology I’ve introduced on this blog (like “Best Practices” ) taken out of context and redefined to suit their purposes in their propaganda comminuques, I’d be really affluent by now.

  Between myself, anonymous lower case, and a few brilliant alumni, there hasn’t been a single original worthwhile idea generated by these fools.

  They’re like parrots mimicking what we say but utterly distorting and perverting the meaning of the terminology to suit their purposes. If it weren’t so tragic it would be comical.

  Where should we lead these asses by the nose next? The cliche is certainly true: You can lead a horse to water…………………………..

  This is truly living through George Orwell’s worst nightmare.

  “Doublethink” rules the day:

  “His mind slid away into the labyrinthine world of doublethink. To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully-constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them; to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy; to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again: and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself. That was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word ‘doublethink’ involved using doublethink”

• 20 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 7:51 pm

  Re Another Teacher’s post # 16:

  Something is very weird. How did such as young person get an Assistant Principal position?

  Also, note how the Judaic Studies coordinator in each division has been replaced by a Jewish Life Assistant Principal. Can we then expect rigorous Judaic studies to be replaced by “feel good” Jewish life activities?

  One more thing - the letter that came in the mail from Holden states that “Within this structure, each division has administrative leaders who share responsibilities for General Studies and Judaic Studies, and report to both of us, Head of School and Associate Head of School - Judaic.”

  So, let me get this straight. Non-Jewish administrators are sharing responsibility for Judaic studies.

  ARE THEY KIDDING???!!!

  The elementary will likely fare well with Rabbi Saks and Mr. M. But what of the middle and high schools?

  I don’t recognize this school anymore……..

• 21 Juno // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:01 pm

  It really feels awful.

  I adore Rabbi Saks, he is so good with the kids and so inspired and teaches so insightfully and explains incredibly well. I am glad he’s where he is, the elementary will really do well by him!

• 22 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:09 pm

  Excellent questions you pose #20.

  Something is indeed rotten in the state of Denmark.

  The only administrator in grades 7-12 that I have ANY faith in is MR. H.

  Again, sadly there will be more authentic Judaic learning going on at the B.G. Charter School :

  -A seasoned Orthodox Head of School ensuring authenticl learning of Hebrew Language, Jewish History, and true infusion of Jewish culture.

  -Federally funded to hire the best teachers.

  -And in the afternoon, a rented space where the BEST JUDAIC teachers can teach kids how to leign, interpret Talmud etc. etc.

  -Funded by CAJE.

  The best of both worlds.

  Hillel can’t compete.

  Hillel doesn’t look like a Jewish day school anymore.

  It’s a sad day when a charter school looks more Jewish than a Jewish Community school.

  Utterly and sadly unrecognizable.

  Forget the fact that 6 of the administrators listed are utterly recognizable as well (50%) of them are the unitiated as far as Hillel is concerned.

  Yossi Kastan is a welcome addition but there are people far more seasoned for Assistant principal roles.

  At this point, they are looking for malleable YES MEN apparently.

  Soon the school the alumni knew will cease to exist.

  And yes, what the heck is A STUDENT LIFE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

  STUDENT LIFE??????

  JEWISH LIFE should be a given.

  Our kids needs to learn rigorous skills!!

  Textual interpretation for one.

  LAW SCHOOLS DROOL OVER KIDS WHO HAVE TALMUDIC INTERPRETIVE SKILLS

  SO MUCH FOR EXCELLENCE!!!

• 23 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:13 pm

  Rabbi Sachs is an excellent addition as well….
  I’m not so sure about several others.

  Oh wait…PREDICTION:

  the next communique will talk about the wonderful Talmudic interpretive skills these administrators will be ensuring our kids get…SCARY!!!!!!!!!!

  What other words can I put in their mouths?

• 24 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:24 pm

  Atlantic Coast Special Educational Services
  Participants & Staff Join Us From All Parts of the USA & the World!
  This is where social and independent living skills HEAT UP

  Population Served: Adults (minimum age is 18 years)
  Capacity: 24 guest & 16 staff

  Owner: Tom Ingoldsby

  “Did the board once again fail to do its research?”

• 25 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:26 pm

  post 24..can you please spell out the problem for those of us who are not connecting the dots so quickly.thanks.

• 26 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:30 pm

  poster #20:

  All of this vague terminology and all of these nebulous titles are the instruments that dictators weild to cloak their evil intentions.

  More from Orwell about this:

  “In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible.

  Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.

  The great enemy of clear language is insincerity.

  When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink.

  In our age there is no such thing as ‘keeping out of politics’.

  All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred, and schizophrenia.

  When the general atmosphere is bad, language must suffer.

  I have not here been considering the literary use of language, but merely language as an instrument for expressing and not for concealing or preventing thought.

  Stuart Chase and others have come near to claiming that all abstract words are meaningless, and have used this as a pretext for advocating a kind of political quietism.

  Since you don’t know what Fascism is, how can you struggle against Fascism?”

• 27 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:38 pm

  ARe you saying Mr. Tom Ingoldsby only worked with 24 special Ed adults??

  that’s real experience, let me tell ya!

• 28 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:49 pm

  Ms. Ingoldsby, the new assistant principal of the high school, ” also has special education experience from her roles as resident group leader and assistant director of the Atlantic Coast Special Education Services.”

  Tom Ingoldsby, most likely a family member, owns the facility where Ms. Ingoldsby was an assistant director

• 29 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 8:58 pm

  Laura Ingoldsby

  http://www.campatlantic.org/staff.htm

• 30 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:02 pm

  I just don’t get it. Although she seems very accomplished, is this the right fit for Hillel?

  Where are our Jewish leaders and role models?

  Why not Rabbi Kaplan as Assistant Principal?

  Oh - right - he didn’t go to Harvard.

• 31 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:04 pm

  Laura Ingoldsby - another athlete and coach.

  Clearly Holden values athletics above Judaic studies.

• 32 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:04 pm

  “Ms. Laura Ingoldsby will apply to Hillel her successful teaching career in diverse classroom settings, ranging from inner-city to established independent schools. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Washington and Lee University and a master’s degree in school leadership from Harvard University.”

  Who cares who she is?

  Why would any of these administrators want to come work where they are clearly unwanted.

  They won’t last. The others didn’t last and they won’t either. Hillel will chew them up and spit them out like they do to everyone else. Good.

• 33 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:06 pm

  Anon - you are forgetting that she was hand-picked by the newest Hillel dictator. She will not be treated as the others were. The Board will blindly support all of Holden’s choices.

• 34 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:13 pm

  You are so right! How did I forget?

• 35 sara // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:51 pm

  The 400 hours that are mentioned could include nights…it is a residential facility. So, we may be talking about only 5 weeks! And by the looks of the photos, it appears the owner is her father.

  She has inner-city teaching experience. My experience has shown that people who we hire who have inner city experience are in for a rude awakening when they come to Hillel. They are not accustomed to our academic standards, our kids, our culture, etc.

  Has anyone found out anything about the Boston College High School that is mentioned in her Blueprint to Excellent Update bio? I repeat, my google search yielded a well-respected boys’ Jesuit school!

• 36 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:05 pm

  To summarize:

  Leading our Jewish high school:

  1) A non-Jewish ex-marine
  2) A non-Jewish middle school teacher and coach with experience in a family-owned special education facility for adults
  3) A non-Jewish head of school with dubious academic credentials
  4) A Jewish assistant head of school with virtually no academic credentials
  5) A Jewish assistant principal whose job it is to “infuse” Judaism into a Jewish school

  Nice.

• 37 Ivory // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:09 pm

  sara // Jun 28, 2007 at 9:51 pm

  I am popping in…my experience did have inner city but also suburban and I had very good motivated kids in both places, just not enough of them.

• 38 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:11 pm

  It should be noted that this is another marketing ploy obviously prepared and scripted by the well paid Marketing firm.

  G-d knows what they are thinking????!!!???

  Honestly, start at the elementary school and work your way up - - the elementary school principal lacks experience as well as appropriate credentials. They will now ruin one of the strongest well run units left in our school.

  The haphazard management and decision making style of this administrative leadership and the lack of professional oversight being exercised (or shall we say NOT exercised) by the board makes them grossly negligent. It is quite obvious that background checks, academic and professional verification and validation has not been undertaken.

  The whole situation is absolutely sickening.

  …..yet worse than that - it is unbelievable to think that parents are sitting by and allowing this to happen because they are afraid to take a stand and offend their board member friends. It is unconsciounable that these people care more about their friends than their children. This is something that personnally, I will never understand.

  Stand up ladies and gentlemen - - let your voices be heard. Let the board know that you are NOT happy. Let them know that you are demanding answers.

  We must all continue to do ALL we can to SAVE HILLEL - - we are charted on a course for self destruction - - THANK YOU MR. RUSS, MR. BONWITT, MR. WOLDENBERG AND MRS. DACH.

• 39 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:16 pm

  Speaking of dach, is there any credibility to the rumor I hear that she has been kicked off many school boards (Miamominides and once at Hillel before Dennis left) in the past?

• 40 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:18 pm

  correct!

• 41 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:20 pm

  correct to what? Is there any information you are able to enlighten us with?

• 42 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:20 pm

  It is important to know why this occurred once before and why it is not happening now. History is repeating itself but this time it’s not being stopped.

• 43 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:21 pm

  ….however, we must remember, it is not one person that makes a difference or decision - -they have undertaken the motto

  United we stand, divided we fall. This was the motto at the election when they begged their consituents to not split the vote. How childish - - so what did it mean?

  It meant that they were not willing to work with or listen to others who did not share their thoughts, opinions, or visions.

  It is a horrible lesson to teach their children and a poor way to live and lead.

  I was always taught to live and lead by example - - …and to make a difference. There must be others who share such values.

  If so, stand up and be heard.

  Do all you can to SAVE HILLEL!

• 44 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:24 pm

  It is my understanding she was involved with the old Temple Beth Shalom (I think it was in Hollywood) and that temple suffered financial problems. The Day School broke off and became Maimonides. In any event, she was part of the group that brought about the school’s demise.

  Read # 43 and that is why it is not happening now. They are a small tight knit group - - they are only interested in those who will support and bow to their leadership and their leader.

  It is actually sad to see such educated individuals caught up in a daze unable to see the forest from the trees.

• 45 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:26 pm

  “Boston College High School, animated by Jesuit principles, takes a holistic view of education, to include nurturing the spiritual, physical, intellectual, and artistic gifts each student brings to campus. The rigorous curriculum, community service and campus ministry programs as well as co-curricular and athletic offerings focus on educating young men of competence, conscience, and compassion. BC High accomplishes this development by creating a sense of community and demonstrating personal care and concern for individuals. In so doing, the school graduates leaders who are committed to serving God and others through a profound sense of justice rooted in faith; leaders who are “men for others.”

  Was Judaism “infused” there as well?

• 46 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:34 pm

  Do you have any information about how she had been reelected to the board after dennis? apparently she was on hillel’s executive committee long ago. Isnt there a number of terms a person can serve at hillel? Is she an exception to the rule?

  I think the tight knitness is more that shes incredible loyal to them and them to her. after all, this is her life. weird when her kids arnet even at the school anymore.

  do we really want our school to be run by someone who has no future at hillel?

• 47 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:40 pm

  “unbelievable to think that parents are sitting by and allowing this to happen because they are afraid to take a stand and offend their board member friends. It is unconsciounable that these people care more about their friends than their children. This is something that personnally, I will never understand.”

  The masses are asses or rather SHEEP easily led to the slaughter…many parents do not have contact with enough people to learn the truth. Every time I speak to a parent they are shocked. Those parents that I had a chance to personally speak to changed their votes. However, it seems most of us have very little access to parents.

  “Speaking of dach, is there any credibility to the rumor I hear that she has been kicked off many school boards (Miamominides and once at Hillel before Dennis left) in the past?”

  “It is my understanding she was involved with the old Temple Beth Shalom (I think it was in Hollywood) and that temple suffered financial problems. The Day School broke off and became Maimonides. In any event, she was part of the group that brought about the school’s demise.”

  She was. That school threw her out the door!!!

• 48 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:43 pm

  michael Newman hinted on another thread that some of the board members have served too many terms.

  they keep rewriting the by-laws to suit their purposes. they are so corrupt.

  the bylaws were pasted some where on this blog so we could access them once they disappeared.

  we should try to look into that.

  it’s long overdue that dach and papir go

  they have indeed ushered in the demise of thsi school

• 49 sara // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:45 pm

  You know what is ironic about all of this? We most likely will have a good year because the Hillel teachers who are still around will continue to do what they have always done— teach well, act professionally—no matter what is going around them. And the new-to-our -school teachers will most likely fare as well as other new groups of teachers have: some will shine and others will not. It is NOT what administration does. It IS what teachers do. But this administration and this board will take credit for the positive and put blame on others for the negative. Just once it would be nice to hear a sincere thank-you. Just once it would be nice to hear a “we made a mistake.”

• 50 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:45 pm

  We need to be an equal opportunity school

  WE’ve got Jesuits and Catholics now
  but where are the Muslims

  they’ve got to be feeling left out…let’s invite the local Imam to be in charge of Student life?

  Whaddya say?

• 51 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:49 pm

  correction: the local Imam can be one of the administrators within a division who “shares responsibilities for General Studies and Judaic Studies”

• 52 Ivory // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:49 pm

  It depends on what the curriculum has in it. The Jesuits are notable for scholarship although the Carmelites are better at the teaching of, well, the Bible.
  It is usually fair to say that Catholic Parochial and Jewish Parochial are about even in scholarship. But what is put first in the curriculum? Christology focuses on the New Testament. Judaic Studies looks at all things Jewish. You can get “Torah” studies at a Catholic Parochial school but it is often called ‘The Old Testament’, the Apocrypha is sometimes there as well. The time is not as intensely spent on study of the O.T. because the N.T. has everyone’s attention. And, sadly, very sadly, Hebrew is not taught very much. Latin is however (usually the Vulgate and not Classic) taught and sometimes Greek (usually Classic). And, the Languages are only taught in the Language Dept. as electives, not generally through the Religious Department so certain nuances are just not pulled together.
  But that is not true at every school, just generally.
  It is also true, (speaking from that perspective) that most Christians do not know their Bible very well at all. It is this illiteracy that helps to keep people’s blinders on, especially since English is the handiest way to read the Bible as most of us can’t do Greek at all and have a hard time even considering Latin.
  The irony is not lost on anyone with a historical sense: the Romans killed all the early Christians they could get to and demolished the elements of connectedness with Judaism. So the largest proportion of church records are in Latin… and almost no one reads them anymore…
  Sigh…

• 53 Anon // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:56 pm

  “We most likely will have a good year because the Hillel teachers who are still around will continue to do what they have always done— teach well, act professionally—no matter what is going around them.”

  Well then those teacher are stronger than many others. I applaud you and admire your dedication.

  i’ve spoken to so many teachers who say they’re only doing this for the students. the important thing here is that these students grow and become leaders of their communities and success stories. I would find it very difficult to be contributing to the growth of a child in an extrmeely stressful environment–so teachers, thank you for doing what you do.

• 54 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 10:56 pm

  Of course, this was all allowed to happen when this announcement was postponed until after the election. I imagine there would have been many many more votes for the alternate slate had this list come out earlier. We all knew that these people had been hired before the election. At least one of the new administrators was on campus months ago introducing himself to the kids as their new administrator for next year.

  Another devious move by the Board to hide the truth of their real intentions.

• 55 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:01 pm

  The real irony lies in the “Communication” section of the Blueprint, and the completely opposite reaction of the Board when confronted with the teacher firings.

• 56 Mr. Pink // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:03 pm

  To summarize for the marketing firm who is busy with their homework assignment cleaning up this mess made by the board members .

  The board members are meanwhile too busy to deal with the crisis they created because they have better things to do right now like traveling, boating, and hobnobbing with their socialite friends and cliquey friends while they allow our school to self-destruct and implode .

  “This bloated organization–with all of its embellishing of credentials, establishing of wasteful bureacratic departments, and bestowing of glorified titles–will accomplish nothing but mediocrity”

  “Good thing to know that this board is governed by a toothless crew of cronies and pathetically weak individuals whose incompetence, arrogance, and innumerable shortcomings illustrate how they are in way over their heads and are unable to take appropriate action”

  Many of them have sat on the board for more than 10 years. What are the term limits?

  What about nepotism? You have 3 Papirs on the board (joanne, her brother? David Wolf, her relatives Fiske) You have 2 Schecks on the board–Bonwitt and Marty

  Shouldn’t there be some kind of rule about this? Clearly, board members are not going to oust other board members who should be if they are FAMILY MEMBERS. SOUNDS LIKE A HUGE CONFLICT OF INTEREST.

  SO CORRUPT.

  “The haphazard management and decision making style of this administrative leadership and the lack of professional oversight being exercised (or shall we say NOT exercised) by the board makes them grossly negligent”

  “The whole situation is absolutely sickening.”

• 57 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:20 pm

  Christian textual scholarship is quite rigorous –without question. I have great respect for Christian scholars and if I wanted my child to learn how to look at Biblical text through a Christian lens (eg. man fell from grace after the original sin and needed the son of God to die to atone for mankind’s sins) then I would certainly send my child to to Epiphany in Coral Gables. A top school

  http://www.epiphanycatholicschool.com/ecs3/home.htm

  These are the administrators at that school:

  Administration
  Sister Margaret
  Sister Carmel
  Mrs. Castellanos

  Funny, I don’t see any Rabbis listed here. Why not????????????

  These are some of the values the school is infuses:

  For Adolescents in Middle and High School, Monday p.m.
  - R.C.I.A. - Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
  - Bible Sharing
  - Baptismal Preparations
  - Liturgy of the Word for Children

  That’s wonderful. Do I want a Christian leading my Jewish school? No I don’t. Do I care if there are a few Christian principals. Maybe not. But this has gone far overboard already. (Teachers are NOT the issue. Christian literature teachers are great!!)

  Do you think I would personally like to spend 20 thousand dollars a year so that the local person of the Christian, or perhaps next year, Muslim faith –gets to “SHARE” in the infusion of Jewish values and culture in an administrative role?????????

  That thought does not comfort me a great deal.

  Let’s appoint the local imam next year while we’re at it as Head of school…

  Next thing I know my child will come home to tell me that we are so cruel the way we treat those poor Palestinians…and that this is America and that everyone is equal and why can’t we all just get along? And why can’t I marry a non Jew for goodness sake? We’re all children of the Lord for heaven’s sake aren’t we?

  this is a topsy turvy world…what seemed far fetched moments ago can become reality tomorrow…who knows where this reductio ad absurdum will lead us next?

• 58 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:22 pm

  How are we supposed to know about things like term limits and nepotism when the bylaws are changed at their whim and then hidden from the school members?

  How is it possible to break up a sneaky and underhanded team like this that hides information from the school community and lies about the things they cannot hide? And further - refuses to allow anyone in who does not agree with them?

• 59 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:25 pm

  The only way to do this is for parents to start campaigning and do mailing NOW.

  Do you know any parents willing to because I think they wore down those wonderful parents who ran for the new slate.

  Those brave parents stepped up, named themselves, but had no time to really educate people. Had they been given appropriate time, they would have won. Had Isaac and Jessica campaigned as well, chances are even more people would have learned the truth.

• 60 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:26 pm

  The only thing we can do is to start working on changing the Board next year. We got 1/3 of the vote in a few short weeks - we can get to the rest given a whole school year.

• 61 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:28 pm

  Go build your parent base now and you will be able to oust some of them

  Judy and Joanne are NOT up for re-election next year

  They are sitting on the board for far too long…it’s got to be illegal

  Even FDR had to quit after serving FOUR TERMS!!!

• 62 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:30 pm

  And who will be evaluating the teachers this coming year?

  The “principal intern” from the Jesuit school with 400 hours ( equal to 10 weeks of internship) and maybe 5 years of teaching/swimming experience?

  Or will it be the administrator without the college degree?

  Or will it be the Head of School with the fraudulent terminating degree?

  Best practices?

  Best practices?

• 63 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:30 pm

  We need to take out a full page ad in the Florida Jewish News or better yet the Miami Herald

  you’ll see how fast these people will be forced to step down once the entire South Florida knows the truth

• 64 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:30 pm

  to post #57:

  “who knows where this reductio ad absurdum will lead us next?”

  Unfortunately, the good folks at Hyman Brand gave us that glimpse into the future and our Board chose to ignore it.

• 65 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:31 pm

  make sure you kiss up to as many of these new fools as you can if you don’t wanna be canned next april cuz there ain’t no one to stop them from doing whatever they please

• 66 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:32 pm

  to post 64 Yes. How did Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy get rid of the dictator???????

• 67 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:32 pm

  Get rid of Dach and Papir and the rest will be gone too.

• 68 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:33 pm

  Since administrators are sharing the responsibility for Judaic and General studies, I imagine Mr. Bonilla and Ms. Ingoldsby might be evaluating our Rabbis’ instruction. What a comforting thought.

• 69 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:36 pm

  Yes and comforting to know that Rabbi Michael Druin who doesn’t hold a degree will be evaluating our teachers far more credentialed than he

• 70 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:36 pm

  To post #66:

  I don’t know how they got rid of Holden. I don’t believe he will last at Hillel past his 3-year contract either. Our job is to try and limit the damage he will cause.

• 71 sara // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:37 pm

  Can anyone provide answers:

  1. Do we know for certain that Druin has no degrees? How do we know?

  2. A point is being missed here. It is not just that we think this school is a Jesuit school . It is an all boys’ school. Can a female be part of this type of school? I cannot find another school with this name.

• 72 anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:40 pm

  1. yes

  2.yes

• 73 Anonymous // Jun 28, 2007 at 11:56 pm

  sara: the point is NOT all boy school , all girls jesuits, what not

  the point is: group think, woodenheadedness, callousness, disrespect, arrogance, denial, backpedaling, fraud, outright lying, propaganda, doublethink and newspeak, cronyism, nepotism, dictatorship, corruption, intimidation, rewriting history, rewriting bylaws, changing bylaws to allow a non Jewish dean and non Shomer Shabbos principal, the watering down of judaics and secularizing of the school, the secrecy, the shutting out other voices, the insulating oneself, the hiding the financial books even from board members, the terrorizing of teachers, the lying to the parents, , pure unadulterated EVIL.

  we’ve got a lot more than the 7 deadly sins here to repent for come atonement day

  THEY HAVE A LOT OF MECHILA TO START ASKING FOR.

  SINS THAT ARE “BEN ADAM L CHAVERO ” (person to person rather than person to G-d) CAN ONLY BE FORGIVEN BY THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE HARMED AND NOT BY G-D.

  Yom Kippur should be a real b%$#* for some of these people and what about Karma…what comes around goes around…maybe not this year…but just wait!

• 74 sara // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:03 am

  Post 63 says “We need to take out a full page ad in the Florida Jewish News or better yet the Miami Herald

  you’ll see how fast these people will be forced to step down once the entire South Florida knows the truth.”

  This should now be added to our list of what to do if things once again reach a head..as they did last April. I have been told that everyone concerned with SAVING HILLEL has tried to avoid doing “things” that would really hurt Hillel, but perhaps you are right. I certainly would contribute to the cost of such an ad.

  So, here it is–things we can do that we hope we do not have to do:

  1. an ad in newspaper
  2. a phone call to SACS
  3. a legal angle that some say can still be addressed…it appears the “wrong” item was the focus when this item was previously dicussed here–that there is, in fact, a legal route that can be persued.

• 75 anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:05 am

  “Lying on Your Resume
  What Are the Career Consequences?
  by Kim Isaacs
  Monster Resume Expert

  Related Articles
  An Unethical Boss

  When a woman we’ll call Mary was offered a high-level student-services position at a prestigious college, she was thrilled to accept. But two years later, Mary was fired despite strong performance reviews and a reputation as a rising star at the college. The reason? She lied on her resume — and got caught.

  An HR initiative requiring employees to furnish college transcripts revealed Mary lied about having a master’s degree. It wasn’t lack of a degree that cost Mary her job; it was her dishonesty. Unemployed and with a blown reference to boot, Mary demonstrates what can happen when you lie on your resume.

  Companies are growing increasingly savvy in ferreting out resume cheaters through more comprehensive background checks conducted both pre- and post-hire. Why the latter? Subpar job performance can prompt a follow-up investigation into an employee’s past. If dishonesty is discovered, it is often grounds for termination and possibly legal action.

  Yet Mary is hardly alone in falsifying information on a resume. Steven D. Levitt, coauthor of Freakonomics and a renowned economics professor at the University of Chicago, cites research suggesting that more than 50 percent of people lie on their resumes.

  Given such repercussions as Mary’s fate, you might wonder why anyone would attempt to get away with lying on a resume in the first place. Levitt refers to a W.C. Fields quote in his explanation: “Anything worth winning is worth cheating for.”

  Power — and Misery — Foster Temptation

  In a kind of twist on the Peter Principle, which suggests that within corporate hierarchies, employees tend to be promoted until they reach their ultimate levels of incompetence, Levitt postulates that “the higher up in the organization a person rises, the more likely it is that he or she will cheat.”

  His observation is certainly borne out by news headlines about executives resigning in the face of resume dishonesty. Common resume lies include falsifying academic credentials, padding dates to mask employment gaps, exaggerating job titles, embellishing job responsibilities and achievements, claiming sole responsibility for team efforts and even making up fictitious employers.

  Levitt also found a correlation between mood and the temptation to cheat. The desperation felt when weeks of unemployment stretch into months, or the low morale experienced by someone employed but truly miserable in a job, appear to increase the incentive to lie.

  The Big Consequences of Little Lies

  “The best lies will be those that mirror reality,” Levitt says. “My hunch is that the reputed 50 percent of resume cheaters are mostly making little cheats here and there, for instance, to cover up times when they were out of the labor force for six months.”

  Perhaps viewing these mistruths as harmless white lies or marketing spin, people who lie on a resume may end up doing more damage –to themselves and others — than they realize.

  “When someone else cheats, it hurts the honest people,” Levitt says. Honest job seekers can be edged out of competition by individuals who give themselves an unfair advantage by fabricating or exaggerating credentials.

  And what about the damage cheaters do to themselves? “Even if you are never caught, you will have to live in constant fear that someday you will be caught and punished and with the guilt of knowing what you did was wrong,” Levitt warns.

  Honest Strategies for Getting Ahead

  No matter what the reason or justification for lying, if your resume isn’t entirely truthful, know this: You don’t have to resort to lying to win a job. There are ethical resume strategies you can use to address issues like job-hopping, time off from the workforce, minimal work experience, lack of or incomplete college degrees , being fired and having a criminal record.

  Levitt’s research findings and the stories of job seekers who got caught lying on their resumes are cautionary tales to anyone in the workforce:

  You jeopardize your future when you lie about your past. “

• 76 sara // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:17 am

  and you jeopardize Hillel……

  Super article!

• 77 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:29 am

  “When someone else cheats, it hurts the honest people,” Levitt says. Honest job seekers can be edged out of competition by individuals who give themselves an unfair advantage by fabricating or exaggerating credentials”

  This is the entire issue. Who was edged out?

• 78 sara // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:36 am

  People who were on the search committee can tell you that. . .

• 79 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:40 am

  I’ve heard the kids say that Joseph Lieberman’s son was a candidate for head of school. Anyone know if this is true?

• 80 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:41 am

  ask them please

• 81 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:41 am

  find out please

• 82 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:44 am

  Just found this in Wikipedia:

  “Matt Lieberman graduated from Yale University in 1989, and from Yale Law School in 1994. He is the Head of School of Greenfield Hebrew Academy in Atlanta, GA.”

  So it is very possible.

• 83 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:46 am

  YES!!!!

  and he STILL WANTS THE POSITION!!

  I know this for a FACT

• 84 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:47 am

  is there anyone who sees where I’m going with this?

• 85 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:49 am

  Confirmed on the GHA web site

  http://www.ghacademy.org/page/contactus.html

• 86 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:49 am

  amendment to my #83 I’m pretty sure we are talking about the same person…I will know for certain by tomorrow. need to make one call but pretty sure!

• 87 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:50 am

  Are you sure he still wants the position?

  If this is true, we need more information and a plan.

• 88 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:50 am

  I’m pretty sure this person still wants the position. This could get very interesting folks

• 89 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 12:51 am

  I have a plan …let’s see if you follow ..do the words “spokes in the wheel” ring a bell?

• 90 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 1:02 am

  How can we get more information on how the decision to hire Holden was made? We need to let parents know that there were viable JEWISH candidates and that we were lied to once again!

• 91 sara // Jun 29, 2007 at 8:35 am

  To my knowledge, some teachers were on the search committee. There should be a list of committee members ……somewhere

• 92 anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 9:15 am

  you were definitely lied to and there is legal recourse provided parents want to pursue it

• 93 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 9:57 am

  I don’t know about the Matt Lieberman person but I believe there was another super qualified Jewish candidate Manni/Manny something or other from a Jewish school in Ohio, I believe, who still wanted the position even this year.

  Let’s get the names of the other qualified Jewish contenders. There were definitely some fabulous ones.

• 94 sara // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:12 am

  I don’t understand where you are going with this– a need to know who the other candidates were stating that it appears 2 Jewish ones are still interested in the position, and saying there is legal recourse. But whatever it is, go for it!

  The Blueprint to Excellence Update to which we are responding clearly states that there is shortage of Jewish academic leaders. Did they just bury themselves with their own words–which are now in print???

  From the update: “The structure presents a solid solution to achieve a Board goal to advance the school during a nationwide shortage of Jewish educational leaders, simultaneously maintaining a parallel track to develop future Jewish educational leaders for Hillel and other Jewish schools nationally.”

• 95 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:16 am

  Understand this ..only parents or applicants can take legal recourse and I don’t think they are willing to. It’s not that legal recourse doesn’t exist. The problem is that no one has the balls to pursue it so let’s not get too excited by this pipe dream. State Attorney will pursue it though if anyone should grow a pair overnight.

• 96 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:29 am

  What legal leg do we have to stand on?

• 97 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:29 am

  Post #2:

  An insightful and accurate summary. Those of us who have been around for many years know full well what we have lost and the destruction being caused by clueless new, mostly young ” leaders” who care nothing for Hillel’s past.

  Specifically, all this nonsense about integrating Judaic and General curriculum is nothing more than a gimmick designed to deflect attention away from the larger problems of disrespected teachers and a deceitful leadership. Also to try and show how “Jewish” our school will be under their leadership.

  The truth, as those of use who have been around for a while know, is that Hillel’s teachers have always worked together to infuse both the curriculum and all activities with Jewish life. To deny or belittle that, as Russ did in his letter to the editor, is an insult to our teachers who accomplished this, not because of any directives, but simply because of their devotion to Jewish education.

  Now we will have non-Jewish administrators who will share responsibility for Judaic studies. Will we also have non-Jewish teachers who will be forced to incorporate Jewish studies into their secular curriculum? In math? Language Arts? How? More importantly, why? They are trying to fix something is is not broken. I repeat that there has always been integration where it was appropriate, such as in history or reading lessons. Done by teachers out of concern and respect for our mission. No new department with Assistant Principal salaries was necessary.

  The Board needs to wake up and take responsibility for the problems created by the administration they so blindly support. They need to focus attention on the real problems. They need to stop trying to prove how Jewish they are making our school and just leave in place a rigorous Judaic curriculum.

  In short, they need to model themselves after JEWISH schools of excellence and not look to the non-Jewish world for their ideas on how to run a Jewish school.

  Our graduates were always sought after by top school precisely because of the rigorous dual curriculum. Hillel always knew how to be excellent; the new leadership denies that, belittles past accomplishments that pre-date them, takes credit for accomplishments that are the result of TEACHER’s efforts and then offers the teachers a healthy dose of disrespect.

  Then they spin everything to make it look like they are without blame for any of the problems they have created.

  Maybe they should be running for president.

• 98 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:30 am

  Sorry - this last post was meant for the other thread about the letters to the editor - I’ll post it there

• 99 sara // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:57 am

  There are too many people posting under the same “Anonymous.” One said he/she has a plan and needs to make a phone call. Another (or the same) said there is legal recourse. Another (or the same) nixed that. And another (or dame one) says we need to take out a full page ad. Let’s clarify, please.

  And, if there is nowhere to go with this new idea–whatever this new idea is– then how about placing that ad?? What Jewish Day School Whose Board States there are no Jewish academic leaders passed over at least 2 viable Jewish candidates? What Jewish Day School needs to keep proving it is Jewish?

• 100 Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 11:25 am

  “Anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 10:29 am

  What legal leg do we have to stand on?”

  Option 1– IF someone was cheated out of a job because Holden sold himself on the idea that he was more qualified with the doctorate than some other candidate, then that candidate (of which I believe there are some who are superqualified, Jewish, NICE and who still want this position, G-d only knows why…) can start the investigation–you have a victim and a plaintiff in legal terms–it is almost irrelevant whether Holden gets prosecuted or not. He will be under serious investigation.

  (Alumni were concerned that this would bring more bad press to Hillel. I can assure them that it will not . The state attorney’s office will not notify the press but will keep the whole thing under wraps. The state attorney’s office just like our responsible journalist and the people at SACS are not seeking to make a school suffer more than it has to and prefer not to touch this can of worms with a ten foot pole. They do not abuse power like the people who are running this joint do. So if Mr. Bitter Alumni starts berating me again, I will find him and slug him. I’m just trying to help teachers.))

  Option 2–If several parents banded together and wanted to also make a case for the fact that someone has wreaked havoc on a school where their children attend, then we have a state attorney who is willing to start investigating…perhaps prosecute..but definitely investigate. If SEVERAL parents were interested, then I have the name of the investigator at the State Attorney’s office willing to start the investigation right now (which I could hand over to the site admin. to pass along).

  One of these two things need to happen. One way or the other or forget the whole thing and don’t talk about it anymore.

  The power hungry people and their marketers are combing through every word here. Don’t assist them furhter anymore. Either take action or shut up right now for your own protection.

  They take every word on this site and pervert it for their own use. Don’t give them any more ideas. They keep saying Best Practices . They apply it to the wrong concepts. They don’t even know where the word originates from and it’s ridiculous now that we’ve used it how many times we’ve heard it used wrongly come out of their mouths. It’s beyond sickening and evil.

  Also, I will not clarify which Anonymous I am.

  The beauty of this website is that several are posting under this name and this is protecting every single one of us all the more “SARA”.

• 101 sara // Jun 29, 2007 at 2:36 pm

  Of course this web site is protecting everyone’s identity–including mine. I only meant something like Anonymous #1 or Anonymous #2 would help.

  I understand your words of caution re: posting more “ideas” here, but the one about what parents can do through the state attorney is still quite unclear.

  perhaps you can start this rolling by contacting the parents who were part of the 1/3 vote and/or parents who you know are still quite concerned–explain the current situation/facts to them, etc.

  or, if people know the other candidates or how to contact them, perhaps ……….

• 102 Shlomo Bolts // Jun 29, 2007 at 5:34 pm

  I agree with most of what has been said so far. Let me add that I graduated two years ago, and have not spoken more than ten words to any of next year’s high school administrators. I am committed to challenging the Board again next year if it does not improve, and I hope it does.

  That’s all on that front. I have nothing particularly radical to add at this point. However:

  1. “WE’ve got Jesuits and Catholics now
  but where are the Muslims

  they’ve got to be feeling left out…let’s invite the local Imam to be in charge of Student life?”

  2.”correction: the local Imam can be one of the administrators within a division who ’shares responsibilities for General Studies and Judaic Studies’ ”

  3. “Next thing I know my child will come home to tell me that we are so cruel the way we treat those poor Palestinians”

  Whoever posted these comments, you make me sick. Did anyone even mention Islam? So why did you bring it up. Wait, I think I know. Please keep your bigotry against Moslems off this site.

  Also, you might want to keep in mind that not everyone on this site thinks Palestinians are dirt. You make me sick. I won’t say more because I’d rather not derail this thread. But as much as I am committed to Hillel, I am even more committed to eliminating your brand of poisonous hatred from the Earth. If I and others like me fail, we’ll all have much worse things to worry about than SaveHillel.

  Carry on

• 103 anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 5:55 pm

  Re: Miami -Dade State Attorney’s Office

  Only a board member can file the complaint under 817.567 since he/she is considered the victim as the Board hired him.

• 104 Ivory // Jun 30, 2007 at 10:31 am

  http://standeyo.com/NEWS/07_Pics_of_Day/070626.pic.of.day.html

  Please look at this picture and take it metaphorically as relating to the problem at hand.

• 105 Anonymous // Jun 30, 2007 at 3:42 pm

  I´m glad I make you sick Shlomo. here´s what makes me sick-jews who try so hard to get along with everyone that they´re willing to watch their culture be annihilated before their very eyes in the name of equality or excellence. Radical Muslims or Islamists make me sick. I won´t apologize for that. there are 2 kinds of people in this world-creators and destructors…anyone committed to destroying my heritage or my people makes me beyond sick. any jew who embraces such people makes me even more sick. and if there are administrators committed to secularizing this school, they make me sick too.

• 106 Anonymous // Jun 30, 2007 at 3:44 pm

  103 anonymous // Jun 29, 2007 at 5:55 pm

  ¨Re: Miami -Dade State Attorney’s Office

  Only a board member can file the complaint under 817.567 since he/she is considered the victim as the Board hired him.´´

  Not according to who I spoke to . See post 100.

• 107 Anonymous // Jun 30, 2007 at 9:42 pm

  Anonymous (post #105) is 100% on target. There is a difference between initiating poisonous hatred and defending against it. Shlomo, I pray that you can change things, but the sad reality is that a huge percentage of the world is waiting for their opportunity to once again decimate the world’s Jewish population. There are limits to the extent to which we can embrace these factions and try to make peace. In the meantime, we are only helping their cause if we don’t raise strong, educated Jews. We parents seek that education at Hillel and are infuriated that the current leadership is attempting to weaken the rigorous Judaic learning.

• 108 Anonymous // Jun 30, 2007 at 11:17 pm

  Anonymous #2 here…

  Yes, poster 107, you are quite correct.

  The key to keeping the Jewish people alive and strong is by arming them with a strong Judaic education.

  Research substantiates this claim.

  A strong Judaic education (not this FLUFF we keep hearing about in which a SEPARATE DISTINCT ¨Student Life¨ DIVISION has been created to address “Jewish “values” and Jewish “atmosphere” which should naturally already exist and already be built into a strong curriculum and hence have no need for parents to have to bankroll yet another bloated bureacratic division that we pay yet another administrator to run) is the KEY TO ENSURING Jewish survival in future generations.

  The actions of this board are so insidious because a RIGOROUS Jewish education– along the lines of Jewish education being offered by the premier Jewish schools in the US (schools, mind you, that are not even necessarily Orthodox schools) such as Frisch, YULA, SAR, Heschel S,The Weber School ,American Hebrew Academy of Greensboro,Solomon Schecter, RAMAZ etc. etc. etc.– is being obliterated before our eyes while most of the population stands unaware and in the dark.

  (As a side note for a separate thread: At least some of the most evil leaders who ever lived and were out to destroy Jewish education, “the Zionists”, and Jewish culture, etc. laid their agenda out straight on the table for the world to see so that everyone knew where we stood with them. They told us straight to our face. Perhaps we chose not to believe them. Perhaps we choose to ignore that for every one moderate and peaceseeking Moslem you meet (of which there are several in the Ivory Tower World–I´d love to retreat to the lofty idealistic heights of that tower once more now that I´m an adult) , there are several more ready to throw us into the sea - their leaders have gone on national television saying so…they are trying to build nukes to point straight at Israel AS WE SPEAK but that is for another time on another thread Shlomo)

  Ultimately, it is okay to secularize a school provided that you have honestly told parents that this is what you are seeking to do.

  However, to send letters saying that parents should not worry about Judaics because they are now stronger than ever is a blatant lie.

  Be honest. If you are honest, then at least parents can make an honest assessment for themselves. Parents really resent being lied to.

  (They also resent that geographically speaking Hillel is the only Jewish day school close enough to where they live to send their kids to at this moment.)

  Shlomo, it´s okay for Jews to send their kids to schools that are run by people of varying ethnica and religious backgrounds be they Moslem, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist as long as the parents are aware of what they are signing on for and paying lots of money for.

  The problem is that here, in the United States of America, for the last several decades now, parents have sent their children to JEWISH SCHOOLS and have paid several thousand dollars of their hard-earned salaries to do so because these parents are under the assumption that Jewish day schools are run primarily by Jews.

  And until the year 2007, Jews running Jewish day schools has been a given - I don´t know where you find a Jewish day school in the country where 50% of the KEY administrative positions (we are not talking about teachers now) are filled by non-Jews.

  Here´s another blatant lie: that we are facing a ¨nationwide shortage´´ of Jewish leaders.

  In actuality, some very overqualified Jewish leaders applied to Hillel and were turned away.

  (And I´ve yet to see a time in history when a dearth of qualified Jews existed to run anything..banks, media, entertainment, what not…Isn´t this why so many hate us?)

  Parents are furious.

  Many who are not furious simply do not know the truth.

  Whenever someone tells them what is actually going on, they become furious too.

  It´s okay to remake a school in the image of Pinecrest AS LONG AS YOU HONESTLY state that you are doing so.

  That is not what´s happening here , Shlomo.

  We are seeing lots of equivocation. Talking out of 4 sides of the mouth. Words are not being matched by actions. This is called LYING.

  Lying is unethical.

  Unfortunately, many of the parents, students, and alumni at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy have told us what their school looked like by the time Adam Holden was through with it.

  (Go read the thread in the Archives called Stand Up-there are several others too)

  Adam Holden ultimately is not to blame. The board is for giving him the directive to water down the Judaic program while they smile to parents as they claim that the Judaic program at Hillel FOR THE FIRST TIME (with this first time brand new STUDENT LIFE DIVISION-what kind of empty rhetoric is that…) is STRONGER AND MORE EXCELLENT THAN EVER.

  Listening to such lies is enough to make you sick.

  Builders. Destroyers. If you seek to destroy the foundation of Hillel and the fabric of the Judaic curriculum that always served hitherto to be the bedrock of the institution and of the Jewish people, so be it. Just be honest about what your true intentions are.

  Actions speak louder than words.

  It is beyond unfortunate that the few strong Judaic teachers who remain now have a tremendous burden of filling in gaps they should never have had to fill in the first place.

• 109 sara // Jun 30, 2007 at 11:52 pm

  “Parents are furious.

  Many who are not furious simply do not know the truth.

  Whenever someone tells them what is actually going on, they become furious too.”

  IF parents are really furious, why don’t they speak up? We have been told twice in this thread (and often in other threads) that they are angry. Here is how we can do it:

  1. Pursue the legal angle that has been posted here.

  2. But more REALISTIC is that we can go right back to where we started: get A PETITION SIGNED TO HOLD AN OPEN BOARD MEETING. You know that NOW we CAN get the necessary number of signatures.

  Confront the board about:
  (1) the top-heavy non-Jewish administration—about the experience of some of these individuals (e..g, a Jesuit school background/special needs facility)

  (2) truths about other candidates for positions of head of school and principal/assistant principal positions

  (3) Druin’s lack of credentials

  (4) acknowledging truths about past years (e..g., the universities our students were accepted to, the AP courses we offered, the debate team we had, etc.)—confront them about taking credit for what was previously accomplished. . .

  . . . And the list goes on

  Parents, you CAN do this!

• 110 Anonymous // Jul 1, 2007 at 12:17 am

  To the Board - a free heads up. As Ricky Ricardo said to Lucy, “you got a lot of ’splainen to do!”

  Better get your facts straight because the truth is easy to uncover and 1/3 of the families in the school want answers that we are entitled to.

• 111 Ivory // Jul 1, 2007 at 12:48 am

  “Anonymous // Jul 1, 2007 at 12:17 am

  To the Board - a free heads up. As Ricky Ricardo said to Lucy, “you got a lot of ’splainen to do!”

  Better get your facts straight because the truth is easy to uncover and 1/3 of the families in the school want answers that we are entitled to.”

  On target!

• 112 Shlomo Bolts // Jul 1, 2007 at 12:58 am

  Alright, I am not going to comment further on anything related to Moslems. As anon 2 said, that is for another time. I do not think a discussion of Islamic fundamentalism has anything to do with fixing Hillel. The only reason I posted as I did is to make it clear, for whoever is reading, that it is not open season on intolerance of Moslems here. My opinion is clear, so I’m done. I will not comment further on this matter, and I hope we all can agree to so we can zero in on saving Hillel.

  What do we want written in the petitions?

• 113 Shlomo Bolts // Jul 1, 2007 at 12:59 am

  Final sentence should say “…agree to disagree so we can zero in…”

• 114 Anonymous // Jul 1, 2007 at 9:11 am

  I believe all that needs to be said in the petition is that we want an open meeting.

• 115 sara // Jul 1, 2007 at 12:19 pm

  Do it right…Take your time. Time is on our side. The issues are NOT going away. Some things to do:

  1. We had an online petition. The person behind it—the person who has access to the names of the people who signed it—can begin with those parents

  2. Because we have been told again and again that some parents do not know about this site and/or are not computer savvy, it appears that an ONLINE PETITION IS NOT SUFFICIENT. We need a paper copy.

  A. We need to find out from the LEGAL END IF a petition can be partially electronic and partially paper OR if only one format is acceptable.

  B. We need to find out if the original petition is still viable (it was signed a few months ago)—Can we still use it (minus the names of any parents who no longer have children in the school)?

  4. Find out if any of the parents who ran on new slate still have enough energy and desire left to once again go after some signatures.

  5. The parents who were part of the 1/3 vote NEED to be contacted. See #4 above. Who will do this?

  6. We need a central clearing house—ONE LOCALE to house the questions we want to pose to the Board. Once again, find out if any of the parents who ran on the new slate still have enough energy and desire left to be involved. They did set up a web site AND A CONTACT EMAIL. CAN THAT EMAIL BE USED as our clearing house OR can someone set up a new email for this?

  A. We need to gather FACTS—not suppositions, and have PROOF. We have to make sure we have facts on which to base our questions AND facts for verification of their anticipated “spin.”

  That’s all I can think of now about how to get the petition off the ground. Any other thoughts/ideas about how to do this? Please post here.

  But I do have a final thought about Avi Frier and news coverage. He stated that he will not keep pursuing/writing about the same issues from the same angle. His original article was written from an alumni perspective—what a group of alumni did, etc. NOW he will have a new angle— a PARENT perspective. And if the board does NOT honor the petition for an open meeting, this IS another angle—a most damaging angle–this will be his article.

• 116 Anonymous // Jul 1, 2007 at 12:27 pm

  Good ideas Sara - but most important are the FACTS. We have the truth on our side and ultimately it will win out.