An anonymous person writes in:
I heard an excellent speaker this week on the topic of the Beit Hamikdash and Tisha B’Av.
When the speaker brought up the sin of the Egel HaZahav, the golden calf, and the downward spiritual spiral of the Israelites, I couldn’t help but relate this to what has happened at Hillel.
Handing over the leadership of Hillel and the responsibility for the Jewish education of over 1,000 Jewish souls to a large group of non-Jews has been Hillel’s Egel HaZahav. Those who were present at the June 6 meeting could not help but notice the manner in which the Head of School is WORSHIPPED by his supporters. They did not stand for either of the Rabbis who rose to the stage to speak, but were on their feet the minute the head of school began his ascent to the stage. The manner in which they refuse to listen to their fellow Jews, the parents of these Jewish souls, and choose instead to blindly follow their non-Jewish leader, is another form of worship of the foreign. Passing up the outstanding Jewish educators at Hillel for leadership roles and instead bringing in a majority of non-Jews provides further evidence of the disregard for Torah leadership.
What has been the result of this foreign worship? Sinat Chinam amongst the Jewish families at Hillel. Baseless hatred. Jew against Jew.
What an epic tragedy.
It is time for everyone to reflect on what the decisions of the Hillel leadership have wrought.
35 responses so far ↓
1 Anonymous // Jul 18, 2007 at 11:08 am
I hope Rabbi Druin reads this!
2 Another Teacher // Jul 18, 2007 at 2:52 pm
Egel Zahav is a very fitting metaphor.
In this case, all that glitters isn’t gold.
The appearance may look pretty but the inside is hollow and corrupt.
Sell outs.
The responsibility of 1071 Jewish souls and future leaders of Am Yisrael is in precarious, non-Jewish hands thanks to this board. And parents actually pay money for this.
3 anonymous // Jul 18, 2007 at 7:33 pm
What a beautiful eloquent depiction of the current state of affairs. You have precisely epitomized the situation. Kol Hakavod!
The question is - - how to reverse the cult like atmosphere to one of derech eretz and Yiddishkeit from the wrath of the non-Jewish Head of School and the secularism overriding the Judaic theme.
Truthfully, there are plenty of non-denominational private schools these non-observant and non-caring Jews (by Identity) can place their children for a prep school secular education rather than the pluralistic, cultural, judaic, religious atmosphere for which Hillel has been admired for so many years. Why don’t they just go instead of making Hillel into something it is NOT.
Just imagine the headline: “Group of Jews Convert their Jewish School to a NON-Jewish prep school!” Surely to be admired by all.
We must do all we can to save HILLEL!!!!
4 Anonymous // Jul 18, 2007 at 9:34 pm
The importance of Jewish achdut is something that the head of school will never understand.
The Judaic head of school should know better. He should be ashamed of himself for the implication in his June 6th speech that those who challenged the board did so out of a desire for power. Instead of trying to unite Jews he chose to stick to the party line and infuse his Dvar Torah with politics.
The board that has allowed this strife to fester is ultimately to blame. All they had to do was to be honest, inclusive, and allow a forum for discussion. Instead they lied and hid and manipulated until they had no choice but to allow the “other side” to be heard. They then, in effect, held up a sign saying “no outsiders allowed” in their insistence that only their TEAM could effectuate positive change.
The school has been torn apart and no one cares.
By the way - check out the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy web site. If I read correctly, enrollment at that school is 270 students. Another reason Holden was so eminently qualified to lead a school of over 1,000 students.
http://www.hbha.edu/hbha.aspx?pgID=1266
5 Anonymous // Jul 18, 2007 at 9:51 pm
“The Judaic head of school should know better. He should be ashamed of himself for the implication in his June 6th speech that those who challenged the board did so out of a desire for power. Instead of trying to unite Jews he chose to stick to the party line and infuse his Dvar Torah with politics.”
While I despise the way Michael Druin has treated teachers and while I believe that he has no business being at Hillel and should be asked to leave immediately, I did not hear him say the above words at the election.
What I did hear him say was that as long as the parents came to vote out of a sincere interest for the school (Lishma) and not out of political interest, Hashem would support their decision (with the implication that Hashem would support the decision regardless of the outcome as long as the motives behind the voting were pure).
Perhaps there was a subtext going on as the above poster claims.
But maybe sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
“The board that has allowed this strife to fester is ultimately to blame. All they had to do was to be honest, inclusive, and allow a forum for discussion. Instead they lied and hid and manipulated until they had no choice but to allow the “other side” to be heard. They then, in effect, held up a sign saying “no outsiders allowed” in their insistence that only their TEAM could effectuate positive change.
The school has been torn apart and no one cares.”
This is unfortunately true. A real tragedy.
6 anonymous // Jul 19, 2007 at 7:13 am
It is a tragedy and we must not let it continue.
We must do all we can to SAVE HILLEL at all costs!
These unqualified leaders cannot be allowed to continue to destroy what many have worked so hard to build. What took over 35 years to build is taking just 1 year to destroy - - WHY????
PLEASE SAVE HILLEL!
7 Anonymous // Jul 19, 2007 at 7:22 am
Got any ideas?
8 Ivory // Jul 19, 2007 at 7:55 am
Pray!
9 Aaron // Jul 19, 2007 at 8:51 am
I fear our “Head of School-Judaic” would prefer a school stuffed with students of little (or no) religious background for it would give him the opportunity to participate in the type of “outreach” his Lubavich credentials make him best suited for.
10 Anonymous // Jul 19, 2007 at 9:56 am
Interesting angle.
11 anonymous // Jul 19, 2007 at 11:26 am
He has no degree so would certainly prefer the Jews by Identity as opposed to Observant religious people who really know and understand!
We must rid ourselves of these inexperienced uncredentialed individuals.
12 Anonymous // Jul 19, 2007 at 12:03 pm
I would take experience over credentials any day. And I would take honest people above all.
13 anonymous // Jul 19, 2007 at 12:16 pm
The fact is - they are BOTH! The worst combination imaginable.
14 Aaron // Jul 19, 2007 at 12:30 pm
How?
I think Rafi D asked the question perfectly when she said “What do you do when the Pied Piper comes to town and has been elected mayor?”
15 Anonymous // Jul 22, 2007 at 9:59 am
Where is his new office located?
16 anonymous // Jul 22, 2007 at 9:51 pm
In the front office where the new admissions was.
17 Good Wolf // Jul 22, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Whoa - that is interesting.
18 Anonymous // Jul 22, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Maybe he will move his office to Kansas next?
19 anonymous // Jul 22, 2007 at 10:40 pm
A splendid idea - - but I do not think they want him either!
20 Anonymous // Jul 22, 2007 at 10:58 pm
No one wants to work near him anyhow…he should move himself right out front gate and under the rock he crawled out from under. Dangerous dreck of society.
21 Outsider // Jul 27, 2007 at 9:59 am
Why dont all of you just start your own school. If you have a third of the parent body, you could easily start a small but strong school and show Hillel you are serious. If they see the “writing on the wall” and come around in the end, then great. If not, then you have no other choice.
22 Aaron // Jul 27, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Outsider, it is not easy to start a school.
23 Anon // Jul 29, 2007 at 12:06 pm
FYI-
the Board is planning on creating a website to present their side of the story. Im pretty sure they’ve been asked to present their side here…they apparently want it to be on their territory so that they can track what you say.
Do not participate on that site.!!!! they are trying to track teachers to catch them and fire them.
24 Aviva // Jul 29, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Do not even visit the site!
Interesting, though, that the Board is doing this. After all, no one is reading or paying attention to this site…………right?
25 Good Wolf // Jul 29, 2007 at 4:13 pm
This site sustains hope!
26 Anonymous // Jul 29, 2007 at 4:38 pm
“the Board is planning on creating a website to present their side of the story. Im pretty sure they’ve been asked to present their side here…”
that’s really funny considering there a number of board members who despise what some of the others members have decided on behalf of everyone else
27 Anon // Jul 29, 2007 at 6:20 pm
yes, DO NOT visit the site. they can track your IP address with their analytics.. and they CANNOT DO SO HERE.
but the question is- why don’t they state their side here? has anyone been adverse to that? I think that they just are afraid of being bombarded by so many people who know that they’re doing the wrong thing.
28 anonymous // Jul 29, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Everything the board says must be scripted and approved - they are unable to think and speak for themselves.
No one should visit and this should be publicized on the front page of this site for everyone’s protection.
29 Anonymous // Jul 29, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Many of the speeches we heard the night of the election were scripted by the marketers.
It would be such great fun to visit their site, copy and paste their lies onto this blog and then expose them for the liars they are.
There a few key board members who make the majority of decisions. If the dissenting parties speak up, they risk being run off the board. This has happened to some very influential board members in the past.
Why do they even need a web site to post their propaganda?
This web site has posted all of their “updates”.
30 Someone // Jul 31, 2007 at 6:12 pm
The Board already has a website:
hillel-nmb.org
That’s why we lost.
31 Anonymous // Jul 31, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Exactly.
32 Good Wolf // Aug 7, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Agreed.
33 Anonymous // Aug 8, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Definitely
34 Carrot Top // Aug 9, 2007 at 10:10 pm
Where is everybody?
35 Anon // Aug 9, 2007 at 10:19 pm
I actually like the peace and quiet.
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