Should any groundbreaking events occur, please use the contact form and discussions may resume at that time.

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?

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

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 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.

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 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.

July 11, 2007
25 Tamuz 5767

Dear Faculty and Staff,

In an effort to continue the open communication we maintain during the school year, we hope you are finding our summer updates helpful in staying informed about Hillel. We write today regarding some personnel changes that have taken place this week.

It is with great sadness that we announce Michael and Lillian Andron have accepted positions at the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center and will not return to Hillel next year. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Androns to develop a new program at the JCC, ahead of the opening of the new performing arts center. The community will benefit in tremendous ways from a program that invites children and adults from all schools and organizations. It is, however, a bittersweet moment for Hillel. As we congratulate Michael and Lillian, we also lament the loss of two of our most cherished, talented educators. No words can express the school’s appreciation for how the Androns touched the lives of students and inspired them to achieve.

Although it is always difficult to lose good teachers, we thank the Androns for the excellence they built through Hillel’s extracurricular theatre program, allowing us to look ahead from a very positive perspective. With their remarkable achievements as the foundation, we look forward to the program’s further expansion into a comprehensive performing arts educational curriculum that offers – in addition to school plays – an array of such new schoolwide courses as speech, debate and drama with talented faculty. Hillel’s performing arts program will complement that of the JCC and afford our community a range of arts experiences. As we shared at the Annual Event in May, Hillel’s Endowed Chair for the Performing Arts will ensure our students have the very best program for the lifetime of the school. Due to the Androns’ dedication over the years and now the generosity of a private donor, Hillel’s performing arts program will remain as one of the school’s strongest offerings.

Just as this week’s parasha Mattot-Massey teaches us, we are eager to move forward with your partnership while standing firm in our commitment to provide our children with a rich Jewish educational experience. This calls for excellence in every aspect – from academics and Judaic Studies to athletics and the arts. In this time of transition and always, we uphold Hillel’s promise and tradition to offer only the finest.

If you have any questions, please always feel free to contact one of us or a member of the Board. You can reach us through the school at 305.931.2831 x126; Board members also are available at Board@hillel-nmb.net. We wish you a continued safe, enjoyable summer.

Sincerely,

Dr. Adam Holden, Head of School
Rabbi Michael Druin, Associate Head of School-Judaic