Hillel Viewbook

The Samuel Scheck Hillel Community Day School | The Ben Lipson Hillel Community High School The Juda and Maria Diener Elementary School | The Henrietta Scheck Middle School

learning for a lifetime lhbck o,bbau Hillel offers South Florida a unique educational experience for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12: a balanced curriculum in which Jewish and General Studies are treated with equal rigor, and all children are treated with equal care and warmth.

Here, children’s minds are as thoroughly prepared for college admission as their hearts and spirits are prepared for the challenges of life in today’s complex world.

Here, a student’s motivation to compete and excel is encouraged as strongly as the concept of tikkun olam, making

the world a better place.

Here, too, fluency in Hebrew is as natural as fluency in e-media technology, and traditional Torah values mesh seamlessly with modern educational practices.

Hillel is a school that is uncompromisingly committed to excellence, with a goal to become one of the preeminent Jewish day schools in the nation and in the world. Building on the strong track record we have established since the school’s founding in the 1970s, Hillel has been strategically redesigned in line with modern education—without losing sight of our core mission and without losing the warmth and community feeling that has always distinguished the Hillel experience, in which academic excellence and Torah values form the basis of

learning for a lifetime.

opportunities

for a lifetime sgk ,uhubnszv From Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12, Hillel cultivates and inspires students’ interests and talents to prepare them for college admission. The strength of our academic curriculum is demonstrated by the fact that 100% of our 2008 graduating class was admitted to a college or university—over 90% to their first choice—including top universities from Ivy League colleges to Yeshivot in Israel. We are unique in offering integrated college and Israel guidance, and many of our graduates opt to spend their gap year in Israel. Our alumni have traveled career paths of every kind, from doctors and artists to attorneys, educators and leaders of our community.

But the opportunities that Hillel offers are far richer and more multidimensional than preparation for college and career. Starting in Pre-Kindergarten, children are provided with a wide range of learning experiences that enable them to explore their individual interests, character and abilities in a safe environment. Leadership experiences instill ambition and drive so students can dream big and reach for their full potential.

Hillel’s integrated academic and Judaic curriculum …our dynamic extracurricular programs…and the children themselves, who have so much to share and learn from one another…all open doors and opportunities for a lifetime.

Hillel alumni have become successful in a variety of careers, among them...

accountants artists attorneys CEOs designers educators engineers entrepreneurs journalists judges physicians rabbis scientists ...and more

knowledge for a lifetime jmbk gshn A superior academic education is central to our well-rounded curriculum. Hillel provides challenge and quality for students at all levels. We offer a diverse selection of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, and close to half of our Upper School students are enrolled in them. At the same time, we are committed to giving all of our students the individual attention needed to fulfill their maximum potential. This commitment is clearly demonstrated by our after-school tutoring program, which makes teachers available to support students Monday through Thursday at no additional cost. We want all of our children to learn.

Reflecting the same commitment to each child’s learning experience, our student-teacher ratio is a best practice in education: 9.5 to 1. Even more important is the quality of our faculty. We are proud that 100% hold teaching degrees or certifications. Our teachers have come from schools around the world, attracted by the uniqueness of Hillel’s program. Embracing new, in-class technologies such as SMART Boards™, and innovative approaches like skills-based learning, we teach students how to think rather than how to memorize. These skills are fundamental for children to acquire knowledge for a lifetime.

Classrooms become interactive learning communities as students grow from being passive receivers of knowledge and become active participants in learning. Students learn better when they sit at tables that enable them to move easily from individual to group work with other students. This is the look of modern classrooms that reflect powerful, proven new teaching methodologies.

values

for a lifetime

jmbk ohfrg Hillel families come from North and South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. They are affiliated with Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Chabad synagogues. Yet even with such diverse backgrounds and levels of observance, parents who choose Hillel share a common desire: they want their children to grow up with their feet firmly grounded in their traditional Torah

values

and

with

their

hearts

strongly

connected to Israel and Jewish people everywhere.

Academic studies and Jewish life are woven together in the Hillel experience: in a trip to the zoo that provides an opportunity to study Jewish law relating to the treatment of animals; in shabbatonim weekends when students learn the meaning of mitzvot; in science discussions about embryonic stem cell research in light of traditional Torah values ... and certainly in the study of the Hebrew language, Jewish history, philosophy and sacred text that link the past with our lives today. In a world of information overload and moral complexities, Hillel is a place where children are rooted in knowledge of what is right and wrong, what is important, and who they are.

They bring to their homes, their colleges, their relationships and their careers a strong ethical framework and timeless Jewish values for a lifetime.

It is beautiful to see children as motivated to learn and uphold traditions as they are to excel in physics, math or history… to celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut as exuberantly as the 4th of July…to apply the same skills they hone in analyzing a sacred Talmudic chapter to interpreting a scene in Shakespeare… or to bring the same level of curiosity and excitement to the observance of joyous Purim as they bring to observation of an experiment in biology or chemistry.

community for a lifetime sgk vkhve You know it from the moment you walk onto the campus and feel at home. You see it in the children, as happy and comfortable with their Jewish identity as they are with their school uniforms. You see it in parents dropping their children off for school or attending events: a sense of belonging. You feel it on holidays and celebrations. You know its comfort when your son or daughter is studying or socializing at the homes of other Hillel families. This is the warmth and comfort of our community.

The word “community” literally comes from the Latin root “common.” At Hillel, we share in common a sense of commitment to the same future…to Israel…to celebrating our Jewish lives.

The Hillel experience that students share on and off campus— from Chesed Club weekends, to team sports, to performing arts, to the Grade 9 trip to Israel—forges bonds that last a lifetime. In a warm and caring environment, students develop a strong sense of their own identity, as well as a sense of being part

of

an

identity

larger

than

themselves.

When

students leave Hillel and go out into the world, no matter what challenges they will inevitably face, they will always have the comfort and strength of the friendships they form in Hillel’s community for a lifetime.

It’s a fact.

A strong Jewish education is a key factor in Jewish continuity, according to recent studies.

It’s a fact: 96% of children who attend a Jewish day school for 7-12 years marry in the faith, compared to 33% of those who have no Jewish education.*

promise for a lifetime sgk vjycv A well-rounded curriculum helps each child explore and develop all facets of their potential—athletic, creative, intellectual, spiritual. To serve our uniquely large and diverse student population, we have developed extracurricular programs that are varied and challenging, yet inclusive for all levels.

Hillel’s strong athletic program offers many interscholastic and intramural boys and girls sports, and we are proud to be one of the first Jewish community day schools with a varsity tackle football team. Hillel athletics give our children all the advantages that a strong sports program brings to the college admissions process, and the lifetime benefits of sports: the habit of fitness, the value of teamwork, discipline, and leadership skills. The fine and performing arts programs at Hillel are strong and expanding, and our curriculum now includes acting classes designed for both “serious” drama students and children who simply want to explore the possibilities.

These extracurricular programs, along with our exceptional student activities integrating Judaic values and awareness into all aspects of life, enable each student to fully explore his or her individual talents, interests and discipline. Whether they spark to music, sports, debate or community service, Hillel students are inspired to fulfill their potential and enrich their promise for a lifetime.

The arts curriculum at Hillel: Fine, performing and practical art classes from studio and stagecraft to chorus, drama and public speaking help students find their voices, talents and creativity.

Hillel athletics include:

football basketball crew fencing soccer volleyball golf tennis baseball softball cross country and more

a choice

for a lifetime

jmbk vrhjc Hillel was founded in 1970 and built upon an inspirational vision and a profound commitment to community. Today, Hillel is the second-largest Jewish community day school in the nation, located in the heart of America’s fastest-growing Jewish population. As a school and as a community, we are energized, we celebrate our diversity, and we take seriously our respon-

lhbck o,bbau— teach them

thoroughly to your children.”

At Hillel, we pursue our core mission in an environment that reflects our school’s values, providing an experience that is motivating and stimulating, respectful and Jewish, inviting and safe. Hillel strives to create an educational environment rich in meaning and relevancy in today’s world—while instilling Jewish values and ethics that are timeless.

As a Jewish community day school and a school of excellence, Hillel is the choice for families who seek to prepare our next generation to write—with honor, knowledge, pride and character—the next chapters in the book of Jewish history that began thousands of years ago. Hillel is a choice for our children’s lifetime, and for the future of the Jewish people.

This publication’s paper and printer are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which recognizes them to be environmentally responsible choices. Printed in 2009.

Design: Ashleigh Lindenauer Design | Copy: Shelley Mazor | Photography: Greg Kinch Photography

sibility to educate our children: “

19000 NE 25th Avenue | North Miami Beach, Florida 33180 305.931.2831 | www.hillel-nmb.org