Dedicated by Anna and Sol Zuckerman and Family
Volume 3 Issue 2 November/December 2010 Cheshvan/Kislev 5771 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
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY Lessons of Chessed and Community Begin Early at Hillel
Compassion and community begin early As a result, students in Grades 5-8 at Hillel. Upon learning about being thankful promoted a Chanukah collection of toys, this November, Early Childhood students later delivered to JAFCO children by came to school with food to donate to the Upper School. Kosher Food Bank for Thanksgiving. At Hillel’s Chanukah Community One by one, each student put their Event, families wrapped up festivities by canned goods in bags to brighten the holiday collecting more than 300 toys through tables of Jewish families in need. From event admission. Bringing JAFCO to pre-kindergarten through Upper School, Hillel was arranged by Student Council. concepts like volunteerism, community They also arranged a campus blood drive, involvement and tzedakah are infused collecting more than 57 pints from 80 throughout the lessons of a Hillel school Upper School students and faculty as well day. as tour of the Kosher Food Bank before “Community awareness is embedded ECE students collect food for the Kosher Food Bank. an Upper School leadership training in Hillel’s Early Childhood curriculum,” Shabbaton. said Valerie Lustgarten, Lower School Assistant Principal, “Our This year, collection tubs are stationed throughout campus for children learn about the Hillel value of tikkun olam – repairing the monthly donation drives benefiting the Jewish Community Services’ world. They pick up after themselves, plant flowers on campus, help Kids for Kosher Food Bank. Hillel parent Anat Garzon arranged keep their environments in order, collaborate with their peers - be it on this project to create awareness and to strengthen the program that a project or tying each other’s shoe laces.” monthly helps nearly 300 families. Community service is actually part of Hillel’s schoolwide academic “Being involved makes our students better community program, with grade-level requirements of number of hours served members,” said Josh Spodek, Hillel’s Director of Student Life. increasing every year. Schoolwide outreach has brought students, As an example, he reflects on Hillel’s partnership with the parents, faculty and organizations together to create awareness on and Greater Miami Jewish Federation, which recruits students for various off the Hillel campus. Members of the Upper School Chessed Club events. Through Federation, Hillel students recently earned service partnered with Grade 1 to create Thanksgiving cards that students hours helping to prepare baskets for new mothers and ushering at a delivered to a homeless shelter. Upper School students also mentored community lecture. Grade 8 students on a visit to a senior citizen home, singing Chanukah “Federation – and so many other local and national organizations songs and sharing activities. – know they can count on Hillel for their programs,” Spodek said. Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options (JAFCO) recently visited “We truly are a community school with students involved as leaders Hillel to educate students about its programs. of meaningful philanthropic programs and initiatives.”
Hillel students and faculty shared a Sunday afternoon to expand their Jewish education at Global Learning Day, made possible by the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education, Greater Miami Jewish Federation and Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami.
Upper School students mentor Middle School students on a trip to visit senior citizens before Thanksgiving.
learning for a lifetime