Lion's Share -April 2018

APRIL 2018 | NISSAN - IYAR 5778

‫בס"ד‬

LION'S SHARE Juda and Maria Diener Lower School | Samuel and Henrietta Scheck Middle School | Ben Lipson Upper School

Welcome to Lion’s Share: Scheck Hillel Community School’s Grade 6-12 bulletin covering news about curriculum, college and community. Connect with the names, faces and initiatives that make Scheck Hillel a college preparatory school that develops global citizens with enduring Jewish identity and values. For more school information, please visit eHillel.org.

A LOVE FOR ISRAEL, A LOVE FOR LEARNING From early childhood to Grade 12, a deep-rooted Zionist commitment to Israel is reflected in all facets of the Scheck Hillel Community School experience. From academics and student life to experiential learning, travel and advocacy, Scheck Hillel fosters knowledge and a spiritual connection to Medinat Israel. The study of the Hebrew language in its ancient and modern forms further enhances this relationship.

In Grades 6-8, students learn about ancient Israel through Biblical and Rabbinic sources and trace Jewish history back to the Israelites’ earliest presence in the land. In Grade 9, students take the Israel Education course, the preamble for the annual Israel trip, a beloved Scheck Hillel tradition and highlight of the high school experience. Alongside their peers, they walk the steps of ancestors, interact with Israelis and get a feel for a high-tech contemporary life in the country. Back at home, students are active in Israel advocacy programs like AIPAC, ZOA Fellows and Diller Teens. In senior year, they sharpen advocacy skills as they develop deeper knowledge about Israel and the Middle East in the Senior Capstone Seminar. Graduates are encouraged to spend a gap year in Israel prior to college, cementing their bonds with the country.

Unity. I felt connected to my Jewish identity and community. The feeling is indescribable.”

Elliot Sternberg, Grade 9, at the Yom Ha'Atzmaut gathering

Yom Ha'Zikaron 2018

Our Israel Education course prepped us well, making what we saw on our trip more relevant to us."

Jenna Scheck and Alessandra Zisman, Grade 11

Celebrating Israel Year-Round: - Campus speakers - Grade 6-12 Israel curriculum - Alliances with Avi Chai Foundation, CAJE and March of the Living - Grade 9 Israel Trip - Senior Capstone Seminar - Full-Time Israeli faculty - B'not Sherut - Israel Gap Year guidance - Yom Ha'Atzmaut - Yom Ha'Zikaron - Yom Yerushalayim - Faculty teaching live from Israel - Israel-themed Color War

COLLEGE PREPARATION: ISRAEL GAP YEAR PROGRAMS Gap year guidance is part of Scheck Hillel's comprehensive College Counseling program. Rabbi Avi Greene, Ed.D., the school's Israel Gap Year Program advisor, works in partnership with families and college counselors to encourage a year in Israel before college and to find the best program fit for each student. A gap year, also known as a growth or bridge year, is the time between high school and college that students are maximizing now more than ever before; some volunteer, others work or conduct research and many enroll in academic or experiential programs before continuing formal university studies. Top-tier universities encourage these experiences, as research indicates they typically lead to greater success in college. Alumni feedback consistently highlights the value of a gap year in Israel: Daniel Ellenbogen and Goldie Sion, both Class of 2016, shared how their programs contributed to their personal, social and spiritual development and reinforced bonds with Israel. Goldie attends Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University and Daniel attends Sh'or Yoshuv Rabbinical College. Alumni who have attended a gap year in Israel have continued to the University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Miami, University of Pennsylvania and many others.

Nearly 30% of the Class of 2018 has enrolled in an Israel gap year program. These students have been admitted to their colleges of choice, where their spots will be reserved for a full year.

Israel Gap Year guidance begins in Grade 9 and continues through Grade 12. Please contact Rabbi Greene (greene@eHillel.org) for further information.

RECENT ISRAEL GAP YEAR PROGRAM ENROLLMENTS Experiential Programs Bar Ilan Israel Experience Aardvark Israel Young Judaea Year Course Shnat Hachshara

Colleges and Universities Bar Ilan University Hebrew University IDC Herzliya (3 year BA) Tel Aviv University

Yeshivot and Seminaries Aish Gesher Yeshivat Torat Shraga Midreshet Amit

Israeli Army and National Service Israel Defense Forces Sherut La’am (National Service)

Photo courtesy of Goldie Sion, '16, participant in The Israel Experience at Bar Ilan University.

COMMUNITY: Q&A WITH RABBI ELI MENAGED, ‘01 WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR

I live in Ramat Beit Shemesh Gimmel, Israel, with my wife Natalie and our five children, bli ayn hara.

FUTURE SCHECK HILLEL STUDENTS WHO MIGHT CONSIDER A CAREER

WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT

IN YOUR FIELD?

PROFESSION AND WHERE DO

It's never too late to follow your dreams about aliyah, teaching Torah, spreading love of Judaism, and showing the beauty of a Jewish home.

YOU WORK? I am director of The Israel Experience at Bar Ilan University.

L to R, Natalie Hayun, '17, Eliana "Leah" Savir, '17, Roy Sasson, '99, Rabbi Eli Menaged, '01, David Oliel, '17.

WHAT EDUCATIONAL PATH DID

WHAT IS ONE ESSENTIAL

WHAT IS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ/ WHAT IS MOST REWARDING ABOUT

YOU FOLLOW?

ACADEMIC OR LIFE SKILL YOU

PODCAST YOU HEARD THAT TAUGHT

THE WORK YOU DO?

HONED AT SCHECK HILLEL?

YOU SOMETHING YOU DIDN’T KNOW

The most rewarding aspect of my job is the opportunity to inspire 18-year-olds about Torah, Israel, and how Judaism is relevant for each of them in today's world. It is a privilege to play a small part in a pivotal year of their lives.

Originally from North Miami Beach, I attended Scheck Hillel from PK4 through Grade 12 and studied political science at the University of Florida. I learned at Midrash Sephardi in the Old City of Jerusalem, and received rabbinical ordination from Hacham Gidon Ben-Moshe.

Critical thinking. Across the board, both Judaic and general studies teachers encouraged us to think critically, to question what we learn, and to ultimately reach our own conclusions.

BEFORE? “Like Dreamers,” by Yossi Klein Halevy, the story of the Israeli paratroopers who reunited Jerusalem, and went on to found various religious, social and economic movements within Israel.

To read Rabbi Eli Menaged’s full Q&A, please visit eHillel.org/alumni.