50th anniversary Jewish News Insert

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History of Hillel Day School I

n 1958, with 29 students and two rented school rooms in the Detroit Labor Zionist building, Hillel Day School was founded by Rabbi Jacob Segal (z’l) and a handful of parents, educators, rabbis and lay leaders. The group worked tirelessly to turn their dream of a Jewish day school into a reality … and a wonderful story began. Today, Hillel is a thriving educational institution located in Farmington Hills, Michigan with over 580 students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Hillel has undergone five expansions throughout the years. Our faculty, staff and curriculum continue to offer students an education combining the best of a Jewish and general education. By welcoming Jewish children from all Jewish affiliations, Hillel creates a sense of community which extends to the home, synagogue and world around us.

Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit is founded with 29 students, three teachers and two rented schoolrooms in a Labor Zionist building in Detroit. Rabbi Jacob Segal (z’l) of Adat Shalom Synagogue, leads other local rabbis, educators and lay-leaders in bringing a modern Jewish day school to life. Naomi Floch (z’l) is Hillel’s first Principal.

1958

Hillel moves to the Ten Mile Jewish Center Building in Oak Park. Enrollment reaches 51 students.

1960

Hillel offers Kindergarten through sixth grade and additional classrooms are added at Congregation B’nai Moshe. Enrollment is at 115 students.

1963

Hillel presents its first student spring musical, Fiddler On The Roof, directed by Goldie Eskin and Sheila Charlip.

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his year, Hillel Day School will be celebrating the milestone of its 50th anniversary. Anchored by our values and mission, proud of our students, curriculum and facilities, we are celebrating our past, and building for our future. FACILITY: Hillel boasts a state-of-the-art educational facility. The recent construction of the Blumenstein Family Gymnasium/Theater Arts facility, the refurbishing of the elementary school science rooms, and the installation of Smart Boards, all enable students to study, act, play, and pray to their fullest potential.

ACADEMICS: Strong and innovative General and Judaic Studies curricula guide all learning. Students learn mathematics and Mishnah, history and Hebrew, reading and Rashi. They create art, star in theater and shine on athletic fields. On nationally standardized tests, over 80% of our students scored above grade level in all academic areas. Hillel students are accepted to the finest high schools in the area, with over 50% of our graduates attending the Frankel Jewish Academy. They attend outstanding universities, including the University of Michigan and Ivy League Schools, with the religious, ethical and moral foundation that a Jewish day school education provides. This is the Hillel Difference.

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM: Our learning does not stop at the classroom door; it is brought to life through action. Hillel students feed the hungry, visit the elderly, and form bonds with developmentally disabled individuals. Students passionately work to make the world a just and better place. SCHOLARSHIP: Hillel is able to offer financial assistance to families who cannot meet the full cost of tuition through the generous support of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the Shiffman Family Day School Tuition Assistance Fund, the Goldman-Hermelin Education Foundation and donors to our annual fundraising efforts. TODAH RABBAH: We owe the tremendous successes of our school to the dedication of our outstanding faculty, administration, staff, Board of Trustees, Parent Teacher Organization and the support of our Jewish community. We are proud to celebrate our past with you, and look forward to educating the next generations of leaders.

HILLEL DAY SCHOOL AT

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Hillel presents its first Zimriyah, song festival.

1966

Eleven ninth grade students comprise Hillel’s first graduating class. A ground breaking ceremony is held for a new facility which will include 20 classrooms, a gymnasium, a science lab, a chapel, a music auditorium and lunchroom.

1967

Community leaders retire the first building loan. Hillel Day School moves to its current home on Middlebelt Road in Farmington Hills, where the Little Red Schoolhouse is used for the kindergarten class. Hillel’s enrollment reaches 270 students.

1970

Rabbi Robert Abramson begins his 14-year tenure as Headmaster.

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Celebrating

50 Fabulous Alumni

Listed by Hillel Day School graduation date.

1. VIEDER FAMILY The Vieder family has been associated with Hillel Day School since its beginning. Larry Vieder, Cantor at Congregation Adat Shalom, was a founding member. Brothers Sandy and Mark are both graduates of Hillel. While Sandy was attending Hillel, his older brother Tom enrolled his first-born. Eight Vieder children, all boys, went on to graduate or are currently attending Hillel. There has been a Vieder male attending Hillel for the past 40 years!

2. JUDGE MARK GOLDSMITH ’67 3. MARTY LIEBMAN ’70 Audio producer and editor for clients such as GM, Ford, Daimler-Chrysler and EDS. Received an Emmy award in 1994 for an original music score. Has two children that graduated from Hillel and 11 nieces and nephews that have either graduated or are attending Hillel.

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n celebration of Hillel Day School’s 50th anniversary, a group of 50 Fabulous graduates were selected to represent the school’s alumni. Nominations from the community, through a ballot that ran in the Jewish News, as well as a committee of Hillel parents and administration, chose these alumni to represent a small sample of what Hillel Day School graduates look like 1, 5, 15, 25 and even 50 years later.

These are quite a distinguished group of people. Their fields of work and interests span business, law, the rabbinate, education, journalism, music and the arts, community service and philanthropy. They have won Pulitzer prizes and Hopwood Awards, Fulbright Scholarships and Emmys. They have attended Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Royal Academy of the Arts. These are exceptionally diverse people. However, when the subject was Hillel, they all said the same thing: they would send their children to Hillel. Not only did Hillel help them develop critical thinking skills and Jewish values, but they forged lasting friendships. Many of them communicated that the strong Jewish identity that they developed at Hillel inspired them to be successful adults who work towards the greater good of our world. We salute all of Hillel’s graduates over the last 50 years, and all of the parents and grandparents who were and continue to be committed to giving their children and grandchildren the gift of a Jewish day school education. We hope that you will enjoy these stories.

4. ROBERT SCHOSTAK ’71 5. WILLIAM LANSAT ’72 Litigation specialist in child protective proceedings. Appointed by Governor Engler and reappointed by Governor Granholm to serve on the Governor’s Task Force on Children’s Justice. Attorney on the “Nathaniel Abraham” case.

Steve Freedman, Head of School

Jim Berger, President

6. LISA LIS ’74 Community lay leader and philanthropist for Jewish and secular organizations. Chair of the Jewish Women’s Foundation, co-chair of the Detroit Federation’s Family Mission of 2008, board member of Gleaners Community Food Bank, 2006 Jewish National Fund honoree, and 2000 Sylvia Simon Greenberg award recipient. Has four children who are attending or have graduated from Hillel.

7. RABBI MARTY PASTERNAK ’74 National Director of Synagogue and Rabbinic Activities for the State of Israel Bonds. Collaborates with regional offices to help oversee over 800 congregational events per year that raise as much as 140 million dollars. Takes members of the rabbinic cabinet and board of directors on an annual Israel conference.

JUDGE MARK GOLDSMITH

CLASS OF

1967

Pioneering Spirit for Jewish Learning Judge Mark Goldsmith was a member of the first graduating class of Hillel Day School. “I credit Hillel for helping develop my love of Jewish learning and the Hebrew language.” Judge Goldsmith also recalled how “Hillel provided a great opportunity to blossom in general studies due to the intimacy and warmth of its teachers.” Judge Goldsmith earned degrees from the University of Michigan and Harvard Law School. He was a partner of the Detroit-based law firm Honigman, Miller, Schwartz & Cohn, LLP before being appointed Circuit Court Judge in 2004. “The centrality of Judaism in my life promoted my sense of social justice and gave me an affinity towards professions that would promote social justice,” he said of his career in law.

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ship at Wayne State University, is president o Judge Goldsmith serves on the board of the Center for Study of Citizenship of the Federal Bar Association Eastern District Michigan Chapter, and participates in the Oakland Bar Association Inn of the Court. He is married to Judy and has two children: Jared and Molly, HDS class of 2007.

Four classrooms in the kindergarten/first grade wing are added to accommodate an enrollment of 400 students. Hillel affiliates with the Solomon Schechter Day School movement.

1979

The mortgage is retired thanks to the generosity of Hillel parents and other community participants.

1982

William, Ethan and Marla Davidson endow a new wing, currently Hillel’s fourth/fifth grade wing, and is the first renovation at the Middlebelt campus. The Jean and Sam Frankel wing, currently the second/third grade wing, is named, as is the Mary and Mike Must Multi-purpose Room. Enrollment reaches 503 students.

1986

Kindergarten moves from the Little Red Schoolhouse to the main building.

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8. JOEL LEVIN ’75

ROBERT SCHOSTAK

CLASS OF

1971

Continued Commitment

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When Bob Schostak started at Hillel in the third grade, there were only nine other children in his class. Forty-two years later, with an enrollment of over 600 students, Bob became Hillel’s 14th president. Hillel has always held an important place in the Schostak family lore. Bob, along with brothers David, Tzvi, and Mark, and sisters, Lindsey and Stephanie, are all Hillel graduates. Bob and wife Nancy’s three children, as well as eight of their nieces and nephews, have also either graduated or currently attend Hillel.

educa Bob is dedicated to Hillel and Jewish education through his service as president of Hillel’s Goldman-Hermelin Education Fou Foundation. He also sits on Federation’s committee and acts as its Forum Chair. With the creation of the Israel and Overseas committee, Schostak Family Foundation Endowed Fund at Oakland University, he has helped to establish a Judaic Studies minor in the university’s College of Arts and Sciences.

CLASS OF

11. RABBI GRETA BERNARD BROWN ’80 Graduate of Brandeis University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Passionate about children and education, she serves as a middle school Judaic Studies teacher and as the sixth grade dean at the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester, New York.

1980

Tami Brown has been teaching 3rd or 4th grades at Hillel for the past twelve years. “It was so nice to go back and work with the teachers that I had, and had admired,” said Tami.

12. TAMI BROWN ’80

For Tami, teaching at Hillel has been a great place to work. “I came away with a great education and Jewish background. Now, I’m teaching the children of friends with whom I attended Hillel.” Tami is married and has four children who either currently attend, or who have graduated from Hillel. Her mother, Leah Beurer, is a also a teacher at Hillel, and Tami’s two sisters, N Nita and Orit, are graduates as well.

MICHAEL HARPAZ

CLASS OF

12. 1987

Singer/Songwriter/Actor S M Michael was born and raised in Detroit and grew up taking the Oak Park bus to H Hillel Day School. “I guess my professional career started right here at Hillel. Y You see, I was the Abba in my model Seder.” N long after graduating from Hillel’s last 9th grade, Michael had a quick rise Not to Israeli music fame; within a year after he moved to Israel in 1997, he joined the hit band Hi Five, which received three gold records. Michael returned to Detroit in 1999 and participated as one of the 50 Jewish music stars on the 2006 CD “Voices of Israel” in support of Israel. He also sang at the 2004 Yahrzeit observance of the 9/11 tragedy at the World Trade Center site.

Since then, Michael has produced and written with some of the world’s top selling artists and has performed for dignitaries and Heads of States. Currently, Michael is acting in the hit TV series in Israel — HaBorer — “The Mediator.”

CHARLES ORNSTEIN

CLASS OF

1988

Pulitzer Prize Winner Charles Ornstein is an investigative reporter for the Los Angeles Times. In 2004, he co-authored an investigative series on Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, a troubled hospital in south Los Angeles. In awarding the newspaper the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, the Pulitzer board praised the team “for its courageous, exhaustively researched series exposing deadly medical problems and racial injustice at a major public hospital.”

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Charlie gives credit to Hillel which “not only provided me a rigorous Jewish and secular education, but also encouraged me to be creative and think big. When I went to high school and college, I felt that I was a step ahead because of my background at Hillel. My teachers at Hillel expected a lot of us but they also cared a lot for us.” Charlie lives in Burbank with his wife, infant son and two beagles.

1989

Dr. Mark Smiley begins his 13-year tenure as Headmaster.

1990

13. JULIE HERMELIN ’81 Directs reality televisio television shows, music videos and short forma format films. Founder of the Vodka Latka, “one o of the hippest [and largest Hanukah] parties partie for Jews in the entertainment industry industry.” Board member and LA Co-Chair of Rebo Reboot, a nonprofit organization that works to help young Jews explore issues of identi identity, community and meaning. Lives in Los A Angeles with her husband and three son sons. Has six nieces and nephews that atten attend or have graduated from Hillel.

14. MARIANNE M. BLOOMBERG ’83 Director of Mission Outreach and Development at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Works with groups when they return from missions to Israel to ensure that they stay connected. Coordinates volunteer management programs and staffs fundraising and leadership development programs for Federation. Member of the Board of Trustees at Congregation Shaarey Zedek. Has two children currently attending Hillel.

15. RABBI LAURIE PHILLIPS ’83 Rabbi at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles, California. Supervises ove over 60 teachers as head of the temple’s rel religious school. Previously worked for the Jewish Center Camping Association, wh where she worked to enhance their Jewish ed education program.

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red a In 2006, Charlie chronicled lapses in the nation’s organ transplant system, which triggered congressional investigation and changes in federal regulations. The coverage also garnered several journalism awards.

The Goldman-Hermelin Education Foundation is formed for the purpose of scholarship assistance. The new Sadie and Irwin Cohn, Joyce and Avern Cohn and Rita and John Haddow Playground is dedicated.

Director of Leukemia Biology at the University of Chicago. Scholar, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Chairman of the Medical Advisory Board of the Leukemia Research Foundation. Has three children that are attending or have graduated from the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago.

Jewish community lay leader and philanthropist for organizations including IDF, Friendship Circle and ARMDI. Past Hillel Day School Board member. Mother of five children whom attend or have graduated from Hillel.

Beloved Teacher

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9. MICHAEL THIRMAN, MD ’76

10. SHARI FERBER KAUFMAN, J.D. ’78

The Schostak brothers have all supported Detroit’s Jewish community with their time, resources and expertise: David currently serves as president of Congregation Adat Shalom; Tzvi was instrumental in developing the curriculum for Detroit’s Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, and Mark sits on both the Hillel Finance Committee and on the Executive Committee of the Jewish Community Center.

TAMI BROWN

Retired aircraft carrier pilot and United States Navy Commander of an F-18 Squadron. Now a pilot for Fed Ex who flies an MD-11 internationally.

The Mala and Henry Dorfman Elementary School is named.

1991

Jew community professional who Jewish sp specializes in new types of outreach. Works as the Chief Operating Officer of Hazon in New York City, an innovative organization whose vision is to “create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community — as a step towards a healthier and more sustainable world for all.”

Due to increased enrollment, which reaches 636 students, six classes are housed in portable units.

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17. RABBI AVI FRIEDMAN ’84 Rabbi at the Summit JCC in New Jersey. Committed to helping guide the Conservative Movement forward by creating an atmosphere of scholarship and spirituality with education for all ages. Teaches religious school, b’nai mitzvah students and Florence Melton Adult Mini-School classes. Board member of Jewish Family Services. Passionate about family and his son Jonah’s special needs organizations. Has two nieces that currently attend and three nephews who have graduated from Hillel.

MICHAL BERRIS

CLASS OF

Ceaseless Scholar

Seventeen years after graduating from Hillel Day School, Michal (Michelle) Berris iss still furthering her education. At the Technion, the Israel Institute of Technology, she is currently working on both an MD degree and a PhD in mechanical engineering, a combined seven year program. She also received her BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineering from M.I.T. Putting her brains to good use, Michal’s research involves designing a mode of locomotion for a micro-robot that will allow doctors to operate on fetuses with congenital deformities. When not working, Michal likes to have fun mountain and road biking.

MARA REINSTEIN

18. GARY WEISSERMAN ’84

19. JOSH OPPERER ’85

20. TREVOR HART ’86 Clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Ryerson University, Toronto. Researches and examines risk factors for HIV/AIDS transmission among high-risk populations. Received a 2006 New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institute of Health Research for research in HIV/AIDS, and a 2004 fellowship from the National Institutes of Health to study randomized clinical trials involving behavioral interventions.

21. MICHAEL HARPAZ ’87 22. CHARLES ORNSTEIN ’88 23. JENNIFER BLEYER ’89 Reporter for the City section of The New York Times, founder of Heeb magazine in 2001. Engaged to Amir Bar-Lev, a documentary filmmaker.

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25. MICHAL BERRIS ’90 26. MARA REINSTEIN ’90 27. DR. BARRY ROSENBERG ’90 Holds an MD/ MBA degree from the University of Michigan after leading the creation of this dual degree program. Trained as a resident in general surgery, and works as a health care and management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group.

28. RACHEL RUSKIN ’90 29. JULIE RUSKIN ’93

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Sisters’ Homecoming

Rachel Ruskin was living in New York, while her sister, Julie, resided in Israel, when they both decided to move back to Detroit. Their grandfather h him and had become very ill and they wanted to spend time with to be closer to their family.

1993

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Both sisters took positions in the Jewish community. Rachel is the Assistant Director of Camp Tamarack, and Julie is a social worker with Jewish Family Service, working at the Frankel Jewish Academy. “You don’t realize how much Hillel affects you, but it ther is smiling really did have a strong impact on our lives,” said Julie. “Our grandfather munity. We know down knowing that we’re both home and working in the Jewish community. that he is pleased.”

JORDAN FIELD

CLASS OF

1991

Enhancing Lives through Baseball

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Jordan Field only missed one day of classes during his years at Wayne State Law School; he was busy taking his dad to see the last game played at Tiger Stadium. As a young student at Hillel, Jordan always dreamt of becoming a Detroit Tiger; although he didn’t make the team, he is now the Director of Public Affairs for the Detroit Tigers Foundation. Jordan spends his days overseeing and running the foundation, executing its mission to use the game of baseball to enhance the quality of life in our community with a focus on youth, education and recreation. “The best p part of Hillel is the sense of confidence and comfort it gave me about who I am and ab about being Jewish. I still have the same two best friends that I met there in kindergar kindergarten.” Jordan lives in Berkley with his wife, Marjie (Friedman) and a one-year-old son, Logan.

RABBI JENNIFER TISDALE

CLASS OF

1991

Rabbi Rab bbi with Mazel Rabbi Jennifer Tisdale feels very lucky. Not only is she able to live in the community that she loves, but she also works at Temple Israel, the congregation at which she grew up. “People thought that it might be an obstacle, but it has definitely been an asset,” says Jennifer. “I know generations of families here and have a close connection to the community.” At Hillel, Jennifer loved Hebrew and studying Torah. By the age of 12 or 13, she knew that she wanted to be a rabbi. “The education at Hillel was top-notch,” she said. “Teachers there helped show me how to keep a sense of humor.” Jennifer is engaged to be married in November. “As for sending my kids to Hillel, I have full confidence that they would get an excellent education. I would love to see them at my old stomping ground.”

Hillel embarks on an $11 million capital campaign for the renovation and creation of a middle school wing. The Shiffman Media Center, the Rudolph Shulman Chapel, and the Fisher-Sherman Science Wing are named.

1990

Writing was the only subject in which Mara Reinstein claims that she excelled at during her years at Hillel. “The English program was great and my teachers were always supportive and encouraging,” Mara remembers. Now a senior writer at US Weekly magazine, Mara spends her days interviewing and writing about movie and TV celebrities. She travels to movie sets, film festivals, and has visited five different Survivor locations around the world. One of Mara Mara’ss mos most memorable interviews was with Selma Blair, a Hill Hillel classmate and fellow Hille Hillel bus rider. “We spent the w whole interview talking abo about Hillel rather than the m movie she was shooting in Vancouver.”

R A C H E L R U S K I N CLASS OF 1990 J U L I E R U S K I N CLASS OF 1993

24. ERICA GUYER ’89 Fulbright Scholar who researched Canadian Aboriginal law at McGill University. Graduated from Brown University, with honors, with a BA in Anthropology; received an MA in Anthropology from Arizona State University; and a JD from the University of Chicago Law School. Now works as an attorney specializing in wealth planning and tax-exempt organizations in New York City.

CLASS OF

Celebrity Journalist

University of Michigan – Flint professor who teaches Instructional Project Design that “melds technology with social activism.”

Partner at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohen LLP. Founding chair of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Class of a Million, member of the Federation’s Israel and Overseas committee and past president of the Young Adult Division.

1990

The Bradley Bluestone (z’l) playing field is dedicated.

1994

Hillel dedicates the new Middle School wing on the newly named Schostak Family Campus.

1996

32. Garden of Wonder, elementary playground, donated in honor of Miriam and Fred Ferber by their children. Also that year, The Jane Rudy Schostak Outdoor Classroom was dedicated.

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30. OWEN ALTERMAN ’91

KEVIN SCHWARTZ

CLASS OF

Lawyer in NYC who graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. Worked as a foreign law clerk to the Honorable Asher Dan Grunis of the Israeli Supreme Court. Also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania and worked at internships in Hong Kong and Sierra Leone.

1992

Grass-roots Peacemaker This past summer, Kevin Schwartz was one of fifteen students sent by the State Department to Tajikistan to study the Tajik dialect of Persian. Kevin has written extensively on issues related to Middle Eastern politics, history and society with an emphasis on the politics and security of Iran. His research has ranged from Israeli and Palestinian grass-root peacemakers, and decisionmaking processes in the Iranian government, to classical Persian literature and Islam Islamic legal thought. He holds an MA from Harvard University in Middle Eastern Stud Studies, and is pursuing a PhD in Near Eastern Studies at the University of Califo California, Berkeley.

35. ILANA KOHEN LISS AND ZACHARY LISS

37. CLASS OF

31. JORDAN FIELD ’91 32. RABBI JENNIFER TISDALE ’91 33. ADAM SCHWARTZ ’92 Hollywood screenwriter. Co-wrote feature script New Year’s Steve, with Hillel graduate Josh Herman, which was purchased by 20th Century Fox. Co-wrote My Big Fat Independent Movie that played the film festival circuit. A 2005 winner of the Talent Scout TV Writing Contest. Also has written for the MTV Movie Awards and Talk Soup.

34. JAIME RAY NEWMAN ’92 Attended Boston University’s School for the Arts and Northwestern University. Movie credits include parts in Catch Me If You Can, Rumor Has It and Lonesome Matador. Best known for her roles as Mindy O’Dell on the series Veronica Mars and as Kristina Cassadine on the soap opera General Hospital.

1994

Newlyweds Met in 2nd Grade Although they had been a couple since 7th grade, Ilana K Kohen h and d Zachary Liss kissed for the first time as the leads in Hillel’s 8th grade play, Bye, Bye Birdie. Luckily, it wasn’t their One Last Kiss! Ilana and Zach stayed together through high school and college, and were married in the fall of 2006.

35. KEVIN SCHWARTZ ’92

Ilana graduated from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. She is a Client Advisor for Schechter Wealth Strategies in Birmingham and also serves as a board member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Young Adult Division. Zach is completing his last year at Wayne State University Medical School. Will their children go to Hillel? “You bet!” says Ilana.

36. JESSICA ALTER ’93

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Harvard Business School graduate who organized classmate trip to Israel to expose future business leaders to Israel. Founded the Ellen J. Alter Fund for Women, a nonprofit in honor of her late mother, that raises money to help women and young girls. Works at Bebo, Beb Inc. a leading consumer internet start-up in the social networking space in San Francisco, CA CA.

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37. ILANA KOHE KOHEN LISS ’94 38. ZACHARY LI LISS ’94 39. JENNIFER M MAISELOFF ’94

JENNIFER MAISELOFF

CLASS OF

40. YANIV BRANDVAIN ’95

1994

Researches genetics and biological evolution as an NSF Pre-Doctoral Fellow at Indiana University. Received the William H. Drury Award as an outstanding ecology and evolution student from the College of the Atlantic and was a Barry M. Goldwater Fellow. Published in Science magazine, the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and the American Naturalist.

Artistic Edge Across the Atlantic, Jennifer Maiseloff is pursuing a graduate degree in theater design at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, a school that has acclaimed graduates such as Dame Judi Dench and Sir Anthony Hopkins. Although her current school boasts some prestigious alumni, it was her grammar school lessons that have left a lasting mark on her. “I’ve always appreciated my Judaic background, heritage and values,” Maiseloff says, “that I learned from Hillel Day School.”

ALEX GRAHAM

41. ALEX GRAHAM ’95 42. AARON LEWIS ’95 National Bluegrass Fiddle Competition Winner. Member of Bluegrass Fusion band, Special Ed and the Shortbus, in Richmond, VA.

CLASS OF

1995

A Legacy Continued

43. REBECCA GOODMAN ’96

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44. AVI LEIBOVITCH ’96

While most Make-A-Wish kids want trips to Disneyland or Hawaii, Alex dreamt of creating a public service announcement that encouraged people to, “treat people who look differently no differently than they treat people who look normal.” Alex was able to watch her public service announcement shortly before her death from cancer in January 1999. What Alex didn’t get to witness was the way her short but eventful life has lingered on in the hearts of many, especially TEAM ile bike ride held every July. Alex’s legacy is ALEX, a group of bicyclists that participate in the Make-A-Wish Wish-A-Mile also kept alive by Hillel’s middle school through its Alex Graham Garden and Make-a-Wish fundraising efforts.

Hillel receives accreditation from ISACS (Independent School Association of Central States).

2000

Steve Freedman begins his tenure as Head of School.

2003

Hillel raises $5 million to fund the construction of a new gym/theater arts facility and renovation of playing fields. The Blumenstein gym is named.

2005

Israeli army volunteer and class commander during the 2006 Israel-Lebanese war. Planning to study business at Bar-Ilan University and make aliyah.

Rochelle Iczkovitz, teacher and Principal, retires after 36 years. A new K-2 playground is dedicated in honor of Terri Farber Roth. Hillel institutes its first eighth grade trip to Israel in culmination of their years of Jewish and Hebrew studies.

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REBECCA GOODMAN

45. OREN GOLDENBERG ’97 Honors film graduate whose feature-length documentary film, Our School, focuses on students’ challenges in getting an education in the city of Detroit.

CLASS OF

1996

Fashion, Beauty and Lifestyle Publicist

Rebecca Goodman considered herself a troublemaker while a student at Hillel Day School. Now w that her half brother, Noah, is entering first grade at Hillel, she loves talking to him about her Hillel teachers and experiences.

46. DANI WOHL ’97

Rebecca is a fashion publicist for Paul Wilmot Communications and manages the public relations activities for four upscale clothing lines. She previously worked in PR at Ferragamo, Hermes, and Henri Bendel. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a BA in Communications, Rebecca moved to NYC to begin her career. Her three best friends from Hillel all work and live in New York City as well. “We are all still good friends and will be for life.”

47. JENNIFER SCHANES ’98 Graduated Cornell University and currently attends Harvard Law School. Law clerk for the Department of Justice – Counterterrorism Section, Heyman Fellow. Leadership positions at Harvard include Social Action director of Jewish Law Student Association.

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DANI WOHL

48. JEREMY BARUCH ’00

CLASS OF

1997

49. DAVID KURZMANN ’00

Scholar-Athlete

Co-founder of the Israel Initiative for Dialogue, Education and Advocacy (IDEA). The Israel IDEA educates the U-of-M community through proactive initiatives, thus combating the negative stereotypes and vilification of Israel found on campus.

In Dani Wohl’s eighth grade yearbook, his classmates nominated him most likely to be an NBA star. During his three years as a point guard for Hillel, he led them to many victories. While he didn’t make it all the way to the NBA, he is the only Hillel graduate to play basketball for the men’s University of Michigan team. He received the scholar-athlete award all three years he wore his maize-and-blue jersey. He now applies his intensity and strong work ethic as an Investment Analyst at JP Morgan Private Client Services in Bloomfield Hills. Dani has also been a featured speaker and role model for Hillel students.

50. ZACK YOST ’00 President of the University of Michigan Student Assembly and co-founder of the Michigan Action Party (a non-partisan political party).

JEREMY BARUCH

CLASS OF

2000

Committed to Making a Difference In 2006 alone, Jeremy was the recipient of numerous academic awards, at least one of which would grab the attention of the literary scholarly world, and the other which is internationally esteemed for Jewish education and leadership. As a recipient of The University of Michigan Hopwood Award, Jeremy shares the company of acclaimed writers such as Arthur Miller and Elizabeth Kostova. Jeremy was also selected as one of only twenty adults in the United States to receive a Wexner Graduate Fellowship and was designated a Davidson Scholar, given to individuals pursuing career areas of Jewish education and Jewish communal leadership.

DO YOU HAVE AN ALUMNI UPDATE TO SHARE WITH US? Please visit www.hillelday.org Click on the Alumni tab and then the Since Hillel tab. We would love to hear from you.

SAVE THE DATE JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION OF HILLEL DAY SCHOOL’S 50TH YEAR

HILLEL HOMECOMING You are cordially invited to attend minyan and breakfast for

Alumni, and Past Faculty and Parents

48.

“Hillel provided me with the friendships, education and sense of self to interact arge,” said Jeremy who certainly proudly as a Jew with the world at large,” experienced the world first-hand this year during his travels to 18 countries in Europe, the Mideast, the Far East and Central America. Jeremy is currently working on the completion of his thesis, Twentieth Century Conceptions of Maimonides. This fall, he will begin another chapter in his commitment to Jewish education and leadership when he enters New York’s Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School.

50th Anniversary Celebration Events Thursday, October 25, 2007

6:30 pm Ladies Night Out! Fashion Show Event

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Thursday, November 8, 2007

7:00 pm Musical, Too! presentation of Aladdin

at Hillel Day School 8:30 am Minyan 9:00-10:00 am Breakfast

Sunday, November 11, 2007

2:00 pm Musical, Too! presentation of Aladdin

Wednesday, November, 21, 2007 8:30 am Alumni Homecoming Minyan and Breakfast

$10 per person, please make checks payable to Hillel Day School Supported by The Charlotte Tessler Fund for Alumni Affairs CHAIRPERSONS Rochelle Iczkovitz Jennifer Morse Mattler, Class of 1983 Robert Mattler, Class of 1972

Miry Bernard Serlin, Class of 1987 Jennifer Levin Teper, Class of 1984 Risa Tisdale VanDerAue, Class of 1988

Thursday, March 27, 2008

7:00 pm Musical production of Bye, Bye Birdie

Sunday, March 30, 2008

5:00 pm Musical production of Bye, Bye Birdie

Thursday, May 8, 2008

3:30 pm Israel Independence Day Carnival

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

7:00 pm Patron Fundraising Event

Thursday, May 29, 2008

5:30 pm Annual Dream Maker Dinner and Jubilee Celebration

For information about upcoming events contact Cheryl Schanes, Development Coordinator at 248-539-1488 or at cschanes@hillelday.org

For more information contact Cheryl Schanes, Development Coordinator at 248-539-1488 or email cschanes@hillelday.org

2007

Celebrations for Hillel’s 50th Anniversary commence. Enrollment is 581.

For information on enrollment or Open House events, please contact Helene Brody, Admission Director at hbrody@hillelday.org or call 248-851-3220.


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