Hillel Day School

Hillel Day School is a private, Jewish day school in Farmington Hills, Michigan which was founded in 1958. It provides both secular and Judaic studies instruction for students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Most students go on to nearby public high schools or to The Jean and Samuel Frankel Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit, a Jewish high school in nearby West Bloomfield, Michigan.

Curriculum and class size

At Hillel, both Jewish and secular instruction is delivered each day. For kindergarten students, religious instruction is fully integrated with secular studies throughout the day. For students in the first through fourth grades, the day is split evenly between Judaic and secular studies. For fifth through eighth graders, 60% of the day is spent on secular studies, which includes language arts, social studies, math, science, music and drama, art, physical education and technology. Class size typically does not exceed 20 students per classroom, with one teacher. However, kindergarten classes may have one teacher and one assistant.

Religious affiliation

Hillel Day School is a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association, and is affiliated with the Conservative Movement of American Judaism. It is a member of NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) and ISM. It is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). It is one of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's Family of Agencies and thus received $574,200 in funding from the Federation in 2005. [ [http://www.thisisfederation.org/about/agcydetail.asp?ID=5 Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit: Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit] .]

It is the only non-orthodox Jewish elementary school in the Metro Detroit area.

History

Hillel Day School was founded in Detroit in 1958, by Rabbi Jacob Segal and members of the local Jewish community, starting with 29 students in two rooms. The school has grown rapidly since then and relocated to its current permanent site in Farmington Hills, Michigan with an enrollment of over 650 students in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. Jewish children of all Jewish affiliations are accepted at the school. [ [http://www.hillelday.org/podium/default.aspx?t=1188 History & Mission] , accessed July 28, 2006.]

Notable Alumni

*Selma Blair, actress. ["Selma Blair steps out with a provocative role in 'Storytelling'...", "Detroit News", February 2, 2002, "Until now, Selma Blair, who attended Hillel day School in Farmington Hills, graduated from Kingswood/ Cranbrook..."]
* [http://info.jpost.com/2000/Supplements/Haatzmaut/harpaz.html Michael Harpaz] , lead singer of Israeli boy band Hfive
*Charles Ornstein, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist
*Mara Reinstein, senior writer for Us Magazine and author of [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1932958576/ Brad & Jen: The Rise and Fall of Hollywood's Golden Couple]
*Robert & David Schostak, real estate developers and shopping mall owners
*The Ubin Twinz, (Josh Rubin and Jeremy Lubin), filmmakers
*Dani Wohl, Michigan Wolverine basketball player, 2001-2005
*Jason Miller, Conservative Rabbi

References

External links

* [http://www.hillelday.org Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit Official website]
* [http://www.jamd.org Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit Official website]
* [http://www.isacs.org Independent School Association of Central States]
* [http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=00641984&ID=00641984 National Center for Education Statistics data for Hillel Day School]