I recently returned from what was an emotional, meaningful, and inspirational trip to Israel. Devora and I spent quality time with our son, Hersch, who is learning in Torat Shraga this year, my parents who live in Yerushalayim, and many close family members, all of whom are either serving in the army themselves or who have a spouse or child serving. While there, we were also privileged to serve as representatives of the Hillel Torah community. Here are some of the highlights from our trip. Kotel and Flag  We delivered notes to the Kotel written by students, staff, and parents, and davene ..read more

There’s no way to really begin, so I’ll take you on a serene journey to my classroom, where I am a Morah to the youngest children in our school, three and four year olds. The room is fresh and bright and the children skip in, running into my arms for hugs, shouting gleefully to their friends, setting out their morning snack, and bounding over to the rug for our morning meeting. We start with Modeh Ani, thanking Hashem for a beautiful new day together. The boys stand up for the bracha on tzitzit – “loud and proud!” I remind them. The girls chant, “Amen!” The boys give their mini tzitzit a kiss ..read more

On July 10th, a group of Jewish educational leaders from around the country arrived at The Harvard Graduate School of Education, excited to begin LEV – Leadership: An Evolving Vision, a one-week intensive leadership program. The Day School Principal’s Program was developed and funded by a well-respected national foundation. The administrators who were chosen for sponsorship are lifelong learners, committed to their roles as Day school leaders and striving to improve their practice to enhance the school experience for every child and family. Working with Harvard professors and experts in the fi ..read more

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We are excited to share that Hillel Torah is prominently featured in the first chapter of a newly published book, Inside Jewish Day Schools: Leadership, Learning, and Community, by Alex Pomson and Jack Wertheimer. In this compelling new book, the authors conducted meticulous research on nine Jewish Day Schools across North America ranging in size, denomination, educational approach, culture, and geographic location. Their goal is to better understand the inner workings of Jewish Day Schools: what makes them tick, what they have in common, as well as where they differ, and how they are approach ..read more

[Skokie Review] By STEVE SADIN PIONEER PRESS | FEB 01, 2022 AT 1:40 PM A group of eighth graders in Skokie understands that their generation will be the last to personally speak to Holocaust survivors, and they know that gives them an obligation to carry the message to future generations. Meir Felemovicius of Skokie is one of 37 Hillel Torah North Suburban Day School eighth graders participating in the school’s 12th annual Names Not Numbers project. They are interviewing six survivors of the Holocaust, a genocide in which historians have documented that approximately six million Jews were m ..read more

We are excited to announce the launch of the new Joseph Kirschner GrowTorah Educational Garden at Hillel Torah – an amazing new educational initiative that combines STEAM and Torah learning. The Joseph Kirschner GrowTorah Garden is a hands-on vegetable gardening program located at the southwest corner of the school, with plenty of sun exposure, encouraging outdoor learning, exploration, and connection while beautifying our campus. This program is in partnership with GrowTorah, a national organization that guides schools in developing an experiential and environmental&n ..read more

Ten years ago, Hillel Torah parents Rifka and Daniel Weiss approached Hillel Torah with a dream. The year before, the Weiss’s had been moved by the power of communal Tehillim when their daughter Emuna Shir (Emma), became ill.  After Emma’s passing, Rifka and Daniel wanted to do something to keep her memory alive, while at the same time inspiring young students to understand the power of Tehillim. After a number of brainstorming discussions with Rabbi Linzer, Principal, and Tamar Friedman, Director of Judaic Studies, an idea was hatched to create a Tehillim program for Hillel Torah middle ..read more

Hillel Torah teachers love to learn and bring new ideas into the classroom, even during a global pandemic. Peek into the 7th grade Dinim class of Judaic Studies teacher Rabbi Yoni Gold, or Samantha Toljanic’s 8th grade ELA class, and you will see a new approach to the ideas and texts they study. Both teachers are bringing students and texts together this year using new tools from the Pedagogy of Partnership, or PoP. PoP, a national educational and professional development organization, provides an approach to studying rich content in partnership with peers, simultaneously cultivating sharp cri ..read more

We are excited to announce Hillel Torah’s participation in the Truman Scholars Program, an 18-month program for outstanding 7th grade students in Orthodox Jewish Day Schools. Five of our 7th grade students, Ami Gavant, Aaron Koenig, Josh Koplow, Natan Miller, and Aiden Rich applied and were accepted to this inaugural program from the Tikvah Fund.   The Tikvah Fund is a philanthropic foundation and ideas institution committed to supporting the intellectual, religious, and political leaders of the Jewish people and the Jewish State. Hillel Torah was one of 20 schools from across the Un ..read more