Todah. Merci. Thank you.

No matter how we say it, we can hardly express how grateful we are to the following people for volunteering their time to the PTA. But before we thank each and everyone a special thank you must go out to Sam Freedman for all her meal preparations in the basement kitchen.

We know it was difficult at times, but you approached the job with grace and with a good sense of humour. Thank you for all the hours you gave us. Your generosity helped to make both parents' and students' lives a little easier and less routine.  

To all of our parent volunteers, thank you for all your time.  Without your participation, this year would not have been as successful as it was.  In particular we would like to thank the following parents:

Yana Abramovich, Marilyn Adler, Leila Ages, Vivian Astroff, Sharon Baptiste, Iris Beer, Orry Benhanoh, Carolyn Bickerton, Elisa Bloom, Gina Camel-Toueg, Adam Carroll, Lisa Feldberg, Sam Freedman, Josh Freedman, Allison Geffen, Ali Goldfield, Faye Goldman, Celia Goldstein, Nikki Goldstone, Ilana Gregory, Cybele Hamburg, Nicola Hamer, Alina Hellmann, Mariana Herskovitz, Randi Huniu, Muriel Kardish, Melissa Kaufman, Ellie Kamil, Rena Kimia, Dafna Kohen, Kim Leblanc and her mom Helen Leblanc, Andrea Malek, Nina May, Andrew McGregor, Linda Melamed, Wayne Moore, Vivian Ohana-Sandler, Erica Phillips, Todd Plant, Alison Popky, Cindy Poplove, Nicole Rosenberg, Charlene Rosenstein, Michelle Sachs, Martin Scheinberg, Danielle Schneiderman, Adrienne Shabsove, Nikki Shapiro, Erica Sher, Mark Silver, Evelyn Silverman, Sarah Silverstein, Cindy Smith, Nathan Smith, Dina Sokoloff, Marnie Stein, Lisa Stevens, Deborah Sussman, Pam Rosenberg Swedko, Deborah Teich, Barb Veder, Meike Woehlert, Lenora Zelikovitz.

Have a safe and relaxing summer. We look forward to seeing you again next year!

Marie Levine & Jenny Glassman
PTA Chairs

Students from grades 1 to 4 got an interesting visit last Friday, from the Worm Lady, otherwise known as Gerrie Baker. The Environmental Club used some of the money from the Green Apple grant they won earlier this year to bring her to Hillel. The workshop taught the students about vermicomposting, soil and the importance of earthworms. While working in groups, students got the opportunity to look, feel and explore piles of earth and worms. Gerrie Baker and The Worm Factory are active in helping schools learn about composting and starting their own programs. You can learn more about them here. Below, David and Kayla discuss what they have found with the Worm Lady.

On Thursday, May 27th, the Grade 4s went to the National Arts Centre for the 'Let's Go Mozart' student matinee. Ms. Coghlin, who plays the saxophone and organ, has been spending the year teaching the students to play the recorder and practicing many songs with them. The students learned about Mozart, listened to the NAC orchestra play famous Mozart pieces and heard an accomplished 15-year old pianist from Calgary. They brought their recorders with them and the highlight of the trip was being able to play with the orchestra. Below, Adam, Jessica and Meredith.

The students in grades 5 -8 met a couple of former Israeli soldiers this week. The soldiers are touring Canada, talking about what it is like to be a soldier in Israel, how they were injured and how Beit Halochem has helped and is helping them with their rehabilitation. Beith Halochem has rehabilitation centres for disabled veterans. You can learn more about the organization at Beit Halochem Canada and Beit Halochem Israel. Below, they present a certificate to Morah Ruthie thanking Hillel Academy for hearing their stories.

Amira, above left, is the lastest grade one student to read 100 books! Jordan, above right, won a Principal's award, along with fellow kindergarten students (below) Elana, Arthur, Sascha, Michael, Guy and Odelia.

The recent controversy in New York City concerning the Orthodox ordination of a woman has prompted the Orthodox movement to reassess its perspective on the role of women in Judaism. While the Rabbinical Council of America at its recent convention has disallowed the ordination of women from a Halachic perspective, it nevertheless has left open the question of the opportunities for women to take on leadership positions in the Jewish community, both in the secular and religious spheres.
 
Suffice it to say that within the Orthodox movement, there has been a greater push in the direction of greater opportunity for women in setting the stage for leadership, guidance and instruction. Women in the Orthodox movement have become Yoatzot Halacha, advisers in areas of Halacha, such as Family Purity laws, and have become advocates for Agunot (divorcees without benefit of the Get) in Batei-Din, Jewish courts in Israel and elsewhere.
 
We have seen the development of women's Intensive Talmud programs in Stern College of Yeshiva University, and recently the opening of an advanced Talmud degree. It was only a short time ago that women did not study Talmud.
 
From an educator's perspective, I firmly believe that there should be no discrimination regarding the ability and potential for males and females to study our texts, and to rise to leadership positions in the Jewish community serving the Jewish population with wisdom, knowledge and commitment. The failure to provide these opportunities for all diminishes our capability to be able to reach out to all Jews seeking a connection with their heritage and community. Furthermore, the failure to educate our young women in the beauty and wisdom of our heritage serves as a warning to us, that the next generation, male and female, will be lost to Judaism forever.
 
More importantly, the question of women Orthodox rabbis pales by comparison to the vexing question of what we do to ensure the continuity of the next generation. In this age of increasing assimilation and disenchantment with Judaism, we cannot afford to overlook the real issues facing our community, issues of existence and survivability.
- Rabbi Howard Finkelstein, Principal of Judaic Studies, Grade 7 - 12, OJCS