The Hillel Happenings
The official e-newsletter of Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh
    
Parshat Tetzaveh


Candle Lighting: 5:27                                                                   Havdalah: 6:37
 February 7, 2014                                                                           7 Adar I 5774
Dvar Torah

Parashat Tetzaveh continues to describe the commandment to build the Mishkan. One theme that underlies various aspects of the Temple service is the concept of "tamid," meaning constant or regular. In parashat Trumah this term was used in reference to the lechem Ha-panim - the show bread. In this weeks parasha we see this term in reference to both the lighting of the menorah and also in reference to the daily sacrificial offerings called the temidim, and in the context of the incense offering on the inner mizbayach.  

  

The idea of consistency and regularity are central to our observance and religious outlook in general.  Judaism believes that worship of G-d is the job of every individual and that it should be done on a regular basis, not sporadically or only in emotionally charged times.  Just like a relationship between a husband and wife is not forged by the emotional rush of the wedding but by the constancy and commitment of the marriage which follows, so too a person's relationship with G-d is formed by the devotion shown to Hashem every single day.  

 

Every morning, Hillel's students participate in age appropriate tefillot that give them the skills to continue to develop deep and meaningful personal relationships with Hashem. It is truly inspiring to hear them and to witness the kavana with which they approach this foundation of Jewish life and community. In striving to build the Jewish future, we are working to instill the understanding that consistency of worship and practice build stronger individuals and a stronger community. 

 

 Shabbat Shalom

  


Friday Oneg at its Best
Enjoy Friday Oneg at its best!

Did you miss our Flipgram, you can view it HERE.


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Syium on Mishna Sukkah


Rabbi Grossberg's fourth grade made their own sukkah based on a specific Halacha they learned in the mishna. 

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 Learning the letter R with Mr. Kingman and his robot.  
Where Are They Now? Nachum & Shana (May) Wasosky 
 
When did you and your wife attend Hillel? 
Shana: From preschool (while it was in PZ) through graduation in 1994.
Nachum: From first grade through graduation in 1994.

What are your favorite memories?
Shana: Going to school & feeling like I was at home. Hugging the same friends year after year on the first day of school. Painting the glass windows in the entryway for the Purim carnival.  Sitting under the library table with friends while we were watching videos, and drinking chocolate milk.
Nachum: Mrs Marunichs' beehive hairdo.  Rabbi Safran dancing on the table on Purim.  Rabbi Brodie giving me chocolate chips because I was "listening nicely". Student vs. Staff B-Ball games, and making money from school lunches for senior class trip.
 
What life lesson did you take away from your time at Hillel?
Shana: Never stop laughing.
Nachum: According to your effort will be your reward.
 
Who was your favorite teacher? 
Shana: Ms. Novak & Mrs. Milch (Both of them!)
Nachum: Rabbis Brodie and Adler 
 
Where do you live now and what do you both occupy yourselves with?Shana: Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, and I write Jewish Montessori curriculum for schools and teach science, math, history & Judaics in a girls alternative high school.
Nachum: Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel, and I founded a Leadership Training Program using Mountain Biking as its tool. The organization is called Geerz. Check us out at www.geerz.org. 
 
What advice can you offer our students? Bug your limudei kodesh teachers to make sure you understand what it means to have a relationship with Hashem and how to practically work on making that relationship real on a daily basis.  Work your tail off in limudei chol classes so you can have the education you need to one day support yourself and a family.  
 
Will you join us at one of our upcoming alumni events? If the airline tickets are part of Hillel's budget, of course! 
 
What's your favorite part about Hillel now? A new generation of leaders that are innovative and think out of the box. 
 
What should every Jewish day school have as part of its curriculum? 
1. Core curriculum classes in Bein Adam Lechaveiro as well as a curriculum in Hashkafa that focuses on making Hashem real in our everyday lives as well as understanding what Hashem wants from us in this world (Derech Hashem).           
2. A program which helps parents reinforce at home what the students are being taught in school.
3. Teaching that Israel is really our home, that we should all long to live in our home, and that Israel is currently a viable option to make as a permanent residence.
 
Tell us about your family. Five kids: Devorah Leeba 13, Simcha Perel 11, Emuna Dasi 9, Matityahu Avraham 7, Yisrael Noach 4.  In 2008 11 of us made aliyah together from Colorado: Our family, Shana's parents and brother as well as Nachum's mother. 
 
Anything else you would like to share? Thank you Hillel!

Good to Know

 

The second semester has officially begun and we are halfway through the year.  It is  an excellent opportunity to take the necessary time and reflect with your child about what went well the first part of the year and what did not.  What do they want to change?  What routines need some changes to make them more efficient?  Now that  your child is halfway into their current grade, they may have outgrown some of their current routines and need new responsibilities. You have received your report cards and these can be very useful for you to make evaluations and goals on what you want to do to make some personal goals.  Please remember to contact your child's teacher with any questions you may have.  You and your child's teacher can set some of the goals together.  Always remember it is NEVER too late to make any kind of changes. Every day is a new day and each day is a good day to start fresh!
How Can We 
Improve?
 

  

Last week during Rabbi Admon's Halacha class the GHS learned about the Gross family tragedy in Israel. At the completion of the class, each of the girls adopted a mitzvah they would be extra careful about as a special merit for a complete refuah shelama for the Gross boys.  The girls sent an e-mail to the Gross family with a list of the things that the girls accepted upon themselves. The family was really excited to receive the email, and responded, "It makes us feel much better when we see girls from far away thinking about us." Please continue to keep Raphoel Yitzhak Isaac ben Michal and Chaim Michael Shlomo ben Michal in your prayers.
 

  

 HH Staff
Second Semester Clubs
 
Click SCHEDULE to check it. Please remember to be on time for pick up.

 

  Kindergarten chess began this past week.
 
  Our first ever Music Club with Duquense University. Instruments 
will be introduced in next week's club. There is still time to enroll your
 child(ren) in Music Club.
 
  Karate (Jewdo) Club began as well. 
 Family Feature  - The Scholnicoff Family
  
As our school continues to grow, we are happy to feature our new families in an attempt to formally introduce and welcome them to the Hillel Academy family.  
 
 
Welcome to Hillel Academy.  Daliah is in nursery, what made you choose Hillel?  
Thank you, and thank you for this lovely interview.  Choosing Hillel was a no-brainer (we do have brains, we just try to rest them whenever possible).  We wanted our children to receive a great secular and religious education from early on, and to be in a warm and nurturing environment.  We knew the way they'd be cared for at Hillel would be a close second to being in their own home.

Are you excited for Purim in Hillel? I hope you like decorations.
We are!!! We're excited for Purim anywhere.  And we do like decorations, especially if they have a clown theme. We will be expecting an overflowing bag of them coming home with Daliah that week.

What is most surprising about Hillel? 
That Hillel hasn't purchased all the properties that surround it so it could build a 4-story parking garage. 

What is your favorite HYPE program thus far (i.e. Superbowl learning/eating, shabbaton, learning, ext...) 
Definitely Shabbaton...and that's not just because it's the only HYPE program we've been to. 

Are you looking forward to March 31?  
Yes! We certainly are.  March 31 is our favorite day of the whole year.  First day of spring.  Wait, is that right?  Ummm...is there something you're not telling us?  

The correct answer that we were looking for was Pirates home opener
. I guess you're not going, lol. 
 
Squirrel Hill trivia, what kind of store is going into the old Baskin Robbins on Forbes? 
We have no idea.  We are terrible at trivia. But if you don't mind, we'd like to vote for Coldstone. What?!  There's already a Coldstone in Squirrel Hill? Ok, then we vote for a new Baskin Robbins.

Can you give us a hint to your family's Purim costumes? 
Nate:  Cross Metallica with Motorhead and the Misfits and you're starting to get warm.
Ellen:  Nate, give me that keyboard!  Ok, two years ago Daliah was a ladybug.  Last year she was a purple butterfly.  You do the math.  As for Noah, last year's costume worked out pretty well and pretty much took no effort (see photo).

What does a typical weekend look like at the Scholnicoff family? 
Do you mean when Noah wakes up at 4 am, or when he "sleeps in" until 6 am?  When he wakes up at 4, we try to get as much nap time as possible.  When he wakes up at 6, we try to get as much nap time as possible.  When we're not napping, we like to go for ice cream (see above).

Anything else you would like to share? 
We're so happy that Daliah is so happy at school, and we're looking forward to sending Noah in the fall.  Thank you to everyone who makes Hillel such a special place!
 
 
 2014-2015 New Student Enrollment Applications      
 
 We are now accepting new student applications for 2014-2015!
Follow the instructions by clicking below to apply:
For questions or to set up a tour please contact the main office at 
Faculty Interview - Mrs. Rivky Apfel


Hi, welcome to Hillel! You're from NY. What's it like living in Pittsburgh?  Everybody is very friendly and warm.  It was a really easy and smooth transition to become a part of the community. Working with many of Hillel's students in Kindergarten  through 12 helped me become very familiar with the children and their families in the community.

 

Where did you get your degree? I started my degree at Michlalah Jerusalem College. I received a Bachelors in Psychology with a Minor in Sociology from Queens College.  My Masters in Special Education is from Grand Canyon University.

 

What are your daily responsibilities?  As part of the co-teaching model, I co-teach Math in 1st and 2nd grade.  I also help out in the 4th grade classroom during Chumash.  With the guidance of Mrs. Ziff, I teach students individually in Judaic and Secular subjects.  My favorite part of my job is teaching Chumash in the GHS.

 

What's the most satisfying part of your job? Helping my students gain independence. Thankfully this year I have seen tremendous progress in Kriah (Hebrew reading) as well as Math and English skills. I love when students think on their own and are proud of themselves.

 

What would you change? Nothing, I love my job.  

 

Who was/is the most influential person in your life? My mother, an administrator in special education, taught me to care about each child.  I think this is why I find such great joy in each of my student's successes.

 

Is it difficult to work in the school your children attend? No way!  I love getting to see my children during the day.  Sometimes I have to avoid my baby, as seeing me makes her cry.   

 

Can you offer some advice to our students? Share what you know! You all know so much being part of Hillel. Teach Parsha, Chumash, or Rainbow Loom! 

 

What did you love doing as a kid, but can't do now? I loved climbing trees with my brother. It's not so practical with a skirt. I replaced it with hiking with my family. I also loved ballet. Any chance teachers can join the Hillel clubs?

           

Sure we can work that out. There has been a lot of talk about that. How long will it take before we see your face painted half black and half gold?

Are you joking! I'd rather be cheering for Hillel, wearing Hillel gear! See you at the basketball game!

 

Great answers, thank you for your time! 

 

 

HYPE Events 
  
 

 
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Hillel Gear Spotted HereWinter Break Contest 
 
Hey, Hillel Happenings readers, we all know that Hillel nation extends well beyond Squirrel Hill. So here's our chance to prove it. Send a picture of yourself in Hillel gear (uniform, t-shirt, etc.) to [email protected], and each week we'll select the best picture for inclusion in the Hillel Happenings. 

The Goldwasser's Winter Break Contest winning photo is shown below.The picture received 44 likes on the Hillel website. The Goldwasser family enjoyed a pizza dinner this past week courtesy of Mordy Brown Catering.  Mazel Tov to them and good job thinking about what our readers would want to see in a photo. The perfect mix of two very famous brands #HillelAcademy #Buccos. 
Thank you to all of the other families who submitted photos. The Wiesenfeld family lost by one like.  It's all about the secretaries Dr. Wiesenfeld

Think you have a better photo? 
Prove it by submitting your photo during our next contest, Pesach Break. 

  
 
 
 
We made a Quilt for letter "Q" It was a team activity, proving how when we work together, we can make a beautiful piece of art! 

 
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Tweets of the Week

@BrianGoldy
The Pizza was awesome, thank you Hillel Academy DShaw and Mordy Brown!!!  #letsgobucs #winterbreak #hillelgear #pizza!!
 
@MrsLevari
Shoshana and Miriam absolutely loved music club today! Thanks! #Musicclub  
 
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Mazel Tov

 Mazel Tov to Mr. and Mrs. Shmueli and Avital Isenberg on the birth of a baby girl, and to big sisters Ahuva and Tamar, and to grandparents Dr. and Mrs. Carey Balaban and the entire Balaban and Isenberg families.  
Flashback Fridays
 
Can you figure this one out? Email us the names of those in the picture, and we will print your name in next week's Hillel Happenings. 
 
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Last week's photo: 

 

 
     This week's photo:      

 This week's photo was emailed in courtesy of Mr. Barry Faigen, thank you! 
 
Hillel Announcements 
 
 
 NO SCHOOL - Feb., 16, 2014, Faculty In-Service - No Sessions (Presidents Day)
ALUMNI BASKETBALL GAME: February 15, 2014 at the JCC at 8pm - email [email protected] for more info.
NYC ALUMNI EVENT: March 27, 2014 at 7pm email [email protected] for more info. 
2014-2015 NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION: Click HERE 
SECOND SEMESTER CLUB Schedule: Click HERE
MORDY BROWN CATERING: Pizza for dinner on Monday's call the main office at 412.521.8131.
 
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Around Town
 
 FYI: The deadline for submissions is Sunday at midnight for the coming week
  
APPLES FOR STUDENTS: BONUS: $60,000 Bonus Points are available. Encourage NEW supporters to register their Giant Eagle Advantage Card with Your School. Promote to all supporters to Shop & Earn your school's share from January 27th until February 10th.Questions: 1-800-742-7753
BOYS ONEG:  Boys for grades 1-4 in the PZ social hall from 3:00pm - 4:00pm.   
GIRLS ONEG: Girls' Oneg in the PZ educational building from 3:00pm - 4:00pm for girls K-8. There is no supervision until 3:00, so any parents who bring their children to Oneg before then should please wait with them until there is an Oneg leader to accompany them to their room.  For more information and to join our email list, contact Girls Oneg at [email protected]
BNEI AKIVA: Snif will take place at Shaare Torah from 4pm-5pm
MEN'S FLOOR HOCKEY LEAGUE: Tuesdays @ 10pm and Saturday night @ 9pm, both in the Hillel gym. Contact [email protected] for more information. 
WOMEN'S PICK UP BASKETBALL: Ladies Basketball is in search of some more experienced and committed players. Please contact Shayna Creeger for more information- 412 320 5859 -  Sundays and Thursdays from 8:15pm-9:30pm.
MEN'S PICK UP BASKETBALL: Wednesdays from 9pm-10:30pm in the Hillel gym
 

  

CENTRAL SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN REFERRAL SERVICE 

of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh 
Jewish Family & Children's Service 
Administered by: 
5743 Bartlett Street � Pittsburgh, PA 15217� (412)422-5627 � Fax (412)428-8200

Attention: Financial Aid Offices, Guidance Counselors, and Youth Organizations
Applications for need-based college scholarships for the 2014-2015 school year are available
from the Central Scholarship & Loan Referral Service (CSLRS) of the Jewish Federation of 
Greater Pittsburgh. This program is administered by Jewish Family & Children's Service. 
The funds are made available through the generosity of families who have established 
endowments through the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, Jewish Community 
Center, National Council of Jewish Women, Jewish Women International of Pittsburgh 
(formerly B'nai B'rith Women), The Pittsburgh Foundation, and Rodef Shalom Congregation.
All awards are distributed on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Depending 
on the scholarship fund, other factors such as academic achievement, field of study, school 
attending, and community involvement may also be considered. In addition, the applicant 
must be Jewish, reside in Allegheny, Westmoreland, Beaver, Butler or Washington County 
for at least two years, and need financial assistance to attend an accredited institution of 
higher education
We would appreciate your assistance in aiding local students by publishing an announcement 
about the work of the Central Scholarship committee. We are enclosing a brochure that 
explains our process. The 2014-2015 CSLRS on-line application is available at http://
www.centralscholarship.org. All applications are due February 11, 2014.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call me at (412) 422-5627 or e-mail me at 
Alayne Lowenberger, Director
Central Scholarship & Loan Referral Service
 

  

   
   
  
  
  

























5685 Beacon Street 
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
(P) 412-521-8131 
(F) 412-521-5150
 
 
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Create an everlasting legacy with a gift or bequest to the Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh Endowment Fund. The Hillel Academy Endowment Fund insures Jewish Continuity by providing a Jewish education to all children regardless of their financial capabilities. Additional dedications and opportunities are available.