Dear Hillel Happenings Readers,

This is our last issue for the year! I want to thank all of you for taking the time to read and respond. It has been a privilege and an honor publishing the school's newsletter each week.  I enjoy connecting with our alumni and showcasing their talent and the growth that takes places each day at Hillel.

As we embark on the summer of 2015 I want to remind you to keep your cell phones charged and clear for some photos.  Remember to stay in touch with us over the summer and all year on our social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter (@HillelAcadmey1) and Instagram (@HillelACademyPGH).

We conclude the year with not one, but two alumni interviews; Itamar Levari and Shira (Goldberg) Spilman. Make sure you check out the dinner article and video and Mazel Tov to all of our graduates and their families. To the class of 2015, we want you to stay in touch as well.  Feel free to send us divrei Torah or any other article you would like us to publish.

I want to thank my editing teams: Ms. Bonnie Morris, Mrs. Kira Sunshine, Mrs. Selma  Aronson, Mrs. Liz Greenfield, Mrs. Tammy Berkowitz and Mr. Dan Kraut. Thank you Mr. Werber for all the grids, and to Rabbi Weinberg for his insightful and special divrei Torah each week.

Good Shabbos, enjoy the summer and Let's Go Bucs!

Reb Daniel Shaw

 This past Sunday night, Hillel Academy held their 68th annual dinner honoring the memory of alumna, 

Fayth Aronson-Berkowitz, z"l. Mrs. Yikara Levari, was honored with the Chantze and Donald Butler, zt'l Teacher Recognition Award and Mr. Fred Davis was recognized for his 15 years of service to our school.  Upon arrival, guests were greeted with Mordy Brown Catering's sushi and fruit.

The dinner program began with alumna Dr. Elana Bloom addressing the crowd. She described how Hillel has helped her and her daughter, as well as other alumni become who they are today. She introduced Hillel's Principal and Educational Director, Rabbi Sam Weinberg who shared thoughts of Torah. He then introduced one of the night's honorees, Mrs. Levari. Mrs. Levari shared remarks about why she chose to work in Jewish education and how she appreciated all those who helped along the way. Mrs. Levari concluded her presentation with a touching tribute to Fayth Aronson-Berkowitz, z"l.

Dan Kraut, greeted the guests and called Mr. Fred Davis to receive his retirement watch and Hillel Heat basketball jersey.  Mr. Davis addressed the crowd and told what it meant to be part of the Hillel family for 15 years.  He expressed how he has enjoyed watching the students learn about their Jewish culture. Then the audience was treated to Shmideo's latest dinner video which included footage from the mop cam and security cameras.
 

After dinner was served, alum, Dr. Joel Weinberg extended greetings and introduced alum, Dr. Stanley Marks, Chairman of  UPMC Cancer Center, who surprised the guests by announcing that he and fellow alum Dr. Lee Weinberg were making significant lead gifts to the capital campaign in order to have the Hillel Academy Girls High School named the Fayth Aronson-Berkowitz,z'l Hillel Academy Girls High School.  Hillel Alum Dr. Adam Aronson spoke on behalf of the Aronson Family thanking Dan Kraut, Dr. Stanley Marks, Dr. & Mrs. Lee Weinberg, the Hillel Family and the community for all they have done for our Family in keeping Fayth's memory alive.

Thank you to the over 300 attendees and to Dinner Chairs Gayle Kraut, Elana Davis, and Avital Balaban for making the night a wonderful showcase for Hillel Academy. Thank you to Selma Aronson and Marilyn Swedarsky for ensuring the Dinner Journal was a success. Thank you you to Adam Reinherz for all his help with the event.

-Reb Shaw

P.S. Here is a special thank you from the Aronsons. 

Bill and I would like to thank all of our friends and family who attended Hillel's annual dinner and placed an ad in the journal. Your support helped make the tribute in Fayth's memory so meaningful.  Many people commented that you could feel the warmth in the room.  As you all know Hillel holds a special place in our hearts so that the renaming of the girls high school is even more special.   Your support has helped us get through this very difficult time.  A special thank you to Dan Kraut and Rabbi Weinberg. May we only share in simchas in the future.  

Hi Shira, thanks for taking the time to chat! When did you attend Hillel Academy?

1989-2001
 

Share a favorite memory or two with our readers? My favorite day every year at Hillel Academy was always Rosh Chodesh Adar. I loved that that the older grades came into our classroom dancing and then we made a train throughout the school picking up more classes. We always had live music and dancing in the cafeteria which was a blast.

Yeah, we hear that a lot.  The school has grown so much and things have changed so much, but that minhag has stuck. "Spontaneous dancing is going to be at 9am is what is usually written in the morning memo." 

In what organizations are you currently active? Between working full-time and having a family, I am not consistently actively involved in any specific organization. I try to help out with various things in my community when it is needed and I am available. How do you earn a living? I am a physician assistant in gastroenterology. I see patients in the office and sometimes in the hospital for various GI problems.

How did you choose that field?  I have always loved Biology and Medicine and knew I wanted a career in it. Being a physician assistant has given me the flexibility I need to practice medicine and have a family. Many physicians are able to do this, and I have great respect for them, but I know it would have been difficult for me. This is the perfect career for me. GI is especially interesting to me because there are so many different organs involved; I see many different problems every day.

How did Hillel Academy prepare you for the future? Hillel Academy gave me the academic background that I needed to excel in college and grad school. In fact, when I took Calculus I in college I pulled out my notes from Mrs. Langsner's class from high school in order to help me do my homework and study for tests.

Share some info about your family. We live in Silver Spring, MD. My husband Eli is a data developer and works as a contractor for the government. I have a 10-year-old daughter, Leah, a 6-year-old son, Yosef, and a 2-year-old son, Aviv.

What do you do in your free time? I like to play sports outside with my kids. I love helping to coach my son's Little League games.

Who is the most interesting person in your cellphone contacts? Definitely my brother, Jacob Goldberg.

I would agree.  It is that because he was going for the Navy Seals or because he could throw the length of the Mesivta/Gemilas Chesed parking lot...from his knees?  I would say both -- Jake is just impressive all around.

Share something with our students you wish someone had told you when you were in school? Probably to pay more attention in class, especially in high school. You never know what you may learn in school that will help you in the future.

Hillel Trivia - Which current Hillel parent played on the 1993 Pittsburgh Maccabi soccer team? Eric Greenfield?

Nice try, see Itamar's interview below for the answer. Will do :)

Thanks for your time! Have a wonderful Shabbos and summer!

Hi Itamar, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. When did you attend Hillel Academy? 1989-1991

Share a favorite memory or two with our readers?  My memory is mostly a blur.  I remember pizza lunches and bentching in the lunch room.  I won the Purim outfit contest one year- my mom made me into a Pepsi bottle- it looked better than it sounds...

I remember "Wordly Wise" and book reports (I spent every Sunday doing revision after revision, and usually crying, until my mother was satisfied), itchy uniforms that never fit right. 

We grew cact(i) because it was the Gulf War- I'm not sure why, we just did.  Kick-ball.  My father helped me with my science project- we played music to plants and saw if that helped them grow faster (answer: plants love reggae).

Well, I think those are some great memories and I can relate to most of them, but I never played music to my plants. Well, I never played real music.

In which organizations are you currently active? My main extracurricular involves providing reinforcements for my wife when I get home.  I'm the 3rd VP at Poale Zedeck.  I'm a fan of the Kollel.

How do you earn a living? I'm in medical practice with my dad.  We have offices in Forest Hills (on the way to Walmart) and in Duquesne.  Technically, I'm certified in Internal Medicine, so I'm not really qualified to give you advice if your kid has an earache on Shabbos.  On the other hand, kids are just like small people, so if you bring them over and I'm around, we can always guess and hope for the best...
  

 Be honest, how often do you go to Walmart in between patients to just browse the aisles and talk with the folks? In terms of Shabbos knockers, what you're basically saying is stop knocking on my door, but in a much nicer way? Honestly, not that many people knock on our door and, when they do, I'm happy to help if I can.  In terms of Walmart: we used to go there just about every Sunday, and I always enjoyed seeing patients and talking to them, but I put an end to it after an ex-patient yelled at me in the canned food section.  I guess it's worth paying a couple more dollars to shop in peace at Giant Eagle...

How did Hillel Academy prepare you for the future? We had moved from Israel the year before I came to Hillel, but I had attended a secular school in Jerusalem- so Hillel helped introduce me to Torah-observance and learning.  Hillel also did a great job of helping me "catch up" on what I had missed in terms of English language/grammar.

If you had stayed in that Jerusalem school, you would not be answering my questions right now. So, B"H you moved! Also, we would not have been able to ask that trivia questions.  I think you've got it a little backwards there you should have said "B"H, we should all have the zchus to move back someday." 

Share some info about your family. My wonderful parents live in town.  I have a married younger brother in Boston and an unmarried cartoonist sister in LA, in case you know anyone who's looking...I live with my lovely wife Yikara, who you might have met, along with Shoshana Baila, Miriam Ahuva, Yosef Aharon, Yaakov Dov, and Moshe Alexander Zussman (Maz). 

Yes, I do know her, she was honored this past Sunday night, Mazel Tov! Thanks for your support which allows her to do so much for our school!

What do you do in your free time? I like to iron clothes, although I don't claim to be an expert.  I used to play soccer a lot growing up (see below).  I love to learn Parsha and Medrash.

I never pegged you as an ironer. But, now I see it. I like to use the starch spray with the yellow cap from GE. Starch spray has a time and a place.  It can actually make your shirt stickier while you iron, if you're not careful.  Plus, every Pesach I get stressed out and have to try to remember what I'm supposed to do with it.  One thing I definitely don't recommend is trying to eat your spray starch!

Did you have a favorite teacher?  Who was it and why?  Rabbi Nosson Adler- he was kind to me and encouraging.

Who is the most interesting person in your contacts? I'm not really a social person.

Share something with our students you wish someone had told you when you were in school?  A friend's father once told me that he knew I would do something special when I grew up.  I believe that's a wonderful message to give to a young student.

Hillel Trivia - Which current Hillel parent played on the 1993 Pittsburgh Maccabi soccer team? Itamar Levari- those uniforms were also extremely itchy!  And we were NOT good.

Correct! Finally someone answered the question.  I have to thank Dr. Marc Itskowitz for that question which has lasted almost all year. I loved Maccabi, so many fond memories.  Thanks for your time and have a wonderful shabbos and a enjoyable, safe summer!