Hillel High is opening this fall on Milwaukee’s east side for parents “who want to grow and enhance their children's Judaic values and education into their teen years,” according to Rabbi Yossi Bassman, who will serve as administrator of the new school.
One such student is Avi Gelfman, who graduated Hillel Academy in 2011 and spent the next two years in a boarding high school in Memphis, Tenn. Gelfman’s father, Jonathan, says “we wanted a school that would give our boys the tools to live in our world along with a strong base in Judaic education, identity and practice. The new school will be filling the gap for us and families like ours.” His younger son, Isaac, will join Avi this fall at Hillel High.
Dual curriculum that is second to none.
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The school will offer a dual curriculum that stresses both Judaic and general academic studies. “Our goal isn’t just to create book-smart graduates,” says Bassman. “The Judaic studies curriculum will have a refreshingly hands-on, contemporary approach. For example, after exploring a subject in Talmudic law, the students will go on to discover how that law compares to American law and jurisprudence.”
Partnering with eAchieve Academy, an online school that is part of the Waukesha School District, Hillel High’s general studies curriculum will offer the widest selection of high quality general studies courses of any Jewish high school in the country. eAchieve has recently been named one of Newsweek Magazine’s Best High Schools in America in 2013.
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According to Chris Schulteis, marketing and logistics manager at eAchieve, “virtual schooling is unique in that it is more student-centered. The teacher is more of a guide, assisting the students in discovering their own paths to education. Every student is different. Some require a lot of teacher intervention, and others thrive with less. We empower students to chart their own course. Advanced students are not held back, and weaker students are able to proceed at their own pace.”
In addition, Hillel High will have a mentor in the classroom to keep kids on track and assist with any technical or educational issues that may arise.
Real learning happens through living.
Most of life’s great lessons take place outside of the classroom. That is why students will be asked to put down the books, step into the real world, and experience what they have learned firsthand. When they have study Passover, they may be invited to lead a public seder. When they are delve into Jewish political issues, they may have an opportunity to work with AIPAC. In addition, they will encouraged to volunteer with Friendship Circle, Habitat for Humanity, and other hands-on organizations, so they can see how they can make a difference in other people’s lives.
They will also take part in fun, inspirational, and exciting programming, including biking, hiking, boating, and monthly Shabbatons, which will help create an environment for students to experience the beauty of their Judaism in a fun and refreshing way.
Timely issues. Timeless values.
Students will be encouraged to question and probe. Hillel High’s wants to bridge the gap between age-old teaching and modernity by giving students the ability to use a traditional framework to explore the issues that matter to them. The school’s goal is to create young people who are grounded in ethics and values, yet ready to venture confidently into the modern world and make wise choices. If students believe that Judaism matters, it will stay with them – and will inform their relationships, career choices, and beyond.
A Jewish education for all.
Beyond graduates of Hillel Academy, the school will serve students from other Jewish and public schools in Milwaukee—and all over the world. Rabbi Mendel Shmotkin, executive vice president of Lubavitch of Wisconsin, says Hillel High will cater to high-schoolers coming from a broad swath of backgrounds, ranging from those raised in Modern Orthodox families to teens who have not yet had any formal Jewish education.
"This is really in response to parents who've come to us over the last three or four years asking, 'OK, what's the next step? How do we continue our children's Jewish education?'" Shmotkin said. "There's been a void here for a while, and parents have been asking, 'What can we do about it?'"
For more information about Hillel High, call Rabbi Yossi Bassman at 414-367-8582, email him at ryb@chabadwi.org, or visit the school’s website at www.HillelHigh.com.
