Welcome to the Hillel Happenings!

December 14, 2017 - 26 Kislev, 5778
Parshat Miketz
Shabbat Mevarchim
Candle Lighting by 4:36 pm
Shabbat Ends - 5:44 pm

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DVAR TORAH

The essence of Chanukah commemorates two distinct miracles: the Chashmonaim's unexpected victory over the Assyrian Greeks, and of course the miracle of pure olive oil that sustained the Menorah of the Beit HaMikdash for eight days. What is interesting about these two components of the holiday is that throughout our sources only one of these events is mentioned and not both. The text of Al-HaNisim contains the story of the Chashmonaim's victory, but makes no mention of the oil, and the Talmud which discusses Chanukah, focusses on the miracle of the oil.
 
Rav Aaron Lichtenstien zt"l points out (http://www.vbm-torah.org/chanuka/chan64-ral.htm) that these two miracles relate to vastly different contexts. The Maccabi victory took place on the battlefield, whereas the miracle of the oil took place in the holy and serene confines of the Beit HaMikdash. War is often a time rife with moral conflicts that can cause even the most ethical person to lose his dignity and ethical bearings. The Beit HaMikdash, in this sense, is the precise opposite of the battlefield, representing an idyllic and serene atmosphere of holiness and closeness with G-d. Warfare threatens the spirit, whereas the Temple uplifts it.
 
Significantly, the Chashmonaim insisted on establishing a single holiday to celebrate both events in both contexts. They perhaps sought to emphasize the fact that our success as a nation is measured by our achievements in the realm of the purity and serenity of the Mikdash, and by our success in the "trenches" in our unpleasant and unwanted, but vital, struggles with the unfortunate realities of the world. Just as the miracle of Chanukah "battlefield."
 
In the Jewish world it is becoming exceedingly difficult to be successful in both of these areas. Much of society eschews an idea of balance, and instead extremism is the new norm. It is important to realize that Judaism requires us to excel across the varied landscapes of our life.
 
Just as the Chashmonaim combined the victroy in battle with the miracle of the oil, so must we, as a nation, focus our attention both on the "Mikdash" and on the "battlefield," and strive for greatness and excellence both in the sacred realm of Torah and prayer, and in the more complex areas in which we engage for the benefit of ourselves and our nation. This is something we take very seriously at Hillel Academy as we continue to educate the future leaders of the Jewish people to be successful in all aspects of their lives.
 
Chanukah Sameach and Shabbat Shalom!

 
Rabbi Weinberg, Principal                                     
 

NEWS & VIEWS






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HALLS & WALLS




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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT


: What do you teach?

I currently teach pre-algebra, algebra 2, and AP statistics. I have also taught pre-calculus and geometry in the past at Hillel, as well as algebra 1, and college-level pre-calculus and business calculus at my previous teaching positions.
 
: What do your students call you?

Mrs. McDougall; I have one student who consistently accidentally calls me Mrs. Myers and I've occasionally been called Mom ;-)
 
: How long have you been teaching at Hillel Academy?

This is my third year teaching at Hillel. 
 
: What is the most rewarding thing about teaching your grade / subject?

The most rewarding thing about my subject is that it comes as a challenge for a lot of students and most of the time, I can get my students to better understand math concepts that they have found difficult in the past. Seeing a student succeed after struggling with a concept is very fulfilling as a teacher. Reteaching students topics that they should have learned in a previous course can be frustrating, but it is also extremely pleasing to be the one who helps them to understand it. 
 
: What gadget do you rely on most when teaching?

The Smart Board / white board. If the Smart Board isn't working right, I calibrate it or try to fix it and if all the dry erase markers are dried up, I bring my own as back up! I also talk with my hands an awful lot; I do a lot of pointing and large hand gestures.
 
: What phrase do you find yourself using the most during your day?

"What day is your homework due?" 
 
: What three words best describe your class?

Warm up packets. 
 
: I wish my classroom had...
A pencil sharpener, tissues, hand sanitizer, and my own classroom!
 
: The most important thing I teach my students is:

To ask questions. I'm able to read faces very well to determine if students are understanding / grasping the material, but sometimes, you just have to ask! 
 
: My students teach me ...

That I can learn something new every day. I think I learn something new about the Jewish religion at least once a week. 
 
: By the time they leave my class, my students know how to:

 Hopefully solve for 'x! '

  : My favorite rainy day activity is:

Watching Netflix: Friends, Grey's Anatomy, Parks 'n Rec, The Office <- I tend to watch these shows over & over again! 
 
: What were you like when you were your students' age?

I was very busy when I was in high school. I had a part-time job during 11th grade and 12th grade that I mostly worked on the weekends. I was also on the swim team for my school and was the team captain with my younger brother during my senior year. We had swim practice every day after school during the winter and had meets at least once a week in the evenings. Swimming was a lot of my life during high school! I attended an honors high school that gave a lot of homework, and I also put a lot of effort into my school work. I cared a lot about school and my grades. During the summers, I worked almost full time at Stanganelli's (an Italian food production company my neighbor owned where my brother and I worked), Tim Horton's, or The Erie Zoo (where I met my husband). I also played softball during the summer for a city league and manned second base or short stop. 
 
: What is your motto?

"It ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward," a quote from Rocky.
 
: The most useful lesson I ever learned is:

To never stop trying. It's when you stop trying that you actually fail. As long as you're trying, you are still succeeding a little at a time.
 
: The skill I would most like to have is:

Patience. I find myself without it often.  
 
: The most amazing / odd / inspiring place I have been is:

"The Rocky Steps" in Philadelphia. They are actually the steps leading up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, but I prefer to call them the Rocky Steps. I have always loved the Rocky movies since I was a little kid. I watched them with my Dad and my brothers. Rocky has inspired me to never give up. When I was in high school, my family went to visit my mom's uncle who lived outside of Philadelphia. It was my dream come true to run up those steps. My brother and I ran up the entire steps and sang the Rocky Theme Song ("Gonna Fly Now" by Bill Conti) the whole way up. I was unbelievably disappointed that it happened to be during the time that they had removed the Rocky statue from the bottom of the steps. The Art Museum soon agreed to replace the statue at the bottom of the steps due to people complaining. 
 
: Do you play an instrument? If so, what?

From 6th through 12th grade, I played the flute and was in the school's concert band. During middle and some of high school, my parents purchased a piano and my brother and I took lessons. I enjoyed both the flute and piano but play neither now.  
 
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

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Did you know the Bnot Sheirut have their own Facebook page? It's filled with lots of pictures and videos! Check it out at:  www.facebook.com/PittsburghBanot

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FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE SCHOOL YEAR 2018-2019

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh awards grants to students who reside in the Greater Pittsburgh area (Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Washington and Westmoreland Counties).

WHAT IS THE CENTRAL SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN REFERRAL SERVICE?

The Central Scholarship and Loan Referral Service (CSLRS) of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh coordinates the efforts of a group of organizations, agencies, and scholarship endowment funds which provide need-based scholarships to local undergraduate and graduate Jewish students.
CSLRS is a program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh and is administered by Jewish Family and Children's Service.

WHO QUALIFIES?

Any Jewish high school senior, college or graduate student with demonstrated financial need is eligible to apply. All applicants must be bona fide residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Washington, Butler or Westmoreland counties for at least two years. Individuals are known by number, not name, to ensure confidentiality.

When a student applies for aid, the CSLRS committee matches the student with the funding source or sources for which they qualify. Some funding sources require high academic achievement; all require students to demonstrate financial need.

HOW DO I APPLY?

For school year 2018-2019 Central Scholarship will again be using an on-line application process.
The on-line applications will be available in late November at http://www.centralscholarship.org . First-time applicants must be interviewed by CSLRS staff.

Application deadline is February 12, 2018. Regrettably, applications received after that date will not be considered.

For further information, contact Jewish Family & Children's Service, 
412-422-5627 or [email protected] . 


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When you  #StartWithaSmile , Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh. Bookmark the link and support us every time you shop.  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/25-1067130   



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At Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh, we educate young men and women with unlimited capacity who compete in a superior manner in all challenges undertaken. Our students are Torah observant models of exemplary character, who love G-d, the Jewish people, and the land of Israel. To say that our students possess a love of learning, confidence and the ability to think critically, merely highlights the value of a Hillel education. What we ultimately achieve each day, and have been achieving for 70 years, is the gift of instilling each student with the foundation for a life spent actively serving and leading the Jewish community and society.


Micki Myers, Editor | Hillel Happenings | 412 521-8131 | h[email protected] |www. hillelpgh.org