Melissa Michaelson, Author at The Lookstein Center

Shabbat Mishpacha: Bringing the Shabbat Table to the Classroom

Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit is a community Jewish day school committed to preserving Jewish peoplehood through a rich and meaningful Jewish education. In 2019, Hillel launched Shabbat Mishpacha as an experiential Shabbat program in which students from all grade levels are grouped together in small mishpachot. Each mishpacha contains two to three students per grade level and General and Judaic Studies teachers representing a range of grade levels, generating a diverse cross-section of the entire student body and teaching staff.

Space – Reflecting and Facilitating Core Values

Six years ago, when one entered Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit, it felt vastly different than our current space. The once traditional and siloed building transformed over the course of a three-year renovation into a welcoming, bright school with flexible and creative spaces. Steve Freedman (former Head of School) and I, along with the Leadership Team, the architects (Fielding Nair International), and our generous donors, envisioned a school where space positively influenced student success, strengthened community,