February 28, 2019 | 23 Adar I 5779
DVAR TORAH
I n Parhsat Veyakhel we read about Moshe’s instructions to Bnei Yisroel regarding the construction of the Mishkan and its various furnishings. The verse tells us that  Moshe instructs, “All the wise-hearted among you shall come and make all that the Lord commanded – the Mishkan, its tent and its cover” (35:10). In this verse Moshe tasks the construction of the mishkan to all the talented artisans among Bnei Yisroel, but later in (35:30-34) Moshe specifically tasks Betzalel and Aholiav as the chief artisans responsible for its construction. While initially it seems that all capable bodies were obligated to aid in the building of the Mishkan, eventually that task fell solely in the hands of Betzalel and Aholiav.

 Rav Moshe Feinstein notes that this underscores the nature of leadership in Judaism. Moshe made clear that this project was the collective responsibility of all Bnei Yisrael. Betzalel acted on their behalf, but fundamentally, this job was everybody’s joint responsibility. If Betzalel would refuse to accept the task, or if something happened that prevented him from completing the project, the nation would have to find a capable substitute. 

In any community we all have different responsibilities that ensure our institutions run in an efficient and effective manner. Moshe’s commands regarding the Mishkan reminds us that even if each individual is assigned only a small task, they are still in many ways responsible for the overall operation. If one system fails for some reason, we must rise to the occasion, even if that means completing someone else’s task.   We cannot excuse ourselves with the comforting claim of “this is my not responsibility”; we all bear collective responsibility for the success of Am Yisrael and must always be united in pursuing those goals.

Rabbi Sam Weinberg,  Principal

NEWS & VIEWS
These Second Graders work hard in their Ivrit class and know that wisdom comes from Hashem! 
The High School Girls are drawing animal portraits using the grid method.
You know how people use the phrase “break a leg!” to wish them good luck? The High School boys on the basketball team would like fewer actual broken legs, and more actual luck! Go Heat! (Not pictured: the Marcus brothers.)
How do you make English grammar lessons fun? Turn it into a game! Here, Second Graders learn about contractions.
The Tiny Tots enjoy a puppet show by Morah Tonja! 
Bonnie Morris reads to the one year-olds. 
The Fifth Grade boys decorate clowns for Purim! 
Kindergarten and First Grade students are making linocut relief pictures in their after school art club.
Second – Fourth Grade students in the STEAM art club have been making DNA sculptures to learn about the structure of DNA, using letters and beads to represent themselves and their individuality.
[Ezra will be the Black Panther!
Sandy will be a princess in a castle with a drawbridge!
Hillel will be a king!
Do not be alarmed: there has NOT been a measles outbreak in PREK-B! They’re just dressing up as Queen Vashti! (I’d say they got it spot-on!)
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

JASON ROTH
Math

Hello Mr. Roth — can you please tell us what you teach?

I teach Middle and High School Math, specifically Math 7, Integrated Math 1 (8th grade), Geometry, Business Math, and AP Calculus.

Why did you decide to become a math teacher?

I was undecided when I first went to college, but I tutored friends of mine in math which lead me in that direction. I always enjoyed math and found it easy and logical. I like helping people, so it was a perfect fit — plus, in my senior year of high school, I saw what my calculus teacher did and thought “I can do his job.”

What is the most challenging thing about your job?

The challenges can change from one day to another, but I would say the greatest challenge is keeping up with the paperwork. I understand the need for it, but since I have five different classes, I have to prepare five different lessons each day.

What is the best part about being a math teacher?

I get to share my love of math with my students. I love solving problems, so I like to challenge others to foster that same love. Plus, if I make a grammatical error I can just say I’m a math teacher, not an English teacher.

What advice would you give for anyone experiencing difficulty in math class?

Always remember that math was invented to make difficult things simple, not simple things difficult. (I know it may not seem like it sometimes.) It is a series of rules which must always be followed. Then it is just applying those rules to different circumstances and with different conditions.

Where did you go to school?

I went to Shaler Area which is a little north of the city.

What college did you go for your teaching degree?

I went to Duquesne University for my undergrad work where I got a Bachelors in Mathematics and a Bachelors in Secondary Education, and Point Park University for my Master’s in Teaching and Leadership program.

I know that you are interested in photography — can you tell us a little about that?

I do what’s called tiled photography. Essentially, you take a bunch of zoomed-in pictures of the same place, and then put the pictures together to form the bigger picture. You can see the individual pictures but also the larger picture at the same time. This is one I took from the North Shore.

I always see that you wear a different tie every day. How many ties do you have?

I haven’t counted but I would guess it is about 130 :)

Where’s the most interesting place you’ve been?

I used to live on the eastern shore of Virginia, specifically on Chincoteague Island. Living there was so different from living here. There was no rush hour, no public transportation, fog delays all the time, and a couple times we had to dismiss early because the tide was getting too high. I got to see a real rocket launch at Wallops Island Naval Base. I saw the water covered with smudges, which was baby jellyfish. I saw the sky blacked out with birds overhead, which was so loud that a tractor trailer truck drove by me and I couldn’t hear it. And lastly, it was a place where some people hitch-hiked to work every day. 

Interview by Isaac Brown


GUESS WHO!

Who are these Hillel Academy faculty and/or staff? 
Answers in next week’s issue!

(Faculty — please submit photos to mmyers@hillelpgh.org .)
PLAY SPOT THE BALL!

A popular game in England involves a photograph of a sporting event in which the ball has been edited out. Readers are challenged to see if they can correctly guess where the ball was. Draw an X where you think the center of the basketball is in this picture from an impromptu game the High School Boys, Rabbi Twersky and Rabbi Admon played this week! 

(Answer in next week’s issue!)
Purim cards are now available in the office
$4 each with proceeds supporting Tomchei Shabbos. 
ANNOUNCEMENTS

Can anyone taking out new books from the green cart in the back of the library please sign them out on the book log clipboard on the cart!

— Thank you, Bonnie Morris
Are you ready for The Lion King? It’s going to be purrrrrfect!
Purim is around the corner. Please fill out the Happy Purim form you received or contact the office to participate in the annual Purim Basket Fundraiser. 

The deadline for orders is March 13th.
We are excited to open registration for Hillel Academy Summer Camps. This is our fourth year of offering summer camp, and every year is more fun and exciting than the last. This year we have four separate divisions ranging from ages three years old through Eighth Grade. Our most significant improvement will be the addition of Ms. Rebecca Huff to our team. As you know, Ms. Huff is the STEAM coordinator at Hillel and we will be incorporating various week long explorations into Robotics, Coding, Ecology, Fine Art, for out campers. 

Please contact Ms. Rebecca Huff ( RHuff@hillelpgh.org ) or Morah Tova Admon ( tadmon@hillelpgh.org ) with questions regarding Machaneh Hillel or Mini-Machaneh (Grades N-3).

Please contact Rabbi Akiva Sutofsky ( asutofsky@hillelpgh.org ) or Ms. Faigy Nadoff ( fnadoff@hillelpgh.org ) with questions regarding the Teen Torah and Travel Camp (Grades 4- 8).


SAVE THE DATES!

Performances of The LION KING will be on Monday March 11 and Tuesday March 12 at the
JCC Katz Theater.
The Hillel Happenings is published on Thursdays. Please submit stories, photos and ads by Wednesday afternoon to:

Thank you!
Once again this year, Hillel Academy will be participating in the Box Tops for Education Program.  My name is Barbara Uebing and I’m thrilled to be the Box Tops Coordinator. Clipping Box Tops is an easy way for you to help our school buy what it needs. Box Tops are each worth 10 cents and they quickly add up to real cash for our school. This school year, our school’s earnings goal is $2000.00.

To help our school, just look for pink Box Tops on products, clip them, and send them to school.  Pre-K — Fourth Grade will be having a friendly collection contest to help motivate school supporters to clip Box Tops. When sending in Box Tops, please be sure to write your child’s name and grade on the outside of the envelope or baggie. For more information on the Box Tops for Education program, including a list of participating products and school’s progress, visit www.BTFE.com .  Be sure to become a member to receive exclusive coupons and recipes and learn about extra ways for our school to earn. 

I hope you’re excited for everything we can do this year with Box Tops! If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at  buebing@hillelpgh.org . I’m here to make our school’s Box Tops for Education program a huge success this year.
EARN MONEY
FOR HILLEL ACADEMY
SIMPLY BY USING YOUR 
GIANT EAGLE
ADVANTAGE CARD

From now until March 16, you can earn funds for Hillel Academy by using your Giant Eagle Advantage Card every time you shop or fill up at Get Go Gas stations through their Apples for the Students program. Register your card today to help us raise much-needed funds. It’s easy: just go to www.GiantEagle.com/AFTS to link your card to Hillel Academy’s account using the School ID number 0454. 
Interested volunteers please contact  Dan Kraut
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

MISSION STATEMENT
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.

Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh | 412 521-8131 | hillelhappennings@hillelpgh.org | www.hillelpgh.org