“A FAMILY TRADITION”

JOHN HARDWICK

Franklin Cider Mill

jews in the d

Freedman
Leaving

248-626-8261

14 Mile Rd.
and Franklin Rd.
HOURS:
Open Daily
7am-6:30pm
Weekends
8am-6:30pm
Thanksgiving Day
8am-4pm
Last Day of Season,
Sunday,
November 25th

Please stop in for a
full assortment of
Dakota Breads and our
Franklin Homemade
Apple Pies.

Hillel’s head of school plans to return to East Coast.

KERI GUTEN COHEN STORY DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

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how to make a meaningful, lasting difference. Then, as you go
forward into the world, you’re ready to tackle challenges and
make meaningful contributions. Like Michigan itself, your positive
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fter 16 years as head of
school at Hillel Day School
in Farmington Hills, Steve
Freedman will be leaving at the end of
the academic school year. The school
will also lose Joan Freedman, Hillel’s
director of curriculum.
The Freedmans,
partners in education
throughout their mar-
riage, are moving back
to the East Coast to be
near to several of their
Joan Freedman
four children.
“We were not looking to leave Hillel,
but the experience of planning our
son’s wedding — and then I turned 60
over the summer — got us thinking
we have to go back to be closer to our
children; they were calling us home,”
Steve Freedman said. “Then I got a call
about the head of school position at
the Solomon Schechter Day School of
Bergen County. It was almost beshert.”
Freedman said the school in
Teaneck, N.J., is similar to Hillel. “It’s a
wonderful community with wonderful
teachers. If I can help them along their
journey … it just felt like the time is
right.”
Freedman’s tenure at Hillel has been
marked by significant milestones, many
accomplished through transformative
donor gifts.
An initial William Davidson
Foundation grant helped move Hillel
into the 21st-century by kick-starting
one-to-one technology for every stu-
dent in grades 5-8. A game-changing
$15 million from the foundation creat-
ed a tuition grant that allows students

to attend Hillel regardless of financial
need and provided tuition relief for
full-pay families.
The Davidson grant was “an invest-
ment in years of sustaining the school
and continuing this journey without
concern of finances,” Freedman said.
The Foundation has also supported
Hillel’s vision of using space as an edu-
cational tool with the renovation of the
Davidson wing to align with the ren-
ovations of the rest of the campus and
is now partnering to expand the Early
Childhood Center this winter.
“I’ve thought for some time now that
Steve Freedman’s ‘head of school’ title
is insufficient,” said Darin McKeever,
president/CEO of the William
Davidson Foundation. “Steve is a build-
er of community. When times required
a reimagined school facility and curric-
ular program, Steve laid out a transfor-
mative vision. When tragedy has fallen
on this region, Steve has found the
words to console and inspire.
“Every visitor to Hillel Day School
comments on the joy and content-
ment in the children’s voices. This
spirit is a direct reflection of Steve’s
leadership. On behalf of all of us at the
William Davidson Foundation, I thank
him and wish him and Joan well.”
Freedman said, “Hillel was also
blessed with a $9 million gift from
the local Farber Family Foundation.
This gift allowed the school to turn
its dreams into reality by renovating
the school into a modern learning
center.” The facility, which includes
a makerspace, greenhouse, learning
communities, 3D printers and more, is

continued on page 22

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November 22 • 2018

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