OUR COMMUNITY

E

ven though she feels confi-
dent in Hillel Day School’s 
security protocols and staff 
and is grateful her 5-year-old 
daughter and 4-year-old son are 
at school with supportive peers 
and professionals, school drop-off 
hasn’t been easy this week, says 
Danielle Gordon of Farmington 
Hills. Like so many other parents 
whose children attend Jewish day 
schools around Metro Detroit, 
she’s had a hard time saying “see 
you later.” 

“This past week has been the 
hardest drop-offs I’ve ever done, 
way harder than the first day of 
school, but knowing where they 
are provides me relief and allows 
me to focus elsewhere during the 
day,” she says. 
From Facebook groups to text 
threads, parents have been deep in 
conversation about recent events 
in Israel and how their Jewish day 

schools have been responding and 
communicating, both in terms of 
safety and support. Among those 
communications have been mes-
sages on physical safety, emotional 
support, restricting social media 
use and unity.
Gordon, herself a Hillel grad, 
says she has been able to lean on 
the kids’ teachers — specifically 
one who has her son now and 
had her daughter last year — as 
she looks to find out what they’re 
being told at school and navigates 
what to share with them at home. 
“I trust her [teacher] a lot and 
really value that partnership we 
have with her — I said ‘I need help’ 
and I felt comfortable crying with 
her, and she knew me and knew 
my family and she knew exactly 
what I needed.”
As someone who works in EMS 
services and co-minors in Jewish 
Studies at Wayne State University, 

Metro Detroit parents are 
grateful for Jewish day 
schools’ support. 

A Different 
Day at Day 
School

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

42 | OCTOBER 19 • 2023 J
N

TOP: Hillel ECC students 
proudly display shirts 
made by a parent.

