OUR COMMUNITY

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44 | OCTOBER 19 • 2023 J
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In terms of safety, there’s 
safety and perceived safety, he 
says, adding that the school is 
in constant contact with Jewish 
Community Security Inc., which 
is in constant contact with the 
FBI and police. The school has 
had security audits several times 
and is fairly secure, he says, add-
ing that it has also ramped up 
security some to address parent 
concerns. 
“We have added some addi-
tional security for the time being. 
Equally as important is the 
emotional security and safety of 
the kids,
” he says. “They are with 
people — social workers and 
teachers — who know them and 
are used to being with children. 
We have also tried to give the 
students a sense of normalcy 
as much as possible during this 
time. They are learning as they 
should be and playing as they 
should and doing it with other 
children. This is the place to do 
that.
”
A charity campaign for Israeli 
soldiers and Israeli families is 
underway, as is a letter-writing 
campaign to Israeli soldiers. The 
students are also connected with 
Israeli shlichim in their schools 
who are working on projects 
with students. 
“It’s obviously a very difficult 
time for our kids. It’s an unprece-
dented time with regard to Israel, 
but we’re also trying to project 
our pride in Israel,
” Dr. Levisohn 
said.

AGE-APPROPRIATE 
COMMUNICATION
Dr. Darin Katz, head of school 
for Hillel Day School, says 
the school’s safe, but that in 
these troubling times, they’ve 
increased the level of security 
to further reassure parents. 
They’ve got a Farmington Hills 
police unit at the entrance, and 
the director of security makes 
sure only authorized cars get 
onto campus, he says. They’re 

also addressing 
student, parent 
and staff’s emo-
tional safety and 
giving students 
appropriate infor-
mation. 
“In all of our 
conversations 
with students, we assure them 
that they are safe when they are 
at Hillel, and we are not shying 
away from talking about the 
war,” he says. For younger kids, 
they’re answering questions 
without providing inappro-
priate details. “But we feel it is 
our responsibility to educate 
students about the war in Israel 
and what they can do to be 
Zionists and support Israel,” he 
says. 
They had blue-and-white 
apparel day last Wednesday 
and are collecting tzedakah to 
contribute to Federation’s Israel 
emergency relief fund. 
“This is the moment for 
which Jewish Day Schools exist, 
so we can educate our children, 
we can be supportive for par-
ents, we wrap our arms around 
our staff and we make sure that 
our kids are safe.”

Lou Goldhaber, of Franklin, 
says he’s still more than com-
fortable sending his son, 10, 
and daughter, 6, to Hillel. “I 
think the benefits far outweigh 
any risks that even potentially 
could exist,” he says. “Even 
though I know Hillel is an 
incredibly secure place, I’m 
so happy my children are sur-
rounded by other people who 
are going through the exact 
same experience and that they 
have people that comfort them 
and they’re able to comfort 
their friends.” 
Being there for the collective 
Jewish community is some-
thing instilled in them from an 
early age, he says. 
“They’re growing up faster 
than they should, but they’re 
getting to experience life’s 
goods and bads, and that’s all 
about becoming a full human, 
the whole range of human 
emotions,” he says. “I’ve never 
been a fan of fully shielding my 
kids from things that are chal-
lenging, because that’s real life, 
and they’re experiencing that 
first-hand right now.”
He and his wife, Amye, have 
one of the shinshinim living 

with them, so they’re family 
here for an 18-year-old Israeli 
whose family is in Israel. 
“She’s going through a very 
raw emotional experience, 
and we’re not trying to filter 
for our children,” he says. 
“She’s like an older sibling to 
them now, so it’s not like we 
can turn it off. They feel really 
close to it because they’re 
watching someone they care 
about go through it first-
hand.” 
Meanwhile, Aliza Plotkin, 
senior director of community 
partnerships at The J, says 
there’s guidance out for even 
the youngest children. She sent 
an email out to the directors 
and assistant directors of 12 
Jewish community 
preschools last 
Sunday night with 
how to support 
parents. She 
directed them 
to Federation’s 
resources that 
reassured, at that 
time, there were no known 
credible threats to the places 
their children go to learn and 
play. 
“Remaining united is really 
important right now,” she says. 
“We’re letting people know 
it’s OK to have feelings and 
emotions, it’s OK to not always 
have answers, but that being 
honest with children — age-
appropriate honesty — is the 
most valuable thing we can do 
at this time.” 
On a personal level, as the 
parent of an 8-year-old, she 
says she’s spoken with her son 
about recent events to let him 
know there’s a war, that they’re 
sad and scared, but also that 
they’re not in danger. “We told 
him, ‘We wanted you to know 
about this because you might 
hear about it, and if you have 
any questions, we’re here for 
you.’” 

Aliza 
Plotkin
Dr. Darin 
Katz

TOP: Hillel students and staff signed a “We Stand with Israel” banner 
that will be displayed inside the school.

