Smith Jewish Academy -

Thank you to all who joined us for a lovely Shabbat in the Park!

Our favorite part of summer is visiting our students and alumni at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and Herzl Camp!
Smith admin brought them some cool swag giving them a sneak peek at our new Smith Jewish Academy logos and colors ... We're excited to share them with you soon!

Happy Parent Appreciation Day!
We are grateful to have an involved and supportive parent community here at Smith Jewish Academy.

At Smith Jewish Academy, we have a strong literacy curriculum, but more than that, we build community through reading — across grade levels and across our campus. Eighth graders read to their kindergarten buddies, and here are sixth graders reading to HaLev Early Childhood at the J children in the Smith library.

Are you enjoying the ponds and lakes this summer? 🔎 In May, our kindergartners, first graders, and second graders went to the Westwood Hills Nature Center for a pond study! They collected invertebrates from the pond and looked at them under a magnifier to learn all about them. 🔬🪱 On and off campus, we create engaging hands-on learning opportunities.

The bright summer sun reminds us of the fun of Girls on the Run! ☀️🏃‍♀️

Heilicher shares Girls on the Run’s mission of inspiring self-confidence and fostering life skills that support both physical and emotional health. Shout out to our spring 2025 runners and coaches!

Heilicher nurtures identity and belonging in the safety of Jewish community, and we start early! Our incoming kindergarten class is already on its way to becoming a mishpachah (family) — they just had their first summer playdate ahead of the school year, a fun way for our youngest students to get to know one another and feel ready for the first day of kindergarten at Heilicher.

🇺🇸 Happy Independence Day! 🇺🇸
We practice both the values of Judaism and American democratic principles every day at Heilicher, such as valuing and respecting every individual.

Let’s show our appreciation and love as we say l’hitraot to a few members of our faculty:

✡️ Mazal tov to Dr. David Ackerman on his retirement — he served Heilicher for four years as our director of Jewish living and learning. He established our current Israel curriculum, brought b’not sherut to Heilicher, developed the middle school musar program, and provided support for our Heilicher faculty.

🪄Ali Berdass is a proud Heilicher alum and Heilicher parent, and she dedicated the last seven years to planning incredible benefits to raise money for our school as well as many other events. She supported the PTO, admissions, and many other aspects of Heilicher behind the scenes. We will miss her at all-school lunch!

📚 Dana Provus has helped students improve in literacy, math, and more as a fifth-grade teacher, upper school learning specialist, and, most recently, teaching and learning specialist for all grades. Over her nine years with Heilicher, Dana has helped countless students succeed.

As do all Heilicher faculty members, these three perfectly embody the Heilicher core values of Be a Mensch, Aspire to Excellence, Embrace Jewish Wisdom, and Create Community. Thank you, l'hitraot, and we wish you well in your next chapters.

🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride! 🏳️‍⚧️ At Heilicher, we recognize as one of our core values that “intellectual curiosity and respect for diverse thoughts and experiences build strong relationships and a sense of interconnectedness beyond our school.” We are proud to support our LGBTQ+ communities this Pride month and every day.

🌧🌧🌧 All this rain today reminds us of third grade's water cycle investigation back in the fall!

The weather unit is just one way our curriculum brings science to life through creativity and curiosity. 🌧🌧🌧

Happy Juneteenth!

Looking for a Jewish way to honor the holiday? Check out this Juneteenth hagaddah from United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism.

Heilicher is a vibrant community where intellectual curiosity and respect for diverse thoughts and experiences build strong relationships and a sense of interconnectedness in and beyond our school.

📘: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ffb24556296c62df877ad0f/t/62ae845768a5ac0fb97dca4c/1655604312739/USCJ+Juneteenth+Haggadah+2022+Revised.pdf

Please join us in giving a big mazal tov to our faculty and staff celebrating milestone anniversaries at Heilicher 🎉 Here at Heilicher we’re blessed with experienced and passionate educators and leaders dedicated to creating the best education, community, and experience for Heilicher families. This year we’re celebrating 11 people as they celebrate 5, 10, 25, and even 30 years with us! 🎨 A special acknowledgment to our incredible art department: Aimee Orkin, 30 years, and Victoria Thor, 25 years!

From building literacy skills to building community and from celebrating STEM wins to celebrating holidays, these yearbooks remind us of all the learning and fun we’ve had this year. We look forward to looking back in these books for the amazing memories and loving notes. HAGS! 🧡 📢 Shout out to eighth grader Sylvia G. for designing the yearbook cover in Ms. Thor’s graphic design class!

Heilicher graduation holds some of our greatest traditions — every graduate speaks from the heart, and every graduate hears from a special teacher. There's singing, tears, and laughter! 🎓 Mazal tov to the Heilicher eighth-grade class of 2025! May they be blessed as they go on their way to becoming Jewish leaders and lifelong learners. 🎓

Our classes are wrapping up for the year, and Ms. Schear's class celebrated the siyum (completion) of first grade! Students shared their work with their parents, incorporated Hebrew, and watched a slideshow of highlights from the year. Mazal tov to our rising second graders!

ICYMI 👀 Read TC Jewfolk's article, “HMJDS To Be Renamed As Part Of $40 Million Campaign.”

It was a joy to meet our 2025-2026 new families for Shabbat dinner last week. We paired incoming families with current families so our new Heilicher community members can get to know one another, learn from current families, and feel right at home. Welcome to the community!