Smith Jewish Academy -

Our head of school, Dr. Dan, played his bass for first grade! He told the students all about his instrument, and each kid had the opportunity to pluck strings and make some music. In addition to his Doctor of Education in Leadership, Policy, and Administration, Dr. Dan has a bachelor's and master's degree in music and has previously served as a music teacher.

Shabbat shalom! Wishing everyone a RESTFUL Shabbos filled with good FRIENDS and FAMILY. 🧡 Heilicher

🦁🏀 The Heilicher 5-6 basketball teams were a blur on the court! Both teams won their first games of the season yesterday! 🏀🦁 #hmjdslions

Heilicher's School's Out Ozrim are putting together a donation drive this Sunday, December 8! Our donations will go to STEP: St. Louis Park Emergency Program. Drop off items to the Heilicher dining room between 9 a.m. and noon on Sunday. If you can't make it, please bring your donations to the HaBonim room ahead of the event. Please donate: • nonperishable food • hygiene products • warm winter clothing • new undergarments and socks • home cleaning supplies • bedding • shoes

The Heilicher 2024-2025 basketball teams are getting ready for their first games this week! 🏀 Let's go, Lions! 🦁

As we close out National Native American Heritage Month, kindergarten learned about Native legends and crafts and made their own dreamcatchers out of paper plates, yarn, and beads. They wrote on them, using symbols from Native American early language.

Math class is getting us hungry for some pumpkin pie leftovers! What's your favorite Thanksgiving food? ➕➖✖️➗ The fourth graders weighed and measured pumpkins to make estimates and solve math problems using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. After the students counted the pumpkin seeds, Chef Liz roasted the seeds for them to enjoy!

What a joy to have former faculty members return to visit with both past colleagues and new staff last week. They reminisced, got to join us for t'filah and see our school today, and offered valuable insights. 🧡💙🧡💙

Heilicher's "Broadway Sings!" elective took a field trip to the Orpheum Theatre to see Les Misérables. 🎭 Did you know composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyricist Herbert Kretzer are Jewish?

This National Native American Heritage Month, our fifth grade had the opportunity to visit the Bell Museum for a special experience called Kapémni: From Earth to Sky, a Dakhóta Perspective. The students saw a planetarium show, went on a guided tour of the museum's galleries, and participated in a hands-on activity. Thank you to the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community for helping to make this experience possible.

Heilicher has a loving intergenerational community 💗 Today students welcomed some of the people who make their lives — and the Heilicher community — special for Yom Dor l'Dor (Generations Day), or Special Persons Day! Here are just a few of the special guests we got to share Shabbat with. Shabbat shalom!

If you missed the Heilicher Annual Benefit, it’s not too late to give! Please consider being a part of Heilicher’s impact in your Give to the Max Day giving. The Heilicher Minneapolis Jewish Day School is a community school that provides academic excellence elevated by a deep commitment to Jewish core values. We nurture students to become lifelong learners, leaders, critical thinkers, and mensches (good people). Our graduates enter the world with the curiosity, critical and ethical decision-making skills, and global competency to succeed in their future endeavors. Donate through Heilicher’s secure donation portal: hmjds.org/donate Thank you for your generosity and support!

The a-MAZE-ing first-grade students followed a path of Hebrew letters and words, reading in pairs to get to the end of the maze. Kol hakavod, first graders! Good job!

$85,000! We raised $85,000 in the room on Sunday evening for our fund-a-need, dedicated to professional development for Israel education and Hebrew language instruction. A special thank you to Russ Hilk for leading the fund-a-need program, to the generous Heilicher grandparents who matched $10,000, and to all who gave. #hmjdslions

Thank you to all who celebrated with us at the Heilicher 2024 Annual Benefit and helped us raise $380,000 with your sponsorships and attendance! Your support will help Heilicher continue the legacy of academic excellence imparted by Audrey Goldfarb and all the incredible leaders of Heilicher in its first 40 years. On we grow!

Throwback to last year's Annual Benefit! We can't wait to see everyone this Sunday to honor Audrey Goldfarb and celebrate Heilicher's 40 years 🎉 #hmjdslions

Mazal tov to our November b'nai mitzvah students! This week's bat mitzvah, Miri O., read Torah, and last week's bat mitzvah, Leila K., had the aliyah. Our last November bar mitzvah, Noah H., carried the Torah, and the next upcoming b'not mitzvah, Dalia D. and Hannah G., had roles dressing and holding the Torah. What an honor! Kol hakavod!

🗞 Heilicher's Intro to Journalism class wrote about Election Day at Heilicher. Grades 5-8 voted in the Students Voting mock election, and the entire student body voted on a school referendum. Read all about it on the Heilicher blog! 📰 hmjds.org/news-events/heilicher-blog #hmjdslions

Need a hand? Our first-grade engineers designed and built back scratchers in the Makerspace! 🤚 #hmjdslions

We're so grateful for the Heilicher community! At our fall information day, alumni students and parents sat on a panel and answered questions, and middle school students and parents led tours. The middle school students also helped the kiddos with activities, and administrators and teachers were there to talk and answer further questions. Thank you for helping us introduce new families to Heilicher.