History

Founded in 1958 by Rabbi Jacob Segal z"l and other leaders in the Detroit Jewish community, Hillel Day School began with a handful of students and their parents who were pioneers in the Conservative day school movement. The group worked tirelessly to turn their dream of a Jewish day school into a reality, and a wonderful legacy began. Today, Hillel is a thriving educational institution located in Farmington Hills, Michigan with 585 students from pre-school through eighth grade and more than 1,700 alumni. The school welcomes Jewish children from all Jewish affiliations.

In 2006, the school completed a $4.5 million expansion with the construction of a regulation-size gym, theater, dressing room, lobby, and accounting and Advancement offices. This construction project directly addressed our continued commitment to educating the whole child, as well as our commitment to the future. In 2012, through a generous grant, Hillel fully integrated technology into its educational program, including 1:1 technology for fifth through eighth-graders.

In the Fall of 2008, reflecting the changing nature of North American Jewry, the Board of Trustees voted to transition Hillel from a Conservative movement affiliated school to a community Jewish day school. Following that vote, the Board approved a revised mission statement and reaffirmed Hillel Day School’s core Jewish values. Hillel has grown and thrived as a community Jewish day school, one of the few in the nation equally committed to preserving Jewish peoplehood through a rich and meaningful Jewish education while embracing an authentic and vigorous general education for the modern age. We create a sense of community in our school that extends to the home, synagogue, and the world around us.

In response to the changing demographic needs of our community, the Board of Trustees approved expanding the scope of Hillel’s educational program to include an early childhood center. In the fall of 2010, Hillel’s state-of-the-art early childhood center opened and enrollment continued to grow. After experiencing a waitlist for four years, Hillel added a $2.5 million, 6,000 square foot expansion and renovated its existing facility in 2019 to increase capacity.  Today, 188 children enjoy the bright, flexible spaces that excite curiosity, foster collaboration, and invite students to learn from the world around them. 

Hillel’s faculty includes approximately 100 full-time and part-time employees, some of whom have been teaching at the school for over 25 years. While the school is clearly an educational institution, the interdependency between staff and parents creates a warm, friendly community for everyone.

Two major gifts in 2015 facilitated the completion of Hillel's top-to-bottom renovation. All educational learning communities now reflect the school's mission to deliver an inspiring, modern curriculum to students in an environment where they can master skills in creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking, relevant skills that will help them succeed in the world they are inheriting. The first phase of Hillel's renovation included an Innovation Hub, greenhouse, new art, science, and music rooms, as well as the new miznon (cafe) and mercaz, or heart of the school. The renovation of the upstairs 7-8 wing followed. It now integrates disciplines and responds to middle-grade students' desire for self-directed study, creativity, and flexibility. Subsequent gifts resulted in the creation of our new kindergarten, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 learning communities, designed with the understanding that one's environment has a direct impact on motivation and achievement. We have just completed our 63rd year, and are excited about the next 63!

Hillel is accredited by ISACS (Independent School Association of Central States) and is a member of the community day school organization, Prizmah, ISM (Independent School Management), and EdLeader21, a national network of school and district leaders focused on integrating the 4Cs (Critical thinking, Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity) into education. Hillel Day School does not discriminate, as provided by law.