

Culture of Chesed and Responsive Classroom
Hillel Academy students explicitly and implicitly learn and experience a Culture of Chesed (Kindness) through the role modeling and teaching of a variety of midot (values). These values include and are not limited to:
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Kavod (respect/honor)
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Chesed (kindness)
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Emet (truth)
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Tikun Olam (repair the world / making the world a better place)
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Tzedaka (charity/support for those with less or in need of support)
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Ahava (love)
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Limud (study & learning)
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Shalom (peace)
Partnering with our Culture of Chesed is the adoption of the school-wide culture program called Responsive Classroom. The Responsive Classroom approach is a way of teaching that emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth in a strong, positive, and safe school community. Developed by classroom teachers, the approach consists of practical strategies for helping students build academic and social-emotional competencies day in and day out.


Social Action (Tikun Olam)
Our students serve the community and become better future stewards of our society. Students leave their mark on our community by participating in a variety of social action activities either to complete hours needed by our own National Junior Honor Society chapter or as a commitment to our community. Among the many organizations we volunteer with are:
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Emmi Grace’s Angels
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The Joshua House
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Feeding Tampa Bay
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Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful
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Weinberg Village
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Metropolitan Ministries
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The Spring of Tampa Bay
Social Action activities provided to students at school include and not limited to:
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Tu B'Shvat Day of Service: A day dedicated to appreciating and learning about nature, while also giving back to our world through hands-on environmental and community-focused activities.
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Jeans Day: On Tuesdays, students who donate non-perishable items to the Jewish Family Services (JFS) Food Pantry may wear jeans instead of uniform bottoms.
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TUB Farms Hydroponic Garden: In partnership with TUB Farms, students plant, harvest, and donate hundreds of pounds of produce to Holocaust survivors and food pantries.
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JFS Chanukkah Wish Lists: Hillel Academy families sponsor those in need during the holiday season.
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Reverse Tashlich: In partnership with Repair the Sea, Hillel Academy families participate in water clean-up projects throughout the area