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About Hillel Day School

At Hillel Day School, we inspire a passion for learning, self-responsibility, community and Jewish living in a warm, innovative and engaging environment.

Through a rigorous dual curriculum of General and Jewish studies, our students learn to think critically, work collaboratively, and embrace Jewish joy in their daily lives. 

Established 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 reality, and a wonderful legacy was born.

Today, Hillel is a thriving institution with nearly 650 students from preschool to eighth grade. We welcome children of all Jewish affiliations.

Three smiling girls stand on a green field with a scoreboard and trees in the background.

Hillel Through the Years

class in 1958

1958

Hillel Day School is founded with 29 students, three teachers and two classrooms in Detroit.

A group of ten formally dressed young people, five boys standing behind five girls seated in front, pose against a plain, dark background.

1967

Hillel graduates its first class: eleven 9th graders.

A modern, low-rise building with large windows and a flat roof is surrounded by trees and a vast, cloudy sky.

1970

Hillel settles into its present-day home in Farmington Hills.

endowment of davidson wing

1986

The first renovation of Hillel's campus is complete with the endowment of the Jean and Samuel Frankel wing and the William, Ethan and Marla Davidson wing.

groundbreaking 1995

1996

An $8 million expansion results in a new middle school wing.

A young boy in the foreground holds a purple ball, while other children play in the background of a gymnasium.

2006

The school completes a $4.5 million expansion, including a regulation-size gym, theater, dressing room, lobby, and administrative offices.

ECC students

2010

The Early Childhood Center opens with five classrooms and 50 students.

greenhouse

2015


Hillel undergoes major renovations to create an Innovation Hub, greenhouse, new art, science and music rooms, plus a new Miznon (cafeteria) and Mercaz, the heart of our school. Renovations of the upstairs 7-8 wing follow, as well as the creation of our Kindergarten, 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 learning communities.

Children play on a wooden jungle gym in a brightly lit room with blue patterned rugs on the floor.

2019

The Early Childhood Center expands by 6,000 square feet to accommodate increased enrollment.

A vibrant sports complex with basketball and pickleball courts in the foreground is set against a backdrop of a lush green soccer field and residential homes.

2023

Hillel’s $3 million athletic complex debuts with the Sue and Alan J. Kaufman Family field, Pogoda Family sports courts, William Davidson track, Steven R. Weisman courtyard and a new scoreboard.

You can see more photos from Hillel's history here.