We could not be happier at Hillel. If you're looking for a school that understands 21st-century education, cares deeply for each and every student, hires outstanding teachers, and offers a high-quality dual curriculum, Hillel is for you. We've been parents at Hillel for over 13 years and have been so impressed with their positive approach of intrinsic Judaism. Rabbi Sufrin, the administration, and teachers are very well qualified and enthusiastic about their role in our children's lives and you won't find a more well-rounded education that looks at the "whole child". We could not be happier and recommend Hillel more!! read more

I attended Hillel Hebrew Academy from nursery school through eighth grade, and my experience was deeply traumatizing. The mistreatment I endured was so extensive that it's difficult to summarize, but I believe prospective parents deserve to know what I experienced. At a time when Jewish communities face very real threats of antisemitism and terrorism, we rarely discuss the harm that can occur within our own institutions. During my years at Hillel, I was subjected to relentless bullying, harassment, humiliation, and physical violence because of my weight, sexual orientation, and perceived lack of religious observance. This treatment came not only from fellow students but also from teachers and coaches, while the administration failed to protect me or hold those responsible accountable. Teachers called me degrading names, including "fat pig" and homophobic slurs, without facing any apparent consequences. Individuality and diversity--whether in appearance, behavior, or identity--were neither encouraged nor respected. Instead, anyone who didn't conform risked becoming a target. The consequences were devastating. I left Hillel with lasting emotional scars as well as physical injuries, including two fingers that were slammed in a door by bullies. What should have been a safe, nurturing environment for a child instead became a place of fear, humiliation, and cruelty. A school entrusted with educating children has a fundamental responsibility to protect their dignity, safety, and well-being. In my experience, Hillel Hebrew Academy failed profoundly in that responsibility. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend this school to any parent without evidence of substantial changes in its leadership, accountability, and commitment to treating every child with compassion and respect. No child should have to endure what I experienced. read more

I rated this school at five stars since from the first time we met the amazing staff and faculty of Hillel, we felt welcome, and it was as if we had always been part of the Hillel Family. The teachers at Hillel put their heart and soul into their job and genuinely care about the students. The Rabbis often invite their students into their homes for the holidays and Shabbat to spend time with them and learn in a different type of environment. The school is run by a team of committed and hardworking administrators, who make time for students even though with their hectic and tight schedule. read more

I was a student at Hillel 10 years ago. I was fortunate enough to see the transition of administration, so I can still give you an accurate picture of what Hillel is. Here are my grievances with the school: 1) Back when Rabbi Shinerman was one of the administrators of the school, he would call home telling my parents to put me on dangerous stimulant drugs not far from the molecule of methamphetamine. I understand this was a fad of the late 90s, but he was not an MD. Who was he to diagnose a child with ADHD, and wouldn't a professionally trained educator recognize gender based differences in behavior? He would also send people to a personal friend of his who was a psychiatrist. Countless numbers of parents complied and many kids are permanently damaged as a result of him pushing Adderall or Ritalin. 2) There was and (according to sources of mine) STILL IS a huge bully problem at Hillel. A bully problem that had me hospitalized for a severe concussion, and left me with years of migraines and seizures. I was kind enough to not file suit at age 18 because prominent members of the Jewish community in LA told me what a horrible thing I was about to attempt (to which I still regret today!). To make a very long story short, I can prove my claims with labeling theory. Teachers will pick their favorites, and some will not have their own favorites. Labeling theory suggests that the teachers cause primary deviance calling a student out for being slow, incapable, or dumb (yes I was called dumb here). Secondary deviance takes place when peers internalize labels created by teachers and the student also internalizes them as well. This environment created by the staff feeds a vicious bully cycle. 3) It was all about the money... If you could cut a check large enough, your child would get away with any kind of shit they wanted to pull. Think about it... Look at some of the plaques on the wall downstairs as you exit from the parking lot. Think about why they are on the wall? 4) I would venture to say that a significant amount of the staff is not trained professionally as an educator, and landed a job at Hillel after undergrad. If they are trained, I find it hard to believe that they are utilizing their teacher credential training to its fullest. There were anomalies within the school, but most lacked experience in classroom control and proper teaching techniques. Here were some of my favorites Chaim Friedman: Told my parents I was "dumb". Oh how wrong he was, and now my education level most likely surpasses his highest level achieved. I'm getting a degree in public health, what was yours in again? Judy Goldberg: Was my English teacher for two years. Talk about labeling theory, it might have been born in her classroom. She lacked patience to deal with learners that did not fall neatly within the bell curve. Reminiscent of Louise Fletcher or "Nurse Rached" in one flew over the cuckoo's nest. Judy Reed: Totally awesome no complaints, and a total sweetheart. Worked well with me to get over my fear of math. She was a credentialed educator in Florida and go figure what a difference it made with my education experience. To sum things up, Hillel was the wrong choice for me on so many levels. I was educated by unprofessional staff who were not equipped by any means to deal with a multitude of different learning styles and abilities. Yes I did have a learning disability, but with capable teachers I would have done extremely well. I found this out immediately when I left the Jewish school system. The teachers at Pacific Hills did an excellent job working with me, as well as the teachers at Fairfax High School. Why, you may ask? They all had formal training in education! Im sure you parents pay lots of money in property taxes which all go to fund the education system. The public school system is not awful, and your kids will have more opportunities to go to better universities in the long run. Teachers have to meet bench marks, and are kind and passionate enough to go out of their way to help you. I'm arguing that there are better places in Los Angeles to send your children for a quality education. read more

After seven years with Hillel, we now have 3 proud Hillel graduates. With our youngest having gradated, I am sad to leave a school that provided an environment where our kids were helped through their academic challenges, encouraged to believe in themselves and supported in all their myriad of interests. Hillel is more than an academic institution, it is a community, a place my children still want to visit years after graduating. No school is perfect, Hillel does their best and strives to be better. In doing so, they set an example of the very values they teach our kids! read more

Don't know what the future will bring with this school but from what I have learned they are planning a MAJOR expansion. Live in the area and the traffic is already gruesome. It is my understanding that they want to quadruple the square footage they already have (that's right FOUR TIMES) by building a mega-structure up against their residential neighbors. They claim that they are only adding about seven class rooms but my suspicion is that will change once they build and are finished they will probably 'convert' some if not all the new space to more classrooms when they are 'off the radar'(otherwise why bother). So are more classrooms bad? I think it comes down to noise, traffic, impact on neighbors, etc. And it appears they will not be adding more parking???? So why do they need so much more space?? Maybe this is a bargaining technique with the city 'start high and negotiate down to what they are really after' which might be double their size now--who know? Stay tuned. read more

Proud alumnae and now a proud parent at Hillel! The school always has been and continues to be a WARM, NURTURING, and POSITIVE Jewish environment. I am thrilled that my children get to walk the same halls that I once did and receive an outstanding secular and Judaic education with a love for Israel that is palpable. My children are fluent in Hebrew thanks to the immersive Hebrew education beginning in early childhood and have wonderful teachers and role models in the school. Kol Ha'kavod to Hillel and their amazing staff. read more

All Schools have challenges and areas where improvements can and should be made, however overall Hillel offers a very solid and competitive education in a warm and nurturing environment. There are many qualified and capable teachers, and there are some that are below par as well. All in all the school cares about the kids and has made many improvements over the past few years, including to their security program. Hillel has been the right choice for our family! read more

Hillel is a really great school. They focus very strongly on positivity, confidence, empowerment and education. These are very skills that every single human being needs in order to succeed in life, and this school is giving the students these tools. The teachers and staff care very much about the wellbeing of their students, and as a parent communicating with the teachers is a pleasure. Hillel is not just a school, it is a family!! Attending the assemblies, walking through the yard, participating in the Kehilat Shabbatonim, you feel the togetherness, the positivity, and that it's a wonderful place to be. read more

If you're looking to get your children a solid Jewish​ education or even a secular education, do not send your children here. I attended this school for 8 years, and I assure you this place should rename the school to camp Hillel. Many of the staff do not know how to teach, so they just give the students recess time instead. The teachers do not have any control over the classes, and the administration does not discipline the students either. The only thing this school cares about is money! They put smart boards in almost every single classroom yet almost none of the faculty knows how to use it. Instead of making the school more affordable and giving out financial aid to families​ who really need it, they spend it on smartboards in first-grade​ classrooms so​ that the teachers​ can now write the alphabet on a smartboard instead of a whiteboard​. Don't​ be fooled though, whenever​ Rabbi Sufrin or any other administrator​ is giving tours of the building they tell the teacher​ beforehand​​​ so that the students will behave well. As an incentive for this,​ they give the students even more recess for behaving well. Furthermore, from a Judaism standpoint,​ this school considers themselves modern orthodox, however, whenever there is a bar mitzvah at the school the "rabbis" ask the Kohan​ students to leave so that the family members can say the first aliyah​ on the Torah​. The only positive​ thing I​ can say about Hillel​ is that they kept Mr. Irons around. read more

Hillel is a school which is HUNGRY for money. The administration is VERY RUDE. The school is like a shop. They think that they are selling you a product. They don't care about the children and families. They just want MONEY. The administration as a whole is very rude to parents. They just respect you if you give them MONEY. Whenever a parent calls with a concern, they always say "They are in a meeting" so that they can avoid you altogether. This is a school which doesn't care about Jewish values. The head of school is never available to talk to parents who are concerned about any matter. They say " He is in a meeting." They only want very rich people because they just want MONEY but nobody knows where all that money goes to. My friend warned me about this school. He told me" Hillel is only about money." I should have listened to him, but I will look for an alternative Jewish Orthodox school because I don't want to deal with a rude administration which doesn't respect parents at all, and which only cares about MONEY. If I could, I would give Hillel ZERO stars. Very disappointed. DO NOT GO TO HILLEL. read more