Hillel Academy Head of School honored, Marketing Director hired

Hillel Academy is proud to announce that Head of School Amy Wasser has been honored by Jewish National Fund (JNF) at its annual Tree of Life Award Dinner.  The dinner was held on Tues., April 8, 2014 at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.  Ms. Wasser was presented with the Lawrence D. Wasser Humanitarian Award which is awarded annually to a non-profit professional who has exhibited traits and attributes of leadership excellence.

Ms. Wasser joined the staff of Hillel Academy in 1996 and became the head of school in 2004.  The forefront of her work has been working with children and helping to instill in them a love of Judaism.  Israel education is one of Ms. Wasser’s primary loves and she was inspired to introduce the annual Hillel Academy 8th grade trip to Israel more than 17 years ago. 

Ms. Wasser holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a M.A., B.A. from the Jewish Theological Seminary.  She serves as an accreditation chair for the Florida Council of Independent Schools and is on the editorial board for the Community Jewish Day School Network’s national publication, Hayidion.  She was a past director of USY on Wheels and a staff member of Camp Ramah.  She has been a member of Congregation Kol Ami in Tampa for more than 18 years.  Ms. Wasser brings her unique mix of formal and informal educational skills to Hillel Academy, the premier community day school in Tampa Bay. 

New Hire

Hillel Academy engaged HCP – a national research, strategy and marketing firm headquartered in Tampa – to undertake an Enrollment Research Project to determine how the school could best enhance the recruitment process and boost enrollment.  In order to develop more aggressive marketing campaigns and enhance word of mouth, Hillel was encouraged to hire a marketing professional.  To that end, as of February 1, 2014, Head of School Amy Wasser brought Jody Sherman on board as the school’s first Director of Marketing.  Mrs. Sherman comes to the position with many years of non-profit marketing experience, including positions as Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Florida Holocaust Museum, St. Petersburg, and Public Relations Manager for the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Tarpon Springs.  Mrs. Sherman is an active volunteer in the Jewish community and is the Co-chair of the Florida Holocaust Museum’s Anne Frank Humanitarian Award Program.  She is a member of Hadassah’s Celebrate the TaTas event committee and was on the board of the former JCC Suncoast.  She holds a B.S. from the University of Maryland and an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut.   

Mission Statement

Hillel Academy’s mission is to provide a superior education that encourages a love of learning and a strong Jewish identity.  To that end, Hillel students are encouraged to attain the highest possible level of personal achievement.

Hillel Academy offers morning bus service from North Pinellas county with bus stops at Temple Ahavat Shalom, Woodlands Square in Oldsmar, and Westchase.  Bus service from South Tampa also will be offered for the 2014 – 15 school year.

Hillel Academy is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS) and the Florida Kindergarten Council (FKC) and is a member of the Jewish Community Day School Network.  The school is recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Education as a Blue Ribbon School.

MEDIA CONTACT
Jody Sherman
Email:      Phone:    (727) 421-7733