Hasten Hebrew Academy

09/02/2026

A sweet tradition, A meaningful impact!
Bring something delicious to your Rosh Hashanah table, and help support Jewish education at HHAI!
Order round sweet challahs, honey cakes, or our Sweet New Year Bundle. Perfect for sharing with family and friends or thanking your holiday host!
Make a teacher’s holiday sweeter by sponsoring a bundle for $30.
Not placing an order? You can still spread the sweetness with an $18 donation, no purchase needed!
Order by Monday, September 7th!
Scan the QR code on the flyer to order or donate, or use this link:
https://forms.gle/32HaCbeyETxckR8Q6

Pickup at HHAI by Friday, September 11th 1:30-2:30pm.
Questions? Email [email protected]
Share this post and help spread the sweetness!
Shanah Tovah U’Metukah! 🍎🍯

09/02/2026

Our HHAI Stars continued their volleyball season with another road game, this time against the Indiana School for the Deaf (ISD).

It was a challenging evening from the start. With temperatures outside reaching nearly 100°F and no working air conditioning in the gym, our girls faced some very difficult playing conditions.

But the Stars came out strong! They played an excellent first set, taking control early and convincingly defeating the home team.

Our girls continued to play well through most of the second set, but ISD battled back, eventually tying the score at 21–21 and pulling away to force a deciding third set.

By then, the extreme heat had clearly taken its toll. Our Stars were tired and began making some uncharacteristic mistakes. Still, they fought until the very end before ISD took the deciding set, 15–10, and the match, 2–1.

While this one didn't end with a victory, there was still plenty to celebrate. Several of our young players reached new milestones, including making their first successful serves in a game, while others put together several strong serves in a row and scored important points for the team.

Most importantly, our Stars kept fighting, supported one another, and never gave up. Every game brings new challenges, new lessons, and new opportunities to grow.

We are very proud of our young HHAI Stars and grateful to all the families who traveled with us and enthusiastically cheered them on!

Back to work tomorrow as we continue learning, improving, and growing as a team.

Our next game is at the International School of Indiana on Thursday at 4:30 pm.

Go HHAI Stars!

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09/01/2026

08/26/2026

A very special Elul tradition returned to HHAI today — our students had a visit from a real ram!

During the Jewish month of Elul, we begin preparing for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. One of the most meaningful symbols of this season is the shofar, which is traditionally made from a ram’s horn and is sounded throughout Elul and on Rosh Hashanah.

Seeing and gently meeting a ram gives our students a wonderful hands-on connection to what they are learning. They were able to observe its beautiful curved horns up close, ask questions, and make the connection between the animal in front of them and the shofar they hear during this special time of year.

Our students were fascinated by their woolly visitor — and the Oak Class even prepared a wonderful handmade thank-you card to welcome our special guest!

Experiences like this bring Jewish learning to life and help create memories that our students will carry with them as we prepare together for the High Holidays.

Shanah Tovah from HHAI!

08/26/2026

Two Games, Two Wins for Our HHAI Stars!

What a comeback and what an exciting second victory of the season for our HHAI Stars!

Playing on the road at Sycamore School, our Stars needed some time to adjust to the new environment. They battled hard in a very close first set, but came up just short.

Then they regrouped! The Stars returned to the court with much more focus and confidence, convincingly winning the second set and tying the match at 1–1.

The deciding third set was competitive, but our girls kept their composure, played with determination, and eventually pulled away to earn a 2–1 victory!

There is still plenty to learn and lots of work ahead as we continue developing our skills and learning to play together as a team. But seeing our young players respond to adversity, regain their confidence, and fight their way back into the match was wonderful!

Two games. Two wins. And a lot of volleyball still ahead!

Next week, our Stars will hit the road again for two more away games as we continue our young season.

Congratulations, Stars! Keep learning, keep growing, and keep shining!

08/25/2026

Congratulations to our HHAI Stars on a fantastic start to the volleyball season!

For many of our girls, this was their very first time stepping onto the court for a real game—and doing it in front of a loud and supportive home crowd! They played with confidence, determination, and great team spirit, and protected our home court with a victory!

This is only the beginning of our volleyball journey. There will be tough opponents, new challenges, lots of learning, and plenty of hard work ahead—but we couldn’t be prouder of the way our Stars started their season!

And there’s no time to rest—tomorrow we’re back on the court! Our Stars travel to Sycamore School for their next game, starting at 4:30 p.m.

Way to go, Stars! Keep working, keep learning, and keep shining!

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08/24/2026

Last Friday, our students had a fascinating hands-on Jewish learning experience with Rabbi Schusterman, who brought an incredible collection of horns and shofars to share with us.

Students learned about the shofar, the different types and shapes of horns that can be used, and the special role the shofar plays in Jewish tradition, especially as we prepare for the High Holidays.

But the highlight was seeing the process up close! Rabbi Schusterman showed our students how a ram’s horn is transformed into a real, playable shofar — cutting, drilling, shaping, and finishing the horn right before their eyes. And, of course, no Shofar Factory would be complete without hearing the powerful sound of the finished instrument!

What a wonderful way to bring Jewish tradition to life — not just reading or hearing about it, but seeing how a shofar is actually made.

Thank you, Rabbi Schusterman, for this memorable experience for our HHAI students!

08/21/2026

The sweet smell of Shabbat is back at HHAI!

Today, our students rolled up their sleeves for our first challah baking of the new school year!

From rolling and stretching the dough to carefully braiding their own challahs, our students enjoyed a wonderful hands-on experience filled with learning, creativity, teamwork, and Jewish tradition. Judging by the concentration, smiles, and some very impressive braids in these photos, we have quite a few talented bakers at HHAI!

There is something especially meaningful about beginning this beloved tradition again and watching our students take part in preparing for Shabbat with their own hands.

A big thank you to our teachers and staff who helped make today’s challah baking possible!

Shabbat Shalom from HHAI!

08/10/2026

What a wonderful way to begin a new school year!

Today our hallways and classrooms were once again filled with smiling faces, excited students, dedicated teachers, and the joyful energy that makes our school community so special.

From catching up with friends and meeting teachers to settling into classrooms and beginning the first activities of the year, it was a day filled with connection, learning, laughter, and new beginnings.

We are so excited to welcome our students, faculty, and staff back and to see what this new school year will bring.

Wishing all of our students and families a happy, healthy, safe, and successful school year.