THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS—Friday, February 6, 1959-12
The Suburban Community
Name Chairmen
of Academy Banquet
Bernard Jonas and Mrs. David
Dombey have been named gen-
eral chairmen of a banquet be-
ing planned by the Hebrew
Academy of Oak Park to cele-
brate the completion of its first
full year of operation.
The anniversary banquet is
scheduled for April 2, at Rain-
bow terrace, and will be under
the auspices of the Friends of
the Hebrew Academy.
Assisting the chairmen are
Seymour Ribiat, treasurer; Mrs.
Irving Palman and Mrs. Charles
Snow, arrangements chairmen;
and Mrs. Ernest Citron and Mrs.
Joseph Gittleman, reservations.
Other committee members are
David Dombey, Mrs. Seymour
Ribiat, Ernest Citron, Mrs. Leo
Hoffman, Mrs. Isaac Barzilay
and Mrs. Max Silverman. For
reservations, call Mrs. Citron,
EL 6-7808, or Mrs. Gittleman,
LI 1-4575.
Bnai Brith Award Cites
Achievements of Dr. Pepper
By the Oak-Woodser
An Oak Park educator,
whose reputation as a school
administrator has earned wide-
spread national prominence
both for him and the school
system he heads, has been
chosen to receive the seventh
annual Brotherhood Award of
Oak-Woods Lodge of Bnai
Brith.
He is Dr. James Nelson Pep-
per, superintendent of the Oak
Park Schools, who in seven
another as people."
Oak Park Mizrachi
Planning Bake Sale
The first annual bake sale
of the Oak Park Chapter of
Mizrachi Women will be held
this Thursday, at Federal De-
partment Store, Six Mile and
Schaefer.
DR. JAMES N. PEPPER
In addition to fancy cakes
and pastries, which will be sold years has seen the system
as take-home items, the group develop from one rural school
will prepare sandwiches and to a community of Class A
coffee for shoppers.
schools.
Proceeds will go to Israel to
When Dr. Pepper came to
aid in the emergency drive to
Oak Park in an advisory ca-
resettle thousands of newly-ar-
pacity in 1951, the school
riving immigrants from Roma-
system consisted of an old
nia, many of whom are chil-
frame building with seven
dren who will go to Mizrachi
classrooms. He remembers
institutions and grade schools.
that four of the rooms had
just been added "to take care
of the needs of the district
for the next five years."
We Remodel
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• 2-button wide lapel to 3-but-
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• Full flare coots to new
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• Taper skirts and dresses
• Leather coots
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Complete Service on
Tuxedo Rentals
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Clothiers & Cleaners
22155 COOLIDGE
SO. of 9 MILE RD.
Free Pickup & Delivery
LI 7-1511
OPEN SUNDAYS 11 - 3
He assumed full-time direc-
tion of the schools on July 1,
1952, just. after the close of
school in June, when there
were 384 students attending
class in the Oak Park District.
The six-plus years that fol-
lowed, Dr. Pepper said, have
been the most interesting and
challenging he has ever ex-
perienced. This is what has
happened:
1. The district has been ele-
vated from a three-man County
School Board to a third-class
school district with a self-
governing board . of education;
2. The total population of
the school district has climbed
to over 23,000 people (this is
not the Oak Park population,
since there is an overlapping
of school districts. Many Oak
Park families are in the Berk-
ley and Ferndale districts) ; and
3. The student population,
which has necessitated the
building of seven elementary
schools and a combined high
school, junior high school, has
grown from those 384 pupils in
1952 to 5,300 youngsters.
The biggest problem, of
course, has been finances. "Peo-
ple who moved from Detroit
expected the same services, and
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OAK PARK, MICH.
there was pressure to do things
right away. Because of finan-
cial support thus far given,
the schools have been permit-
ted to grow," Dr. Pepper said.
But it has taken more than
finances to make the Oak Park
schools great in such a short
time. Dr. Pepper sums it up
this way:
"This is the first com-
munity I have served that
has seen eye to eye with
the supervisor. Even though
we have minor differences,
we have acceptance of one
LI 7-5068
Hours: Doily & Sot. 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. — Thursdays to 9 p.m.
And it is people, primarily
children, which Dr. Pepper
has stressed in his work with
the schools. More than with
just academic development, the
schools have been vitally con-
cerned with emotional and
physical development, as well.
In efforts to acquaint him-
self with the new and growing
community, Dr. Pepper has
sought and accepted advice
from ministers and rabbis, civ-
ic groups and PTA organiza-
tions.
Being Presbyterian, Dr. Pep-
per, before coming to Oak
Park, had little knowledge of
the Jewish people. "Now," he
jokes, "I know more about the
Jews than about my own re-
ligion."
In a school population which
is about 60 percent Jewish,
however, there have been no
problems that have been left
unsettled. Dr. Pepper said:
"In meeting with rabbis, I
and other members of the
supervisory staff have come to
know the holiday seasons, and
we have been able to work out
agreements on what holidays
the children will be off."
The Oak Park schools,
which have no Negro stu-
dents, do have a Negro
teacher. This is in keeping
with Dr. Pepper's policy of
finding the best possible
teachers for the system. He
also has introduced a for-
eign teacher exchange pro-
gram, and, presently, there
is a British teacher in Key
School, while an Oak Park
teacher has a leave of ab-
sence to teach in England.
"While we stress emotional
and social outlets for our
youngsters through music, art
and similar courses, we do not
have a soft program. The kids
have to work," he said.
Dr. Pepper, who is listed in
"Who's Who in American Edu-
cation," received his doctorate
from Wayne State University
in 1954. Previously, he earned
his bachelor's degree at East-
ern Michigan College and his
master's at the University of
Michigan.
He lives in Farmington
Township with his wife, Mabel.
They have five children, in-
cluding a married daughter,
now in Germany, and a grand-
child.
Dr. Pepper will receive the
Oak-Woods Lodge Award for
Brotherhood at a banquet in
his honor at 6:30 p.m., Feb.
26, at Sammy's.
Jersey City Schools to Drop
Religious Census Practices
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (JTA)—
The Jersey City Board. of Edu-
cation agreed to discontinue
religious censuses in the city's
public schools following a com-
plaint by the American Jewish
Congress to the State Educa-
tion Commissioner. The com-
plaint was filed only after
informal talks failed to obtain
abandonment of the practice.
Emanu-El Sisterhood
Host Church Women
Center Slates
Music Programs;
Varied Events
A concert of Israeli music
will be offered for Older Ad-
ults and friends of the center
at the "Young - at Heart"
Lounge of the Jewish Com-
munity Center Ten Mile branch
at 15110 W. 10 Mile, at 8:30
p.m., Tuesday.
Avram Rosenthal, a member
of the Center Symphony Or-
chestra, will play the flute and
the halil. Rita Sloan, pianist
and student of Julius Chajes,
will perform a Tocata by Julius
Isserbies, a Hora by Arkadie
and a selection entitled "Kou-
guell."
Rosenthal will demonstrate
four kinds of halil—sopranoo,
baritone, alto and tenor, in
addition to the playing of nu-
merous selections.
A dance group from the
Jewish Parents Institute will
perform Israeli dances and
teach horas to those present.
Guests are welcome.
The second annual Young
People's Concert in honor of
Jewish Music Month will be
held at the Ten Mile branch.
Rosenthal will play the halil,
tell children's stories, and lead
in community singing and hora
dancing. Marilyn Lucas, 16-year-
old pianist, and Annette Firs-
tenberg, violinist, will also per-
form.
The regular Sunday fun pro-
gram will not be held that
day.
There are a number of open-
ings for club members at the
Ten Mile branch in various
age groups.
The branch also will offer a
new film series the second
Wednesday of each month, be-
ginning at 8:15 p.m., this
Wednesday, with a print of a
Charlie Chaplin film since with-
drawn by the comedian. Larry
Silverman, assistant director of
Wayne State University's audio
visual production center, will
lead discussions on the film.
Fourth to eighth grade young-
sters will learn basketball tech-
niques from Detroit Piston star
Gene Shue at a clinic planned
for 4:30 p.m., Thursday.
Church women of all faiths
in the South Oakland County
area have been invited by the
Sisterhood of Temple Emanu-El
to attend a luncheon and pro-
gram at 12:30 p.m., Feb. 25,
at the temple, 14450 W. 10 Mile,
Oak Park.
Over 250 women are ex-
pected to attend the program,
at which three speakers will
outline "The Fundamentals of
Reform Judaism."
Speakers include Rabbi Mil-
ton Rosenbaum, of the host con-
gregation; Rabbi M. Robert
Syme, of Teinple Israel; and
Rabbi David A. Baylinson, of
Temple Beth El.
This is the second annual
program conducted by the Sis-
terhood in an effort to foster
better interfaith relations.
Young Israel Sisterhood
to Hold Donor, Feb. 11
Final plans have been made
for the annual donor luncheon
of the Sisterhood of Young
Israel Center of Oak-Woods, it
is announced by Mrs. Bert Ap-
plebaum, chairman.
The event will take place
Wednesday, at the Center, and
will feature a musical program
with Hal Gordon, music direc-
tor at WXXYZ, and his wife,
singer Jean Lawrence. A num-
ber of prizes will be awarded.
For tickets, call Mrs. Samuel
Gianz, LI 5-3809.
Alonah Plans Games Night
Alonah Chapter of Pioneer
Women will hold a games night
night program at 8:30 p.m.,
Tuesday, in the home of Mrs.
Anne Shapiro, 19758 Freeland.
For information or transporta-
tion, call Mrs. Fern Baker, LI
4-2772.
Religious activities in Boy
Scout camps are carried out un-
der religious leaders of all
faiths.
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marvel at it the day before, Sunday, Feb.
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