F 2 Friday, May 25, 1919 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Purely Commentary Community's Responsive Record Confronted With Basic Obligations ... Educational Needs Retain Priority ... Duty to the Retarded Emerges as a Most Serious Cause Jerusalem Day, May 25 Jerusalem Day has been proclaimed a holiday on the Israeli calendar. It will no doubt influence observances in Jewish communities throughout the world. The reunification of the Holy City, the liberation of the City of Peace from Jordanian domination under which Jewish rights were suppressed, marked the beginning of a new era for Jerusalem. Now the liberation is a day for festivity. It also becomes a time for renewed efforts on the part of the American Jewish community to induce American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. During the visit of President Jimmy Carter in Jerusalem it was reported that the President had made the comment that the United States does not recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Whereupon Prime Minister Menahem Begin said: "What is the capital of Israel?" That's the point! There are the friendliest relations between Israel and the United States. Yet the official exchange of communications between the two countries is via an unrealistic American embassy in By Philip Slomovitz wtz,r) t:17n.nz 11117 cr'"P1 -11'71 iiztrt ,ry) rim nrMz 75_14 117.,z rp.41 :Pr.) ;1;111'7 7111.37 111,NPI Tel Aviv. Before he became President, Gerald Ford advocated Jerusalem's recognition as Israel's seat of state. He was then among the major Zionist advocates in this country. Under State Department influence, when Have mercy, 0 Lord, and return to Jerusalem, Your city; he became President, his tune regrettably changed. Jerusalem Day is the time to renew the campaign for realism, for recognition of Jerusalem's status by May Your Presence dwell there as You promised. the U.S. The Arab pressures need to be resisted in such a campaign. Rebuild it now,. in our days and for all time; Is there sufficient sentiment in Congress in support of this effort? How could it be otherwise if the members of Congress are pragmatic enough to know that where Israel's parliament sits, where the Knesset Re-establish there the majesty of David, Your servant. functions, where the major government offices are, there is the center of activity that a nation calls its capital. years ahead? If it isn't then leadership is blind to realities. I am, he needs more love than others because of his birth The Greater Detroit school system is undergoing a defect. I am giving it to him." That's the community's duty Mato r Community Obligations: , change. An able superintendent, Dr. Jay Stern, has turned to the somewhat afflicted. Defense for Educational • to the Washington Day School as his future directorial post. Perhaps the term retarded should be abandoned and Priorities, Dignity for Retarded something like moderately slow or impeded worker or ac- Greater Detroit's Allied Jewish Campaign, the conclu- The new directorial selectee will, hopefully, match his de- tivist should be substituted for what has become an objec- scholarship. is to be assumed that the sincerity expected from tionable condition. But with the retention of the term, the s ion of which must await the enrollment of hundreds of - votion It and be counted in the great arked fund Detroit's Jewish leadership will apply pragmatism to plan- role of this community's Association for the Jewish Re- ibutors additional contributors yet tors to be assured of m ning now demanded in a changing era involving the educa- tarded and related movements should receive all possible raising effort, success. Now comes the time of put ting into action the assistance. obligations entailed in the philantropic tasks. Israel, as the tional processes. There are duties not to be shirked. There is another need already receiving community The efforts here already are getting better support, chief beneficiary, viewed with love of by her the protectors. Israelis' kinfolk everywhere, remains in the minds There attention which must be treated responsibly. It is that of thanks to the devotion of those engaged in the existing movement. The Jewish Community Center cooperates with are educational institutions which must receive additional the retarded, the young as well as the adult. They are support. There are the social services. The industries need numerous, larger in numbers than is suspected. They are the association for the retarded. The Jewish Welfare Fed- encouragement, and that's where the Israel Bond plays a the human element that can not help itself and must have eration must, eventually, include this task in its organized the attention of the functioning communal organizations. program and should welcome the functioning association Shocking occurrences in some areas, where homes as a community agency. role. The home front needs a great deal of attention. The . education needs never diminish, and the duties to them have been set up for the so-called retarded, make their That the interest in these efforts is expanding is evi- demandpriorities. It would be an ostrich act of hiding one's problem a serious issue. As in Troy, where inhumanity of if the new conditions affecting the educa- man to man was demonstrated, it became evident that denced in many actions undertaken in religious and com- head in the sand to be ignored. there are people who fail to understand that there are 'nullity ranks, as indicated in the special article below by in educational opportunities are people who are less capable, who must be treated with Ben Gallob about a residence for the retarded in tional system were everything! — assuming Unless provided for the the maximum children, the community will lose the right kindness, who need the love of fellow man and who must be South Orange, N.J. Anything — such responsibilities should be treated with commenda- humanly. indifference, treated i ss There must be a sense of shame in the Troy area where tions, and the usual skillful treatment of an important to talk ab out and to worry over aimilaton, the . Therefore, roblems other p intermar r iage and many evide nce, in contrast with the subject by JTA's editorial staff member Ben Gallob earns type of education provided must be considered very seri- an inhuman spark was in . decency evi denced elsew here. In the a ppr eciati on ously. If the day school offers chief comfort then it must be pride in justice and ere is another aspect of services for the retarded that in educational needs. But it would be foolhardy Ma anolia subdivision of Southfield, as in the neighbor- the three — classes for youn chil- ncouragement y have been needs encouragement the riorit py -ds where two homes for retarded alread to say that the afternoon school system is approaching hoods n, t he retarded slow learners at Congregations Bnai abandonment. The more limited provisions in schooling established in Detroit and in Oak Park, there is a sense of dre Temple Beth El and Temple Israel . The major edu- will remain in demand and they must be given new neighborliness with the retarded and a sense of pride in the Da vi d, knowledge that humans are humans, not to be abused or cational groups in the community should not ignore them and should provide adde d support fo r them htest mistreatment. strengt h, whatever the planning. The low birth rate — it is reportedly lowest among subjected even to the slig The needs outlined are not ima gina ry. They are not Jews today — is certain to affect the Jewish school system. There is the instance of a football team which numbers hey are community-dimensioned. They The student enrollments already are declining. Is this two brothers, one retarded. The brother who drew the latter limited to a fw. T ig nored. threat to the Jewish school part of the planning for the into the team commented: "He plays well, he is as shou NJ Home for Disabled Designed as Stepping-Stone to Community By BEN GALLOB (Copyright 1979, JTA, Inc.) A residence, described by its sponsors as the first of its kind in the U.S., has been opened in South Orange, N.J., to provide a living and training environment for minimally-disabled young adults. The project is called JESPY House — for Jewish Special Young Adults. At the start of April, six young adults — three men and three women aged 19 to 27 — were residents in JESPY House. Mrs. Murray J. Plishtin, of Livingston, a member of the board of the women's division of the United Jewish Appeal, and one of the co-chairman of the project, spelled out the goals, mechanics and financing of the project, which is not a project of any established Jewish organ- ization. Mrs. Plistin said the young adults for whom JESPY House had been de- veloped have learning dis- abilities described as de- layed development in any one or all the normal proc- esses of speech, reading, writing, arithmetic or other areas. She explained this delay may be due to brain dysfunction or emotional or behavioral disturbance, stressing that the problem was not the same as mental retardation, because it is limited to specific areas and is not "across-the-board." Such young adults, she reported, have generally not progressed socially or emotionally beyond an adolescent level. She added such young adults can, with proper supervi- sion, develop functional skills so they can take care of themselves in travel, purchasing, mak- ing a home and acquiring training for jobs which would not be too great a challenge for their capacities. Residents of JESPY ,House, present and future, are chosen "because of their ' potential to master basic life skills" needed for an in- Hebrew, or to sing certain dependent lifestyle, "in- portions or to have a de- cluding shopping, cooking, layed Bar or Bas Mitzva." She said that the hope cleaning, menu preparation and budgeting." Conserva- of the sponsors was that tive standards are the basis when a resident had mas- for such JESPY House tered skills for indepen- rules, such as a ban on dente — after a smoking on the Sabbath, maximum residence of and keeping kosher, Mrs. four years — he or she would be able to leave Plishtin said. The religious atmosphere JESPY House, to live for the residents is viewed either alone or with a as therapeutic, Mrs. roommate and function Plishtin reported, in the as a member of society, sense that for young people, turning back to JESPY "whose ego has been badly House staff for occa- bruised, who have a very sional counsel as needed. low self-image," religion She reported JESPY can provide "a tremendous House is within walking therapeutic backdrop." distance of two Conserva- She added that one of the tive synagogues and one Re- religious norms of JESPY form synagogue and resi- House is to educate the resi- dents are encouraged to dents as to what Judaism attend them. She said that, means — "at their own for obvious reasons, the level" — but that will de- lives of the young residents velop only "after we are have had a "dearth" of thoroughly familiar with Jewish content. She reported the project the intellectual competence of the individual and we will had initially been proposed then decide if we should by Dr. Morton Siegel, direc- seek to motivate him to read for of the education depart- merit of the United evaluation, sheltered work- Synagogue of America, the shops, job placement and association of Conservative other services to the resi- congregations. An ad hoc dents. She said several committee was formed to other programs are availa- explore its feasibility. ble, their selection depend- Carol and Stephen R. ing on the talents and Goodman, experts in special wishes of the resident and education, direct JESPY what the parent can afr House. Mrs. Plishtin said to spend for speciali._ _ the Goodmans provide vocational training. The JESPY House faculty much more than psycholog- ical counseling, adding that members have a variety of they teach and are role functions. The resident staff models for acquisition of members teach the skills of needed skills by the resi- daily survival and Judaica. An intern from Yeshiva dents. She said the Goodman University's Wurzweiler Work is team has access to other School of Social work at sources, such as a pro- doin g her field gram of the Planned Par- JESPY House. There are or enthood Association on outside experts who "are ei r e who mp l o, y a i ns g t h the sex education for handi- will be employing capped persons. There is residents Othetresaacthtenthdienmg a common area at JESPY their jobs. House for such pro- grams, as well as for "in training schools will be house" meals, planning taught such abilities as sessions, creation of mimeographing, making shopping lists and re- change, carpentry, typing, etc. lated activities. There is also a profes- She said the local Jewish Vocational Service offers sional advisory committee.