THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 20 Friday, January 14, 1983 More Students Seek Aid of Jewish Scholarship Service Mack Pitt and his David grew up in a com- fortable, middle class Jewish home with the ex- pectation that he would attend college and become a professional. His goal was a typical one for most Jewish youngsters — one that has Orchestra plus Disco Music just for you! 358-3642 , COMPLETE SICKROOM EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES generally been attainable in this country. But David didn't foresee his father's disabling illness and his mother's loss of in- come due to economic condi- tions. And he didn't expect medical school tuition and OSTOMY SUPPLIES WHEEL CHAIRS • WALKERS COMMODES • HOSPITAL BEDS featuring products by HOLLISTER & SQUIBB RESPIRATORY EQUIPMENT EXPERIENCED REGISTERED NURSE ON STAFF PRIVATE FITTING ROOMS AVAIL. 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AT WINDOW SHADE CO. 25% OFF WALLPAPER See Our Fine Showroom For All Your Decorative Needs Thousands of patterns: Marimekko - Bob Mitchell Shumacher - David and Dash Strahan - Van bit - Katzenhack Grasscloth - Whimsical Walls and many nursery and children's books to choose from .. . *No Freight Charges Greene- Bros. at Old Orchard . 6663 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield-626-2400 expenses to reach nearly $15,000 per year. David isn't a real person but there are thousands like him in the files of the Jewish Scholarship Service. After 36 years of providing interest-free loans to Jewish college students, the Scholarship Service is fac- ing a record number of ap- plications from those who have fallen victim to skyrocketing tuition costs and a depressed economy that has created severe fi- nancial and emotional pres- sures on many families. An organization of some 50 communal scholarship funds, Jewish Scholarship Serv- ice works in conjunction with Jewish Vocational Service and Hebrew Free Loan Association, both member agencies of the Jewish Welfare Federa- tion and beneficiaries of Allied Jewish Campaign funds. Nora Barron is president of JVS, and Graham Landau is HFLA president. The Schol- arship Service is headed by chairman Bruce E. Thal. Among the scholarship funds are those of such communal groups as Na- tional Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section; Maimonides Medi- cal Society Women's Auxil- iary; Ruth Franklin Eins- tein Education Fund of Temple Beth El; and Probus Club. Included are schol- arship endowments held by Federation's United Jewish Charities, as well as schol- arship funds of Hebrew Free Loan. Nearly 300 students applied for aid during the past year, an increase of more than 50 percent over previous years. Scholarship coordinator Kalman Tillem, who is a senior counselor with the Jewish Vocational THESE WOMEN DIDN'T GO OFF TO WAR. THE WAR CAME TO THEM. "Tenko." Forced into jungle prison camps, these women learned to fight the battle of survival and became the un- sung heroines of WWII. Don't miss this compelling dramatic series. Continental Cablevision, Channel 29, Tonight at 9 PM. THE ENTERTAINMENT CHANNEL 4, 1983 The Entertainment Channel. Consulting with a patient is dentist Dr. Maurice Opperer, who completed his education with the aid of the Jewish Scholarship Service. Service, documents each case. He said he is seeing an unprecedented number of students from families with serious financial problems. "These are young people from middle class families who have never had to ask for help before," said Tillem, "and they are over- whelmed." He said that he is also seeing more appli- cants whose families are breaking up or having major health problems, which could be related to the economy. At the same time, there is less governmental support available to the students, according to Thal. He stated that a sec- tor "that has historically been helpful in supple- menting other sources is cutting back when the needs are greater than ever." The Scholarship Service attempts to help each appli- cant with at least a portion of expenses; funds are not always sufficient to provide the requested amount. Some 80 percent of the applicants are pursuing full-time graduate studies, especially in the health pro- fessions. Each is required to contact the school, the gov- ernment and other sources for loans, grants and work- study programs where feas- ible. Tillem verifies the stu- dent's standing with the school and obtains perti- nent financial and personal information. Representa- tives from the various funds review the case evaluation without knowing the indi- vidual's name, and make the final recommendation on the loan. According to Thal, the program is a unique exam- ple of how diverse organiza- tions have worked together to help many young people. "This total community ef- fort is a success," he re- ported, "because of a tre- mendous spirit of coopera- tion." Through the Schol- arship Service, the com- munity has nurtured a large number of .physi- cians, dentists, attorneys, musicians, teachers and others. Many have be- come active communal leaders as well as con- tributing members of the general community. Dr. Maurice S. Opperer, for example, is a local de- ntist and an active leader of the Professional Health Di- vision of the Allied Jewish Campaign, as well as a member of Federation's Culture and Education budgeting and planning di- vision. A former recipient of a JSS loan, he recalled that he "had nowhere else to turn" after his father passed away and he found he couldn't complete his first- year tuition payment at dental school. "I had exhausted all possible sources of aid," he said, "and found that I wouldn't be allowed to reg- ister for classes until that payment was made." Dr. Opperer was im- pressed with the way his application was handled. When he received the loan, he was told that the sooner he began repaying it after graduation, the sooner someone else could be helped. Because he felt that was an important condition of the loan, he began mak- ing small weekly payments immediately after gradua- tion. The importance of loan repayment for the pro- gram's continued success was underscored by Thal, who said that effec- tive collection of out- standing loans is cur- rently a top priority of the Scholarship Service. "Those who have been helped and are now estab- lished members of the com- munity have a responsibil- ity to help others by paying back their loan," Thal said. "Only by recycling money in this way can we help pro- vide education for the next generation." Some graduates who attended school with the help of JSS loans have set up their own funds. A schol- arship fund can be estab- lished, for example, in United Jewish Charities' endowment program with a minimum commitment of $2,000. Additional contri- butions to the fund can be made by relatives or friends to celebrate or commemo- rate special occasions. Anyone who establishes a fund is eligible to partici- pate in the financial review process. Since many students receive a loan through the pooling of several funds, the names of these funds, which are often es- tablished in memory of a loved one, are per- petuated. "It's a wonder- ful way for donors at all levels to contribute to the education of our young people," according to Thal. For information on the Jewish Scholarship Service, call Alan Kandel at Federa- tion, 965-3939. Bar Kochba means "Son of a Star." Bar Kochba's re- bellion against the Romans was supported by Rabbi Akiba.