20 Friday, May 20, 1983
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
APPRAISALS
Rabbi Worries That Day Schools Are Elitist
By BEN GALLOB
the children attending Or- upon us as a deprived might lead to an
thodox yeshivas in Flatbush minority. They send their "institutionally-sanctified
A Reform rabbi, who had came from families of reli- children to private
accepted the growing com- gious Jews, let alone Or- schools, usually Or- two-class system where Re-
mitment in American Re- thodox. He expressed his thodox. Some of these form Jewish day schools are
established," to which
form Judaism to the day views in an article in the private school families
At Very Reasonable
non-Orthodox
and even
642-5575
school, has changed his Fall issue of "Reform are truly Orthodox.
non-religious parents —
mind since becoming rabbi Judaism," the scholarly Others are 'non-
Rates call for an
of a Reform synagogue in publication of the Union of practicing' Orthodox or concerned about both the
appointment
Brooklyn's Flatbush sec- American Hebrew Congre- Conservatives whose safety and poor quality of
tion, primarily out of a gations (UAHC), the um- religious label is deter- education in public schools
growing fear that such edu- brella agency of Reform mined by the day school — send their children.
30400 Telegraph Road
cation can enhance a feeling synagogues, and in tele- their children attend or
Suites 104, 134
of elitism among its pupils phone comments to the the degree of kashrut of
Birmingham, Mi. 48010
and possibly among their Jewish Telegraphic their Bar Mitzva cater-
(313) 642-5575
parents.
Agency.
ers."
LAWRENCE M. ALLAN
Rabbi Eric Hoffman of
Hoffman implied strongly
Hours daily til 5:30. Sat. by appt.
Hoffman told the JTA he
President
Temple Ahavath Sholom that many non-believing knew of a day school in
10* GEMOLOGIST (.1 DIAMONTOLOGIST
also declared bluntly that Jews were taking their Brooklyn in which the par-
he wondered how many of children out of public ents of the pupils were al-
schools because such most entirely non-religious.
schools were decaying in He declared, in the article,
quality and that the answer that he agreed with the
was to put pressure on such principle of greater com-
schools to improve by keep- mitment as the goal of par-
ing Jewthh children in ents in sending their chil-
them, rather than pulling dren to day schools but
Custom Laminated Furniture.
them out.
suggested that "speaking
Residential & Commercial
Hoffman declared only about my New York
Graphic Wall Design
there was a "dilemma" community, could perhaps
KEITH SCHARE
for Reform Jews "in the another motive color their
face of growing favdr" choice?"
Designer
among such Jews for pri-
He added that the deter-
569-2462 543-0203
vate education. There are ioration of public education
now at least a half-dozen
day schools under Re-
form auspices but the
exact number is not
known. The UAHC, un-
like Conservative and
Orthodox umbrella
agencies, does not have a
SOME OPENINGS STILL AVAILABLE
department to assist day
Camp Tamarack
General Program
schools — an 'academic
idea which was
2nd - 5th grades
anathema to Reform
Camp Maas
General Program
Judaism as recently as 25
6th - 8 th grades
years ago.
Dance Village
6th - 8 th grades
The dilemma was re-
Pioneer
8th - 9th grades
Advance trends
solved for Rabbi Samuel
Post Camp Horseback
6attitigli in men's clothing
Karff, of Temple Beth Israel
Riding Ranch
6th - 9th grades
and sportswear
in Houston, according to an
Sports Skills Camps
2nd - 7th grades
earlier article by Karff,
Camp Kennedy
10th - 11th grades
"Are
Day
Schools
Right
for
1304 Northbrook Court • Northbrook, ILL 60062
Agree outpost Camp
10th - 11th grades
Reform?" in the same publi-
Phone 312-480-9750
cation. Hoffman wrote that
Karff, "heretofore an adver-
Call 661-0600 for Brochure and Application.
sary of day school educa-
tion," had changed his mind
"and now intends to guide
the expansion of his congre-
gation's nursery and kin-
dergarten program into a
multi-level Reform' day
school."
Celebrate graduation in
Hoffman wrote that he,
too, had change& his mind
style with colorful
"but in the other direction."
room decorations, cake
He wrote that before coming
decorations, and party
to Flatbush he had accepted
supplies. You'll find it
the idea of the day school
because he believed it
all at Detroit Popcorn
meant greater Jewish
Co., including bulk
commitment, adding he had
paper and plastic
felt that "a. day-long expo-
plates, cups,
sure to Jewish structure,
whether in religious or so-
disposable table
called secular studies, (in
covers, and napkins
day schools) would enhance
—
all in bright,
the Jewish commitment of
coordinating colors.
our Reform boys and girls."
He then described the
situation he found in Flat-
---COUPON
bush, commenting that the
JN
Reform Jewish community
in Flatbush is middle class
C BAG OF
and that the vast majority
"of our children attend pub-
NIG POPCORN
lic schools."
However, Hoffman as-
with this coupon
serted, "our other Jewish
neighbors loot down
MC M Otill
(Copyright 1983, JTA, 1983)
,
Frank
Wald...
DESIGN-IT
alive and well
and living
in Chicago
I CAMP
TAMARACK
So...When in the Windy City, come
see me and we'll shoot the breeze at...
S GRADUATES!
0
ME
28585 Telegraph Rd. Across From Tel-Twelve Mall
Southfield, Mich.
Some of Rembrandt's
paintings were inspired by
the Amsterdam ghetto.
Rembrandt illustrated a
book for Menasseh Ben.-
Israel.
DETROIT
POPCORN
COMPANY
12065 TELEGRAPH RD.
REDFORD 48239
531-9209