18 ri m ri THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, June 6, 1986 Designs That Fit manufacturer of custom furniture 553-2246 The Perfect Gift For Father's Day and Graduation Touch Tone Telephone .95 + 4% Michigan Sales Tax Michigan Residents Only CALL OR WRITE PL TELECOM 28386 Franklin Dr. Southfield, MI 48034 (313) 352-8288 The Perfect Gift for Father's Day The man who reaches for this new Seiko Quartz ultra-thin watch has a high sense of quality, a superb eye for clean structure. Succinct detail, marvelous* precision inside and out, extraordinarily handsome in charcoal grey stainless with gold-tone and a black dial. All gold-tone; or silver -and-gold-tone with a grey dial. Retail $295.00 All sales can be exchanged or refunded All offered at outstanding discount prices IWINTUAIJI3 JIEWEILEIRS "SUNSET STRIP" 29536 Northwestern Highway Southfield, MI 48034 HOURS: M-F 10 am - 5:45 pm Th 10 am - 7:45 pm Sat 10 am - 5 pm 4.1_ , CO31 LI Of Lf• AMEPK AlY E E PNE SS MasterCard VISA , more recent initiative by Diaspora leaders, in this case educators, to strength- en the Israel and Zionist elements in American Jew- ish education was launched by the Bureau Directors Fellowship, the association of directors of bureaus of Jewish education in North America. This initiative, however, has its origins in largely fruitless attempts by the heads of the BDF in recent years to work through "quiet diplomacy" to secure some needed changes in the attitudes and poli- cies of the two WZO education departments. Late last year the BDF announced that it was preparing to set up a body to pro- mote Israel and Zionist education in North America that would exclude the WZO de- partments, unless the latter adopted a more cooperative and professional approach. The BDF proposal for redefining the relations between the bureaus and the WZO departments is guided by the follow- ing assumptions: the centrality of Israel and Zionism in American Jewish educa- tion; the possibility of a major role for the WZO/Jewish Agency in Israel and Zionist education in North America; and the need to eliminate the strains and the lack of communication and cooperation between the WZO and the bureaus, in order to de- velop and implement programs "to excite young American Jews into a lifelong com- mitment to Israel as a central part of their Judaism." The proposed commission on Israel and Zionist education would include the BDF and other professional bodies of American Jewish educators, and would be based on the principles of "understanding, respect, cooperation and coordination" — elements that are missing now in the BDF's relations with the WZO education departments. The commission would also "examine and evaluate what is now a basically nar- Mandel stressed that the components of "Monism and Israel" in Diaspora Jewish education must be as a means to ensure Jewish contimiity• • row and fragmented philosophy and ap- proach by the departments, and develop a global approach." The department heads would be invited to join the commission to work out a "more effective modus operandi, and together develop short and long-range goals and priorities." Should the depart- mental leaders adhere to their "independ- ence," the document states, "this would no doubt deteriorate into isolation. Jerusalem would continue to be viewed as a bottle- neck instead of as a hub for international communication and cooperation." The head of the BDF, Dr. Sam Schafler of Chicago, sees this move as an attempt by American Jewish educators to apply the principles of the Caesarea Process in their relations with the WZO professionals, even if these relations at present are marked more by discord than by a sense of partner- ship. The author of the proposal is Howard Gelberd, director of the San Francisco bureau of Jewish education. Last year Gelberd cut off all contact with the depart- ment headed by Dr. Eli Tavin in protest against its attitudes, policies and behavior of its shlichim. Gelberd said that a commit- tee of the BDF was now discussing ways to implement the proposal, and would ap- proach the departments when the details Where Do All Our Dollars Go? PHONE: 357-4000 SEIKO eventually like to increase the number that come each year from the current 20,000 to 50,000." The positive effect of Israel experiences on the Jewish identity and involvement of young people has indeed been established in some earlier research on WZO programs, and the purpose of the Israel Experience Project is to gain a better and more com- prehensive understanding of what works and why, and to devise follow-up activities that can be introduced •in the home com- munities of the young people. Mandel stressed that the components of "Zionism and Israel" in Diaspora Jewish education must be strengthened as a means to ensure Jewish continuity. What does a "non-Zionist" mean by "Zionism"? "This means implanting the notion that Israel is central for Jewish life. But it doesn't have to conflict with other forms of Jewish fulfillment. I don't accept the idea that all Jews have an obligation to make aliya," says Mandel. "But Israel does need more Jews, and aliya from the West should also be encouraged. And if bring- ing more Jewish kids to Israel means that more of them will eventually make aliya, then that's fine too; but it's not our primary goal." The recommendations from the Israel Experience Project will be turned over to an implementation subcommittee of the Agency Jewish Education Committee for deliberation and policy decisions. This body contains representatives of a broad spectrum of organizations that sponsor Israel programs for Diaspora youth, many of them outside the WZO. The Israel Ex- perience Implementation Committee is chaired by Rabbi Richard Hirsh of Jerusa- lem, executive director of the (Reform) World Union for Progressive Judaism, and a member of the WZO Executive; and Robert Loup of Denver, former national chairman of the UJA. /W (