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survey's principal in-
vestigator, who is continu-
ing to study the information.
The Wilstein Institute, the
American Jewish Commun-
ity and the Max M. Fisher
Jewish Community Founda-
tion financed the $17,000
survey.
There is a polarization
between Jewish students,
especially between those of
the Orthodox and non-
Orthodox movements, ac-
cording to the survey. While
the polarization was less
overt than Mr. Steinmetz
expected, it runs deeper than
he thought it would and
could come to the surface if
there was a crisis.
While most of the 204
students surveyed reported
their closest friends are Jew-
ish, few non-Orthodox Jews
had close friends who were
Orthodox and vice versa.
Comfort levels among the
students of different
movements varied depen-
ding on the activity, the
survey states.
When socializing, most
students, whether they were
Orthodox or Reform Jews,
felt comfortable with each
other. But that comfort level
dropped sharply, especially
among the Orthodox, when
the activity concerns re-
ligious practices such as
spending Shabbat with each
other.
Ms. Sharona Shapiro, area
director for the American
Jewish Committee and a
member of the Detroit area
Study Advisory Committee,
was not surprised the survey
showed there was polariza-
tion among students because
of her own experience
teaching in Jewish schools.
The survey also revealed
students had little knowl-
edge about other
movements, particularly the
secular and Humanist de-
nominations.
Students may not know
about the other movements
because little teaching time
is devoted to the subject in
Jewish schools. The 56
teachers surveyed said
although they believe
teaching about klal Yisrael
(the Jewish people) is impor-
tant, they have little time or
necessary materials to do so.
Researchers, under the
leadership of project director
Professor Armand Lauffer at
the University of Michigan,
discovered Jewish schools do
shape student attitudes
toward other Jews.
The school's social and
cultural environment is like-
ly to influence attitudes
more than parents, a specific
curriculum or teacher, Mr.
Steinmetz said. The names

of the schools involved were
not released because admin-
istrators wanted confiden-
tiality.
Recommendations to
schools designed to ease the
polarization include conduc-
ting in-service training and
dialogue sessions within a
school or between schools,
creating teaching resources
dealing with other
movements, and allocating
time within the curriculum
to teach the subject.
Too often when educators
talk about different de-
nominations it is done in the
negative, Ms. Shapiro said.
Instead of saying the Reform
don't do that and the Or-
thodox don't do that,
teachers and parents should
say Conservative Jews do
this and Humanist Jews
believe in that.
"The survey was needed to
begin to eliminate the

Students had little
knowledge about
other movements,
particularly the
secular and
Humanist
denominations.

stereotypes and begin
building bridges in the
school," Ms. Shapiro said.
"We hope the study will
promote religious pluralism
and to help counter the
polarization among Ameri-
can Jews."
"I hope after the findings
of this study, educational in-
stitutions, in cooperation
with their families, will take
the lead in advocating this
as an opportunity to deal
with different demonina-
tions," Ms. Shapiro said.
Dr. Mark Smiley, head-
master at Hillel Day School,
said, he would like to estab-
lish an in-service training
within the school or between
schools to discuss the issue.
"I think it is important for
Hillel to be sensitive to all
facets of the Jewish com-
munity," said Dr. Smiley.
Hillel, whose students come
from Orthodox, Conser-
vative and Reform
backgrounds, does stress
other viewpoints in some
classes.
"I would really like to
have the opportunity to
interact with other de-
nominations," he said. "I
feel it is the responsibility of
the broader community to
encourage greater contact
between those of different
movements. We should be
getting together more
often." 0