Above: Rabbi Jerry Godfrey
works with Eric Nicholson.
Left: Teacher Avia
Silverman listens to Jessica
Gales.

TUITION COMPARISON

The figures are for 1990-91 six-hour-per-week Con-
servative programs. Figures for the synagogues are
non-member rates:

$620*

UHS
Beth Abraham
Hillel Moses

$635

Beth Shalom

$660

Shaarey Zedek

$800

*UHS has raised its rates for 1991-92 to $720

tin J. Berman. "If the syn-
agogue had to take over the
school we could reduce that
figure, but there would have
to be significant change."
Rabbi Berman says, "I
vehemently resent that this
(Tauber and Giles commis-
sions) process is horrendous.
No one knows for sure what is
going to happen next year
and this is unfair to the
schools, the agency (AJE) and
the synagogues.
"Beth Achim can't do it,"
he says. "We can't foot the
bill for all the scholarship
youngsters who attend our
branch who are not our
members."
The rabbi views the pre-
sent UHS system as having
its pluses and minuses: the
synagogues were not respon-
sible for the costs of the
school system, but there was
no incentive among parents
to join the synagogues.
"Some saw this as an in-

centive," he says. "I see it as
hurting the synagogues in
the long run."
He believes that a school
should be a vital part of any
synagogue's program and
that if a phaseout of UHS is
mandated it should be ac-
complished over a number of
years. "If there are kids who
can't afford the schools," he
says, "then subsidize their
tuition.
"But I don't think the Fed-
eration has planned any of
this."
Harry Maisel, president of
Adat Shalom, is facing simi-
lar problems. Dr. Maisel has
appointed an Adat Shalom
committee to prepare for a
possible future without
UHS. And he has recom-
mended that the synagogue
partially respond to an AJE
request and give a $25,000
appropriation to UHS this
year to reduce the school

deficit at the Adat Shalom
branch.
Dr. Maisel is also critical
of the long Federation study
process and, like Rabbi
Berman at Beth Achim, ad-
vocates a phase-in period for
any change. "We can't ac-
commodate an annual syn-
agogue contribution of
$50,000 or $100,000 over-
night. We just can't sudden-
ly do that.
"We know Adat Shalom
has to do more, and we'll
make sure, with or without
United Hebrew Schools, that
our members' children will
be taken care of and that our
doors will be open to the
unaffiliated."
But Dr. Maisel also knows
that any increase in syn-
agogue dues that may be
needed to defray the school
expense will also be accom-
panied by some loss of mem-
bers. "They want to enhance
synagogue affiliation by

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

27

