CAJE Conference Draws Local Hebrew Teachers AMY J. MEHLER Staff Writer J udy Loebl hasn't decided which havayah, special ex- perience, she'll pick at next week's 16th annual CAJE conference. It could be a nostalgic trip to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty; a peek in- side Jewish museums; a visit to Chasidic Crown Heights; or a tour of Yeshiva Univer- sity's museum exhibit mark- ing the 500th anniversary of the expulsion of Jews from Spain. These are some of the 20 havayot experiences that at- tendees at the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education will choose from when they convene Aug. 18- 22 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. This is the first CAJE con- ference for Mrs. Loebl, the new director of the Agency for Jewish Education's Community Jewish High School. She replaces Rabbi Bruce Aft, who is leaving for a pulpit in Washington, D.C. Mrs. Loebl, director of spe- cial programming at AJE's Resource Center, is presen- ting two papers at the con- ference. The first, which she'll pre- sent along with Sivan Maas, the community shlichah, emissary from Israel, deals with the perceptions Ameri- can Jewish children and their parents have about Israel. Developed as a pilot program by the Agency for Jewish Education, the pro- ject teaches how Jewish holidays are observed in the United States and in Israel. "When we learn about Tu B'Shevat, we learn about the geography of Israel," Mrs. Loebl said. "When we teach about Purim, the children learn about ancient and modern day heroes and heroines of Israel." The CHAI project, Chil- dren and Adults Studying about Israel, is a five-part program which has been adopted by Adat Shalom Synagogue. The second is a three-hour presentation on anti- Semitism. Created by Rabbi Aft as part of United Hebrew Schools' Family Living Room Series, the program, which comes with a video tape and handouts, en- courages active dialogue between children and parents. Elana Adler, a teacher at UHS for 23 years, said the CAJE conference is the best way for Jewish educators to learn about programs like these and how to implement them at home. Mrs. Adler, the first repre- sentative from Detroit to at- tend a CAJE conference, said she was so impressed by what she learned, she press- ed other LTHS teachers to at- tend future conferences. "The best part is being able to meet teachers from all over the world, and know you share the same problems and triumphs," said Mrs. Adler. "You're introduced to the latest teaching methods and can see what works and what doesn't." More than 2,000 people, from all 50 states and Israel, the Soviet Union and Latin America, are expected. Professionalizing Jewish education, teacher em- powerment, addressing po- litical and communal issues in curricula, teaching about Israel and Zionism and fin- ding a balance between Judeo ethics and the Ameri- can way will be explored during some 1,000 workshops. Alternative approaches to Jewish education will be in- troduced as well. Zugot, from the Hebrew for pair or twin, is a concept that allows Judaic and secular teachers to share their expertise. Sessions called Sanhedrin, named for the rabbinical court which judged points of Jewish law before and after the destruction of the First and Second Temples, will be led by attorneys and halachists. Specific legal issues vis-a-vis Halachah will be explored and debated. A think tank will examine papers prepared by scholars. A. 15-hour open university, taught by professors, will be offered for credit. Oppor- tunities for Torah Lishma, study for its own sake, will be increased this year. A demonstration school will place master teachers inside classrooms for observation. Ella Moscovitz, a teacher at Hillel Day School, attend- ed the 13th CAJE conference at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. "The whole idea of CAJE is to improve yourself, per- sonally as well as Judaical- ly," Mrs. Moscovich said. 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