4111011111110111.11111111.01011111**" 4111,11111111111.10111111w0011.1110.1 .0110101111$111W Great Leather Sneakers without the Pumped-Up Prices. Strike Force Lo Save $3 SAL Leadership 'Training Fellowship was one of the best-run youth programs in America. Why did it stop? ce Hi "We haven't developed the potential of our kids," said Rabbi William Gershon of Congregation Shaarey Zedek. "They're not being challenged. The problem with the movement is that there is a lack of vision with regard to this. The local rabbis have to take control over the destiny of the movement." LTF left its mark on more than the ranks of rabbis, federation staff and lay leaders. Many of its ex- planatory materials — which were written by Mr. Potok — are now used as texts in synagogue religious schools. A group of essays by Mr. Potok on Jewish ethics have been compiled into book form. The LTF materials em- phasized social activism in the rubric of Judaism: chari- ty, helping the poor and disadvantaged and visiting the sick. LTF wanted to en- courage an informal but se- rious appraisal of Jewish ideas and law, and this philosophy later became the paradigm for Conservative Jewish education. But was LTF's success a result of its programming, or was it simply the beneficiary of having collected together so many religiously-inclined Jewish teens? "It may be that these in- dividuals were predisposed toward community life," said Mr. Potok. "But this program gave them the in- centive to stay involved. And out of this cadre would emerge the leadership for the Conservative movement and the Jewish community," he said. In its final years, however, LTF withered. JTS withdrew funding for the program during a financial crunch and has yet to revive it. Some feel the program outlived its utility. Others feel its elitism alienated too many to survive. "Elitism went out," said Rabbi Roth. "Its part of the reason it died. But whether it was suicide, death, or murder, I'll never be cer- tain." Mrs. Ettenberg, who shep- herded the,program through feast and famine, saw LTF's demise as purely financial. Mordecai Kaplan: LTF founder. "The Seminary is as com- mitted to youth now, if not more," she said. She cited the growth of day schools, Hebrew high schools and other innovations as proof that the Conservative mov- ment has not given up on its future. Others disagree. They see the demise of LTF as part of a total pattern of neglect by the movement of its future leaders. • "If you're serious about creating a pool of potential leaders, its got to be created in your teen-age programm- ing," said Mr. Levine, the former LTF director. "The kinds of people who sup- ported Camp Ramah and LTF were the same people who supported day schools. "What you have now is a sorry echo," he said. The Conservative movement's other national youth programs — the Ramah camps and United Synagogue Youth — have come under fire for what some critics believe is a "watered down" Jewish message. While those pro- grams appeal to a large group of youth and families, they say, the best and brightest are not getting the nurturing they need. "Unless there's something I don't know about, the Con- servative movement is not paying careful attention to the needs of its intelligent and serious teen-agers," said Mr. Potok. Others disagree. Rabbi Waldman said LTF's demise was an indication of the movement's all-around success. "LTF was an elitist movement. In those days, to be part of an elite didn't take very much," he said. "The average person now is far more religious than what I remember. Normal kids now are more skilled and more attached than we were in those days." "I view this as proof that the rest of the movement has caught up." CI (not shown) 4 Big Back-to-School savings on Stride Rite® quality girls' and boys' leather sneakers. 0- P Stride Greg SHOES Orchard Mall W. Bloomfield 851-5566 Evergreen Plaza Southfield 559.3580 "Serving the community for 35 years" Double your closet usage Factory Direct Sale 10% OFF CLOSET SYSTEMS Cali for a free-at-home consultation or visit our showroom moscrec - d4,iccc.ec &gild a' 473-07CK) 24407 Halsted Rd. Farmington Hills, MI 1 Blk. N. of Grand River For Your Shopping Convenience OPEN SUNDAY Why it ended remains a mystery that, to this day, troubles many. Rite® Every step of the way' Sept. 22, 12 - 4 p.m. it !Bail 29815 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY APPLEGATE SQUARE ?lo r 357-1800 Mon.-Sat. 10-5 Thurs. 10-8 to% ANDY ANDERSON'S 1.,e0;1 Jeep/Eagle - if II Come in & seeour Ash. A NEW, EXCITING line 334 _3600 of 1992s! Jeep 1825 S. Telegraph Road 1-800-334-JEEP Bloomfield Hills ask for Steve Strickstein Chaim Potok: Early director. Eagle THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 43