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rEN 1.

PERFECTLY

Education Task Force
Considers TV Options

Franklin Club has a "Heimish"
atmosphere.

2. Utilities are "Included"
in the rent.

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

ernard? Maybe. Max?
Perhaps. Definintely
not Baruch.
The next Barney,
a Jewish purple dinosaur
that would capture the
hearts and minds of the
community's youth, was
the topic of discussion
among the newly created
Jewish Education TV Task
Force. The group, made up
of educators, parents,
rabbis and media and
communications profes-
sionals, met for the first
time June 14.
Chaired by Sherry
Margolis and Michael
Feldman and directed by
Agency for Jewish
Education Executive
Director Howard Gelberd,
the group gathered to
share its ideas in shaping
the future of Jewish
education through the use
of cable television and
video.

B

3. We operate "Our Own Kitchen"
and provide a registered dietician.

R ATIONAL

4. Linens and towels are done in
"Our Own Laundry."

REASONS

5. Franklin Club is well staffed by
over 115 "Caring Employees."

FOR SELECTING

6. The rental rates are "Consistently

Reasonable."

7. Worship services are provided
"Within" the community.

O UR

RETIREMENT

COMMUNITY

TV must be viewed
as a tool, not a
replacement for
educators.

8. There are "Beautiful Courtyards"
and enclosed "Walking Paths."

9. Storage lockers are available for
"Extra" belongings.

io. "Flexible" living packages are

designed to accommodate
individual needs.

•

• 'FRANKLIN A n outstanding Retirement Community
CLUB APARTMENTS with an Established Tradition of Excellence

s

28301 Franklin Road, Southfield, Michigan 48034

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The task force is one of
AJE's big moves away from
operations and toward act-
ing as an education
resource for all the commu-
nity's youth.
Joel Levitch, president
and chief executive officer
of National Jewish
Television Network, was
excited.
"I've been playing with
this idea since 1982. I pub-
licized the notion of closed
circuit television for educa-
tion then, and the technolo-
gy has only improved," he
said. "I think the hesitancy
has been because there
were other priorities in the
Jewish community. But
identity as an issue has
finally surfaced with
enough force to be taken
seriously."
In its first meeting,
among big ideas and lofty
goals, the task force agreed
upon two issues — the
MTV generation needs to
be stimulated; and televi-
sion, video and cable must
be viewed as a tool, not a
replacement for the role of
educators.

"If you tell me students
are going to be watching
more than a 20-minute
block of video, I'll tell you
you are wasting my teach-
ers' and my students'
time," said Ira Wise, presi-
dent of the Jewish
Educators Council of
Metropolitan Detroit and
educator at Temple
Emanu-El. "Teachers need
time to turn off the televi-
sion and discuss with the
students what was viewed,
to see if they got it. Follow-
up is critical."
AJE educator Harlene
Appelman envisioned
interactive use of video,
with older students produc-
ing television shows and
younger students as the
target audience.
David Techner, director
of the • Ira Kaufman
Funeral Chapel and a
teacher at Temple Israel,
shared his 7-year-old
daughter's idea — a car-
toon series.
"She says it's hard for
her to visualize Moses
thousands of years ago. It's
not real for her. She wants
to see it," Mr. Techner said.
Jim August of Stone,
August, Baker Communi-
cations agreed, adding a
component — money.
"Increasing numbers of
fundamentalist animated
series are funded on the
basis they will be sold for
retail. They are shaped in
terms of length, quality
and design to be acquired
as a series," Mr. August
said. "I like the concept of
participatory use of video.
But these kids are a tough
market. They are weaned
on the fine productions of
MTV and Disney. I think
well-produced animation
has the opportunity to con-
nect in a different and per-
haps more meaningful
way."
Other ideas included a
soap opera, Jewish
Jeopardy, news shows and
satellite links between
schools in different cities.
Fine-tuning target audi-
ence by age and affiliation,
finances, the creation of a
student focus group, and
the best uses of student-
teacher time were consider-
ations for subsequent
meetings. ❑