Implementation
Federation's education committee approves
tr a nsition funding'for ex-UHS branches.
LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER
fter nearly 12
months of
meeting and
deliberation,
the imple-
mentation
committee of
the Giles task
force on edu-
cation has
issued con-
crete plans
for assisting
in the new
direction of
Je-wish learning in
Detroit.
The 1992 Jewish Fed-
eration of Metropolitan
Detroit-sponsored survey
on education, known as
the Giles report, suggest-
ed the Agency for Jewish
Education discontinue
running United Hebrew
Schools and act as a
resource for congregation-
al schools.
The implementation
committee was left with
the task of easing former
UHS locations into auton-
omous, congregational
schools and working to
keep the approximately
750 UHS students from
falling through the
cracks.
In its plan, approved by
the Federation board of
governors, the implemen-
tation committee suggest-
ed funding through sup-
plementary grants of
$444,000 for five groups
over a four-year-period.
Former UHS branches
at Beth Achim, Shir
Tikvah and Adat Shalom
will receive gradually de-
creasing dollar amounts
to help make up the dif-
ference between the con-
gregations' cost of run-
ning a school and the
schools' maximum pro-
School. It received its
1992-93 UHS budget,
although not functioning
as an AJE branch, plus
$22,000 to aid in the
transition.
Federation funding for
Beth Achim will cease in
1994-95 because its
school already has re-
ceived dollars for its first
non-UHS year in 1992-93.
Subsequent funding will
be $40,000 and $20,000
over two school years.
Children unaffiliated
with the temples and syn-
agogues may attend the
schools for a slightly
higher fee than member
students. Scholarships
are not yet available
through the Federation.
"Because of the Jewish
„, community's current eco-
nomic difficulties, we are
asking during the first
school year (after UHS),
for each educational
provider to do their best
to revise tuition for those
in need of assistance,"
said Allan Nachman,
jetted tuition revenue. By
chairman of the imple-
the 1996-97 school year,
mentation committee.
all three schools should
Mr. Nachman hopes to
be running independent
have an initial scholar-
operations.
ship package available for
In addition to their
the 1994-95 school year.
final UHS allocations for
For now, the implementa-
1992-93, Shir Tikvah and
tion committee and the
Adat Shalom received
Federation board must
$27,000 and $15,000
deal with issues of raising
respectively to assist in
funds and determining
hiring and start-up costs.
how to distribute them.
Both acted as AJE
Other area religious
branches.
schools will not receive
Shir Tikvah will receive
Federation funding as
funding of $20,000,
non-UHS schools have
$12,000 and $8,000 for
not received dollars in the
the next three school
past. Instead, all remain-
years. Adat Shalom,
ing community dollars
AJE's largest branch, will
earmarked for education
be allotted $80,000,
will be directed toward
$70,000 and $40,000 dur-
one source — the AJE.
ing the same period.
"Equity is the watch
Beth Achim merged its
word," said Larry Ziffer,
school with Beth Abra-
Federation planning di-
ham Hillel Moses and
rector. "Although there
B'nai David to form the
will be some inequity
Congregational Religious
through the transition,
we feel no community dol-
lars should go to subvent
school operating deficits."
Mr. Ziffer said money
may be available for spe-
cific programs through
foundations. Congrega-
tion schools can link with
AJE as partners to devel-
op educational endeavors
that will be available.
The implementation
committee also recom-
mended former UHS
teachers be compensated.
Some 30 educators will
share in a teacher service
recognition fund of
$45,000 distributed
equally over the next
three years.
In addition, Jewish Ex-
perience For Families
(JEFF) received funds to
aid in its move from the
Jewish Community Cen-
ter in West Bloomfield to
the AJE building in
Southfield. Ten thousand
dollars was allocated to
JEFF for the 1992-93
year. Its budget will be
melded in increments
with AJE's over the next
four years.
By the end of the sum-
mer, the Giles implemen-
tation committee expects
to scale down. Three to
five persons will remain.
Their obligation during
the next three years will
be to monitor the transi-
tion and budgetary opera-
tions of the Hebrew
schools and work with the
education division of Fed-
eration to create a schol-
arship program.
"Things never happen
as fast as people want,"
Mr. Nachman said. "It
takes a period of time to
plan, to determine what's
needed to be successful.
Howard Gelberd (AJE
executive director) has
done that. Now we formu-
late a program, hire
personnel and begin to
deliver." ❑