7 50 DETROIT THE JEWISH N',EAATS 4 IYAR 5754/APRIL 15, 1994 CLOSE UP Watch And Worry security reasons, he and his brothers in Israel and Australia purchased a condo- minium for their mother in a new Jew- ish community retirement village in Johannesburg. She does not want to leave South Africa. She was supposed to move into her new home this month, but the movers refused to travel the roads until after the elections. Thirty to 40 years ago, says Dr. Sobel, South Africa's Jewish community may have been the most successful in the world. It was united in its Zionism and unassimilated. And it was spread evenly throughout the country. "Now," he says, "rural Jews are non-existent." Some 80-90 percent of the country's 90,000 to 105,000 Jews live in Johannesburg. "The move was not for security rea- sons, but to maintain Jewish Dr. Jack Sobel Dr. Jeffrey Maise Is identity," Dr. Sobel says. the United States for 28 years. But he In the last year, however, even more visited South Africa as recently as last changes have occurred. In Johannesburg summer and plans to go again next fall. last summer, Dr. Maisels attended Friday He was not concerned about security night services at the Great Synagogue, until last year. "Petty crime was always where he was bar mitzvah and married. quite common," Dr. Maisels says. "People In the past, normal attendance at services would break into houses and steal some- was 200, he says. That Shabbat last thing, but they did not kill you. Now, summer, there were 20. Today, the Great stories of random violence have increased Synagogue is closed. It was located in an enormously." area where it is no longer safe to walk Dr. Sobel, chairman of the infectious to services. diseases department at Harper Hospital, The Jewish community in South Africa visited his 76-year-old mother 20 miles outside Johannesburg in January. For WATCH page 10 Expatriate South African Jews worry about friends and family. ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR Teaching The Masses Local educators take successful learning techniques to classrooms of the world. LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER I ra Wise would have been content packing boxes. But then he found himself in Los Angeles in a car next to an artist doodling a Batman- like character. The artist, Joel Lurie Grishaver, created Betman. Mr. Wise wrote the book. Betman, a young boy dressed in a cape and face mask, is used as a teaching tool. Betrnan's Book of Hebrew Letters was developed in 1990 in the California offices of Torah Aura Productions. It was Mr. Wise's internship project during the sum- mer off from a master's program at Hebrew Union College, more chal- lenging than packing boxes or any other menial task he was more than willing to do. Mr. Wise and a handful of others from Detroit have taken their teach- ing to a higher level, offering what works in the classroom to students worldwide. All use their little spare time to develop independent projects. All have a gimmick of sorts. For Mr. Wise, Temple Emanu-El educator, it was Betman. Rita Abramson, director of Temple Israel's religious school and Stepping Stones to a Jewish Me — a program for in- terfaith families — uses familiar songs. Agency for Jewish Education director of educational services and TEACHING page 48 here are areas of Johan- nesburg where few people drive at night anymore. And if they do, they slow down at red lights and then speed on through the intersection. There are areas of South Africa's largest city where Jews no longer live, where it is no longer safe to walk to synagogue on Friday night. These are the realities of South Africa today, and Jews from South Africa who live in the Detroit area fear the situation will worsen after the April 27 national elections. Conditions will not deteriorate because blacks will vote for the first time in South Africa's history, says Dr. Jack Sobel of West Bloomfield. Conditions may deteri- orate because the black population may expect instant economic rewards after the elections, something any government would be hard pressed to deliver. Local Jews with ties to South Africa are worried about their friends and fam- ily. Dr. Jeffrey Maisels of Bloomfield Township calls his parents weekly. Chairman of the pediatrics depai Linent at Beaumont Hospital, he has been in `Schindler' For Free ION High schools are offered film on the Holocaust. LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER 1B loomfield Hills Andover and Lahser high schools did it. So did Royal Oak Dondero. Schindler's List, the Academy-Award winning movie chronicling the life of boozer, womanizer, Jew-saver Oskar Schindler during World War II, has been shown to a number of teens in Michigan through independent contracts made be- tween school districts and movie theaters. An arrangement made between Gov. John Engler and movie director Steven Spielberg will bring the true tale to greater numbers of youth around the state at no cost. Michigan joins about 25 other states in the Holocaust education effort. California Gov. Pete Wilson was the first to link schools and Mr. Spielberg. "Educating kids about history and our past is so important. We must help them learn from past mistakes to ensure they won't be repeated," Gov. Engler said Monday in a press release. "I applaud Steven Spielberg for his efforts to teach young people about the horrors of the Opening Day! Holocaust and his willingness to work with the states to make sure students are aware of the historical significance of this atrocity." The movie will be shown in theaters, many of which give space to schools in the afternoon as a public service. The costs of the film and educational guides are fund- ed by Mr. Spielberg. Teachers will receive four optional study guides for teaching about the Holocaust. They are required to use at least one lesson to prepare for the view- ing and follow up with at least one dis- cussion session. As of Tuesday, John Truscott, spokes- man for the governor, had not yet seen the teaching guides. Details as to when the film will be available to schools also have not been worked out, but Mr. Truscott is hopeful some students will view Schindler's List this spring under the arrangement. Sid Bolkosky, University of Michigan- Dearborn professor and author of the Holocaust curriculum Life Unworthy of Life, said if the viewing of Schindler's SCHINDLER page 13 Warm memories and cold Tigers. Page 14 Shifting Gears Rising interest rates force new strategies. Page 38 Brother Act The Ftaimi boys take childhood to Hollywood. Page 70 Contents on page 3