Community High
School To Close

F

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

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fifty-thousand dollars for 50 a formal, weekly high-school pro-
students didn't make a lot gram include Congregations
of sense to Robert Berlow. B'nai Moshe, Beth Achim and
It didn't sit well with Beth Abraham Hillel Moses.
Federation is not certain
Douglas Bloom, either.
In a recent meeting between whether transition funding will
the education division of Jewish be available to such congrega-
Federation of Metropolitan De- tions. Students can apply for as-
troit and the Agency for Jewish sistance dollars through a
Education, both presidents sug- Federation-created scholarship
gested the phasing out of the program.
The numbers of students at-
AJE's Community Jewish High
School at the end of the 1993-94 tending the Community Jewish
High School continued to dwin-
school year.
At its peak, the high school ser- dle when the AJE ceased oper-
viced about 130 students. It ating elementary schools last
formed at the beginning of the year. The AJE turned its focus
1987-88 school year, merging from direct education of students
United Hebrew Schools high- to community-resource center.
school program and Congrega- Congregations beefed up their
tion Beth Shalom's school. The own curricula.
"We can now truly act as the
Community Jewish High School
was opened to all congregations resource center for training and
and unaffiliated students for con- support," said Mr. Berlow, AJE
tinuing education beyond the bar president. "The money spent on
the high school, with its low en-
and bat mitzvah years.
Of the ME's $850,000 alloca- rollment, was not money spent
tion from Federation for 1993-94, wisely."
$50,000 was used for the high-
school program. The ME hopes
to use those dollars for teen pro-
gramming and curriculum
development to assist congrega-
tions.
However, there is no guaran-
About a dozen of the Commu-
tee Federation will replace the
money in the 1994-95 allocations nity Jewish High School's 50 stu-
dents are not affiliated with a
to be announced in June.
"I believe at minimum the ME temple or synagogue or enrolled
will receive the same funding as in a day school. The ME will as-
last year," said Mr. Bloom, pres- sist unaffiliated students with
ident of Federation's education placement. It also will help find
division. "The agency will not be positions for the school's four or
penalized for not running a high five teachers.
Approximately 1,000 teens in
school. Now it's up to the com-
munity to find places for these the metropolitan Detroit area are
enrolled in some type of Jewish
students to go."
"I opposed the Community educational program following
Jewish High School since the be- bar and bat mitzvah. Educators
ginning. I never thought the ed- around the community agree
ucational process should leave reaching out to those who com-
the synagogue. The ME is mak- plete their educations at 13 years
ing the proper move," said Sy of age is a top-priority goal.
"We need to find out why in
Finkelstein, Beth Shalom presi-
dent. "We (congregations) have some families bar and bat mitz-
taken the students from kinder- vah is the end and not the spring-
garten up through the grades. We board," Mr. Berlow said.
have the best idea what our cur- "Somewhere we've missed the
riculum should be and how to boat. We've failed to seduce those
who are not in school. It's also im-
service our students' needs.
"Also, it is of the utmost im- perative we continue to motivate
portance not to export the stu- and interest the ones we have.
"If we're going to have Jewish
dents away from the synagogue
building. This age bracket is crit- identity and continuity, which we
ical. I'd love to see every young keep hearing so much about, we
person in synagogue each Satur- need education."
The ME's immediate goals are
day but that's not reality. At least
this (congregation-based schools) to assist schools in curriculum de-
brings the students to our site velopment. Teacher training, re-
and gets them to feel comfortable cruitment and placement,
Hebrew honors programs and re-
in the building."
Beth Shalom is gearing up for treats are also on the agenda.
Services, but not money, will
40 high-school students in the
fall. Other congregations lacking be available from the ME. LI

At its peak, the
school serviced 130
students.