Puzzled By The Decision
Not To Fund Darchei Torah
Federation's decision to decline funding, for a
second straight year, to the Darchei Torah school
is perplexing.
First, let's look at the reasons given for the re-
fusal: a duplication of services between Darchei
Torah and Yeshiva Beth Yehudah; a flat Allied
Jewish Campaign; Darchei Torah is not regarded
by many as a school open to the entire commu-
nity, its focus geared to the most observant of
Orthodox students; area Chabad schools are not
funded, too.
Federation should have noted the hundreds
of Hillel Day School parents who thought the
state of Jewish education so important they
jammed the Middlebelt Road school to vote for
school officers. All the parents knew they were
also making a critical statement, that a Jew-
ish education requires activity and at least the
action of a vote. We have difficulty amassing
such numbers in this community unless Israel
is in trouble. Parents realize now more than ever
that Jewish education is at risk.
The truth is, we are waging a battle of sorts, in
an effort to save our children, our Jewish future.
There should be some funds made available
for each and every Jewish school in this com-
munity. Nobody is suggesting that we take mon-
ey from the allocation for any existing school,
though we continue to advocate a shift in over-
all allocations that keeps more dollars for local
needs, and less for overseas needs.
And the schools that are more established
should welcome institutions such as Darchei
Torah, which represent growth. Isn't that what
we want, even if it means that with growth
comes diversity? The alternative is to not need
as many schools, because we're losing our chil-
dren to assimilation.
Yes, Darchei Torah generally attracts chil-
dren only from the most observant of families,
where exposure to the modern world via tele-
vision is prohibited. But this is a school for Jews.
Its goals are basically the same as any other Jew-
ish educational facility: the preservation of our
people. The Torah learned at Darchei Torah is
the same Torah studied at Hillel, Akiva and Beth
Yehudah. We should welcome the opportunity,
the challenge to fund another school.
Circling The Wagons
Against An Enemy
Its happened again: an outside threat. Angry words
that provoke defensive words. More anger. Greater
frustration. And suddenly the Jewish community
unites as one against a perceived enemy.
The "enemy" in this case is Louis Farrakhan,
who will be in Baltimore Sunday through Tuesday
as an invited participant in the national African-
American leadership summit sponsored by the Na-
tional Association for the Advancement of Colored
People. For at least the last decade, Minister Far-
rakhan has been among the top "enemies du jour"
ofAmerican Jews. Almost relentlessly, he and they
have been locked in verbal combat. This has, to
some extent, helped inflate his stock among some
black Americans and it has surely raised the ire of
the vast majority of American Jews.
With Mr. Farrakhan's participation in the
NAACP's "summit," the Nation of Islam leader
gains a legitimacy that is painful and abhorrent to
many Jews. Much less painful, but of equal con-
cern, is that it takes the perceived threat of Mr. Far-
rakhan to bridge the gap between the political right
and the political left in the Jewish world.
On Sunday, Michael Lerner, editor of the pro-
gressive Jewish magazine Tikkun, and Avi Weiss,
the New York rabbi whose politics are right-of-cen-
ter, will join in a protest outside the NAACP's na-
tional headquarters in Baltimore against Mr.
Farrakhan's inclusion in the national "summit."
The protest is further proof that the old adage, "My
enemy's enemy is my friend," still holds, at least
for the Jewish community. The only difference is
that for Jews, since we pride ourselves on an un-
derlying, cohesive peoplehood, our "enemy's ene-
my" becomes our enemy, too.
The NAACP's "summit" is highly revelatory of
both the Jewish and black communities. For Jews,
it signals again that they suffer from a certain spir-
itual bankruptcy: External threats are our best as-
surance of internal unity. Not Torah. Not God. Not
ritual. Not even lox-and-bagels, that common de-
nominator of purely culinary Jews. But nasty words
that shudderingly resonate with a past steeped
in genocide and pogroms.
For blacks, the "summit" signals, once again,
that they will go to great lengths to impose some
sort of order from the chaos that stalks their corn-
munity. Inviting Mr. Farrakhan to the "summit"
is like inviting the fox into the chicken coop: In a
stupendous coup, he has the once-moderate NAACP
eating out of his hands. But it also shows that the
black community, much like the Jewish commu-
nity, rallies together when facing danger. Despite
all the warnings from the mainstream press, from
Jewish leaders and even from some black leaders
that playing with Mr. Farrakhan is playing with
fire, the NAACP invited him, anyway.
One can only hope that the legitimacy and re-
spectability thus conferred upon Mr. Farrakhan is
offset by a corresponding recognition by him that
such status brings a responsibility to moderate his
words and ideas about Jews. Without such a shift,
an eternity of "summits" will not negate the hurt
and the suspicions that infect what was once a
healthier and far more productive relationship.
Letters
Federation
And Darchei Torah
Thank you for your coverage of
our Federation's incomprehensi-
ble decision to withhold funding
from Yeshivas Darchei Torah. It
is an issue which we feel should
rightly have been brought to the
attention of your readership.
Yeshavas Darchei Torah is a lo-
cal day school with an eight-year
track record of providing quality
Jewish education to a student pop-
ulation now numbering nearly 200;
surely a proven asset to our com-
munity, however you look at it.
Our principals and board
members have dragged them-
selved to meeting after meeting
with Federation officials to beg
and plead for beneficiary status
year after year, only yet again to
be turned down completely. And
this from a Federation ostensi-
bly trumpeting "priority funding
for Jewish education!"
And well it should be a prior-
ity, as the very future and via-
bility of our people depends on
our children's Jewish education
today. In our day and age, no es-
tablished institution which edu-
cates Jewish children should
have to go begging our Federa-
tion for funding. The fact that
there somehow is no money for
Yeshivas Darchei Torah certain-
ly must give one pause to think.
Darchei Torah offers trad-
tional, intensive Torah education,
the kind of educatin your bubbies
and zaydies had; the kind of ed-
ucaiton that ensured the "conti-
nuity" of our Jewish community
up to the present; the kind of
Jewish education that will guar-
antee the survival of Judaism
into the future.
We were told, however, that
Darchei Torah is seen as a "du-
plication of services," in "compe-
tition" with Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah. This is hogwash. Fed-
eration doesn't duplicate ser-
vices? Then why do we have two
Jewish centers? How many Tal-
mud Torah afternoon schools
have received funding? Etc.
As to the competition aspect,
the Metro Detroit Jewish com-
munity now comprises approxi-
mately 750 Orthodox families,
with more than enough children
to justify multiple day schools.
Moreover, there is a talmudic
saying: Kinas sofrim tarbeh
chochma ("The jealousy of
Scribes increases wisdom"). This
teaches that, in terms of Torah
learning, competition is healthy,
as each improves in an effort to
outshine the other, thereby ben-
efiting the entire Jewish people.
Every parent of Beth Yehudah
will admit that their school has
improved tremendously since
Darchei Torah opened its doors,
and this is as it should be. It's a
win-win situation for everyone.
It's simply a darn shame that
Federation is forcing such a won-
derful school to struggle so.
Yeshivas Darchei Troah is run
on less than a shoestring. The
school has no building, no major
donors, no outside funding. All
we have are two tireless, incred-
ible principals, a staff of unbe-
lievably devoted teachers, an
outstandingly active and dedi-
cated parent body, and a whole
school full of sweet Jewish chil-
dren who love learning and want
the chance to continue to do so in
the school that has thus far nur-
tured them so well.
Robert and Susan Tawil
Oak Park
The Obituary
For B'nai David
It was said to read your May 27
obituary regarding the death of
one of the finest Jewish institu-
tions in this community. My only
thought is, how could B'nai
David, an institution with so
much history and pride, fail?
Upon reflection the truth is ob-
vious. There has been a severe
lack of leadership at B'nai David
for years, if not decades. The
merger with B'nai Moshe is a
last- resort, or shall I say a sav-
ing-face, gesture on behalf of the
mythical leadership at B'nai
David.
This merger is too little, too
late. Once complete with B'nai
Moshe, B'nai David's identity will
become extinct. However, we
may see a reminder such as a
plaque remembering its history,
but that will be the extent of any
documentation of such a merger.
The problem with B'nai David
has been, and to this day re-
mains, the same. The lack of
youth injected into B'nai David's
veins has led to its demise. The
stated membership of 200-300
B'NAI DAVID page 8