Coming
Full Circle
Why day-school
graduates want
the same for
their children.
LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER
M
I ichael Green-
baum rattles
off school
memories as
if he just
graduated.
He donned
his cap and
gown in 1974 — the first gradu-
ating class of Akiva Hebrew Day
School — but vividly recalls
watching a small school grow,
spending his senior year in Israel
during the Yom Kippur War, and
playing football and hockey
against Robert Schostak.
`The Schostak brothers usual-
ly won at football, but I think we
held our own in floor hockey," Mr.
Greenbaum said.
Like Mr. Greenbaum, Mr.
Schostak remembers the excite-
ment of being at the beginning of
something new.
In third grade, he transferred
from a Southfield public elemen-
tary to a Conservative Solomon
Schecter day school — Hillel.
Both schools were "new kids
on the block."
It was the 1960s and most chil-
dren went to Yeshiva Beth Yehu-
dah if they attended a Jewish day
school.
Yet these fledgling institutions,
along with Yeshiva Beth Yehu-
dah and its sister school Bais
Yaakov, continued to grow. Each
has its own plans for ex-
pansion. Each boasts a
number of students that
are children of graduates.
"I think the philosophy of Aki-
va was different. It offered an al-
ternative choice — a good Jewish
education that was modern Or-
thodox and pro-Zionist. The idea
was when you go to college and
live your life, you'll continue your
Jewish education even though
days are spent in the secular
workplace," Mr. Greenbaum said.
Mr. Greenbaum is an accoun-
tant. Mr. Schostak works in real
estate. They both keep kosher
homes and are affiliated with
synagogues — Young Israel of
Southfield and Adat Shalom Syn-
agogue, respectively. Both send
their children to their alma
mater. Mr. Schostak serves as
president of Hillel.
"The world operates with a sec-
ular perspective. You have to
make decisions. My wife and I
wanted our kids to have a Jew-
ish lifestyle," Mr. Schostak said.
The cycle, the continuum of
day-school student to day-school
parent, wasn't a choice for Chaya
(Seligson) Rothstein of Oak Park.
It was a given.
"As a girl, Rabbi Sholom Gold-
stein was my principal, later in
life my bosS," Ms. Rothstein said
regarding her education and
From left to right, day-school
graduates Chaya Rothstein,
Robert Schostak, Michael
Greenbaum.
teaching career with Bais
Yaakov, the girl's division of
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah.
"My children are surround-
ed by others following their way
of life. The children have the ad-
vantage of not only learning
what to do, but the hows and
whys of what they do," Ms. Roth-
stein said.
A 1977 graduate of Bais
Yaakov, Ms. Rothstein was raised
in an observant home in Oak
Park. Post high-school education
included both Beth Jacob of
Jerusalem and Wayne State Uni-
versity. In addition to teaching
Hebrew at Bais Yaakov, Ms.
Rothstein writes children's books.
She says she didn't miss Fri-
day night dates or feel the need
to rebel against Orthodoxy in
high school.
"There were so many wonder-
ful extra-curricular activities to
fill your days and nights. Perhaps
for students from non-observant
families it might have felt re-
strictive," Ms. Rothstein said.
Mr. Schostak's experiences
were different.
Unlike Ms. Rothstein, who was
raised in an Orthodox family and
knew a certain way of life was ex-
pected, Mr. Schostak grew up in
a family more connected to the
secular world.
After graduating from Hillel in
eighth grade, he attended South-
field High School. His com-
mencement included 700 other
students.
And although he sat down to
Shabbat dinner most every week,
sometimes football games and
dances followed. But Mr.
Schostak insists the values in-
stilled at Hillel remained.
"It was tough for my parents,
but they encouraged the total so-
cial experience of school," Mr.
Schostak said.
Mr. Schostak, Mr. Greenbaum
and Ms. Rothenstein all express
great commitment to their
schools. They retain childhood
friendships, serve on boards and
volunteer time. They all insist
day schools provide the entire
family with an education.
"Hillel becomes a family expe-
rience," Mr. Schostak said. "Those
families who would not consider
themselves firmly committed,
practicing Jews develop even
stronger roots and ties. The ex-
perience is brought into their
homes by their children's educa-
tion.
"It happened in our home and
it happened to my parents," Mr.
Schostak said.
Connecting that sentiment to
day-to-day activities, Mr. Green-
baum explained what could be
called "the baseball dilemma."
He has four children ages 11,
9, 7 and 3. They maintain both
neighborhood and school friend-
ships.
"The ones active in little
league, they know they can't play
on Shabbat and on certain holi-
days. They don't even ask to.
They've been brought up know-
ing what they can and cannot do,"
Mr. Greenbaum said. "What we
teach at home is reinforced in
school." ❑