Waking Up To School

TH E D E TRO IT J EW IS H NE WS

I

92

t was inevitable. Those
plans that started when
there was still snow on
the ground ... summer
camp, vacations up
north ... gave way to
thoughts of school. Wa-
tering cans, rafts and
swim suits were put on the shelf
in favor of new notebooks, fresh
school clothes and lunch boxes.
This looks to be a year when
questions of how we provide Jew-
ish education to our children will
continue from last year. Those
questions include the level of Fed-
eration dollars that go to afternoon
and Sunday school as well as day
school education. With the issue
of future continuity still pressing,
the strength of this Jewish com-
munity as well as similar ones all
over the country will depend on
the decisions made on funding for
education by our leaders in the
years we now find ourselves in.
In public school districts, com-
munity after community will be
asked again and again to review
school milages. Also, issues of
school vouchers and charter
schools and the role of state fund-
ing in underwriting public insti-
tutions will continue to be
scrutinized.
This was hardly on the minds,
though, of Jason Garden, 9, a Hil-
lel Day School fourth grader, and
his 7-year-old brother, Bradley,
a second grader. The sons of Jef-
frey and Helen Gar-
den of West
Bloomfield were up
early last week to be-
gin their first day
back to school. The
Jewish News was
there to follow them
from breakfast to car-
pool to the first bell.
Their experience,
captured by photog-
rapher Glenn Triest's
camera, was one
shared by thousands
of Jewish parents
community-wide. 0

Top:
Both boys are dressed
and ready to go.

Left:
Helen Garden puts
finishing touches on
lunches and backpacks.

Right
The Gardens approach
the front walk of
Hillel Day School.

PHIL JACOBS EDITOR

PHOTOS BY GLENN TRIEST