I Jews

BARBARA G. ACKER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Far lett
Robert Werney, Beth El educational
director Annie Friedman and teacher
Alan Lowen enjoy services together.

Above:
Rosanne DeRoven reads a Haggadah
with Corey Wert.

From age 5
through adulthood,
16 persons with
ct special needs are
learning their
4 Fc ?--2 Jewish roots in a
E' Saturday class.

1

14

he smile on Corey Wert's face
speaks volumes, but the expres-
sions on the faces of his teachers,
parents and rabbi as they discuss
what the Special Needs Religious
School Program at Temple Beth
El means to all of them brightens
the already sunny classroom.
Corey, 16, from Bloomfield
Hills, is attending a Saturday
confirmation class. Although he
will be confirmed in May with all
of the other graduates at Temple
Beth El, his studies have been
separate.
As a special-needs student,
Corey is one of 16 who come to a
program designed specifically for
them. Each Saturday, children
aged 5 through high-school-age
attend an ungraded religion class,
while older students are in an-
other confirmation classroom and
adults from area JARC homes fill
a third.
The classes are much like
those that meet on Sundays —
Jewish studies, Hebrew, some
cooking and baking. Special art
and music teachers come in to
round out the education given to
them by four certified special-ed-
ucation teachers.

In addition, everyone partici-
pates in an annual Chanukah
workshop, Passover seder and
even a late morning Shabbat din-
ner, where the students make
everything from matzah ball soup
to dessert and then serve it to
their parents and guests.
Although the pace may be a
little slower, both the caring and
learning shine through.
Alan Lowen, who teaches the
younger children, says, 'There is
no perfection involved here — no
right, no wrong. Everyone works
up to his or her ability, everyone
is accepted and nurtured."
That certainly seems to be in
evidence. Former special-needs
students are working as aides in
both the office and the class-
rooms. Go to the temple on any
Saturday or Sunday and you will
see Robert Werney working and
helping the students. He has
been there as long as the program
has been in existence, and with
good reason. His mother, Rose
Werney, coordinator of the Spe-
cial Needs Program, started the
program 20 years ago in response
to her son's unfulfilled religious
school needs. Rabbi Jeffrey T azar,

Left:
Marilyn Shekter at her bat mitzvah.

educational director at the time,
asked Ms. Werney to write up a
curriculum for a special-needs
program. It turned out to be her
master's thesis at Wayne State
University. Throughout the
years, the objective of the pro-
gram has remained the same:
"We serve all children and
have them become the best Jews
they can be, and the best people
they can be," said Ms. Werney.
"We focus on everything from re-

ligion, morals and tzedakah, tc,
cooking, baking and dancing."
The program can, however, be
altered or adjusted to meet the
needs of the population. While
there is no provision for teaching
the visually-impaired (there are no
such students currently enrolled),
it is a need that could be addressed,
according to Ms. Werney.
Any Jewish handicapped child
or adult may attend the program
and need not be a synagogue
member. Ms. Werney would like
to see the program expand. It is
partially funded through the
temple and the Jewish Federa-
tion of Metropolitan Detroit, but
could easily accommodate more
students.
Religious instruction does not
follow any specific viewpoint, Mr.
Lowen said, and the Saturday as
opposed to Sunday classes give
the students the opportunity to
attend services, putting the
prayers and blessings they have
learned into practice.
SPECIAL page 16

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