SHALOM page 8
active Learning Center, which
she helped establish 10 years
ago, is regarded as a model by
other institutions pondering the
continuity of Hebrew in the Di-
aspora.
Ms. Lev recently returned
rom a two-day conference in
ew York as a member of the
newly formed National Com-
mission on Hebrew Teaching,
which was set up by adminis-
trators and language specialists
to hash out a future for the
teaching of Hebrew.
BEATEN PATH page 8
and Dannel Schwartz. Both at-
tracted more than 350 people.
"We're trying to maintain our
core classes but also add free, in-
teresting, short programs," Ms.
Blumenberg says.
Regular tuition-based cours-
es, like twice-daily Hebrew class-
es and a few courses taught by
local rabbis, are held at the AJE
building at 12 Mile and Labser
roads in Southfield and have an
enrollment of roughly 200 stu-
dents. The ME has added a free
monthly discussion session that
brings non-native, fluent He-
brew speakers and Israelis to-
gether.
Another test balloon that
didn't float was last year's offer-
One major issue is enhancing
the teaching of Hebrew in after-
noon religious schools. Another
is developing a curriculum
that can be adopted by native
and non-native Hebrew teach-
ers.
Ultimately, the commission
hopes to make Hebrew a part of
every Jewish child's literacy, Ms.
Lev says.
Learning Hebrew is learning
heritage. It is a shared connec-
tion between Jews. It is the lan-
guage of Jewish history. And it
ing of some ME courses at the
Jewish Community Center in
West Bloomfield. The agency fig-
ured that with drop-in day care,
the classes would attract
younger parents. They didn't.
The focus groups, which com-
prised about 60 people, con-
firmed that the AJE's building
is fine for regular classes.
"They wanted to be in a 'cool'
place for the lecture series, not
for paid classes," she says. "[Lec-
tures] provide a forum for peo-
ple to get out the door and get a
taste."
The AJE also plans to work
with area synagogues to. com-
plement their offerings, whether
it be lectures or classes.
"We are working with all of
the congregations to meet all
also happens to be an interest-
ing language, she says.
"We believe the interest in He-
brew will spark a renewal of in-
terest in Israel," Ms. Lev says,
adding that the Israeli experi-
ence is much richer for people
who can speak even a little He-
brew. It also means a lot to Is-
raelis when visitors, or in some
cases, heads of state, use their
language.
"Bill Clinton's 'Shalom,
chaver' has swept [Israel] off its
feet," Ms. Lev says. ❑
their needs and provide re-
sources that as individual con-
gregations they might not be
able to offer," Ms. Blumenberg
says.
In addition, the ME is con-
sidering reintroducing its mas-
ter of arts degree program in
Judaic studies, which it dropped
in the early '90s.
AJE is fulfilling its mandate
to be a resource for all Jewish
schools by hosting, for the fourth
year, an intensive one-day edu-
cational conference for religious
school teachers that covers
everything from teaching the
holidays to teaching Jewish val-
ues. Nirim will be held on Sun-
day, Feb. 23, at Temple Israel.
The theme this year is Hay-
dalah. ❑
G
ov. John Engler greeted admirers like Lew Silver, at left,
boasted about the successes of his administration and
answered audience questions at last week's meeting
of the Jewish Business Exchange at the Jewish Communi-
ty Center in West Bloomfield.
Although most of his talk focused on the "state of the state,"
Gov. Engler mentioned the bilateral trade team he set up to
promote the flow of technology and ideas between Michigan
and Israel — a first for a governor — and told the audience
he plans to visit Israel sometime this year.
Gov. Engler said he has met with leaders of Partnership
2000, a Jewish Federation program set up to link Michigan
businesspeople, students, doctors and academicians with
their counterparts in the Central Galilee. He said he'll visit
the region and other commercial centers when he goes to Is-
rael. ❑
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