$659'

PHOTO BY DANI EL LIPPITT

More Of A Lexus At Less Of A Price.
Whichever One You Choose.

a monthI36 months

1997 Lexus LX 450

M.S.R.P. $53,718.

Anita Naftaly: Filling an educational need.

$0 down. $6,193 total due at start.

($5,000 is a refundable security deposit)

$6592

•

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Learning Enabled

The AJE is helping religious schools to reach
all kinds of students.

a rn onthl 36 months

PHIL JACOBS EDITOR

A

1997 Lexus LS 400

M.S.R.P. $58,587.

$0 down. $7,565 total due at start.

($5,000 is a refundable security deposit)

From the sport luxury of the LX 450 to the sedan luxury
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surely be hard work. Of course, anything worth having always is.

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Each with full warranty, new car finance rates, and more.
Please call us for details on available vehicles and this program.

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Both lease offers through LFS. 36 months, 12,000 miles per year closed-end leases. Ends6-6-97.

Down Payment
Refundable Security Depost

Amount Due at Start
Total Payment for Lease

'$O, 'SO
'$5,000,15,000

'$6,193, 2$7,565
'$25,148, 2$25,148

Lease End Purchase Option.... 1 $34,916.70, 2$33,980.46
Cost Per Mile Over Limitation
1 "$0.15
(License, title, tax', document fees additional)
*Luxury tax is included in amount due at start.

©1996 Lexus, A Division Of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., The. Lexus reminds you to wear seatbelts and obey all speed laws.

s far back as she can re-
member, Anita Naftaly
remembers children drop-
ping out of religious
schools. It had little to do with
a lack of interest and more to do
with an inability to learn subjects
like Hebrew language.
It was in the mid-1980s that
Rabbi Irwin Groner of Congre-
gation Shaarey Zedek asked Ms.
Naftaly to design a pullout pro-
gram for what was then called
"slow learners." The goal, she
said, was to recognize that some
students learn differently.
Now, some 12 years later, the
Agency for Jewish Education has
recognized these students as
well.
A program has been in opera-
tion through this school year
called Opening The Doors Spe-
cial Education Partnership Pro-
gram. It is an opportunity for
ATE to provide religious schools
with special education teachers
to work with students. The pro-
gram offers consultation, teach-
ers, training workshops and
networking for religious schools.
So far, nine partnership
schools are assisting children
with learning disabilities. They
include nursery schools at Adat
Shalom Synagogue and Temple
Emanu-El; congregational
schools at Temple Kol Ami, Con-
gregation Beth Shalom, Temple
Beth El and Temple Israel; and
day schools including Akiva, Hil-
lel and Darchei Torah.
The resources and training
available to the children varies
from school to school. Some
schools work with an inclusion
program, teaching the learning
disabled in the same classroom

with the rest of a student's age
group. Some programs offer in-
struction on a pullout basis. Oth-
ers have resource rooms to work
with those in need.
Beyond all of the resources,
the bottom line for this program
is to help children "survive" in re-
ligious school. A student who is
dyslexic or who has attention
deficit hyperactivity disorder
should be offered the same op-
portunities to learn Hebrew,
Bible or any other curriculum of-
fered.
According to Ms. Naftaly, the
program director, almost 12 per-
cent of all school-aged children
have special learning needs. Of
that 12 percent, some 42 percent
are learning disabled.
"What we're doing is partner-
ing qualified professionals, teach-
ers with master's degrees, with
our children. We are now giving
appropriate support to the chil-
dren.
"It's not appropriate for any
child to feel frustrated and want
to drop out," she said. "It's our job
as educators to make Jewish re-
ligious school education fun and
accessible to everyone. We want -
our children to feel good about
themselves, to have a wonderful
feeling about being Jews."
The fact that Hebrew is a dif-
ferent sort of alphabet can be a
challenge to a child with learn-
ing disabilities. Teachers, said
Mrs. Naftaly, come up with "in-
novative ways that work" to help
the children grasp concepts.
Sometimes teachers will create
three-dimensional Hebrew let- c.---
ters permitting the children to

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LEARNING page 22