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JEWISH FEDERATION OF METRO ' I LITAN DETROIT

PRIZE FOR

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IN JEWM Cattlft&AND
60 n rtil . it t .- I

This first annual award has been created to recognize outstanding cre-
ative achievement in Fine Arts, Humanities, Jewish Education and Conti-
nuity as a vital force in Jewish life. Consideration for awards are:

Iii ]orking

Artists, Scholars and
Educators making a unique
contribution to Jewish Continuity

____Toducing
6 7-
Organizations
and Institutions

Awards (a cash prize) will be given for overall excellence of a body of work
and the meaningfulness of its contribution to the quality and continuity of
Jewish life in Michigan. In the category of organizations and institutions
no cash prize will be awarded. Instead, the winner in this category will re-
ceive a certificate of recognition and will be acknowledged publicly at the
awards presentation ceremony in June of1998. Individuals must reside in
Michigan. Organizations must be based in Michigan.

( /-,
1ominations will be accepted no later than February 15, 1998.

To obtain a nomination packet,
contact The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
Department of Community Outreach and Education

(248) 642-4260

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Allied Jewish Campaign

This prize was made possible by a generous gift
from the Benard L.Maas Foundation.

Since
1986

STEVEN TARNOW, C.R.

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1998

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Lost Generation?

A national report calls for quick and decisive action
to bring Jewish teens back into the fold.

JULIE WIENER

Staff Writer

G

uilt trips don't work any-
more.
So says "The Teen Con-
nection: Linking Jewish
Youth in the 21st Century," a new
report released by the Jewish Educa-
tion Service of North America's task
force on Jewish youth initiatives.
American Jewish teens are for the
most part "far more American than
Jewish," says the report, and "appeal-
ing to Jewish teens to maintain alle-
giance to Jewish life on the basis of
belonging to a historic people does
not strike a responsive chord in terms
of the thoroughness of their American
idealism."
Using extensive data from 11
American Jewish communities,
including Detroit's, the report found
that although 40-60 percent of b'nai
mitzvah continue their Jewish educa-
tion, fewer than 20 percent continue
into the upper grades of high school.
In addition, Jewish teens average two
or fewer hours per week on Jewish
activities and report little interest in
religion or ritual.
Do the findings indicate normal
adolescent rebellion or are they an
omen for the future of American
Jewish life? The task force views
them as grounds for a call to action,
stating: "Unless the Jewish commu-
nity acts quickly and decisively, there
is a distinct possibility that the cur-
rent cohort of Jewish adolescents will
be far less connected to Jewish life as
adults than any previous cohort."
The report calls for more coopera-
tion among various youth move-
ments and institutions, greater
administrative support and training
opportunities for youth professionals
and establishing — where possible
— increased Jewish community visi-
bility in the secular high schools that
the vast majority of Jewish teens
attend.
In addition, the task force recom-
mends that youth groups and Jewish
supplemental schools minimize obsta-
cles such as parent membership
requirements, provide opportunities

for teens to participate in planning
and promote exchange opportunities
with Israeli and other Jewish commu-
nities around the world.
Jordana Weiss, planning associate
for the Jewish Federation of Metro-
politan Detroit's culture and group
services division, helped JESNA gath-
er data from Detroit and staffed a
recent Detroit task force on youth
groups.
She says the JESNA report will be
useful in developing local strategies
for teen outreach and in assessing
what sorts of projects the Federation
should support. But based on what
she's seen in Detroit, Weiss is a little
more optimistic than the JESNA task
force.

American
Jewish teens are
"far more
American than
Jewish."

"I've been amazed by my meetings
with youth group members," she
says. 'A lot say that youth groups
really crystallized their Jewish identi-
ties, and the groups are doing a
tremendous job of outreach." The
Detroit task force recommendations
currently under consideration by Fed-
eration's board of governors are to
provide support for local youth
groups, provide in-kind services
through its agencies and establish a
scholarship fund to help teen-agers
participate in youth group conven-
tions.
Weiss estimates that there are
roughly 7,000 Jewish teen-agers in
metropolitan Detroit and that about
half of them participate in Jewish life,
whether through trips to Israel, youth
groups or religious school. ❑