a

Hebrew school, 1955

Photo by Krista Husa

Photo by Benyas-Kaufman, courtesy of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

children in full-time Jewish day schools.
But conversations with parents, educa-
tors and even a few students indicate
that today's Hebrew schools bear little
here's an old joke in which a
resemblance to those of yesteryear.
synagogue, after failing to rid
There is a sense that — while chil-
itself of mice through traps,
dren may still kvetch — Hebrew school
poison and prayer, forces
is better than it used to be. Professional
them to attend Hebrew school. The
development
opportunities for teachers,
pesky rodents vow never to return.
integration
of informal and
years,
Hebrew
school
was
For
"fun" activities into the class-
the target of these kinds of jokes.
Left: Sixth-
room, encouragement of stu-
Students complained about
grade r Leah
dent participation and a greater
unprepared teachers, repetitive
Garre tt takes a
focus on parental involvement
lessons and long hours tacked
Hebre w exam.
appear to have enhanced the
onto already tiring days at public
experience. In addition, with
school. Teachers complained
the
disbanding
of Detroit's United
about restless students whose parents
Hebrew Schools in 1992, children are
viewed the synagogue as little more than
learning in their family's synagogues,
a bar mitzvah factory and who tolerated
which gives the education more of a
behavior they never would have permit-
context.
ted of their children in public school.
Elissa Berg, director of education for
The afternoon Hebrew school model
Temple Kol Ami, attended Hillel Day
(often called "supplemental school") still
School and doesn't have firsthand mem-
has its critics, and a growing number of
ories of supplemental school. She recalls
parents are opting instead to enroll their

JULIE WIENER
Staff Writer

.

Children may still kvetch about it,
but there's a growing feeling that
Jewish education is improving.

1/30
1998

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