Jewish Education:
Vital To Jewish Continuity

A creative approach to funding and a burning
desire to survive have combined to brighten
the forecast for Akiva Hebrew Day School, as
reported in last week's Jewish News.
But sharply focused objectives, insightful
planning and prudent spending must domi-
nate decision making if Akiva, and other Jew-
ish schools in metro Detroit, are to secure their
financial future.
Thanks to the
Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan
Detroit, Akiva, an
Orthodox day
school, averted a fis-
cal crisis last year
and has since
worked to balance
the budget. Federa-
tion underscored its
longstanding com-
mitment to Jewish
education through a
combination grant
Akiva Hebrew Day School
and loan to Akiva
totaling $100,000.
The pressure now rises to keep Akiva's bud-
get balanced amid unsteady enrollment and
revenues. Parents have pitched in on building
repair and maintenance — just one example of
creative cost cutting.
The challenge at Akiva is to keep tuition
within reach while recruiting new students and
identifying new funding. Fund-raisers have
galvanized boosters and have generated signifi-
cant proceeds. If the right opportunity comes
along, Akiva undoubtedly will consider mov-

ing from its dollar-draining building in Lath-
rup Village. The right move in the South-
field/Lathrup/Oak Park area not only would
further stabilize our Orthodox community but
also serve to attract new students and new
investment.
What does the fiscal future hold for Akiva
and other local Jewish schools? Nor Gat Vaist!
That's Yiddish for "Only God Knows!"
Given rekindled inter-
est in Jewish educa-
tion across Judaism's
various streams, creat-
ing either a communi-
ty foundation or an
endowment could be
the linchpin to long-
term economic securi-
ty for all Jewish
schools in metro
Detroit, no matter
what their affiliation.
Federation would be
the logical coordina-
tor for such a massive
undertaking. A public
relations campaign, buoyed by a speakers
bureau, could-detail the vital role Jewish edu-
cation has played throughout the 4,000-year
history of nal Yisrael (the Jewish people).
It's time we as a community strengthen our
financial commitment to Jewish education,
given our impressive record of tzedakah to
other Jewish — and secular — causes. To
assure Jewish continuity from generation to
generation, we must join together in stepping
up our investment in Jewish education.

❑

Religious Warfare

The resolution of Israel's Chief Rabbinic
Council last week regarding the Ne'eman
Committee report starts off in a lofty tone, but
quickly degenerated into factional mudslinging
against the Reform and Conservative move-
ments.
The council kept the door open a crack by
announcing that conversion is a "personal
matter."
This formulation implies that the rabbinic
courts would consider for conversion graduates
of the joint institute envisioned by the Ne'e-
man Committee, despite the rabbinate's boy-
cott of the institute itself
It is important to note that the council's
action does not explicitly block the Ne'eman
Committee recommendations from going for-
ward. Yet the Reform and Conservative move-
ments understandably consider the rabbinate's
resolution to be a betrayal of the major conces-

sions they made and a complete negation of
the spirit of the entire effort. There is no hint
in it of a willingness to continue the process of
dialogue and problem-solving that the com-
mittee began.
As a result, it is impossible to begrudge the
right of the non-Orthodox movements to
renew their legal quest for recognition. This
time, because of the rabbinate's intransigence,
the Knesset will not preempt the court by
passing the conversion bill.
As a result of the Ne'eman exercise and the
rabbinate's reaction, the Reform and Conserva-
tive movements have gained more sympathy
and respect from the Israeli public than the
rabbinate could ever grant them.
They should build on this goodwill by
working to establish the joint conversion
institute envisioned by the Ne'eman Commit-
tee. ❑

The Harvest Is In

Alysse Cohen, Joey Raimi, Hannah Chadnick, Zachery Chad-
nick and Brandon Tobin show fistfuls of pennies they helped
collect this year in the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit's Tzedekah Experience.
The nearly $7,000 raised by the project will go to the agen-
cies of the Federation and the Jewish community at large. Stu-
dents of day and afternoon schools participated in the project
to learn about giving.
The pennies were "harvested" late last month at Temple
Beth El.

LETTERS

Let Us All
Celebrate Israel

I strongly disagree with the
editorial regarding the Smith-
sonian Institution's lecture
series "Israel At Fifty"
("Smithsonian Silenced" Jan.
16).
This is a time to celebrate
Israel's achievements. No
other nation of its size and
with its problems has moved
so fast from third-world
status to leader in high-
tech.
Let us celebrate the occa-
sion, bearing gifts of love and
good will to a small nation
that truly opened its doors to
the humble masses that long
to be free.

Paula Inowlocki
Detroit

HAVEN Has
Many Offices

The article on spousal abuse
was excellent ("The 11th

Plague" Jan. 23). I thought
that the coverage of the issue
of domestic violence was
good and very comprehen-
sive. It not only exposed
some of the stereotypes, but
it let people know that there
are places to go for help.
Awareness of domestic vio-
lence programs is critical for
all survivors.
One of the concerns I had
about the article was that it
seemed to indicate that
HAVEN was only in Pontiac.
As I hope readers will be
aware, HAVEN has offices in
Novi, Rochester, Southfield
and Pontiac. These are places
readers can go for help,that
are not so far away from their
homes.
In addition, HAVEN
works on a sliding fee scale.
Many of our services are at no
cost; however, some services
are charged for on a sliding
scale which often "slides"
down to zero. I felt that the
article was unclear on these
points.
I hope that the article will

2/20
1998

29

