Editorials

Federation, Synagogues Wisely
Explore School Partnership

Should synagogue schools receive Federation
funding, just like day schools?
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
]leaders think so, and so do we. As Federation
President Robert Naftaly stresses, there won't
be much of a Jewish community anywhere
without a lasting commitment to Jewish edu-
cation.
Religious schools don't have broad-based
taxing power. So school funding is a resource-
ful way for Federation to partner with syna-
gogues. Currently, synagogue schools receive
Federation funding by extension — for exam-
'pie, Teen Mission subsidies and Agency for
Jewish Education services like Jewish Experi-
ences For Families and the Ben Teitel Israel
Incentive Savings Plan.
By all accounts, Detroit's day schools, with
2,100 students; judiciously spend their annual
constituent allocations from Federation. The
spending prospects are similar for Detroit's
synagogue schools, with more-than 5,000 stu-
dents — provided expense auditing procedures
)are adopted.
It's time Federation and the synagogues
forge a stronger relationship anyway. The
entire Jewish community would benefit. Jewish
education is the perfect rallying point.
Synagogue schools, the collective replace-
ment for. the old United Hebrew Schools, are
dependent on student tuition and synagogue

IN FOCUS

membership dues. A broader funding base
potentially would spur innovations in teacher
development and program enrichment.
But prudence must always be at the fore-
front.
We urge Federation to consider a task force
of lay leaders, rabbis, educators and national
representatives to recommend a funding plan
for synagogue schools. The task force charge
should include surveying how federations else-
where fund synagogue schools.
Whatever plan evolves, it must be equitable.
Options include operational funding based
on enrollment, enhancement funding to raise
teacher salaries, enrich teacher training, expand
classroom opportunities or buy computers, or
a combination of both. Family vouchers are
another option.
Enhancement funding is a key part of the
equation. Synagogue schools already trail day
schools in the amount of time students devote
to Torah and Talmud. Enhancement funding
also can solve special synagogue needs.
As keeper of the public trust, Federation
must treat constituent agencies equitably and
demand accountability in return. Synagogue
schools, for their part, must be held account-
able for documenting how Federation funding
strengthens Jewish identity and unity among
their students. ❑

Liberation Dance

Women's American ORT Michigan Region marked the occa-
sion of Israel's 50th at its annual Passover brunch this year.
Along with a traditional seder, Harriet Berg and her Festival
Dancers showed up to lead guests in Israeli dancing.
Here, Hilary Gorosh, 9 1/2, participates in the jubilance of
the dancing. The brunch, held last week, was attended by 30
members and 'some of their children. ❑

LETTERS

Cardinal Helps
Build Bridges

'Jay Robinson Set Inspiring Pace

Teenagers participating in the 1998 Jewish
nationally. The Detroit stop has grown from
Community Center Maccabi Games will com-
800 competitors in 1984 to 3,000 this year,
pete in a variety of disciplines, ranging from
making it the second largest Jewish communal
swimming and soccer to chess and dance. And
event ever here and a tribute to Robinson's
Detroit's Jay Robinson, Mr. Maccabi Games,
knack for attracting loyal volunteer supporters
played a huge part in making that
on the JCC's behalf.
Detroit's success as a host city
possible.
) His death from cancer April 10 at
notwithstanding, Robinson's suc-
cess in a mind game was what most
age 61, four months shy of the open-
impressed us. He held firm in talks
ing ceremonies, cast a momentary pall
with the national Jewish Commu-
over the 1998 Games. But they'll go
nity Centers Association over the
on, featuring 13- to 16-year-olds from
1998 Games, insisting they again
70 communities around the world.
have a Shabbat component,
And they're destined to succeed, as
dropped for 1994. Simply put, he
Robinson's courageous spirit holds
reinforced the "Jewish" in the Jew-
court.
Jay Robinson: Mr. ish youth games. "He was truly a
In an unassuming way, Robinson
guiding light," said Dr. Alan
) was the inspirational force and organi- Maccabi Games.
Horowitz, a trusted ally in the
zational genius behind the biennial
talks.
event coming to Detroit in 1984 and 1990, as
Few will ever be able to say they've left a
well as this year. He was always the Detroit
positive imprint on more kids than Jay Robin-
delegation's top cheerleader, no matter where
son. A moment of silence in his memory at the
the Games were held.
opening ceremonies of the Maccabi Games on
His love for sport and faith in kids virtually
willed the Games, which date back to 1982, to Aug. 16 at the Palace of Auburn Hills would
be a fitting tribute.
the lofty level they enjoy today, locally and

❑

It is not often that the Fort
Wayne Jewish community is
asked to be the first to receive
important representatives of
other faiths. The visit of
Edward Idris Cardinal Cas-
sidy, president of the Vatican
Council for Relations with
Jews, was historical on many
levels, not just for the venue,
but for the content, too.
Criticized by many in the
Jewish world as "too little, too
late," Cardinal Cassidy is the
author of the recent Vatican
document on the Shoah. To
hear Cardinal Cassidy tell it,
however, is to see that the
Church is involved in true
self-examination with a goal
of cultural change.
To change a religion's
approach to any particular
topic as drastically as the
pope's agenda appears to take
time. In watching John Paul
II's many gestures to the Jew-

ish community during his
pontificate, it is clear that
slow steps is the method to
bring the global Catholic
community into a historically
and radically different atti-
tude. Until earlier this centu-
ry, anti-Jewish talk was not
just a question of religion, it
was racist, too.
That a pope would devote
any energy at all toward better
relations with the Jews is, in
itself, remarkable. That this
statement is preceded by a
visit to a Rome synagogue,
the beginning of formal rela-
tions with Israel, kindling a
chanukiah at . the Vatican dur-
ing Chanukah, even stronger
statements from the Church
in specific regions, including
France and Germany, all indi-
cate a return.
In his sermon from our
bimah as Passover concluded,
the cardinal traced the history
of Jewish-Catholic relations
from a Christian perspective.
While Jews don't necessarily
agree with each point regarding

4/24
1998

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