EDITOR'S NOT11110011

Patron Tributes To Jewish Education
Mark Milers 40th Anniversary Salute

nothing more confidence-building," she
t was a magical evening," said
said, "than being part of a loving group,
President Steven Margolin, beam-
part of the great collective called the
ing with pride at Hillel Day
Jewish
people."_
School of Metropolitan Detroit's
Day schools help shape the rhythm
1998 patron event last week in celebra-
of Jewish life, said Poupko, a graduate
tion of the school's 40th anniversary.
of Yeshiva University in New York City
And Margolin, one of Hillel's top
with degrees in Jewish education and
ambassadors, had every reason to be
medieval Jewish philosophy. She's
proud.
enrolled in the doctoral program at
The father of three Hillel
McGill University in Montre-
children had just presided over
al.
a successful reception under
"Day schools exude the
the stars at the Orchard Lake
joy, poetry, dignity and
home of Miriam and Fred
sophistication of Jewish life
Ferber. About 175 Hillel par-
and are imbued with Jewish
ents, educators and supporters
values," she said.
attended. Denise and Fred
Despite acculturation
Kalt, Shari and Alon Kaufman
among North American Jews,
and Susan and Dan Orman
she said, "we still want our
co-chaired the event.
ROBE RT A.
children to wake up in the
While making their finan-
S KL AR
morning and know they are
cial pledges, attendees
Jews."
Ed itor
recapped how a Hillel educa-
Poupko and her husband,
tion has enriched the Jewish
Rabbi Reuben Poupko, have five chil-
identity and Jewish values of their chil-
dren, including two sets of twins.
dren or children they know — testimo-
As Judaic consultant to the Montreal
nials Headmaster Dr. Mark Smiley,
Jewish Federation and its 20 constituent
Principl Rochelle Iczkovitz and Rabbi
agencies, Poupko works to heighten the
Michele Faudem were on hand to hear.
level of Jewish knowledge in a Jewish
Earlier in the evening, guest speaker
community of 100,000. The Avi Chai
Arna Poupko, Judaic consultant to the
Foundation recently honored her work
Montreal Jewish Federation, declared,
as an excellent community initiative to
"Your presence bears eloquent testimo-
strengthen Jewish commitment."
ny to the greatest gift — a Jewish edu-
An author who has written about
cation."
contemporary Jewish life, she character-
Jewish education, she said, is an
ized Judaism as a living, dynamic expe-
entryway to Jewish society and a win-
rience. "It evokes, changes and grows,"
dow to spiritual happiness.
she said. "The moment it is static is the
"There is nothing more ennobling,
moment Jewish identity ceases to exist."
there is nothing more powerful, there is

I

"

ning a letter of his own. Just five
other senators, including, curiously,
Senator Lieberman signed this letter.
Levin's letter muddied the waters by
asking the administration to continue
U.S. involvement but only to do it
quietly.
Madeleine Albright jumped on this
ray of apparent approval and immedi-
ately stated that the United States is
determined to pursue negotiations and
to do what it takes to break the
impasse between Israel and the Pales-
tinians.
Those that have followed previous
proclamations by Albright vis-a-vis the
peace process" have no illusions as to
what she believes will break the
impasse, i.e. the giving up of more
and more Israeli land essential to
Israel's security and its chance for con-
tinued growth. In the meantime,

"

Michigan's Sen. Abraham is reported
to be sending a letter of his own dis-
couraging the administration from
attempting to predetermine the out-
come of the negotiations and not to
impose solutions on the parties to the
peace process.
What is curious to many political
observers is the apparent ethnic con-
tradiction in stances by Michigan's
two senators — Levin, a Jew, encour-
aging the pressure of the Clinton peo-
ple, and Abraham, of Lebanese extrac-
tion, asking the administration to ease
off. Maybe it is past the time for Jews
to vote, by reflex, for Jewish non-rep-
resentative representatives. Maybe it is
time to vote for "righteous" gentiles.
Of course, ideally, ethnicity should
not come into the equation at all. Let's
just vote for people who are making
the most sense for Israel and any other

Left: Hillel second grader Abigail Davidson was a satisfied festival attendee.

Right: Teacher Faye Krut applies face paint to kindergartner Nathan Pszenica, as
first grader Kendall Maxbauer looks on during Hill& fifth annual Israel Indepen-
dence Day Festival held April 30.

She pointed especially to the beauty
of generational teaching: "We live in an
amazing, grand time when children
teach parents and parents teach grand-
parents."
Thanking Poupko for her "inspiring,
emotional words," Margolin said her
remarks "reinforce the important work
done at Hillel every day.
"It's too easy for Jewish children to
opt out of being Jewish," he said.
The next day, Smiley, who has
earned an eight-month sabbatical to
study in Israel after the High Holy
Days, was aglow about the passion that
patrons displayed not only toward Hil-
lel in particular but also Jewish educa-
tion in general.
He said proceeds from the fund-rais-
er will go mainly toward scholarships.
Current student enrollment at Hillel is

"It's a tribute that parents and grand-
parents of Hillel students are trying to
provide this kind of education for those
who cannot afford it," said Smiley, who
during his sabbatical will study at the
Jewish Theological Seminary's Beit
Midrash Rabbinical School, serve on
the staff of the Hebrew University
Melton Research Centre for Diaspora
Education and rejoin the Jerusalem Fel-
lows-to plan North American Jewish
day school projects.
"It is my hope that this kind of
positive testimony," Smiley said, "will
inspire others to consider Jewish day
school education in their philan-
thropy." 111

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710.

issues of importance to the Jewish
people. Or is it politically incorrect for
Jews to stand up for their own?
Dr. Jerome S. Kaufman
Bloomfield Hills

Many Thanks
For The Honor

Marisa and I were honored to have
our picture on the cover of The
Detroit Jewish News on May 8. It was a
wonderful Mother's Day gift and I
thank you.
We received calls from friends and
family we hadn't heard from in quite a
while. Marisa is graduating from high
school next month. She leaves for
Camp Tamakwa, where she will be
working all summer and then will be
off to Michigan State University to

start her college education at Lyman
Briggs.
I have had pre-empty-nest syn-
drome lately. Having my relationship
with Marisa recognized in The Jewish
News 18 years to the day her father
and I placed her birth announcement
in the very same publication is heart-
warming, to say the least.
Gail Keller Wiener
Farmington Hills

Create A State,
End A Hatred?

Commentators on the Middle East
have failed to examine the dichotomy
between the polls showing that most
Israelis and Palestinians back Oslo
while efforts at true conciliation have
not been accepted by either Arabs or

5/15
1998

33

