Retooling

The Agency for Jewish Education hires an interim director
amid staff vacancies and uncertainty about its future.

0

sion to hire an interim rather than
permanent director, said Giles. But an
equally important factor was the fluid
nature of the 6-year-old agency,
which is undergoing an evaluation of
its services and goals that has been
commissioned by the Federation. The
evaluation is expected to be complet-
ed by late June.
"We'd like to wait [to hire a direc-
tor] and see. our direction," said Giles,
who described the current evaluation,
conducted by the New York-based
Jewish Education Service of North
America (JESNA), as an "opportunity
to look at what the reactions are,
what needs are being met, what needs
are yet to fulfill, and then to decide
how best to function."
Aronson said the AJE had initiated
an executive director search, but

n June 15, two months ear-
lier than originally planned,
Agency for Jewish
Education (AJE) Executive
Director Howard Gelberd will leave
for his new job in California.
It was Gelberd's choice to leave
Detroit in June rather than August,
said Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Executive Vice
President Bob Aronson.
Gelberd will be replaced by an
interim director who has been select-
ed by a search committee but whose
identity has not yet been announced.
The interim director — whom AJE
board members hope will begin
work shortly before Gelberd's depar-
ture — will preside one year
over an organization that, facing
staff vacancies and awaiting
results from an overall evalua-
tion, is in flux.
Currently, three AJE pro-
grams are looking for directors.
Lainie Phillips, who coordinates
adult education and school ser-
vices, will leave at the end of
June to take a social work posi-
tion at Jewish Federation
Apartments. At the end of sum-
mer, Jewish Experiences For
Families Director Robin Axelrod
will depart.
Both Phillips and Axelrod,
graduates of the University of
Michigan's Project STaR Jewish
communal service program,
have worked at AJE for less
than a year. Replacements have
not yet been found, although a
number of candidates are being
interviewed, said AJE President
Lynda Giles. She said the AJE
hopes to replace Phillips with
two people, depending on "who Above: Howard Gelberd will leave on June 15.
comes forward in terms of
expertise."
Top right: Robin Axelrod and Lainie Phillips
The challenges of finding an
are leaving by the end of the summer.
appropriate replacement for
Gelberd contributed to the deci-

5/29

1998

14

Photo by Krista Husa

JULIE WIENER
Staff Writer

Rita Abramson, who
student religious
years. According to
h e President Susan
Friedman the board has offered the
cone, but has not yet
ewe an answer.
Beth Abraham Hllel Moses
M), according to Executive
Elliot Burns, is forming a
ge to determine how
Cantor Ben-Zion
board
of
aezcy for':
contract
ofdecided
renew
the
cation is no
'tamer,
who
had
been
a
BAHM
educatio
for 16 years and director
tion scramblitig to
-student religious school
staff vacancies. Two Conservati
years.
e
synagogues and a Reform tempt
tine, Temple Kol Arni will lose
in West Bloomfield, are currently'
its
education
director of nine years,
looking for education directors, and
Elissa
Berg-,
who
has accepted a posi-
two day schools are seeking adminis-
tion
at
Ada
Shalom.
"We're hopeful
trators.
that
we'll
find
someone
for this sum-
B'nai Moshe has been looking for
.
mer
but
we're
prepared
for
possibih -
an education director since February,
ty that we might not get someone
when its board decided not to renew

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