Honcho Pro Tern
JULIE WIENER
Staff- Writer
With a fresh face, a tidy desk
and a bevy of admirers,
Judah Isaacs tackles problems
at the Agency for Jewish Education.
udah Isaacs did not exactly
walk into an easy job when he
became interim director of the
Agency for Jewish Education of
Metropolitan Detroit a few weeks ago.
The agency is reeling from the loss
of key employees over the past year,
and last week it received a sharply crit-
NIRIM in-service workshops for
ical evaluation of its programming and
teachers — will continue, along with
services.
the possible introduction of a "master
The AJE currently lacks directors for
teachers" program. Harlene
three programs: the Midrasha Center
Appelman, Federation's community
for Adult Learning, Jewish Experiences
outreach and education director, is
For Families and School Services. And
serving as interim supervisor of JEFF.
a proposed restructuring would put it
Isaacs hopes to make some hires by
under supervision by a new Jewish
the end of the summer.
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
commission called the
Alliance for Jewish
Education, which will be
responsible for long-term
planning and goal-setting.
Isaacs, Federation's senior
planning associate for five
years, was suggested by
Federation officials as some-
one with the skills ro ease
the transition at the AJE.
Whether those skills will put
the AJE on track remains to
be seen, and pending further
direction from his board and
Federation, Isaacs is not
announcing revolutionary
initiatives.
"A lot of our agenda for
the year will be decided by
the Alliance for Jewish
Education, and until then I
want to continue what
already exists but ensure that
everything we offer is high-
quality," said Isaacs.
"Will we see anything
Judah Isaacs: AJE's interim director.
brand-new going on? I don't
know. But I want to make
Sitting at his tidy desk, bright pic-
sure that what we are doing is quality
tures hanging on the walls of the dark
and that we're providing what's needed
wood-panelled office previously occu-
in the community."
pied by Howard Gelberd, Isaacs is
Despite current staffing holes,
immersed in acquainting himself with
Isaacs promises that the Midrasha
his new staff and their projects. An
Center for Adult Learning will offer
employee called him demanding but
courses this year, hours for the
reasonable.
Learning Resource Center will be
His boyish face and slightly nervous
extended, Jewish Experiences For
posture make him appear considerably
Families will still sponsor community
younger than his 34 years. Noting that
events and programs such as the
7/24
1998
8 Detroit Jewish News
Commission on Jewish Eldercare
Services (COJES).
"Judah has always been just the
consummate professional," said John
Jacobs, a Federation board member.
"He always is very well versed in the
facts,'always comes up with good and
creative ideas, and he has been to
some extent the driving force behind
the operations of the committees he
staffed."
While he may be a "consummate
people constantly underestimate his
professional,"
Isaacs, who is divorced,
age, he joked, "I need some gray hair
reserves
time
for
a personal life, as
or something."
well.
His
five-year-old
daughter, Yona,
Isaacs, whose work at Federation
is
a
student
at
Akiva
Hebrew
Day
was mainly in the Community
School.
Services Division, comes highly rec-
A native of New York City (with
ommended. People agree that he pos-
degrees from Queens College and
sesses a combination of brains and
Yeshiva University's Wurtzweiler
organizational skills.
School of Social Work), Isaacs fre-
quently travels to Israel to visit his
parents and siblings who have made
aliyah. And as Young Israel of Oak
Park's gabbai and first vice president,
Isaacs coordinates Torah readings and L"\
is a regular fixture at the congrega-
tion's board meetings.
"He's someone who's giving and
caring, who lives and breathes the
Jewish people," said Young Israel
Rabbi Steven Weil. "He's bright, sharp
and there when you need him."
Isaacs has a passion for Jewish texts
and marvels how each time he re-reads
a portion of Torah he finds something
new.
Lately he's also developed an inter-
est in the somewhat less spiritual
realm of physical fitness. "I'd never
exercised in my life, then I fell and
broke my ankle and when I was doing
physical therapy I realized how out of
shape I was," he said. "I joined the
Jewish Community Center health club
nine months ago, and its been a won-
derful experience."
Isaacs calls his new post "exciting
and challenging," but doesn't regard
himself as a candidate for a permanent
"Judah is a very intelligent and
post
as head of the AJE.
wonderful guy to work with," said
"What's
important for this job,
Community Services Division Chair
eventually
down
the road is that you
Dan Greenberg. "He's going to be a
get
a
qualified
educator
who also has
tremendous asset for the AJE."
good
administrative
skills,"
he said.
In addition to working with leaders
"I'm not an educator, but I believe
of agencies such as Jewish Family
the administration and planning
Service and Jewish Vocational Services
skills I have from my work at
on issues of immigration resettlement
Federation will help us sort things
and welfare reform, Isaacs was
out
here." ❑
involved in the creation of Federation's