is age appropriate, said Arnie Weiner,
Michigan Director of BBYO.
"It's very different programming than
for older kids," he said. High school stu-
dents take part in arranging and run-
ning their programs, he said, but mid-
dle-school kids "are less prepared to take
on that responsibility" and planners have
to rely on input from their parents.
Programming for younger teens tends
to be more social and less educational
than regular BBYO activities, added
Weiner, noting that most pre-teens --
unlike older kids — are still enrolled in
religious school and preparing for b'nai
mitzvah.
Locally, much of the emphasis on
younger kids dates back to 1994, when
NCSY, USY and the Reform move-
ment's North American Federation of
Temple Youth (NFTY) teamed up to
apply for a Max Fisher Foundation
grant through the United Jewish
Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit.
BBYO was not involved in the grant,
but receives an annual allocation from
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit. Its Teen Connection program
started 10 years ago, and has grown con-
siderably in recent years.
NCSY, USY and NFTY each
received $30,000 from the Fisher
Foundation, and the groups say that
helped them increase membership.
However, with Fisher funds drying up
in 1997, the groups have been scram-
bling for other resources to keep those
efforts going.
NCSY said its programs for younger
kids — now offered one or two times
per month and involving 60 pre-teens
— started with the Fisher grant, then
lapsed until its recent hiring of a Junior
NCSY coordinator.
At NFTY, lack of funds has cur-
tailed the program's continued devel-
opment, said Temple Israel Rabbi Paul
Yedwab, who helped draft the 1994
grant proposal.
"We floundered for awhile looking
for other funding, then got funding
through our national organization for a
full-time youth group adviser who will
also be working on the junior youth
groups," said Yedwab, noting that
NFTY has never before had a full-time
advisor locally.
The Union of American Hebrew
Congregations' anticipated initiative
may help train professionals and develop
curricula. Rabbi Allan Smith, its youth
division director, said a recent UAHC
study found there is a need for more
informal programming for 5th-8th
graders "to show them there's Jewish life
outside religious school."
❑
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IS IN
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AT THE
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EXERCISE CLASSES
Whether your goal is cardio health
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Our ACE-certified instructors make
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AMENITIES
For your peace of mind while .
working out, our quality kids' center
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RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIPS
AT OUR TWO LOCATIONS
WEST BLOOMFIELD
The
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6343 Farmington Road
(Just north of Maple Road)
248-626-9880
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42500 Arena Drive
4% (Off Novi Road, south of 10 Mile Road)
248-735-8850
1998
Detroit Jewish News
23