107A1110 BY THE AGENCY FOR JEWISH EDUCATION! N coordinator, says Jewish U. classes round out her Jewish learning. She's taken courses on dreams and spirituality, Jewish storytelling and folklore and this year, a three-session course on the Jewish zodiac, taught by the headmaster of Yeshiva Atlanta, the Orthodox high school. "I like the fact I can get some more esoteric classes through Jewish U," says Londe, who attends an Orthodox syna- gogue and participates in classes offered by individual rabbis and the Atlanta Scholars Kollel, a group of Orthodox rabbis. "I've always found something that's captured me." Jews' quest for spirituality and mean- ing is helping to fuel participation nationally in adult education courses, says Jonathan Sarna, a Brandeis University professor of American Jewish history and chairman of the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. American Jews, who have largely pros- pered and face little anti-Semitism, are also probing their religion and culture for reasons to remain Jewish when assimila- tion is so pervasive, Sarna says. Jewish community centers began tap- ping into that trend a decade ago when they started to hire professionals to plan sophisticated adult Jewish education programs, Goldstein says. Atlanta's Jewish U. debuted in 1994 with about 20 classes. Goldstein was brought onto the staff that year to launch the Department of Jewish Learning and Living. She is also chair- person of the Jewish Educators' Forum, a national organization of Jewish Community Center educators. The Jewish Community Center Leder, students are averaging three courses each, with Thursday sessions (at the Kahn JCC) more popular than other evenings. Although SAJE is still taking regis- trations (the official deadline was Tuesday, Jan. 19, but "walk-in's" will be accepted), it is so far attracting "an underwrites Jewish U. Courses cost $18 for JCC members and $25 for guests. This year, about 75 people spent between $45 and $75 for a new option, a pass that allows them unlimited access to Jewish U. courses, Lipsey says. The demand for Jewish education in Atlanta has increased in step with its Jewish population. The number of Jews here has grown eight-fold in about five decades, from around 10,000 in 1947 to nearly 80,000 . today, according to a 1996 study of the city's Jewish popula- tion commissioned by the Atlanta Jewish Federation. Many newcomers are professionals, drawn to the city's expanding high-tech industries or corporations such as Turner Broadcasting. They expect Jewish educa- tion to be sophisticated and substantive, Goldstein says. "We always have Jewish content, but we market it in a very professional way," she says. An early Jewish U. brochure depicted the instructors - many of them rabbis - on mock baseball trading cards that touted their classroom statistics. Last year's brochure used black-and- white photography and bold red and black accents to highlight quotes from students. This year, in a nod to the Internet, the Jewish U. website - wwvv.jevvishu.org - appears on the brochure cover. N:1*':""5:N(WW'' : A NEW ADVENTVR,E Participate in an intergenerational pilot project with teens who are enrolled in Detroit congregational high school programs. xr To y • "Tell Me A Story:" The Narrative Art of the Hebrew Bible Rabbi Efry Spectre (Adat Shalom) • Ethics of Our Day Rabbi David Castiglione (Temple Beth El) • Crash Course in Jewish History Rabbi Tzvi Hochstadt (Aish Ha Torah) 0 D R are 65 or older or arrived in Ellis Island lived in New York City in the 1920's or 30's K-ff- are able to attend local seminars and travel to New York City on March 19 - 21, 1999 lzp. Apply to Marion Bronstein at the Agency for Jewish Education (248) 354-1050. If you are not wearing it... sell it!... or BORROW on it! You can't enjoy jewelry if it's sitting in your safe deposit box. Sell or borrow on it for immediate cash. We deal in jewelry, watches & gemstones. A Service to Private Owners, Banks & Estates Gem/Diamond Specialist AWARDED CERTIFICA IE BY GIA IN GRADING & EVALUATION (the following classes, in descending order of size, have garnered the most students so far) • Chassidus, Kabbalah and Reincarnation Rabbi Chaim Bergstein (Bais Chabad- 1 Farmington Hills) . older crowd," said Leder, noting that there had been little interest in courses addressing child-rearing issues and that only six people signed up for free child care. "Can you imagine how many peo- ple we would have if the snowbirds were in town?" said Leder. II SAJE Top Five Classes • Two Rabbis, Three Opinions! Rabbi Daniel Nevins (Adat Shalom), Rabbi Paul Yedwab (Temple Israel) ron A pilot progect of the Agency for Jewish Education. Constituent agency of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit SAJE catalogs are available at the JCC and through many area libraries and synagogues. Call (248) 661-7649 for more infor- mation or to register. EME VigNMESIRMa ALSW J'EVTISR EN' VL'rr 30400 Telegraph Rd. • Suite 134 Bingham Farms 248-642-5575 Oiov i lvb Fine Jewelers Est. 1919 Lawrence M. Allan, President Daily 'Til 5:30 Sat. 'Til 3 UZIE ZACK IS BACK! ACK TO WORK SPECIALt'. ,,,,, - ,,, 50% OFF all services ,,,,„:., ,, ,, - Master cutter and color specialist Offer expires March 1st, 1999 JON'S L'ATELIER (248) 661-1880 e r 1/22 717= TL :199 Detroit Jewish News 131,