ts -
ting
LONNY GOLDSMITH
Staff Writer
Pace
Heads of Jewish day
schools anticipate more
room by the fall.
As this academic year draws to
a close, the administrators of
three of Detroit's four largest Jewish day
school are looking forward to h-aving some
breathing room next fall.
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, Sally Allan
Alexander Beth Jacob School for Girls and
Akiva Hebrew Day School expect new
facilities to open in the fall. The fourth
school, Hillel Day School of Metropolitan
Detroit, which did its expanding three
years ago for its upper school, plans to
increase first-grade enrollments.
In interviews this week, school officials
talked about the accomplishments of the
year and what they anticipate will change
by next September.
Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah's new
dean, Rabbi Avrohom
Fishman.
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah
The Southfield-based day school has completed its first year with a
new dean and its last year of being stuck in cramped quarters.
Rabbi Avrohom Fishman, who had started Mosdos Ohr HaTorah
Academy in Cleveland 20 years ago, was recruited and brought to
Detroit last fall. "I did a lot of observing to see what works, what was
needed and what needed to be changed here," he said.
One change was a different structure in the morning minyan,
starting the prayer service at 7:45, 15 minutes later than last year. It
means that students start the day better :-ested, he said.
In classes, Fishman divided students into high, middle and low lev-
els within each grade. "It makes it easier for the teacher because it's
hard for them to teach three levels all together and each group of stu-
dents can study at their own rate."
Looking ahead, the Yeshiva's preschool building will be opening
next to the current building on Lincoln Road in Southfield.
Accommodating between 150 and 200 students, the new building
will take pressure off the school's main facility, which holds close to
300 students, ages 5 to 13.
"If a student has any one-to-one needs," Fishman said,--"I have to
leave my office. That's how little space we have now."
The new building, scheduled to open in September, will have 10
classrooms and is almost full already for the 1999-2000 school year.
"It should be fine for at least a couple of years," Fishman said.
While his first year was spent observing the goings-on of Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah, Fishman didn't get to do some activities he planned
on, such as arranging more extracurricular activities, trips, weekend
activities, a school newsletter and lectures for parents.
"There wasn't much time to do that, but we can definitely get
involved in these programs," he said. "The transition was an easy one.
After a couple of months, I could see where the needs are and where
space is open to do things."
Lonny Goldsmith can be reached at (248) 354-6060, ext. 263, or by
e-mail at: lgoldsmith@thejewishnews.com .
.6/4
1999
6 Detroit Jewish News