ACTIVIST
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James Jonas is the new AJE president.
don't necessarily disagree," he said.
"But whatever we provide, it has to
be exciting. I think it's important that
kids enjoy Jewish education."
Keeping education exciting is a
challenge to every school, he said, and
even more so for classes that meet in
the afternoon, after children have put
a full day at school.
Hands-on education, using inter-
active computer programs, is part of
the answer for "a generation raised
on Sesame Street and VHJ," he said.
The Federation's new technology ini-
tiative will assist all providers of
Jewish education with technology
and the skills to use it.
Another big issue for Jewish educa-
tors is reaching teens, he said.
Jonas said one of the most success-
ful ways to keep teens involved in
Jewish life is sending them on a trip ro
Israel. Last year, 240 metro-area teens
participated in the Teen Mission, a
Federation program for which the AJE
provides the educational component.
Another trip is planned for 2000.
In addition to the emotional cathar-
sis of visiting Israel itself, the program
has extra value because it allows young
people to bond with the rabbi leading
their bus, Jonas said. "Then, when
they are back home, the person they
see in front of them at their synagogue
isn't some remote authoritarian figure,
but a real person with whom they've
shared some of the most memorable
experiences of their lives." I 1
•
week sessions of hour-long classes.
The monthly Mifgash, an all-Hebrew
'-discussion group for Americans and
Israelis, drew an average of 45 adults
to each month's session; the Micfrasha
Hebrew classes have 35 people
enrolled for the summer term and had
120 students during the spring term.
Teen services receive a sizeable
piece of AJE resources, and this year
included the March of the Living
gland and Israel Teen Unity
Mission. The AJE helped fund the
trip along with the Michigan/Israel
Connection and Federation.
According to AJE Executive
Director Judah Isaacs, the agency will
meet with the professionals who work
with teens on a day-to-day basis to
iL
determine their needs.
The special education department
was the only piece of the AJE that was
universally rated favorable by the
JESNA report last year. Isaacs lauded
the department for working to bring
state-mandated services for special
needs, in conjunction with the city of
Southfield, into Jewish day schools.
Finally, the AJE-supported
Interfaith Connection offers services
to both professionals and families to
connect them to Judaism.
AJE ran an in-service for Jewish
Family Service social workers, who are
seeing more interfaith families among
their clients. The session was intended
to give the staff strategies for helping
to address religion-related issues. L_I
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