The

Way.

We

Learn

A Lesson

For A Lifetime

Sixty years later, Hebrew school teaching
still inspires Willard Posen, UHS, '40.

JODIE KAUFMAN
ecia/ to the Jewish News

I

n the late 1930s, Willard Posen
could think of a lot better \ vays
to spend his rime than going to
Hebrew school. Bur 60 years
later, he feels a little differently about
those 10 years he went ro Detroit's
United Hebrew Schools five times a
week.
"In retrospect, I appreciate ir," says
the Farmington Hills resident. "Like
all parents, my mother pushed me to
attend, she wouldn't let me quit. She
made me continue past my bar mitz-
vah.
Posen, who graduated from United
Hebrew Schools in 1940, recalls his
teachers and his classmates. But most
importantly, he says, he still has the
passion for learning and Judaism that
he first learned in the small building
on the corner of Tuxedo and Holmur
in Detroit.
He speaks fondly of his teachers —
the "dedicated people' like the Panush
brothers and Mr. Schecter and Joseph
Haggai, who "brought the Bible to
life."
When he graduated from Detroit's
Central High School, Posen went into
the service and found himself one of
the only Jews in his unit. "There were
crew members who had never met a
Jew before and had all kinds of ques-
tions. I was satisfied that I had the
education and \vas able to answer a lot
of their questions for them."
In 1946, Posen spent Passover in
Karachi, India, and "had a nice
Jewish experience there." He "spent
an evening with some of the Jewish
Brigade that was fighting with the
British Army, so the little bit of
Hebrew that I did know stood me in
good stead."
The five days a. week of classes and
participating in services_on Shabbat
left an indelible mark. The "davening

•

melodieS arc embed-
ded within me, Posen
says, adding that it is
difficult for him to
learn new tunes
because the UHS ones
still resonate in his
head.
Today, he continues
to read Torah and
Haftarah, vividly
remembering the
tropes he was taught so
long ago by Cantor
Morris Silverman at
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek. He even sang
in the choir one High
Holiday season.
Posen, manager of
a furniture store, a
business in which he
has been involved
since 1948, says his
UHS experiences
influenced his family
life. He and his wife
of 51 years, Babette,
have always kept
kosher. His observant
behavior inspired his
wife, who grew up in
Chicago with a
Reform background,
to attend the adult
UHS. Naturally, their
three sons attended
Hebrew school as

The Posens always
encouraged their chil-
dren „to lead active
Jewish lives; Babette
Willard Posen
— rdor rdor, from generation
says that they even "tried to
reflects on his
to generation."
make one day a week a
Hebrew school
The family joined Adat
learning.
Hebrew-speaking day at
Shalom Synagogue where,
home.
over the years, Willard served
"Moral and ethical values,
on the board and the Ritual
and our pride in Judaism, is what we
Committee, and chaired the Youth
hope to pass on to our kids and theirs
Commission. His strong Hebrew skills

allowed Posen to teach
the Adat Shalom Men's
Club "Introduction to
Hebrew" course for two
years, enabling others to
share in his passion for
the language.
L-2, •
What triggers his
memories the most are
"making comparisons
\A' i h what my kids and
a r andkids are doing in
Hebrew school."
Posen sees "more con-
versational Hebrew,
rather than the classical
Hebrew I learned."
Today, there is a "more
liberal approach to the
education than it was
then. Our education was
very strict and formal,
very traditional. No
women read from the
Torah."
He added, "A basic
change is the creation of
the State of Israel which
was not in existence at
.
the time. That kids today
can make a trip to Israel
is a tremendous experi-
ence for them, from the
Jewish education point of
view. The classroom
comes to life. "
Without Hebrew
school, Posen feels he
"probably wouldn't be as
observant or as knowl-
edgeable" about his
Judaic background.
His advice to those
battling the Hebrew school blues?
"Don't quit. It is very important to
be informed, especially with anti-
Semitism around. People ask ques-
tions, you should be able to answer
them." Li

8/6

1999

Detroit Jewish News

81