Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah

presents

"Conversations
with..."

Back To Basics

Jewish educators urge more pay,
seek more appreciation.

JULIE WIENER

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Columbus, Ohio

sked to complete the sen-
tence, "As a Jewish educator I
feel..." a group of teachers
and administrators recently
volunteered the following:
"Overwhelmed," "underappreciated,"
underpaid," "exhilarated," "hopeful and
frustrated" and "a sense of emergency.
With the American Jewish commu-
nity frightened by gloomy statistics on
intermarriage and assimilation, Jewish
education has risen to the top
of the communal agenda.
But while Jewish educators
welcome the new recognition,
there is a concern that philan-
thropists and federation big-
wigs are jumping in and dom-
inating the discussion without
necessarily consulting — or
appreciating — those who
have been working in the field
for years.
Such sentiments were
expressed frequently during
the annual conference of the
Coalition for the Advancement
of Jewish Education here last
week.
David Techner, left, producer of a film about
As it prepares for its 25th
helping children deal with death, discusses
anniversary, CAJE — best
known for its week-long con- children and bereavement with Rabbi James
Michaels of Congregation Beth Israel in Flint.
ventions where teachers and
administrators attend sessions
A number of teachers interviewed
ranging from teaching art projects to
during
the conference said they earned
how to teach Bible stories — is start-
less
than
their synagogues' secretaries.
ing to spotlight larger concerns in the
At
a
CAJE
session led by Koller-Fox,
field.
participants wrote their salaries on little
Such concerns include notoriously
pieces of paper and shared them anony-
low salaries, the challenges of recruit-
mously. The numbers ranged from
ing new educators, making supple-
$13,000'per year with no benefits to
mental schools more effective and
$95,000 and a full package; the
strategies for involving entire families
$95,000 wage-earner noted in the mid-
in Jewish learning.
dle of the session that she had just left
Rabbi Cherie Koller-Fox, one of
her job, however, because it required
CAJE's two founders and an architect
more than 80 hours a week and left her
of its renewed effort to advocate for
with no time for her family.
change, said she was proud of the
In addition to the financial issues,
group's accomplishments in helping
teachers and administrators said they felt
teachers hone their skills, but frustrat-
challenged by board politics, time con-
ed at times by its members' timidity, if
straints, children with learning disabili-
not complacency, on the funding and
ties and families with other priorities.
program matters that affect them.
"I'm tired of competing with soc-
"A lot is on the line here. People

CC

Tuesday, September 14, 1999
Temple Israel

5725 Walnut Lake Road • West Bloomfield

10 AM-3:30 PM Boutiques
10-10:45 AM Registration
11 AM-12 PM Program
12:45 PM Luncheon

$25 Speaker only • $36 Speaker and lunch

$50 Non-member

(includes 1 year membership, speaker & lunch)

Inquire about preferred seating and
private reception with Ms. Sills.

Babysitting available for ages
2 and above by reservation only

Community Invited

FOR TICKETS & MORE INFORMATION,
CALL HADASSAH (248) 683-5030

MN 411/11INIWO11111•11/

r

TENDER

271 WEST MAPLE
DOWNTOWN BIRMINGHAM
248.258.0212

8/20
1999

1 Detroit Jewish News

need to wake up and stop singing and
stop learning how to make things out
of felt," she said, presumably referring
to a session that day entitled "Jewish
Holiday Fun With Felt."
Salaries in Jewish education vary
widely, with administrators of day
schools and supplemental schools gen-
erally at the top, and teachers — par-
ticularly nursery school teachers and
part-timers — at the bottom.
Unlike their counterparts in public
schools, few teachers in Jewish institu-
tions — the overwhelming majority of
whom are women — are unionized.