The
Way,
We
Learn
A Gatekeeper's Guide
Congregational school committee members
discuss the challenges facing their programs.
DIANA LIEBERMAN
StaffWriter
Farmington Hills/West Bloomfield/Novi
3055 W. MAPLE RD
(WEST OF HAGGERTY),
COMMERCE TWR 48390
OPEN SATURDAYS
*$279, 36-month, closed-end lease. 12,000
annual mileage, 36,000 miles total. $2,619
due at signing, includes $350 refundable
security deposit. 15s per mile over 36,000
miles. Plus applicable tax and plates.
DIGNITY
PRIDE
SELF-RESPECT
The Most Important
Things In Life Are Free.
With the help of Hebrew Free Loan
many people can get the chance to experience
the life events that matter most —
from weddings and bar or bat mitzvah
to education and businesses.
For more information,
or to set up a confidential interview,
call us at ( 248) 356-5292
1HF1.46 1
'Hebrew Free Loan
Association
21550 W. 12 Mile, Southfield, MI 48076
11/12
1999
14
When There's Nowhere Else To Turn,
Turn To Hebrew Free Loan.
(IV":
Allied Jc,ish C-Impaign
Parental support — or the lack of it
— was one of the issues tackled by
workshop participants.
Max Nadis of Walled Lake, a
school committee member at
Congregation Beth Abraham Hillel
Moses, said most parents send their
kids to a specific school because they
think it's a good school, "and then
leave everything to the school to take
care of." Among his suggestions to
improve the situation are more open
houses and performances by students.
At Temple Israel, students prepar-
ing for b'nai mitzvot must do some of
their volunteer work at the temple
or the first time in its six-
year history, the NIRIM
conference of the Agency
for Jewish Education of
Metropolitan Detroit included a
workshop for lay leaders at congrega-
tional schools at its fall event.
School committee members must
be aggressive in asking for parent vol-
unteers, but not so aggressive that they
drive people away. They are charged
with making the school run smoothly,
but cannot take over duties the clergy
or educational director feels
belong to them. And, far too
often, nobody has ever taken the
time to determine what exactly
the school committee is supposed
to do.
The NIRIM Professional
Enrichment Program for Jewish
Educators attracted more than
300 people to its Nov. 4 confer-
ence at Temple Israel. Workshops
ranged from Jewish mysticism to
developing a child's self-esteem.
Attending the conference are Amy Dover
, The word nirim, Hebrew for a
Neistein, co-chair, school committee, Temple
tilled and fertile field, was chosen
Kol Ami, and Margie Dunn, co-chair,
for the program by AJE officials as education committee, Temple Beth El.
a metaphor for the work of a
teacher.
itself, said Marilyn Schelberg of
The new workshop for lay leaders,
Farmington Hills, a member of the
"The Education Committee: A
temple's education committee. That
Gatekeeper's Guide," attracted about
requirement has the dual result of
two dozen participants, including
involving both the young people and
members of 11 area congregations that
their parents, because the parents who
crossed denominational lines.
drive their children to Temple Israel
Leading the group were Judah
stay and participate themselves.
Isaacs, AJE executive director, and
A work group formed at the close
Sharon Hart, former president of Adat
of
the evening suggested other ideas to
Shalom Synagogue, who has held
involve parents. If students made pre-
leadership positions in many organiza-
sentations at monthly board meetings,
tions.
it would bring in parents to see what
"We had planned this as a one-time
the school is doing and how the syna-
session," said Hart following the two-
gogue/temple board operates. This
hour workshop, "but there was such
would
ideally increase their participa-
enthusiasm that we will explore the
tion
in
both, while increasing stu-
possibility of continuing it on a regu-
dents' pride in their school and self-
lar basis."
esteem.
AJE president James Jonas also
Amy Dover Neistein of West
attended the new workshop. "NIRIM
Bloomfield,
co-chair of the Temple
has traditionally been focused on
Kol
Ami
school
committee, said the
teacher education," he said. "We need
workshop
confirmed
that supplemen-
to recognize that the teachers by
tary
schools
are
"doing
a lot of good
themselves cannot deliver quality edu-
things
already.
Everybody's
in the same
cation without the support of parents
boat, dealing with the same issues." 17
and lay leaders."