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Poised To Learn

IV ith great anticipa-
tion, we await the
winter release of
Detroit Jewry's
newest blueprint for Jewish educa-
tion. It will mark a watershed in
our battle as a people against full
assimilation.
The report, now being written after a brief
delay, represents a golden opportunity to lay a
foundation for learning Jewishly into the new
century. Should the opportunity slip away, the
effects no doubt will diminish our spiritual lives.
Learning can't be an afterthought.
We've survived as a people for 4,000 years
— against plagues, tyrants and wars. Assimila-
tion is now our biggest cross-stream threat. Yet
it's not our only challenge; others include
intermarriage, pluralism, family values, conver-
sion and apathy.
America and other democratic nations
assure religious freedom. But the kind of
Judaism we practice, and whether we fully
assimilate into a secular or Christian-influ-
enced way of life, is rooted in how well we
learn Jewishly.
Study opportunities must touch all age ley-

IN FOCUS

els and all settings, including
summer camp and our homes,
not only our schools and syna-
gogues. Jewish continuity hinges
on such an intergenerational
approach.
That's why we're eager for the
first recommendations from
FAJE (Federation's Alliance for Jewish Educa-
tion) — the visionary new arm of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
We hope some of the recommendations are
innovative and daring, shaking up how we
think about learning. At the same time, there's
nothing wrong with keeping the best of what
we already have.
Some of what's tried may fall flat. That's
okay. The key is for FAJE to invite feedback
and respond with sensitivity and a sense of
purpose. Uppermost should be the question: Is
what we're doing in sync with the vision and
goals of the educational blueprint?
Ultimately, we must rally behind FAJE,
demanding nothing less than excellence in
preschool through adult education, and staying
tightly focused on invigorating the way we
learn — as a community. ❑

Greeting The New Year

n this newspaper and
elsewhere, Jews have
argued about what
the turn of the mil-
lennium means to us as a
people. After all, our Jew-
ish calendar tells us this
year is 5760, marking a
new decade, not a millen-
nium.
Some thinkers like
Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg have dismissed the
occasion, saying "any Jewish hoo-ha about the
millennium is essentially playing into Christ-
ian hands. It's not our party."
But no matter how observant we are as
Jews, we also inhabit a global world. For much
of that world, this is a monumental year and it
would be disingenuous to deny that we are
touched by it. (While its origins are Christian,
the Common Era calendar was adopted by the
United Nations and no longer belongs to one
faith.)
After all, Jews are highly conscious of time,
of marking it and sanctifying it, of trying to
make it matter. That is what we do every
Shabbat. And that impulse is a lot of what this
millennial fever is about. Setting aside dates
and elevating them in significance helps orient
and connect us, especially in a frenetic, mod-
em world cut off from natural cycles that, in
simpler times, divided time and bound people

I

1999

44

Marching For A Cause

Although many Orthodox rabbis early in the century opposed
Zionism as being contrary to messianic ideas, Rabbi Judah
Levin of Congregation Shaarey Zedek became an important
supporter of the movement. A founder of the Mizrachi Zionist
Organization of America, he marched down Brush Street with
like-minded rabbis, circa 1913.

LETTERS

together. In that context,
a millennium change is
momentous, a time to
stop and take notice of
where our human com-
munity has been and
reflect on where we are .
going.
This Shabbat will
remain Shabbat, of
course. The parsha this
week is Shemot, which means "names." Fit-
tingly, it begins with a list of the names of
Jacob's sons who went to Egypt. Remember-
ing our history, remembering the names of
our ancestors in cultures where we are or
have been minorities, has always anchored
us and given us strength as a unique people
with a particular story.
As we celebrate Shabbat this week and
recount a portion of our story, we will be
keenly aware of our uniqueness. But we will
also be aware of another, global celebration of
time we can acknowledge without sacrificing
that uniqueness. Indeed, we can claim it, cele-
brate it and invest it with individual and Jew-
ish significance.
We all benefit by the opportunity to be
aware of time, and of the precious opportu-
nity we have to make it and our lives mean-
ingful.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy 2000!1-1

Sam Grand Was
A Great Man

I first met Sam Grand ("Obit-
uaries," Dec. 24) during the
early Soviet Jewry days. We
were alerted that many Russ-
ian Jewish engineers were
coming to Detroit. We had a
special meeting for potential
employers so we could
arrange for jobs for them.
Sam was there and announced
that he would hire every
Russian engineer who wanted
a job; if there were more than
he could handle, he would get
a job for every one!
He was as good as his word.
There are hundred of Russian
Jews who owe their start in
America to Sam. Sam was
involved in everything that had
to do with Israel. Again putting
his money up, he built many
plants in Israel, many of which
are still supplying auto parts all
over the world.
Of course, the best thing
he did was to raise a son Steve

(who along with his wife,
Nancy), are following in his
footsteps. What a legacy!
Arnold Michlin
Farmington Hills

Cuba Trip
Outstanding

My husband and I found the
Jewish Community Council
of Metropolitan Detroit trip
to Cuba an amazing and
invigorating experience
("Havana Nagila," Nov. 26).
The food may not have
been outstanding, but the
people and the sites were fas-
cinating. Cuba is a beautiful
country. The people are
friendly and welcoming.
However, most important,
was that this was a humani-
tarian Jewish trip.
While I know that people
we met with at three syna-
gogues were grateful and
thrilled by our presence, it
was a reminder to me how
lucky we are to be Jews living