Help For Synagogue Schools

New Federation Millennium Fund donation
aims to improve synagogue learning opportunities.

HARRY KIRSBAUM

Staff Writer

T

apping a national wave of interest in
Jewish education and spirituality,
two Detroit philanthropists are
launching an unusual effort to give
rabbis, cantors and lay educators more training
and resources to improve congregational
schools.
Their $3 million gift is the first step in a
$10 million program that they and leaders of
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
hope will involve congregational schools, the
places where most Jewish students first
encounter the pleasures and difficulties of
Torah study. The program aims to strengthen
adult and continuing Jewish education as well
as formal b'nai mitzvah preparation. It is
intended to represent all streams of Judaism
and be a national model that other communi-
ties can follow.
The $2 million gift from William Davidson
David and Doreen Hermelin
of Bloomfield Hills and $1 million from
Doreen and David Hermelin of Bingham
Farms launched the Hermelin-Davidson
Center for Congregation Excellence on Wednesday.
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The gift falls under the Jewish Federation/United
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Jewish Foundation's $50 million Millennium
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Campaign for Detroit's Jewish Future.
"It's a bold, important initiative that's long over-
A new initiative for afternoon Hebrew
due," said David Hermelin, a real estate developer
schools and other elements of
and former U.S. ambassador to Norway. "I'm guess-
synagogue education may become
ing that we're the first federation to reach out to the
synagogue community in this way."
a pilot program used nationally.
He and Davidson are partners in Palace Sports
and Entertainment in Auburn Hills, the Phoenicia
Glass Factory in Israel's central Galilee and other
ations around North America simply don't know
how to involve themselves in improving synagogue
business ventures.
The goal for the Hermelin-Davidson Center is to
education and taking it on as a big issue," he said.
raise $10 million from other donations as well as
"For us, the critical issue that faces us in the future
matching grants from Federation and the UJF.
is how to strengthen the whole synagogue educa-
The objective is to support formal and informal
tional system, from early childhood to supplemental
Jewish education for people of all ages, provide the
schools to adult education and everything in
means to recruit and train personnel, and develop
between."
new synagogue programs for leadership training,
Nationally, two other cross-stream projects seek
teen outreach; parenting and identifying with Israel.
to make synagogue life more meaningful as well.
In effect, it will elevate the Federation-synagogue
Project STAR (Synagogue Transformation and
relationship to another level, said Robert Aronson,
Renewal) is a national philanthropic partnership
Federation CEO.
based in Chicago established by Charles
"There's been a lot of attention given to day-
Schusterman, Edgar Bronfman and Michael
school education, to the Israel experience, but feder-
Steinhardt to explore new ways to revitalize syna-
gogue life.
Harry Kirsbaum can be reached at (248) 354-6060,
"STAR is exploring the whole question of the

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3/24
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ext. 244, or by e-mail at hkirsbaum@thejewishnews.com

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role of the synagogue in contemporary life,"
said Schusterman, STAR president. "We seek to
improve our understanding of the complexities
of congregational systems and, in turn, how
STAR can contribute to Jewish renewal by
helping to make the synagogue a more viable,
meaningful, relevant and vibrant institution for
as many Jews as possible.
Synagogue 2000 is a five-year-old national
endeavor that began in Los Angeles and has
helped 32 congregations reassess their vision by
providing seminars, resources and curriculums
for Jewish education. The idea is create "com-
munities of learners" through afternoon and
adult education programs.
"Synagogue 2000 is a project dedicated to
revitalizing through re-spiritualizing synagogue
life," said Ellen Franklin, acting executive direc-
tor. "It's a marriage of authentic Judaism and
the latest in organization development and
change management, so that we help syna-
gogues with both the content and the process."
To launch the Hermelin-Davidson Center,
curriculum materials, nine conferences and a
consultant will be brought to Detroit for a
three-year period to help synagogue lay lead-
ers, rabbis and educators. Each congregation will
create mini-alliances with a mix of lay leaders,
philanthropists, education directors and rabbis,
said Harlene Appleman, Federation staff member
in charge of the Center and director of Federation's
Alliance for Jewish Education.
"The folks at Synagogue 2000 will be providing
the catalyst for congregations to take a look at their
whole education system, from preschool to adult
education, and find out what the gaps are, and
what's working."

Ground-Floor Thrust

Early childhood education (related story, page I9) is
the other major initiative of the Hermelin-Davidson
Center. The thrust will be on providing personal
development for early education teachers in the
form of increased education and trips to Israel.
"Up until now, people looked at early education
as a lwairy,",she said.. "The most current research
shows that children between ages 2-6 are sponges,
and we have the power to impart some very impor-
tant knowledge, but it depends on the richness of
the knowledge of the early education professionals.
We need to enhance their Jewish perspective."
In the long run, the serious issue will be finding
enough young people who want to go into Jewish
education and go into the field of Jewish profession-