Frieda Robins
are held at the synagogue or temple,
and rabbis are encouraged to attend.
All the early childhood teachers in
any given school must sign up for
that school to participate, and classes
are limited to 20-25 per mentor.
"It's not just for you to grow indi-
vidually, but for you to grow as a class
together," Robins said.
Detroit-area teachers who partici-
pate will receive a stipend of about
$1,000 per year, Appelman said. The
project will close with a trip to Israel,
with most of the funding provided
through project sources and rabbis'
discretionary funds.
The introductory gathering at
Shaarey Zedek B'nai Israel was one of
six attended by Robins and Appelman
that week. Like all the rest, it was a
hit.
Janet Pont of Southfield, director
of Shaarey Zedek's Applebaum
Parenting Center, met with her staff
immediately after the presentation.
"There's never going to be a time
that's going to be absolutely perfect
for everybody," she said as they
worked to schedule their classes, "but
it is important for everyone to work
ro make that commitment."
"I think it's a very exciting oppor-
tunity for our staff to enrich them-
selves with personal growth and to
bring that growth to their students,"
said Bryna Leib of West Bloomfield,
director of Temple Israel's nursery and
kindergarten program.
"It's important that our families see
teachers as helping to bring forth the
future of our temple and of Judaism,"
said Missy Siegler of Novi, a teacher
in the Temple Israel program. ❑
For more information or reservations,
Jerusalem, Israel