This Wee

Primed For A Rebound

Yeshivat Akiva loses its small 10th grade class
but maintains its optimism.

Loewenthals' two sons, both of whom
made aliya to Israel, attended Akiva.
Stair Writer
Dr. Loewenthal, an ophthalmolo-
gist and founder of the Vision
osing three students out of
Institute of America, is the new chair-
about 250 isn't generally
man of the Southfield school's board
considered a major loss to a
of directors. "The Lookstein Report is
school.
a great resource all day schools should
However, when those three students
benefit from," he said.
represent the entire 10th-grade class, it
Starting in 1999, four educators
can cause concerns about the viability
from Lookstein went to Akiva to
of the school as a whole. That's
meet with principals, teachers,
exactly the response Rabbi Yigal
parents and students, and review
Tsaidi, the newly hired educa-
the school's curriculum and
tional director of Yeshivat
long-range plans. Their most
Akiva, wants to avoid.
recent visit was in February.
The school has several strate-
They followed this up with a
gies already in place to restore
50-page report, describing what
confidence and build enrollment.
they saw as well as evaluating
In addition, administrators and
Dr. La wrence the school's strong and weak
lay leaders are following the recom-
Loewe n that
points. Once a Lookstein Report
mendations of a report from the
is completed, the center becomes a
Rabbi Dr. Joseph H. Lookstein Center
resource for the school in the future,
for Jewish Education in the Diaspora.
Loewenthal said.
The Lookstein Center, part of the Bar-
"The educational aspects have been
Ilan University School of Education in
waiting for Rabbi Tsaidi and Dr.
Ramat-Gan, Israel, provides a variety of
[Charles] Domstein [Akiva's new secu-
programs in curriculum, professional
lar studies director] to begin,"
development and leadership training.
Loewenthal said.
The Lookstein Report for Akiva
was funded through a contribution of
By The Numbers
$30,000 from Dr. Lawrence and Betty
Akiva
serves preschool through 12th-
Loewenthal of Southfield. The
grade students, along with "On My
Related editorial: page 35
Own," a class for 2-year-olds. For the

DIANA LIEBERMAN

L

Foundatio ns Of Judaism

Akiva plans to
er series of adult
education courses.

DIANA LIEBERMAN

Sta Writer

abbi Yigal Tsaidi wants
AIM you to meet your old
friends Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob.
In a series of adult educa
tion courses, the new educa-
tional director of Yeshivat
Aluva will lead parents and
community members as they
renew their knowledge of
Jewish topics.

9/8

2000

6

The first series begins
Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the
Southfield-based school and
will continue for three con-
secutive Tuesdays. Classes
run from 8:30-9:30 p.m.
There is no charge.
Refreshments will be served,
providing more informal
opportunities to get to know
Rabbi Tsaidi.
After the High Holidays,
the school will offer more
courses, switching to
Wednesday nights.
"The more people know
about the foundations of
Judaism, the more Akiva will
become a resource for the
community," said Dan

2000-2001 school year, upper-school
enrollment so far stands at 13 in sev-
enth grade; 12 in eighth grade; 17 in
ninth grade; 28 in llth grade and 12
in 12th grade, for a total of 82 stu-
dents. They are almost equally divided
between boys and girls.
These numbers are still in flux,
Rabbi Tsaidi said. Meanwhile, several
grades in the lower school are large
enough to have two sections.
The ninth-grade enrollment bodes
well for a 10th grade next year, but
having an 11th grade in 2001-2002
remains a challenge.
Like this year, Akiva's total enroll-
ment at the start of the 1999-2000
school year was also 250 students.
Rabbi Tsaidi came to the modern
Orthodox day school this summer
after serving as educational director of
the Hebrew Academy of Montreal. He
has been joined by the newly hired
Domstein, who recently retired as
head of the social studies department
at Oak Park High School.
"Watching them in action, I'm very,
very impressed," said Stuart Teger of
Southfield, Akiva's new president. So
far this year, Teger has been handling
day-to-day activities, while Loewenthal
has concentrated more on the school's
long-term planning.
"The two administrators are very

Home of

AMA HEBREW
DAY SCHOOL

Yeshivat Akiva

knowledge about the business of edu-
cation, and their dedication to the
good of the kids is really remarkable,"
Teger said.
He characterized the Lookstein
Report as "fairly positive," adding that
"there were other things that were
mildly neutral and others that need
improvement."
The report said Akiva generally
offers "a positive learning environment
and a friendly place for kids," Teger
added.

Mendelson, Akiva
and one in conversa-
parent and board
tion."
member. "People
In addition, the
will say This is a
ency for Jewish
real alternative for
Education of
me — and for my
Metropolitan Detroit
children.'"
will offer "Hebrew for
Rabbi Yigal
The adult educa-
Advanced Students,"
Tsaidi
don series is debuting
Sunday mornings from
during the Hebrew
11 a.m.-1 p.m. There
month of Elul, a time when
will be a small fee, with a dis-
people traditionally study more
count for Akiva families.
intensively. The first course will
An Israeli native, Rabbi
be a l'rehei Kallah, a special
Tsaidi came to Akiva from
High Holiday study program.
the Hebrew Academy of
"After the holidays,"
Montreal. Like Akiva, it is a
Rabbi Tsaidi said, "there will
modern Orthodox school.
be more parsha [Torah por-
"I did this program in
tion] classes on Wednesday
Montreal and the school
nights. We're also going to
became a spiritual center," he
have two Hebrew classes on
said.
Wednesdays, one in reading
This is his hope for Akiva. 0

The Yarchei Kallah
series:
• Tuesday, Sept. 12 —
"The Message of the
Shofar of Elul"
• Tuesday, Sept. 19 —
"The Connection
between the Shofar of
Elul to Rosh HaShana"
• Tuesday, Sept. 26 —
"The Power of Tefilla,
Using the Haftorah of
Rosh HaShana: the
Prayer of Hanna"
For information, con
tact Yeshivat Akiva,
(248) 386-1625, or
Akiva board member
Dan Mendelson,
(248) 360-9661.

