This

Food For Thought

Hermelins host a barbecue for synagogue preschool _professionals.

educated mentors as well as by
don to the Jewish Federation of
the clergy at each synagogue.
Metropolitan Detroit's Millennium
There is a $1,000 stipend for
Fund. Doreen Hermelin is the center's
each teacher. The program also
chair, with Kathleen Wilson-Fink and
oreen and former U.S.
includes day trips to New York
Alan
Stuart
Schwartz
serving
as
co-
Ambassador David
and Washington, D.C., ending
chairs.
Hermelin opened their
with a 10-day trip to Israel. -
Each preschool teacher has a very
Bingham Farms home to
Organizers anticipate only a
important part in reshaping Jewish
190 preschool teachers, as well as
nominal
cost for the Israeli
education for the
school directors and
trip.
future, Doreen
other educational lead-
Dr. Carol Ingall at the podium.
Marlene Thav, director of
Hermelin said, adding
Ob
ers on Aug. 27.
preschool education at Temple
that "so many studies
On the menu were
Beth El, said her staff is very
have
shown
this
is
hot dogs, hamburgers
Center of Metropolitan Detroit's K
excited about the program.
when children learn
and some unbelievably
Building. "Jewish educators are fre-
"It's our chance to learn as adults," she
best."
fancy desserts, all
quently underpaid and under-appr
said. "Hopefully, it will filter down to
She envisions the
served in the elegance
ated," she said.
the children."
program being extend-
of the Hermelins' art-
Frieda Robins at the Jewish
Courses are designed to meet the
ed year by year to
filled home.
Theological
Seminary in New Yorl,
needs and wishes of the staff at each
include teachers of
The event was the
did the primary research behind
particular
school.
At
Beth
El,
the
first-
older children.
kickoff to the Jewish
JEEEP. The pilot program took ph
year course is called "Everything You
"It makes sense. Each
Enrichment Early
in four congregational schools in tl
Always
Wanted
to
Know
About
year when your child is
Education Project
New
York metropolitan area Burin,
in school, the better the Judaism and Were Afraid to Ask." The
(JEEEP), a project
the
1999-2000
school year. It was
second year will begin with a study of
Former U.S. Ambassador
teachers are, the more
designed to enhance
funded
by
the
Melton
Research
Israel, and take off from there.
David and Doreen Hermelin
progress [students] will
the Judaic knowledge
Center
for
Jewish
Education
and t
"The program will educate us more
make," she said.
of preschool educators
William
Davidson
Graduate
Scho<
for the Jewish children, [but] it's also
JEEEP is a two-year
so they can pass along
Jewish Education at JTS.
for us," said Rochelle Anstandig of
series
of
courses
and
activities
for
con-
this knowledge to their students.
The program also benefits from
Farmington
Hills,
who
teaches
at
the
gregational preschool teachers. Every
The Hermelins and William
extensive financial support of Alfr(
Sarah
and
Irving
Pitt
Early
Childhood
local preschool is involved, with nearly
Davidson of Bloomfield Hills estab-
and Temma Kingsley of New York
Center in West Bloomfield. It is locat-
every teacher participating.
lished the Center for Congregation
who attended the Aug. 27 event.
ed within the Jewish Community
Courses are taught by five highly
Excellence with a $3 million cnntribu-

DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer

D

'

Sharing Ideas

Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education to hold Donor Assembly.

DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer

R

obert Schostak of Franklin
will lead a seven-member
delegation of Detroit-area
residents to the first donor
assembly of the Partnership for
Excellence in Jewish Education.
The PEJE conference will take place
Sept. 17-18 in White Plains, N.Y. It
will bring together major North
American donors from all branches of
Judaism, who have given generously to
day schools within their communities.
All the local delegates are involved
with the Jewish Academy of

9/15
2000

6

Metropolitan Detroit, which opened
Aug. 28. PEJE assisted the JAMD
start-up with a $250,000 matching
grant.
PEJE is a national organization
designed to strengthen the number
and quality of Jewish day schools in
North America.
It accomplishes this goal in three
major ways, said Rabbi Joshua Elkin,
the group's executive director.
First, PEJE helps in the fund-raising
efforts of day schools through chal-
lenge grants, which so far have
amounted to $13 million. These
grants were spread among 32 Jewish
day schools throughout the United

States and Canada.
Only start-up schools qualify for
PEJE support.
"We also promote excellence
through mailings, publications and a
document that defines day school
excellence," Rabbi Elkin said. "In
addition, our madrikh [mentor] pro-
gram provides experienced day school
personnel to assist professional and lay
leaders.
The madrikh program is beginning
its first year at the high school level
and its second year at the elementary
level.
The third important function of
PEJE is to develop a broad philan-

thropic base
among Jews
throughout
North
America.
The assembly
will bring
together major
lay supporters
of schools asso-
ciated with
PEJE, to learn
Robert Schostak
about issues in
day school edu-
cation and to share fund-raising a
educational ideas that have worke
them.
Jewish Renaissance Media Chai
Michael H. Steinhardt, a philand
pist whose vision inspired the cre;
of PEJE three years ago, said the
assembly is an important rite of
sage for PEJE, and for the day scl
world as a whole.

