DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer

New York City
long day of learning
began at 5 a.m. April
29 for 167 Detroit-
area preschool teach-
ers and administrators. They
toured Ellis Island and the
nearby Museum of Jewish
Heritage, I-calming, tired but
invigorated, that same night.
Each had completed the first
year of the two-year Jewish
Early Education Enhancement
Project, known as JEEEP. A
program funded by the
Hermelin-Davidson Center for
Congregation Excellence,
JEEEP's goal is to enhance the
Judaic knowledge of preschool
educators so they can pass this
knowledge along ro their stu-
dents.
The New York trip, offered
free to participants, was the
culmination of JEEEP's first
year. After the second year,
they will be able to spend a
week in Israel for a nominal
fee.
Nearly every preschool
reacher in metro Detroit
Reform and Conservative con-
gregations enrolled in JEEEP.
They attended biweekly classes
at their own schools, studying
subjects they helped choose.
Rabbis and other speakers sup-
plemented the curriculum.
"Response has been extraordi-
nary to this program," says Joni
Blinderman, indicating that
about 98 percent of the teachers
remained in the program.
Blinderman is director of pro-
gram planning and development
at Jewish Theological Seminary
of America's Davidson Graduate

A

Adat Shalom preschool
teacher Phyllis Kohn of
Farmington Hills, school
director Dottie Levitsky of
BloomfieLd Township and
teacher Janet Scharg ofWest
Bloomfield at the Ellis Island
Immigration Museum.

Preschool teachers take their quest for knowledge to the Big Apple.

School of Education in New
York, which developed JEEEP
through its Melton Research
Center for Jewish Education.
Primary research was done by
Frieda Robins.
The program is notable because
it provides long-term communi-
ty-based education rather that
scatter-shot training. Eventually,

teachers of older students will be
able to share in its benefits.
"A better-educated teacher is
able to impart knowledge in a
different way," says Judah Isaacs,
executive director of the Agency
for Jewish Education.
Teachers also gained a stronger
identification with Judaism, he
says. "At Temple Emanu-El, for

instance, we're seeing preschool
teachers in the adult bat mitzvah
program."

JEEEP Profiles

Each JEEEP program took on its
own flavor.
Teachers at the Temple Beth El
preschool studied with mentor

