Giving Back

Jewish school board candidates say religion and family taught them to be involved in the community.

DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff:Writer

I f I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am
only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?"
It's the most frequently quoted saying of
the third-century Hebrew sage Hillel, and one
that Catherine Fridson, running for re-election to
the Berkley Public Schools' board of education, takes
very seriously.
"First, I want good, strong public schools for
myself and my family, and I am willing to work for
them," Fridson said. "We, as a community, are all
better served if we have quality public education."
Fridson is one of at least eight Jewish candidates
running for school board seats in local public school
districts. In the May 25 edition of the Jewish News
(page 21), we asked five of these candidates to com-
ment on the way tradition and religion influenced
them to devote so much of their time and energy to
public education. This week, we posed the same
questions to three more.
"Not one of my grandparents was born in this
country," said Judith Lowitz Adler, president of the
Birmingham board of education. "If it wasn't for New
York State public education, I wouldn't have been able
to attend the excellent private universities that I did.

Related commentary: page 5

Students at Burton Elementary School (Berkley Public
Schools) celebrate Burton's 75th anniversary in
authentic costumes.

"Public education is the best chance for the future
of this country"
Although she is running unopposed, Adler empha-
sized that . it is important for Birmingham school
voters to go the polls June 11 to vote to renew the
so-called "hold-harmless" millage.
Because of provisions of Proposal A, certain school
districts, such as Birmingham, must levy 18 mills on
all non-homestead property. Otherwise, these dis-

tricts will not receive the full amount of their state
foundation grants.
The millage effects businesses only, and it main-
tains the current level of taxes rather than raising
them, Adler explained.
Catherine Rosenfield McKee, a school board can-
didate in the West Bloomfield Schools district, is
strongly committed to sustaining and improving
public education. "If funding decreases for public
education, what happens to those who can't afford
private schools?"
A member of the West Bloomfield Clergy
Association, McKee feels it is important for children
to have as much exposure to other cultures as possi-
ble, and would not consider sending her children to
an all-day Jewish school. However, she said, "every-
one has to work out their personal beliefs."
Both McKee and Adler said the Jewish tradition of
tikkun dam, repairing the world, teaches us to be
involved in the community and to be personally
responsible for making positive changes happen. ❑

Polls in all school districts are open 7 a.m. to 8
p.m., Monday, June 11. Call your district
administrative office for more information
about where to vote on election day or how to
vote using an absentee-voter ballot.

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13 ERKLEY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Catherine Fridson
(incumbent)
Age: 51
Residence: Huntington
Woods
Years in District: 18
Children: Nathan and Blake,
Berkley High School; Russell,
Norup Middle School
Occupation: Community vol-
unteer
Education: BA, University of
Michigan
Jewish/Community
'Involvement: Co-president of
the Religious School Parents,
Congregation Beth Shalom;
past president and treasurer,
Burton Elementary School;
treasurer, All-Night
Graduation Party.

Barbara Berger White
(incumbent)

Age: 47
Residence: Huntington
Woods
Years in District: 16
Children: Adam, Berkley
High School; Michael,
Norup Middle School
Occupation: Clinical social
worker
Education: BA, child devel-
opment/education, Michigan
State University; MA, social
work, MSU.
Jewish/Community
Involvement: Co-chair Berkley
School District 1995 bond
campaign; co-chair Proposal A
school financing campaign;
member Temple Einanu-El.

Other Candidate:

Martin Klemet, Oak Park

BIRMINGHAM
PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Judith L. Adler (incumbent)
---- running unopposed
Age: 52
Residence: Bloomfield
Township
Years in District: 11
Children: Esther and Rachel,
Groves High School graduates
Occupation: Lawyer, Warner,
Norcross & Judd, LLP
Education: BA, Brandeis
University; MA, Brown
University; Ph.D., University
of Pennsylvania; law degree,
Colu m bia University
Jewish/Community
Involvement: Active member
of Congregation Beth Shalom;
Beth Shalom Housing the
Homeless committee and
haftorah reading class; League

of Wromen Voters; American
Civil Liberties Union; former
president ASSET,
Birminoliam Public School's
organization for gifted and tal
ented students.

Mindy Nathan (incumbent)

Age: 43
Residence: West kloomfield
Years in District: 12
Children: Jennifer, 18, and
Jacob, 15, Andover High
School
Occupation: Former educa-
tion director and current
religious school teacher and
coordinator for Temple Shir
Shalom; adjunct instructor
at Walsh College
Education: BA, University

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'vrifit9tuess post-
graduate
Jewish/Community
eft S teerin g

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Coalition
Jewish ers
h
onc
National ' ,°uncil
vice Pres i.A,,t
of Jewish
atet Detroit
W6rne
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S eotion. chair,e ducation
Pfaniarinn

boar
Com
Gene
Bloc?
volunteer, Alternative High
School, Bloomfield Hills;
member, Public Education
Task Force.

.

CANDIDATES on page 26

IN

6/1

2001

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