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Telegraph at Maple • In Bloomfield Plaza
those goals," says Weiss, the staff person
at the Federation who works with
Jewish day schools.
Akiva parent Dr. Isaac Lakritz of West
Bloomfield feels the Federation should
take a closer look at the workings of the
school before giving it financial support.
"It's a shame this community does not
provide adequate oversight for its educa-
tional institutions," says Lakritz, whose
two sons formerly attended Akiva. A
younger daughter is still a student at
the school.
In response, Rabbi Tsaidi called
Detroit's Federation "so professional,
so pro-Jewish education." Just within
the past month, he said, Weiss and
Harlene Appelman, executive director
of the Federation's Alliance for Jewish
Education, toured the school and
spoke in detail with many administra-
tors and teachers.
The change in that school between
this year and the last is truly fantastic,"
says Weiss, "Next year, there will be
even more changes."
-
Akiva's search committee members
had talked by phone to other candi-
dates, Weiss says, but Rabbi Tsaidi was
the only one brought in for a live
interview. "They wanted to utilize their
resources to the best end," Weiss says.
Rabbi Tsaidi had been highly recom-
mended by Rabbi Lee Buckman of the
Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit. The two had worked side-by-
side in Milwaukee.
Speaking this week, Rabbi Buckman
said, "We loved his enthusiastic love of
Israel, his inclusive view of klal Yisrael
[the Jewish people] and his passion for
learning. He has charisma and a
vision. All of these ingredients made
for a dynamic leader to help strength-
en Alcivis future."
Jay Shayevitz of Oak Park said he
was unaware of just how intensely
Zionist Akiva was when he allowed his
daughter, Deena, to transfer to the
school last fall. He also is unhappy
that so many classes are co-education-
al. Deena left Beth Jacob School of
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in 11th grade
because she wanted a more rigorous
academic atmosphere, her father said.
Despite these objections, he antici-
pates his daughter will graduate from
Akiva next year.
Zionism is an integral part of the
Akiva experience, one that was cele-
brated with vibrant enthusiasm all
year. "If you want to find a distinction
between us and the other Orthodox
day schools," says outgoing Akiva
President Stuart Teger of Southfield,
we put a higher emphasis on secular
education and on Israel."
"
The school held community-wide
celebrations for Yom HaAtzmaut
(Israeli Independence Day) and Yom
Yerushalayim (the day in 1967 when
Israel gained control of the whole of
Jerusalem). Both events were filled to
overflowing. Also, Akiva students
made up more than half of the Detroit
Federation's 35-student March of the
Living-Detroit/Poland Teen Unity
Experience this year.
Next year, all 'Alciva ninth-graders
will participate in a once-a-week Israeli
immersion program called Lehavah
(Flame), in which they'll study differ-
ent aspects of Israeli life. After the
close of school, students will have the
option of spending five-six weeks in
Israel if they so decide.
Teger also said Akiva would prefer
more single-gender classes, but was finan-
cially unable to offer them at this time.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line for the success of any
private school is enrollment-, and
Akiva's enrollment has proved hard to
budge from the 250 level.
The school's official enrollment fig-
ure, as of October 2000, stood at 244
students. By early June 2001, 13 new
families had committed to bringing
their children — 22 in all — into the
school for next year. The nursery pro-
gram will expand from a single class
serving 3- and 4-year-olds to separate
classes for each age. The 10th grade
class, canceled this year for lack of
enrollment, will reappear as an 11th
grade class for 2001-2002.
Enrollment growth of about 20 stu-
dents is an important part of Akiva's
three-year financial plan, says Marc
Jerusalem of Oak Park, the school's
incoming president. The three-year
plan started this year with an across-
the-board tuition increase averaging 5
percent. Fund raising will be increased
so Akiva can become more self-suffi-
cient, and the school will hire a direc-
tor of development.
Despite financial and enrollment
worries, the mood of Akiva families is
a far cry from that of two years ago.
They credit much of this change to
the two new administrators, Rabbi
Tsaidi and Domstein.
Joseph Greenbaum of Southfield,
Daniel Greenbaum's uncle, said Rabbi
Tsaidi's efforts "come from the heart
and he truly believes what he says.
"My impression is that what hap-
pened over the last year is that they
have re-invigorated the school with a
spirit and enthusiasm it did not have
before." Ei
"