Spirituality
tuality and how it is reconciled with secularism, says Secular Humanistic
Rabbi Sherwin Wine of the Birmingham Temple, who will also speak at
the event.
"Is it possible to have a spiritual experience even if you're not conven-
tionally religious?" he asks. "We know that spiritualism is an important
dimension of our lives as Humanistic Jews."
But what is the nature of spirituality for secular Jews? "Is spirituality
nature, beauty, poetry?" says Marilyn Rowens, executive director of IISHJ.
Aciman's essays resonate with the poetry and nature of being a modern
Jew, still in exile, yet his writings no longer reflect the avenue of explo-
ration as a dialogue with God.
"I write to give my life a form, a narrative, a chronology," Aciman
Professor Aciman
writes. He writes to remember "what your ancestors remembered ... That's
what makes somebody Jewish: You are invested with memories of other
people. The crime that no Jew can commit is to forget those memories."
Colloquium speaker Rahel Elior, professor of Jewish Studies at Hebrew
SHARON LUCKERMAN
University in Jerusalem, will discuss Jewish mysticism. Yaakov Malkin,
Staff Writer
professor of aesthetics and rhetoric at Tel Aviv University and founder of
the first community art and culture center in Israel, will explore, says
ailed a "literary pilgrim" in the New York Times, Andre
Rabbi Wine, "how secular Jews can utilize the Bible as a source of spiritu-
Aciman, a Sephardic Jew, fled his childhood home,
ality."
Alexandria, Egypt, in the mid-1960s. He and his family
Others speakers include Professor Joseph Chuman, Columbia
were among the last Jews to leave the city.
University
and Barnard College; Dr. Dan Cohn-Sherbok, professor of
Now a writer and professor of French and comparative literature at
Judaism
at
the
University of Wales; Ruth Calderon, founder and director
Bard College in New York City, Aciman has never been able to put that
of
Alma
Hebrew
College and Elul in Israel; Harry T. Cook, former Detroit
past behind him. It colors his observations, his writing, his life.
Rabbi Wine
columnist
and rector of St. Andrews Church in Clawson; Daniel
Free Press
Aciman will give the keynote address at the International Institute for
Friedman,
rabbi
emeritus
of
Congregation
Beth Or in Deerfield, Ill.; Norbert
Secular Humanistic Judaism's (IISHJ) Colloquium '01 on Secular
Samuelson, chair of Jewish studies at Arizona State University Mitchell Silver, pro-
Spirituality at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct.18.
fessor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts.
The colloquium, with grant support from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Colloquium '01 is open to the public. Fees range from $110 a day without
Detroit, will run Oct. 18-21 at the Pivnick Center for Humanistic Judaism in
meals to $300 for three days with meals. For information, call (248) 476-9532. ❑
Farmington Hills.
Scholars from North America, Europe and Israel will explore the nature of spiri-
Secular
Spirituali
Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism's
annual three-day colloquium to explore if
spirituality is possible without religion.
C
Post-Seminary
Detroit-area Orthodox women
A majority of Ma'alot students are
Beth Jacob graduates who attended a
post-high school year of seminary in
Israel or elsewhere. Through the
Ma'alot program, transfer credits for
seminary classes are applied toward
the degree, which is granted through
Thomas Edison State College
(TESC) in New Jersey, an accredited
sustaining," says Rabbi Lauer, who
college that accepts off-campus study.
also is the educational director at
Credits may also be earned through
Beth Jacob School for Girls in Oak
CLEP (College Level Examination
Park. "We are very appreciative to
Program) courses, Advanced
Federation and the Fisher grant to
Placement exams, college-level classes
help us get through this initial peri-
taken in high school, correspondence
courses, course work taken at other
od."
In 1984, the Zaidner Institute
approved colleges and from docu-
began Ma'alot Yerushalyim as a divi-
mented, acceptable "life experience."
sion of Neve Yerushalayim, a
Through a combination of these
women's seminary in Jerusalem.
modes, most students are able to
Seven branches of Ma'alot (Hebrew
obtain their 120-credit bachelor of
for "levels" or "degrees") exist in
art or science degrees within a year or
North America.
two after their return from seminary.
The Detroit Ma'alot enables local
Course work and transfer credits
women to obtain college degrees
are monitored by the American
quickly, conveniently, at a reasonable
Council on Education to assure uni-
cost, and in an atmosphere con-
formity of quality. Most graduate
ducive to Torah observance. Classes
schools accept the TESC degree. One
in both secular and Jewish subjects
Ma'alot student, for example, gradu-
are held evenings and Sundays in
ated with a bachelor of art in psy-
locations in Southfield and Oak
chology and went on to obtain her
Park.
master's in Special Education at
have a new college option.
SUSAN TAWIL
Special to the Jewish News
ewish women looking for an
alternative to a standard col-
lege program now can turn
to Ma'alot, says registrar
Carol Perecman.
The fledgling school, run by
Southfield's Yeshiva Beth Yehudah,
recently received a $23,000 grant
from the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's Max M.
Fisher Jewish Community
Foundation.
According to Ma'alot director
Rabbi Nesanel Lauer, the the grant
will offset start-up costs for the
school. Ma'alot also received
$25,000 from the Fisher Foundation
in 1999.
"When the school reaches critical
mass, the program will become self-
IT
Accreditation
Adelphi University in New York.
More than 30 students are enrolled
in Detroit Ma'a lot this fall, taking
classes ranging from data piocessing
and computer graphics to studies in
Jewish philosophy and scriptural
teaching skills. Each three-credit
course costs $400.
Financial Aid
The school is in the midst of the
accreditation process for government
financial aid, and Perecman predicts
a boost in enrollment once that
becomes available.
Ma'alot's student body includes
not only Beth Jacob graduates, but
married women wanting to complete
degrees, and community members
auditing courses to further their per-
sonal growth. The flexible hours
allow students to work or tend to
families, and to adjust course loads
to suit their preference.
"We are very open to adding
courses requested by women in the
community," says Rabbi Lauer.
"Even basic Judaic studies classes can
be accommodated if there is interest.
Our instructors are very high level;
the school maintains a very high
standard of education." ❑
AN1
10/12
2001
65