The Yoffie Plan
A 'Marshall Plan" for Jewish education is advocated at the UAHC.
JULIE WIENER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
"mobilize ourselves for religious education as we have in the past for the State of
Israel and the fight against discrimination."
He announced the development of a new Reform curriculum called "Chai
Learning for Jewish Life," saying it offers a full course in Hebrew language,
focuses on "text and celebration" and de-emphasizes "the Holocaust and history
of Jewish suffering."
He also called for increased teacher training and said the UAHC will exempt
from temple dues to the movement all expenses related to teacher training.
Boston
A
fter generations as the whipping boy of the American Jewish commu-
nity, Hebrew schools have become the latest cause of the Reform
movement.
In his Shabbat sermon at the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations' biennial conference last week, Rabbi Eric Yoffie, the president,
Education Plan
said congregational schools "have fallen victim to the plague of low
In addition, Rabbi Yoffie urged the following steps to revitalize
expectations." The sermon is where major priorities for the follow-
Hebrew schools:
ing two years are announced.
• Engage lay leaders in the work of the religious schools, particularly
The last two biennial sermons have focused on adult Jewish litera-
in
overseeing policy and evaluation;
cy and revitalizing prayer services. Both became major initiatives for
• Recruit and train synagogue members and parents to help teach,
America's largest stream of Judaism, which boasts 914 congregations
and make such work an "obligation of synagogue leadership";
and 330,000 households across North America.
• Require all religious school parents to attend school with their chil-
For many parents, Rabbi Yoffie said, religious school is "the castor
dren at least six times per year; and
oil of Jewish life, a burden passed from parent to child with the fol-
• Impose standards — "flexible standards, to be sure, but standards
lowing admonition: 'I hated it, you'll hate it, and after your bar
mitzvah, you can quit.'"
nonetheless. Even the youngest children should know that Reform
Judaism makes demands on us; it does not mean doing whatever
Rabbi Yoffie acknowledged that "a quality religious school alone
you please."
cannot guarantee that our children will be Jewish." But since reli-
Rabbi Yoffie emphasized that he supports Jewish day schools as
gious school serves "the largest number of children for the longest
well,
an area that has boomed in recent years. There are 18 Reform
period of time," it is "the key that opens the door to the grand
Rabbi Eric Yo
day schools in North America.
adventure of Jewish learning and Jewish life." Rabbi Yoffie called on addresses the UHAC
But he noted that the majority of non-Orthodox American Jews
Jewish philanthropists to create a "Jewish Marshall Plan for the reli-
biennial.
do not — and likely never will — attend day schools.
gious school" and urged the Reform movement to invest in improv-
Rabbi Yoffie's announcements were well-received at the biennial,
ing its congregational schools, which enroll 120,000 students.
generating frequent applause.
But while money is important, he said, vision and commitment are more
He's really nailed the problem," said Jane Jacobson of Congregation Havurah
important.
in Buffalo, N.Y., reflecting the views of many.
"Faced with a hunger for Torah and schools adrift," he said, Reform Jews must
Detroiters In Boston
Local clergy, administrators and synagogue members reflect on Reform movement convention.
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Staff Writer
Sparks, Raising Ruach," as being "con-
cerned with making the congregation
the 'place to be' for a generation that
mong the almost 6,000 par-
is typically missing from synagogue
ticipants of the
life."
Dec. 5-9 Union of
"Striking Sparks"
American Hebrew
attracted 65 participants,
Congregations' biennial con-
who studied text and
vention in Boston were
shared their own congre-
Detroiters who returned
gational experiences.
home with enthusiasm and
Rabbi Hornsten says the
insight from tailor-made
success of the program
educational sessions and
proves that "there are
events.
young adults in our
Rabbi Marla Hornsten of
communities who are
Rabbi Hornsten
Temple Israel attended a
serious about congrega-
new track of the Reform
tional life and are will-
movement's convention geared toward
ing to dedicate time and energy to
young adults in their 20s and 30s. She
working with this constituency."
describes the track, titled "Striking
• -•,:,,
,;;••
12/14
2001
24
Cantorial Reaction
Cantor Stephen Dubov of Temple
Beth El, who has attended every
UAHC biennial convention since his
college days, found himself walking
through a "who's who" of his own per-
sonal history within the movement.
Like many of those who attended,
he finds that networking and meeting
up with former classmates and clergy
from synagogues once served is an
important aspect of the convention
experience.
Cantor Dubov, who is deeply
involved in technology, was awed by
rows of computers available for use by
convention-goers. The cantor sought
educational courses involving the
Internet, and was pleased to be able to
discuss his own Web site that provides
on-line Torah portions.
"No one in the sessions I attended
had heard of doing it," he says. "I
spoke with other cantors about my
desire for others to create similar sites
and to index the portions, according
to those with different pitch that will
benefit different students."
A moving moment for Cantor
Dubov, who serves at Temple Beth El,
took place during a memorial concert
for Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler of
Connecticut, immediate past president
of the UAHC, who died last year.
Singer Peter Yarrow told the audience
that the two most important people in
his life were Rabbi Schindler — and
Beth El Rabbi Daniel Svme.
I was sitting with 20 members of
Temple Beth El and we all heard it
"