gogues and sisterhoods through educa-
tion, leadership training and support
for Jews in Israel and worldwide. And
Z'havah, the WLCJ's nationwide
group for younger women, extends a
special invitation to younger women
to take advantage of the extensive
leadership and educational programs
the organization has to offer.
Marcus also is a member of the syn-
agogue's board of directors.
"Lauren feels very connected to her
Judaism and the Jewish community,"
says Beth Shalom Rabbi David .
Nelson. "She's well beyoild her years
in wanting to do something for the
Jewish community. One can only
imagine how the community will ben-
efit from her in the future."
In addition to her volunteer work at
Beth Shalom, Marcus also has been
teaching Sunday school at Congregation
Shir Tikvah in Troy since 1997.
.
Earth Awareness
With Marcus' devotion to tikkun
olam, another organization that's a
natural fit is the Michigan Coalition
for the Environment and Jewish Life
(MiCOEJL). One of about a dozen
social studies- and humanities-based
projects that take the form of games
and simulation activities. These are
created through his work with the U-
M School of Education's Interactive
Communications and Simulations
(ICS) group.
Looking to teach high school stu-
dents about politics, he created
Conflix, a political simulation game
connecting students from around the
country. Each student is assigned the
part of a "real-life' politician, lobbyist,
journalist or . constituent, whose iden-
tity is kept confidential.
After studying issues surrounding
their "character," students participate
in a series of online policy confer-
ences.
"The real power of the program
happens behind the scenes, as students
explore the nature of governance,
negotiation and diplomacy. And the
coolest stuff happened not online, but
offline — between kids who might
actually be sitting right next to each
other without even knowing it."
The project, which began with a
handful of "WBHS students, came to
include U-M students and later was
taken on by other public high schools.
From among the 15 interactive proj-
ects Weisserman and his students have
tackled through the years, he says,
"probably the most famous is the Arab-
Israeli Conflict Simulation." The exer-
board members of the grassroots envi-
ronmental group, she has helped clean
up a fen — a swampy lowland — in
western Michigan, and participated in
"Eco-Shabbat" programs at Shir
Tikvah, Adat Shalom Synagogue in
Farmington Hills and Temple Kol Ami
in West Bloomfield.
"We also have letter-writing cam-
paigns to legislators and get together
with other environmental groups,"
she said.
COEJL, which has branches through-
out North America, brings to modern
times the biblical and medieval Jewish
directives to protect the land, its plants
and wild creatures. The principle of bal
tashchit (do not destroy) dates back to
Deuteronomy, in which the Hebrews are
commanded not to cut down trees even
to prevent ambush or to build protec-
tion for a siege, and not to foul waters
or burn crops, even to defeat an enemy.
Marcus' involvement in .MiCOEJL
came about almost by accident. After
graduating from Michigan State
University in 1997, she worked first for
the National Conference for
MARCUS on page 96
cise, created in the 1970s, but imple-
mented today by Weisserman at
WBHS, was begun "as a way for stu-
dents to get a better feel for how diffi-
cult negotiations and diplomacy are in
the Middle East," he says. The project
reflects current world events and is more
intense some semesters than others.
Recently, Weisserman was
approached by a group of Michigan
educators and legislators looking to
reform the way civics and government
are taught on the high school level.
From that meeting, he created the
Michigan Civics Institute Michigan
Youth Caucus, an online program that
allows young people around the state
to actually participate in public affairs,
helping with the construction of a
yearly youth caucus platform listing
issues of concern and proposed solu-
tions.
With the help of his high school and
college student development team, the
program, which began last winter, now
is in eight high schools and one univer-
sity, with 50-75 schools, including
. Detroit Public Schools, expected to
join in this fall.
Student-Teacher Relationships
Please be sure to include your mo
address, phone number, a9e.,
your entry to
Weisserman is sometimes so focused
on what he can do next for his stu-
dents, he loses sight of the impact he's
WEISSERMAN on. page 96
4/26
2002
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