A Year Of Accomplishment

AJE sees successes in educational
response to Israel crisis.

become better Jews, he said. Despite
their personal flaws, we hold them
Staff Writer
up — like President Geroge W. Bush
and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
s the early evening light
Sharon. About King David, the
streamed into
rabbi said, "He was a consummate
Congregation Beth
political leader until he noticed
Shalom's Oak Park sanctu-
Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, and acted
ary on June 4, the Agency for Jewish
in a not-so-moral way." The king's
Education of Metropolitan Detroit
behavior, he added, was not unlike
looked back on what it considers a
that of former President Bill
year of accomplishment.
Clinton.
The agency responded quickly to
One role all honored that evening
the Mideast conflict by providing
was that of the 127 local Jewish edu 7
programs for educators and students
cators who completed 12 or more
of all ages, said Executive Director
NIRIM credits to further
Rabbi Judah Isaacs. The
their Judaic education, pre-
School Services Department
sented by Wendy Sadler, AJE
developed an Israel curricu-
director of School Services.
lum it presented to area
Jewish Experiences For
schools, while the Early
Families
Director Lisa Soble
Childhood Educational
Siegmann handed out certifi-
Conference focused on ways
cates to eight Jewish family
to bring Israel alive in Jewish
educators who worked in
pre-schools.
partnership with AJE and an
To make these and other
agency or a congregation.
educational programs hap-
Arthur
"There's a special feeling
pen, said Arthur M.
Horwitz
here tonight," said Marion
Horwitz, beginning his sec-
Bronstein, AJE executive
ond year as AJE president,
assistant. "It's a feeling of
the Bloomfield.Township-
accomplishment in the goals
based agency is in the midst
attained. But also there's a
of a strategic planning
certain pride because [those
process to advance Jewish
honored] know how much
learning and develop core
this education is appreciated
values. "Underneath the sur-
in the community."
face, this agency is trans-
Approved as 2002-2003
forming itself. It's a work in
officers and directors are
progress," he said, indicating
Arthur M. Horwitz, presi-
Rabbi Isaacs
that the new strategy will
dent; Dr. Joan Lessen
improve the agency "for
Firestone and Susie
many years to come."
Leemaster, vice presidents;
Keynote speaker Rabbi
Gayle Burnstein, treasurer;
Philip Warmflash, founding
s and Susie Citrin, secretary.
executive director of the
"It's a joy to come back and
Jewish Outreach Partnership
see the dream fulfilled," said
of Greater Philadelphia and a
consultant to•AJE, spoke
o former president Paul
about finding modern=day
0. Feinberg of Bloomfield Hills.
"It's always inspiring to find
role models in the Bible.
out that the goals and inspira-
Studying leaders like
tion [of the AJE] mirror what
Moses, David and Elijah —
we
had started 18 years ago
a leader, a king and a
Rabbi
— but better." El
prophet — helped people
Warmflash

SHARONLUCKERMAN

4tIMIEVT‘

A

Director Lisa Soble Siegmann (at lectern) recognized Jewish family educators who
worked with the AJE, including Beth Raz of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Allison
Berlin of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, Debi Banooni of
Temple Shir Shalom, Karen Knoppow of Congregation Shir Tikvah and Susan
Sinai of Congregation Bnai Moshe.

t Allocations 2002-2
For Jewish Educa,

Teen
Services

Special
Education

9%

Interfaith
Connection

11%

19%

6/14

2002

17