Challenge For Learning Project
Eilu v'Eilu loses the bulk of its funding
and there's no other source in sight.
DIANA LIEBERMAN
Copy Editor/Education Writer
"Our mission at Eilu v'Eilu is to bring the joy
of Torah to all those grown-ups on the other side
of the mountain," Kaplan said.
E
"We wanted to create a program that would be
both high level and fill the gaps in adult education on
an ongoing basis," Rabbi Pachter said. "It's for serious
students, those who have been through the very good
— but short-term — programs like SAJE and the
synagogues' adult bar and bat mitzvah programs."
In its nearly six-year history, more than 1,000 adult
learners, from all branches of Judaism, have attended
Eilu v'Eilu classes. It was the only locally conceived
and administered program listed in a
recent compilation of nationwide
Conservative adult learning opportu-
nities in Outlook, the national maga-
zine of the Women's League for
Conservative Judaism.
Last year, metro Detroit gained
another adult Jewish educational
program in the Melton Mini-
Rabbi Pachter
School, which offers a two-year
comprehensive introduction to
many aspects of Jewish liturgy, phi-
losophy and history.
"Eilu v'Eilu and Melton comple-
ment each other; they are not in
competition," said Aviva Panush,
associate director of the AJE and a
co-director of the Melton Mini-
School. "Eilu v'Eilu students who
want to add a more structured,
long-term approach have enrolled
in our program. And people who
Nancy Kaplan
ilu v'Eilu, the Conservative movement's
adult learning project, has been running
From Concept To Reality
on a shoestring since its beginnings in
Eilu v'Eilu began in fall 1996 as an attempt to offer
1996.
meaningful classes to adult members of the Detroit-
That shoestring became even shorter when the
area's Conservative Jewish community.
non-renewable Max M. Fisher Jewish Community
Along with Kaplan, the project's founders were
Foundation grant that had pumped $71,000 into
Rabbis
Aaron Bergman and Elliot Pachter. Rabbi
the organization over the past three years ran out
Bergman,
then rabbi of Congregation Beth Abraham
in December.
Hillel
Moses
(now Beth Ahm), is currently director
With the local and national economy in a tail-
of Jewish studies at the Jewish Academy of
spin, hoped-for funding from the Jewish
Metropolitan Detroit. Rabbi Pachter continues to
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's Alliance for
serve Congregation B'nai Moshe and is, in Kaplan's
Jewish Education never materialized.
words, "the most consistently involved" member of
Nancy Kaplan, Eilu v'Eilu program coordinator
and one of the organization's three founding mem- the clergy to work with Eilu v'Eilu."
Rabbi Pachter said Eilu v'Eilu was formed to create
bers, said she had hoped to see the adult study
a
partnership
within the Conservative movement,
group taken under the wing of the Hermelin-
while
allowing
B'nai Moshe, one of the smaller
Davidson Center for Congregation Excellence,
Conservative synagogues, to offer a broader range of
which is administered by Federation's Alliance.
adult education than it could on its own.
"We believe in Eilu v'Eilu, but we can't give
them dollars. The whole community is cutting
back," said Harlene Appelman, Alliance director.
"What we have offered them is partnership and
support through the Alliance, in the form of help
with marketing, registration, recruitment and
planning. These are in-kind services, and they're
serious," Appelman said.
In addition, the Agency for Jewish Education, the
programming arm of the educational community,
will continue to co-sponsor Eilu v'Eilu's
sophomore year at the
director of special needs
Summertime Torah series, set to run July 9-Aug 22.
DIANA LIEBERMAN
Jewish
Academy of
at
Hillel
Day
School
of
"The AJE fully supports any and all opportuni-
Copy Editor/Education Writer
Metropolitan
Detroit.
Metropolitan
Detroit.
ties for adult Jewish learning, from Eilu v'Eilu to
Dr. Parker took the
"I'm looking forward to
n May 29, Dr. Mitch
the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School to SAJE
Hillel job in the hopes of
becoming more
Parker became mazkir
[Seminars in Adult Jewish Enrichment]," said
making
a career change
involved
with
it
all."
(leader) of Eilu v'Eilu,
Rabbi Judah Isaacs, AJE executive director. "We're
from
therapist
to Jewish
Dr.
Parker
became
the financially embat-
trying to see if there's any way we can work
educator.
available
for
the
Eilu
tled Jewish learning project of
together. We're in the process of negotiations."
While in Buffalo, he
v'Eilu job when the
the Conservative movement.
Kaplan, a former director of the since-dissolved
Dr. Park er
had
coordinated a
Farmington
Hills
day
He'll
gradually
take
over
from
AJE program known as the Midrasha Center for
chavurah
Conservative
school
cut
his
hours
Nancy
Kaplan,
who
has
run
the
[leader]
and
mazkir
Adult Jewish Studies, has been
[informal
study
and
worship
from full- to part-time as part of
day-to-day business of the proj-
program coordinator of Eilu v'Eilu since its incep-
group] for 25 years. He also
a cost-cutting program.
ect from its beginnings in 1996,
tion. In the organization's lean times, including the
taught at a Florence Melton
Born
in
Canada,
the
52-year-
although Kaplan will continue
past few months, she has worked without a salary.
Adult
Mini-School.
old
educator
graduated
from
to help on a volunteer basis.
"Now that we know we're on our own, we're just
And,
every summer, he has run
York
University
in
Toronto
and
How
many
hours
Dr.
Parker
going to have to work with it," Kaplan said.
program at Camp
the
Tikvah
earned
both
a
master's
degree
can
work,
or
indeed,
whether
he
"One of my favorite books when I was little was
Ramah,
a
Conservative
move-
and
a
Ph.D.
in
educational
psy-
can
remain
at
Eilu
v'Eilu
at
all,
she
said.
"Whatever
The Little Engine that Could,"
ment camp based in Toronto.
depends on whether he can raise chology from the State
the obstacles, if you persevere, if you have a good
Tikvah, which means "hope,"
University of New York at
the money to pay his salary.
attitude, you can complete your mission."
serves those children at the camp
Buffalo.
He
built
a
career
in
"When I came to the Detroit
Kaplan remembered how, in the book, the
who have special needs.
Buffalo
as
a
clinical
psychologist
area two years ago, one of the
engine was able to complete its mission of bring-
"Ramah has 400 kids at a shot,
working
with
children,
married
ing toys to "all the good little boys and girls on the things that really excited me was
so
Tikvah is only about 5 percent,
Cheryl,
a
pharmacist,
and
raised
the
number
and
breadth
of
edu-
other side of the mountain.
two children, Jonathan, now 22, but it's an integral part of the
cational opportunities offered
camp," Dr. Parker said.
and liana, who is finishing her
by Eilu v'Eilu," said Dr. Parker,
Related editorial: page 31
A New Face
Dr. Mitch Parker brings educational, administrative
and counseling experience to Eilu v'Eilu.
0
6/14
2002
18