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Steve Freedman reflects on his first months as head of Hillel Day School.

1993
Greater Detroit Hadassah groups
host guest speaker State Sen.
Debbie Stabenow of Lansing.

DIANA LIEBERMAN

Staff Writer

Detroiter David Handleman is
elected as president of United
Jewish Charities.

S

teve Freedman promises to
make no radical changes in his
first year as head of school at
Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit.
"My job this year is to get to know
what's going on, to evaluate, to talk —
but mainly to listen," said Freedman,
who came to the Detroit area Aug. 1
after more than 13 years as educational
director of Beth Sholom Congregation
in Elkins Park, a suburb of Philadelphia.
"Change comes when you know the
institution, when you have a plan and
the buy-in of the community," he said.
"If who I am has a positive influence on
the school, then I'll be able to make
changes."
According to Terri Farber Roth, presi-
dent of the Farmington Hills school,
Freedman was able to make one practi-
cal change almost immediately.
Hillel does not provide busing for its
650-plus students, who range in age
from kindergartners to eighth-graders.
So, except for those who live in
Farmington Hills and receive busing
through the public school district, chil-
dren commute via parents and carpools.
Starting at 2:50 p.m., drivers would
congregate in the school's hallways, wait-
ing for their children, Farber Roth said.
"There would be so much chatting
the teachers couldn't hear themselves
speak," she said.
Freedman quickly realized the situa-
tion had a negative impact on learning,
so he made a new rule: No one in the
school from 3-3:30 p.m., except parents
of kindergartners, who are dismissed at
3:20. "Now most of the parents congre-
gate outside, and the teachers are
thrilled," Farber Roth said. "They have
found another 45 minutes."
Freedman "came into an institution
and looked at it with brand new eyes,"
she said.
The new head of school also has
begun a program of positive reinforce-
ment called "Gotcha, Caughtya Being a
Mentsh." Every time staff members see a

Uri Maimon, one of the five Israeli
students at the University of
Michigan who returned home to
fight in the Yom Kippur War, is
killed in battle.
Rabbi Dovid Segal, a native of
New York, is appointed youth
director of Congregation Mishkan
Israel. He will take over youth pro-
gramming, public relations and
adult education for the Lubavitcher
Center.

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Rabbi Israel Miller of the Bronx,
N.Y., will speak at the installation
banquet for Rabbi James I. Gordon
of Young Israel Center of Oak-
Woods.

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4g.Nq4 '
, 1•!z.
West German police are expelling
67 Jewish refugees and their fami-
lies for having returned to Germany
from Israel without valid entry per-
mits.

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WOUNWNSTMOZVNANZIN
4MwMKes

Steve Freedman settles in with Hillel students: (top row) Brandon Rottman ofWest
Bloomfield Mitchell Gildenberg ofWest Bloomfielch Aidan Altman of Birmingham,
Brenna Gildenberg ofWest Bloomfield• (middle row) Charlotte Jacobson of Bloomfield
Hills, Jamie Gildenberg ofWest Bloomfield, Head of School Freedman, Olivia Brodsky of
West Bloomfielel•'-ont row) Sawyer Altman of Birmingham, Carter Altman of
Birmingham, Joshua Cohen-Arcamone ofWest Bloomfield Hannah Gould of
Birmingham.

student being especially mature, they
give out a "mentsh card," filled out with
that student's name. At the end of each
week, all cards go into a bucket. Four
names are drawn and those students go
to Freedman's office to choose from a
variety of small prizes.

"Every decision he makes is based on
whether it's best for the children,"
Farber Roth said.
To become productive members of the
Hillel community, families should par-

FRESH VISION on page 34

Dr. Stephen S. Wise announces that •
the Joint Emergency Committee for
European Jewish Affairs has dissolved
and formed the Rescue Commission
of the American Jewish Conference.
Under the direction of Julius
Chajes, music director of Temple
Beth El, a high school choir is organ-
ized.
Maj. Pavel N. Aseev, Soviet
Military attache in Washington, will
bring greetings of the Red Army to
the American-Soviet Friendship Rally
at the Masonic Temple in Detroit. ❑

— Compiled by Holly Teasdle,
archivist, the Rabbi Leo M Franklin
Archives of Temple Beth El

11/14

2003

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