Metro

COST OF LIVING

Cover Story

from page 29

Tuition alone cannot cover the
Jewish leaders, base tuition rates on
entire cost of a child's education.
grade. Typically, the higher the grade,
More than 30 percent of
the higher the tuition is. This year, the
population receives direct scholarships, families of third-grade students attend-
awarded from the Federation alloca-
ing Country Day are paying $17,055,
tion, the Shiffman Family Day School
while students at Cranbrook will pay
Assistance Fund, the Goldman-
$17,240.
Hermelin Foundation and the school's
As far as the cost of Jewish living
annual fund-raising.
goes, families with children in Jewish
The number of students receiving
day schools are the minority in Metro
scholarships at other local Jewish day
Detroit. Most Jewish families send
schools is even higher. And while
their children to the high-quality pub-
securing these may not be the most
lic schools in the area. Many are mem-
pleasant experience — it means bring-
bers of synagogues, where their chil-
ing in tax receipts and, at some
dren attend weekly Hebrew
schools, providing information
school and may be involved in
on every aspect of your financial
Jewish youth groups.
situation including age of cars,
Though not nearly as costly
vacations, even cleaning ladies.
as day school, Hebrew school
For those willing to undergo the
can claim a chunk of a family
process, there has never been a
budget.
report of any qualified Jewish
A sampling of costs for one
Go ld berg
family turned away from any
year of third-grade Hebrew
Jewish day school because they
school in various streams
could not pay.
ranged from a low of $350 for
Further, scholarships are gener-
Sunday only, plus $55 for
Zoe, Madison, Howard and Michal Marcus
ally based on a family's net worth
materials fee at Temple Kol
rather than adjusted gross
Ami to $1,100 for members
income. Families with extenuat-
of Adat Shalom Synagogue,
highest at a local Jewish day school,
The family makes compromises.
ing circumstances (such as huge
with the option of three-day
though middle-of-the-road on a
The Finmans take no big vacations,
medical bills not covered by
attendance or two-day plus
national basis for Solomon Schechter
and no visits to Israel are planned any
insurance) are welcome to let the
family experiences.
Bub is
(Conservative) day schools. At Yeshivat time soon.
school know of their situation,
At Congregation Shir
Akiva (Orthodox), it is $6,600. At
"Lots of my children's classmates are
and this will be taken into con-
Tikvah, Sunday-only school is
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah (Orthodox), the
going to Israel, but I'm living on a
sideration. There are sibling discounts
$450 and Sunday plus a weekday is
tuition is $6,325.
rabbi's salary," Rabbi Finman says.
as well.
$693, plus a $30 materials fee. At
It becomes even more complicated
"Our children understand that some
Some might actually consider Jewish Congregation B'nai Moshe, members
for some observant families who
things are not within our budget."
day schools a bargain. Compare the
pay $875 for two days, plus a $50
choose to send their older children out
The Federation does provide some
cost at Hillel and Akiva, for example,
family program fee.
of town to continue their Jewish edu-
funding — $2,093,100 to be exact —
to the tuition at two other local pri-
Synagogues work internally and
cations. This means not only paying
to offset costs.
vate day schools in Metro Detroit.
with Federation to lower costs so no
for tuition but room and board as
Running a Jewish day school is so
Both Detroit Country Day in
one is turned away.
well. Rabbi Finman and his wife have
expensive that "at Hillel, every student
Beverly Hills and Cranbrook in
Dues And Giving
one daughter at a girls' high school in
this year is on some form of scholar-
Bloomfield Hills, which have a large
Chicago; the rest are in Jewish day
ship," says Liz Schubiner, Hillel's
Jewish constituency and have received
When it comes to synagogue affiliations,
schools in Metro Detroit.
director of operations.
generous contributions from local
most in Metro Detroit do have set
membership fees, though these are very
flexible. No congregation, from
Orthodox to Reform, will refuse mem-
n the 2003-2004 school year, as well as the 2004-2005 school year, the Jewish
bership to a family who cannot afford it.
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit allocated the following to local Jewish day schools:
Further, most congregations offer a
dues scale, based on any number of
factors. Salary is, of course, a consider-
ation. But there are families who earn
a decent income only to spend half of
it paying for health needs. Age is also
an issue, as is marital status. All these
will be taken into consideration when
it's time to figure membership dues,
synagogue executives say. Young adults
typically get a break on dues and the
building fund.
The Jewish News asked several syn-
agogue executives to provide a per-
spective.
"We desperately want it to be as

School
Yeshivat Akiva
Hillel Day School
JAMD
Yeshiva Beth Yehuda
Yeshiva Darchei Torah
Yeshiva Gedola.

Allocation
$418,000
$574,200
$142,500
$733,200
$100,200
$124 800

,

No. of Students
335
615
161
802
318
105

COST OF LIVING on page 32

4/ 7
2005

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