Opinion
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Greenberg's View
ISRAEL'S MILITARY IMAGE,
JUNE 1967
ISRAEL'S MILITARY IMAGE,
JUNE 2007
Editorial
Inspiring Us To Learn
H
..
Israel, University of Michigan
e's Mr. Jewish
Hillel students, families seeking
Education locally, if
meaningful Jewish experiences,
not nationally.
and Jewish educators and
Mandell L. Berman, now 89,
secular community planners
was a supporter of Jewish edu-
across North America. He has
cation on the national and local
earned numerous awards for
stages before it became "fash-
his achievements from builders
ionable' The Franklin philan-
associations, schools, Jewish
thropist's uniqueness lies in his
agencies and interfaith organi-
helping to spur excitement for
this critical branch of learning, Mandell L. Berman zations.
Berman has been the men-
both through his wallet and his
tor
for
many
standouts
in the hallways of
feet. Jews of all ages have grown, thanks to
Jewish
education,
including
Ann Arbor's
Berman's generosity.
Harlene Appelman, now executive director
To this day, you can find Bill Berman at
of the Covenant Foundation, which cel-
various educational events around town,
ebrates and supports innovative approach-
talking with and meeting students, par-
es in Jewish education.
ents and teachers. Berman's capacity to
Appelman was working in family edu-
touch so many people on a personal level
cation at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
is second only to the late David Hermelin,
Oakland County when Berman helped
the Bingham Farms human energy cell
create the program that would become
who oozed personal connection as a lead-
Federation's Jewish Experiences for
er and giver until his death in 2000.
Families. JEFF is a community-sponsored
Berman is a Detroit native who gradu-
organization working with local congrega-
ated from Harvard in 1940. He earned
tions, agencies and lay committees to cre-
his MBA there two years later. After four
years as a naval officer in World War II, he ate experiences for families to strengthen
their Jewish identity and build positive
returned to Detroit to begin a family and
embark on a career as a builder, developer Jewish memories. JEFF'S goal is to assist
parents in teaching their kids about Jewish
and investor.
values, thought and participation.
Berman's imprint goes beyond his
A testimonial to Berman, JEFF is imi-
Federation leadership.
tated in Jewish communities throughout
His enduring efforts have enhanced
the country.
the lives of emotionally disabled kids in
art497.
stevetegnsenberfrart.corn
Fittingly, this giant of Jewish learn-
ing was honored at the Jewish Education
Service of North America's 25th anniver-
sary celebration on June 3 in New York.
The gala paid tribute to Berman, honorary
chair of JESNA. His vision propelled the
formation of JESNA and continues as a
guiding force.
When it came into existence in 1981,
the then-restructured agency (formerly
the American Association for Jewish
Education) dedicated itself to ensuring the
survival of the Jewish people by investing
in innovative, engaging and meaningful
Jewish education. Along the way, JESNA
refined its goals to prospect beyond the
classroom for building blocks for Jewish
identity.
JESNSs Mandell L. Berman Jewish
Heritage Center for Research and
Evaluation, begun in honor of Berman in
1992, sustains his legacy of turning data
into action to improve the quality and
accountability of Jewish education.
Bill Berman has cut back on his office
hours but he's far from simply resting
on his laurels as evidenced by his being
named one of Jewish Home & Aging
Services' Eight Over 80 winners in 2006.
If Max Fisher, Detroit Jewry's patri-
arch, is remembered for his love of Israel,
Bill Berman will be remembered for his
decades-long commitment to teachers,
teacher training and curriculum develop-
ment — and working with Federation
to propel Jewish education to the prior-
ity status that it enjoys today in Metro
Detroit.
Yasher koach, Bill, for deeds well done!
And thank you, Madeleine, for graciously
sharing your big-hearted husband with us.
The Jewish community is richer for it. fl
"Are you really sure we ought
to be here' asked Barry, mildly
alarmed at the animal life and
its refuse that was surround-
ing us. "This looks like private
property'
"No, this is right:' I said
confidently. "The book said
this would happen!' Besides,
Broadway was straight ahead of
us, and all we needed to do was
mind where we were stepping.
I told this story so often over the years
that I came to believe the guidebook actu-
ally did say that. But when I reread the
chapter last week, there was no mention at
all in there about sheep and dogs. I must
have just made it up on the spot.
Well, people pay lots of money these
days to swim with the dolphins. But walk-
ing with the sheep was free. Nauseating,
but free.
It was a pleasant walk all in all and
strange little adventures like
this add flavor to a trip, right?
We also had a nice cab ride
back to Chipping Campden,
with the driver pointing out
some interesting sights along
the way.
If you ever heard anyone
speaking with a Midlands
accent, you will sympathize
when I tell you we didn't recog-
nize a single word the guy said.
I understand Portuguese better than I did
his English, and I don't speak Portuguese
at all.
I also found another old guidebook in
the garage. This one was a set of walks
through Jerusalem, and I must have taken
some of them, too.
I don't think I encountered any sheep. Fl
Reality Check
Turn Right At The Ewe
0
ne of my hobbies is collecting
travel guides.
Actually, that's a flat-out lie. I
don't collect them. They just kind of accu-
mulate and then get stored in the garage
until Sherry insists I go through the mess
and start throwing stuff away.
I was in the process of doing that
recently, when I came across a book called
Turn Left at the Pub. It's a collection of
walking tours through the British coun-
tryside and smaller cities. In thumbing
through its pages, I realized that I'd actu-
ally taken several of these walks going
back to 1972.
Through Norwich and Cambridge,
Canterbury and York.
They must have been pretty good walks,
although I don't recall many of the details.
Except for the one in the Cotswolds, leading
from Chipping Campden to Broadway. That
I remember. With some degree of disgust.
My brother-in-law Barry Bershad accom-
panied me on this trip in 1985 and England
was our first stop. I needed to spend a few
days in Birmingham for a column, and the
Cotswolds are not too far away.
So we drove to Chipping Campden (I
can't imagine a more British sounding
name) and commenced to walk.
There is a fantastic view over the Vale
of Evesham (or so the book reminded me,
because I sure didn't remember the name
after all these years) along the way. Then
came the tough part.
According to the walk outline, we were
supposed to look for a dirt path that would
lead us to the back road into Broadway.
But the path wasn't where the book said it
should be. There was a promising-looking
path beyond a fence stile, however, with a
little step placed there to assist one over.
So we decided that must be it.
We clambered over and soon found our-
selves in a meadow filled with defecating
sheep and barking dogs.
George Cantor's e-mail address is
gcantor614@aoLcom.
June 7 = 2007
29