Y' know, I didn't
think Hebrew School
dinner could get worse

It tastes okay
if you put
some ketchup on it

You've Been Spotted! Camp Edition

Our Party Paget photographers are looking for the best parties!
Watch for us!

By Josh

Loney, 16,

Bloomfield

Hills Andover

High School

true life: hebrew school blues continuesfrom page 1

Family and religion hold hands in Jewish society Teens practice what their
parents preach concerning the amount of religion they observe.
"Priority comes in family. If it is important to the parents of the teenager,
then the teen will realize they need to participate in Jewish studies," says Dani-
ella Mechnikov, director of education at B'nai Moshe. Culture has changed and
people do not do things in groups the same way they did before. Communica-
tion is done online and interaction is at a minimum. These are the conditions we
educators are faced with when attempting to target our teen audience."
Last year, several Reform and Conservative synagogues tried an experiment
that pooled their high school classes at one location and exposed them to differ-
ent kids and different teachers. By mid-year, the experiment had failed because
the students didn't attempt to interact with each other. "Everyone stayed at their
separate tables. It was too much, too soon — the kids weren't ready to branch

Campers of villages Berman and Hermelin at Camp Tamarack

out," says Mechnikov.
Hebrew educators continue to compete against after school activities for
teen's time. "We are asldng everyone to help us devise a plan to get kids in-
volved," says Rabbi Josh Bennett of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. "Our
new Hebrew model is all about finding every possible way to interact with kids,

Mar k Good ine

Allison, Madeline, Nicole, Mel and Eden at Camp Walden

Left:

Miles Neuman

at Camp Walden

Jewishly, in the places they are already spending their time."
In Oak Park, Congregation Beth Shalom has recently welcomed Rabbi Dan-
iel Wolpe who is interested in using new technology to bring He-
brew students back to school (watch Teen2Teen for a fuller story).

"Everyone comes to Hebrew school expecting to be bored and
get nothing out of it — it is ridiculous," Mechnikov says. 'As soon
as there is excellence in a classroom, then the fun can begin."

Hadas Corey, T2T Intern, attends Birmingham Seaholm High School.

Right:

Zack at Alaska

Teen Tour

teen2teen staff •

hotline: (248) 351 5144 • kcohen@the jewishnews.com

-

Reporters: Hadas Corey, Grace Klein, Jacob Rosen, Spencer Wayne (Birmingham Seaholm); Jamie

Gorosh, Alexa Eisenberg, Josh Loney, Sara Smoler, Rachel Wein (Bloomfield Hills Andover); Jordan

Birnholtz, Jessica Singer (Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood); Hannah Cohen (Farmington

Harrison); Adina Applebaum, Rachel Brown, Avi Buckman, Raquel Cohen, Carly Cykiert, Danielle

DePriest, Rachel Margolin (Frankel Jewish Academy); Scott Sher, Stephanie Steinberg (North

Farmington); Kale Davidoff, Bridget Labe, Shaye Winer (West Bloomfield); Gabriella Ring (Berkley

(.5
5

Ctq

rn

Norup International School); David Lehmann, Sarah Spitzer (Yeshivat Akiva).

Photographers: Morgan Pomish (North Farmington), Allie Gold (West Bloomfield)

supervising staff

Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett
Editorial Director: Robert A. Sklar
Executive Editor: Keri Guten Cohen
Contributing Editor: Gail Zimmerman
Copy Editors: David Sachs and Alan Hitsky
Creative Director: Deborah Schultz

Editorial Designer: Lindsay Schwartz
Staff Photographer: Armando Rios
Marketing Director: Kelli Baird
Production Director: Michelle Sheridan
IT Director: Deanna Spivey
Circulation Manager: Barb Yessian

Jewish Renaissance Media — 29200 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034

iIJ1I Jewish
Federation

of Metropolitan Detroit

WE'RE PART OF THE TEAM

Leah, Elizabeth & Hannah at Camp Birch Trails

This section is sponsored by Party Layne®

p

Party PagesTm, You've been SpottedITH and Partyrazzi'm are trademarks of Party Layne°

Federation's

forewish Education

DETROIT
JEWISH NEWS

JN

Supported by a generous grant from the Stephen H. Schulman Millennium Fund.
A Jewish Renaissance Media publication © 2007

(.5

O

