Metro
Mid-Year Shake-Up
Changes at the top leave Frankel Academy, public guessing.
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
C
hanges last week in the top three
administrative positions at the
Jean and Samuel Frankel Jewish
Academy in West Bloomfield leave future
leadership of the school in limbo.
Founding Rabbi Lee Buckman, who has
been on administrative leave since Jan. 23,
will "pursue other interests at the conclu-
sion of the academic year," according to a
joint statement from the FJA board and
Buckman. Academic Dean Rosalie Cohen
"parted ways" with the school on Jan. 23.
And Judaic Dean Rabbi Aaron Bergman,
who says he missed a leadership role in
congregational life, will join Adat Shalom
Synagogue in Farmington Hills after he
fulfills his FJA contract July 1. News of his
new job was made public Jan. 14.
A transition team is in place. Beverly
Stone, who served as a principal for nine
years in the Bloomfield
Hills School District,
was assistant super-
intendent for the
Rochester Community
School District and an
interim head of school
for Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit,
Beverly Stone
has been named interim
academic dean. She was
introduced to students at
a school meeting last week.
Stone will work with Bergman, Renee
Wohl and Jerry Gutman. Wohl has been
responsible for professional development
at FJA since it opened in 2000. She will
increase her role with faculty and deal
with curriculum development and course
scheduling. Gutman, a longtime public
teacher and administrator, will assist Wohl
and work with students, parents and staff
on a daily basis as needed.
A Jan. 29 statement from the board said,
"Rabbi Buckman came to this community
in 1999, one year prior to the opening
of the school. Against the conventional
wisdom of the day, together with the lay
founders, Rabbi Buckman spearheaded
the creation and unprecedented growth
of this unique educational-religious high
school. His vision, passion and ceaseless
energy have positioned the school to be
Rabbi Lee Buckman
Rosalie Cohen
Rabbi Aaron Bergman
recognized as one of the premier Jewish
demic world, changes at this time are not
day high schools in the country.
unusual because contracts and potential
"The board, on behalf of the adminis-
for jobs typically occur at this time of the
trators, faculty, parent body, students and
year!'
community at large, expresses its heartfelt
gratitude for his indispensable contribu-
Road To Success
tion to the school's establishment and
A grassroots group of parents and com-
development. We wish him and his family
munity leaders worked to establish the
every success in their future endeavors!"
cross-denominational community Jewish
Dr. Marc Borovoy, president of the FJA
high school and recruited Buckman in
board, extended the same wishes to Cohen. 1999.
He said it was inappropriate to discuss
The school's phenomenal growth,
personnel matters publicly and wanted
starting with 51 students in its 2000-01
to respect the privacy of the individuals
academic year and growing to 225 stu-
affected.
dents this year, along with its academic
"No one issue led to these changes
excellence has earned it a national reputa-
whatsoever," he said. "We evolved from a
tion. FJA graduates have consistently been
startup school to a nationally recognized
accepted to top universities.
institution and,
Its financial
with our growth,
success, too, has
"With our growth,
like with any
been enviable.
institution, come like with any
Aside from an
opportunities
annual allocation
institution, come
and challenges.
of about $150,000
The board has to opportunities and
from the Jewish
make decisions
Federation of
challenges."
for the school
Metropolitan
based on these
Detroit, FJA also
opportunities
Board President Dr. Marc Borovoy secured a $20
and challenges.
million gift from
"I definitely
the Frankel fam-
want to assure the community that these
ily. If the school raises $800,000 annually,
changes absolutely do not change our
the Frankels will match $500,000 of it for
commitment to our mission vision or
a maximum of 20 years. If $4 million is
religious and educational philosophy and
raised in endowment money, there's poten-
Rabbi Buckman will be assisting us in our
tial for another $8 million.
continued efforts in that regard!"
An $8.5 million capital campaign,
Details of Buckman's duties still are
kicked off with a $2 million challenge
being finalized. He will return to school "in grant from the Frankels, financed a
the near future" and work with the interim 50,000-square-foot state-of-the art
team. He has a current employment con-
school on the second floor of the Jewish
tract intact, Borovoy said.
Community Center in West Bloomfield
Parents have wondered why the changes
that opened last August. The school had
have come in the middle of the academic
been operating out of portable buildings
year. Borovoy explains that "in the aca-
adjacent to the JCC.
Fundraising efforts still are on tar-
get this year for receiving the match-
ing funds, Borovoy said, adding that
Michigan's poor economy makes it a
more difficult challenge.
Tuition at FJA has grown as well.
Inaugural students paid $10,000 a year,
with a $2,000 subsidy each. Tuition for
the 2008-2009 academic year is set at
$17,700. About 38 percent of all students
receive tuition assistance.
Handling The Changes
Little explanation has been given for the
administrative changes, which surprised
students, faculty and staff at the school last
week. A letter stating Cohen's separation
from the school and Buckman's adminis-
trative leave was sent to FJA families on
Jan. 23. A letter about the interim adminis-
trative team followed on Jan. 25.
Within an hour of the announcements,
rumors and questions were circulating
within the Jewish community
"Administrative leave? That's ambigu-
ous," said FJA parent Dina Shtull-Leber of
Ann Arbor, reacting to the first letters from
the board. "Will Rabbi Buckman come
back or not? It leaves a question. I don't
know what it means, and it's confusing to
the kids. When you don't know, everyone is
guessing!'
A check of the school's Web site showed
Cohen gone from the staff listing as of Jan.
23; Buckman's information remains.
"As a parent, I can say I don't know what
happened; and I respect the privacy of the
matter," Shtull-Leber said. "I know Jewish
high schools struggle to get off the ground
and many don't make it. Rabbi Buckman
was successful in establishing one of the
best Jewish high schools in the country
with a nationwide reputation. That can't be
discounted!'
Shtull-Leber speaks as a parent of two
FJA graduates and a current senior and as
head of school for the Ann Arbor Hebrew
Day School.
"Being a head of school is challenging:'
she said. "You have many constituents to
please. When you please one, you invari-
ably upset another."
Still, the lack of information sparked
concerns in the community. Unanswered
questions remain. Some parents and corn-
Shake-Up on page A14
January 31 • 2008
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