"."
Spirituality
ON THE COVER
'Conservateens' from page A41
to consult with ATID planners about what
we could do to help and how to use the
program as a model for other communi-
ties. We have a number of communities
where the Conservative synagogues work
together, but what is being planned in
Detroit is clearly a unique effort. There
aren't many communities that have what
the Detroit area has to offer in terms of
a cluster of synagogues whose kids can
interact in this framework"
Their trip was just a first visit by USCJ
members, with future ones planned. "We
want to be involved to the extent we can
to develop and strengthen the concept;'
Gutin said.
Offers of assistance include providing
rabbinical students or informal Jewish
educators and help planning Shabbatonim
for ATID students.
Abramson offered to assist with cur-
riculum development and Gutin with
informal educational development, which
may include connecting Detroit teens with
those in other communities.
"This is a wonderful opportunity," Gutin
said. "The potential for success here is
enormous."
What To Expect
The curriculum for the 6-8:30 p.m. weekly
program was planned by Miller, Shaarey
Zedek's Rabbi Eric Yanoff and educa-
tion directors from all five suburban
Conservative synagogues. The group met
weekly to glean the best from each of their
programs and combine it into ATID's class
choices.
Bosmat Dovas, Beth Shalom's director
of education, attended the meetings regu-
larly, though she said the synagogue's high
school, with its 26 students, is still unde-
cided about being part of ATID.
Others directors are Amy Appelman,
Beth Ahm's director of education; Elissa
Berg, Adat Shalom's director of education
and youth; Hilary Greenberg, Shaarey
Zedek's education director; Jodi Gross,
Adat Shalom's assistant director of edu-
cation and youth; and Daniella HarPaz
Mechnikov, B'nai Moshe's director of edu-
cation.
At ATID, each Monday evening will
begin with a shared dinner, followed by a
core class, then an elective. Classes change
each trimester, allowing for three core
classes and three electives to be taken
each school year.
Some electives may seem secular or
artsy, but "everything is Jewish-based;'
Miller said. "Classes will include yoga and
spirituality, Jewish cooking, Jewish theater
and Jewish journalism."
A survey of teens and parents provided
direction. "We want to be able to do our
best through the input of a triangle of
groups: parents, students and the con-
gregation," said Gross, who oversaw the
creation of the survey.
Parents and teens were asked questions
including why it is important to attend
Monday night school; why they attend
after their b'nai mitzvah; what they like
most about what they've heard about
ATID and what is their ideal learning
environment.
So Much To Learn
ATID will offer something for everyone.
Juniors and seniors looking for college
credit can take courses from Gratz College,
a Jewish college in Philadelphia. Advanced
Jewish text classes are available to stu-
dents currently enrolled at the Frankel
Jewish Academy in West Bloomfield. FJA
students who want to socialize with other
Jewish teens, but not take classes, may
come to dinner, use a Hillel classroom
Back To His Roots
Michael HarPaz
returns home to
launch ATID with a
live concert.
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
E
ntertainer Michael HarPaz is
a man of many talents. He's
a rock star, an actor, a corn-
poser, a musician, a singer and a song-
writer — and an Israeli.
Born and raised in Detroit, HarPaz
immigrated to Israel in 1995. Within a
year, he became a founding member of
the biggest band in Israeli history. As
the lead singer in HiFive, he spent the
next four years performing to sold-out
arena shows in front of hundreds of
thousands of adoring fans.
Now his melodies and voice can be
heard on major TV commercials for
companies like Pepsi, Chevrolet and
Ford in the U.S. and Dannon, Chevrolet,
IsraCard Visa and soon Volkswagen
and YES cable network in Israel. He's
hoping to return in his TV role as
a drug-dealing pimp and mob fam-
ily soldier in HaBorer (The Mediator)
— Israel's version of The Sopranos. And
he also wrote the score to a Menahem
Golan film that's the Israeli version of
Dirty Dancing.
A42
March 27 • 2008
He's written music for such artists
as P. Diddy, Usher and the Roots, and
has recorded with Jennifer Lopez,
Ashanti and Ja Rule.
Ready to begin a five-city tour,
HarPaz will perform live with his band
at his alma mater, Hillel Day School
of Metropolitan Detroit, at the April
7 kickoff enrollment event for the
Conservative movement's new com-
bined high school program called ATID:
Alliance for Teens in Detroit. While he's
in town, he'll also perform a special
Havdalah concert for participants on
Federation's Teen Mission '08 as well
as a performance for Jewish seniors.
Proceeds from all his U.S. concerts
will benefit Israeli victims of terror and
their families.
"About two years ago [during the
Second Lebanon War], I decided to
go up north and perform for those
Israelis forced to live in bomb shelters
for weeks on end," HarPaz said from
Israel. "Being in Israel, we are all used
to seeing guns and tanks and soldiers;
but this was war. I couldn't believe my
eyes when I saw an entire tank bat-
talion in the valley below me, lined up
and firing in exactly the direction I was
heading in.
"When we finally got to the shelters,
the people who lived there were most
gracious and appreciative. We tried
to ease their minds with some music,
albeit hard to do in between mortars
and rockets launching overhead.
executive creative director for Yessian
Music in Farmington Hills.
"He's very talented, a great singer
and easy to work with — and he's very
charismatic on stage," Sussman said.
"It's great having Michael in Israel
because we get a great international
sound and great musical talents,"
Yessian said. "Everything he's turned
in is amazing and infectious." .„
HarPaz, 35, and a graduate of Hillel's
last ninth-grade class in 1987, lives in
Tel Aviv and is married to Natalie, an
attorney for an Israeli high-tech firm.
His parents, Dr. Natan and Norma
HarPaz, live in Huntington Woods. His
sister, Daniella HarPaz Mechnikov, is
education director at Congregation
B'nai Moshe.
❑
Michael HarPaz
"Unfortunately, not much has
changed since then. There are cities
in Israel only 45-60 minutes from Tel
Aviv, like Ashkelon and Sderot, that
are being pummeled daily by hand-
held missiles. Imagine if you lived in
West Bloomfield and rockets were fall-
ing in Ann Arbor. It's a very difficult
situation and finding a solution to this
problem is tricky."
Locally, HarPaz works on commer-
cial projects with Alan Sussman, presi-
dent of Sussman Sikes & Associates
in Southfield, an advertising and mar-
keting firm, and with Brian Yessian,
The ATID kickoff concert featur-
ing Michael HarPaz and his band is
at 6 p.m. Monday, April 7, at Hillel
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit,
32200 Middlebelt in Farmington
Hills. The event includes food,
games, iPod giveaways and ATID
enrollment. No concert admission
cost to Jewish 7-12th graders. For
others: $20 advance; $25 at the
door; $15 for those 13 and younger.
Contact Rabbi Jason Miller, (248)
535-7090, atidhs@gmail.com . Also,
see the Web site www.atidhs.org .