FJA graduates Talya Krasner ('07), Jeremy Levine ('06), A.J. Schostak ('05) and Karen Aharoni, ('06) pay a
visit to Jerry Gutman, center.

Retired

Jerry Gutman makes a point of connecting with his
students, such as FJA senior Jesse Medina.

• For Real

Beloved teacher Jerry Gutman starts second retirement with FJA farewell.

Debra B. Darvick
Special to the Jewish News

I

n the summer of 2000, Jerry Gutman
was two weeks into retirement after
40 years with the Oak Park Public
Schools when he was tapped by the then-
fledgling Jewish Academy of Metropolitan
Detroit (now Frankel Jewish Academy) to
teach classes in advanced placement U.S.
history and government.
That part-time assignment became
seven years of full-time teaching, followed
by four years as dean of upperclassmen.
Set to retire "for real this time," Jerry
Gutman will be honored by the commu-
nity at a celebration on June 10.
"It's wonderful to do what you love
Gutman says. "For 51 years I have been
blessed to love going to work every day.
Being at FJA has been the crown to my
teaching career. Its all about the kids.
Watching their eyes light up when they con-
nect with a concept; being there for them
when life gets overwhelming. Every day is
a thrill"
Teaching American history, government,
economics and Asian studies has indeed
been "all about the kids." The Detroit native
put his bachelor's degrees in history and
political science (University of Detroit) and
his master's in curriculum (Michigan State
University) to use, inspiring and challeng-
ing students, opening their minds to U.S.
and world history and to the economic and
political forces that shape it.
Gutman traveled to Israel on a Fulbright
Scholarship and designed a curriculum for
Stanford University. He was instrumental

14

May 26 2011

in the creation of the successful magnet
school CASA (Center for Advance Studies in
the Arts) in Oak Park, and taught evening
classes in political science and curriculum
development at Wayne State University and
Lawrence Technological University. In 1988,
he was named Newsweek-WDIV High
School Teacher of the Year.
"We first spoke to Jerry in '97 about
coming on board:' recalls Jeff Garden, a
founding school parent and Fjiks found-
ing president. "He had the skills and
experience to build a curriculum for a
top-flight school. He turned us down then,
but in 2000 the timing was right. We were
thrilled to have him on our faculty. He lent
immediate credibility to our program."
Given his decades of teaching in this
community, it was inevitable that Gutman
would find himself teaching the children
of former students. Brian Kepes' son and
daughter, Max and Lauren, were taught by
Gutman at FJA.
"Jerry is amazing:' Kepes says. "He relates
to today's kids exactly as he related to my
wife and me when we were in high school.
My kids have the same fond feelings for
him as we do. He has some nerve to retire
and not be there for my grandkids!"

Staying In Touch

Each year, come late spring, former stu-
dents find their way to Gutman's office.
Back from college, grad school or life
beyond the classroom, they return to FJA
eager to catch up.
Vadim Avshalumov is one such student
who cherishes Jerry Gutman as mentor
and friend. Now studying urban planning

at the University of Michigan's School of
Architecture, Avshalumov checks in with
Gutman once a semester.
"[At FJA], Mr. Gutman would give us
newspaper articles and challenge us to
think critically by asking, 'What is wrong
with this [reporter's] assumption? How
would you argue against it?' It's good to
have teachers who believe in you and
encourage you to push yourself a bit more,'
Avshalumov says. "Mr. Gutman doesn't
believe you have to be 40 to be of value to
society. He believes if you're 16 or 17, you
can still make an important contribution."
Fji6 s Head of School Rabbi Eric
Grossman, a colleague and personal friend
of Gutman's for 10 years, will feel his
absence keenly.
"Jerry's command of history and poli-
tics are legendary:' Grossman says. "He is
one of the most honorable men I have ever
known and worked with. We have been
blessed to have him on staff for 11 years
and will miss him greatly."
Gutman and his wife, Linda, live in
Huntington Woods. They have three chil-
dren. Although retirement plans aren't firm,
he says he'll spend time with his grandchil-
dren, play tennis and would like to tutor
children in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
His duties at FJA will be assumed by Dr.
Renee Wohl, who will become overall dean of
the school this fall. Wohl has been a member
of the FJA administration since its founding.
The community is invited to honor Jerry
Gutman at a celebration at 3:30 p.m. Friday,
June 10, in the Berman Center for the
Performing Arts. There is no charge for the
event. For more information and to RSVP,

contact Tim Burke at (248) 592-5263, ext.
235, or tburke@frankelja.org. II

Debra Darvick is employed in communications

at Frankel Jewish Academy in West Bloomfield.

Excerpts From Letters
By Former Students:

•Dear Mr. Gutman, Thank
you for a spectacular year.
It makes me so proud to
think of all that I have
accomplished. I am so excited
to have you again next year.
Love, Emma D.

• When my mom told me how
much you had influenced her
as a student I couldn't wait to
be in your class. Molly M.

•Dear Mr. Gutman, Thank
you for a great year. I
am now part of a small
percentage of Americans who
actually understands the U.S.
government. Jeffrey K.