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JEWISH NEWS

$2.00 SEPT. 6-12 2012 / 19-25 ELUL 5772

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A JEWISH RENAISSANCE MEDIA PUBLICATION

» Hate Crime? Assault on MSU student Zach Tennen raises
questions. See page 8.

0 Proud Grandparents To honor Grandparents Day, the
IN gives local grandparents bragging rights. See page 12.

0 JET Preview

Comedic farce on the making of Gone with
the Wind opens 2012-13 season. See page 31.

metro

Mil

Zoey, Avery and Devyn Kapeller, 31 /2, of
West Bloomfield

» cover story

metro

Hebrew's
Cool!

A blend of enthusiasm, teamwork
and student engagement brings
congregational schools into focus.

Keri Guten Cohen I Story Development Editor

H

A New

Batt!

Aging Jewish War Veterans post fights
to attract new and younger members.

Bill Carroll I Contributing Writer

Standing: Dan Arnold, West

Bloomfield; Charles Finkelstein, West

Bloomfield; Bob Russman, Farmington
Hills. Seated: Al Colman, Southfield;
Willie Stone, West Bloomfield.

T

hey fought for their country,
honorably and faithfully —
most of them during World
War II. Now they're fighting another
battle, using what one of them calls "our
last few ounces of kaiach (strength)."
They're the community's aging
Jewish War Veterans, who are seeking
to bolster their identity, increase their
ranks and preserve their beloved PFC

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

Covering and
Connecting
Jewish Detroit
Every Week

ebrew school.
Sunday school.
If you're among
today's grandparent or par-
ents, the memories these
words conjure usually aren't
pleasant ones. Yet things
are changing, with more
hands-on projects, camp-like
experiences and more use of
technology — all with an
eye toward engaging young
learners.
"In recent years, congre-
gational education has been
the stepchild taking a back
seat to day schools, Jewish
day camps and Israel trips:'
said Jeff Lasday, director of
At Shaarey Zedek,
Federation's Jewish Alliance technology like this
for Education (AJE), the
Smartboard helps
central resource for edu-
students learn.
cational services in the
Metropolitan Detroit Jewish
community. "They have had major funding, with none for
congregations, though they serve 75 percent of our children in
a formal synagogue setting."
In Detroit, that percentage means 3,196 in 20 congrega-
tional schools and 1,072 in six Jewish day schools. In North
America, that translates to 230,000 Jewish students in more
than 2,000 congregational schools.
The funding picture changed in 2010 when Detroit received
$300,000 spread over three years from Federation's Hermelin-
Davidson Center for Congregational Excellence and a national

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

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