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and nationally. See pages 18 and 60.
» Yeshiva Dinner Orthodox day school builds leader-
ship from within as enrollment grows. See page 22.
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» Family Mystery Film documents a story of Nazi-Jewish
friendship after World War II. See page 67.
Members of the Yeshiva Boys Choir
>> cover story
hantedByMar la Miche le.com
41
•
Tablets And Torah
lb
Hillel meshes Jewsh learning
with 21st-century technology.
A
who had his bar mitzvah at Congregation Beth Ahm.
Legal obstacles still plague gay couples.
T
hey say that our relationships are what truly
make life special. So, what if you couldrit
stand under a chuppah to marry the one
you love in your own hometown? What if there was
a law that kept you from having children with your
soul mate?
The fact is, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-
gender) individuals are not protected by many
American civil rights, including the right to marry
and to adopt children together. Ifs not illegal to deny
housing or employment to LGBT citizens because of
their sexual preference either. Additionally, they may
t Hillel Day School
in Farmington Hills,
personal computers
and Torah are a perfect com-
bination to propel the school
into 21st-century learning.
Since the beginning of the
school year, each seventh- and
eighth-grade student has been
using a tablet PC to enhance
his or her Judaic and secular
studies.
And now a special sefer
Torah project not only will
allow the school community
and beyond to participate in
the 613th commandment —
to write a Torah — but also to
fund further expansion of the
school's 1:1 technology, a term
that implies that each student
in a classroom has access to a
computer.
Last month, Hillel kicked off
its Torah Campaign, a project
to complete a Sefer Torah as
a learning experience for stu-
dents and as a fundraiser to
finance increased technology
and to train teachers in its use.
Rabbi Zvi Pincus of New York,
a sofer or Torah scribe, came
Moms Julia Pais and Beth Greenapple with their son, Nadav,
%Jewish
and
a
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
Karen Schultz Tarnopol
Special to the Jewish News
also be asked to leave a business or denied service at
a business without recourse.
Same - Sex Marriage
Same-sex marriages are not recognized in most
U.S. jurisdictions, including Michigan. Currently
only nine states have legalized same-sex marriage:
Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New York, Vermont, Washington, Maine and
Maryland as well as the District of Columbia.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
Printed
Mich i a
1942 - 2012
Covering and
Connecting
Jewish Detroit
Eve y Week
1 1 1 1
8 0880
Eighth-grader Gabriella
Chernyak on a new tablet PC
93363
5
to the school to teach students
and parents about the mitzvah.
The entire school came togeth-
er to watch him write the first
words in the Torah.
"It was truly a mov-
ing moment:' said Steve
Freedman, head of school.
"The children were mesmer-
ized as they watched the
Torah they will someday read
from be written in front of
their eyes. The whole school
broke out in song together. I
am sure it is a moment they
will always remember and
cherish:'
The Torah, paid for by an
anonymous donor, will be
dedicated May 19 in a celebra-
tion at the school's annual
dinner.
Students will be able to
sponsor letters for a little as
$18.
"We want 100 percent par-
ticipation," Freedman said.
"Each child will be able to
fulfill the mitzvah. Coming
together as a community is
just as important as the Torah.
This will stay with them for-
ever. And it's an opportunity
for the community to know
what Hillel really is in our
55th year."
Amy Schlussel, dean of
admission, emphasized, "It's
a very sincere opportunity
for the entire community to
fulfill the mitzvah:' Options
for sponsorships — letters,
words, books — will be avail-
able in multiples of $18.
It is common for syna-
gogues to complete Torahs as
fundraising projects, but less
common for day schools.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12