metro
Lifetime Income
for Retirement.
New Jewish
Education Models
And an even greater outcome for
Israel, science and education.
University of Michigan to host
prominent panel of Jewish educators.
Bobby Siporin
Special to the Jewish News
E
very year, the graduating
class of the Jewish Communal
Leadership Program (JCLP)
at the University of Michigan hosts its
annual "communal conversation" in
the School of Social Work.
On Sunday, Feb. 23, in what is sure
to be the most ambitious undertak-
ing yet, a group of local and national
Jewish educators will come together
to share their expertise on the current
state of Jewish and Hebrew education
in the United States, and what best
practices are helping them to thrive.
In recent years, it has become
commonplace to claim that immer-
sive educational models such as day
schools, Birthright Israel trips and
summer camps are the "silver bullet"
that can most effectively strengthen
Jewish identity and guarantee the
American Jewish future.
JCLP students, led by program
director Dr. Karla Goldman, began to
ask questions as they thought through
this claim; immersive educational
models are in the spotlight these days,
but most American Jews do not live in
immersive Jewish environments.
This paradox informed the deci-
sion to create the title for this year's
conversation: "360° Education Models
in a Non-360° World:' What do the
best of these immersive programs do?
Are such programs, in fact, providing
participants with the skills to transfer
what they experience into the "rest"
of their lives? If so, how? If not, what
are the barriers to success? And how
might all of this connect to other types
of Jewish and Hebrew education set-
tings?
Tackling this topic, with its local and
national implications, are a group of
award-winning educators and lead-
ers. They will participate in a panel
discussion open to the public, mod-
erated by Dr. Deborah Ball, dean of
the University of Michigan School of
Education.
Each panelist will share reflections
about creating and developing immer-
sive, high-impact Jewish and Hebrew
education programs.
Panelists are Dr. Marc Kramer
(RAVSAK: The Jewish Community
Day School Network), Rabbi Shira
Koch Epstein (14th St. Y in New York),
Amy Skopp Cooper (Camp Ramah),
Rabbi David Gedzelman (Steinhardt
Foundation for Jewish Life), Rabbi
Paul Yedwab (Temple Israel, West
Bloomfield), and Tilly Shames
(University of Michigan Hillel).
"We're truly honored to host such
prominent educators here at the
University of Michigan:' says Dr.
Andrea Siegel, program manager of
JCLP and an integral part of helping to
plan this important event.
"It's a great opportunity for our
region's best and brightest professional
and lay leaders to come together to
exchange ideas with the panelists:"
Sarah McEwan, a member of the
graduating JCLP class, hopes that "the
community conversation can reveal
best practices that can be used and
applied for the diverse array of Jewish
and Hebrew educators around the
country"
Those who live outside the Metro
Detroit area are invited to watch
the panel online, via simultaneous
webcast. Students, instructors and
professional leaders from Los Angeles,
Baltimore, New York, Florida and
Boston are already registered for the
webcast.
With support from the Covenant
Foundation, the Steinhardt
Foundation for Jewish Life, U-M
Hillel, Federation's Alliance for Jewish
Education, and the Jean & Samuel
Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at
U-M, JCLP students hope that this
ambitious event will benefit the local
community while also highlighting
the dynamism of Metro Detroit's many
Jewish community leaders in atten-
dance.
An hors d'oeuvres reception with a
focus on Jewish educational technolo-
gy will begin at 4 p.m., panel at 5 p.m.;
to learn more and RSVP, visit www.
tinyurl.com/jc1p2014event or call (734)
764-5392. Space is limited, and RSVPs
are strongly encouraged.
❑
Bobby Siporin is an alumnus of Teach
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February 20 • 2014 11