started working with her fac-
ulty in mid-June to develop
best practices for online teach-
ing. Administrators opted for
online-only classes after real-
izing their students came from
more than 50 different schools,
making the potential for com-
munity spread by meeting in
person just too high.
Temple Kol Ami in West
Bloomfield started planning
in spring and initially devel-
oped a hybrid program, with
learning online on Wednesdays
and in person on Sundays. “In
light of changes with COVID
numbers and decisions by local
school districts, we then chose
to be totally online,
” said Gail
Greenberg, director of lifelong
learning.
Greenberg is also educator
director at Congregation Beth
Ahm in West Bloomfield, which
is continuing its program of
individualized learning for stu-
dents and their families, with all
sessions online. Saturday morn-
ing classes at the synagogue have
been canceled for now.
Schools have been helped by
the Hermelin Davidson Center
for Congregation Excellence,
which set aside $100,000 to help
congregational schools adapt to
the new COVID reality.
The center paid for all
members of the Metro Detroit
Board of Jewish Educators to
attend the month-long virtual
NewCAJE conference for Jewish
educators over the summer. The
Hermelin Davidson Center also
awarded technology grants of
up to $550 per congregational
classroom to help schools cover
the cost of computers, software,
subscriptions and learning
platform memberships, said
Brian Rothenberg, director of
planning and agency relations
for the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit.
Professional development for
religious school educators this
year has focused on technology,
especially getting teachers famil-
iar with new platforms and apps.
“
An educator cannot simply
teach how they taught last year,
just on Zoom,
” said Lisa Soble
Siegmann, senior director of
development, innovation, col-
laboration and education at the
Jewish Community Center.
Curricula, whether in person
or online, are flexible, with stu-
dents, and often their families as
well, having choices about sub-
jects ranging from prayer and
holiday observance to Jewish
history, Jewish values, social
justice and community service,
Israel, art, music and more.
Several of the schools, including
Shaarey Zedek, Shir Shalom,
Temple Israel and Yachad, offer
one-on-one instruction, espe-
cially in Hebrew language, in
addition to group programs.
Overall enrollment has
slipped a bit since last year, but
many schools reported new reg-
istrations well into October.
“Pandemic or not, our chil-
dren still need to learn, grow
and thrive Jewishly. Pandemic
or not, directors and educators
have learned how to pivot to
meet the needs of their stu-
dents,
” Siegmann said.
The Black
family, Nickole,
Liam, Mollie
and Dr. Evan
Black, attend a
Sunday Tailgate
Tefillah service
at Shir Shalom.
SHIR SHALOM
OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 23
Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D.
Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation.
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