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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