22 | MAY 30 • 2024 J N I f you walk into Lawton Elementary School in Ann Arbor, you will find two large glass displays showcas- ing influential Jewish figures, Judaica such as shofars and a Torah plushie, and the American and Israeli flags. The displays represent a grassroots effort by three Jewish families in the school. One of the display’s design- ers, with two children in the school, said she wanted the cases to mirror her own feelings about being Jewish: “Bursting with pride.” (She requested to remain anony- mous.) Jewish families across Washtenaw County public schools have taken similar initiatives to recognize Jewish American Heritage Month in their children’s schools, as they find few school-sponsored events. In the absence of such events, Jewish families reached out to their children’s teachers, read books on Jewish themes, presented in classrooms and erected displays. Hagit Barry-Naab read the book Pizza Mitzvah in her daughter’s first-grade class at Thurston Elementary, and Jenny Kirsch Van Beck, who has a first-grader at Bryant Elementary, presented on mitzvot, or good deeds. She brought in a big poster titled: Everyday Mitzvahs! and read a book called Can Sophie Change the World? According to AAPS Interim Superintendent Jazz Parks, “Jewish Americans are highlighted in lessons and reading selections with our students across classrooms in AAPS school and digital libraries. In the arts, students explore, study and perform the works of great Jewish American artists, lyricists, dancers, composers and many other extraordinary individ- uals who have had a positive impact on our society.” Parks recognized Jewish American Heritage month in a May 3 update via the district’s website and in a May 8 update to the Board of Education, However, this announce- ment did not list any specific events or provide resources for schools — information that was provided for many other heritage months, such as Black History Month, National Asian, Pacific Islander & South Jewish American heritage celebrated by families in Washtenaw schools. Grassroots Efforts Fill the Gap LAURA PASEK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS OUR COMMUNITY Digital Choice Board in Saline Area Schools 4th and 5th grades. A bulletin board at Heritage School in Saline features famous Jewish Americans.