Unprecedented Jewish Education Event at U-M, February 23

Washtenaw Jewish News Presort Standard In this issue… c/o Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor U.S. Postage PAID 2939 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Permit No. 85 New Nahalal Canada– Concert Teens Strong Series Visit Supporter at Ann Arbor of JCC Israel Page 3 Page 11 Page 14 February 2014 Adar 5774 Volume XXXVIII: Number 5 FREE Unprecedented Jewish education event at U-M, February 23 Sarah McEwan, special to the WJN hat forms of Jewish education can society mandate that most of our lives will “I have really enjoyed the challenge of rack: “We’ll measure success for this event by are optimal for America today? be lived outside of such environments? Hence putting together an event of this magnitude the great people we hope will be in the room W This question is at the heart of an the idea for this year’s conversation, “360 Edu- for our community. We’re fortunate that lo- together: parents, teachers, local Jewish com- upcoming public event organized by graduate cation Models in a Non-360° World.” cal lay and professional Jewish leaders in Ann munal experts, and all those interested in the students in the Jewish Communal Leadership For February Program (JCLP) at the University of Michi- 23, the students gan. On February 23, members of the Ann invited nationally Arbor and Metropolitan Detroit Jewish com- recognized Jew- munities will have the opportunity to learn ish and Hebrew from and share thoughts with local and na- educators who tional Jewish education experts in the fourth have built im- annual “Communal Conversations” program. mersive Jewish The event will be held at U-M’s School of So- education pro- cial Work. Due to space limitations, RSVPs are grams (includ- strongly requested. ing camps, Israel Amy Skopp Cooper Rabbi Paul Yedwab Tilly Shames David Gedzelman Shira Koch Epstein Dr. Deborah Ball Dr. Marc Kramer In preparation for the program, the trips, day schools, students talked to Ann Arbor community Hebrew charter schools, and after-school pro- Arbor and Metro Detroit invest so much in future of Jewish education are welcome to members and each other about their own ex- grams) as well as those who see their work as us. This is our chance to give back. Plans are come and discuss their concerns or ideas in periences with Jewish education. While com- more integrated into the day-to-day lives of even in the works to broadcast the event live dialogue with our inspiring panelists.” The munity members and students point to a wide their students. Award-winning panelists will online to Jewish educators around the coun- involvement of U-M Hillel and the Frankel range of influential Jewish educational expe- include: Dr. Marc Kramer (RAVSAK: The Jew- try” notes Avital Ostfield, a JCLP student on Center for Judaic Studies at the University riences, much current communal discourse ish Community Day School Network), Rabbi the organizing committee who was raised in of Michigan, as well as the generous support identifies particular immersive educational Shira Koch Epstein (14th St. Y in New York), the Twin Cities, active at the University of of the Covenant Foundation and the Stein- models like summer camp, day schools, and Amy Skopp Cooper (Camp Ramah), Rabbi Da- Oregon Hillel as an undergraduate, and was hardt Foundation, will certainly make this a Birthright as the surest guarantors of contin- vid Gedzelman (The Steinhardt Foundation for a Teach for America Corps Member prior to memorable event for the community. An hors ued Jewish engagement. The question arises: Jewish Life), Rabbi Paul Yedwab (Temple Israel, coming to U-M. For Sammi Cutler, another d’oeuvres reception will begin at 4 p.m., panel what are the implications of intensive focus West Bloomfield), and Tilly Shames (U-M Hil- JCLP student, planning this 2014 Communal at 5 p.m.. To learn more and RSVP, visit www. on immersive educational models as a com- lel). Dr. Deborah Ball, Dean of the University of Conversation has brought back fond memo- tinyurl.com/jclp2014 or call 764-5392. n munal “ideal” when the conditions of Ameri- Michigan’s School of Education, will moderate. ries of her years as a counselor at Camp Tama- Frankel Institute and IRWG team up for All-Ensemble concert at Temple Beth Emeth Rabbi Lisa Delson, special to the WJN symposium on gender and sexuality ne of the central events in Temple Israeli songs such as Haleluyah by Kobi Oshrat Yaffa Klugerman, special to the WJN Beth Emeth’s Celebrate Annie will to popular songs by Debbie Friedman, as well hat did the rabbis of the Tal- “Gender and sexuality are expanding ar- O take place on Sunday, February 9 as folk songs in Hebrew and Yiddish. mud have to say about her- eas of research by scholars of both law and at 4 p.m., when six musical ensembles join in TBE’s Middle School W maphrodites? What was the religion,” noted Deborah the 19th annual All-Ensemble Concert under Shir Chadash and High approach of Jewish women’s organizations Dash Moore, director of the direction of Cantor Annie Rose. Held in the School Shir Chadash choirs towards abortion? What is the Muslim atti- the Frankel Center and sanctuary at TBE, the concert will be followed sing traditional tunes tude toward marital sex? Frederick G.L. Huetwell, by a gala reception in the social hall. The event in new arrangements, The answers to these and many other professor of history at is open to the public free of charge. including both a cappella provocative questions will be addressed on U-M. “For this sym- Nineteen years ago, TBE’s ensembles and accompanied songs. February 3 during the Symposium on Gen- posium, we’ve invited consisted of the Adult Choir (now Kol Halev), Featured songs by the der and Sexuality in Law and Religion tak- scholars who work on a newly-formed Youth Choir and the fledgling High School singers ing place at the University of Michigan. The related themes—for ex- Shir Chadash musical ensemble. Over the (accompanied by Rosalie event is being co-sponsored by the U-M Jean ample, the question of Deborah Dash Moore years, the program has grown to include nearly Koenig) include Ani V’ata Cantor Annie Rose & Samuel Frankel Institute for Advanced Ju- violence within families—and asked them 200 members. by the late Arik Einstein, Dodi Li by Stephen daic Studies and the Institute for Research to think about these issues in relation to a Forty students in grades 3-5 participate in Sher, Lu Yehi by Naomi Shemer and a new on Women and Gender. It is also a highlight specific religious tradition.” TBE’s Youth Choir, which is accompanied by arrangement of the beloved song Lo Yisa Goy. In of the Frankel Institute’s year-long theme fo- “The University of Michigan’s Institute pianist Dave Gitterman. The Youth Choir has addition to several traditional tunes, the Middle cusing on gender and Jewish life. Continued on page 2 a wide repertoire ranging from contemporary Continued on page 2 2935 Birch Hollow Drive Frankel Institute symposium, continued from page 1 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 voice: 734/971-1800 for Research on Women and Gender promotes debate over questions and broader issues raised e-mail: [email protected] and supports wide-ranging studies focused on during the symposium. www.washtenawjewishnews.org women, gender, and sexuality,” added Debo- Symposium organizers intentionally chose to rah Keller-Cohen, U-M include religions other than Judaism in order to professor of linguistics and enhance understanding of behaviors and beliefs. Editor and Publisher women’s studies, IRWG’s “One of the advantages of a symposium that in- Susan Kravitz Ayer associate director, and a cludes Judaism together with Christianity and Calendar Editor member of the Frankel In- Islam is that participants can see areas of conver- Claire Sandler stitute’s steering committee. gence and divergence,” noted Dash Moore. “We “We are pleased to partner expect that this will illuminate not just one spe- Advertising Manager with our colleagues at the cific religious tradition, but also ones that are not Gordon White Frankel Center in this sym- explicitly discussed, because participants will be Deborah Keller-Cohen posium, which will explore able to reflect on their analyses through the lens Design and Layout the ways that changing gender norms have of the religious tradition they study.” Dennis Platte prompted religious and secular leaders to re- Frankel Institute Convening Head Fellow Staff Writers consider longstanding rules, laws, and customs.” Beth Wenger, who chairs the history depart- Mary Bilyeu, Sandor Slomovits, Rochel Urist The full-day event will include sessions led ment and directed the Jewish studies program by U-M professors, as well as leading scholars at the University of Pennsylvania, added that Contributing Writers from Arizona State University, Dartmouth Col- the symposium will shed light on how gen- Halye Aisner, Rabbi Ilana Baden, Rabbi Kim lege, New York University, Villanova University, der has functioned in different historical eras. Blumenthal, Rabbi Lisa Delson, Rabbi Robert Dobrusin, Diane Fenske, Hadar Dohn, Karen Washington University, and Wright State Uni- “Because gender is a social construction,” she Freedland, Rabbi Aharon Goldstein, Peretz versity. Discussions will focus on papers previ- explained, “it has functioned differently in dif- Hirshbein, Rachael Hoffenblum, Maayan Jaffe, ously submitted for sessions on legal sex, sexual ferent times and places. Aharon Josevitz, Yaffa Klugeman, Ethan Krasnow, politics, and crimes of passion. “Our hope,” she said, “is that this sympo- Modechai Lightstone, Sarah McEwan, Soo Ji Minn, The opening panel, for example, will address sium will spark a conversation about how dif- Sean Savage, Elliot Sorkin, the question of what constitutes legal sex in both ferent faith traditions have been shaped by and The Washtenaw Jewish News is published Judaism and Islam.

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