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 Phoenix's High Adin Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Permit No. 85 Jewish Holidays Steinsaltz Mayor Dies page 4 pages 12 to 20 pages 21 September 2020 Elul 5780/Tishrei 5781 Volume XX Number 1 FREE College students start (or not) fall semester Patti Smith, special to the WJN on time and graduate, so I (don’t) want to conditions improve at some point during the decision,” she says. “At the end of the day I ormally at this time of year, col- take time off . and I’m enjoying seeing my semester. Lewis decided to stay home in Ann decided to prioritize money and my health. I lege students are getting ready to friends who are here, even if it’s outside at a Arbor for the fall semester, which means she am not expecting to have a particularly excit- N pack their cars and return to their distance.” has to withdraw from Berkeley and then re- ing fall, but I will dedicate my time to various campuses for another semester of classes, Sarah Lewis, 19, is an incoming sopho- apply in the spring. “I made the decision to campaigns leading up to the general election sports, and friends. But this year is anything more at University of California, Berkeley. stay home this fall semester because travel- in November, as well as continuing with my but normal. internship on candidate Gretchen Driskell’s COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into the campaign for Congress. I will also, hopefully, usual late summer plans, and students have take some classes at an in-state university, if to decide whether to remain at home and I can work out transferring credits.” take classes virtually, return to campus to Tufts University in Boston is beginning take classes, or change their plans altogether. the year with a combination of in-person and WJN spoke to local students about their remote classes. Joel Appel-Kraut, a 20-year- plans for the fall. Jacob Schneyer, a 21-year- old junior at Tufts, says that “with no drop old student at Grinnell College in Iowa, has in tuition and many of my professors choos- already returned to Grinnell, is living off ing to move online, it didn’t seem to worth campus, and will take classes remotely. The it to attend school as planned.” That led to college, he says, is offering mostly remote his decision to continue working at a winery classes, with only a small number of students in California in the World Wide Opportuni- who have been given special permission to Jacob Schneyer Sarah Lewis Joel Appel-Kraut ties on Organic Farms (WWOOF) program. live on campus. For Schneyer, this was the Her school’s plan is start online with the hope ing, being far away from family, and being Appel-Kraut receives room and board in ex- best decision. “I want to finish my last year of becoming “hybrid” (i.e. in-person labs) if on campus did not seem to be the safest Continued on page 2 To shrink classes amid COVID-19, Israel needs to hire 15,000 teachers. It won’t be easy. Shira Rubin, originally for the Jewish class in person only part-time. Both decisions Telegraphic Agency would require additional teachers. o pull off its plan to reopen schools In Ausut, Gallant revealed new details about safely this fall, Israel needs to hire the plan: Kindergarten through second grade T 15,000 new teachers. But the hiring will open as usual, with around 30 to 35 chil- spree will begin in earnest only in mid-August, dren per class, on the belief that they are the in hopes of delivering half of the needed edu- group with the lowest risk of contagion. Third cators to classrooms by January — five months and fourth grades will open in pods of up to into the school year. 18 students, about half a regular class size. Stu- “This is a national effort,” Yoav Gallant, the dents older than that will learn on Zoom most country’s education minister, said. “It won’t of the time but meet in person in some form happen in a day.” two days a week. When school opens Sept. 1, “it will not be Later in August, Gallant said, the govern- possible to enable full education for everyone,” ment will begin working on programs to recruit Gallant said. and train the thousands of new teachers needed Smaller-scale efforts to steer Israelis into the to make all of that happen. Israel plans to spend classroom are underway already. But emerging 4.2 billion shekels ($1.2 billion) on reopening tensions suggest that the road ahead may be schools, including on the new teacher hiring. anything but smooth for the country’s school The centralized effort joins many others that system, which is already reeling from a rocky are already underway to address Israel’s dual reopening this spring that was characterized by High school students in Tel Aviv take an exam, June 29, 2020. (AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90) crises of unemployment and teacher shortages, dozens of outbreaks connected to schools. which long predated the pandemic but have been Among the looming challenges: potential “Teachers are not babysitters,” Ruti Anzel, Israel reopened schools for all students in exacerbated by the need to reduce the number of resistance among some Israeli educators to director of the Tel Aviv Department of Educa- all grades in May. But in July, officials said they students gathering at any one time. fast-track training programs that may leave tion for Middle and High Schools, told the Jew- would not repeat that approach this fall and Rishon Letzion, a city in central Israel, has new teachers ill-equipped to handle the job at ish Telegraphic Agency. “Their work can’t be instead would reduce class sizes for younger announced plans to provide teaching train- taught in an instant.” children while allowing older students to attend a particularly difficult time. Continued on page 10 IFrom the Editor he beauty of the Jewish yearly cycle, For this issue, each congregation sent in annual reminders of the seasons, descriptions of what they are planning for T of the movement of our inner lives, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the Days and of mythologi- of Awe. Please see the High Holiday sec- Ann Arbor cal and historical tion, pages 12-20 and each congregation’s 2935 Birch Hollow Drive Reconstructionist moments, is the website for more details. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 opportunities it For the last few months, WJN has been (734) 395-4438 Congregation creates for us to running advertisements for racial justice www.washtenawjewishnews.org notice. This month, organizations that were pre-paid by a [email protected] we notice the ap- member of the community. If you would ples ripening on like to participate in supporting both WJN Editor and Publisher A welcoming Jewish the trees. We take and a racial justice organization by buying Clare Kinberg stock, we look be- advertising, please contact me. community with musical, hind and we look Shana tova, may this new year bring the Advertising Manager participatory, and Clare Kinberg ahead. course correction we need and long for. n Gordon White egalitarian services. Design and Layout College Students, continued from page 1 Dennis Platte Staff Writer change for working part time. “I made this into their codes of conduct and other relying Patti Smith, Lonnie Sussman decision because I am trying to put myself on the honor system. in a position to maintain my health and hap- At the same time, if schools choose to go Contributing Writers piness as best as I can. For me, that means online, they risk losing students who feel it is Marianne Aaron, Rabbi Jared Anstan- Rabbi Ora dig, Jonathan Cohn, Leora Druckman, freedom to move around and interact with not worth the price of tuition or who may go Nitkin-Kaner Rebecca Epstein, Eileen Freed, Rabbi my surroundings, something I couldn’t get elsewhere to achieve the college experience Elliot Ginsburg, Rabbi Aharon Goldstein, in Boston, but I hope to find in California!” of living on campus and meeting new peo- Kayla Kapen, Joan Levitt, Kelsey Robinette Schools also face decisions that are un- ple. These decisions affect local landlords, Keeves, Murray Rosenthal, Margaret Sch- reiber, Clara Silver Beautiful and ticketless precedented in our lifetimes. If they open businesses, and economies. their doors, they risk exposing students and Either way, schools may close. People may High Holiday services are led The Washtenaw Jewish News staff to a deadly virus. Questions about how get sick. This situation presents no perfect an- is published by Rabbi Ora, with cantorial monthly, with the exception of January and soloist Gabrielle Pescador. to enforce social distancing and mask wear- swers, only very hard questions, and imper- July by JCMWC, LLC. Opinions expressed ing are difficult to answer, with some schools fect humans doing the best they can. n in this publication do not necessarily reflect incorporating new COVID-19-related rules those of its editors or staf Letter to the Editor ©2020 by the Washtenaw Jewish News. Dear Clare, democracy, but appears to be unaware that All rights reserved. No portion of the Washtenaw Jewish News may be reproduced without What impressed me most in the Beinart pre- democracy is defined by the consent of the permission of the publisher. scription for Israel (JTA Interview with Peter governed; its terms cannot be dictated to the Beinart, August 2020) was his casual neoco- lesser breeds by their betters overseas.