Education Briefs

Reform Day School Leaders Unite

Some 40 people from around the country gathered to discusseducation issues at the annual Progressive Association of Reform Jewish DaySchools (PARDeS) Conference at Wilshire Boulevard Temple from Feb. 22-25. Thisyear’s theme was values and ethics.

Since Reform day schools do not have a centralizedcurriculum like Conservative and Orthodox institutions, professional and layleaders discussed establishing a set course load, and also discussed issuessuch as enrollment, curriculum, fundraising and accreditation.

The Keynote speaker at the conference was Rabbi DavidEllenson, president of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion(HUC-JIR). Other speakers included Rabbi Steven Leder of Wilshire BoulevardTemple; Nadine Breuer, vice president of PARDeS and Brawerman ElementarySchool’s Head of School; and Michael Zeldin, a professor at HUC-JIR.

“Jewish day schools are a tool toward Jewish continuity,”said Robin Broidy, a member of the Brawerman School’s Task Force Committee.”The Reform movement can’t be without an arm that encourages these schools.”

Shalhevet High School Wins Model U.N.

Shalhevet High School took first place in the 13th AnnualYeshiva University National Model United Nations conference, which was heldFeb. 9 -11. Fourteen Shalhevet students joined more than 500 high schoolstudents from 36 schools around North America at Kutcher’s Country Club inMonticello, N.Y. Competitors debated topics like disarmament and world healthduring a simulated meeting of the United Nations.

Shalhevet students were divided into two teams, representingChina and Libya. Each competitor spoke on behalf of his or her assignedcommittee, which included groups like the World Food Program, Disarmament andInternational Security and the Middle East Summit.

The Shalhevet’s team representing China won the competition,with seniors Hannah Levavi, Ilana Kellerman and Sarah Mayman each receivingawards for Best Delegate. Senior Edo Royker and junior Laura Birnbaum, bothmembers of the Libya team, received Honorable Mention.

“Shalhevet had never won before and we’ve gone to theconference for years. People were convinced of jinxes and conspiracies,” jokedfaculty adviser Melanie Berkey, who also teaches English and film classes. “Itwas a very pleasant surprise.”

Yeshiva University High School in Los Angeles came in secondplace.

ADL Educates Students About Hate

What advice would you give to a child when his peers try toconvince him that “Jews and other minorities” are trying to take over at schooland that he should “stick with his own kind?”

 High school students around California will ponder thisvery question when they view a new interactive CD-ROM recently published by theAnti-Defamation League (ADL). “Hate Comes Home” is intended to help high schoolstudents combat anti-Semitism, racism, classism and homophobia.

The software, which is offered free of charge to all public highschools in the state, includes an interactive movie featuring four fictionalhigh school students confronted with various issues of prejudice, peerpressure and hate. Learning tactics for avoiding hate-motivated incidents, studentscan make choices and change what happens in the lives of these characters.A teacher discussion guide is also included.

The CD-ROM is part of the Stop the Hate project, athree-year initiative funded by the California State Legislature. Stop the Hateintends to institutionalize ADL’s A World of Difference Institute anti-biastraining programs in selected school settings.

“You get to see how anti-Semitism really works at a highschool level, especially in hate groups,” said Tessa Hicks, project director ofthe A World of Difference Institute. “If you go to any high school, you’ll hearslurs. They might be used in jest, but they are taking a toll.”

For more information on “Hate Comes Home,” call Tessa Hicksat (310) 446-8000, ext. 232.

Religious School Teachers Share Ideas

How do you school children according to their own needs?More than 600 religious school leaders at 53 schools around Greater Los Angelesconsidered this theme at the Religious School Educators conference on Sunday,Jan. 19 at Sinai Temple.

Educational experts and religious school principalspresented workshops such as “Creative Programs to Promote Respect in theClassroom,” “Hooking Young Adults on Jewish History with New HistoricalFiction” and “Hebrew for the New Millennium.

Keynote speaker Rabbi Ed Feinstein of Valley Beth Shalom inEncino delivered a humorous — but rousing — speech on the difficulties manyreligious school teachers face in keeping students motivated, and theimportance of answering students’ questions.  

Teachers were specifically encouraged to meet their teachingcounterparts from synagogues in other parts of the city in special “MentorSharing Workshops.” During this program, teachers exchanged lesson plans,projects and curriculum ideas.

“The sharing was unique to the conference this year,” saidArlene Agress, Bureau of Jewish Education’s director of continuing professionaleducation. “In addition to gaining knowledge to apply to the classroom, there’sa value [when teachers] come together as a community.”

Later in the afternoon, the Lainer Distinguished EducatorAwards were presented to Janice Tytell, the principal of University Synagoguein Los Angeles; Robin Solomon of Shomrei Torah Synagogue in West Hills; andRachel Asseras from Temple Judea in Tarzana. Smotrich Family FoundationEducator Awards were presented to Morgan Land at Congregation Ner Tamid ofSouth Bay, Susan Silverman, assistant director at Temple Adat Elohim’sReligious School in Thousand Oaks.

Briefs compiled by Sharon Schatz Rosenthal, EducationWriter.