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Essays and viewpoints
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Not-So-Smooth Sailing
“Let my container ship go!” What are the chances that during Passover another act of freedom on Lake Charlevoix. While vacationing, I decided it would be a good idea to rent a motorboat and take my young family on a would be celebrated? In a brilliant public cruise around the waterways. relations move last week, God paid homage Up until that point, my only sea faring to Passover by letting that experience had been passing the canoe giant ship go forth from nomenclature test at Camp Tanuga in 1963, Egypt. The grounded vessel enough, I thought, to man the helm of a sat idle for six days in the boat. Suez Canal like a beached I maneuvered through the blue waters whale, holding up hundreds without incident when I decided that
Alan Muskovitz Contributing of ships and billions of dollars’ worth of commerce. time would allow for one port of call for a quick lunch. Our destination, a waterfront Writer Efforts by tugboats and restaurant called Hard Dock Landing, a dredgers removing tons of sand finally name that would be a harbinger of things succeeded in releasing the boat from its to come. under my breath, preparing to let my vessel resting place. Although a leaked memo I’m not a very good parallel parker on float its way gently to the dock. And float it from Egyptian authorities claimed a secret dry land, so I guess it must have been fool- did, until the bow of the boat hit the dock infusion of MiraLAX is what ultimately did ish pride that convinced me I could proper- and got wedged and stuck under the restauthe trick. ly dock a boat. rant’s “Dock Here” sign. Yes, I had, in my
I know all too well how the ship’s captain As the dock for the restaurant edged own inimitable way, come in for a “Hard felt because I was also involved in a dra- closer, I began an internal nautical conver- Dock Landing.” matic boating incident in the early 1990s sation. “Avast. All engines stop!” I muttered The spectacle of an arrival startled my
Alan shows off his souvenir from his hard landing.
continued on page 10
guest column A Vision for a New Jewish Detroit
Picture this: it’s a Friday night, and where I didn’t have a place to be for guys to commit to at least one Saturday you’re getting dressed up to go to Shabbat dinner. When Hillel of Metro morning every month, simply to get a a friend’s house for Shabbat din- Detroit at Wayne State (HMD) or Chabad regular service going. In early March of ner. While you could drive, you’re in the weren’t doing anything, my girlfriend 2020, we had eight guys and a few women Shabbat spirit, and you choose to walk (now fiancée) and I would use HMD’s who wanted to participate as well. We the short distance over to Shabbatote program to host a dozen of had anticipated starting right after spring your friend’s house. our friends and classmates at our house break; spring break ended and the shelYou make Kiddush, eat a in Woodbridge. ter-in began. home-cooked meal, bench, Of those dozen, which changed week- Of that group, there was a solid mix of play some board games and to-week, the majority would walk over, young professionals living in the greater leave long after darkness participate in the Shabbos aspects of din- Downtown area, and a mix of graduate
Jeremy has fallen to walk home. ner — not just the eating — and would and undergraduate students at Wayne
Rosenberg Sounds like a typi- stay after to veg without technology being State. cal weekend in West an essential component. There were peo- Why bother telling you all of this? To Bloomfield, Oak Park or Huntington ple who would end up spending Shabbat say that there is demand for a real, reliWoods, right? at the house — something my roommates gious Jewish community within Detroit’s
Well, in this story, that’s not where you and I were always happy to accommodate. city limits. are; you just had a fantastic Shabbos din- At the same time, I was working with a For myself, many of my friends and ner experience in Detroit. group of friends to get a regular Shabbat- many more people who I don’t know, but
In the months leading up to the pan- morning service going. Per the custom of am trying to locate through this essay, the demic, there was hardly a Friday night most of the group, we were looking for 10 options are a) figure out how to create
guest column 3 Lessons to Strengthen Israel Education
Newsworthy stories in our knowledge foundation. unfold in Israel at We realize that knowing core breathtaking rates. information, let alone the Repeated elections, COVID- associated nuances, requires 19 responses, pathbreaking time, specifically educationSupreme Court al foundations that can’t be decisions, packed into a few hours a the Abraham week of Judaic studies in a Accords — all post-b’nai mitzvah class or in are worthy of 11th or 12th grade. community Four years working closely
Dr. Tal Grinfas-David discussion and age-appropriate with a dozen schools across North America have shown student explora- me the wonderful benefits tion. Yet few Jewish students and experiences from comand their parents possess suf- prehensive and integrated ficient understanding or dis- approaches to Israel educussion skills to explain them cation for students, parents beyond a passing headline. and the community at large.
These rich topics relate to The positive results from the peoplehood, democracy, and Center for Israel Education’s the Land and State of Israel. Day School Initiative are They affect our Jewish iden- replicable. These are three of tity and Israel’s role in it. We the most important lessons all could use a booster shot learned.
START EARLY AND OFTEN
We do not teach calculus in kindergarten, nor do we avoid grade-level benchmarks for fear that students will hate math. We also do not let each educator decide how and when to teach elements of math. Instead, we use a well-defined curriculum to help children acquire difficult foundational concepts and skills bit by bit, year by year.
Similarly, we shouldn’t expect 11th-graders to grapple with Israeli-Palestinian relations, Israel’s parliamentary democracy, its management of a pandemic or the debate over religion in Israel’s Jewish identity without a foundation of age-appropriate Israel education. We need to educate from the earliest grades upward. By developing a knowledge base, a connection and a habit of informed conversation from an early age, we make possible the later discussions that we desire and for which students hunger.
An example is Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr, Pa., which is building depth and sophistication into Israel education for its sixth- to 12th-graders. A three-part series for 10th-graders, for example, builds on earlier lessons to address Jewish diversity and the compromises involved in maintaining peoplehood. Such learning leads to questions about the diaspora origins of Israeli democracy and how Israeli and American Jews influence each other.
continued on page 10
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PURELY COMMENTARY
analysis Israel Still Can’t Make Up its Mind About Netanyahu
When the first exit Then there is the plain fact polls were pub- that the lack of a national budlished, it seemed get for 2020 — let alone 2021 as if the long stalemate had — is also a blow to stability been ended. Within a couple and the country’s economic of hours, howev- well-being. er, the polls had There is a national conbeen revised, sensus that the standoff has and by the end been something of a disgrace of a long night since, among other things, the
Jonathan S. Tobin and morning of counting, it frequency of elections means that Israel has now surpassed
JNS.org turned out that Italy as the home of the most the deadlock unstable democracy in the between those who wish to world. And yet, the one perkeep Benjamin Netanyahu as son who hasn’t been hurt by prime minister and those who it is Netanyahu. The failure to want to get rid of him hadn’t form a stable government has been broken. served him fairly well since it his weaknesses. That’s because Still, his constant scheming,
With all the ballots tallied, enables him to govern without it could also be said that no untrustworthiness in political Netanyahu won the majority actually winning an election. prime minister who was fac- negotiations and the sense of the vote but doesn’t have a Even the lack of a budget has ing trial for three corruption of entitlement that go with clear path to a 61-seat majori- made it easier for him since charges and who had worn having stayed in office so long ty needed to form a coalition. he hasn’t been hampered by out his welcome with both the with no thought of groom-
This fourth consecutive the financial negotiations that public and political colleagues ing a successor, let alone election stalemate in two years would have undermined his after 12 consecutive years in stepping aside for the next is a discouraging outcome for agenda. office could reasonably pre- generation, has also fueled the Jewish state. It’s not just an Indeed, in the course of the sume to emerge from an elec- rage at Netanyahu on the part annoying waste of time. More last year, Netanyahu hasn’t tion as the head of the largest of a broad cross-section of than that, it has been estimat- just managed to stay afloat. party and as the only person the Israeli public. It may be ed that the cost of holding Since Israel was last forced to with a chance to form a gov- created by a mix of partisanthese four votes amounted to the polls, the prime minis- ernment, as is also the case ship and ideology (many in $4.24 billion — a staggering ter had what historians may with Netanyahu. the “anybody but Bibi” camp sum for a small country that, ultimately say were his two His able statesmanship and would be similarly determined like the rest of the world, is greatest accomplishments: skillful governance — not to to oppose any Likud leader or dealing with the economic the signing of the Abraham mention a national consen- non-leftist), but it is nonethecatastrophe caused by the Accords and the successful sus behind his core positions less real. His followers cannot ongoing coronavirus pandem- effort to get Israelis vaccinated on issues that used to divide imagine Israel being led by ic. Aside from the not-incon- against COVID-19, enabling Israel over policy toward the anyone else. And yet the fact siderable expenses involved in it to be the first of nations to Palestinians, territory and that so many Israelis seem staging the contest, election essentially emerge from the settlements — have made him focused on nothing but the days are legal holidays in yearlong pandemic crisis. something of an institution. quest to topple him has furIsrael. That costs company Any leader with two such It’s no wonder that polls show ther embittered the country’s holiday pay, as well as a loss impressive achievements to that most Israelis (including political discourse. of productivity and sales, even his credit might have expected many who don’t vote for him) Can Netanyahu find a way though some businesses, like to be easily re-elected. But the think that he’s the most qual- out of the corner into which restaurants, benefit from peo- election results speak volumes ified person to hold the top the Israeli public has painted ple having the day off. about both his strengths and job. itself?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses supporters on election night at Likud Party headquarters in Jerusalem, March 23, 2021.
PHOTO BY OLIVIER FITOUSSI/FLASH90.
PURELY COMMENTARY
3 LESSONS continued from page 6
— DR. TAL GRINFAS-DAVID
INTEGRATE ISRAEL THROUGHOUT THE CURRICULUM
As the National Council of Teachers of English noted in 1995, the world is not organized into distinct subject areas, and a curriculum should reflect that complexity. If schools are serious about mission statements citing Israel education as central to Jewish identity, they should treat Israel education as equal to other subjects and incorporate it into everyday general studies. Israel can’t be an afterthought granted a sliver of the time set aside for Judaic studies, with some extra time allotted weeks before a trip to Israel.
When Israel is integrated into science, math, English and social studies, the subject belongs to the entire faculty, and educational silos are toppled. Educator collaboration increases, which improves staff morale and the school climate.
Students perceive Israel as a subject that matters and gain the proven benefits of interdisciplinary instruction, including critical thinking, problem solving and an appreciation for uncertainty.
Vancouver Talmud Torah in British Columbia has created an integrated curriculum called I-S.T.E.A.M. (Israel through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). In one study unit, students explored Israeli architecture and watched videos of such designers as Eliezer Armon and Yaakov Agam. They took virtual tours of Israel to learn what makes spaces holy and how to bring that special feeling to places in their lives. They combined those inspirations with engineering lessons about form and function and computer skills in design software to create a plan for a new school wing, then wrote essays to persuade administrators to accept their design.
INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY Far from sparking controversy, well-integrated Israel education based on original sources generates critical thinking. Biases and polemics cannot take root when sources are used and interpreted.
Bringing communal influencers into the process builds trust and helps deepen the community’s Israel discourse.
Parents become key supporters when their excited children bring home new knowledge and when schools invite them to participate while anecdotal, evidence suggests that these schools retain students and boost enrollment.
Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles has recognized the crucial part parents can play in middle school. While writing lessons and experimenting with activities for students, the administration and teachers are also designing opportunities for parents to learn. The programs will showcase informed discourse and build bridges among families with diverse opinions.
We have learned that instituting excellent Israel education requires a multiyear commitment. I meet with some teachers weekly to review lesson plans, demonstrate presentations to students, and help them wring out biases and assumptions for or against Israel and commit to primary sources over preferred narratives.
THE PAYOFF IS IMMENSE.
In the short term, teachers find their work more rewarding. Students are excited and engaged. Parents learn and become more committed to the school community.
In the long term, deep knowledge of Israel’s history, politics, economy and culture, rather than idealized portrayals that can be shattered, leads to understanding of why Israel matters to diaspora Jews and can make Israel a community unifier instead of a divider.
That unity goes beyond Israel. While examining debates ranging from the Zionist Uganda Plan to the sinking of the Altalena to contemporary politics, schools are modeling listening, speaking and disagreeing according to Jewish values. Just as in every generation the Jewish people have struggled with the dreams and realities of Israel, so too we have managed to embrace the strengths and weaknesses of our differences, then compromise and come together.
When we have those substantive Israel conversations with our students, we empower them to connect and stay connected with Israel and to be agents of change and continuity in our Jewish communities.
Dr. Tal Grinfas-David is the day school education specialist for the Center for Israel Education, an Atlanta-based nonprofit.
NOT-SO-SMOOTH
continued from page 4
family, but of course, I could not allow panic to reign on the bridge of my ship — not on my watch! I got myself into this mess and I was going to seamlessly get myself out of it.
“Full engines reverse!” I yelled in my inner sailor’s voice as I proceeded to shift gears in an attempt to dislodge the boat from the large wooden restaurant sign holding us captive. The boat slowly struggled to move away from the dock, like a fish trying to free itself from the grasp of a hook.
FINALLY, FREEDOM
I could feel progress being made. Actually, I could “hear” progress being made because emanating from the wooden sign was an ear-piercing, gut-wrenching sound of nails being violently ripped from their lodging to the dock. I freed my boat but was taking the restaurant’s sign with me!
A lesser man would’ve fled the scene but not me. I was hungry and I was willing to swallow my pride (the incident was witnessed by restaurant patrons on a patio) in order to swallow some lunch. I walked up to the maître d’ an offered the traditional Jewish boater’s greeting — “Oyhoy, matey!”
Fortunately, I wasn’t confined to the brig or asked to cover repair costs for this accident at sea. As a good will gesture, I tipped our server handsomely and bought a Hard Dock Landing T-shirt for the memory.
I fully admit the dock-crashing fiasco that fateful day lay solely on operator error. I could’ve blamed it on rough waters, but alas, the sea was not angry that day… only the manager of the restaurant.
Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/ acting talent, speaker, and emcee. Visit his website at laughwithbigal.com,“Like” Al on Facebook and reach him at amuskovitz@ renmedia.us.
PURELY COMMENTARY
NETANYAHU continued from page 8
Talk of defectors from other parties is, as was the case last year, mooted by his supporters, but that seems even less likely this time around. Another possibility of a solution is both a laudable development as well as a potential case of staggering hypocrisy.
When the four disparate Arab factions ran together as a single party last year, they won 15 seats as the Joint Arab List. When Blue and White leader Benny Gantz spoke of his willingness to deal with that coalition of anti-Zionists — many of whom sympathize with terrorists — the Likud and others blasted the idea as something that would compromise the nation’s security.
The Joint List split when Mansour Abbas, leader of the Ra’am Party that advocates the conversion of Israel into an Islamist Palestinian state, pointed out something that was quite true. Israeli Arabs have been badly served by their politicians. Many of them are corrupt and have spent their time working harder to support Palestinian efforts to undermine Israel than on trying to assist their constituents. Abbas (no relation to the Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas) suggested that it was time for them to stop grandstanding in order to help allies in Ramallah and Gaza, and start doing deals with the Zionist parties in order to serve their people better.
As he promised during the campaign, however, Abbas says that he is open to supporting either side of the Israeli political divide in order to advance the interests of Israeli Arabs. That opens up the possibility that one of the non-Jewish parties would become part of a government, even if it meant supporting it from outside the coalition.
If Ra’am enables Netanyahu and the Likud to govern in this fashion, the prime minister and his supporters would be open to charges of staggering hypocrisy. Then again, it would also give the lie to the canard that Israel is an “apartheid state.”
It would also illustrate just how far the Abraham Accords and the other normalization deals between Israel, and Arab and Muslim states, have helped erode support for the century-long war on Zionism. Friendly relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are a signal to Arab voters that it’s in their interests to stop acting like auxiliaries of Palestinian terror groups.
This scenario may not happen — not the least because many of Netanyahu’s supporters won’t tolerate sitting in a government whose existence depends on the votes of those who don’t really want it to exist. It also doesn’t alter the fact that half of the country will never rest until he is finally defeated. Nor does it erase the way the prime minister’s sense of indispensability and double-dealing has fatally divided an Israeli right that might otherwise be firmly in control under almost any other leader.
The mere fact that the option of a deal with an Arab party can be realistically discussed is also a tribute to how much Netanyahu has changed Israel and the Middle East.
A VISION continued from page 4
and live a Jewish life in Detroit or b) move to an urban area that already has such infrastructure.
THE GOAL
The goal isn’t to mess around in the city and then get serious in Huntington Woods or West Bloomfield; many of us don’t see our futures in any suburbs, anywhere. The goal is to build a thriving Jewish community with a shul, school, access to kosher shopping and kosher dining, and more, in Detroit.
Many people still seem to think that the only Jewish people living in Detroit are hipsters or have no interest in being members of a Jewish community; hopefully, this demonstrates that that’s not true.
Today, there are multiple organizations that exist in Detroit that are constantly enriching Jewish life: Chabad of Greater Downtown Detroit, Hillel of Metro Detroit and the Downtown Synagogue. While each of these entities provide wonderful Jewish programming, that’s often where it ends: programming. The Downtown Synagogue is a wonderful place, and I’ve spent dozens of Shabbat mornings there, but in all my pre-pandemic discussions, the intent was to create a community that fell somewhere along the lines of Modern Orthodox or Orthodox.
As Detroit continues to attract new businesses, new developments and new investments, we’re continuing to lose scores of young Jewish professionals to urban areas with large Jewish communities, like New York, Toronto, Chicago, LA and Miami, to name just a few. There’s really no reason why Detroit can’t compete with these cities.
Over the course of the pandemic, I’ve grown my network to include other Jewish professionals in Detroit, including a number of people in the real estate development world who share the same interest in the creation and growth of a Jewish community in Detroit.
Prior to writing this article, the idea was that a Field of Dreams approach might work: “If you build it, they will come.” As it turns out, there are companies and individuals who would work hard to build it when that demand presents itself — I’m hoping to find through this article who will come.
— JONATHAN S. TOBIN
Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS—Jewish News Syndicate. Follow him on Twitter at: @jonathans_tobin.
Jeremy Rosenberg lives in Detroit, working in transit and real estate development. He invites people to reach out to him at jeremy_324@ hotmail.com.
