Newspaper Page Text
1LITE February 18, 1983
l NCJW, AJC reveal findings
l on Atlanta’s child care needs
5
by Mary Lou Allen and
Alice Wertheim
Throughout history, the Jewish
family has been the most
important channel for transmitting
Jewish identity, enriching the
quality of Jewish life and ensuring
Jewish continuity.
The 1981 commimitywide
Jewish family conference,
sponsored by the Atlanta Chapter
of the American Jewish
Committee (AJC), concluded that
in order to preserve these
traditions, one of the most critical
needs for Jewish families in
Atlanta in the 1980s is Jewish child
care services.
The National Council of Jewish
Women, Atlanta Section, has
responded to this concern. In
January 1982, NCJW, Atlanta
Section, charged a child care
committee with determining the
extent, depth and range of child
care needs in the greater Atlanta
Jewish community. To this end a
study was developed to collect data
on current and projected family
needs for child care. The study was
distributed throughout the
community with the assistance of
The Southern Israelite, AJCC
Centerline, synagogue bulletins,
NCJW bulletin, Shalom Atlanta
and the Jewish day schools. At the
same time, information on all
existing Jewish child care
programs was compiled. All
Jewish institutions were
canvassed, including plans for
future programming and use of
facilities as potential child care
sites.
At the time of data compilation
in May 1982, 210 surveys had been
returned. (Many more were
received at a later date but were not
included in the statistical analysis.)
Upon completion of the study,
several conclusions regarding need
for full-time or part-time care were
reached and programmatic
recommendations were made. One
of those recommendations
included dissemination of the
completed survey throughout the
community, and an open dialogue
among community leaders on
how they might cooperate on
additional Jewish child care in the
metro area.
On Dec. 6, NCJW, Atlanta
Section, and AJC, Atlanta
chapter, held a community forum
on Jewish child care in Atlanta.
Fifty professional and lay leaders
of every Jewish institution and
agency were enlightened by
speakers from the AJC staff and
members of the NCJW committee
on day care needs.
Alice Wertheim, co-chairperson
of the NCJW committee on day
care needs, noted the obvious
concern and interest for Jewish
children demonstrated by the
excellent attendance. April Levine,
assistant director of the Atlanta
AJC chapter, spoke on the
national trends that indicate the
need for Jewish child care. She
said, “Economic necessity and
single parenthood, among other
reasons, have put more women
into the work force than ever
before. Adequate child care from
the Jewish community would be a
welcome support system for these
parents."
Judy Sobel, NCJW committee
member and early childhood
educator, reported on local
evidence (from the NCJW study)
that supported these national
trends.
The facts clearly showed a need
for child care serving all ages, in
most areas of the city, with the
largest need being infant to 3 years
old, and after school and summer
programs for school-age children.
Mrs. Sobel concluded by giving
several parent quotations (taken
from the NCJW study) expressing
their desire for Jewish day care
rather than commercial or church
programs.
A brief panel on perspectives on
Jewish child care in Atlanta was
next on the agenda. Nancy Sigal,
choral director for the Epstein
School, Hebrew Academy and
Yeshiva High School, and mother
of four, spoke about the Mothers
Morning Out Program at
Congregation Beth Jacob. It has
been functioning successfully for
over six months, with a minimum
of 10 children, small start-up costs
and positive benefits to both
children and parents who use it.
Rabbi Donald Tam of Temple
Emanu-El discussed how the
NCJW study reflected the needs of
his own developing synagogue.
Janet Melnick, director of the
AJCC Day Care-Center (the only
Jewish day care center in
Atlanta), cited her current waiting
list as evidence for the need and
desire for Jewish day care. She
also talked about the unique
opportunity of providing the
children with daily Jewish
experiences and a “haimish”
atmosphere.
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Continued from page 1.
withdrawal from Lebanon, it’s said
Arens used the U.S. expression, “It
takes two to tango,” and in the case
of Lebanon “it takes three and
maybe even five.” He reportedly
said, “Without being too boastful,
when it is a question of a war
against terrorism, when it is a
question of those measures that
must be taken to guarantee that the
PLO will not return to southern
Lebanon after our evacuation, 1
may be more expert in that issue
than (U.S. negotiators) are."
The Jerusalem Post, saying
Arens “would be more sensitive to
both American and to Lebanese
positions that Sharon” quoted an
unnamed State Department
official as saying, “We have no
illusions Arens was to remain a
Hawk, but a responsible and
thinking Hawk.” Arettz editorially
said, “There is ground for hope
that he will not pursue the
systematic provocation of the
friendly superpowers." Ma'ariv
reported “a substantial
improvement in Israeli-U.S.
relations is expected in Jerusalem
and Washington” but editorially it
said that the belief Israel’s
positions will become more
flexible is “unfounded." The
opposition Labor paper tDavar
Wertheim (left) and Judy Sobel.
The conclusion of the forum was
a discussion on planning for the
future. Cheryl Finkel, assistant
director of the Atlanta Bureau of
Jewsh Education and NCJW day
care committee member, spoke
about the myths of the Jewish
mother. “They are not," she said,
“the martyrs staying home with
their children, nor are they the
business tycoons leaving the
raising of their children to
strangers.” She continued to say
that today’s Jewish mother is an
educated woman who, for
economic, professional and
personal growth, needs to work
outside the home. Mrs. Finkel
further said that “Jewish parents
want their children to have
positive, quality experiences when
they are away from home, and
what better place to have them
than within the Jewish
community. Not only would this
be a service for Atlanta Jewish
families, but a benefit to those
institutions who open their doors
to Jewish child care. It could
increase memberships and
participation, and in the long run
serve to strengthen the Jewish
family and the commitment to the
Jewish community.”
Mary Lou Allen, crisis
counselor for Parents Anonymous,
and co-chairperson of the NCJW
child care committee, concluded
the forum with some thought-
provoking questions:
“Our Jewish children are
already in day care; either in
churches or commercial centers.
Can we afford to have them there?
Can existing institutions expand
or initiate new programs to meet
the needs of the Jewish
community? Mothers Morning
Out programs are easy, coat
effective, and would begin to give'
relief to many Jewish families.”
There are many synagogues and
institutions situated in strategic
areas that could lend themselves to
such programs. Mrs. Allen
encouraged those present to go
back to their institutions and
discuss the possibility of providing
this very much needed service to
the community.
Since the forum, several
organizations have expressed an
iiyerest and desire to pursue this
endeavor. The NCJW committee
presented its recommendations to
the Atlanta Jewish Federation
community planning committee in
hopes of making this a community
effort.
—Arens
reported Arens saying, “I do not
think considerations of Israeli-
U.S. relations should play a
decisive role in matters of life and
death.” Arens shares with Foreign
Minister Yitzhak Shamir a record
of opposing the Camp David
accords. Because of his opposition,
Arens refused Begin’s offer of the
Ministry of Defense two years ago
after Ezer Weizman had resigned
the post. Arens opposed the
accords because Israel yielded all
the Sinai to Egypt, including
Yamit and two Israeli airfields,
and allowed Egypt to change
stock market prices, and not a
discounted price, for oil sold to
Israel after Israel had discovered
and developed the Sinai's Alma oil
fields.
In a nationwide television
program (NBCs Meet the Press,
Feb. 13) Arens said his
Washington experience “has only
reinforced my feelings that the
fundamental basis of friendship, of
alliance between Israel and the
U.S., are very strong, will continue
to be strong, and that it behooves
all of us in Israel and, hopefully,
people who have something to say
about the political process in the
U.S., to do everything in our
power to continue to strengthen
those bonds."
Nevertheless. Arens firmly
rejects a report that he
recommended a temporary freeze
on Jewish settlements on the West
Bank and Gaza. “I simply cannot
agree to that," he said of President
Reagan’s request last September as
a means to persuade Jordan’s King
Hussein to enter peace talks.
Pointing out that Jordan is “one of
the few countries in the world
where no Jews live” because of
Jordan’s policy, Arens said Israel
cannot be expected to “pursue that
policy of Jordan—that if a person
is Jewish, he will not be allowed to
live or settle in Judea or Samaria,”
where, he said, “Jews constitute
only three percent of the
population. Anybody who sees
peace in the area as being peace
where Jews and Arabs cannot live
together, where the Jews who live
in an area would have to be
expelled, I would say to them, they
are not really talking about peace.”
About influencing Hussein.
Arens said that Begin and Anwar
Sadat set the pattern on
peacemaking by meeting face to
face without preconditions. “And
that is the pattern King Hussein
must follow,” Arens said. Hussein,
he added, “has to come to
Jerusalem and talk to Begin or he
has to invite Begin to come to
Ammon. Begin will be happy to do
that without preconditions."