Philadelphia Tribune - Index

Philadelphia Tribune - Sunday, September 07 2008 - Index

eachers
n jeans?
sorry
xample
I like the things
hiladelphia’s new superinendent
of schools is doing. Her
ocus on accountability is a
reath of fresh air. The streamining
of the central office by
lacing much-needed
esources in the schools is welomed.
Insisting that customer
ervice become a part of everyne’s
job description is long
verdue.
Most recently, Dr. Arlene
ckerman talked about
ddressing the issue of ethics
nd the need to consider ethics
n the decision-making
rocess. Her plans represent a
ong laundry list of critical
eeds in the city’s school disrict;
needs we all know will be
ifficult to address within any
uperintendent’s contract perid.
Thus, as Dr. Ackerman furher
develops and refines her
to-do” list, let me put my two
ents on the table. It is somehing
quite simple, but difficult
o implement. It could have a
ajor impact on making the
istrict a much better environent
in which to educate
oung people.
I can best offer my suggesion
by telling a story. It
nvolved a fifth-grade boy who
old his mother he wanted to
ear a suit to school on a paricular
day. She thought this
as out of character for her
on, but agreed because of his
ersistence. She helped him
ress in his suit, with a tie and
hiny shoes. He went downtairs
and asked his father if he
ould borrow his derby. His
tunned father reluctantly
greed. Now the boy asked his
ather if he could borrow his
riefcase. Finally, the boy’s
arents asked, “What is going
n? What is behind this desire
o go to school dressed up?”
he responded, “Well, Dad,
omeone in the classroom
ust look like the teacher.”
Back in the day, everyone
ho stood in the front of a
lassroom looked like a
eacher. Let us go back to an
ra when teachers went to
chool dressed as if they were
oing to teach as opposed to
oing to a picnic or party.
I encourage you to visit a
chool and walk its corridors.
et me tell you what you will
ee. You will have great difficuly
distinguishing between
eachers and students.
eachers wearing jeans, tee
hirts, low-cut tops and tight
kirts will be commonplace. I
ill bet you will see some
eachers in shorts, and they
ill not be gym teachers. You
ill see teachers wearing
neakers, that back in the day
ere limited to those who
aught physical education.
oday, you will see them everyhere.
I know Dr. Ackerman or any
chool superintendent must
onvince those who have daily
ontact with our young people,
articularly our teachers, that
here is a relationship between
ow one dresses and how one
s perceived. In many school
istricts where staff dress
odes have been introduced,
here has been open defiance
y teaching staff. Some school
istricts, however, have hung
ough and have prevailed.
eaching staff members who
ress inappropriately are sent
ome to change. If they fail to
eturn, they are marked absent
or the day. Perhaps school disricts
should go a step further
Back – Page 3D
Keeping
memory
vibrant
Temple Judea Museum preserves history
Bobbi Booker
Tribune Staff Writer
The growth of the African-
American communities in
Philadelphia has developed in
tandem with the ebb and flow
of other ethnic communities
throughout the region. During
the mid-20th century, synagogues
were a common sight
in the historically Jewish
neighborhoods that dotted the
various communities throughout
the city until families
began their informal exodus
from the city to the suburbs in
the 1960s.
These community evolutions
fascinated New York-based
artist Michele Brody. For more
than six months, Brody
researched the communities of
Elkins Park and East and West
Oak Lane seeking background
and learning about the people
who enriched the area by
recording interviews on the
neighborhood with various
residents and business owners.
She explored the North
Broad Street site of the former
home of a Reform synagogue,
Congregation Temple Judea,
whose building was sold in
1982 to The Ivy Leaf Middle
School the oldest independent
African-American school in
Philadelphia.
Until spring 2008, The Ivy
Leaf School was the oldest
independent African-American
educational facility in
Philadelphia and one of the
largest in the nation.
Founded by William and
Liller Green in 1965, the
school provided accelerated
academic programs and a nurturing
environment.
Once again, neighborhood
changes resulted in dwindling
enrollment and in June 2008
the school was sold to The
International Mission Church
of New York, a Korean-based
Church.
After the 1982 sale to Ivy
Leaf, the proceeds from that
sale were used to create The
Temple Judea Museum at KI,
in order to preserve and display
the Judaica collections of
the two synagogues.
Since its founding, the
museum has flourished and
grown into an important collecting
and exhibiting center
for Judaica and the related
visual arts.
The former congregation’s
Ark and Eternal Light (Ner
Tamid) are displayed in the
museum gallery, along with its
important painting by noted
19th century European artist
Lazar Krestin. This collection
assures that the name and
spirit of the “little synagogue”
have not been lost.
John Gerome
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Darius
Rucker says he’s always been a
sucker for a country shuffle.
The lead singer for the
rock/pop group Hootie & the
Blowfish has a Top 5 country
hit with his solo single, “Don’t
Think I Don’t Think About It.”
The tune is a ballad instead
of a shuffle, but Rucker is
thrilled nonetheless.
“We expected some success,
but this is unbelievable,” he
said Thursday from his home
in Charleston, S.C.
Temple Judea Museum’s 24year
history will be recalled in
the exhibition “Entering From
The Inside: The Art of
Memory,” a two-part interactive
community-based installation
created by Brody with one
constructed inside Temple
Judea Museum gallery, the
other outside on the synagogue
grounds.
“The Art of Memory merges
these two communities and
celebrates their commonalities,”
explained Brody. “The
exhibition goal is to use art to
engage the multi-ethnic communities
that geographically
encompass the Museum and
the old site of Temple Judea,
in order to build bridges of
understanding.”
Throughout the 1960s and
‘70s Temple Judea remained a
close knit, active congregational
family. However, in the end,
the same forces that set in
place its founding also caused
its demise, as the population
continued its movement north.
Keneseth Israel and Rodeph
Sholom, both once inner city
Reform synagogues, moved to
suburban Elkins Park in the
late 1950s.
Brody, inspired by history,
architecture and neighborhood
flux, based “The Art of
Memory” on the process of
changing the way visitors to
the museum see and think
about the space of the gallery
and its namesake.
“When I learned that the
Temple Judea site was an
African-American school that
recently experienced a transition
similar to one experienced
by the synagogue, I designed
this installation to connect the
histories of these institutions,”
says Brody. “Both communities
symbolize a historic trend
of dislocation and change.”
In preparation for assembling
the interior installation,
Brody had students from KI,
the museum’s affiliated congregational
school, and Ivy
Leaf take field trips to each
other’s schools and document
their perceptions in handmade
books that include photography,
stories and illustrations.
Many of the books highlight
the Peace to Israel message Ivy
Leaf students discovered in
their former school’s choir loft.
The children’s books are on
view in KI’s lobby and an exhibition
catalogue is available.
“I encourage viewers to enter
the past through the present
portal of memory, as a means
toward opening doors to the
future,” says Brody. “This is an
ephemeral and evolving installation
that is different each
time it is viewed.
“Once people realize this, I
His country CD, “Learn to
Live,” comes out Sept. 16.
Rucker, who said Hootie is
on hiatus but will be back, has
been talking about making a
country record for a while. He
was ready to do one in
Charleston when Capitol
Nashville expressed interest in
the project.
“It shocked me. I didn’t think
anybody had a desire to sign
Darius Rucker,” he said.
In some ways, Rucker says,
he’s been making country
music all along. Foster & Lloyd
and Dwight Yoakam were big
‘ENTERING FROM THE INSIDE’
hope they will return and
experience not only the transitions,
but cement each visit
into their memories as works
of art as well.”
To facilitate this, the artist
covered two pews from the former
synagogue with handmade
paper as a spot where
visitors are encouraged to sit,
view, listen and contemplate.
“The first time I saw an
installation by Michele Brody,
I was immediately pulled into
the structure,” recalls Rita
Rosen Poley, Temple Judea
Museum director/curator.
“The power of its physicality
and associative references
made me want to know more.
Here was the work of an artist
who has the ability to take
viewers to new places — both
metaphorically and visually.
This is what I envisioned for
Temple Judea Museum.”
“Entering from the Inside:
The Art of Memory” is on view
from Sept. 19 through Nov. 14
at Temple Judea Museum
Reform Congregation Keneseth
Israel, 8339 Old York Road
(corner Old York and Township
Line roads) in Elkins Park, Pa.
A celebratory program will be
held Sunday, Oct. 19 from 2 to
4 p.m. For more information,
call (215) 887-2027 or visit
www.kenesethisrael.org.
D SECTION
Sunday, September 7, 2008
“Entering from the Inside: The Art of Memory” is two installations at Reform Congregation
Keneseth Israel, one constructed inside Temple Judea Museum gallery, the other outside on the
synagogue grounds. – SUBMITTED PHOTO
Hootie frontman Rucker a hit with country radio
influences on his songwriting.
“Back in the day I wrote a lot of
country songs and we turned
them into rock and roll songs.
Now I get to write those songs
and play them as country.
“If this record was 12 shuffles
and a ballad, I’d be real
happy,” he added.
His timing is good for crossing
over. Country radio seems
wide-open with Jewel, the
Eagles and Bon Jovi all finding
success. Besides Rucker, this
week’s Billboard country Top
10 also includes Kid Rock’s “All
Summer Long.”
“Pop is so beat-oriented,”
Rucker said. “Country is where
you can still get that song that
makes you remember that old
girlfriend or whatever. Country
still has a story to it.”
With “Don’t Think I Don’t
Think About It,” Rucker
becomes the first African-
American to crack the country
Top 10 since Charlie Pride in
the late ‘80s.
Rucker said he doesn’t think
about that.
“I was just trying to make a
record that people wanted to
hear,” he said. — (AP)
Darius Rucker