PAJE rebounding, offers new programs

Four years ago, the Peninsula Academy of Jewish Education threatened to close because of lack of funding. Today the 8-year-old adult-education institution is going strong, with plans to expand.

Director Linda Yelnick plans to increase the length of the courses by several weeks. She's also making plans to add a mini-summer session and she wants to offer an all-day "PAJE Day" once or twice a year on Sundays, featuring seminars on varying topics.

During 1998-99 enrollment was between 150 and 175, according to Yelnick. Her goal is to increase participation by attracting people from a wider age spectrum.

"Mostly adults over 40 take PAJE classes," she said. "But classes like meditation attracted people of all ages."

She also plans to provide classes that post-b'nai mitzvah students can take with their parents.

"We want some classes that will help young adults get to learn more about older adults," she said.

When Yelnick hears, "Oh, I loved this class!" and "Please do more like this!" she is reminded of the importance of PAJE to the Peninsula community.

"It brings affiliated and unaffiliated Jews as well as non-Jews together through ongoing education in a homey atmosphere," she said.

It also complements individual synagogue educational programs, with offerings that run the gamut from conversational Hebrew to Jewish environmentalism and Jewish humor.

"There is a yearning in this community to learn more about their Jewish identity and PAJE helps to accomplish that goal," said Mervyn Danker, PAJE teacher and professional advisory board member, as well as director of the Jewish Day School of the North Peninsula.

Funded by Peninsula Jewish institutions and the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, and sponsored by the Berkeley-based Lehrhaus Judaica, PAJE has survived the financial troubles that had threatened to terminate the program in 1995. Then Lehrhaus took over, and with the help of donations from the community, PAJE was saved.

After coming under the aegis of Lehrhaus, PAJE was without a Peninsula director until Yelnick filled the position one year ago.

"Lehrhaus is more like a sponsor now," Yelnick said. "You can register for PAJE courses through Lehrhaus, but most of the funding is through the seven institutions."

Those institutions are Peninsula Sinai Congregation in Foster City, Peninsula Temple Beth El in San Mateo, Peninsula Temple Sholom in Burlingame, Temple Beth Jacob in Redwood City, Peninsula Jewish Community Center in Belmont, Jewish Day School of the North Peninsula in San Mateo and the JCF.

Since Yelnick became director, enrollment in PAJE has increased.

"Linda has tried very hard to solicit feelings from people and discover where the community's interest lies," said Danker. "And she's done a good job."

Increasing participation is part of a larger goal. Yelnick also envisions expanding PAJE to include communities farther south on the Peninsula. She is well aware of the obstacles such a plan faces.

"As we go further south, we will need to apply for more grants in order to expand. We will have to offer a choice of a north or south location, which would involve some duplicating," she said.

"At the same time, we don't want to lose the cozy, fun feeling we currently have."

In the immediate future though, Yelnick will focus on increasing funds and recruiting more teachers as well as students.

"We rely on word of mouth and a few newspaper ads to tell the community about us," she said. "And our funding comes just from our supporting institutions, fund-raisers and class fees."

Among those funders, Vivian and Ovadia Kalev, who own Creative Litho in Foster City, printed 10,000 PAJE brochures for free.

Yelnick expects a Nov. 7 fund-raiser at Peninsula Temple Sholom to help further.

Besides keeping PAJE in the black, Yelnick hopes to be able to offer more money to teachers. Currently, the rabbis of the four synagogues all teach classes free, as does Danker. However, retired rabbis as well as spiritual leaders from other regions are paid, as are lay teachers.

"I would like to be able to give them more," Yelnick said.

Whatever the future holds for PAJE, Yelnick says a few things will remain the same -- the quality of classes and the community ambiance.

Others agree.

"It's a good quality program that fits our community. And as long as people have an interest in growing as individuals and learning more about Judaism, PAJE will be needed," said Jerry Saliman, chairman of the PAJE community advisory board.

"I anticipate there will be a need for quite a while."