Jewish Programming Initiative

The Jewish Programming Initiative (JPI) is the first in a planned series of multi-platform projects to be launched under the umbrella of the Detroit Public Television (DPTV) Arts & Culture Initiative. Building on the highly positive response to the PBS documentary, The Jewish Americans, by Executive Producer David Grubin, which aired in January 2008, the JPI will serve as a model for exploring and celebrating the rich culture and heritage of the many ethnic groups that comprise our community.

The JPI is destined to extend beyond television viewing. It is intended to engage people of all ages, reveal untold stories from individuals and families in our local community and support established education and outreach efforts through interactive components.

DPTV is committed to providing local content in creative, educational and entertaining ways. The JPI matrix is DPTV's template for orchestrating additional cultural, religious and ethnic heritage-focused initiatives for our region.

A 60-minute documentary - tentatively titled Detroit Remember When: The Jewish Community - will explore the history, cultural, and civic contributions of Jews in southeast Michigan. Through interviews with historians, archival photos, home movies, and conversations with members of the community, it will trace the rise and growing importance of the community from its first settlers in the late 1700s through Detroit's growth and boom years. The piece will culminate in the present as members of the community help lead the reinvention of the region in the 21st Century. DPTV is collaborating with filmmakers Sue Marx and Allyson Rockwell to develop this documentary as the JPI centerpiece.

In the spirit of traditional "time capsule" or "moments in history" TV spots, DPTV will produce a series of one-minute features highlighting great moments in Detroit's Jewish History. These spots will primarily incorporate historical photos - created in partnership with The Jewish Historical Society and the photo archives of several media organizations. These spots will air on Channel 56 between PBS programs.

In partnership with the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan, the JPI will include a media-rich Web site that features:

• Family "Home" Pages: A section that enables families to create custom pages where they post photos, home movies, and announcements.
• My Story: A section where members of the community can upload new videos in which they share their/family story. Ways to collect video include:
  Online: People can record and upload from home.
  Kiosk: A video booth where people simply talk into the camera could be temporarily installed at the Jewish Community Center. The kiosk also would be transported to key events, synagogues, etc.
  Teen project: Young people could borrow cameras from JPI and record the stories of their grandparents or relatives.
• Jewish History Tours: A section that brings to interactive life the tours organized by the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. This portion of the site would include interactive maps and videos of the tours of the venues in southeastern Michigan where members of the Jewish faith have made so many contributions.

To enhance the educational value of the JPI, the Detroit Remember When documentary can be distributed on DVD - after its broadcast on Channel 56 - to schools and institutions throughout our region. DPTV will encourage classroom usage through development of curriculum materials, including lesson plans and classroom video segments for online or DVD playback. An education advisory committee representing the Jewish and educational communities will insure the usefulness and accuracy of information provided in this component.

For more information about the Jewish Programming Initiative, contact Jill Schubiner at (248) 305-3737 or jschubiner@dptv.org.