Irvin Schlussel finds a treasure hunt clue.

A growing number of local Jews are learning
their roots through Orthodox youth groups

Keeping The Faith

STEVEN M. HARTZ

Jewish News Intern

S even-year-old Irvin Schlussel
ran to find the treasure hunt
clues outside Young Israel of
Southfield.
He dashed toward the cir-
cular slide on the playground along
with the nine other children on his
team. There, he found clues that
revolved around different stories in
the Torah — the creation of the world,
the flood, and Joseph going to Egypt.
That same afternoon fifth-grader
Stacy Morse, a member of the Na-
tional Conference of Synagogue
Youth, was painting a plaster of Paris
mold. She and 20 other fifth-through
eighth-graders were in a contest for
the best painted figure.
Ms. Morse won the competition
and was awarded a free lunch at
Sperber's, a kosher restaurant in the
Jewish Community Center; all of the
junior NCSYers joined her. Following
the lunch, the youth learned the
blessings over the food.
Schlussel and Morse are part of a
growing number of local Jews in Or-
thodox youth groups who say they are
having the time of their lives learn-

ing about Judaism and keeping the
faith.
"I'm proud to be Jewish,"
Schlussel said. "Abraham is my
favorite Jewish hero. Besides all of the
great things that I've read about him,
I was named after him:'
Schlussel and 49 other children
from kindergarten through fifth
grade, had participated last month in
an activity known to B'nei Akiva's
youngest division, Chevreyah Aleph,
as "Sunday Fun Day?'
"We meet twice a month and hold
various activities for the children in
the Chevreyah Aleph division, incor-
porating Jewish educational themes,"
said Annette Appel.
Appel and her husband Benny are
the shlichim (advisers) of B'nei
Akiva's Detroit chapter. They moved
here two years ago from Israel to
revitalize the local Orthodox youth
group.
Mrs. Appel, a former Detroiter, is
a product of B'nei Akiva; she made
aliyah (immigrated to Israel) nine
years ago when she was 16. She and
her husband plan to return to Israel
next year.
B'nei Akiva's goal is three-fold —
to teach the youth Ibrah, avodah (on-
hands experience) and aliyah.

"Most importantly, we want to
teach the youth how the three go
hand in hand," Mrs. Appel said.
B'nei Akiva is a worldwide
organization based in Israel. They are
affiliated with Mizrachi-Hapoel
Hamizrachi, a religious Zionist
organization.
The Appels deal with youth from
kindergarten through college. The
Detroit chapter of B'nei Akiva is bas-
ed at Young Israel of Southfield.
Each Shabbat afternoon, the
Chevreyah Aleph division par-
ticipates in kvutzot (groups).
Counselors are trained to lead the
younger children in Shabbat-oriented
games.
Every month there is a different
Jewish theme. October's was "Elec-
tions in Israel:'
The Chevreyah Aleph division
learned about the recent Israeli elec-
tions by cutting out pictures of Israeli
leaders, Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon
Peres, and studying the Likud and
Labor Parties.
"Last year at around the time of
the Reagan-Gorbachev summit,
delegations from Wnei Akiva went to
Washington to rally for Soviet Jews;'
Mrs. Appel said. Nationally and inter-
nationally, B'nei Akiva has been

working to free Yuli and Inna
Koshorovsky, refuseniks for 17 years.
"We wanted to do something that
would affect the younger childeren as
well," said Mrs. Appel. "So, during a
`Sunday Fun Day, we set up different
booths stationed around the shul. The
children divided into groups and had
to complete different tasks similar to
the tasks the Russian refuseniks had
to complete in order to be granted
visas to emigrate?'
Some of the tasks included peti-
tioning parents and writing letters to
a "pretend" relative outside the
Soviet Union asking to be invited to
come and stay in Israel.
The children also had to do some
menial jobs such as picking up litter
around the grounds to make "money:'
just as refuseniks who lose their jobs
might do.
The youngsters also held "secret"
meetings in which the "KGB," played
by counselors, was not invited.
"They were exposed to the topic
and learned a lot from the activity:'
said Mrs. Appel. "I'm not sure how
many other children their age are ex-
posed to the topic of Soviet Jewry."
After the program, they sent
postcards to Reagan and Gorbachev

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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