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THE C1108ID
Continued from Page 69
Clemens, getting involved - initially
because a member of Lubavitch ask-
ed him to visit a Jewish woman jail-
ed for two days in Macomb County on
a contempt-of-court citation.
A jail official asked Pearlstein to
talk to another Jewish prisoner, and
so his Jewish prisoner project began.
He visited the man for two hours each
Sunday until the prisoner completed
his sentence, and continues to corn-
municate with the man, who lives out
of Michigan.
In the prisoner project, Pearlstein
involves himself as a visitor, advocate
and fund-raiser.
He uses the money to help provide
for the prisoners' religious needs and
kosher food, said Rabbi Avraham
Jacobovitz, director of the Machon
L'Torah Jewish education organiza-
tion in Oak Park. "He also gives them
emotional support!'
Pearlstein takes a similar position
with teens and the elderly, said the
rabbi. "He has organized social ac-
tivities for teens, and when necessary
has bought them breakfast and given
them rides to wherever they needed
to go . . . In general, he runs around
and does favors for everybody."
"Running around" has included
the elderly residents at the Jewish
Home for Aged's Prentis Manor on
Lahser. Pearlstein says he has visited
for two years, providing for the
residents' religious needs. Ad-
ministrator Marcia, Mittleman is
more detailed.
"For many years he conducted
weekly services for the residents. He
would give lectures about the
holidays, bring supplies for the chapel
and the lulav and etrog for Succot.
"He helped revise the Sabbath
service for the residents, to make it
shorter, and he helped us to compile
a large-print prayer book. He would
come in every night of Chanukah and
help the residents light a menorah:"
"We love him dearly," said Mit-
tleman. "He will always be in our
hearts!'
Pearlstein has reduced his visits
to Prentis Manor, but not without tak-
ing care of his friends. Through Young
Israel of Southfield, a mile away, he
arranged a rotating schedule of Sab-
bath leaders to conduct the weekly
services at Prentis. And he continues
to take his turn once a month.
Last year, Pearlstein became in-
volved with a project which resulted
in lasting implications for Michigan
,
76
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1989
Jews. Two young girls were taken
from their Jewish parents and plac-
ed in non-Jewish foster homes. The
foster parents, religious Christians,
began taking the girls to church.
Pearlstein and Rabbi Chaim
Bergstein of Bais Chabad of Farm-
ington Hills spent a year meeting
with probate judges, social workers
and the state Department of Social
Services to change procedures so that
Jewish children would not be placed
in non-Jewish homes.
"Chuck went to the judge to get
a stay so that the girls would not have
to go to church," said Rabbi Bergstein.
"And he met with (social services
director) Dr. (C. Patrick) Babcock in
Lansing."
Those efforts by Pearlstein and
Rabbi Bergstein have now involved
social workers and Jewish agencies,
and led to the creation of a Jewish
foster care network.
"Chuck Pearlstein is an amazing
fellow," said the rabbi. "He is always
on top of the issues. He knows what's
happening before you do — and he's
always ready to do something about
it."
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Chuck Pearlstein talks with Jewish elderly.