COMMUNITY Dor L'Dor Concert On Tuesday Features Inter-generational Choir The no-name travel group. Seven Detroit Couples Visit Jewish America GARY ROSENBLATT Editor A bout 15 years ago, seven Detroit Jewish couples met through a Federation-sponsored pro- gram, featuring a young leadership educational in- stitute and mission to Israel. After the trip, while everyone else involved went off on their separate ways, these couples have never stopped meeting. Four years ago, the couples added a new twist. They still get together about four times a year to explore various Jewish topics, from religious rituals to politics. Four years ago, the couples added a new twist, traveling together one weekend each spring to explore the Jewish communal history of various cities. `-`Our first trip together was to New York," explained Sharon Hart, a professional volunteer in the Jewish com- munity, whose husband Mar- ty, a dermatologist, does most of the planning and arrang- Fire Called Accident The youths who started last month's fire under the 1-696 bridge near 10 Mile and Church Street in Oak Park will not face criminal charges, police said this week. A police spokesman said the youths, who ranged in ages from 15 to 17, did not mean to start the fire. The fire, which caused more than $1 million damage, forced children in 'Kemple Emanu-El's nursery to tem- porarily move from class- rooms to the sanctuary. ing. "We toured the Lower East Side, the rare books of the Jewish Theological Seminary, and much more," she said. Subsequent annual visits took the group to Toronto and Boston, and this year they recently returned from Baltimore, where they were much impressed with the community's new Jewish Heritage Center. "We'd like to convince leaders in Detroit to consider a similar undertak- ing," said Howard Friedman. "We have grown to know each other and to share sim- chas and sadnesses together as a group," noted his wife, Pola, who works for Sinai Hospital. "This group had gotten together as a part of a yearlong study program and we just jelled. By now, we've become a real support system for each other." Marty Hart noted that while the group members used to take turns leading discussions on different Jewish topics, including genealogy, Mideast politics and the media, "we've gotten lazy, and now we hire experts to come talk to us." Professor Zvi Gittelman of the Univer- sity of Michigan has address- ed the group several times on different issues. The group feels that they have become more conscious- ly Jewish as a result of their association, and they are even talking about expanding their travel plans in the future to visit cities in Europe. The couples in the group, which has no name, are, besides the Harts and Fried- mans: Bobbie and Don Blitz, Irwin and Susan Alterman, Liz and Bob Tam, Paul and Elaine Goldsmith and Donna and Michael Maddin. 1=1 More than 100 Jewish youngsters and seniors will join in song on Tuesday to present the community's fifth annual Dor L'Dor concert. The program, a culmination of five months of inter- generational pen-pal letter writing and music rehearsals, will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Mat Shalom Synagogue. It has been organized and is jointly sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section; the Jewish Community Cen- ter's senior adult depart- ment; the Jewish Home for Aged — Fleishman Resi- dence/Blumberg Plaza and the Hillel Day School. This year's concert will be a celebration in song of Lag B'Omer. The project, patterned after an inter-generational choir experience in the Academy Award-winning documentary film Close Harmony, was originally planned by NCJW's public affairs depart- ment in 1985. Hillel sixth graders and a group of "adopted grandparents" first exchanged letters and even- tually came together to rehearse and present the first Dor L'Dor concert that spring. Tikkun Editor Gives Lecture The first annual Shorr Memorial Lecture, in memory of Mickey and Robert Shorr, will feature Michael Lerner, the editor of Tikkun Michael Lerner Magazine speaking on "Israel and the American Jews; A New Relationship." The lecture will take place on Monday at 8:30 p.m. at the Birmingham Temple. The program is open to the public at a nominal charge. For information, call the tem- ple, 477-1410. So successful was that first experience that the program has become an annual com- munity event. This year's seniors are from the Center's senior adult department and the Fleishman Residence/ Blumberg Plaza. NCJW Dor L'Dor co- chairmen are Celia Lubetsky and Fran Wigod. Miriam Sandweiss and Judy Blustein represent the Center, Libby Ben Moche coordinates the seniors from the Fleishman Residence, and Rochelle Iczkovitz organizes the Hillel participation in the joint enterprise. Musical director is Stuart Rogoff. The concert is offered free- of-charge to the public. Coffee and cake will be served. NCJW's "Up and Out Pro- gram" will provide bus transportation for its par- ticipants from several pick-up points to the synagogue. Those interested should call the NCJW offices, 258-6000. Olmert To Speak On Peace Process "The Mideast Peace Process — Options and Prospects" will be the theme of the Eins- tein Luncheon Forum at noon Tuesday at the Southfield Hilton Hotel, it was announc- ed by Judges Ira G. Kaufman and Benjamin Friedman, the forum's co-chairmen. Guest speaker will be Dr. Yosef Olmert, lecturer on Middle East and African studies at Aviv Universi- ty and its Overseas School. He has been associated with the Shiloah Institute/Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University and serves as visiting pro- fessor in the department of Near Eastern studies at Cor- nell University. Reservations can be made by calling the Zionist Organization of America — Detroit District, 569-1515. The Einstein Luncheon Yosef Olmert Forum is sponsored as a public service by Metro Detroit ZOA and the Zionist Cultural Center. Theater Plays Listed The Birmingham Theater has announced its 11th subscription season which in- cludes musicals, comedies and a classic suspense thriller. For the first time in its history, the Birmingham Theater will co-produce with the Goodspeed Opera House of East Haddam, Conn., a Gershwin musical, Oh, Kay! The season will open Sept. 19 with the second national company of the Pulitzer Prize- winning comedy Driving Miss Daisy, followed on Oct. 31 by an offbeat and hilariously good-humored musical, Oil City. Oh, Kay! begins on Dec. 30, and the Tony-nominated musical Romance, Romance opens Feb. 14. The season con- tinues with the spine-tingling mystery Wait Until Dark April 3 and concludes with an all new production of Jesus Christ Superstar opening on May 16. Birmingham Theater sub- scribers receive all six produc- tions for the price of five, free parking and a 20 percent dis- count at selected area restaurants. For information, call Bir- mingham Theater subscrip- tions, 644-9225. Torah Fund Dinner Set Beth Achim Sisterhood will hold its culminating Torah Fund dinner 6:30 p.m. Tues- day in the Wasserman Hall of the synagogue. Cantor Max Shimansky will entertain. Guests are invited. There is a charge. For information, contact chairman Lotty Par- tovich, 357-4216; or the synagogue office, 352-8670. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 43