"Now I'm always munching
on cucumbers. I can't go a day
without a red pepper dipped
in mustard."
His own tutoring session
over, Howard Marcus, 20, of
Southfield, joins Alyssa on
the steps. He goes by Chaim
here because it's easier for
the Israelis to pronounce, he
says. Howard was in Israel
twice before, but it was never
like this. His Otzma ex-
perience sounds like a rewrit-
ten lyric to "New York, New
York."
"I've gained confidence
dealing with people because I
had to do it in Hebrew," he
says. "If I can deal with peo-
ple in Israel in Hebrew, I can
do it in English in the United
States.
"I'd like to go home and ex-
plain what really goes on
here," he continues. "I've
been here for a year and I'm
not dead. I wasn't pelted by
rocks every time I went out."
If anything, according to
Howard, the threats to his
person have come from or-
dinary Israelis in ordinary
places, not rioting Palesti-
nians. It's taught him the
Israeli sport of "elbows."
"I've started pushing back,"
he says and recalls how he
pushed an elderly man aside
aside at the Tel Aviv bus sta-
tion to keep from being push-
ed himself. "If I hadn't push-
ed him, I'd probably be laying
on the pavement," Howard
says, still surprised at his ac-
tions. "Israelis don't under-
stand the concept of, 'Please
go ahead.' "
Another adjustment: All six
group members have learned
that Judaism as practiced in
the Jewish state isn't exactly
the same as the Judaism of
Southfield or West
Bloomfield.
Howard says the public
transportation blackout on
Shabbat is "annoying but
great at the same time."
Says Alyssa: "When I first
got here at Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur, I felt like I
was more religious at home.
But I'm going to miss this
because this is the home of
the Jewish people."
"On Rosh Hashanah, we (in
Detroit) go to synagogue.
Israelis go to the beach," says
Wendi Littky of Southfield.
"They feel it's enough just to
live here."
In Yavneh, Wendi, 20, who
is studying child development
and education, volunteers at
a nursery school. She ap-
proaches her experience in
Israel like a teacher might. In
the Youth Aliyah village, "we
got to work with kids who
came from tough
backgrounds. It was hard, but
it wc‘s interesting to try to

Stories from the front lines..

TWO WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE

JARC welcomes you to hear the stories
of two remarkable women
who have worked tirelessly "on the front lines"
to improve the lives of people with disabilities

When JARC president Michael Feldman first called Janet Marchese to talk
with her about the JARC Humanitarian Award, she didn't have time to talk. "I
have a baby in my arms and I'm on my way to the airport." She was taking the
newborn with Down Syndrome to an adoptive family in Rochester, New York.

Through Janet Marchese's personal network, over 1200 babies with disabilities
have been adopted over the past ten years. A mother of five and part-time
waitress, Marchese works from her home, quietly proving the true meaning of
"Mitzvah Hero."

Janet Marchese

1989 JARC Humanitarian Award
recipient

Ever notice the child with Down Syndrome featured in a Crest commercial? Or a
young wheelchair user in McDonald's TV advertising?

Emily Perl Kingsley has spent many years "talking to brick walls,

knocking on locked doors and generally pulling my hair out" to impact prejudice
and stereotyping of persons with disabilities in the advertising industry.

Ms. Kingsley co-authored the critically acclaimed autobiographical 1987 CBS
movie, "Kids Like These", starring Tyne Daly and Richard Crenna. A five-time
Emmy Award winner for her work on "Sesame Street", Ms. Kingsley has been
instrumental in the comfortable integration of children with disabilities on the
show. She has made hundreds of lecture and media appearances including
Donahue and NBC Weekend.

Emily Fell Kingsley

Keynote speaker, handicap-rights
activist and Emmy-award winning
writer with son, Jason

This dynamic woman and caring mother will tell us of her personal struggle to
improve public attitudes about people with disabilities.

20th Annual Meeting and Election of Officers
Tuesday, June 13 7:30 p.m.

Congregation Beth Abraham Hillel Moses

5075 West Maple

There is no charge

4111
W

•

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Southfield, Michigan 48034
352-5272

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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