WHAT ARE LITTLE BOYS MADE OF?

AMY J. MEHLER

Staff Writer

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Seth Rosenberg and David Ostreicher:
"The main gift they have is their capacity to share."

Photos by G lenn Triest

A

sk most little boys
what their favorite
activity is, and
chances are they won't say it's
shooting hoops with adults
who have developmental
disabilities.
But David and Brian
Ostreicher aren't like most
boys. Playing ball or card
games with their friends at
the Samuel and Jean
Frankel Haverim Home
happens to be one of their
favorite pastimes.
David, who recently
celebrated his bar mitzvah,
and 10-year-old Brian are
weekend and after-school
buddies of the residents of
the Frankel Home in
Southfield, one of 13 group
homes owned by JARC, the
Jewish Association for
Residential Care for persons
with developmental
disabilities.
They all met three years
ago when the boys accom-
panied their mother, a secre-
tary at JARC, to a Sunday
afternoon open house.
"I suggested they come
with me," Laura Ostreicher
said. "I thought it would
help them understand what
my job was about and meet
in person the kinds of people
we help."
Mrs. Ostreicher said David
and Brian talked about the
afternoon all week long.
"The first thing they
wanted to know was how
soon they could go back,"
she said. "They were so ex-
cited. They kept talking
about the kinds of magic
tricks they could show the
guys."
David, who is in seventh
grade at Orchard Lake Mid-
dle School and Brian, a fifth
grader at Ealy Elementary,
told their friends about their
volunteer work and even con-
vinced some to help out
occasionally.
"The only way to under-
stand people who are diff-
erent from you is to meet
them and spend time with

them," Brian said. "Actual-
ly, there are lots of things
these guys have taught us."
David, who plays basket-
ball on his school's team,
says he can always spot a
good dribbler. His brother,
who freely admits he's a
better shooter than dribbler,
agrees.
Both said their friend,
Seth Rosenberg, who lives at
the Frankel Home, is a more
than worthy opponent.
"We play one-on-one a lot,
and he usually gives us a
run for our money," David
said.
David said he especially
likes to talk with Ruben
Domnich, 62, whom every-
one at the Frankel Home
calls zayde.
"Ruben has a great
memory and reads a lot,"
David said at the Frankel
home where he had just
finished a particularly gruel-
ing card game. "He always
remembers what I tell him,
and he can tell me what he
was doing on specific dates
years ago?'
Cory Darnell, 34, who lives
at the Frankel Home with
his wife and 21-month-old
daughter, said the boys
create a healthy competitive
spirit.
"They make no conces-
sions," said Mr. Darnell,
who works for JARC as a
resident supervisor. "When
David and Brian come over,
they're themselves and
totally natural. They're able
to spark a friendly rivalry
with whatever they're doing.
"I think the main gift they
both have is their great
capacity to share," he said.
"Whether it's a magic trick,
a game, or story, they're
always open and are one of
the best things to happen in
these guys' lives."
David and Brian, members
of Adat Shalom Synagogue,
are hoping their mom will
let them go camping this
year with residents at the
Frankel Home. They went
with them last spring on a
trip to Boblo Island.

