.411,111.4.41, 41. ..1i0

■

Pearlena Bodzin:
"You don't have to ask her to take on responsibility."

ing a meeting" — and she
served two years on the
Southfield Youth Guidance
Commission, trying to start
a teen center.
At home, Mrs. Bodzin
cooks, bakes or knits in the
kitchen while answering a
steady stream of telephone
calls. When necessary, she
refers to organizational files
that fill one of her kitchen
cupboards. She bought a
desk to create an office for
herself in an upstairs bed-
room, "but somehow I
always end up in the kit-
chen."

When necessary,
she refers to
organizational files
that fill one of her
kitchen cupboards.

Outside the house this
year, she chaired a
Hadassah committee which
established tutoring pro-
grams at Avery Elementary
in Oak Park and at Akiva.
Thirty-two Hadassah vol-
unteers are helping 19
Soviet Jews and other
minority students at Avery.
Thirteen volunteers help 12
Soviet Jews at Akiva.
She has been a member of
the Jewish Home for Aged
Auxiliary for four years and,
starting in June, will serve a
two-year commitment as the
group's president. Her in-
volvement with JHA began
when her father-in-law,
Harry Bodzin, was admitted
to JHA's Prentis Manor
after a series of strokes. Mr.
Bodzin died in March.
Her committment to JHA
was on two levels: she often
drove her mother-in-law to
visit "Pops" at Prentis. And
she thoroughly enjoys being
a JHA volunteer.
"This is a wonderful group
who are really committed to
our bubbies and zaydes. So
many people are forgotten. I
can't believe this happens in
our community."

Her favorite job at JHA is
working at the Nosh Nook at
Borman Hall. She says, "We
sit and talk with the
residents and have sand-
wiches. We become con-
nected and get them
reattached to the world.
"I feel so good when I'm
with people and I'm helping.
Maybe that's selfish, but it
makes me feel good."
Bea Breiner, the current
president of the Auxiliary,
describes Mrs. Bodzin as "a
joy to work with. You don't
have to ask her to take on
responsibility and you don't
have to check on her to see
that it's done. "Every organ-
ization is hurting for bright,
young people- today," Mrs.
Breiner says. "They're all
out working. So when one
comes along, you try to
utilize her.
"Pearlena is a joy to work
with and she has also
become a friend. She makes
wonderful Shabbos dinner,"
Mrs. Breiner laughs.
Judaism is a central theme
for Mrs. Bodzin, who says
her first allegiance is to the
Jewish community. She
served on the Jewish Wel-
fare Federation's Women's
Division board for a few
years and chaired its schools
committee, which explains
Federation to schoolchildren.
She has committed to vol-
unteering three hours each
week at Sinai Hospital and
is training to become a do-
cent at the Holocaust
Memorial Center. Her feel-
ings about the HMC train-
ing mirrors her other vol-
unteer roles:
"It's fascinating," she
says. "You -know the
historical facts, but not the
situations.
"My nature is to get in-
volved in things, to learn,
enjoy and then move on after
a few years — except for the
synagogue, that's a cons-
tant.
"I like learning about
these things, and there is so
much to do." ❑

11,111P,P,4,1111.