EDUCATION
Jewish high school
students extend a
hand of friendship
to troubled teens at
the Judson Center.
through the Discovery Room
at the Maple-Drake Jewish
Community Center, or going
to the Judson Center.
SUSAN GRANT
Staff Writer
usie Rosen-
zveig shouts
"Hi" as she
walks into the
girls' home at
the Judson
Center. The six
teens sitting on the couch
take their eyes off the televi-
sion screen only long enough
to yell "Bye."
d
It's a response Mrs.
Rosenzveig and her 12
students from the Commun-
ity Jewish High School are
familiar with. For two hours
almost every Sunday since
October, the teens have been
coming to the Judson
Center, a home for abused
children in Royal Oak. The
visits are part of a Jewish
high school class where
students must perform
community service to get
credit.
Begun last year as an ex-
periment, students visited
community agencies and
made friends with newly
arrived Soviet immigrants,
Mrs. Rosenzveig said. This
year, the class took a diff-
erent turn with students
able to choose one of three
projects — comforting babies
at Sinai Hospital who are
addicted to cocaine, helping
children learn about Judaism
0
0
Marina Geller and Judson resident Christine make friendship bracelets.
*mg
ands
Susie Rosenzveig
While most of the 20
students enrolled in the
class decided to work with
Judson Center residents,
they discovered making
friends with these troubled
adolescents was not easy.
But they are learning not to
give up, no matter how
many times the Judson
Center teens reject their
efforts.
Marina Geller, 15, learned
quickly to ignore the dour
faces and this day was no ex-
ception. The North Farm-
ington High School student
sits down on a piano bench
next to one of the girls and
begins cutting strands of
black and red floss. Then she
shows the girls how to weave
their own friendship
bracelets.
Making bracelets, along
with cooking Passover
brownies and decorating
fingernails with bright color
designs, gives the girls a
chance to relax and share
stories. Tori Stollman, 17, an
Andover High School senior,
and Tracy Katkowsky, 16, a
Southfield-Lathrup High
School junior, talk to Judson
resident Charlene, 14. While
the two Jewish girls talk
about boys and their upcom-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
83