FOCUS

The iVeffsf Goes Alicilo

IF

SCOTT GREENBERG

Special to The Jewish News

Hakol's Judy Pasternak
reads a feature article.

or Shirley Goldin,
who has been legally
blind for several
years, information
concerning - the
Jewish community had come
sporadically at best.
She only knew what her
family told her. But in April,
everything changed.
Mrs. Goldin, a subscriber
to the Oakland County
Reading Library for the
Blind and Physically Han-
dicapped, got word that The
Jewish News would be
available on tape — courtesy
of the newspaper's
publisher, the National
Council of Jewish Women
and the Oakland County
Reading Library. She was
pleasantly surprised.
Today Mrs. Goldin is one of
an estimated 40 Oakland
County residents who each
week receive -taped copies of
a dozen articles from
Detroit's newspaper serving
the 96,000-member Jewish
community.
"I've found out things
since I started to 'read' that I
didn't realize were going
on," Mrs. Goldin said. "Peo-
ple took it for granted that I
knew these things, and I
really didn't know."
Herb Rosen lost his vision
during World War II during
the Battle of the Bulge in
Bastogne, Belgium. Ever
since, his wife, Gertrude, has
been reading to him.
Now once a week he anx-
iously awaits a visit from his
mail carrier, who delivers
The Jewish News on tape.
The tape affords Mr. Rosen
some independence.
"I like it because I can do it
by myself," Mr. Rosen said.
"When I want to 'read' it, I
`read' it."
Like Herb Rosen and

,

Scott Greenberg is a local
free-lance writer

54

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2, 1991

Shirley Goldin, many area
blind residents now are
better informed about the
local and national Jewish
communities, life in Israel,
politics and other timely
issues such as Soviet absorp-
tion in the United States and
Israel.
The project sterns from co-
operative efforts of Jewish
News Publisher Charles
Buerger, Associate
Publisher Arthur Horwitz,
Staff Writer and
NCJW/Hakol Branch Presi-
dent Kimberly Lifton and

Certain sections,
such as the Close-
Up, For Seniors
and the obituaries,
are generally read
each week.

Chief Librarian Carole
Hund of the Oakland County
Reading Library.
Mr. Buerger, whose late
mother was legally blind,
wanted to see a project of
this magnitude implemented.
In addition, Philip Slomovitz,
the newspaper's editor
emeritus, is legally blind and
a reading library patron.
This struck a chord with
Mr. Horwitz.
"There's a personal under-
standing of what it is like
not to be able to read at all,"
Mr. Horwitz said. "There is
a recognition and under-
standing that we have a
number of long-time readers
who still rely on and enjoy
The Jewish News, but whose
decline in vision makes it
very difficult for them to en-
joy the newspaper without
relying on the help of
others."
At Mr. Buerger's request,
Mr. Horwitz contacted the
reading library about 1 1/2
years ago. The library al-
ready mailed out taped
books. And although
periodicals were in demand,
none was available on tape.

With readers, Ms. Hund
said, the concept might
work.
During the fall of 1990,
Mr. Horwitz discussed the
idea with Ms. Lifton, who
had recently formed Hakol
(The Voice), a younger bran-
ch of NCJW committed to
advocacy, education and
community service.
"There are a few other
little projects in the country
going on to bring news-
papers to blind people," said
Ms. Hund of the reading
library. "But not too many,
and not too successful."
Each Thursday since
April, volunteers have been
congregating at the NCJW
office in Southfield to record.
The papers arrive about 7
p.m., when a small group
from Hakol selects 12 ar-
ticles.
Certain sections, such as
the Close-Up, For Seniors
and the obituaries, are gen-
erally read each week. The
remaining articles are a mix
of news, commentaries,
features, business and
sports.
Recording begins on
Thursday evenings, but the
majority is read on Friday

Volunteer Pearl
Davidson clips articles
to be read on tape.

