Kadima Expands With Peer Counseling KIMBERLY LIFTON Staff Writer B onnie Kowal has beaten the odds. Although afflicted with cerebral palsy and a psychiatric disability, Ms. Kowal, 41, in April earned her bachelor's degree in sociology and hopes to begin studies toward a master's degree. "You can't stereotype peo- ple by case histories and bunches of paper work," said Ms. Kowal, first diagnosed with mental illness in 1980. Throughout her life, she said, people told her she'd never be able to finish school. For the past year, Ms. Kowal has been an outreach consumer of Kadima, Jewish support services for adults with mental illness. Beginn- ing this month, she will start her first paying job, taking charge of a new Kadima program called Peer Counseling. The program will place those suffering from mental illness in counseling ses- sions with others afflicted with a similar disability. This is the first program of its kind for Kadima. "It is great to have con- sumers counseling con- sumers," said Kadima Ex- ecutive Director Miriam Iwrey. "We are talking about empowering our con- sumers to get them back into society. If we treat people like they are sick, they won't progress." Kadima, which was laun- ched in 1984 to provide residential care for Jewish adults with mental illness, has nearly tripled its numbers of consumers in the past two years. It has grown from six people living in a group home in Southfield to 40 consumers — .six in the group home and the re- mainder living in Kadima apartments or taking part in an outreach support or counseling program. Ms. Kowal came to Kadima after it launched an outreach counseling pro- gram. She had been taking college courses since 1968, and she was determined to finish her degree. She had lived with her parents and in her own apartment. She had done much volunteer work, in- cluding working for the Jew- ish Information Service and serving on the board of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. Until Kadima, she "fell through the cracks of the system. I got lost there." "Kadima has given her a place in the world," Ms. Iwrey said. "She really has beaten the odds." Ms. Iwrey estimates that the number of Jewish adults with mental illness numbers 600 in Oakland County. She wishes the community would better understand the illness — a chemical im- balance and thought dis- order. Despite the poor economy, Kadima is moving ahead with expansion plans. And by 1993, Kadima officials say they hope to open two new group homes. ❑ '91 SUPREME INTERNATIONAL Touring suspension, Full power, Leather. Demo 3040 SAVE OVER $4500 '92 900S CONVERTIBLE Fully Loaded, Brand New! Lease for Only $436 8 Pmo • '91 CUTLASS CIERA SL Power windows, Power door locks, Power seat. V-6, Loaded! Demo 3057 '91 9000 TURBO CD Automatic, Leather, Air Bag, Moon Roof $29 444 Plus tax. plates, destination charges Plus tax, plates, destination charges OLDSMOBILE • SAAB • HYUNDAI OLDSMOBILE • SAAB • HYUNDAI On Telegraph at the Tel•12 Mall, Southfield On Telegraph at the Tel•12 Mall, Southfield 354-3300 354-3300 e P o lus l 3a a ge° , title : P rn :? Evc s °- t eas . 4 . . 0 a ppr o v e d .ea ; down Based on ' I a inceptio n haa% no obitigatiantopurchater, hit:le at tease end„ has du e ti TO n b:ta determined at tease m Studio In Harvard Row Mall Messianic Jews Move Next To B'nai B'rith NOAM M.M. NEUSNER Staff Writer A Messianic Jewish congregation holds services in what used to be the B'nai B'rith office building. B'nai B'rith still has offices in the building, which is now called the Lin- coln Office Center. Two weeks ago, Congrega- tion Beth Messiah moved into its new quarters, which are owned by the law firm Garmo and Garmo. The building was sold to the law firm in November by the Michigan B'nai B'rith Hillel Fund, a non-profit corpora- tion that helps fund Hillel Foundations in the state. Spiritual leader Harold Brickner said the three-year- old Beth Messiah holds ser- vices twice a week at the building, which is located at 25835 Southfield Rd. in Southfield. Previously, the congregation held services at Birney Middle School. "I do not feel that anything we're doing should be offensive to the commun- ity," he said. Mr. Brickner added that B'nai B'rith did request that the congregation refrain from proselytizing in their office. But, he said, B'nai B'rith has been cordial to the con- gregation. ❑ 50%-70% OFF ALL NAME BRANDS Barry's Let's Rent It PARTIES EXCLUSIVELY • Tents • Tables • Chairs • China • Paper Goods 4393 ORCHARD LAKE RD,, N. OF LONE PINE IN CROSSWINDS 855-0480 • • • • Vertical Blinds Levolor Blinds Pleated Shades Wood Blinds 21728 W. Eleven Mile Rd. Harvard Row Mall Southfield, MI 48076 Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10-5 Free Professional Measure at No Ooligation Free in Home Design Consulting 1E- 1352-8622= New Rochester Hills 651-5009 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 15