NI I TZV I I
H ROES
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Josh plays the piano, and he
likes theater. In fact, he per-
formed a small part last week-
end in a local production of
Gilbert and Sullivan's The
Mikado, in which his mother
had the lead role.
Basketball is Josh's favorite
sport, and like many young
boys, he fantasizes about a bas-
ketball career. But perhaps,
first, Josh should expand his
diet beyond peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches.
Sam scoffs at his friend's
choice of food, but he doesn't
know anyone quite like him.
"He's like me," Sam says. "He
plays piano like me. He plays
basketball at recess like me. He
plays tennis and floor hockey.
"He is a conscientious kid,"
adds Sam's mom, Carole Lass-
er. "He is a little more serious
than others, but he can horse
around and be goofy."
Next year, when he enters
fifth grade, Josh will join the old -
Josh Zwickl helps out at Yad Ezra: "An all-around good kid."
er students in algebra class.
This is quite rare, says his math
teacher, Yolette Jaffe.
"He is extremely bright. He
holds his own with the older stu-
dents," Mrs. Jaffe says. "He is a
very analytical, very logical
thinker. He can visualize things
very quickly."
Josh's passion to make the
world a little nicer doesn't sur-
prise those who know his fam-
ily. His mother, a lawyer, and
father, a computer engineer, in-
still such values into all of their
children.
"His mother is really like
Josh," Mrs. Eizelman says. "She
is a very dedicated, energetic
lady. You know what they say.
The leaf doesn't fall very far
from the tree."
Sara Zwickl regularly stops
by Yad Ezra to pick up products
for recycling, Mrs. Eizelman
says. "The parents set a good ex-
ample."
Josh's volunteer efforts date
back to his kindergarten days,
when he and his mother took
part in a Lathrup Youth The-
ater play about hunger for the
Focus Hope Food Bank. The
play was called Listen To The
Children.
Shortly after, Rabbi A. Irving
Schnipper, of Congregation
Beth Abraham Hillel Moses,
started talking about Yad Ezra
at Shabbat services. Josh heard
the rabbi's plea.
"Josh wanted to go to Yad
Ezra," Mrs. Zwickl says. "He
thought it would be fun. He re-
membered Focus Hope. It
seemed like an ideal."
Josh agrees.
"I feel like it is helpful because
there are a lot of people who
can't have food unless they get
it free," Josh says.0
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
71