A
A bi-monthly feature in which members of the
community offer insight on topical issues.
Tales of Tzedakah
S
anford Rosenberg is
one of the few peo-
ple on this planet
for whom the words
"rear axle" and "McPher-
son struts" are not a for-
eign language. For the
past 16 years he has
worked as the Tune-up
Man, healing the broken
cars of drivers through-
out metro Detroit.
He was born in Detroit
and grew up in South-
field. After attending
Lawrence Tech and Oak-
land Community College
he signed up with
VISTA, Volunteers in
Service to America, a
kind of domestic Peace
Corps. He was stationed
in Buffalo, N.Y., where
he helped organized
block clubs and encour-
aged inner-city youth to
continue their education.
"A lot of counselors
were telling these 'A'
students — because they
were black — that they
weren't good enough to
get into college," Mr.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Rosenberg says. "I would
tell them,What are you,
crazy? Of course you're
going!' "
While working for
VISTA, Mr. Rosenberg
earned $30 a week,
which had to cover the
cost of everything from
food to rent. The pro-
TZEDAKAH page 62