Hillel Students
Tackle The Courts
Lawyer's Hobby 'Draws'
A Lot Of Attention
JENNIFER FINER JEWISH NEWS INTERN
LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER
Evan Salama, 13.
W
earing his blue Hillel
uniform, a red ban-
dana tied around his
head, Adam Ossipov
looks more than determined as
he charges down the court.
He's attended basketball
camps for years and played
in various leagues. But now
Adam is getting to play for his
school.
An eighth-grader at Hillel
Day School, Adam is one of 15
boys who made the cuts for the
newly formed basketball team.
Close to 30 seventh- and eighth-
grade students tried out.
Nearly 30 students
tried out for the
team.
"I wanted to play on a school
team. I needed to play on a
school team," Adam said.
Adam will attend Walled
Lake Western High School next
year. He plans to try out for
the team there. He believes
playing for the Hillel team
will give him the opportunity
to see what and whom he is up
against, as well as extended
experience dealing with a
coach.
Other students felt simi-
larly, or just wanted the
chance to play for their school.
Friends Eric Feldman, David
Rosen and Danny Singer
joined the efforts to create a
team.
To date Hillel has won its
two games against Our Lady of
have loved it while he
was here.
"Most of these kids
have never played or-
ganized basketball.
They're a lot better
than I thought they
would be."
Each student paid
$60 to cover the costs
of uniforms and equip-
ment.
Hillel has a smaller
than regulation-size
court, no bleachers, no
electronic scoreboard.
But students and
parents have
been filling the
stage to watch
the games. Some
of the girls have
started im-
promptu cheers.
Refuge.
A wave, like at
Hillel is not in a
Tiger Stadium,
league — the team
has been known
formed after sched-
to circulate.
ules were drawn up
"As our upper
— so it plays scrim-
school has
mage games with
grown, we've re-
other schools.
alized the need
Players will face
for
more outlets
the Jewish Commu-
and extra-curric-
nity Center and Coach Rick Kaczander
ular activities,"
Akiva Hebrew Day
said Susan Zaks,
School sometime into the new
upper
school
coordinator.
"The
year.
students came forward and
Former Hillel parent Rick
asked if this was a possibility.
Kaczander coaches the students
This is our experimental year.
Wednesday evenings and Sun-
`The team has brought about
day mornings.
enormous school spirit and uni-
Mr. Kaczander started with
ty."
the basics, but has been im-
Ron Ossipov, Adam's father,
pressed with the talent so far.
added,
"Sports are disciplines.
"Adam and a couple of the
This is not about just dribbling
other kids had been making
and shooting. It's an obligation
noise to start a team for a long
to a team and I believe it rounds
time," Mr. Kaczander said. "I
out my son's education."
think it's great. My son would
Hillel basketball
W
hen Jared Cohen, a
Southfield attorney,
wants to unwind, he
goes to his basement,
turns on a hockey or baseball
game and paints miniature
models of animated or costume
characters like the figures from
the Star Wars movies, King
Kong and Spider Man.
Among his favorites is the
know what you're doing."
When Mr. Friedman receives
new models, he immediately
gives them to Mr. Cohen to
paint for the store's display.
Through various conven-
tions, Mr. Cohen has met some
of the creators of the figurine
characters he's been painting.
Many of them have sent him
originals of their work in ex-
Jared Cohen's painted Yoda.
Predator, a science-fiction char-
acter from the movie of the
same name. The model, one of
only 999 worldwide, took him
about a,month to paint and is
worth at least $1,500.
The Predator and most of Mr.
Cohen's work are housed at the
Sci-Fi Shop and Time Travel-
ers, a comics, cards and games
specialty shop in Berkley.
On Sunday, Mr. Cohen was
on hand for the grand opening
of the Sci-Fi Shop, which sells
the unpainted and unassem-
bled models he paints.
"Jared's work is really fan-
tastic," said Kenny Friedman,
a buyer for both the Sci-Fi shop
and Time Travelers. `There are
others who paint models, but
not with the detail and perfec-
tion that he puts into it. He does
great faces and you can't get
that kind of detail unless you
change for his painted repro-
ductions.
One model manufacturer,
called Screamin', sends Mr. Co-
hen their models to paint. Once
completed, the model is sent to
Europe and used to promote the
product.
"This stuff is so enjoyable be-
cause it's relaxing," he said.
"But if I started turning into an
assembly line and mass pro-
ducing these things, I wouldn't
enjoy it and they wouldn't be as
good."
At one time, Mr. Cohen tried
taking orders and was inun-
dated with requests. He re-
turned the deposits because
there were just too many.
Mr. Cohen, who does most of
his work with an airbrush, said
he especially enjoys painting
skin tones because it is the most
challenging part of his hobby.