Detroit

Classes Prepare
For Tzedakah Fair

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

ny harvest donation jars in the
oz Blanck of West Bloom-
synagogue. Others will be col-
field read a Jan. 5 article
lecting during Purim carnivals.
that
said
in U.S.A. Today
To prepare for Tzedakah
$60 million worth of pen-
Fair's
day of family activities,
nies are lost each year.
the AJE and members of the
She wondered how much
Jewish Educator's Council cre-
change sat, unusued, in jars, car
ated a three-week curriculum
seats and under couch cushions
for
congregational and day
in Detroit.
schools.
Ms. Blanck, co-chairman of
Lesson one includes exercis-
Tzedakah Fair's penny harvest
es to gain familiarity with terms
with Ruth Beitner, and the rest
like tzedakah, mitzvah and
of the community will get an
tikkun olam.
idea on March 6.
In lesson two, children be-
Penny harvest is a new com-
come tzedakah detectives.
ponent to the eight-year-old,
Armed with sleuth badges to
community-wide Tzedakah
detect and address needs in the
Fair. Students collect change to
community, Israel and around
fill bags and later donate the
the world, students divide into
dollars to non-profit agencies.
groups. They match needs of fic-
Held at Temple Beth El and
titious families with various
sponsored by the Agency for
agencies.
Jewish Education (AJE), Jew-
Lesson three is a game teach-
ish Experiences For Families
ing values and vocabulary.
(JEFF), Women's Division of
Classes wrap up by creating
the Jewish Federation and The
posters with a helping-hands
Tzedakah
Fair
is
Jewish News,
theme to bring to the fair, along
an opportunity for students to
with harvested pennies.
learn more about area agencies
"This is a shift toward more
and volunteer possibilities.
hands-on involvement," said
Games, acting and magic will
Shawn Locke, director of school
run from 9 a.m.-noon.
services for the AJE. "We want-
"The idea really came from
ed to see students with a com-
Danny Siegel's book Tell Me A
mon vocabulary and perspective,
Then
I
read
about
stu-
Mitzvah.
for them to view themselves as
dents doing the same in New
helpers — individually and as
York," Ms. Blanck said. "The
part of the community.
idea is simple. Students collect
"These exercises can help
change and bring it to
them understand the impor-
Tzedakah Fair. The change is
tance of community and learn
counted and tallied and the stu-
the functions of various agen-
dents decide, by class, what or-
des. When they go to Tzedakah
ganization to give the funds to.
Fair, they can see how a 10- or
It's a perfect tie in."
11-year-old can make a differ-
Ms. Blanck said some con-
ence."
gregations are setting up pen-

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k

s the newly appointed
rabbi at Young Israel of
West Bloomfield, Rabbi
on Tolwin hopes to
bring an educational approach
to the synagogue. He feels this
will allow congregants to feel
more comfortable and less for-
mal in services and has sever-
al ideas about how to
accomplish this.
Part of his plan is to give in-
teractive sermons, encouraging
questions during his speech.
"I want to reintroduce people
to Judaism and show them a

Rabbi Tolwin: Combining education
and prayer.