Congregation Beth Shalom

presents

A Minstrel and a Storyteller

in

"Songs and Stories
of the Jewish People"

with
Storyteller

PENINNAH
SCHRAM

and
Singer/Guitarist

GERARD
EDERY

Sunday, June 18, 1995 8:00 p.m.

at

Congregation Beth Shalom
14601 Lincoln • Oak Park
(810) 547-7970

REFRESHMENTS

ADMISSION FREE

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Sat., June 17th
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Greg

ORCHARD MALL
Orchard Lk. Rd. N. of Maple
West Bloomfield • 851-5566

SHOES

"Serving the community for 39 years"

Teens With Mission
To Venture Eastward

RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER

T

he Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit is fol-
lowing through on its
pledge to send hundreds of
local youth to the Promised Land.
"Compared to other commu-
nities its size, metro Detroit has
one of the lowest rates of teen-
agers going to Israel," says Susan
Langnas, director of Federation's
upcoming Teen Mission.
A study jointly released by
three international Jewish orga-
nizations reports that during
1991 and 1992, the San Francis-
co, Calif., community sent 37
youth per 1,000 to Israel. That
was the highest in the nation. By
contrast, metro Detroit sent 13.
It ranked lower than all other
cities in the study, including Dal-
las, Texas: 24/1,000; Long Island,
NY: 19/1,000; and Atlanta, Ga.:
15/1,000.
Whatever the reason, it's time
for a change, Federation's lead-
ers say. Their solution: a trek for
teens, subsidized by monies from
Federation, the private Ben Tei-
tel Charitable Trust, and the
Agency for Jewish Education.
Sponsored also by The Jewish
News, AJE and Michigan-Israel
Connection, the 4 1/2-week Teen
Mission will be held June 23 to
July 26, 1996. It comes on the
heels of two successful Miracle
Missions for adults, which
brought 1,300 metro Detroiters
to Israel during the spring of 1993
and 900 last month.
On the teen trip, there are
spots for 200 high-school youth
entering the 10th, 11th and 12th
grades. Registration, which be-
gan earlier this month, will end
Dec. 15. Cancellations beyond
this date will entail a $50 fee.
The total cost of the trip is
$2,995, and a deposit of $250 se-
cures a reservation. Full payment
is due by March 1. After April 1,
1996, all deposits become nonre-
fundable.
Ms. Langnas says her office
has received more than 100 re-
quests for information so far. A
mass-marketing campaign soon
will target local congregations,
schools and the secular media.
The purpose of the trip is to
augment young people's under-
standing of.Israel and dedication
to Judaism. Mike Mellen will
serve as one of the Mission's pro-
fessionals. The 26-year-old rab-
binical student says he has
witnessed teen mission work be-
fore.
Now serving as teen services
coordinator at the Agency for
Jewish Education in Southfield,
Mr. Mellen cites his own experi-

Susan Langnas

ence 10 years ago when he trav-
eled to the Promised Land with
other teen-agers from his con-
gregation, Temple Israel.
The adventure, he says,
strengthened his Jewish identi-
ty and introduced him to people
whom he might have never oth-
erwise befriended.
"For me, it was a summer I
spent calling my rabbi by his He-
brew first name (Tzvika, instead
of Harold Loss). It gave me a
group of friends who were con-
nected to Temple Israel, as op-
posed to being connected to my
high school," he says.

The trip will take
place June 23 to
July 26, 1996.

Next summer, young Detroi-
ters will travel through Israel in
five or six buses, staffed by at
least six adults per bus. About
half a dozen local rabbis will ac-
company the group.
Rabbi William Gershon of Con-
gregation Shaarey Zedek and
Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Is-
rael will serve as the two rab-
binical leaders.
Overnight accommodations
will include hostels, hotels and
home hospitality provided by
Israelis in Michigan's Partner-
ship 2000 region, the central
Galilee.
The educational component

will be multifold, Ms. Langnas
says. On the agenda are pre-Mis-
sion meetings covering Israel's
history and geography.
During the trip, young people
will learn about Tiberias, Tel
Aviv and other areas throughout
the land. They will celebrate the
3,000th anniversary of
Jerusalem.
The itinerary, which is still in
the works, won't neglect social ac-
tivities. The co-ed group of teens
will have plenty of time for recre-
ation before, during and after the
trip. One of the purely fun pre-
Mission events likely will be an
excursion to Planet Rock, a climb-
ing gym in Pontiac. Date: to be
announced.
Howard Gelberd, executive di-
rector of the AJE, played a role
in expanding San Francisco's suc-
cessful teen mission when he
headed that city's Bureau of Jew-
ish Education. Now, he says, De-
troit is emerging as a new model
for teen missions. He attributes
this partly to post-mission pro-
gramming that will focus on con-
tinuing the Israel experience
years after the trip comes to an
end.
"Los Angeles is watching us.
Denver is watching us. Kids come
back from these missions so
turned on," he says. "We hope
that Detroit will provide them
with a great landing pad."

❑

IV For more information, con-

tact your congregation's rabbi
or call Susan Langnas in Fed-
eration's Mission Office: (810)
6424260, Ext. 141.

