Left:
Joan Simons, with Joanie Leider,
Danielle Brodsky and Shayna
Blase, finds this production
enthralling.

Above:
Paula Lipnik and her son, Alex,
enjoy a treat after the show.

Right
Mensch Mouse himself (aka Jay
Winkler).

Below:
Coby Shecter makes his stage debut
as Abraham.

Mighty Mensch Mouse

A little mouse learns the importance of caring for others.

M

ice could seen scurrying
throughout the halls of
Shaarey Zedek B'nai Is-
rael in West Bloomfield
last week. Women cooed. Fa-
thers sighed. Guests were en-
thralled.
Of course, these were no ordi-
nary mice. They were members
of the Mensch Mouse Club, also
known as 5-year-old students
who meet weekly in Room 5 with
Susan Gartenberg to discuss
kind deeds they have performed.
Last week, the students ap-
peared in an original play, Men-

sch Mouse Finds His Mensch
Power, representing a culmina-

tion of the lessons children
learned with Ms. Gartenberg.
The play was written by Ms.
Gartenberg, with song lyrics by
Loie Meeron. It told the adven-
tures of Mensch Mouse, the
club's mascot, who learns how to
be a mensch from the students
in Room 5. He travels through
Jewish history, helping King
David retrieve his slingshot,
babysitting Isaac, and finding
another coat for Joseph. As his
adventure concludes, Mensch
Mouse at last learns he has
"mensch power."
"The children have learned
how to work together," Ms.

Gartenberg said of the class.
"They really care about each oth-
er. Making the Torah part of
their lives has helped to nurture
them as menschen."
Debbie Steingold, teaching as-
sociate, also helped direct the
play. Members of the cast were
Jay Winkler, Rabbi Bitran, Max
Corman, Marcy Fischgrund,
Jared Friedman, Bradley Gold-
man, Matthew Greenberg, Lau-
ren Kepes, Leslee Klein, Alex
Lipnik, Josh Neuman, Eli New-
man, Bradley Schlafer, Celia
Shecter, Jacob Shecter, Sarah
Lerman-Sinkoff, Bradley Verona
and Alex Waldman. ❑

