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Mission Accomplished
Teens complete an Israel prep course.
JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER
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PHOTO BY DAN IEL LIPPITT
Put down a floor
aking up early on Sun- than someone who just stands on
day mornings was the the bimah.
Not only have these mission
only downside Mikki
Mentzel, 17, saw in the classes helped to build a rela-
preparatory teen-mission class tionship among teens and their
she attended weekly at Temple rabbis, but the mandatory pro-
gram brought students, who left
Kol Ami.
The Harrison High School ju- Jewish education after their bar
nior has never been to Israel, but and bat mitzvahs, back into the
she will make her first trip next classroom.
Leslie Tolle, a West Bloomfield
month, joined by 240 other metro
High School student, stopped at-
Detroit teens.
She and the high-school-age tending Sunday school after his
participants just completed 16 bar mitzvah two years ago. He re-
weeks in a course designed to es- turned to the temple to prepare
tablish a foundation of knowledge for the teen mission. It will be his
for the June 23 Miracle Mission first time in Israel.
Leslie anticipates having a
for Teens.
During the courses, which "fun time" while learning about
were held at a handful of area Judaism and visiting the places
temples and synagogues, stu- he and his classmates studied.
"It will be an interesting expe-
dents learned some basic He-
brew, discussed Israeli politics rience to visit the country that is
and wrestled with identity issues. so much a part of my heritage,"
"In Israel, you're going to be he said.
Many of the first-timers are go-
asked to answer questions you've
never been asked in your life," ing to Israel with preconceived
said Rabbi Norman
Roman, who taught
the class at Temple Kol
Ami and will partici-
pate in the trip. "Here,
Judaism is a choice.
There, it is part of a na-
tional lifestyle."
During a recent one-
hour class period, the
rabbi and his students
discussed what makes
a city Jewish and
where Arab children,
living in Israel, should Rabbi Michael Moskowitz led a teen mission class at -
Temple Shir Shalom.
be educated.
Lindsay Raben, 16,
said her knowledge of
Israel comes entirely from her notions about the country and its
Sunday school experience, al- people.
Although significant class
though Rabbi Roman's class has
helped augment her under- time was devoted to answering
standing of the Jewish state. Her the teens' questions, things that
classmate, Lisa Minc, a North cannot be taught will be experi-
Farmington sophomore, doesn't enced.
"I think it's important for teens
want the trip to be her only learn-
ing experience. She was glad to to go to Israel because we can ap-
attend the course and gain ply what we've learned," said
Alyssa Hilman, 16, a student in
knowledge before the mission.
Lately, much of Lisa's class Rabbi Roman's class. "I've heard
time had been spent talking the culture is different. In Israel
about the upcoming Israeli elec- you see people walking down the
tion. Lisa said she was unaware streets with guns and that's nor-
of the election until the class be- mal. When I'm there, rm inter-
ested in seeing what they do for
gan discussing it.
Rabbi Michael Moskowitz, who fun."
In Israel, the group will spend
taught the mission participants
at Temple Shir Shalom, also will time with Israeli teens living in
the Central Galilee, Detroit's
accompany the teens to Israel.
Although the students active Partnership 2000 sister region.
"It's important to go to Israel,"
in the temple's youth group know
the rabbi on a personal level, the Lisa said. "My grandparents were
mission and its preparatory in the Holocaust, and I want to
course gave other teens an op- see what Judaism is all about in
portunity to get to work with the a place where almost everyone is
rabbi and to see him as more Jewish." ❑