s m a LL BITES

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Looking For
New Authors

Pregnant With
Cancer

hree years ago Mary Rose McDermott was diagnosed with
cancer. She was 4 months pregnant.
McDermott vowed that if she survived the ordeal she would
"give back to those who had helped me." Today, she is doing just that
Following the birth of her son, Matthew, McDermott learned that her
cancer was in remission. She immediately volunteered for the leukemia
society and worked on various fund-raising events. //1 ost of all, though,

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O

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she wanted to start her own group for other women who, like her, had
been pregnant with cancer and had nowhere to turn.
Today, McDermott is head of the Pregnant with Cancer
Support Group, a nonprofit organization based in
Buffalo, N.Y.
The group recently published its first newsletter,
which offers tips on what to eat during pregnancy and
information on financial aspects of cancer treatment.
Because the organization is new, no Detroit-area
chapters have been established yet.
McDermott says, however, that she wel-
comes calls from anyone needing support
or more information.
Contact the Pregnant with Cancer
Support Group at P.O. Box 1243,
Buffalo, N.Y. 14220, (716) 824-0226.

he Association
of Jewish
Libraries, in
partnership with
Pitspopany
Press, is sponsor-
ing a short-story
competition for non-
published authors
writing for middle-
grade readers (ages 8-
12).
The topic of the competition is
humor, and stories should offer a
Jewish perspective, content and val-
ues.
The winning story will receive
$1,000, while three runners up
will receive $250 each. All four
authors will be invited to receive
their awards at the closing ban-
quet of the Association of Jewish
Libraries Convention in June
1998. One night's hotel and ban-

(Th
quet costs will be covered by the
sponsors.
Manuscripts must be postmarked
by Feb. 15 1998. Winners will be
notified by May 15.
For complete rules, write Hazel
Karp, 880 Somerset Dr. NW,
Atlanta, GA 30327.

He's The Winner!

C

ongratulations to Irvin
Schlussel of Southfield, the
first to correctly identify our
Mystery Mensch as Golda Meir.
We gave readers the following
clues:
#1) This person was born in
Russia
#2) He/she came to the United
States in 1906
#3} He/she served in Israel's
list Knesset with the Mapai Party

ay after Israel was

11/28
1997

68

declared a state, he/she made a
secret trip into Jordan, hoping to
convince King Abdallah not to
attack the new nation
#5) This person is no longer liv-
ing
Irvin, 16, is the son of Toby and
Herschel Schlussel and is in the
1 1 th grade at Akiva Hebrew Day

Active with
Bnai Akiva,
Irvin spends
his summers
at Camp
Moshava in
Wisconsin.
This past
spring, he

School, He's on the school's bas-
ketball team, is vice president of
ne student council, and is treasur-
er of the junior class.

went on the
March of the Living. Irvin, who
"very interested in the stock ma
et" and hopes to study f'

Irvin S ch l uss e l

college, says it didn't
take him long to identi-
fy Golda Meir.
"Because I grew up in
a Zionist home, am
active in Bnai Akiva and
study in a day school..
have a background in
Jewish history.