Spirituality
Mitzvah Maidel
Little girl helps grandfather brighten Shabbat at Menorah House.
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Jay Korelitz joins his grand-
daughter Hannah in song.
SUSAN TAWIL
sing and recite the familiar prayers -
of Shabbat, including "Adon Olam,"
"Shema Yisroel" and "Shalom
Aleichem."
Hannah stands on a chair at the
head of the Shabbat table, next to
her grandfather. She claps her hands
and dances while she sings along.
"She's really something," says resi-
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Hannah Korelitz holds the tzedaka jar for Sara Levine
and Ellen Berger
Resident Evelyn Lichterman prays over the
candles.
7
hursday evening brings a
phone call from 4-year-
old Hannah Ruby Korelitz
of Huntington Woods to
her saba, grandfather Jay Korelitz of
Farmington Hills. They have a spe-
cial mitzvah to do tomorrow,
and Hannah doesn't want
him to forget.
Friday afternoon thus
finds Jay Korelitz picking up
his granddaughter when
classes end at her school,
Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield.
From there, it's on to the
nearby Menorah House,in
Southfield where they will
lead an uplifting erev Shabbat ser-
vice for about 30 residents in the
chapel of the Jewish nursing home.
Korelitz, a member of Temple
Israel, is an active volunteer who
also runs a Shabbat program at
Danto Family Health Care Center in
West Bloomfield. He began bringing
Hannah with him to Menorah
House about three months ago. "It's
a blessing they showed up," says
Rabbi Hershel Klainberg, nursing
home chaplain, and administrator
Dennis Hayes couldn't agree more
Using a large-print siddur, prayer
book, assembled by Korelitz with
help from Oak Park Rabbis
Yerachmiel Rabin and
E.B.("Bunnv") Freedman, residents
Evelyn Lichterman — the 78-year-
old mother-in-law of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek Cantor Chaim
Najman, as she proudly points out
— lights the Shabbat candles and
recites the blessing.
Resident Jacob Hartman, 85,
recites Kiddush, and cups of wine are
pa-ssed around by Hannah and vol-
unteer Helen Maltz of
Oak Park. Maltz began
coming to Menorah
House five years ago to
visit her father. After
he passed away, she
continued her visits,
becoming part of the
family of volunteers
there. She has become
"close buds" with
Hannah, says Korelitz.
After HaMotzi blessing is said,
Hannah rips up the challa to distrib-
ute to the Shabbat guests, making
sure to save a good-sized hunk for
herself. They sing some more,
including the Yiddish song "Afen
Pripichik."
The service ends with a wish from
Jay Korelitz for the residents to
"wake up each day with joy in your
heart, and we'll be together again
next week. Be gezunt and shtark
(healthy and strong)!"
This is Hannah's special time
with her saba," says her mother
Sheryl.
"He has all sorts of plans. I think
he's going to rake her on many an
Hannah Korelitz rips up
the challa to distribute to
the Shabbat guests.
dent Yerta Flesher, with a sparkle in
her eyes.
"She swells my heart to the point
of bursting with joy," says Hannah's
grandfather.
Dr. Seth and Sheryl Korelitz,
members of Congregation Beth
Shalom, are Hannah's parents. "She
just loves to try new things," says
Sheryl of her intrepid daughter. "She
takes her 'job' very seriously. She
really thinks they need her help. Her
teachers think it's wonderful. It rein-
forces what she learns in school and
at shul. I think it's terrific."
Hannah passes out pennies and
brings around a pushke, encouraging
the participants to give for tzedaka.
Then Menorah House resident