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Community activist Joel Jacob will receive high award
for his dedication to charitable causes.

said Jacob, 41, of West Bloomfield. He and his
wife Lauren Dorfman have four small children.
He has learned. he can do all he does even while
hen the Rev. Eddie Edwards first
raising a family. It's a question of making the
introduced himself to the man sit-
time, he said. "If you talk to people who actively
ting next to him at a
volunteer, the more you do, the more
Michigan Cancer
you want to do. You have to be orga-
Foundation board meeting, he had no
nized. And it helps that I get up really,
idea it would launch him and his
really early."
Detroit congregation into a rewarding,
Jacob is dedicated to a host of
decade-long volunteer commitment.
other charitable and activist causes,
"I told him who I was and then he
particularly in the Jewish communi-
said he had been wanting to meet me
ty. A member of Congregation
for a project he had in mind," Rev.
Shaarey Zedek, he is past chair of the
Celebrate Volunteers
Edwards recalled.
Jewish Community Archives, past
The "he" is Joel Jacob and the pro-
board member of the Jewish
ject is today's Detroit Center for
Vocational Service, past board mem-
Entrepreneurship, based at Edwards' congrega-
ber of Yad Ezra kosher food bank and past
tion, Joy of Jesus Ministries Inc. The program
member of the Young Leadership Cabinet of
has assisted hundreds of Detroit teens by helping
United Jewish Charities. Currently, he is an
them to obtain the skills needed to start and
advisory board member of Yad Ezra, a board
operate businesses. Jacob has helped raise funds
member of the Jewish Theological Seminary
for the program and also lends a hand in rallying and a member of the Campaign Cabinet for
community support and establishing internships
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
for the young entrepreneurs.
Detroit. Jacob is one of the youngest members
"He is an amazing young man," Rev. Edwards- of the Quarter Century Club, a group of indi-
said. "It all goes back to our development and
viduals who have donated to Federation's
our parenting and all of the exposures that
Annual Campaign for 25 years.
makes for character. He has a wonderful charac-
Additionally, Jacob created the Detroit
ter and is a very committed individual."
Friends of Seeds of Peace, a program that helps
It is this commitment to the program that
to build bridges between the Arab and Jewish
sparked Rev. Edwards to nominate Jacob for one
communities. John Wallach, , founder, president
of this year's Heart of Gold Awards, a program
and national executive director of the program,
sponsored by the Detroit-based United Way
wrote a letter in support of Jacob's nomination
Community Services. Jacob is one of six individ-
for the award.
uals from Detroit, Oakland, Macomb and
"No one in my 30 years' experience has
Wayne counties who will be honored at the
worked harder for Jewish-Arab understanding at
United Way Community Services' Celebrate
bath a local and national level than Joel Jacob,"
Volunteers Luncheon set for Wednesday, April
Wallach said. "I have rarely met anyone who has
12, at Cobo Center in Detroit.
Joel's devotion to community service and corn-
More than 1,600 people are expected to
mitment to the thankless task of follow-up."
attend the event, which will be chaired by for-
Jacob is also dedicated to providing educa-
mer Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas, now
tional opportunities in science and technology to
founder of a foundation that bears his name,
underprivileged students through Wal-Mart's
and William McCormick Jr., chairman and chief
Competitive Scholarship Program, called the
executive officer of CMS Energy Corporation.
Competitive Edge. Tom Montgomery, commu-
"It is a very special award and I am honored,"
nity program manager for Wal-Mart Stores, said

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR

Special to the Jewish News

Joel Jacob

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Building harmony among

people of all faiths and

needs merits honor from

United Way Community

Services.

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4/7

2000

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