Community

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"Eight Over Eighty" ceremonies
to be held May 7.

DIANA LIEBERMAN
StaffWriter

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Eight new superstars will
be named
to the Senior Adult Jewish
Hall of Fame.

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hey are today's real heroes — men
and women who, after years of
devotion to career and family, con-
tinue to make the world a better
place through their volunteer efforts.
On Sunday, May 7, eight of these heroes
will be named to the Senior Adult Jewish
Hall of Fame, a program of Jewish
Apartments and Services. Called "Eight Over
Eighty," the program honors eight top vol-
unteers over the age of 80, as nominated by
those who know them best.
This year, some of the nominations came
from rabbis and others from Jewish commu-
nal institutions. One honoree's five grand-
children nominated him.
Each name will be added to a plaque, which
is displayed in the community room of the
Prentis Apartments in Oak Park. New names
will be added each year.
Sundays induction ceremony, which is free
and open to the public, begins at noon at the
Hechtman Apartments, on the Applebaum
Jewish Community Campus in West
Bloomfield. Leading the festivities will be
Sherry Margolis of WJBK-TV's Fox2 News and
Alan Muskovitz of The Dick Purtan Show on
Oldies 104.3, WOMC-FM.

The induction ceremony will be preceded by
an 11 a.m. brunch, at a cost of $65 per person.
"Eight Over Eighty" takes place each year
during the national celebration of May as
Older Americans Month, explained Marsha
Goldsmith-Kamin, JAS executive director.
The original reason for the program "was to
combat 'ageism,' to promote a positive image
of older Americans," Goldsmith-Kamin said.
Then the JAS board decided to tie in the
honors with Chanuka, using the number
eight for the holiday's eight nights and to
suggest the leadership of the heroic
Maccabees — noting that honorees are the
brave few of their age group who continue to
lead the Jewish mission in America.
Each person named to the Senior Adult
Jewish Hall of Fame receives a glass-blown drei-
del on a pedestal. The event also has a charita-
ble purpose. All proceeds are used to provide
food subsidies for senior adults, said Damon
Bradley, JAS marketing and development direc-
tor. Last year's event raised about $80,000 in
cash and in-kind gifts.
"More than half of our residents have annual
incomes of $20,000 or less, and a lot of them
have less than $10,000," he said. "Many don't
have families nearby to help them out."
Sponsors of the event include the Jewish
News, Sav-Mor Drug Stores, Sav-On Drugs
and Sinai-Grace Hospital.

