Spirituality

Illokey

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DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer

T

hey had that Shabbat feeling on a recent Friday morn-
ing at Congregation Shaarey Zedek Beth Hayeled
Nursery School in Southfield.
On Nov. 17, the nursery school hosted eight senior citi-
zens plus staff from Southfield's Elan Village. The
agenda included songs, a short Shabbat ceremony
and dancing.
"We've been talking about doing an intergenera-
Clockwise from top left:
tional project for some time now," said preschool
director Rena Cohen. 'And Shabbat is such a nice
Mollie Litt, 21/2, of
way to do it."
Birmingham leads the
Waiting for the seniors to arrive, the two dozen nurs-
group in the bunny hop.
ery-school students got into the mood by singing classic
songs like "David Mekch Yisroel" (David, King of Israel),
Zoe Mendelson, 4, of
Huntington Woods
"Havenu Sholem Aleichem" (Bring Peace to Us All) and

"Puff the Kosher Dragon."
The children stood, wide-eyed, when Cohen
opened the ark to reveal the Torah. Then, accompa-
nied by the seniors, they sang some of the chants
associated with the Shabbat Torah reading.
The group adjourned to a nearby activities room,
where Cohen led them in some favorite dances.
Only a handful of seniors were able to participate,
but everyone watched with a smile.
Sitting on a nearby sofa, Elan Village resident
James Wilkus said simply, "I enjoy seeing the kids."
Then the preschoolers bunny-hopped back to
their classrooms for lunch. ❑

dances with Elan
Village resident Anne
Roberts.

Todd Weiss, 4, of
Birmingham enjoys the
ceremony.

Shaarey Zedek Beth
Hayeled staff and
students do the
Hokey-Pokey with Elan
Village resident
Evelyn Berge, center

though dancing may be a risk to
life and limb, Elan Village seniors
get a kick out of being with kids.