AJC Seminar
Set In Israel
Michigan Student
Receives Fellowship
American Jewish Committee Michigan
Area Director Sharona Shapiro, Sister
Gloria Rivera of the Sisters, Servants
Immaculate Heart of Mary in Monroe
and immigration Judge Elizabeth A.
Hacker participated in a Project
Interchange Seminar in Israel for immi-
gration policy and advocacy leaders.
The program addressed immigration,
acculturation, ethnicity and pluralism,
Arab-Jewish coexistence and the Middle
East peace process, Israeli politics 2nd
U.S.-Jewish relations. The seminar
highlighted innovative Israeli programs
and provided a forum for the exchange
of ideas between participants and their
Israeli counterparts.
Sister Gloria Rivera is executive direc-
tor of Freedom House in Detroit, a
house for asylum seekers from all over
the world.
University of Michigan graduate
Rachel Weiss of Farmington Hills has
received the Tzedek Fellowship from
Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish
Campus Life. Weiss will work in
Hillel's International Center in
Washington, D.C.,
for the 2001 2002
school year.
Weiss graduated
with academic honors
from the U-M with a
degree in history and
organizational studies
and a minor in Judaic
studies.
At Michigan
Rachel Weiss
Hillel, she was vice
chair of the governing board, building
and operations chair and chair of the
Greek Jewish Council.
In 1999, Weiss was an intern with
the White House Millennium
Council. As a member of the deputy
director's staff, she designed and
implemented the Millennium Green
program. She helped coordinate such
millennium-related events as a confer-
ence on philanthropy and the New
Year's Eve celebration on the National
Mall. Locally, Weiss was an intern
with the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and the Agency
for Jewish Education.
NFTY Names
State Director
Detroit native Michelle Sage Chekan
has been named regional director of the
North American Federation of Temple
Youth Michigan Region.
She is youth director at Temple Kol
Ami, where she is adviser to both the
high school and junior youth groups.
She also is the youth group adviser to
the fourth and fifth-grade and sixtl.
through eighth-grade youth groups at
Temple Israel.
As NFTY-MI regional director, she is
responsible for high school and junior
youth regional activities for the NFTY
Michigan Region.
Darchei Torah
0 ers Meals
Yeshivas Darchei Torah will sponsor a
Summer Food Service Program for chil-
dren. Free meals will be made available
to children 18 and younger, or persons
up to age 26 who are enrolled in an edu-
cational program for the mentally or
physically disabled that is recognized by a
state or local public educational agency.
Meals will be provided without
regard to race, color, national origin,
age, sex or disability and will be provid-
ed at Yeshivas Darchei Torah, 215O W.
12 Mile, Southfield, from Monday, July
2, through Friday, July 27.
Lunch will be served from 12:30-
1:30 p.m.; snacks will be from 3:30-
4:30 p.m.
More Room
To Run
.
The Meer Family Gymnasium will give Beth Jacob
School an up-to-date athletic facility.
-
JFS Reelects
Stewart Weiner
Stewart Weiner was reelected president
of the Southfield-based Jewish Family
Service. He is a partner in the Southfield
law firm of Maddin, Hauser, Wartell,
Roth, Heller & Pesses P.C.
Elected to a first term on the JFS
board are: Sandy Danto, Lorne Gold,
Gail Hennes, Doreen Hermelin, Gina
Horwitz, Lois Shiffinan, Jennifer
Silverman, Malke Torgow, Jeannie
Weiner and Marcie Orley. Elected to a
renewed three-year term are: Margaret
Demant, Fayga Dombey, Rabbi E.B.
Freedman, Micki Grossman and Rose
Lynn Schlussel.
Elected as officers and executive com-
mittee members are: Gerald Kaplan,
Terran Leemis and Jeannie Weiner, vice
presidents; Myron L. Liner, secretary;
Shaul Englender, treasurer; Kathleen
Wilson-Fink, immediate past president
and nominating committee chair; and
Micki Grossman, Irving Nusbaum,
Susie Pappas and Barbara Tukel, execu-
tive committee members-at-large.
Recess in the
multipurpose
room at the
Beth Jacob
School for
Girls.
door to the outside for emergencies only.
Meer also is underwriting construc-
tion of a gym at Yeshivat Akiva in
Southfield.
dward Meer is a firm believer
In November 1999, Yeshiva Beth
in the old saying, "a sound
Yehudah dedicated the Norma Jean and
mind in a healthy body."
Edward Meer Early Childhood
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah's
Development Center. Named in honor
Beth Jacob School for Girls already has
of Meer's late wife, the preschool received
the teachers and facilities to develop
the bulk of its funding from the
sound minds in its 400 stu-
Meer family. Beth Jacob School's
dents. But finding space to
1
science lab, opened in 1997, also
1
work on those healthy bodies is
was
made possible by a Meer fam-
another story.
ily donation.
When it's recess time at the
In October, Jewish Apartments
Oak Park school, teachers first
& Services will cut the ribbon at
must push the chairs and tables
the Meer Jewish Apartments, a
out of the multipurpose room,
100-unit building for senior citi-
which also serves as a lunch-
Edward Meer zens on the Eugene and Marcia
room.
Applebaum Jewish Community
'We've been using makeshift
Campus
in West Bloomfield. "'They are
space," said Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, execu-
an incredibly generous family," said
tive director of both the boys' and girls'
Rabbi Mayerfeld.
schools. "As the student population has
Beth Jacob School has been leasing
grown, we have less and less makeshift
the former B'nai Moshe Synagogue in
space."
1991, after it had been purchased by the
Enter Edward Meer.
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
"I believe Jewish education should be
Detroit. Since then, Yeshiva Beth
a well-rounded program, including phys-
Yehudah has completed three additions
ical fitness as well as Torah study," said
to the building. Architect Seymour
the 76-year-old Bloomfield Hills philan-
Mandell, who contributed architectural
thropist. "Everyone should exercise. I do
plans for the first three additions, has
a lot of it myself"
completed plans for the new gym. No
Meer, who retired after selling the
contractor has been determined yet.
family dental supply company, has made
"The Meer family's incredible gen-
a donation that will allow Beth Jacob to
erosity
will permit us to round out the
build a 100-foot by 60-foot gymnasium.
He declined to specify the amount of the building with a sorely needed gymnasi-
um," said Gary Torgow, the school's
donation.
president.
The facility, to be called the Meer
Added Fayge Sperka, Beth Jacob prin-
Family Gymnasium, will be built on the
northeast side of the building. Access will cipal, "We need this gym so desperately
and we're just thrilled to have it."
be through the current structure, with a
DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer
E
4,4
6/29
20011
41