Community
team," Roberta Lash says.
The mother of a friend of Matt's e-
mailed co-workers at Merrill-Lynch
asking for donations to the Relay team,
collecting $750, which was matched
by the company. "She brought the
check to the Relay and walked for a
while on the track," Matt says.
While most teams keep a record of
how much each member solicits in
donations, Matt's group, including his
brother Jason of Grand Rapids, his
father Clifford and his mother, worked
as one. "They were not interested in
incentives and plaques for individual
recognition," Tarnow says. "They were
there to make a difference."
Striving To Do More
A student with a double major in
international relations and social rela-
tions at James Madison College,
MSU's undergraduate liberal arts col-
lege of public affairs in East Lansing,
Matt continues to take classes through-
out his treatments.
He's enrolled in a summer-school
English course at MSU's West
Bloomfield site.
Roberta Lash describes her son as
having no boundaries. "His determina-
tion is overcoming everything," she
says of Matt, who walks with a cane
and is able to drive his car. His positive
outlook has elicited invitations to
speak with other patients undergoing
chemotherapy.
"You find complications in every-
Dems Get Together
U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-
Mich., shares a laugh with David
Fink of West Bloomfield during
the first meeting of the Michigan
chapter of the National Jewish
Democratic Council.
thing and this is not different," Matt
says. "We fix those problems and move
on. I am walking, sometimes with a
limp, other times with a strut. If I get
sore, then I sit down."
Ever looking for the opportunity to
show school loyalty, he walks with a
forest green prosthetic leg, with the
words "Michigan State" and a painted
drawing of the MSU Spartans' deter-
mined-faced warrior mascot, Sparty,
across it.
Participating in the Relay left a last-
ing impression on Matt. "I have never
met so many people with so much
devotion and love for a similar goal,"
he says.
But having walked his share of the
Relay track is just the start. Says Matt,
"Come talk to me in a month or two
when I'm running." ❑
Center Named For Harold Berry
The Luella Hannan Memorial
Foundation, Michigan's oldest and
largest foundation devoted exclusive-
ly to seniors and a designated city of
Detroit heritage organization, held
"Creative Aging," a 75th anniversary
event for its seniors, on June 21. It
dedicated the new Harold Berry
Media Center in the newly refur-
bished lower level of Hannan House.
The new media center is named
after Harold Berry, a Bloomfield
Township resident and 35-year vet-
eran of the Hannan Foundation
Board of Directors. Berry twice
served as president of the founda-
tion, 1972-75 and 1992-94.
The Hannan Foundation was
founded in 1925 and is headquar-
tered in Detroit in Hannan House, a
facility built in 1971 as a senior resi-
dence and converted in 1993 into a
place where a number of senior serv-
ices and programs are provided by
the foundation and other organiza-
tions that share the building.
T o make tax-deductible contribu-
tions to Team Chaverim, send
checks to American Cancer Society,
8505 W 12 Mile, Southfield, MI
48076. On the memo line, write:
"For Team Chaverim."
❑
Befit Mzdrash
Set To Open
Starting Monday, July 23, the Aish
Center in Birmingham will host 11
Yeshiva students from the yeshiva of
Riverdale, N.Y. The project, organized
by Avi Carmen of Southfield, is to
teach Talmud, Midrash and Chumash
with classical commentaries.
The students will provide formal
and informal opportunities to people
of all backgrounds who want to
become familiar with classical Jewish
text and study methods. "We want to
provide a broad band of learning
opportunities," said Rabbi Alon
Tolwin, Aish director.
The students will be here for two
weeks.
The Belt Midrash will be open
Sunday through Thursday. A commu-
nal Mincha service will take place at
7:30 p.m. followed by individual
learning partners and small classes
based on interest; the evenings will
conclude with the evening services at
9:45 p.m.
There is no cost for this program;
reservations are encouraged.
For information and reservations,
call Amy Margolis, (248) 593-5138.
Aish HaTorah is at 555 S. Old
Woodward, Birmingham.
Shown at the media center dedication are Board Immediate Past President Brent
Triest, honoree Harold Berry, Hannan senior Grace Blakely and Board President
Michael Indenbaum.
Chairs Named For Jewish Book Fair
Sinkoff has been the Book Fair's
Sandy Stark and Teri Sinkoff will
children's co-chair. She was Adat
chair the Jewish Community Center
Shalom Synagogue Sisterhood's liai-
of Metropolitan Detroit's 50th
son to the Book Fair in 1999 and
anniversary Jewish Book Fair Nov. 8-
2000.
18 at both JCC locations.
The Book Fair's opening night
The Jewish Book Fair is one of
speaker on Nov. 10 will be Robert
three major Jewish ComMunity
Shapiro, author of Misconception
Center anniversaries to be celebrated
and a member of the
this year. The
O.J. Simpson legal
agency also will
"dream team."
celebrate its 75th
Detroit's Jewish
anniversary, and
Book Fair is the
the Janice
largest and oldest in
Charach Epstein
the country.
Gallery will mark
Thousands of Jewish
its 10th.
books will be available
Stark is a veter-
for purchase through-
an of the Book
out the 10-day event,
Fair Steering
which will feature
Committee, and
Sandy Stark and Teri Sinkoff will
more than 30 speakers.
has been active
chair the 50th anniv ersary Jewish
Every speaker's appear-
with Michigan
Book Fair at the IC C
ance is free and open
Region ORT, of
to the community.
which she served
Entertainment for children, fami-
as president from 1998 to 2000, and
lies and adults will be featured
Temple Israel, where she has served
throughout the event.
on committees.