Staff Notebook

two other nearby congregations that do not offer
their own preschool programs, Weitzer said.
"The other two have so far not expressed an inter-
est," she said.
Depending on the child-care services used, Kol
Ami families who are not members of the JCC could
save as much as $700 per year over non-member
rates, she said.
"We are excited and pleased to be a part of this pro-
gram between Temple Kol Ami and the Sarah and
Irving Pitt Child Development Center," said Andrea T.
Liberman, the synagogue's educational director. "This is
a wonderful opportunity for everyone involved."
Temple Kol Ami's Rabbi Norman T. Roman will
be involved with activities at the Pitt Center, prima-
rily with Shabbat, holiday and family programming.
The synagogue also will be represented on the Pitt
parent advisory committee.

— Diana Lieberman

Counsel General
Returns To Israel

Front row: Max Labe and Sammy Stern of Huntington Woods, both 4; Saudia L. Twine of Children's Hospital
of Michigan; Jonathan Radner, 4, of Huntington Woods; Sarah Cohen, 3, of Franklin; and Rachel Fishman, 4,
of Southfield. Back row: leachers Sherry Hobson and Nomi Rottenstein.

Preschoolers Donate
To Leukemia Fund

zedakah took on special meaning for students
in a Southfield preschool last year.
Every Friday morning, 3- and 4-year-olds in the
Duck Room at Shaarey Zedek Beth Hayeled
Nursery School would take the tzedakah for Shabbat
from their personal tzedakah boxes and deposit it in
a growing pot of change.
On Friday, June 22, the Duck Room presented
Saudia L. Twine of Children's Hospital of Michigan
with a check for $88.10 (and Chuckee Cheese
coupons).
The children's tzedakah will buy toys for child-
hood leukemia patients.
— Diana Lieberman

T

New Phone System
Links Jewish Centers

mproved customer service is the goal of a new
telephone system now being installed at both
buildings of the Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit.
The system should be fully operational within the
next two to three weeks, said David Sorkin, JCC
executive director.
"Our ok systems were virtually defunct," Sorkin said.
With the new, connected phone systems, staff at
both the Oak Park and West Bloomfield JCC build-
ings will be able to transfer calls without the callers
having to hang up and redial.
All departments will be equipped with extensive
voicemail and broadcast capabilities. When the build-

I

7/27

2001

J2

ings are closed, phones will be programmed to tell
callers building hours and upcoming events, while
also referring them to outside agencies, if relevant.
At the 400,000-square-foot West Bloomfield build-
ing only, a separate telephone operator will be hired.
This will allow the receptionist at the front desk to
give full attention to the Center's walk-in visitors.
The new telephone systems are financed through
the JCC's capital campaign, of which $1 million was
allocated for security, computer and telephone
upgrades at both campuses.

— Diana Lieberman

Kol Ami, JCC Become
Preschool Partners

eginning Aug. 28, Temple Kol Arni's youngest
members will be entitled to an extra member-
ship benefit.
Thanks to an agreement with the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, the
synagogue will offer its families the JCC member
tuition rate at the Sarah and Irving Pitt Child
Development Center. Openings for participation
include infant and toddler care, preschool, kinder-
garten and enrichment classes.
Both current and future Kol Ami members are eligible.
Margo Weitzer, JCC assistant executive director,
called the arrangement a "win-win situation."
The Pitt Center, which is expanding from a capac-
ity of 150 to 220, is seeking to fill its classrooms.
The JCC is working to establish closer ties to area
congregations, and Temple Kol Ami will be able to
offer its members a new and much-needed service.
JCC representatives also have spoken with
Congregation B'nai Moshe and Temple Shir Shalom,

T

zip o ra Rimon has ended her four-year post as
Israel's consul general in the Midwest, and has
headed home. From Israel's 50th birthday celebra-
tion to a close chance for peace with the
Palestinians, she has worked with the American
media and the Jewish community to get Israel's mes-
sage across.
Looking back, she said the climate
has changed drastically in the past
year.
"If you look back one year, we were
in the midst of an economic and cul-
tural boom, with aspirations of the
end to the [Palestinian] conflict, and
peace in our region," she said. "From
that peak, we have had to face violence
and terrorist activity all around. We
Tzipora Rim
know that one day it will stop, and
maybe we can come back to some
negotiation and work some arrange-
ment, but it's from a different perspective already."
"It's not around the corner, it may take a longer
period; maybe another generation will stop the
incitement. It's still the hope of the majority of
Israelis to arrange a peace."
She will become director of the North American
division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, oversee-
ing the consulates in North America.
Moshe Ram will replace her as consul general in
August.

— Harry Kirsbau

Correction

Regarding "Belt-Tightening Time" (July 20,
page 14), the Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit's budget deficit for the
2000 2001 fiscal year was $400,000.
Also, a quote from David Sorkin, JCC execu-
tive director, should read, "Due to the age of
the building and some cost inefficiencies of the
past, we needed to spend more money . . .

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