HADASSAH

from page 14

Simko credits past presidents of the
Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah,
such as Beverly Apel of West
Bloomfield and Hilary Isakow of
Bloomfield Hills, and current presi-
dent Sturman as "incredible teachers.
"I've matured in Hadassah," Simko
says. "It's given me a sense of accom-
plishment and pride. It's my passion."
"Randi also has important charac-
teristics that helped her succeed," says
Sturman. "She's unbelievably persist-
ent and diligent. She never gives up."
The most difficult obstacle was find-
ing sponsorship for the derby, Simko
says. "People don't want to give money
to Israel," she says. "Especially national
businesses. It's a very political thing."
But Hadassah does research "that
effects everybody," she says, such as
recently developing the insulin pill for
diabetes.
Simko persisted and secured spon-
MetroParent Magazine, radio
sors
station WJR, WXYZ Channel 7, the
Observer Eccentric Newspapers and
the Jewish News.
When asked why the Ducky Derby
succeeded so well in Detroit, the easygo-
ing Simko replies, "People are looking for
things to do as a family It brings people
out to have fun and to help people."
The derby was also the first
Hadassah event open to the commu-
nity, not just Hadassah members.
"It's not only for Jewish people,"
she says, and notes that you don't
have to be Jewish to join Hadassah.

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Simko's push for family events reflects
her priorities at home.
She doesn't like being out more
than two evenings a week, and has
learned to balance her family with
interests like playing mah jongg,
attending board meetings for an inter-
faith women's group, and Hadassah.
Her advice for a successful event is
not to make it a religious but a com-
munity one.
That doesn't mean religious experi-
ences are not important to her. While
her family belongs to Temple Israel, a
Reform synagogue, they also share
Shabbat dinners at The Shul with
Orthodox Rabbi Kasriel and Joy
Shemtov.
Simko wants her children to be
comfortable with all streams of
Judaism and to learn tolerance, she
says.
"I've never followed what other peo-
ple have done," she adds. The kind of
person just right for Hadassah, sug-
gest its leaders. ❑

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8/3

2001

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