Staff Notebook

Fanning The Flames
Comes Up Short

Soccer fans in Greece set afire an
Israeli flag, but couldn't get an
American flag to burn during a
moment of silence for the victims of
the Sept. 11 terrorism in the United
States.
All 77 European professional games
included a moment of silence last
week. But several hundred fans of
AEK Athens jeered and tried to ignite
the two flags during the silent ceremo-
ny before the game in Athens against
Scotland's Hibernian team.

— Alan Hitsky

Anti-CCW Drive
On Hold

ro put a new initiative opposing the
law on the ballot. Fink said. Then,
voters would have to approve it.
Fink said his organization had ade-
quate funding during the referendum
campaign from national anti-gun
groups, "but they have not provided
the same sort of commitment for an
initiative."
He estimated that cost ar about S1
million. "The issue isn't getting the
signatures. I guarantee that," Fink
said. "We've got thousands of volun-
teers who are champing at the bit."

— Diana Lieberman

Fink Seeks
House Seat

David Fink of West Bloomfield is
seeking the Democratic nomination
for the U.S. House. He hopes to chal-
There will be no petition drive to turn
lenge Republican incumbent Joe
back Michigan's new Carrying
Knollenberob who will seek his sixth
Concealed Weapons Law, unless the
term.
organization that had planned the
Fink is principal of the Farmington
action receives a large infusion of
Hills-based law firm Fink, Zausmer
funds.
and Kaufman, PC, a firm he began in
"A statewide campaign of this
1978 with former
nature, after the petitions are cir-
State Senator
culated, is extraordinarily expen-
Dan Cooper.
sive," said David Fink, Oakland
Born in Detroit,
County coordinator for People
Fink attended
Who Care About Kids, the
Oak Park public
statewide organization that oppos-
schools, Harvard
es the law. "So until we are able to
University and
confirm that we have adequate
Harvard Law
funding to manage the necessary
School.
media campaign, we are not pro-
He lives in
ceeding with the petition drive."
West Bloomfield
The Michigan Jewish
with his wife,
Conference and the Jewish
Trudy Gealer
Davi d Fink
Community Council of
Fink, and two
Metropolitan Detroit are among
children. The
the member organizations of People
family belongs to Temple Israel.
Who Care About Kids.
Fink serves on the advisory boards
The CCW Law, Public Act 381,
of the Jewish Community Council
took effect in July. It was approved by
of Metropolitan Detroit and the
the state Legislature just before its
Oak Park-based Yad Ezra kosher
December break and signed by Gov.
food bank, and on the board of
John Engler on Jan. 1.
directors for the Michigan Jewish
The new law makes it easier for
Conference and the American
Michigan adults to receive permits to
Committee for the Weizmann
carry handguns.
Institute of Science.
Before the law went into effect,
He's Oakland County coordinator
opponents had collected enough signa-
for People Who Care About Kids, the
tures to force the issue to a referen-
statewide group that opposes the new
dum of the voters. However, because
Carrying Concealed Weapons Law,
of an appropriations bill attached to
which makes handgun permits more
the main bill, the state Supreme Court
accessible.
ruled that the law was not subject to a
The race is in the newly defined 9th
referendum.
Congressional District.
Now that Public act 381 has
become law, People Who Care About
— Diana Lieberman
Kids would need 242,000 signatures

'

9/28
2001

10

Benefit Nets
Israel Ambulances

The sale of 230-240 big red balloons
at the American Red Magen David for
Israel Michigan Region dinner Sept. 9
pumped extra funds into the organiza-
tion's coffers.
Israel's equivalent of the Red Cross
netted donations of four ambulances
ar the ARMDI Michigan Region par-
lor meeting weeks before the dinner.
The vehicles range in price from
570,000 for mobile intensive care
units, 555,000 for regular emergency
vehicles, to S15,000 to refurbish an
ambulance.
After receiving the contributions,
ARMDI haS the new vehicles built in
the United States and then shipped to
Israel.
The Sept. 9 dinner at Adat Shalom
Synagogue honoring Terry.and David
Kahan raised an additional $25,000-
$30,000 through dinner tickets, the
balloon sale, raffle and a bazaar.
"We started the balloon grab-bag
last year," said bazaar/raffle chair Sheri
Levenson Stay. "Several organizations
have done it since."
B'nai B'rith Girls chapters were
recruited to help with the ARMDI
sale. Eleven teens from Koach BBG
and Ruach BBG hawked the $20 bal-
loons during the reception and dinner
as well as the raffle tickets.
A bag attached to each balloon
awarded the purchaser a prize valued
at $20 or more, with top prizes
including vacation packages, Detroit
Red Wings hockey tickets and a televi-
sion. Also included in the bag were an
apple and a packet of honey for the
new year.

— Alan Hitsky

Congregations
Start Mentoring

In the biblical book that bears her
name, Ruth, the non-Jewish daughter-
in-law of the Jewish matriarch Naomi,
refuses to return to her parents when
her husband dies.
Instead, she stays with Naomi and
learns the ways of Judaism.
With this story in mind, a new
mentoring program under way in nine
local congregations has taken the
name Project NAOMI.
Project NAOMI, which is also an
acronym for Newcomers Affiliating
Through An Outreach Mentoring
Initiative, is a joint project of the

Agency for Jewish Education's
Interfaith Connection and Jewish
Family Service.
It will provide mentors for people
who convert to Judaism, who are in
interfaith relationships or who simply
want to feel more comfortable in their
synagogues or temples. Participants
will work with mentors from their
own congregations.
"We chose the name because Naomi
was really the first mentor," said Sue
Stettner, director of the Interfaith
Connection.
Two mentor training sessions took
place this summer, led by Stettner,
Sandy Hyman of the Jewish Family
Service, and Carol Cooper and Jill
Sklar, co-chairs of the Project NAOMI
Community Council.
Volunteer mentors, 45 so far, come
from synagogues ranging from Young
Israel of Oak Park, an Orthodox shul,
to Birmingham Temple, a Secular
Humanist congregation, Stettner said.
"We are not teaching Jewish law and
practice," Stettner said. "Instead, men-
tors are gaining sensitivity and an
awareness of the issues. These include
how to work with people who are
leaving a past and joining a new
group."
Mentors need to know a certain
amount of information on Judaic
issues, Stettner said, and rabbis will
continue their training during the
year.
For more information, call Stettner
at (248) 645-7860, ext. 535.

— Diana Lieberman

Kosher Section
In Holding Pattern

Kroger's year-old kosher section at its
remodeled 12 Mile and Halsted super-
market in Farmington Hills is looking
for a new Mashgiach (kosher supervi-
sor).
Mashgiach Reuven Schwartz ten-
dered his resignation to go into the
computer business.
Rabbi Joseph Krupnick, director of
kashrus for the Council of Orthodox
Rabbis of Greater Detroit, provided
the names of qualified candidates to
Kroger officials in August. But the
interview process has been slowed by
vacations and holidays.
Kroger officials expect to announce
a replacement mashgiach in the near
future.

— Alan Hitsky