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MACHON ETORAH'S ANNUAL

FUNDRAISER TAKES A PATRIOTIC THEME.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN StaffWriter
BILL HANSEN Photographer

A

Above: Joe Sabatini and Noreen Sosnick, both of Warren, visit the buf-
fet table, set under the electric red, white and blue lights of a flag creat-
ed by auction attendee Shaul Broner of Oak Park.

Right: Ayala and Bruce Levine of Oak Park work on their bidding
strategy.

mong the 250 faces sighted at the second annual Machon I2Torah Chinese
Auction was one that was familiar to everyone present.
"George W. was here," says Rabbi Dovid Blumenthal, administrator of
the organization. "The theme of the auction was 'A Tribute to America,' so
we included props that were truly American, like a cut-out of the president."
The event, held at the Southfield Centre for the Arts, was a fundraiser to benefit
the Oak Park-based synagogue and learning center, whose programming includes
study sessions and extensive Jewish outreach throughout many of MiChigan's college
campuses.
Event co-chairs were Sara Eisemann of Oak Park and Valerie Sandweiss and Aviva
Gelberman, both of Southfield.
Auctioned items, including a trip for two to Israel, appliances, computers and
Palm Pilots, were set on tables decorated with small-scale, recreations of patriotic
landmarks like the Liberty Bell, Mt. Rushmore and the White House, which had a
large cardboard photo of its famous inhabitant propped up in front. El

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2002 •

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