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There-were no wall owers when preschoolers visited Fleischman residents.

DIANA LIEBERMAN
Copy Editor/Education Writer

R

abbi M. Robert Syme, the 81-year-old
rabbi emeritus of Temple Israel, turned
on the charm recently to make some
very young new friends.
On Jan. 28, he played grandpa to a class of 4- and
5-year-olds from Congregation Shaarey Zedek B'nai
Israel's Beth Hayeled preschool. And the children
loved it.
The rabbi, who now lives at the Fleischman
Residence in West Bloomfield, was one of about 20
residents to participate in the West Bloomfield
preschool's first "Grand-Friend Day." The idea of
the preschoolers' visit was to help them better relate
to older people as well as to provide some hugs and

kisses for the bubbes and zaydes.
The children go to school both mornings and
. e Shaw, Beth Hayeled's early
afternoons, said Helayn
childhood program coordinator. That's a long time
for preschoolers to concentrate on letters and num-
bers, so they spend their afternoons in more active
pursuits. Frequently, these are mitzvot or social
action projects.
. At Fleischman, the children began by shaking
hands with each resident. A little concert of Hebrew
and English songs was next on the program. Since
the visit fell on Tu b'Shevat, several songs celebrated
trees, fruit and flowers.
Then, each child made a decorative picture frame
with a special friend or friends from among the
older generation. "It was beautiful," said Shaw. "My
shyest kids were walking up to people. And to see

the faces on the people was incredible."
Fleischman program director Myrna Katz snapped
instant photos of each child with his or her special
friend. The photos were fitted into the frames for
residents to take to their room.
As one of the few men to participate, Rabbi Syme
was quite popular, Shaw said. "He wouldn't take
their photos from them unless they put their name
and phone numbers on the back," she said. "It made
them feel really special."
The Shaarey Zedek B'nai Israel 4-year-olds will
return to the senior residence as a class in the spring.
But no one will be surprised if, in the meantime,
some of the children make their parents bring them
back for their own personal visits with their new
friends at Fleischman ❑

Above far right: Zachary Singer, 5, of West
Bloomfield and Rabbi Syme admire their picture
frame and photo.

Above: Chloe.Linkner, 2, of West Bloomfield gets
into the act, making a picture frame with
Fleischman resident Tillie Small. Chloe's brother,
Noah, attends Shaarey Zedek's Beth Hayeled pro-
gram.

Right: Myrna Katz photographs Fleischman resi-
dents Etta Kaplan with 4-year-olds Gabby
Lowenthal, Shelby Wolok and Isaac Wolfe of West
Bloomfield and Chase Keller, 5, of Farmington
Hills.

Above center: Rabbi Syme greets Jodi Levin, 4,
and her mother, Karen, of West Bloomfield.

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2/15
2002

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