The Big Story

Lisa Soble Siegmann of JEFF plays the
guitar during the Single Mother/Family
Camp Havdalah service at Butzel.

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2002 •

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Herty, of Farmington Hills, has a
word for them: "wonderful."
For the past several years, Herty has
attended the camps in Ortonville,
along with her three daughters,
Lauren, 11, Mollie, 9, and Shoshana,
7, and they're set to go again this
Mother's Day.
"I'd heard about the camp from a
friend," Herty said. "So I went, and it
is a wonderful group of people and
they treat us so special. They pamper
us, feed us all the meals, bring in all
kinds of counselors who entertain the
kids with activities."
There are guest speakers as well, and
special events like the spa night, corn-
plete with massage therapists.
And the best part: the people you
meet up with.
"It's a real bonding experience,"
Herty said. "It's nice to be there with
other women who are divorced with
children, and I really like the fact that
everyone is Jewish.
"I've made a lot of friends," she
added, "and I even had the chance to
reconnect with old friends I hadn't
seen since high school."
Linda Orbach-Shear is director of
the Single Jewish Parents Network
(SJPN), which is a department of
JEFF (Jewish Experiences for
Families), part of the AJE (Agency for
Jewish Educationof Metropolitain
Detroit).
"Nearly 60 percent of our Jewish
children are spending a portion of
their lives being raised in single-parent

homes," she said. "SJPN is here to
help keep single-parent families stay
connected to Jewish traditions, the
community and to each other. We
have 500-plus families (divorced, wid-
owed and never married, all with chil-
dren) on our mailing list, and new
families contact us every day to be
part of what we offer."
While SJPN hosts a number of
social and educational programs
throughout the year, and regularly
provides legal and financial advice to
member families, the family camps
probably have the greatest impact,
Orbach-Shear said.
"There's Jewish education, family
bonding and connecting with others
in similar circumstances — and just
plain fun.
"Also, the camps are subsidized, so
families who have financial limitations
are not deprived of the experience."
Michael Singer said the highlight of
his experience at the Parent-Child
camp at Mullett Lake was watching
his children Harry, 7, and Annabel, 5,
enjoy themselves. "I was very
impressed with the camp," said Singer
of West Bloomfield.
"It's a beautiful facility. Each family
had its own private cabin, which cer-
tainly was more luxurious than any of
my camping experiences [as a child]."
Singer said he appreciated the staff
caring for the children, seeing Harry
and Annabel playing games and learn-
ing "from the time they woke up to
the time they went to bed." And for

himself, he was glad to have the
opportunity to meet and talk with
other single Jewish parents.
In fact, noted Janis Wetsman,
SJPN chairman, many parents con-
tinue their friendships long beyond
the summer or weekend. After last
year's camp, a number of families
established their own chavurah, an
informal group that meets regularly
on Shabbat. Others reunited for hol-
iday dinners.
"These camps may be just a brief
encounter," she added, "but the
rewards of keeping the families part of
the Jewish community, and the true
friendships and strong support systems
that are formed, last a lifetime."
Upcoming SJPN programs include:
• A tour of the Matzah Factory at
the West Bloomfield Jewish
Community Center at 4:30 p.m. on
Monday, March 18. Each child will
make her or his own seder plate.
• An educational forum, "When
More Than Two Say 'I Do!'" for step-
parents, grandparents and single par-
ents of children being raised as part of
a blended family. Beginning 8:45 a.m.
Sunday, April 18, at the Max M.
Fisher Federation Building, 6735
Telegraph Road, Bloomfield
Township.
An ice-cream social at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek West Bloomfield, B'nai
Israel Center from 2-4 p.m. on
Sunday, April 21, with a summer
theme (so dress accordingly!), crafts,
magic and kosher ice cream. ❑

The cost for the Mother/Child
Weekend is $100 a family,
while the fee for the
Parent/Child Week is $400 for
adults, $375 for each child
aged 13-17, $300 for each
child aged 6-12, $250 for each
child aged 2-5. Those younger
than 2 are free. Financial assis-
tance is available.
The Single Jewish Parents
Network family camps are
subsidized by the Jewish
Women's Foundation of
Metropolitan Detroit and by
Graham and Sally Orley of
Bloomfield Hills.

Upcoming Single Parent
Family Camps:

May 10-12: Mother's Day
weekend retreat at Butzel
Conference Center for single
mothers and their children,
ages 11 and younger.
Aug. 19-25: A week-long pro-
gram at the Grand Resort at
Mullett Lake for single moth-
ers and/or single fathers and
their children of all ages.
At each camp, families will
receive a private room, bath-
room and shower.
Costs for both camps
include meals, linens, accom-
modations and on-site activi-
ties.
There are a limited number
of spaces available, and a lot-
tery will be held to determine
participation. All applications
for both camps must be at the
Single Jewish Parents Network
office no later than April 5.
Mail to: SJPN, 6735
Telegraph Rd., Suite 370,
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301.
For information, or to
receive an application, contact
Linda Orbach-Shear at (248)
205-2542, or e-mail
orbach-shear@ajedetroit.org

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