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Mazel
Toy!
52
Joining Forces
JACOB brings Jewish and
Chaldean teens together
for second annual Blight
Busters project.
BEN FALIK
Special to the Jewish News
T
he city of Detroit got a
helping hand when
JACOB, the Jewish and
Chaldean Opportunity
Builders, brought together suburban
teens for a second annual week of
community service.
The group, funded by Ford and
B'nai B'rith, rejoined the Motor City
Blight Busters in working to restore a
commercial lot at Lahser Road and
Grand River.
Some of the students were veterans
of last year's effort, while others were
just discovering JACOB, a combina-
tion of Temple Israel and Chaldean
Americans Reaching and Encouraging
(CARE).
Last year, the group worked on
three residential lots in Old Redford,
a neighborhood on the northwest side
of Detroit. They did everything from
demolition to landscaping.
"I've been waiting a whole year for
this," said Vanessa Shamany, 19, of
West Bloomfield.
Making A Difference
Counterclock-
wise from top:
Sarah Rogow,
17, ofWest
Bloomfield,
Zack Chutz,
15, of
Bloomfield
Hills, and
Semonna
Abidor, 17, of
West
Bloomfield
work together
to remove
remnants of
the abandoned
building.
Josh Roberts,
18, ofWest
Bloomfield
helps tear apart
the roof of the
abandoned
building.
Atill t uo
Vanessa
Shamany, 19,
of West
Bloomfield
removes debris
from the site.
John George, co-founder and presi-
dent of Blight Busters, joined the
group and explained his organization's
short- and long-term goals.
"We were trying to protect our
home, families, children and neigh-
borhood," George told the group.
"That's how Blight Busters got started 14 years ago.
This week, we are working to clean up, fix up and
Ben Falik is a junior at Columbia University in
New York City, majoring in urban studies.
Students immediately began tearing the roof off a
burned-out commercial garage and tending to other
needs on the property. The lot will become the
Blight Busters Discount Hardware Store, selling sur-
plus donated materials.
"I got a lot closer with Josh [Roberts] during the
program last year," said Bashar Yalldo, 18, of West
Bloomfield. "When I see him at school we always
talk."
Roberts, 18, of West Bloomfield, said: "When I
see people around, it's great to catch up with them.
You do this kind of work with someone and they
stay your friend."
When students broke for lunch on the first day,
the two groups separated at a pair of tables.
"It's kind of funny, but understandable the way
you go back to your comfort zone," said Reneta
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7/12
2002
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