4irita aiitp

Women's
t Out

SUSAN TAWIL
Special to the Jewish News

ur goal is community build-
ing," said Amy Neistein,
director of the Neighborhood
Project of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
Toward that aim, Neistein is the
moving force behind the Women's
Night Out program, an annual evening
promoting friendship between women
from different Jewish denominations
who live in the Neighborhood Project
service area of Oak Park and
Southfield, as well as
Rabbi Tziona
Huntington Woods.
Szajman of
For the fifth annual event,
Southfield
the theme was "Ahavat Yisrael
a new
— Our Love for Israel."
educator at
Seventy women were invited
Congregation
to participate in the program,
Beth Shalom.
held Oct. 24 at the Jewish
Community Center in Oak
Park. The women attending
are members of three area syn-
agogues: Young Israel of Oak
Park (Orthodox),
Congregation Beth Shalom
(Conservative) and Temple
Emanu-El (Reform).
"We come together to share
our commonalities rather than
our differences," Neistein said.
high school teacher at Yeshivat Akiva in
Following an Israeli-style buffet din-
Southfield, is an Israeli native. She and
ner, a representative from each syna-
her husband, Zvi, recently arrived in
gogue spoke briefly on the topic of
Detroit for a two-year stint with Kollel
Israel. This was followed by "Songs of
Torah
Mi'Tzion.
Peace and Freedom" led by Lisa Soble
She spoke of "sharing" her husband
Siegmann, director of the Agency for
with her country during his army duty,
Jewish Education's JEFF (Jewish
"not because you like to, but because
Experiences For Families) program.
you have to." Since being in America,
Israeli-made gift items were available
she said, "I knew I would miss my fam-
for purchase from Alicia Nelson's
"Tradition! Tradition!" Judaica gift shop ily, but I never knew I would miss Israel
so much. It is our land, our home."
•
in Southfield.
Soble Siegmann played guitar and
The event was held in the JCC's
led the audience in an enthusiastic
newly renovated Meyer and Anna
kumsitz (sing-in) of old and new Israeli
Prentis Social Hall. Neistein said the
songs
to complete the program. Songs
social hall is a much-needed site for the
by
contemporary
songwriter Debbie
Neighborhood Project area, and would
Friedman were included, along with
add to the "enhancement and preserva-
familiar tunes like "Hatikvah,"
tion of the Oak Park and Southfield
"Yerushalayim Shel Zehav" and 'Am
neighborhoods."
Yisrael Chai."
Marcia Leibson, an educator at
Doris Schey, a Beth Shalom congre-
Temple Emanu-El, led the panel talk
gant
from Huntington Woods, said the
on Israel. Leibson was a participant in
program was very well planned and
two Federation-sponsored missions to
appreciated the "emotional speakers."
Israel as well as the 2000 National
Raiselle Snow, an Oak Park resident
Association of Temple Educators
and member of Young Israel, comment-
Seminar. She talked about her impres-
sions of the country, concluding, "It felt ed on the "detail and thought" evident
in the program, down to the blue-and-
like home; it never felt like that any-
white color theme carried through in
where else. It changes you in a pro-
table centerpieces, paper goods, even
found way.
Jan Wanetick of Southfield, a member of
the name tags. It was a nice mixing of
Rabbi Tziona Szajman, new in town
Congregation Beth Shalom, introduces a speaker:
the community," she said. ❑
from Toronto and serving at Congre-

"

Neighborhood Project builds communt

0

by bringing Jewish women together.

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11/8
2002

84

gation Beth Shalom, spoke next. A for-
mer student at the Jewish Theological
Seminary in Jerusalem, she said she
"found her Jewish identity in Israel,"
where "Jewish history fills every nook
and cranny." She described the "tangi-
ble religious sense" of the country,
including seeing all the chanukiot lit in
windows during Chanukah, experienc-
ing the sudden stop of the frantic-paced
day with the arrival of Shabbat and her
feeling that everyone was "all family.
Naama Fass, director of Young Israel
of Oak Park's youth program and a