AND VODKA

"We're looking to reach
out and do many things to
bring people into our
door."
Contorer is working
with colleagues from other
cities' federations that also
have established Russian
outreach programs, such as
New York, Cleveland and
Philadelphia.
"I work a lot with our
committee in terms of
what they want to outline
for an event calendar, how
much Jewish education
they want to do, how
much parties and outreach
they want to do and how
much Campaign when
they feel it's appropriate,"
he said.
Contorer said Russian
Division's next big event
will be a family-oriented
Purim party, probably
around the JEFF [Jewish
Experiences For Families]
Purim Parcel Project. For
the Chanukah party, JEFF
created take-home holiday
guides in English and in
Russian.
At the Chanukah party,
keyboardist and singer Ben
Opengeym played a mix-
ture of Jewish and Russian
songs and dance numbers.
Committee member
Michael Kuchersky is
owner of the Fiddler
restaurant in West
Bloomfield, where the first
Russian Division event
was held — an Aug. 27
dinner for 130 that raised
$15,670 for Federation's
Israel Emergency Fund.
He reflected on the future
of the Russian Division.
"We must be creative,"
Kuchersky said. "I hope
that we'll continue and
generate some money for
Federation. And possibly
our children will be inter-
ested in what we have
started."

Clockwise from
top..

Committee
member Tamara
Friedman
introduces
Allan Gelfond
of Federation.

Alla Opengeym of
West Bloomfield
and son Greg, 13,
join in the Pledge
of Allegiance."

Toasting the
holiday are
Chanukah
celebrants Eugene
Friedman of
Bloomfield Hills,
Pavel and Alla
Katz of West
Bloomfield and
Tony Vulman of
West Bloomfield.

Committee
member
Gennadiy
Shumulinskiy
and his wife,
Susanna, enjoy
the festivities.

Students Read
Holocaust Poems

Seventh-grade students from the
Jewish Parents Institute will perform
excerpts from I Never Saw Another
Butterfly by Celeste Rapanti at 11:30
a.m. Sunday, Dec. 15.
The production includes several
poems written by children interned at
the Terezin concentration camp in
1942-1944. This one-act performance
will take place in the Aaron DeRoy
Theatre of the Jewish Community
Center in West Bloomfield.
The project has been funded by a
grant from Federation's Alliance for
Jewish Education to bring art to the
schools.
Under the direction of drama
teacher Frannie R. Goldstein, Andrew
Aerni, Dana Beck, Dustin Borlack,
Laura Davidson, Evan Donahue,
Jordan Foon, Erin Kaplan, Joshua
Kazdan, Dan Keen, Matthew Lenzi,
Brett Malbin, Devon Roberts and
Nathan Vale have been involved in an
experiential, empathic process using
drama to integrate the Holocaust
experience into their lives.
Assisting the students are their JPI
club leader, Erin Pearlman, teen assis-
tants Kofi Appiah and Matt Phillips,
and L.D. consultant Diane Adler.

Israel Is Seeking
Service Volunteers

Israel's Sar-El program offers volun-
teers from around the world a chance
to help in such service environments
as elder care facilities and hospitals,
Israeli Defense Forces warehouses and
service bases.
Volunteers typically stay for two to
threeimeeks; the program provides
accommodations and meals.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to
make new friends and contribute to
the State of Israel in a very direct
way," says veteran volunteer Ed Kohl
of West Bloomfield, a Sar-4 volun-
teer recruiter.

Kohl is available to speak to
groups and individuals about his
experiences with the Sar-El pro-
gram. For information, call or e-
mail Kohl, (248) 788-0551 or
sekohl@earthlink.net or visit the
Sar-El Web site www.sar-el.org

❑

12/13

2002

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