For Openers
Motivated To Serve
Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak.
ewly elected State Rep. Andy
While he spent time providing constituent service for
Meisner, D-Huntington
Levin, he "realized that working in government was a
Woods, visited Yeshivat Akiva
way to help people," he said.
in Southfield last week to
Meisner reviewed the branches of government, various
speak to students about his own Jewish
committees of Congress and the role of legislators.
background, its influence on his decision
Asked by 11th-grade student Sidney Schechet of
to enter public service and the organiza-
tion and activity of
Michigan's state government.
The goal of the program
DON
was
to explore the connec-
COHEN
tion between Jewish values,
Special to the
political activism and social
Jewish News
responsibility as a follow-up
to the participation of six
Akiva students in the national Panim el
Panim (Face to Face) program in
Washington, D.C., in November 2002.
The program is part of Panim, known as
the Institute for Jewish Leadership and
Values. Akiva students have participated in
the "face to face" program for 10 years,
according to Kathy Sklar, Akiva's assistant
principal for general studies.
With the assistance of the Jewish
Community Council of Metropolitan
Detroit, a program was developed to bring a State Rep. Andy Meisner, D-Huntington Woods, tells Yeshivat Akiva stu-
"mini-Panim" experience to Akiva for more
dents about the workings of government.
than 30 students. In addition to Meisner,
students who attended the Washington con-
Southfield about bills he had sponsored, Meisner
ference led small-group peer discussions about case stud-
explained he had just been sworn in and the session
ies involving the study of Jewish texts, Aj,nerican law
and public policy.
wouldn't begin until Jan. 28. He said he was working on
introducing bills as well as studying issues and building
Meisner told the students that, to him, "helping peo-
relationships.
ple is kind of a foundational part of Judaism."
When asked about the top issues facing the state legis-
A lifetime member of Congregation Beth Shalom in
lature, the budget topped Meisner's list, which also
Oak Park, Meisner is a graduate of the James Madison
included charter schools and mass transportation for
College at Michigan State University. He headed to
metropolitan Detroit. El
Washington, D.C., upon graduation to work for U.S.
N
Pho to by Don Cohen
.
gt,[gV1g 3cha
Enow
© 2003
S
hylock is often described as
the only Jewish character in a
Shakespearean play. But there
is one other. Who is it?
— Goldfein
puap• scloop(tis :JaAtsuy
notables
"As we travel through these difficult
times, I often wonder if Dr. King
were with us today what role he
would he be playing in helping us
find the right path, a peaceful path, to
resolving some of the conflicts we're
dealing with on a daily basis."
Mark Davidoff Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's executive director,
at a Martin Luther King Day program
held at the Max M. Fisher Federation
Building in Bloomfield Township.
"It's beyond what any mom would ever
),
dream.
— Marcia Lieberman, the 88-year-old
mother of U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-
Conn., on his announcement as a candi-
date for the Democratic nomination for
president, as quoted by JTA.
.
Yiddish Limericks
I warned Humpty Dumpty he should
Avoid tops of walls if he could.
One day, ahf tsu &chess*,
He fell on his tuchess**,
And now he's tsebruchen*** for good!
Martha Jo Fleischmann
Shabbat Candlelighting
"Sometimes I help my mommy wave at the Shabbos candles, then I cover my face, too. I'm help-
ing her because she helps me."
— Bentzy Burstyn, 2 '/2, Oak Park
* [idiomatic] as (ill) luck would
have it
** behind
*** broken
Yiddish-ism
Sponsored by Lubavitch
Women's Organization.
To submit a candlelighting
message or to receive
complimentary candlesticks
and information on Shabbat
candlelighting, call Miriam
Amzalak of Oak Park at
(248) 967-5056 or e-mail:
amzalak @j uno. corn
Candlelighting
Friday, Jan. 24, 5:17 p.m.
Candlelighting
Friday, Jan. 31, 5:26 p.m.
Shabbat Ends
Saturday, Jan. 25, 6:23 p.m.
Shabbat Ends
Saturday, Feb. 1, 6:32 p.m.
fonfer
Someone who talks unclearly or a
double-talker.
Source: The Joys of Yiddish by Leo
Rosten (McGraw-Hill).
TN
;
1/74
2003
IL