For Openers
USY Memories Revisited
clut
K now © 2003
9
LORI WEISS
Special to the Jewish News
D
ozens of Metro Detroiters made
their way April 4-6 to a United
Synagogue Youth reunion they
had dreamed about for years.
Former Detroiter Karen Moss Hale coordi-
nated the gathering in Cleveland that drew
more than 70 people from around the
world, all former members of USY's Central
Region.
The weekend began unofficially on Friday
in the Holiday Inn-Beechwood's restaurant
as a group of Detroiters gathered for dinner
and waited for old friends to arrive.
"The weather was so bad, we decided to
just hang out at the hotel the first night,"
said Farmington Hills' Margi Fridson
Weinhaus, still smiling as she recalls the
Louis Peerless of Cincinnati and Kenny Lerner of Portland, Ore., play some of the old
memories. "We were having dinner when
USY favorites on guitar; while alums enjoy. Top row: Judge Susan Moiseev of Southfield
this guy walks in and says, Well, I recognize Mark Davis of West Bloomfield and Margi Fridson Weinhaus of Farmington Hills.
Gary Docks and Margi.' I didn't have a clue
Sitting: Debbie Robbins of West Bloomfield Roberta Trattner of Indianapolis, Randee
who he was. Then Debbie Robbins said, 'It's Green Lipman and Brenda Steirn Altus, both of West Bloomfield.
Kenny Lerner!' I couldn't believe I didn't rec-
ognize my old boyfriend. But he didn't have
As Shabbat came to an end, the entire group gathered at
white hair back then."
Congregation Shaarey Tikvah for Havdalah services, dinner, a
Before the night was through, the group gathered in the
candlelighting ceremony and lots of memories.
hotel's hospitality suite, catching up on memories and taking a
'Almost everyone who lit a candle said the same thing, how
step back in time.
USY brought us together," Mark Davis of West Bloomfield
"Kenny Lerner and Louie Peerless got out their guitars and
said. "It gave us a sense of Judaism, a sense of identity that so
we started singing all the songs we used to sing around the
many of us have maintained still today.
campfire," Weinhaus recalled.
As the weekend came to an end, the tears began to flow. The
By Saturday, the hospitality suite was flooding out into the
USY alums gathered in a peace circle, the way they had so
hall, as alumni, ranging from 1955 to 1977, hugged and
many times before.
screamed the way they had so many times before at regional
`As we began to sing 'Shalom Chaverim' (Goodbye Friends),
conventions and at camp.
I saw myself 40 years ago standing in this same circle outside of
"We were sitting around the hospitality room and it was like
a hotel," Hale said, with tears in her eyes. ❑
being at a Halloween party," Debbie Robbins of West
USY alums from the classes of 1973-78 interested in
Bloomfield said. "You knew that there were people on the
attending
a Detroit reunion should send an e-mail to
inside that you knew, but you couldn't recognize them under-
DetUSYreunion@aol.com
neath the costumes!"
Shabbat Candlelighting
Lisa Aiken, librarian, Southfield
Sponsored by Lubavitch
Women's Organization.
complimentary candlesticks
and information on Shabbat
Candlelighting
Candlelighting
Friday, April 18, 7.59 p. in.
Friday, April 25, 8:07 p.m.
Shabbat Ends
Shabbat Ends
Saturday, April 19, 9:05 p.
Saturday April 26, 9:14 p. in.
[
candlelighting, call Miriam
Amzaktk of Oak Park at
(248) 967-5056 or e - mail:
marnzalak@juno.corn
— by Goldfine
uospuE12-1ua.i2 s‘ tfroN cgaeptis
auruu nnaigaH aril Luau paidnnop
-
sr apytaAjo luvciaapv
Q111 UT .P1DETELID
)poikqs alp jo aureu at1Z :Tammy
Quotables
"Eventually, there will be a Palestinian
state. I view things first and foremost
from our perspective. I do not think
that we have to rule over another peo-
ple and run their lives. I do not think
that we have the strength for that. It
is a very heavy burden on the public
and it raises ethical problems and
heavy economic problems."
— Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
in a Ha'aretz interview on April 13.
Yiddish Limericks
An unemployed fella named Burk
Was told by a government clerk,
"Don't feel so bereft
Without a gesheft.*
Nishtgedeiget!** We'll find you some
work."
— Martha Jo Fleischmann
"Lighting Shabbat candles every Friday night is a time where I feel
empowered. Little me can make a difference; I am bringing my share of
light into this dark and confused world."
To submit a candlelighting
message or to receive
hat do thereat-
grandson of the bibli-
cal Noah and a main
character in a famous
Shakespearean play have in corn-
mon?
* business
** Don't worry!
Yiddish-isms
shnorrer
A beggar; a panhandler; a moocher; a
cheapskate; a chiseler.
Source: From The New Joys of Yiddish
by Leo Calvin Rosten, edited by
Lawrence Bush, copyright 2001, by
the Rosten Family LLC. Used by per-
mission of the Rosten Family LLC.
0
4/18
2003
7