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Mazel
Toy!
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Great Outdoors!
Canoeing and camaraderie are all part of llosaic Club's outdoor offerings.
KAREN SCHWARTZ
Special to the Jewish News
Ann Arbor
A
rmed with blue and yellow pad-
dles, they donned life vests,
grabbed life preservers and headed
for the boats.
Members of the Mosaic Outdoor Club of
Michigan (MOCMI) enjoyed a two-hour
canoe trip down the Huron River in Ann
Arbor as one of the Jewish organization's
1 :11 14t :.
many monthly events designed to bring out-
door enthusiasts together.
"What if it rains?" one participant asked
nervously, looking at the clouds threatening
the Sunday afternoon sky. "Then we'll pad-
dle faster," came a reply.
Some people present had never paddled a
boat before, but it is all part of the fun and
adventure, said Ann Arbor resident Sam
Zwetchkenbaum, who led the event.
"What's exciting is that most of these peo-
ple haven't been canoeing in many years, and
it'll be fun to watch them all enjoy them-
selves," he said. Zwetchkenbaum, who has
been involved with the group since October,
added that the group's welcoming environ-
ment makes it easy to try new activities and
Mosaic Club members enjoy a weekend canoe trip: Sara Braverman, West Bloomfield; Tziona Szajman, Oak Park;
have a good time.
Melinda Saulson, Franklin; Laurie Gendron, Brighton; Renee Engelson, Birmingham; Sam Zwetchkenbaum, Ann
"It's low pressure, everybody's just looking
Arbor; and David Goodman, DeWitt.
to have fun," he said. "It's non-competitive
and if someone doesn't know what to do, it's
a great chance to learn."
Socializing In Nature
Though more than 100 people, single and married, are on its mailing list,
MOCMI, one of the more than 20 Mosaic Outdoor Clubs around the
information about the club, which is based in the Detroit metropolitan area,
nation, offers Jewish singles an alternative social setting for meeting others,
often travels by word of mouth, drawing participants from as far away as
said Eli Avny, vice-president of the Michigan Chapter of the Mosaic Outdoor
Kalamazoo.
Club of America.
David Goodman drove more than an hour from DeWitt, a city outside of
Avny, one of the chapter's co-founders, said the idea for starting a
Lansing, to attend Sunday's excursion. He said he decided to join MOCMI
Michigan chapter came from people's high interest in outdoor events and
because of the variety of opportunities it provides.
because of the club's relaxed settings, "away from the bars and discotheques."
"It's a good way to get involved in outdoor activities and meet other single
"It's more conducive for people to meet others in nature — they do things
Jewish people," he said.
In addition to hiking and camping, Goodman said his favorite event was
GREAT OUTDOORS on page 30
meeting up with other chapters for a weekend in Toledo.
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