Guest Rabbi Focuses On Death I n the absence of a full-time rabbi, when Congregation T'Chiyah is able to host visit- ing clergy, they make the most of the oppor- tunity. Houston-based Rabbi Sue E. Levy will spend time with the Royal Oak congregation, leading Shabbat services at 7:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, and 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. On Friday evening, she will speak about Judaism and Islam. On Saturday morning, she will talk about the Jewish practice regarding death and mourning. The rabbi brings both personal understanding as a mourner for her late husband and experience as a teacher of death and dying at Temple University in Philadelphia and on Jewish mourn- ing customs in numerous other locations. A former hospital administrator, Rabbi Levy is also trained as a cantor and has served as director of rabbinic placement for the Reconstructionist movement. She is the facilitator of the Jewish Recovery Network, a support group of Jewish Family Services of Houston, for those in recovery from addiction. — Shelli Liebman Dorfman Hebrew-Letter Quilt Earns Blue Ribbon W hen Shany and Shlomie Baitz of New York City sent out invitations for their wedding, they never dreamed the illus- tration on it of a bride and groom made from the Hebrew initials of their names would wind up on an award-winning quilt. Shany's mother, attorney Rivka Schochet of West Bloomfield, received the gift for the newly- weds from her secretary Sharon Miner of Mount Clemens, who made it. The quilt won a blue rib- bon at the Michigan State Fair. — Sharon Luckerman Sharon Miner's blue-ribbon quilt with Hebrew letters. Super Sunday Moves Into December D ecember has been declared Mitzah Month by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, which will kick off 2004 with its Super Sunday phon-a-thon from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 7. Hundreds of volunteers will be making calls from the Max M. Fisher Federation Building in Bloomfield Hills as well as from the Jewish Community Center in Oak Park. Super Sunday will be extended through Tuesday, Dec. 9. The event benefits Federation's Annual Campaign that supports 18 local agencies, ranging from Jewish Family Services, JVS, Jewish Apartment Services, Jewish Community Center, Jewish day schools, Hillel and Jewish summer camp. Overseas, the money goes wherever Jews are in need. This year, every new gift to Federation's 2004 Annual Campaign will be matched dollar-for-dollar through the generosity of the Jane and Larry Sherman Family Challenge Fund in honor of Max M. Fisher's 95th Birthday. Volunteers are needed and are asked to sign up for one of two shifts: from 10 a.m.-noon or from noon-3 p.m. Child care and activities will be available for chil- dren at the JCC in Oak Park. To volunteer, call Carol Kaczander at (248) 203- 1466, Heidi Hes (Women's Campaign & Education Department) at (248) 203-1459 or Jonathan Goldstein (Federation's Young Adult Division) at (248) 203-1471. Newcomers are welcome. Coffee, bagels, pizza and snacks are provided, with dietary laws observed. — Keri Guten Cohen Mark Hauser Joins UJC Board M ark R. Hauser, immediate past president of the United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit and a longtime com- munity leader, was elected a vice chair and at-large trustee of the United Jewish Communities board at the organi- zation's 2003 General Assembly held in Jerusalem. As one of eight vice chairs, Hauser will serve as a member of the executive committee as well as a key member of the Officers Team, which serves as a sounding board and brainstorming group with the chief volunteer officers and the Hauser CEO. They deal with high-level issues relating to corporate organization, policy and Jewish community concerns related to the UJC's agenda. Hauser is a real estate attorney with Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth and Heller P.C. An ardent sup- porter of Israel, Hauser has led hundreds of Detroiters on missions to Israel, in addition to his other leader- ship roles. — Keri Guten Cohen Jewish Fund Update D avid Page, chair of the Jewish Fund, called the 2003 payout of $3.9 million in grants "one of our largest grant years ever,„ b during the Jewish Fund annual report on Nov. 24. The Jewish Fund was created with the proceeds of the sale of Sinai Hospital to the Detroit Medical Center in 1996. It awards grants that are primari- ly seed money for new pro- grams to help vulnerable indi- viduals, mainly the elderly and those with special needs. "We have fared well, despite the faltering economy, and remain in a very strong posi- tion,” he said, noting Jewish David Page Fund net assets of $54 million. "Since our creation in early 1997, we have paid out over $12 million in obliga- tions that we took over to the DMC, we paid $8.5 million for an outstanding Medicare settlement obli- gation of Sinai Hospital that we assumed as part of the transaction, and we paid approximately 5 per- cent of our net assets in grants each and every year." The Jewish Fund total grant amount in its six-year history is $22 million. — Harry Kirsbaum Israel insigit TIM ISSUE The security barrier Israel is build- ing- to separate itself from West Bank towns and villages is being called an "apartheid wall" or "Berlin wall by Palestinian activists. They claim the barrier is disruptive and oppressive to their lives. Its recent results, though, bring a different definition to mind for most Israelis. REHIND THE ISSUE As the past six weeks have seen a marked reduction in the number of terror attacks in Israel, most Israelis are calling the security barrier "effective." Avi Dichter, Israel's security services chief, was quoted this week as saying that the 60 miles of completed fence has "paid for itself — with interest." — Allan Gale, Jewish. Communi t y Council ofMetropolitan Detroit 11/28 2003 15