Something Extra

Roisman To Head Camps

Andy Roisman, who has coordinated
the family and adult education pro-
grams at the Jewish Community
Center of Metropolitan Detroit's Oak
Park building for the pastfive years,
took over as director of all JCC day
camps on March 1.
Roisman replaces
Nancie Furgang, who
has accepted the posi-
tion of senior neona-
tal developmental
therapist in the
neonatology depart-
ment of the
Roisman
University of New
Mexico Medical
Center in
Albuquerque. Furgang also directed
all special needs programs, from pre-
school to senior adult, at both build-
ings. The JCC is actively recruiting for
the special needs position.
As part of her new job, Furgang has
been accredited to teach at the univer-
sity's medical school. She also plans to
pursue a doctorate.
"The community and the Center

Laptops And Torahs

have been so supportive," she said.
"They've allowed us to pursue pro-
grams that could not have been possi-
ble in another city.
Furgang and Roisman emphasized
that all Center day camp programs
will continue uninterrupted.
Roisman had on-the-job training
last summer when she served as the
day camp's assistant
director. In all, she
has more than 20
years of experience
working in the Jewish
community, including
four years with the
Fresh Air Society's
Family and Bubbie-
Zayde camps.
Furgang
Camp programs —
day camp, sports,
Imagitivity, theater, travel and adven-
ture — begin June 21. For more infor-
mation, call (248) 432-5578 or visit
the Website at:
wwvv.jccdet.org .

Ten years ago, the First International
Conference of Jewish women in Kiev
launched Project Kesher, a grassroots
organization that has become the
largest Jewish women's organization
in the Former Soviet Union (FSU).
In their short existence, Project
Kesher turned regions in the FSU
where Jewish life was almost non-
existent into places of vibrant Jewish
life. Women in 160 towns through-
out the FSU have been trained and
Project Kesher has created a network
of women's groups that meet to cele-
brate Shabbat and holidays, study
Torah and facilitate Jewish celebra-
tions for their entire communities.
On June 21, 120 women from the
United States, Israel and Europe will
travel the Volga River from Moscow
for a week, together with 90 Jewish
women from Russia, Ukraine,
Moldova and Belarus. The group
will bring Torahs and laptops to the
region.
Six women from the Detroit area

will join the trip including Patti and
Ericka Aaron of West Bloomfield,
Andy Wolfe of Bloomfield Hills and
Michelle Passon, Dana Burnstein
and Linda Sahn, all of West
Bloorrifield.
"I couldn't pass up this unique
opportunity to interact with Jewish
women around the world," says Patti
Aaron, chairman of the David B.
Hermelin ORT Resource Center in
West Bloomfield. "Cruising down
the Volga River with women from
here and the USSR will be spiritual-
ly and culturally enlightening for all
of us on board."
Most communities in the FSU
have no Torah, particularly ones
accessible to women. For more infor-
mation or to offer leads to Torahs or
donations of Pentium laptops, light-
ly used or new, call Project Kesher
headquarters. in Illinois (847) 332-
1994.

— Sharon Luckerinan, staff writer

— Diana Lieberman, staffwriter

Holocaust Bill Signed

Surrounded by Holocaust sur-
vivors, a bill commemorating
"one of the darkest periods in
world history" was signed into
law by Gov. Jennifer
Granholm on Feb 26.
The law designates the 27th
day of Nisan as Holocaust
Remembrance Day in
Michigan, which corresponds
with the start of the Warsaw
Ghetto uprising on April 19,
1943. The surrounding week
is designated the Days of
Remembrance.

"I encourage Michigan citi-
zens to set aside Holocaust
Remembrance Day and the
Days of Remembrance as a
time to reflect on the need to
be vigilant against hatred,
intolerance and tyranny today
based on the lessons of the
past," Gov. Granholm said.
Rep. Marc Shulman, R-West
Bloomfield, the bill's sponsor,
said, This remembrance of
the Holocaust is more than a
history lesson; it is a current
event.

Kosher animals must be ritually slaughtered,
then washed and salted to remove blood, before
they can be cooked and consumed — except for
one category of animal. Which one?

— Goldfein

•LIS Id LI3 M SIIV

3/12
2004

12

•

"The Holocaust was one of
the darkest moments in the
history of mankind. We
must never forget."
Shulman was joined by Lt.
Gov. John Cherry and
Holocaust survivors Michael
and Lily Weiss of Oak Park
and Rene Lichtman of West
Bloomfield.

-- Harry Kirsbaum,
staff writ r

e

Shulman and Ch

look on as Granholm signs the bill.

Quotables

Do You Remember?

"I am not a missionary and I didn't come here to
Christianize anyone. What I do want is to recon-
cile the two religions, and my main mission here
is to show the Church itself that it has Jewish
roots. There is an ancient idea the Church is a
branch of a tree called the Jewish people; but with
time, Christianity lost this dimension; and now I
want to reclaim it."
— Jean-Baptiste Gourion, an Algerian-born Jew
who converted to Christianity almost 50 years ago
and is now a bishop for non Arab Catholics in Israel;
quoted from the Forward (Feb. 27).

March 1984 – Our local teens continue to be our
goodwill messengers on the first Israel Teen Mission.
Detroit's Project Renewal sister community,
Ramla, Israel, is preparing for the arrival of 20
Detroit teens.
For 88 days, the teens will live, work and travel
with 20 teens from Ramla. The Israelis' families will
provide home hospitality for the 16-day stay.
An additional six days will round out the touring
program, involving the teens in nature studies,
desert camping and hiking.
— Sy Maned°, editorial assistant