Please join in our new initiative to
give bock to the community that
has given us so much.
PR, 1E.,,,,SS
DREAM
Donate your previously enjoyed
party dresses, prom gowns and
bridal dresses. Shore the dream
with someone who deserves to
feel beautiful and special too.
Dresses will be shared with young
women who are not able to afford
to purchase them.
Don't have a dress? Monetary
donations will also be accepted.
All money raised will be donated
to Alternatives for Girls in Detroit.
Dresses will be distributed on a
first-come, first-serve basis.
The prom is only two
months away.
Bring dresses by May 1st to
Topper's Diamonds and Fine Jewelry
Orchard Mall, West Bloomfield MI
So far, she doesn't
have a dress.
1AMONDS.& FiNE: (E\VELRY
Michigan 's most misted jeweler since 1.977
Orchard Mall . West Bloomfield. MI 4322
248-932-7700 . 800,337-G1FT
MAKE T HE. CONK E.C1 ION 0 WWW. FAIVERS.CONI
829760
size
"The
Wiindows
Door icucdtor
20-60%
OFF
Sale ends Wednesday
Ask for Kari Kovack
or Michelle Ben-Ezra
BRING YOUR
CUSTOM DESIGNS TO LIFE
We Specialize in all
custom doors:
,
•Wood • Fiberglass
• Steel •Interior
248-737-3700
33084 Northwestern Hwy.
4/ 9
2004
22
between 14 Mile & Orchard Lake Road
807990
(between. Home Appliance & In Style Furniture)
Trusting Atmosphere
Challenge Day program helps break down barriers
between people.
Hard Times
KAREN SCHWARTZ
Special to the Jewish News
Ann Arbor
F
our Ann Arbor B'nai
B'rith Youth Organization
members stepped out of
their comfort zones March
21 as part of Challenge Midwest's
Community Challenge Day. The six-
hour program, held at Clague
Middle School, is designed to break
down barriers and promote under-
standing.
The BBYO chapter, Echad, voted
to take part in the activity after
hearing about it from chap-
ter member David Zimet,
15, and his mother, Gloria
Zimet, a parent volunteer
with Challenge Midwest.
Both had participated in a
previous Challenge Day
event.
"This program is out-
standing," Gloria Zimet
said. "It's an antidote to a
lot of the problems we have
in our society. What really
amazes people is that so
much can change in six
hours. It's transformative —
you can't walk out of there
and interact with people in the same
way.
More than 100 teen and adult
participants, representing a cross-
I
section of Ann Arbor residents,
spent the day exploring the way they
think about themselves and relate to
others through a combination of ice-
breakers, large and small group
activities and exercises designed to
give them the opportunity to get to
know and appreciate the people
around them. Open, candid conver-
sation in a trusting atmosphere was a
goal.
"We want to plant the seeds to
show people they don't have to walk
around judging people; we want
them to know they can treat people
with respect and kindness," said
Kekoa Won, a Challenge Day facili-
tator.
Challenge Day is a 15-year-old
concept begun in California.
One Echad member said she learned
lessons she can take back to her
chapter that also apply generally to
her life.
"They talk about how people, even
though they're teased, don't deserve
it because everyone's been through
hard times and people don't deserve
to be treated this way — everyone
deserves to be treated the same and
everyone should be loved for who
they are," she said. "I'm probably
going to act a lot differently now —
I've teased people before, and I didn't
think about it. When you do it, you
'
Above top: Kekoa Won, a Challenge Day
facilitator, gives instructions to- the crowd
Above: Challenge Day participants keep
the ball aloft.