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Back To School

Hillel grads celebrate a simchah on familiar ground.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
StqffWriter

hen Karen Cash andiVlichele Faudem
became friends at Hillel Day School
of Metropolitan Detroit, they never
IIINT could have imagined returning some-
day, one as a bride and one as a rabbi.
But when Dr. Cash and Tommy Begres, both of
Farmington Hills, set their May 23 wedding date,
they chose the Farmington Hills school's chapel for
its setting and Hillel's rabbi-in-residence to officiate.
• "Michele told me she had once co-officiated at a
wedding, but never held the reins," Dr..Cash said.
"But I asked her anyway because she's the rabbi I
feel the closest connection with."
The chapel's intimate size turned out to be ideal
for the 75-guest wedding — the first at Hillel. "We
wanted simplicity — to be able to focus on our
commitment to each other," Begres said.
But there was also another consideration. "Karen's
sons (Derek Wolfe, 10, and Ethan Wolfe, 6) go to
Hillel and we wanted to do everything we could to
make the wedding comfortable for them," he said.

New Arrivals

May 1
Jeffrey and Jennifer Norber of Royal
Oak are thrilled to announce the
birth of their son, Jacob Edward.
Grandparents are Joe and Denise
Norber of West Bloomfield and
Joseph and Yvonne Krasny of Ann
Arbor. Jacob. Edward is named in
loving memory of Jennifer's cousin.

April 19
Shelley (Finer) and Kevin
Weingarden of Berkley welcome
with much love the birth of their
son, Brandon Ashton (Shoel
Avraham). Very excited grandparents
are Dorene and Alan Finer and
Susan and Dr. Terry Weingarden, all
of WeSt Bloomfield. Also sharing in
their joy are great-grandmas Lilyan
Finer and Sylvia Ross. Brandon is
named in loving memory of his
paternal great-grandmother Peggy
Weingarden and his maternal great-
grandfather Charles Finer.

Feb. 7
Irina (Zisser) and Steven Muskovitz
of West Bloomfield welcome with

During the ceremony
Sunday, the boys will have the
honor of walking their mother
down the aisle.
In addition to being the
owner of a specialty medical
infusion service, Begres is also
a firefighter — "one of three
Jewish firemen in the Detroit
area," he said. "We call our-
selves the Mitzvah Boys."
More than a dozen of his
firefighting colleagues will
Dr. Karen Cash, Tommy Begres and Rabbi Michelle Faudem prepare for
attend the wedding. "I can't
Sunday's ceremony.
wait to see a bunch of firemen,
who are not Jewish, coming in
"Having the wedding at Hillel is a really nice
wearing their uniforms — and kippahs," Begres
said.
comment on Karen's feelings for the school and the
education she received and the home she hopes to
The couple — who met through J-Date — will
have with Tom," Rabbi Faudem said.
use a ceramic kiddush cup under the chuppah,
Begres agrees. "This is where I plan to — some-
made by Dr. Cash's sons. "Until we received the sen-
day — send our future child," he said. •
timental wine glass, we had thought we would use
the one I received in fourth grade at Hillel," Dr.
Cash said.

love their daughter, Grace Dorothy
(Gittle Devora). Sharing in their joy
are grandparents Mark Zisser of
Moscow, Russia, and Alice
Muskovitz of West Bloomfield.
Grace is named in loving memory of
her maternal grandmother Galina
Zisser and her paternal great-grand-
mother Dorothy Levitsky. She is also
the granddaughter of the late Jerry
Muskovitz.

Jan. 4
Randi (Weiss) and Ron Fogel of
West Bloomfield welcome with -
much love the birth of their daugh-
ter, Ashley. Nicole (Ariella Ze'eva).
Welcoming her home is big brother
Jake. Proud grandparents are Sheri
and Jeffrey Weiss of Farmington
Hills and Sally and Barry Fogel of
Novi. Also sharing in their happiness
are great-grandma Pola Wiener and
great-grandparents Janette-and Jesse
Antman. Ashley is named in loving
memory of her maternal great-
grandfather Irving Weiss and her
paternal great-grandfather Wolf
Wiener.

B'nai Mitzvah

Nolan Aaron Astrein, son of Jody and
Gary Astrein and brother of Kyle, will
celebrate his bar mitzvah as he reads
from the Torah at
Temple Israel,
Friday, May 21. His
proud grandparents
are Eunice Galperin
and Irene Astrein.
He is also the grand-
son of the late
Aaron Galperin and
the late Cyril
Astrein.
.
Nolan attends Derby Middle School
in Birmingham, where he is an honor
student. As part of his mitzvah projects,
he helped take care of animals at the
Michigan Humane Society and he also
earned funds that were donated to
Farmington Hills-based JARC.

Molly Claire Baker, was called to the
Torah on Saturday, May 8, to celebrate
her bat mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El.
She is the daughter of James and Betty
Baker and sister of Emily. Her proud
grandparents are Paul and Marcia Baker
and Ruth and Manfred Lehman. She is

also the grand-
daughter of the late
Manuel Levi.
Molly is a sev-
enth-grade honor
student at Norup
Middle School in
Oak Park. Her mitz-
vah project included
volunteering with
senior citizens at the Teitel, Prentis and
Meer facilities.

Rachel Paige Bletstein, daughter of
Marcy and Jack Bletstein, will celebrate
her bat mitzvah at Temple Beth El
Saturday, May 22. She is the sister of
Deborah and Charles. The first aliyah
will go to Grandpa
Morris Bletstein, 90.
Rachel is also the
grandchild of the
late Bertha Bletstein
and the late Gerald
and Rena
Rosenfield.
Rachel is an
honor student at
Clifford Smart

BNAI MITZVAH on page 108

5/21

2004

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