COMFORTABLY JEWISH
Southfield offers safe, welcoming, diverse community.
nce you get
Mark and
Ariella Nadel to
start talking about
Southfield their faces
light up and their satis-
faction and excitement
becomes clear.
"When we came to
the area on a quick
visit to decide where
we would live, we met
with parents in West
Bloomfield, Oak Park
and Southfield. We chose
Southfield," says Ariella. The former
attorney and her husband, Mark, an
executive for a major automobile sup-
plier, came to Southfield with three
young boys six years ago from
Philadelphia. They are both originally
from Staten Island, N.Y.
"We looked for a warm community
with a lot of kids," she says. "A place
where the kids could run up and down
the street and be happy and safe.
Says Mark, "We wanted to be able
to walk to shul, walk to school."
Their neighborhood between 11 and
12 Mile east of Lahser Road allows
them to do both.
The Nadels were looking for more
than housing or a nice neighborhood.
They were looking for a strong, sup-
portive and safe community for their
family.
Today, the Nadel's have four boys:
Dovi, 11; Yoni, 9; Cobi, 7; and Yossi,
3. Yoni likes playing sports and is
pleased he has a lot of neighborhood
kids to play with, "especially on
Shabbos," he says. His older brother
Dovi likes the neighborhood for the
same reason, saying: "I have all my
friends here." Often many of them con-
gregate at the Nadel home.
"We have lots of boys and lots of
toys," Ariella says with a laugh.
"Akiva is our first home," says
O
The Nadel family relaxing at home: Cobi, 7;
Ariella; Yoni, 9; Yossi, 3; Dovi, 11; and Mark.
Ariella, who has been the co-president
of the Yeshivat Akiva PTA for three
years. Mark sits on the executive
board as Akiva's treasurer. "And the
JCC [in Oak Park] is the second home.
We go to the JCC three or four times a
week."
There is also a lot of activity at
Young Israel of Southfield, which Mark
calls "very accepting of who you are,
wherever you are religiously." Mark
has been a board member for three
years and is active in many other
organizations.
They like that the community is very
connected to Israel. "It is part of us,"
says Mark, noting that a recent infor-
mal survey found that more than 50
percent of Jewish families in their
neighborhood had traveled to Israel
during the past two years.
While predominantly Jewish, Mark
notes that his integrated neighborhood
"is not homogenous; we have a nice .
diversity."
"We have people who are very
wealthy and people who are struggling,
all living in the same types of houses,"
he explains. "There are no airs here,
there is no keeping up with the
Joneses. People are comfortable with
who they are. It is very healthy for our
kids, and it's a nice way to live." P1
SOUTHFIELD
Population: 78,000
Square miles: 26
Became a city: 1957
Claims to fame: Town Center,
Northland Mall, office buildings
and corporate headquarters
Jewish institutions:
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Aish HaTorah
Young Israel of Southfield
Yeshivat Akiva
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah
State of Israel Bonds
Shornrey Emunah
JVS
Jewish Family Service
Yeshivas Darchei Torah
The Detroit Jewish News
OAK PARK
Population: 30,000
Square miles: 5
Became a city: 1952
Claims to fame: Oak Park has
the most synagogues, Jewish
educational institutions and
kosher butchers, bakeries and
grocery stores in Michigan.
Jewish institutions:
Jewish Community Center
of Metropolitan Detroit-
Oak Park campus
Machon UTorah
Young Israel of Oak Park
Congregation Beth Shalom
Temple Ernanu-El
Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit
Workmen's Circle
Yeshivas Gedolah
Jewish Apartments and Services
Many smaller Orthodox synagogues
exist in both cities.
Favorite Community
Hangout:
In addition to Yeshivat Akiva,
Young Israel of Southfield and their
own street on Shabbat, the Nadels
frequent the four parks within walking
distance of their home.
Don Cohen
2004-2005 Community Directory ■ 1
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