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A Pet Mitzvah

Mara Rubin finds good homes for rescued animals.

LEONARD POGER

Copy Editor

ara Rubin had an easy decision when
picking a mitzvah project as part of her
bar mitzvah studies. The 13-year-old
decided to work with animal rescue groups to
make sure animals are placed in good homes.
Along with other volunteer activities, Mara loves
animals, something she learned from her parents,
Elaine and Ira Rubin of West Bloomfield.
When Mara was considering mitzvah projects
last fall, her mother put her in contact with Animal
Pals, an Oakland County animal rescue organiza-
tion in which Janice Smargon, a long-time friend
of Mrs. Rubin, is a volunteer.
Mara decided to do something she enjoys — "find-
ing animals and getting them good homes," she said.
Mara works with Animal Pals, performing tasks
such as comforting pets and working in the office.
An example of her long-time love of animals was
related by her mother following a rescue during a
2003 summer vacation.

"Mara found a kitten near the office of the motel
where we were staying in Kentucky," Mrs. Rubin
said. "She walked with the kitten back to our motel
room and, through the door, told me that she
found a kitten. I told her, 'Don't show it to me.' "
But Mara did. The family loved it and decided to
keep it.
The rescue was timely. Six months later, the fam-
ily pet, a 17-year-old dog, Buffy, died.
The family named the kitten Daisy Lynn, reflect-
ing the name of the Days Inn motel where it was
found.
Mara "loves all animals, particularly dogs, cats
and rabbits." As part of her animal rescue mitzvah
project, Mara and her parents contacted area busi-
nesses for donations of pet food.
Besides working with Animal Pals, Mara, a sev-
enth-grader at Walnut Creek Middle School in the
Walled Lake School District, collects and donates
books for Detroit's Burt Elementary School. That
school was picked through a contact with Temple
Kol Ami member who works at the school.
Mara also is a midracha (teacher's aide) at Temple

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Dec. 9
Amy (Woronoff) and
Jay Greenberg of
Southfield welcome
with much love the
birth of their daugh-
ter, Micayla Rose.
Sharing in their joy are thrilled grand-
parents Gail and Irwin Lorber, Lois and
Franklin Greenberg, Norman and Janet
Woronoff and Evelyn Friscia. Proud
great-grandmothers are Esther Gluck
and Sadie Barham. Micayla is named in
loving memory of her great grandmoth-
ers Mary Lorber, Claire Weisinger and
Rose Michelson.

Nov. 5
Kimberly (Gurecki) and Richard Kruger
of Farmington Hills joyfully announce
with love the birth of their son, Seth
Mitchell (Shet Moshe). They are joined
by proud grandparents Marvin and
Arlene Gurecki of Farmington Hills and
John and Geraldine Kruger of Chicago.
Also sharing their joy are great-grand-
parents Molly Levin of West
Bloomfield, Lillian McKenzie of
Waukegan, Ill., and Carl Stone of
Pittsfield, Ill. Seth Mitchell is named in
honor of his maternal great-grandfather

2/17

2005

64

Morris Levin.

Hunter Paul Alpert will celebrate his bar
mitzvah Saturday, Feb. 19, at Temple
Beth El. He is the son of Wendy Alpert
and the grandson of Marcia Alpert and
the late Harold
Alpert.
Hunter is in the
seventh grade at Hillel
Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit
in Farmington Hills.
For his mitzvah proj-
ect, he participated in
the Dor L'Dor and JARC programs
through Hillel. He also volunteers at
FAR, an art and recreation program for
children and adults with special needs,
helping with ice skaters and hockey
players.

Kayla Renee Kaplan will be called to
the Torah as a bat mitzvah Saturday,
Feb. 19, at Congregation Jewish
Community North in Spring, Texas.
Participating in this joyous occasion
will be her parents, Sheri and Brad
Kaplan; grandparents, Cynthia and
Calvin Moss of Michigan, Geraldine
and Robert Kaplan of Texas, Philip and

Mara Rubin hugs the family cat, Daisy Lynn.

Kol Ami religious school. Her bat mitzvah was held
at Kol Ami on Jan. 29.
In looking into a possible career, is Mara consid-
ering being a veterinarian? "No, I may want to be a
child psychologist," she said. ❑

Have a unique Mazel Toy? Notify Associate Editor
Alan Hitsky at ahitsky@thejavishnews.corn

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Lee Ferber of Nevada; and great-grand-
parents, Helen Ferber
of Florida, Sam and
Bea Kaplan of
California. Kayla is
also the great-grand-
daughter of the late
Lillian and Julius
Lapp, the late Eli
Ferber and the late
Rose Kaplan.
An honor student at Doerre Middle
School in Spring, Kayla will donate half
of her gifts to the Cat Rescue
Organization.

Jacob Steven Allen will be called to
the Torah as a bar mitzvah on
Saturday, Feb. 19, at Congregation
Beth Shalom. Jacob is the son of
Alissa Pianin and James and Janice
Allen and brother of Jayney. Proud
grandmothers are
Betty Pianin and Lila
Allen. Jacob is the
grandson of the late
Sid Pianin and the
late Jerome Allen.
Jacob is a double
honor student at
Hillel Day School of

Metropolitan Detroit. He has always
been involved with many charitable
organizations and recently led a seder at
a JARC home. He is currently collect-
ing new and used books for the
Partnership 2000 Central Galilee
region for its English language pro-
gram. Jacob will continue to support
Israel through his contributions to the
IDF and ARMDI.

Aaron Michael Resnick will be called
to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on
Saturday, Feb. 19, at Congregation
Ahavath Chesed in
Jacksonville, Fla. He
is the son of former
Detroiters Wendy
and Mark Resnick
and the brother of
Justin. Proud grand-
parents are Arlene
and Sam Freedman o
West Bloomfield, and Miriam Resnick
of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. He is also
the grandson of the late Harry Resnick.
Aaron is a seventh-grade honor stu-
dent. He participates in the B'nai
Tzedek and Chain of Memories pro-
grams sponsored by the Jacksonville
Jewish Foundation.