Arts & Life
Kids
Girl Force
Hadassah program stresses health and self-esteem.
types of workouts geared toward
cardiovascular exercise, strength, bal-
ance, flexibility, endurance and
hat do Marilyn Monroe and speed.
"Our goal is to reach girls before
Barbie dolls have to do with
they develop bad habits," said
Jewish values?
Denise Parr, a physical education
These idealized icons of female
specialist in the Birmingham School
beauty are some of the tools used in a
District, who coordinates the exer-
new program called "Girl Force,
cise segment.
Beyond the Mirror" sponsored by the
One of the sessions included learning the basics of step aerobics.
"Health is the issue. It has nothing
Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah.
to do with the way we look. Heart
The three-hour interactive work-
in Southfield and at Temple Israel in
need to feel confident and compe-
disease, Type II diabetes and obesity
shop is designed to teach girls in
West
Bloomfield.
tent," said Shelly Tarackoff of West
are rampant in this country. It's
fourth through sixth grades how to
On
June
5,
a
Girl
Force
workshop
Bloomfield, whose daughter
important to have healthy lifestyles;
develop a healthy lifestyle that
will
be
held
at
the
Jewish
Community
Mackenzie
attended the program at
it's preventative medicine. I tell the
includes good nutrition, regular exer-
Center
in
West
Bloomfield.
This
pro-
Adat
Shalom.
girls that exercise
cise, positive body
gram is free of charge and open to all
The last half-hour of each pro-
should be fun, to
image and high self-
girls
in
fourth
through
sixth
grades
gram
brings parents together for a
find something you
esteem.
who
have
not
previously
attended.
session
to explain Girl Force.
love to do so it
"We want to reach
In
addition
to
the
professionals
who
Eden
Zaslow,
a fourth-grader from
won't be a chore,"
girls at an age when
lead
the
workshops,
a
group
of
West
Bloomfield,
said, "I liked
Parr said.
they are more likely to
teenage
mentors
assist
the
staff
and
learning
that
we're
created in God's
The nutrition
be influenced by adults
provide
positive
peer
role
models
for
image,
and
that
you
shouldn't worry
workshop uses a
than by peer pressure
the
girls.
These
mentors,
who
receive
so
much
about
looking
fat. You
"Fast Food Game"
and the media," said
five
hours
of
community
service
for
should
be
comfortable
with
yourself.
to teach participants
Barbara Horowitz of
I'd
like
to
learn
more."
participating,
are
recruited
from
local
about the nutrition-
West Bloomfield, Girl
.._
B'nai B'rith Youth Organization chap.;
Elissa Berg, director of education at
al value of various
Force chairperson, who
ters,
the
Jewish
Academy
of
Adat
Shalom's Beth Achim Religious
foods. The girls are
was at a Girl Force pro-
School,
said, "It's wonderful to stop
Metropolitan
Detroit
and
other
area
given tips for
gram April 10 at Adat
high
schools.
and
realize
that each girl is special and
healthy eating; such
Shalom Synagogue for
important,
that
we're all created in
"It's
a
great
way
for
girls
to
appreci-
as limiting fast foods
Beth Achim Religious
ate
themselves
and
to
learn
more
God's
image,
and
we don't have to lis-
to once a week, eat-
School and
ten
to
what
the
media
says. Hopefully,
about
feeling
good
inside,"
said
volun-
ing more foods
Congregation Beth
T-shirts sport the Girl Force logo.
teer
Alexandra
White,
a
student
at
this
program
will
help
give girls the
containing fiber,
Shalom girls.
West Bloomfield High School.
strength to ignore all the negative
drinking water
Based on a program
"It's really interesting how the girls
messages and feel good about them-
instead of soda or sweetened juice,
developed at Vanderbilt University in
selves."
already
have
negative
body
images
at
and snacking on fruit, vegetables or
Nashville, Girl Force is divided into
While Girl Force was going strong,
age 8 or 9," said volunteer Madison
popcorn after school instead of chips
segments on exercise, nutrition and
the fourth-grade boys of Adat Shalom
Chomsky, who lives in Southfield and
body image as portrayed by the media. or candy bars.
joined their peers at Beth Shalom in
attends Birmingham Groves High
"We like to say that, at this age,
To add a Jewish component, a ses-
Oak Park to participate in "Mensch
School. "Doing things like this helps
there's no 'bad food,"' said Lisa
sion called "In God's Image" was
Power," a program designed by Berg
them
think
of
themselves
more
posi-
added _ . This portion — which is facili- Weinbaum, a registered dietician in
and educators Danny Kochavi and
tively."
Birmingham, who facilitated one of
tated by locall -female rabbis Rachel
Warren Frankford of Beth Shalom
"The
media
bombards
us
with
the sessions. "It's all about portion size
Shere of Adat Shalom, Lauren Berkun
images of food and encourages inactiv- that focuses on how to develop close
and moderation. We urge them to lis-
of Shaarey Zedek, Jennifer Kroll and
friendships by showing respect and
ity," said Sue Luria, president of the
ten'to their own bodies, to make sure
Marla Hornsten of Temple Israel, and
avoiding bullying.
Greater
Detroit
Chapter
of
Hadassah,
they're really hungry, not just bored,
Tamara Kolton of the Birmingham
who
met
with
the
parents
of
the
par-
when they eat, and to stop when
Temple — addresses some of the
- ticipants at the end of the morning.
they've had enough."
Jewish values regarding womanhood
"Hadassah has been concerned with
and respect for the body.
For information on the June 5 Girl
health issues since we started 90 years
The focus of the program is on
Force program at the Jewish
ago, We took this project on to
Spreadin The Good Word
health, both physical and emotional,
Community Center, or to volun-
empower women and, ultimately, to
Girl.Force= which is partially funded
rather than appearance. During the
teer to be a teen mentor, call
promote Jewish leadership and
by a grant from the Jewish Women's
exercise session, the girls are divided
Evelyn
at the Hadassah office,
activism."
into groups and rotate through six dif- Foundation, was presented earlier this
(248)
683-5030.
"Women today, especially girls,
year at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
ferent stations where they do various
RONELLE GRIER
Special to the Jewish News
W
❑
*IN
4/21
2005
68