For information on submitting an announcement, see "Submission Guidelines" on the right side of the home page of JNOnline.com or call (248) 351-5147. Nature Lover Jacob Gardner's mitzvah project follows a family tradition. LEONARD POGER Copy Editor acob Gardner comes by his love of nature naturally — from his grandmother, uncle and mother. So it was easy for him to con- vert that love of nature into two activities for his bar mitzvah projects. The 13-year-old student at Berkshire Middle School in Beverly Hills built numerous birdhouses and bought several bird feeders, which were donat- ed to the Meer Jewish Apartments and Temple Israel, both in West Bloomfield. A birdhouse was recently donated to Congregation Chaye Olam in Bloomfield Township, where he celebrated his bar mitzvah April 9. Gardner also conducted bug surveys along the Rouge River in Oakland County to help determine the health of the waterway. Jacob is the son of Leslye Landau and Glendon Gardner of Bloomfield Hills. How did he get inter- ested in nature, while most of his contemporaries typically are more interested in sports and video games? "Everyone in our family is a nature lover who likes to help people," said his mother. That j • April 8 Heather (Cohen) and Douglas Levy announce with great love the birth of their beautiful daughter, Celia Layelle (Bracha Uriella). Sharing in their joy are proud grandparents Rena and Jerry Cohen of West Bloomfield and Phyllis and Norman Levy of Oak Park. Celia Layelle is named in loving memory of her maternal great-grandmother Celia Cohen and paternal great-grandfather Louis Levy; her Hebrew name is in loving memory of her maternal great- grandmother Betty Winter and paternal great-grandfather Harry Charusofsky. March 27 Jody (Cohn) and Ari Charlip are thrilled to announce the birth of their twin sons, Max Seth (Mayer Shaya) and Aidan Ezra (Asher Yehuda). Welcoming them home with lots of hugs and kisses is proud big sister Hannah Sydney, 3 112. Sharing in their happiness are loving grandparents Sonny and Norman Cohn of Farmington Hills and Sheila and Eliot Charlip of West Bloomfield and ecstatic great-grandmother Sheila Schussler of Farmington Hills. Max is named in loving memory of paternal :a includes Jacob's grandmother, Sandra Landau of Beverly Hills. "She loved the outdoors and nature," Leslye said. When Leslye and her sister were youngsters, they enjoyed summers at Tamarack's Camp Maas in Ortonville, which Jacob has attended for five years. In addition, Harold Schiff, Jacob's late great-uncle, was in the natural sciences as an atmospheric chemist on the faculty of York University in Toronto, focusing on ozone and weather changes. Jacob said that several relatives — sister Erica, his parents and others — helped him make the bird- houses. But nature projects aren't the only things Jacob is involved in. As another mitzvah project, he collect- ed funds for the Penny Harvest program at Temple Israel, where his family are members as well as at Chaye Olam. The areawide Penny Harvest contributions were donated to nonprofit groups. Jacob also plays the violin and guitar. He enjoys mechanics, reading, fencing and soccer. He will continue his science and nature interests this summer. The family has scheduled an Alaska cruise, which Leslye said made more sense than incurring major bar mitzvah expenses. ❑ Jacob Gardner displays a bird feeder and a birdhouse he donated. te: great-grandfather Meyer E. Charlip and maternal great-grandfather Sidney Cohn. Aidan is named in loving memo- ry of maternal great-grandfather 0. Arthur Schussler and paternal great- grandmother Edith Burk. Feb. 12 Stephanie (Sage) and Jonovan Co of Vancouver, B.C., announce with much love the birth of their son, Tyler Zachary (Shmuel Avraham). Sharing their joy are grandparents Sheila Sage of Southfield, Bruce and Karen Sage of Birmingham, Hubert Co of Manila, Phillipines, and Juliet and Dave Martinson of Vancouver. Tyler is named in loving memory of his mater- • nal great-grandfathers Samuel Slobasky, Abraham (Al) Sage and Zierler cousins. . Jan. 12 Michelle (Levy) and Steven Adamczyk of West Bloomfield announce with much love the birth of their son, Noah Brandon (Noach Avi). Welcoming Noah home is excited big brother Max Evan. Sharing in their happiness are loving grandparents nana and papa Helen and Bob Levy and mimi and baba Joann and Bob Adamczyk. Noah is named in loving mem- Adamczyk ory of his maternal cousin Nan Rosenberg, paternal grandfather Andrew Adamczyk and paternal great- aunt Natalie Reese. Dec. 16 Denise (Deal) and David Kamber of Waterford joyfully announce the birth of their daughter, Rachel Georgeann (Rochel Galia Chaya). Also welcoming Rachel home are big sisters Anna, 7, and Sarah, 5. Proud grandparents are Beverly and Hyman Deal of Waterford, Louis Kamber of Redford and Maria Kamber of Oak Park. Rachel is named in loving memory of her maternal uncle Robert Deal and maternal great-grand- parents George and Anne Waldman. Nicole Ashley Barron, daughter of Helen and Howard Barron, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah Friday, May 6, at Temple Shir Shalom. She is the sister of Jacob and Daniel and the granddaughter of the late Rose and William Barron and the late Sara and Josef Berkovic. Nicole is a sev- enth-grader at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. Her mitzvah proj- ects included col- lecting school sup- plies for the Abayudaya Congregation in Uganda, participating in spring plant- ing for JARC and working during Fall Fix Up. Matthew Gordon DeVore became a bar mitzvah on Monday, March 28, in Israel, reading from the Torah on top of Mt. Masada. Celebrating with him were his parents, Carol and Mark, his BNAI MITZVAH on page 74 eTN 5/5 2005 73