To Life!
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Spotlight
Above: Israeli campers Michal Glatsman,
14, of Eilat and Golda Adgo, 15, of
Ramla with host family members Ricky
Blumenstein of Bloomfield Hills and
children Benjamin, 7, Jacob, 3, Julia, 1,
and Alana, 5
Right: Marlene, Jeff and 12-year-old
Rikki Cohen ofWest Bloomfield with
Israeli campers May Eshkol, 14, of Kfar
Maas and Maya Volansky, 14, of Holon
Raphael and Julie Goldstein ofWest Bloomfield and children Robert, 8, and
Andrea, 10, with Israeli campers Ela Keissar, 13, of Holon and Shahar Agami, 14,
of Modiin
Below: Israeli campers with their local
hosts: Omer Burstein, 13, of Ramat Efaa4
Bradley Bittker, 11, and Sandy Bittker of
Franklin, Ori Neuman, 14, of Ganei
Tikva, J.J. Bittker, 14, and Danny
Bittker, 16
Coming
Together
Regina and Darren Colton of
Birmingham with Israeli campers
Maayan Ehrlich, 14, of Yahud and
Hilly Perlman, 14, of Gany Tikva
7/ 7
2005
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Daniel Cohen, 16, of Givat Ela, Tslil
Levin, 16, ofKefar Baruch, Yossi Peretz,
17, of Migdal HaEmek, Ken Korotkin
(host family coordinator) of Bloomfield
Hills, Immanuel Miller, 16, of Beit
Lehem Haglilit, Ella Levenberg, 17, of
Migdal HaEmek, Hila Sharon, 16, of
Migdal HaEmek and Steve and Margo
Goodman (camper program chairs) of
Bloomfield Hills
Families greet their
Israeli camper guests.
I
t felt like a family reunion. But 50 Israeli
campers will arrive later this summer. Participants
are chosen based on their community involvement,
campers who attended a special dinner at
leadership skills and English-speaking ability.
Franklin Hills Country Club were meeting
For a majority of the campers, the trip to
dozens of host families for the first time.
Michigan is their first visit to the United States.
"They gave us hugs hello," said Sheri Ketai of
Franklin, a first-time host. "They were so warm
"They had so many questions, we didn't stop
for not even knowing us," she said.
talking for one minute," said Ketai, who attended
the dinner with her husband, Jimmy, and their
The campers, all Israeli scouts ages 13-14, will
three sons.
spend a month attending Camp Tamarack in
Ortonville. Before they return home, each will
The family quickly bonded with Amir Essar, 15,
ROBIN
also spend a weekend with a local Jewish family,
S CHWARTZ of Ramat Gan, and Asaf Gurfinkel, 14, of Or
Yeuda.
giving them a taste of American culture and the
Columnist
Many past participants have kept in touch via e-
chance to share what life is like in Israel.
mail and Detroiters have even visited the campers
"They're a wealth of love, knowledge, friendship and
and their families in Israel.
Judaism," said Ken Korotkin of Bloomfield Hills, the host
Also at the June 20 welcome dinner were program chair-
family coordinator, who's serving as a host for the fourth
man Steve Goodman of Bloomfield Hills, and host families
straight year.
Alan and Sandy Bittker of Franklin, Jeff and Marlene
"These kids are so open and excited to be here," he said.
Cohen of West Bloomfield, Ricky and Carol Blumenstein
The families will hold Shabbat dinners and take the
campers to places like Comerica Park in Detroit, Greenfield and Brian and Elyse Kolender of Bloomfield Hills, Warren
and Carol Am'. Rose and Darren and Regina Colton of
Village in Dearborn, the movies and the mall.
Birmingham. Caribou Coffee, Rock Financial and JP
Hundreds of teens apply for the Israeli Camper Program,
Morgan Private Client Services are this year's local corpo-
sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
rate sponsors. ❑
Detroit, but only 100 are selected. A second group of 50