should contain-

* Toothbrush in a ease
Tube of Tooth aste
Deodorant

Rapid
Response

• Shat
_11
1 - 4 ounce
bottle with "shampoo"

label

Shaarey Zedek rallies
to furnish evacuees
with toiletries.

• Wet-Wipes:

7 individual or
I travel size pack
• Soap in a soap dis
• Outside label "from
Shaarey Zedek"

ROBERT A. SKLAR
Editor

W

ithin 36 hours of learning
that Hurricane Katrina
evacuees were desperate for
toiletries, Congregation Shaarey
Zedek collected, packed and shipped
kits of them thanks to a Shabbat
mobilization.
"I have never been prouder of this
congregation than I am today," Rabbi
Jonathan Berkun declared at Shabbat
morning services on Sept. 3.
Following Kiddush at both the
Southfield and West Bloomfield build-
ings, 200 congregants assembled
2,000 kits in self-locking plastic bags.
The bags contained soap, toothbrush-
es, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo
and wet wipes for New Orleans resi-
dents who had fled to the Astrodome
in Houston. The kits were shipped
that day to Congregation Or Ami in
Houston. Or Ami congregants who
had volunteered to serve food at the
Astrodome took the kits there to dis-
tribute.
Rabbi Berkun had assisted Or Ami
Rabbi Shaul Osadchey for four High
Holiday seasons during rabbinical
school.
Rabbi Berkun reflected on the mitz-
vah of giving in times of need — "the
mitzvah of returning to people that
which makes them feel human —
their dignity."
"We cannot wait for miracles," he
said. "People are dying from lack of
water, medical care or timely rescues
— particularly the poor, the elderly
and the young."
Shaarey Zedek congregants Joel
Jacob, Warren Robinson, Mary Knoll,

A toiletry kit sent to Houston

Steve Margolin, Abi Shildcrout,
Nancy Kaufman, Bonnie Winkler and
Paul Ingber headed up the kit effort
under auspices of SZ's Caring
Community. "If there is any silver lin-
ing to this awful tragedy in New

did a U.S. team from the Jewish relief
agency Zaka.
The Bottle Crew, a West Bloomfield
commercial bottle supplier, was instru-
mental in gathering toiletries for the
Shaarey Zedek relief effort through its

"We cannot wait for miracles. People are
dying for lack of water, medical care or
timely rescues — particularly the poor,
the elderly and the young."

— Rabbi Jonathan Berkun

Orleans," said congregant Rachel
Kapen of West Bloomfield, "it is how
it unites everyone."
Israel joined diaspora Jews in
responding. It sent personnel and sup-
plies like military-type food rations,
water, tents, generators, diapers and
bedding, the Israeli daily Ha'aretz
reported. Israeli medical and mental
health workers teamed up to help as

customers, suppliers and contacts. It
bought what was needed to complete
the kits. Joel Jacob of West Bloomfield
is company president.
"Everybody has this sense that they
want to do something, that they need
to participate in one manner of tikkun
clam [repair of the world] — and this
one just presented itself," said the
Bottle Crew's Warren Robinson of

Franklin. "We all felt good we could
do something beyond just sending
money, important as that is."
The Astrodome housed 25,000
evacuees after the hurricane slammed
ashore in New Orleans on Aug. 29. In
all, Houston sheltered 75,000 evac-
uees, including most of the 9,500
Jews.
Rabbi Berkun found inspiration in
last week's Torah portion: Shabbat
Reeh: "Open your hand to the poor
and needy kinsman in your land."
"This verse reminds us to reach out
to those less fortunate among us, the
ones who are in our land and need
our help," Rabbi Berkun said. "Who
would have thought that we, in
America, would see images of such
profound need and suffering in our
own back yard?"
Based on Rabbi Osadchey's plea,
Rabbi Berkun urged donations of
money as well to United Jewish
Communities, other Jewish relief ini-
tiatives or secular charities like the
American Red Cross or United Way.
"These people have lost everything
and our financial support will help
them survive until they can rebuild
their lives," Rabbi Berkun said. ❑

9/ 8
2005

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