Mazel Toy!
Emotional Response
Marriage proposal triggers a big reaction.
Leonard Poger
Copy Editor
t was a great first date for
Lauren Becker and Nancie
Rakotz in the summer of
2003. They had met through the
JDate online dating service for
Jewish singles and went out for
dinner in Berkley.
I
In the restaurant
parking lot, Nancie
thought, "I haven't
laughed and smiled
that much in a
long time,"
Dinner went so well and they
talked so much that the wait
staff had to inform them —
after four hours — that it was
closing time. In the restaurant
parking lot, Nancie thought, "I
haven't laughed and smiled that
much in a long time."
But after a few contacts dur-
ing the next three months, they
lost track of each other.
More than a year later, last
January, Lauren saw Nancie's
screen name appear on his
"buddy list."
"What the heck" he thought
and instant-messaged her.
They met for dinner that night
and "picked right up from
where we left off, like we had
never missed a beat!' For the
past 10 months, they have been
inseparable.
Lauren, owner of a Clawson
business that sells, buy and
trades new and vintage comic
Oct. 18
Alyssa (Lantor) and Allan Rukin of S.
Euclid, Ohio, joyfully announce the birth of
their first child, a daugh-
ter, Cate Arynn (Hadas
Bina). Thrilled grandpar-
ents are Bev and Arnie
Lantor of Bloomfield
Hills and Donna and Mel
Rukin of Jacksonville, Fla.
Delighted great-grand-
parents are Tillie Lantor
Rukin
of West Bloomfield and
Francis and Milton Kimmelman of
Sylvania, Ohio. Cate is named in loving
memory of her great-grandparents Irma
Rukin and Benjamin Goldstein.
Oct. 7
Rachel (Miller) and Scott Rose of
Bloomfield Hills welcome with love and joy
in their hearts the birth of their twin sons,
Aaron Louis (Lev Yisroel) and Ryan
Lawrence (Lazar Avraham). Sharing in
their joy are grandparents Beverly and
Martin Miller of Southfield and Sydney and
David Rose of Bloomfield Hills and thrilled
great-grandmother Mildred Becker of
Aventura, Fla. Aaron Louis is named in
62
books as well as collectables,
proposed on Aug. 10.
"I asked her to be the new
Mrs. Becker, and she said 'yes'
— at least I think she said yes.
She was crying for about two
and a half hours after I gave
her the ring so she was pretty
incoherent for awhile recalled
Lauren, 34, of Troy.
"I don't think I was able to
speak for over an hour," Nancie
recalled. "I was so over-
whelmed. I don't even think I
ever answered him when he
asked me if I would be his
wife'
Nancie, 37, said Lauren
planned the formal proposal,
with ring, for Aug. 27, exactly
one year before their already
scheduled wedding.
But several weeks before the
proposal, she discovered Lauren
had bought a ring after spotting
a booklet from a jeweler in his
memory of his maternal great-grandfathers
Louis Miller and Irwin Schubiner. Ryan
Lawrence is named in memory of his pater-
nal great-grandfather Lawrence Becker.
Sept 22
Maureen (Stein) and Barry Frankel of
Atlantis, Fla., are happy to announce the
birth of their son, Jack Dylan. Proud
maternal grandparents are Lois and Harold
Stein of Franklin. Jack is named in memory
of his paternal grandparents Jack and Dora
Frankel.
Sept. 12
Rebecca (Margolis) and Dr. Stephen Hyman
are thrilled to announce the birth of their
beautiful daughter, Lilyana Hope (Ahavah).
Welcoming Lilyana home was her excited
big brother Zachary, 13. Proud grandpar-
ents include Doris
Margolis of Commerce
and Allen Hyman of
Naples, Fla. Lilyana is
named in loving memory
of her bubbie Lillian
Hyman, her grandfather
Hal Margolis and dear
friend Ann Darmon.
Nancie Rakotz and Lauren Becker
home.
Nancie is an injury investiga-
tor for an auto insurance com-
pany.
Nancie, who has lived her
whole life in Oak Park, noted
that Cantor Samuel Greenbaum
of Congregation Beth Shalom,
who helped her with her bat
mitzvah 25 years ago, will offi-
Sept. 8
Dr. Cara (Speier) and Steven Schafer of
West Bloomfield welcome with much love
the birth of their son, Aiden Andrew
(Akiva Penuel). Thrilled big brothers and
big sister are Nathan, Aaron, Spencer and
Marni. Sharing in the joy are grandparents
Marilyn and Herbert Racklin and Carol
and Frank Westburg. Aiden is also the
grandson of the late Arnold A. Schafer.
Aiden's Hebrew names are in loving mem-
ory of his paternal great-great-uncle Carl
Horowitz and his paternal great-great-
grandmother Fanny Parker. His middle
name is in memory of his maternal great-
grandfather Andrew Asikainen.
July 18
Amy (Moore) and Justin Columbus of
Commerce Township welcome with joy
and love their beautiful daughter, Maris
Paige (Malka Pelia).
Sharing in their joy are
excited grandparents
Stanley and Vicki Moore
and Debbie and Gary
Columbus, all of
Waterford.
Also thrilled
Columbus
are great-grandparents
ciate at the Troy Marriott wed-
ding.
The cantor is no stranger to
the Rakotz family. Sheldon and
Lori Rakotz, Nancie's parents,
were married by the cantor at
Beth Shalom 40 years ago.
Lauren is the son of Rita and
Carl Fischer and Carl and Mary
Becker.
❑
Evelyn Columbus of West Bloomfield,
Deena Rosen of Farmington Hills and Bill
and Katie Moore of Waterford. Maris is
also the great-granddaughter of the late
Robert and Patsy Eastman, the late
Marvin Rosen and the late Samuel
Columbus. Maris is named in loving
memory of her paternal great-great-
grandmother Molly Rosen and great-
grandmother Patsy Eastman.
June 17
Julie (Rubenstein) and Desmond Moleski
of Portland, Ore., announce with much
love the arrival of their son, Jacob
Dermot (Zelig). Sharing in their joy are
grandparents Seymour
and June Rubenstein of
Farmington Hills and
Dr. Desmond and Ruth
Moleski of Anderson,
S.C. Jake is named in
memory of his maternal
Moleski
great-great-uncle Jacob
Rubenstein, his mater-
nal great-uncle Sol
Cicurel and his paternal great-uncle
Dermot Moleski.
Novmoer 10 • 2005