Metro

Gearing Up

Teens are excited about Family Mission to Israel.

and, hopefully, experience things fresh. This
time, it will be with family at a different
time of year; and we'll see how they cele- •
brate Chanukah."
he kids are all right. That was the
The teens rotated through four different
feeling following the "teens only"
areas — getting to know each other, tasting
briefing for the Jewish Federation
Israel food, playing a trivia game about
of Metropolitan Detroit's Family Miracle
Israel, learning Hebrew expressions and
Mission to Israel. Of the 720 people going
learning Israeli geography from a giant
on the late-December Mission about one-
map.
third of the group will be kids — including
Among other things, they found out you
100 teens grades 6-12, about 100 college
can get from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem quicker
students and two dozen younger children.
than from the JCC in West Bloomfield to
About 75 of the 100 teens — 90 percent
Tamarack Camps in Ortonville; that at its
of whom are going on their first trip to
narrowest point along the Mediterranean
Israel — attended a 90-minute orientation
coast Israel is only nine miles wide, less
session Dec. 4 at the Jewish Community
than the distance between the JCCs in West
Center in West Bloomfield. Earlier in the
Bloomfield and Oak Park; and that you can
week, adult sessions were held at the four
fit five Israels into Michigan's lower penin-
main synagogues represented on the mis-
sula.
sion: Congregation Shaarey Zedek, five
"I think it's going to be fun',' said Sarah
buses; AdatShalom Synagogue, three buses;
Knoll, 11, of Bloomfield Hills and Shaarey
Temple Israel, eight buses; and Temple Shir
Zedek after helping stake out Eilat, a
Shalom, one bus. Members of other area
Mission destination, on the giant map.
synagogues also are participating
"We're going to go to a lot of the places that
Siblings Blake and Elyse Cantor of West
are holy like the Wall." Sarah is traveling
Bloomfield, members of Shaarey Zedek, are
with her parents Mary and Jay and her
ready and eager to go.
three siblings.
. "I'm looking forward to the food, the
There will be overlapping itineraries as
Dead Sea and the plane ride,' said Blake, 12,
one group will travel Dec. 21-Jan. 1 and a
who will be celebrating his bar mitzvah in
second group will travel Dec. 26-Jan. 5. The
Israel.
two groups will meet for special events,
Elyse, 15, thought the teen session "was
including the third night of Chanukah in
cool."
Jerusalem and the fourth night in Detroit's
"The session helped me realise how
much I don't know about Israel:" she said. "I • Partnership 2000 region of the Central
plan to immerse myself in Israel and learn a Galilee. At several points, there will be spe-
cial activities just for the teens.
lot."
The Mission is headed by chairs Drs.
Traveling with them will be their mother,
Judy, grandparents Leo and Libby Sklar, and Lynda and Conrad Giles, Lisa and Hannan
cousin Meryl Sklar, 17, who was on the 2004 Lis and Beverly and Arthur Liss, together
with co-chairs Suzan and Michael Curhan
Teen Mission to Israel.
and Sherri and James Ketai. The Mission is
"I'm excited to go see some of my
co-sponsored by the Detroit Jewish News
friends:" Sklar said about her return to
Israel. "The teen trip was great; but it will be and the Michigan Board of Rabbis. ❑
nice to go see things from a different angle

Don Cohen

Special to the Jewish News

T

Sarah Knoll, 11, of Bloomfield

marking the location of the southern-

most Israeli city oVEitat qne of th
mission destinations,414Wroa ep.

Left: Blake, 12, and Elyse
Cantor, 15, with their
cousin Meryl Sklar," 17, all
of West Bloomfield,
attended theE teen session
together. Meryl was on the
2004 Teen Mission and
this will be their first time
to Israel for Blake and
Elyse.

Right: David Blezniak, 15,
of Bloomfield Hills, check-
ing out the cards remain-
ing on the trivia board
game. Also pictured are
Zack Migdal, 13 of Franklin
and Tamarack Camp
staffer Jennifer Greenberg
of Oak Park•who helped
run the trivia session.

December 15 * 2005

35