Mazel Toy!
Reel Time
A 60th birthday surprise.
Judith's three children, Nicole
Robin Schwartz
Special to the Jewish News Kovacs, 36, of West Bloomfield;
Rachel Singer, 35, of Newport
hen Judith Newman Beach, Calif:; and Adam Layne,
.
34, of Farmington Hills.
of Farmington Hills
Together, they wrote, pro-
walked into the
duced, videotaped, edited and
dimly lit Farmington Civic
starred in the film, which ran
Theatre and took her seat, she
about an hour and a half.
had no idea what was about to
"The way it was put together
unfold. She thought she'd be
really showed who my mom is,"
seeing one of her favorite
said Nicole."We had to add a
movies, Defending Yoiir Life, as
part of a low-key 60th birthday ton of humor because that's
how we are as a family — we
celebration.
love to laugh."
Unbeknownst to her, a fea-
Judith's signature red, curly
ture film about her own life
hair and her vibrant spirit M=ere
was about to flash across the
constant themes throughout
big screen. Sitting around her
the film. In some scenes, her
in the dark were dozens of
children wore a wig and one of
family members and friends
her T- shirts with the slogan
who were in on the elaborate
"Free Hugs" as they lovingly
surprise.
"I'm just in shock; I'm just in poked fun at her quirky, eccen-
tric nature
total shock," Newman said
"My mom's a character —
when the movie ended and she
realized everyone in the theater she's easy to do," Nicole said.
"She's got so many schticks."
was there just for her.
The 60th birthday surprise
The motion picture birthday
took six months to complete.
tribute was the brainchild of
W
Oct. 31
Jenifer (Weisman) and Herschel
Poger of Oak Park are thrilled to
announce the birth of their second
daughter, Reese Camryn.
Welcoming her home was her big
sister Ryan Hannah, 3 1 /,. Happy
grandparents are Lana and Harold
Weisman of West Bloomfield, Judy
and Leonard Poger of Westland, and
great-grandmother Sophie
Barkman of West Bloomfield. Reese
is named in loving memory of
Herschel's friend Frederick
Cameron Weber.
June 8
Michele and John Price of
Huntington Woods are thrilled to
announce the birth of their son,
Anderson Reagan (Aiton Ronen).
Extremely excited grandparents are
Estelle and Steve Markow of Oak
Park and John and Betty Price of
East Lansing. Anderson's name is in
loving memory of his paternal
great-grandfather Al Markow and
maternal great-grandmother Rose
Solomon.
The film was made with a
home video camera and edited
by Adam. He's in the mortgage
business but has taken some
filmmaking courses for fun. "I
probably went through about
19 hours of VHS tapes',' Adam
said.
More than 50 family mem-
bers and friends from around
the country were also inter-
viewed for the film. Their testi-
monials and birthday wishes
were sprinkled in among old
family photos, funny skits and
video clips of Judith singing —
something she's done at family
celebrations for years.
"I couldn't be happier with
the way it turned out:' Rachel
said:"Listening to my mom
laugh and watching her reac-
tion, her tears and joy, that was
the best part for me:' she said.
"It was made with such love
and creative energy," said
Judith's mother, Phyllis
Newman of Bloomfield Hills. •
"It touched me enormously,"
said Judith as the shock began
to wear off. She mingled with
guests after the movie at
Nicole's West Bloomfield home.
People came from as far as
California, France and Israel for
Bar / Bat Mitzvah
In an attempt to keep the notices that
mark youth on their path to maturity
meaningful yet brief, we have decided to
change the items to include. We have
eliminated the reference to the school
"honor" rankings because it differs from
school to school. Since mitzvah projects
have increased, we ask that only one be
selectd to be representative of tzedakah.
Thank you for your adherence to these
changes.
Adam Scott Bussell will be called to the
Torah as a bar mitzvah
on Saturday, Dec. 17, at
Temple Shir Shalom.
Sharing in his simchah
will be parents Julie
Bussell of Novi, Jeffrey
Bussell and Debra Pevos
of Farmington Hills and
siblings Anna Terebelo
Bussell
and Lauren Bussell.
Elated to also be cele-
brating are grandparents Barbara and
Sydney Geller of Farmington Hills, Joan
Judith Newman, second from left, with her children,
Rachel Singer, Adam Layne and Nicole Kovacs
the Dec. 4 celebration. For.
Judith, a spiritual person who .
friends describe as caring and
compassionate, "peace, love, joy
and abundance" are central
themes in her life. She said her
special birthday gift had all of
that and then some.
and Joel Bussell of West Bloomfield and
Daniel Pevos of West Bloomfield. Adam is
also the grandson of the late Suzanne Pevos.
Adam is a seventh-grader at Novi
Middle School. He participated in many
mitzvah projects; his most meaningful
project was collecting new and slightly -
used sports equipment to donate to needy
children in the area.
Jessica Leigh Glickman will read from
the Torah during Havdalah services at
Temple Israel Saturday,
Dec. 17. She is the
daughter of Meryl and
Stuart Glickman and the
sister of Jennifer, Rachel
and Gerald. Sharing in
the simchah will be her
proud grandparents
Shirlee and Sol Gelman
Glickman
of Boyton Beach, Fla.,
Babette and Walter Bergner of Convent
Station, N.J., and Sandy and Herbert
Glickman of West Orange, N.J.
Jessica is a student at Farmington Hills
Warner Middle School. She found it espe-
cially meaningful to spend time playing
soccer with children with special needs
through TOPS.
"I'm overwhelmed with the
outpouring of love:' Newman
said.
"They truly gave of them-
selves, their heart, their soul,
their.spirit. What more could I
possibly ask for? Nothing,
absolutely nothing:"
Daniel Gold
Matthew Gold
Daniel Alexander Gold and Matthew
Evan Gold will be called to the Torah as
b'nai mitzvah Saturday. Dec. 17, at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Southfield. They are the sons of Dr.
Linda (Stein) Gold and Ken Gold and
the brothers of Lauren.- Their proud
grandparents are Lucille and Dr.
Seymour Stein and Estelle and David
Gold.
Matthew and Daniel are seventh-
graders at Cranbrook Middle School in
Bloomfield Hills. Their mitzvah projects
included volunteering at Yad Ezra in
Mitzvah on page 79
December 15 • 2005
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