Something Extra
NOTEBOOK
Teens For Katrina
A Sermon In Church
Detroit attorney
Michael Traison
will deliver the
sermon at five
masses at the
Catholic Church
in Pinczow,
Poland, on
Sunday, Jan. 15 —
marking celebra-
tion of the
Michael Traison
parish's Day of
Judaism.
Traison, a West Bloomfield resident
who spends much time doing legal and
Jewish work in Poland, shared a draft of
the sermon with the JN.
"As the cross is more than a religious
symbol of the Crucifixion, but is a sign of
Polish independence and patriotism, so
the Star of David symbolizes both a
nation and a faith and is the national
emblem of the modern State of Israel, a
nation resurrected after two millennia,"
Traison writes.
"And as Israel the state is a child of
Poland, Israel the Jewish people, as shep-
ard Jana Pawla Drugiego reminded us, is
Improving Daily
- Robert A., Sklar, editor
.
With the philosophy that "acts of loving
kindness should not be random:' Daniel
Rothner created "A Kindness a Day" cal-
endar.
Rothner, founder and director of
Areyvut, a New York-based non-profit
_
the elder brother in faith."
Traison will talk about the intersection
between Catholicism and Judaism, two
nations that "never lost faith in a return
to an independent homeland despite cen-
turies of oppression by conquerors."
"Both suffered horribly at the hands of
their enemies," he says, "while other
nations stood by. Both nations were
inseparably bound to and defined by a
deep religious belief"
Traison concludes by noting the Jews of
Pinczow who died in the Holocaust.
"They are gone now," he says. "But their
lives shall be an everlasting memory to
the Jewish people of Pinczow — and the
3 million Polish people of Jewish faith
and 3 million more European Jews whom
the Germans butchered in these streets of
Pinczow and hundreds of other Polish
cities and in the forests surrounding
them."
Pinczow no longer has a Jewish popu-
lation. Those who survived the Holocaust
either died or emigrated.
organization, added, "Charity, kindness
and social justice must be an integral
part of everyone's day"
The calendar, advertised as "365 ways
to make the world a better place" offers
daily suggestions to better oneself and
the world.
The Jan.l entry suggests,
"Let your first check of the
year be to charity." Other
entries remind readers to
"call someone who won't
ways
expect it or to be quick to
forgive those who have
wronged you."
Calendars may be pur-
chased through
amazon.com ,
JudaicaPress.corn,
areyvut.org and Jewish book
and gift stores. For informa-
tion, access the Areyvut Web
site at www.areyvut.org.
The American Jewish Society for Service
is seeking applicants for its
56th summer Tikkun Olam community
service program for high school students.
AJSS is seeking 16- and 17-year-olds
interested in spending six weeks provid-
ing construction and services to commu-
nities in need and putting Jewish values
into action. In the wake of hurricanes
Katrina and Rita, AJSS will conduct at
least one project in the Gulf Coast area
with long-time partner Southern Mutual
Help Association. The Umpqua
Community Development Corporation of
Roseburg, Ore., also serves as host.
AJSS is an independent, non-denomi-
national, non-profit organization. It has
completed 136 projects in 46 states,
Canada and Israel. Projects have been in
rural and urban settings, ranging from
Native American reservations to migrant
worker communities, to areas devastated
by floods and tornadoes.
Limited scholarship support is avail-
able. For information, go to
www.ajss.org .
- Alan Hitsky, associate editor
*
AMERICAN JEWISH SOCIETY FOR SERVICE AM SS
On The Lookout
In researching her family history, Jill
Whitehead of Surrey, England, discov-
ered some of her relatives might be liv-
ing in the Detroit area.
She is looking for descendants of
Barnet or Bernard Silverman, whose
name was changed from Servian. He
was born in about 1855 in Augustow,
Poland, later moving to Liverpool,
England, with his older brother, Joseph
Servian, who was Whitehead's great-
grandfather.
In 1878, he married Ann Sanders in
Liverpool and they had four children all
born there in the 1870s and 1880s:
Max, Samuel Henry, Sophia Hilda, and
Lazarus (also called Louis).
When Ann died in the mid-1890s at
age 35, Barnet married Miriam; in
1904, they immigrated to Chicago.
Their son, Lazarus (Louis), and his
wife, Bertha Goldblat, and their daugh-
ter, Sophia Hilda, later followed them to
Chicago. Louis and Bertha's daughter
Leah was born there in 1914.
Later, they moved to Detroit, where
they changed their name to Maxwell.
Their son Joseph was born here in
1925.
"I believe Max and Samuel Henry
Silverman also went to either Chicago
or Detroit," Whitehead said. "I am try-
ing to find any descendant of Barnet's
children, especially Leah and Joseph
(Silverman) Maxwell."
Joseph Maxwell became a coroner
while living in Detroit in 1940s and
1950s.
"I am searching on behalf of Esme
Berman, aged 83, of Liverpool, whose
mother, Sarah Rose, was the younger
sister of Bertha Goldblat Maxwell.
Bertha's elder brother, Reuben Goldblat,
also went to Detroit where he was
known as Robert Servian."
Information on any of Whitehead's
family can be given to Shelli Dorfman,
(248) 351-5141 or sdorfman@thejew-
ishnews.com .
- Shelli Liebman Dorfman, staff writer
ilLEFIET 'Oa Don't Know
Besides Israel, can you name the only three
countries to report a steady increase in Jewish
population figures.
- Shelli Liebman Dorfman,
-Goldfein
staff writer
•epeue3 pue oaixaysi 'Aueuileo uemsuy
, F.-sCopyright
2006, Jewish Renaissance Media
January 12 • 2006
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