Something Extra
NOTEBOOK
High Post At U.N.
More Hopeful Times
T
Palestinians can have an honest dis-
he Detroit Jewish community
cussion about how they can work
made it into Detroit Mayer
together to economically improve
Kwame Kilpatrick's January
their region:' he said, "then surely we
inaugural address.
should be able to have a similar con-
Near the end of his -upbeat Jan. 5
versation among Detroit, Wayne,
speech, the mayor referred to his 1999
Oakland and Macomb countries.
trip to Israel as.part of a Jewish
"We are all in this together. No mat-
Community Council-sponsored delega-
ter
where you live in this region, you're
tion of lawmakers. Kilpatrick was a
from Detroit. So ultimately, it's about
member of the Michigan House of .
Detroit love."
Representatives at the time. He talked
The Palestinian reign of terror
about having separate meetings with
ignited in September 2000 against
Mayor Kilpatrick
Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Israelis dashed much of the Mideast
"In each of those conversations:' he
enthusiasm for peace and economic cooperation
said, "the leaders with whom we met were talking
that the mayor said he experienced. I don't know
about how they had to come together in their
what that Mideast breakdown portends.for regional
region to build tourism. They were working to get
cooperation here in Metro Detroit.
rid of terrorism to build their economy"
The discussions raised his hopes for Israeli-
— Robert A. Sklar, editor
Palestinian peace.
"It occurred to me that if Israelis and
With the philosophy that "acts of loving kindness
should not be random," the "A Kindness a Day" cal-
endar was created.
"Charity, kindness and social justice must be an
integral part of everyone's day," said Daniel
Rothner, founder and director of Areyvut, the New
York based non-profit organization that produced
the calendar.
Designed in a "one day per page" format, the cal-
endar, advertised as "365 ways to make the world a
"A Kindness
a Day" cal-
endar
better place" offers daily suggestions to better one-
self and the world.
The Jan. 1 entry suggests, "Let your first check of
the year be to charity" Others remind readers to
"call someone who won't expect it" or to "be quick
to forgive those who have wronged you."
The 2006 edition includes a connection to the
weekly Torah portion with each Shabbat entry, sub-
missions from teachers and students and a themat-
ic index for reference planning by those who use
the calendar as a project or curriculum resource.
Areyvut, Hebrew for mutual responsibility and
accountability, was established in 2002 to help
Jewish youth of all denominations bring Jewish val-
ues of kindness, charity and tikkun olam (repairing
the world) into their lives.
"A Kindness a Day" calendars, priced at
$10.95, may be purchased through ama-
zon.com, JudaicaPress.com , areyvut.org
and Jewish book and gift stores. For more
information, contact www.areyvut.org or
(212) 813-2950.
— Shelli Liebman Dorfman, staff writer
Sample page from
the new calendar
IlLEFZET l 'cha Don't Know
The Chanukah festival lacks the Sabbath-like restrictions that exist for other holi-
days. There is one customary restriction for women, however. Can you name it?
— Goldfein
•uapppol s! Aepfloq aq4 uo bulTsej se Lilo ob
slew buflea ail Intl) •uginq am salpue3 qminueqo all awl aqi buiinp IJOM woij tneJjaa o4 pa)ise Alleuon
-!pe.q. ale Aaq4 leql mom oi pelt, aq Ttlbp uawom tuoileiedaid Aeplloq pue buNooa aquie Daily uamsuy
:i3Copyright 2006, Jewish Renaissance Media '
— Robert A. Sklar, editor
Granting Support
Better Every Day
11
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
Annan has named Costa Rican Rebeca
Grynspan, the niece of a West Bloomfield
couple, to the post of assistant secretary-
general.
Grynspan, whose aunt and uncle are
Rochelle and Norman Sable, also will serve
as assistant administrator of the U.N.
Development Program (UNDP) and director Rebeca Grynspan
of its Regional Bureau for Latin America and
the Caribbean. She will lead a professional
staff of 800 covering UNDP's 24 country offices in the region.
Grynspan is current director of the Mexican-based Subregional
Headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and
the Caribbean. She has worked toward poverty reduction, democratic
governance and gender equality.
She was vice president of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998, and a for-
mer professor at the University of Costa Rica.
Grants are flowing for Fresh Air Society & Tamarack Camps with
the latest two totaling $56,500.
The Detroit Auto Dealers Association Charitable Foundation
Fund of the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan
gave $40,000. This grant will fund a program designed to share
aspects of the Fresh Air Society's Outdoor Education Program with
Detroit Public Schools students. Outdoor Ed spotlights the envi-
ronment, outdoor survival skills, science and nature, pioneer skills
and team building.
The Sinai Guild gave $16,500 to buy medical supplies for the
health center at Tamarack's resident camp, Camp Maas in
Ortonville. The medical supplies also will be used on teen adven-
ture/wilderness trips and at Tamarack's two outpost camps.
— Robert A. Sklar, editor
Honoring Holocaust
A World Holocaust Remembrance Day observance will be held at 1
p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington
Hills. Sponsored by the Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan
Detroit, in cooperation with the HMC, the event will mark both the
61st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the community's
outrage over recent Holocaust denial statements by the Iranian gov-
ernment.
The United Nations-sponsored World Holocaust Remembrance Day
corresponds with the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermina-
tion camp by Soviet. forces on Jan. 27, 1945. Auschwitz was the largest
Nazi Germany killing center in Europe and has become a symbol of
the Holocaust, representing the depths of man's inhumanity to man.
Eighteen governments have legislated Jan. 27 as an annual
Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Speakers at the local event will include HMC Director Rabbi Charles
Rosenzveig and JCCouncil Executive Director Robert Cohen.
Memorial prayers and a symbolic candle-lighting ceremony also will
take place.
For information, call the HMC, (248) 553-2400, or the JCCouncil,
(248) 642-5393.
.
— Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor
January 26 e 2006 11