To Life!

Ketubah
signing
celebrates
life against
backdrop of
Weinstein
tragedy.

The Wording

The L'Chayim ketubot are
divided into two parts – a
youth pledge and a parents
pledge. In part, they read:
"I will never drink and
drive. I will do everything
in my power to stop other
people from drinking and
driving. My life is precious.
L'Chayim!" The portion
for parents declares, "I
will never serve alcohol to
minors. I commit myself to
knowing where my children
are. and what they are
doing. I will be present and
active in their lives as lov-
ing parents."

Andrea D'amore-Braver

with her husband, Arnie,

of Troy and son Andrew, 8,

sign together

a.

Robin Schwartz
Special to the Jewish News

who hit them, Thomas Wellinger,
49, recently pled no contest to
three counts of second-degree
murder. He's expected to face 19-
he marriage of word,
30 years in prison. Investigators
deed, commitment and
responsibility was sealed said Wellinger had a blood-alco-
hol level of 0.43, more than five
with a special ketubah signing
time the legal limit, at the time of
on March 24 at the Birmingham
Temple in Farmington Hills. More the crash.
"This is an evening of courage,
than a dozen families signed
of visionary thinking, of power,"
L'Chayim ketubot, contracts pat-
said Rabbi Kolton. "We will not
terned after traditional wedding
participate in a culture of drugs.
ketubot that contain a pledge not
"We're sending a message to
to drink and drive. Witnesses to
the signing included Birmingham the community," she said.
"I pledged that I wouldn't drink
Temple Rabbi Tamara Kolton and
and drive and I wouldn't ever
Michele Compton of Waterford,
put anybody's life in jeopardy or
executive director of Mothers
my life in jeopardy,' said Charles
Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
Molnar, 15; of Farmington Hills.
Oakland County.
"I've been offered drinks at
"It takes a whole community
,' added Hannah Jannett,
parties'
to change our culture about
16, of Bloomfield Hills. "For me to
drinking and driving," Compton
be able to turn them down is tak-
said. "This is a very good start."
ing a big stand and it makes me a
Temple members who are still
bigger person," she said.
mourning the deaths of fellow
"I think it's a perfect tool to
congregants Judith Weinstein, 49,
and her sons Alex, 12, and Sam, 9, open up a dialogue with your
kids," said Ann Marie Fisher of
of Farmington Hills, drew up the
West Bloomfield. She signed with
contracts. All three were killed
her children Kaleigh, 14, Zak,
when a drunk driver slammed °
12, and Alivia, 10."I hope other
into the Weinsteins' Honda on
temples and synagogues will do
12 Mile Road near Orchard Lake
this as well," Fisher said.
Road in May 2005. The driver

T

Gary Weinstein, who lost his
wife and sons in the May 3 crash,
was not able to attend the signing
ceremony. But Rabbi Kolton said
he supports the project.
"Gary's an action-oriented per-
son:' Rabbi Kolton said. "Alex and
Judy and Sam were 'doers.' They
were also very creative out-Of-the
box thinkers!'
MADD plans to expand the
project and possibly even take it
nationwide.
"We're really going to work on
making this a national event, not
only in the Jewish religion but
we hope to spread it out to other
customs and religions as well','
said Compton. "Out of this hor-
rible tragedy have come some
very positive things — this.is one
of them." ❑

Above right: Rabbi Kolton, Kristen

Hughes of Southfield, Ann Marie

Fisher of West Bloomfield, Alivia

Fisher, 10, of West Bloomfield and

Zak Fisher, 12, of West Bloomfield

sign a ketubah.

Right: Justin Finkel, 11, and Ann

Finkel, 13, flank Amy Good, all of

Detroit.

March 30 - 2006

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