To Life!

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Up With Song!

Children's voices blend to make beautiful music.

p

roud hubbies, zadies, moms
and dads snapped photos.
and recorded home videos as
more than 200 children stepped onto
the bimah at Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield to put on a show. Their
voices filled the temple's
main sanctuary on March
19 during "The New Zim-
riyah" — a concert that
brought together nine dif-
ferent Metro Detroit Jewish
youth choirs and the Kids
Klez Band of Michigan.
Robin
"It fills my soul — just
Schwartz
listen to these kids:' said
Columnist
Judy Lewis, the arts and
resources coordinator for
Federation's Alliance For
Jewish Education. The alliance spon-
sored the youth choir concert along with
the Michigan Board of Cantors.
"This is just an amazing experience
and it gets better every year:' Lewis said.
The community Zimriyah first started
40 years ago and was recently brought
back after a 10-year hiatus. Children
from Adat Shalom Synagogue, Temple
Israel, Temple Beth El, Congregation
Beth Shalom; Congregation Chaye Olam,
Temple Emanu-El, Temple Shir Shalom,
and Congregations Shaarey Zedek and
Shir Tikvah took part in the afternoon of
song. The groups performed separately
and also sang together. The 25-member
Kids Klez Band played during interludes.
"I love to sing:' said Emma
Felhander, 10, of West Bloomfield. "It's

so fun knowing what you're doing is
making everyone else out there happy:'
she said.
-
Emma performed with the Temple
Israel Shabbat Singers. Her friends Jade
Marx and Samantha Murray, both of
Farmington Hills, were equally excited
about their performance.
"I think whenever you can get 200
kids together on a gorgeous day with
their parents and families, doing some-
thing Jewish, it's a great community
builder," said Mary Klaper of Oak
Park.
The Zimriyah was made pos-
sible thanks to funding by Elaine and
Michael Serling of Orchard Lake
and the late Muriel Jacknow of
Farmington Hills.
"It was so wonderful to see the com-
munity come together; it was very
special," said Michael Serling. "We were
thrilled to be a part of it."
Spotted in the crowd singing and clap-
ping along were: Michelle Simpson
of Rochester Hills; Eric Goldstein
of Southfield; Joyce Bennett of
-Huntington Woods; Jay Bressler,
Denise Mackey and Edie Arbit,
all of West Bloomfield; Jill Marx of
Farmington Hills; Laury Burg of
Birmingham; Jennifer Zack of Walled
Lake; Nancy Sheer andDebbie
Collins, both of Royal Oak; Fran Bell
of Orchard Lake; Jonathan Frankel
and George Frink, both of Commerce
Township; Myra Kolin of Bloomfield
Hills; and Yona Fisher of Northville. ❑

Above:

Marci Bloom-Vettese of West
Bloomfield and daughter

Rachael, 13

Far left column, from top:
Eric and Margaret Goldstein

of Southfield with daughter
Miriam, 6

Jeremy, 11 with parents Laurie

and Ray. Kach of Farmington -
Hills

- Debbie Collins of Royal Oak

with daughters, Isabella, 5
months, and Danielle, 7

.

Ari Cohen, 6, with his mother,
Nita, of Birmingham

Danielle, 5, and Kelly Goldberg
of Farmington Hills

Jeff and Bara Slomovitz of

Farmington Hills with son
Zachary, 16 months