17--)

h",

f i3
I \I 3

N

T 0 \A! N

Lauren Leland, 16, and Ely Victer, 16,

O

both of ?Vest Bloomfield; Bar Sharf, 16,

of ShimShit; and Elad Shars, 16 and Adi
Zweig, 16, both of Mild!! jtlaEmek

Getting

Kale Davidoff, 15, Barrie

Seigle, 15, and Allie Gold,

16, all of West Bloomfield

LEFT: Jake Barnett, 15,

Cole Newman, 15, and

Jordan Kleiman, 16, all

of Bloomfield Hills

B

eing a teenager and
hanging out with
friends are universal.
So 23 Israeli teens were right at
home on April 5, chilling with
about 150 local Jewish teenag-
ers at Starbucks in Bloomfield
Township. Some, like Mor Edri,
17, of Nazareth Illit, had never
been to the United States before.
"Everything is huge," Edri said.
"It's amazing — like in the mov-
ies," added Elad Shars, 17, of Migdal
HaEmek, also here for the first - time.
The mifgash (meeting) was the first
official group activity for participants in
Federation's 2006 Summer Teen Mission
to Israel — 216 Michigan teens will travel
to Israel June 29 to Aug. 1. But first, a spe-
cially selected group of Israeli teens got to
spend a week in Metro Detroit, experienc-
ing life here. The teens, from Michigan
Jewry's Partnership 2000 region in Israel's
Central Galilee, were chosen because of
their leadership skills and English profi-
ciency. They stayed with host families dur-
ing their visit.

Together!

Michigan, Israeli teens
hang out before this
summer's Teen Mission
to Israel.

cool here. You guys have big houses and
"We're showing them our
home and then they're going
pretty cars:' Kostedsky said.
to show us their home said
The goal of the Michigan Mifgash was
Brittany Danzig, 18, of
to whet the teens' appetite for adventure
Huntington Woods.
and the trip to come. When they reunite
"I think we have a lot in com- in Israel, they will already have formed
mon," said Edri. "We listen to •
friendships organizers hope will become
the same music and we do the
lifelong connections.
same things. I think it will be a
"They connect in Israel in just the most
special experience for them and phenomenal way:' said Rabbi Michael
for us," she said.
Moskowitz of Temple Shir Shalom
"It's about them getting to know each
in West Bloomfield. He's traveling with
other as people, as friends:' explained Teen the Teen Mission for the fifth time.
"They come back with a sense
Mission coordinator Jason Charnas.
of commitment to Israel, to their
"They're going to be traveling in Israel all
Judaism, their synagogue and the
summer together!"
friends they travel with. It's an amaz-
During their visit, the Israeli teens
ing sense of what community can be
attended Shabbat services at local
• the rabbi said.
synagogues, enjoyed a bowling party at
Also spotted in the mifgash crowd
Langan's in Farmington Hills, toured the
were: Teen Mission chair Beth
Ford Rouge factory in Dearborn, visited
the University of Michigan, shopped at
Margolin of Orchard Lake; Anat
Barchitzky of Nazareth Illit, Israeli
Great Lakes Crossing mall in Auburn Hills
and took part in a number of other activi- director of the Teen Mission; Grace
Klein of Birmingham; Jordan
ties.
Banks and Benjamin Peven of
Mon Kostedsky, 17, of Nazareth Illit
even went to a Detroit Pistons game. "It's
Farmington Hills; Jordan Kleiman

Nir lfrach, 17, of Migdal

HaEmek and Alyssa Zak,

17, of Nazareth Illit

and Marissa Kaplan of Bloomfield
Hills; and Marlee Seidman, Shelby

Ambrose, Michael Brodsky, Josh
Forman, David Kowalsky, Jeffrey
Lankowsky, Bradley Lankowsky,
Hunter MacWilliams, Nina Patchak,
Ryan Sakwa, Barry Seigle, Marla
Sternberg and Molly Winer, all of West

Bloomfield.

Jessie Upfal, 16, and Sam
Freedman, 15, both of West
Bloomfield; and Sapir Levi, 17,

of Migdal HaEmek

April 27 ® 2006

41