To Life!

AROUND TOWN

Identity Building

Zina and Michael Kramer of

Young adults peer into the artistic souls of Israeli kids.

Andrea Beavers of Farmington Hills and Heidi
Wineman of West Bloomfield

Bloomfield Hills

.

David Jacobson of Birmingham and Lauren
Finsilver of West Bloomfield

Susan Doerr and Andrew Shapack of Franklin

I

ntricate and colorful art-
work created by children
in Israel, Kiev and Metro
Detroit provide a window into
their Jewish souls. More than 65
young adults got the chance to
enjoy the view during a special
art showing at the Bloomfield
Hills home of Zina and
Michael Kramer.
The May 11 event called,
"Windows to Our World," was
held to thank young adult
supporters of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit's 2006 Annual
Campaign who pledged $360
or more.
"We wanted to show how
important Jewish identity is
to the children who made this
artwork," said Heidi Wineman
of Birmingham, one of the event
co-chairs. "Without Federation's
support, these kids wouldh't
have an avenue or an outlet to
express their Jewish identity"
Dozens of Passover-themed
sketches and paintings hung on
display boards at the Kramer
home: One illustration, cre-
ated by Stay Toibi, 8, of Upper

44

June 1 • 2006

Nazareth depicted the 10
plagues. Others showed images
of seder plates, pyramids and
Moses parting the Red Sea.
The original artwork was part
of a competition sponsored - by
Federation. All of the children
wh6participat-
ed benefit from
Federation
supported pro-
grams.
"We love
art:' said Zina
Kramer as
she admired
Robin
the drawings.
Schwartz
"It's young
Columnist
Jewish people
expressing their
sense of their
Judaism and their perception of
the world?"
"It's pretty incredible and
inspirational;' added her son,
David Kramer of Bloomfield
Hills, another of the evening's
co-chairs.
Andrea Beavers. of
Farmington Hills, a third co-
chair, recently returned from
a Grosfeld young leadership

iN

mission to Israel where she met
some of the children.
"We sat down with Ethiopian
children and we were doing art-
work with them;' Beavers said.
"It was just amazing?'
In addition to the art show,
the evening included cocktails,
dinner and dessert. Attendees
also got a big thank you from
organizers and the hosts.
"My husband and I feel it's
important to encourage young
people to give back to the com-
munity," Zina Kramer said.
"I'm so proud that there are so
many young people who give at
this threshold. I see that as our
future."
Other participants included
Phil Okun, Scott Kaufman,
Jennifer end Lowell Friedman,
and Gayle and Lorne Gold, all
of Huntington Woods;.Laura
and David Gorosh, Barbie and
Ken Bell, and Jon Citrin, all of
Birmingham; Jeremy Crane of
Berkley, Mary and Jon Aaron
of Bloomfield Hills; Susan
Doerr and Andrew Shapack of
Franklin; and Danny Victor of
Sylvan Lake. LI

Artwork by Tani Shtull-Ldber, a

Kari Alterman of Franklin and

student at the Jewish Academy
of Metropolitan Detroit

Andrew Etch of Huntington

Jill Menuck of Birmingham
with daughter Jamie, 8, a stu-

Barbie and Kenneth Bell of
Birmingham

dent at Hillel Day School of
• Metropolitan Detroit

Woods