To Life!
AROUND TOWN
DIGEST
JCC Leaders Feted
For The Sake Of Film
Patrons' party supports popular and
fast-growing Jewish film fest.
I
t was the Metro Detroit Jewish
community's version of a Hollywood
premiere. Park West Gallery in
Southfield rolled out the red carpet for
more than 250 supporters of
the 2006 JCC Lenore Marwil
Jewish Film Festival. The gala
featured everything from
champagne to coney dogs,
a silent auction and a pre-
view screening of one of the
festival's unique films, West
Bank Story by Ari Sandel.
The party was held to thank
patrons who made contribu-
tions of $360 or more.
"Without our patrons, we could never
handle the financial part of this festival:
said film festival chair Nancy Glass
Kanat of West Bloomfield. "The cost of
films, the cost of renting the theater, all
of our advertising — that really comes
from our patron money: she said.
Partygoers strolled through the gal-
lery enjoying dinner and the artwork
surrounding them. They also placed
bids on auction items, includ-
ing paintings and fine jewelry.
The crowd was ushered into a
screening room for a special
showing of West Bank Story.
The official Web site for the
film describes it as "a musical
comedy set in the fast-paced
fast-food world of compet-
ing falafel stands in the West
Bank." The plot thickens when
an Israeli solider in the film
falls in love with a Palestinian cashier.
Their families own competing restau-
rants.
The film festival "is a tremendous
cultural and inspirational experi-
ence," said Irwin Alterman of West
Bloomfield, president of the
Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit, which
produces the festival.
"These documentaries and
other films would not have a
wide audience if they were not
brought together through the
festival committee. It would be
difficult for people to see all of
these films in general: he said.
The Jewish film festival is
named in memory of Lenore
Marwil of West Bloomfield
Marcie Shulman and Dr. Marvin Shulman of
who, along with her hus-
Bloomfield Hills, Carole Maltzman of West
band Bud, spent many years
Bloomfield and Adam Glass of Birmingham
together sharing their mutual
love for film. Over the last
eight years, the event has
grown in popularity, attract-
ing more than 24,000 people.
This year's festival took place
April 30 to May 10 with 65
screenings in Birmingham,
Commerce, Ann Arbor, Flint
and Windsor. The vari-
ous films were produced in
the United States, Morocco,
Mexico, Uganda, England,
France, Germany and Israel.
"These stories are about
Jews in other parts of the
world, about social issues, his-
Nancy Glass Kanat and Dr. Irvin Kanat of West
tory and the roles Jews have
Bloomfield with Jonathan Goldstein of Huntington
played: said Kanat. "We may
Woods
be the 'people of the book, but
,
34 June 15 • 2006
Elliot and Lorraine Shubiner with Dr.
Irvin Kanat, all of West Bloomfield
Cheryl Gutow of Franklin and Renee
Stillman of West Bloomfield
film is a wonderful way for us to look at
who we are."
Spotted in the gala patron crowd
on April 27 were: Renee Stillman,
Sharon and Martin Hart, Sandy
and Fred Hyman, Terry and Martin
Hollander, Fern Ettinger, Ann
Pernick, Leslie and Norman Bash,
and Carol and Ron Fogel, all of West
Bloomfield; Helene and Daniel Lublin
and Ann and Eugene Greenstein of
Farmington Hills; Sarah and Harold
Gottlieb of Birmingham; Dr. Karen
Bolak of Huntington Woods; Drs. Rose
and John Blase of Southfield; Cheryl
Gutow and Judy and Ed Narens
of Franklin; Annette Freedman of
Davisburg; Susan and Brand Marwil,
Norm Pappas, Joyce Maza, Rose
and David Handleman, Honey and
Irvin Friedman, Linda and Joel
Gershenson, and film festival director
David Magidson, all of Bloomfield
Hills. ❑
Winners of the 2006 Jewish Community
Center of Metropolitan Detroit's Susan
Alterman Center Leadership Award are
Karen Sklar Gordon and Jill Menuck.
Gordon has been a JCC board member
since 1998. In 1986, she started coach-
ing Maccabi and has been the Detroit
Delegation head since 1999. She was
a member of
Team USA at the
Maccabiah in
Israel in 1989. She
chairs the Center's
newly formed
Maccabi corn-
mittee. She has
served on several
sub-committees
Karen Sklar Gordon
of the Center's
board, including
sports and recreation, fitness center, day
camp and the Dr. Larry D. Sills Memorial
JCC Golf Classic and Dinner. She served
for many years on the board of the Jewish
National Fund.
Menuck chaired the Second Night Seder
at the Center. She has served on the day
damp, festival and nominating committees
as well as several Shalom Street commit-
tees and board. As an active participant
of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, she is an
officer of the Young
Adult Division
board, a member
of the Women's
Department board,
a co:chair and
member of several
committees and
a National Young
Jill Menuck
Leadership Cabinet
Class chair.
Longtime Center supporters Doris
Weinberger Blechman and Jerry Wolberg
have been named President's Award win-
ners.
Blechman has been actively involved
with the Center since joining a neighbor-
hood effort to upgrade the Jimmy Prentis
Morris Building in 1982. For 20 years,
she has been a member of the Center
board and executive committees, most
recently holding the office of vice presi-
dent.
Wolberg has been an active Center
member for 50 years. His dedication and
support have been most evident in his
years of service on the board of directors
and the executive committee.
Center President Irwin Alterman, who
will begin serving his second term in
June, selected the 2006 President's Award
winners.