SPIRITUALITY

Welcome To Our House

Hosting the homeless teaches Shaarey Zedek
members much about life.

4 110.•• ■ ••esaihy,

0111111•8111 %.11.0

MINIRIII11111111111.1111111011111%" tow

SheIli Liebman Dorfman
Senior Writer

commiserate with friends. Most of the group travel
together from week to week:'
"These are good, quality people who just fell on
group of strangers in need of hot meals, a
hard times',' Dwoskin said. "It is amazing to get to be
comfortable place to sleep and a welcom-
a part of the transformation of their journey. Being
ing smile found it all inside Congregation
with them really helped us realize our priorities."
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.
He and Dorf already reserved time and space for
In a first-time involvement for the synagogue, 30
the second annual program at Shaarey Zedek next
homeless men, women and children were hosted "as February, which they will again chair.
The two offered to head this year's Housing the
part of our commitment to tikkun olam [repairing
the world]," said Stuart Dorf of West Bloomfield,
Homeless after learning about it from Shaarey
co-chair of the Housing the Homeless project with
Zedek Rabbi Joseph Krakoff at a meeting of the
Jonathan Dwoskin of Huntington Woods.
synagogue's young leadership group, also headed by
From April 22-29, volunteers cooked, served
Rabbis Jonathan Berkun and Eric Yanoff.
Both Dorf and Dwoskin are involved in other
meals and chaperoned the guests' overnight stays.
social action and Jewish groups. Last summer, they
"We also took care of their transportation to
school or jobs or the YMCA — wherever they
were part of a group that traveled to New York to
needed to go during the day',' Dorf said. "Some spent learn how others help the homeless and how to
the day searching for work." Each person left the
bring those ideas back home. Dorf is an attorney
synagogue after being served breakfast and handed with Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth and Heller in
Southfield. Dwoskin specializes in apartment build-
a sack lunch to take with them.
The guests of Shaarey Zedek are clients of the
ing sales with Marcus and Millichap in Southfield.
Monetary and food donations, including those
South Oakland Shelter in Royal Oak, who are
from the Bake Station and the Bagel Factory, both
housed and fed on a rotating schedule by
with locations in Southfield, and Nino
nearly 60 multi-faith organizations.
The shelter is open during the day, but
Salvaggio International Marketplace in
Farmington Hills helped defray costs of
has no overnight lodging facilities. The
the project. Among the synagogue staff
shelter also provides assistance with
who facilitated the week were Program-
employment, community referrals like
Web site administrator Shelley Golsky and
mental health programs and parenting
Program Director Tobye Bello.
classes and helps clients finds a more
COM MOWN CARE
"Volunteers came from within the syna-
permanent place to live.
gogue and outside of the synagogue; Jews and non-
In fact, said Dwoskin, "There was a woman and
her two kids who were with us for the first two days. Jews," Dorf said. "There were kids who came from
the [Frankel] Jewish Academy. They all came to help
And then on the third day, we found out she didn't
because it's the right thing to do."
come back because she found a home of her own."
Added Dorf, "The guests we had are people who
When the project was initiated, the plan was to
want to help themselves. Meeting them really breaks
organize evening activities for the group. "But then
a lot of stereotypes of what some people may think
we realized they prefer to spend their evenings like
everyone else Dwoskin said. "Playing cards, talking, a homeless person is."
He hopes those who volunteered will be inspired
being normal."
to keep on lending a hand. "There is really some-
Added Dorf, "It's not easy going to a different
thing to be said for being able to help someone per-
place from week to week, so we understand why
son to person, face to face he said. II
they prefer to come home, eat dinner, watch TV and

A

Jonathan Dwoskin and Stuart Dorf

Staff photos by Angie Bean

limo

Michael Lyttle and Mary Stitt with their son, Lucky Lyttle

Rena Cohen of West Bloomfield and Wendy Wagenheim of
Birmingham volunteer in the Shaarey Zedek kitchen.

Heather Coffel and Bill King enjoy the comforts of
Shaarey Zedek.

Volunteering with Jonathan Dwoskin is his
father-in-law, Jeff Serman of Franklin.

ay 10

v

2007

31

