Front Lines
NOTEBOOK
est CrOhnls
Robert A. Sklar
Editor
L
ittle did he know that a simple e-mail would change his life
in such an unusual way. A few months ago, Paul Fried was
checking his e-mail and came across a message about a char-
ity fundraiser organized by Get Your Guts in Gear Inc. The fundraiser
consisted of a 210-mile bicycle ride over Aug. 3-5 (70 miles each day)
near Seattle. Riders would camp in tents overnight.
Brooklyn-based GYGIG empowers people affected by Crohn's
Disease and Ulcerative Colitis and raises money to foster awareness
about these painful, debilitating illnesses.
Crohn's is a chronic disorder that can affect any part of the gastro-
intestinal tract. Ulcerative Colitis is a disease that strikes the large
intestine. There is no cure.
Fried, a Farmington Hills resident, was intrigued by the e-mail mes-
sage. That night, the public accountant told his wife, Ellen, that he was
thinking about registering for the ride.
The idea was daunting. Fried, 57, hadn't been on a bike in 15 years.
And he has suffered from Crohn's for 37 years.
Undaunted, he registered, bought a bike and started training.
"I feel empowered to rise to the challenge Fried said. "There are
many people — including, sadly enough, young children — who
suffer from this disease even
more than I do. I will also be
riding for them — and for any
one else too ill to participate
on their own behalf."
Ride proceeds will support
GYGIG, the Crohn's & Colitis
Foundation of America, the
Colon Club, the United Ostomy
Associations of America and
the I BD Quilt Project Inc.
Cyclist Paul Fried readies for the
Fried's fundraising goal is
benefit ride.
$10,000; he's more than two-
thirds along. His Web page is at: www.ibdride.org/pfried . His office
number is (248) 855-3000.
"When someone asks a mountain climber why they would attempt
something so physically demanding," Fried said, "the response more
times than not is 'just to see if I could do it Likewise, when my wife
asked me why, at my age and with health problems, I would attempt a
210-mile bicycle ride, the inevitable answer was, `just to see if I could
do it.'
"The added bonus, however, is to be able to support a charity that
supports me." I
Fashion Forward
Detroit Jewry To The Rescue
Jamie Rubin, 21, of West Bloomfield is the youngest local fashion
model featured in the first anniversary issue of the Detroit-based
Ambassador magazine, published by Denise Ilitch and Dennis Archer
Jr. The article spotlights "Detroiters in Fashion!'
Rubin, a 2004 West Bloomfield High School graduate, is a student
at the Parsons School of Design in New York where
she works as an executive assistant at Kirna Zabete,
an exclusive, high-fashion women's apparel store in
New York City's Soho district. Previously, she was
a fashion assistant to publisher Ivana Kalafatic at
Royal Oak-based Clear magazine.
Rubin is the daughter of Nori and Larry Rubin.
The family is affiliated with Congregation B'nai
Moshe in West Bloomfield.
Fashionable
Rubin's career goal is to run a multidisciplinary
Jamie Rubin
creative project within the fashion industry. She told
Ambassador that she "always wanted to be a part of the dress that can
make a woman's eyes light up."
"Fashion is to me so much more than clothes," she told the maga-
zine."It can reflect history. Changes socially, economically, culturally
and personally can all be reflected in fashion. Subcultures have always
used fashion as a means to express their views because it is such a
successful means by which moods or ideas are conveyed."
Coincidence or Divine intervention?
We can't say for sure.
Jonathan Berger, the rabbi-in-residence, accompanied eighth-grad-
ers at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit to Israel in April.
During the group's final Shabbat in Jerusalem, a man staying at the
same hotel approached the rabbi. The man said he had just witnessed
someone faint at the Kotel (Western Wall). A Magen David Adom
ambulance quickly arrived to assist the fallen man.
"Aren't you from Hillel Day School?" the man asked.
The rabbi responded that he was with the Hillel student group.
"I saw your school's name on the ambulance that came to the Kotel,"
the man told the rabbi.
The rabbi immediately relayed to the kids that the ambulance that
they raised money to buy through the American Red Magen David for
Israel's John J. Mames Chapter/Michigan Region was responding to
emergencies in Jerusalem.
The kids were gratified to learn the ambulance had been a Project
Lifeline gift not just from their school, but also other local insti-
tutions: congregations Adat Shalom, Beth Shalom, B'nai Moshe
and Shaarey Zedek, Temple Israel and Temple Emanu-El; Hillel
Foundation of Metro Detroit; Michigan Region BBYO; and Yeshivat
Akiva.
Project co-chairs are Nancy Adler, Sheri Stay and Jodi Tobin.
- Robert A. Sklar, editor
We Invite Woodward Memories
If you have notable memories of growing up
or living or working along the Woodward cor-
ridor, we want to hear from you!
As part of our July coverage of Woodward
Avenue's 200th anniversary, we invite you to
submit recollections (of 200 words or less)
for possible publication on the IN Web site:
JNonline.us . E-mail your items as an attached
Word document to rsklar@jrm.biz by June 15.
Temple Beth El's former location at
Woodward at Gladstone in Detroit
- Robert A. Sklar, editor
Please adhere to the 200-word limit by editing
your document carefully. Spell all personal and
business names correctly. Include your name,
address and daytime phone number (your name
and city, only, will appear with your article).
Digital, high-resolution jpeg images are welcome;
include complete captions, with all names from
left, who each person is, the location and approxi-
mate date. Thanks so much!
www.JNOnline.us
JBIog
Arnie Goldman shares his
thoughts about Borat, the
Iraq war, little mitzvahs and
more. Jeff Klein offers his
Metro Perspectives on every-
thing from dating to friend-
ship.
Only at JNonline.us. Just
click on JBIog on the menu
on the left.
Latest From Israel
Want the most current
news from Israel? Check
our streaming news from
Ynetnews.com for continu-
ous updates and longer news,
opinion and feature stories.
And look at the center of our
Homepage for an Israel story
that changes twice daily.
Just visit JNonline.us and
click on a scrolling story on
the left.
Celebrations!
Find weekly listings of births,
b'nai mitzvah, engagements,
weddings and anniversaries
online as well as past sim-
chahs all online. They are all
bundled under each week's
publication date.
Just visit JNonline.us and
click on Lifecycles on the left.
Results from last
week's poll:
Will high gasoline prices
change your summer vacation
plans?
Yes 55%
No 45%
This week's poll question:
Do you think that all college
Hillels should fly the Israeli
flag?
Visit the JNonline.us
homepage to cast your vote.
- Robert A. Sklar, editor
May 31
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2007
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