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 s 2007 9