Volunteers Margaret Eichner and Jacki Smith of Commerce Township display
Wishing you a Happy and Healthy New Year
their handmade Rosh Hashanah cards with Sue Trionfi.
Beyond The Cake
W
hen Suellen Trionfi of
Wolverine Lake deliv-
ers honey cakes and
handmade New Year's cards to her
neighbors this year, she will not only
be bringing warmth and cheer, she
also will be paying tribute to her late
mother, Brenda Moss.
The deliveries are an extension of
her bimonthly Commerce Township,
Walled Lake and Wolverine Lake pre-
Shabbat visits that began after an
inspiring trip to see her mother and
brother in California last summer.
"I was at the facility where my
mother was living and the rabbi from
a nearby Chabad House, who visited
regularly, was there Trionfi said. "My
mother had dementia, but when the
rabbi started singing songs from her
past, like 'Shalom Aleichem' and (Dovid
Melech Yisrael; she started singing,
too. He brought my mother to a level
of participation I had not seen in a
long time. I was absolutely speechless!'
After returning home, Trionfi said,
"I promised I would find a way to do
something for other people because of
what I saw done for my mother."
A friend gave her the phone number
of the nearby Chabad Jewish Center of
Commerce where she met with Rabbi
Schneor and Estie Greenberg.
"Estie suggested visiting people
in the area who were homebound or
elderly, or would just enjoy a guest:'
Trionfi said. "And she said she wanted
to come with me. We decided we
would make our visits every other
Friday. We took with us Shabbos can-
dles and little, tiny braided [kosher]
challah rolls baked at Zeman's [New
York Bakery in Oak Park].
"And we don't just drop and run. We
sit and schmooze for a while. Usually,
Estie brings along one of her chil-
dren, who truly brighten the day of
those we visit."
Recently the small group, called
"Challah with Love was expanded.
"Allison Lee [of Walled Lake] started
delivering with us, together with her
daughter Lydia, after she saw how
happy it made Allison's mother, Ruth
Patiky [also of Walled Lake]."
This week, instead of bringing chal-
lahs to the dozen or so friends they've
made through the group, Trionfi said,
"Estie baked honey cakes with a won-
derful recipe, so we will take those."
Each cake be will accompanied by
a handmade New Year's card created
during Chabad of Commerce's Aug.
29 Women's Chavurah meeting at
Trionfi's home.
For information on joining
Challah with Love or to become
a recipient, call Suellen Trionfi,
(248) 624-0950, or Estie
Greenberg, (248) 363-3644.
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J14
September 13 • 2007
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