Metro
Helping Hands
A Cuban-born Jew establishes an English-language program in a Pontiac church.
Staff photos by Armando Rios
Alan Hitsky
Associate Editor
T
he basement of St. Michael's
Catholic Church is still a little
musty, but a lot cleaner than it
was last summer. It also is seeing a lot
more life.
Dr. Ann Niandelbaum of Franklin and
a group of 10 volunteers from all walks of
life have transformed the basement into a
learning center for 60 Spanish-speaking
immigrants — mostly adult women.
After weeks of removing moldy carpet
and ceiling tiles and spreading a new coat
of paint, the volunteers opened school in
late September with donated books, sup-
plies and furniture. The free classes run 10
a.m.-1 p.m. three mornings a week, with
an additional class Wednesday evenings.
The Hispanic Education and Like Skills
Project (HELP) even carved out a child-
care room in the 6,000-square-foot base-
ment. The mothers take turns supervising
the 20-30 infants and pre-school children
during class hours.
Mandelbaum conceived HELP after
volunteering and working for Oakland
Family Services and starting an English-
as-a-second-language program at El
Centro La Familia in Pontiac. But she felt
limited budgets and other constraints
were neglecting Spanish-speaking moth-
ers in the area.
Mandelbaum and Al Swerdlow of
Farmington Hills, another Jewish volun-
teer at HELP, said immigrant men can
learn English on the job and children
learn the language quickly in school. But
there were no English programs for the
mothers.
A co-worker at El Centro suggested
Mandelbaum contact Fr. Sean Sylvester at
St. Michael's. The church is just north of
downtown Pontiac in the neighborhood
between Perry and Saginaw streets that is
home to a large Spanish-speaking popula-
tion. St. Michael's has both English and
Spanish masses.
Fr. Sylvester was enthusiastic about
HELP. His only stipulation was that HELP
share the renovated basement with his
evening ,-, religious
classes.
, .7
Personal History
Mandelbaum can empathize with her
students. Her parents immigrated to Cuba
after World War I. Her brother, a doctor,
Volunteers Al Swerdlow of Farmington Hills and Dr. Ann Mandelbaum of Franklin, standing, work with their English-as-a-second-
language students, including Aracely Cerda of Pontiac and Rosa Martinez of Waterford.
fled to the U.S. after Fidel Castro came to
power in 1962.. She and her mother came
in 1966 and her father 13 years later.
Mandelbaum earned a bachelor's and
a Ph.D. in Latin American literature from
Wayne State University in Detroit and a
master's from the University of Michigan.
She also worked as a Spanish instructor at
Wayne.
Her marriage to attorney George Mann,
four children (now 18, 17, 16 and 10) and
her aging parents (now deceased) bisected
her career. But now she has the time to
make a difference.
"I felt I could do more than what I was
doing," said Mandelbaum, who is known
to her students as Anna. And I had a
whole team of volunteers. We needed to
find a place where we could have different
[class] levels, computers, childcare, etc."
Swerdlow, a retired manufacturer, had
volunteered with the Oakland Literacy
Council and met Mandelbau.m when told
she needed tutors. "I can't believe her
degree of involvement," he said, which he
estimated at 50-60 volunteer hours per
week.
Mandelbaum, whose family dawns at
Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills, just
shakes her head when she thinks about
all the masses she has attended at St.
Michael's to announce the HELP program.
But, she added, the program has a
universal scope: "I see perfect strangers
coming together to make a difference. The
volunteers — teachers and donors — are
all contributing something.
"It shows how good human nature can
be. We all want to help someone else and
make a difference."
Fr. Sylvester agrees. He said the two
Catholic parishes in the area have 1,500
families. He estimates that 70 percent are
Spanish-spaking and 50 percent came in
the last 7-8 years.
"They are desperate to acculturate
and assimilate:' Fr. Sylvester said. The
classes "give them a sense of belonging
and the confidence that they can navigate
American life." He said their young chil-
dren have "an unhealthy sense of power
and control" if the children know English
-
and the parents don't.
Fr. Sylvster said it is "mind-blowing" to
many of the students who have never met
a Jew:Anna is such a bridge-builder," he
said.
Program Needs
The volunteers are HELP's biggest asset
and the program's biggest need. The core
10 are "all colors, backgrounds, retired,
working." Some know Spanish; some
do not. Mandelbaum and Swerdlow are
the only Jews; but Ty Morris, an African
American who graduated from Detroit
Mumford High School, knows Yiddish.
Additional volunteers are needed to
supplement the morning classes, expand
the evening class to two nights, help with
the childcare room and to advise on
applying for nonprofit status.
HELP is also seeking donations of a
copy machine, student desks, computers,
school supplies and money. And, even
though the basement "smells better, looks
cleaner and happier': Mandelbaum said,"it
still needs more decorating:'
Persons who want to donate or volun-
teer can call Mandelbaum at (248) 787-
6x07.
November 1 • 2007
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