Chanukah Art Contest

This section is sponsored by

• Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County
• Detroit Jewish News

Celebrating With Art

Children create masterpieces for the holiday.

ikhail "Mischa" Dresser of Bay City has family influences when it comes to art.
His sister Samantha, a senior in psychology at Michigan State University,
twice won the Jewish News Chanukah Art Contest. His brother Jacob, age 15,
won his age group.
Now Mischa, whose 11th birthday was Nov. 27, has taken a turn as a family winner in the
annual contest to select the Chanukah cover for the Jewish News.
But Mischa had some extra baggage to carry when he created his colorful Magen David
and chanukiah from ribbons that appears on today's front page. Mischa, who was adopted
by Marilyn and Richard Dresser at the age of 3 from the former Soviet Union, underwent
surgery to remove a brain tumor at the age of 4.
According to his mother, the cancer is in remission but he still gets headaches and nau-
sea from the surgery and treatments. He must take steroids, wears braces on his legs and
uses a walker to get around. "But cognitively," she said, "he's doing great."
He can't draw well, Marilyn Dresser said, "but he loves to cut and color and he has a
very interesting sense of design."
The Dressers belong to Temple Israel in Bay City, but Mischa and Jacob attend the Ivriah
at Congregation Beth Israel in Flint, and Mischa is a fourth-grade student at the Midland
Academy of Advanced Creative Studies. "He's a happy boy," says his mother. "He uses the
computer and he's wonderful." And brother Jacob chimed in, "And he's loved every day."
Mischa was delighted when he learned that he had won, and agreed that he would tease
his siblings about the honor. But mostly, he was interested in when his $100 first-prize
check would arrive.
Mischa, it's in the mail! I I

Mikhail "Mischa"
Dresser, 11

Bay City
Temple Israel,
Bay City

-

Nearly 250 children entered
this year's Jewish News/
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Chanukah Art Contest, with 113
entries coming from students
at Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield.
Grand prize winner Mikhail
Dresser, age 11, of Bay City
had his artwork reproduced
on today's cover of the Jewish
News and will receive a $100
check.
Age-group winners Mackenzie
Coden, 12, of West Bloomfield,

Amanda Papo, 8, of Novi and
Melanie leper, 6, of Farmington
Hills will each receive $18.
For those who wish to retrieve
their contest entries, they are
available at the Jewish News
office through Dec. 28.
The winners shown on these
pages will also be displayed
on our Web site, JNonline.us ,
through Dec. 14.

Alan Hitsky, associate editor

U

CL

F—
V)

AGE 6 & YOUNGER

Melanie leper,

6

Farmington Hills
Hillel Day School,
Farmington Hills

Ii

•

L.L.1

U

3-

U)

Cr.

U-

AGE 7-9

Amanda Papo,

AGE 10-12

8

Novi
Temple Israel, West
Bloomfield

Mackenzie
Coden,12

West Bloomfield
Temple Israel, West
Bloomfield

November 29 • 2007

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