141NSAM1- 1- li•l• .K144116416
Metro
Friends In Need
Yossi's restaurant plans Chanukah fundraiser to aid stricken Israeli family.
I
sraeli Yossi Benjamin of Yossi's
Famous Falafel in West Bloomfield
will host a Chanukah night fundrais-
er for longtime friend and Israeli military
veteran Ofer Kam, whose family is mired
in health and financial challenges.
Kam is legally disabled, fighting both
cancer and Israel's national health system.
His wife, Tali, can't work because she must
take care of him around the clock. Son
Ben, 8, is battling a brain stem tumor.
Benjamin met Kam in 1982 after mov-
ing into his Haifa neighborhood."' would
like to help a family man who contributed
to the State of Israel;' Benjamin said. "My
heart goes out to him and his family."
When Benjamin, his wife, Lisette, and
sons Dean and Jeremy, now 12 and 9,
came to the U.S. in 2001, the Jewish com-
munity was quick to assist them. A third
son, Alon, just turned 1.
"When I asked someone who had
helped us a lot how we could ever repay
him, he said, 'When you have the opportu-
nity to help someone, do it!' That's all I am
trying to do',' Benjamin said.
The Backdrop
This is Ofer Kam's story:
Just before finishing his service in the
Israeli military in 1988, he was injured in
a car accident. While rehabilitating, he met
his eventual wife, Tali. They got married a
year later and moved to Germany, where
they lived for four years. He worked for
T
El Al Airlines as a security inspector and
interrogator.
In 1992, their first child, Lauren, was
born. Soon after, the couple moved back
to Israel to raise their daughter. Two more
kids followed.
In 2001, the family returned to Germany
because of Israel's economic distress
wrought by the Palestinian reign of terror.
Three years later, son Ben was discov-
ered to have a rare ear virus as well as a
brain stem tumor.
"We decided that changing locations
might change our luck:' Kam said.
Tali and the kids returned to Israel
while Ofer stayed in Germany to work. He
sent money home, visiting his family as
often as he could.
In August 2006, Kam felt pain in his left
leg. A month later, he took himself to the
hospital and was diagnosed with throm-
bosis. So he went back to Israel because he
required complete bed rest.
Problem Worsens
Cancer then appeared. Kam lost 44
pounds and was in and out of the hospital.
But he kept working to provide for his
family.
In January, a biopsy at Rambam
Hospital in Haifa turned up non-
Hodgkin's lymphoma. "My condition at
this point seemed terminal;' Kam said.
Compounding his plight, the govern-
ment-funded medical centers treating him
The Kam family: Ofer, Lauren, Tali, Danielle and, in front, Ben
didn't cover all of his medicine. The Kams
paid for the first round of chemotherapy
but told the government they couldn't
afford the followup.
"Only then did the government give me
my rights as a veteran and provide some
of the payments for my treatment:' Kam
said.
Twice since January, Kam has been hos-
pitalized for five days to take bone-mar-
row biopsies and additional biopsies from
the tumor still burrowed in his body. He's
a candidate for a bone marrow transplant.
Ben's tumor also requires additional
surgery.
"I want to win this battle because I have
a reason to live Kam said. "I want to live;
I have to live. I want to see my kids grow
and I want to dance at their weddings. I
want the chance to grow old with my wife
and play with my grandchildren on the
beaches of Israel:'
Kam vows to be a giver, not just a taker.
"I yearn for my day when I can begin to
contribute back to the communities that
have kept me and my family afloat."
nity, will hold all checks in escrow. He
then personally will deliver the pro-
ceeds to the Kams. Benjamin hopes to
raise at least $25,000 from the party
and contributions.
Event cosponsors are: Lisa and
Hannan Lis, Lisa and Gary Shiffman,
Karolyn and Arie Leibovitz, Suzanne
and Howard Tapper, Marcie and Ashley
Israel, StandWithUs Michigan, Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit, Yoga Shelter and Truth Spa &
Salon.
"Often we donate to big organiza-
tions that help the people of Israel,"
Benjamin said. "Here we have a man
standing strong for Israel who literally
fought for our promised land. We can
all help him and his wonderful family."
Benjamin said Kam never asked for
help and isn't looking for a handout.
"But talking to his mother made
it clear to me that this family needs
help," Benjamin said. "I believe I can
be the initiator. Together, we can help
the Kams — and I promise to keep
everyone posted on developments in
their family. The bottom line is that
we are one big family." Li
Funaraisifio Mi ► pirfr
ogether, we can create a mir-
acle of Chanukah and help
Ofer Kam and his wonderful
family, says Yossi Benjamin.
Owner of Yossi's Famous Falafel,
Benjamin will host a Chanukah fund-
raiser for Kam and his family from 5
to 8 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at Allegro
restaurant, 7295 Orchard Lake Road,
West Bloomfield, two doors east of
Yossi's in Robin's Nest Plaza, Orchard
Lake Road and Northwestern Highway.
The donation is $45 for adults
(includes an Israeli dinner) and $18 for
kids 12 and younger (pasta dinner).
The price includes soft drinks, suf-
ganiot (holiday doughnuts), music
and lighting of the sixth candle on
the chanukiah. Also, Jeff Dwoskin
and Ben Konstantin will do standup
comedy. Also at the party, Benjamin
will have his hair cut off to donate
to "Locks of Love." He'll go bald so a
cancer patient won't have to.
To be part of the miracle if you
can't attend the party, you can drop
off a check at Yossi's Famous Falafel.
You can buy a Yossi's T-shirt for $18
to further benefit the Kam family.
Make checks payable to Ofer Kam.
Hannan Lis, a Haifa native and a
leader of the Detroit Jewish commu-
For party reservations, call Yossi Benjamin:
(248) 514-1409.
November 29.2007
A19