"In The Goldbergs Jewishness is much more than a label; it is a
way of life, a source of humor and warmth!"

Henry Bial, Acting Jewish, 2006

the remarkable
Gertrude

Eternal Teen from page A13

Weiner married his second wife,
Shira Shapiro, three years ago. She is
the part-time director of the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit's Institute for Retired
Professionals. He has two adult chil-
dren from his previous marriage.
Children — specifically, teenagers
— is what his life's work has been all
about.
Weiner was an AZA chapter presi-
dent in his native Grand Rapids and
a chapter adviser in Ann Arbor while
completing his major in community
practice at the University of Michigan
School of Social Work.
He was hired as an assistant direc-
tor of Michigan Region BBYO in
1969 and was named region director
in 1972. Leadership training for the
teens has been his strong suit and
why he believes BBYO has made such
a strong impression on generations of
Jewish teens.
"When we teach leadership:' he
said recently, "you can't just turn it
off. To be a leader in BBYO, you have
to be a leader in life' The organiza-
tion's AZA chapters for boys and BBG
chapters for girls offer multiple lead-
ership positions, both on the chapter
and regional level.
Adelman observed that the orga-
nization allows Jewish teens "to have
both growth and failures in a safe
environment."
Weiner contributed to that environ-
ment by developing several annual
leadership training sessions for the
teens, most often at the old Milan
Centre north of Windsor, Ontario,
and most recently at the new Bittker
Center in Ortonville.

Weathering Changes
It has been a time of transition for
both the teens and the organization,
Weiner said. "The kids are a lot busier
these days. There are more pres-
sures to both do well in school and
be involved in a myriad of activities.
And BBYO needs to remain an attrac-
tive, meaningful experience in order
for kids to choose us."
In the old days, the BBYO members
would hang out at the region office,
located in the Jewish Community
Center in West Bloomfield. "Now,
they're so programmed," Weiner said,
"they only come when they have a
specific purpose'
When Weiner started at BBYO,
during the Vietnam War era, it was a
rough time for the youth-group expe-
rience, he said. "It was the politics" of
the time, "but we persevered through

that and we've remained relevant
through each generation:'
Keeping drugs and alcohol out of
BBYO is just the latest challenge. "We
have a safe environment for teens
where they are not pressed upon
to try these activities:' Weiner said.
"And [the teens] are so a part of the
organization that when [drugs and
alcohol] do appear, they don't want it
in their program.
"This is their organization and
they need to feel proud of what they
accomplish and proud of the BBYO
name in the community."
A BBYO member was found to
have marijuana with him at a recent
weekend program. The parents were
called and the teen was sent home.
"You can't hear everything," Weiner
said, "but it's important that you keep
working at it."
BBYO faces the challenge of "mak-
ing Jewish life meaningful to a wide
amalgam of kids:' Weiner said. For
many, bar or bat mitzvah is the end
of Jewish life and obligation. BBYO
picks up "as a positive Jewish milieu
in which they can make decisions on
how observant they want to be.
"The peer group is so enthusiastic;'
Weiner said, "it makes them feel good
about their connection to the Jewish
community.
Just as its membership has
changed, so has the international
BBYO organization in the last decade.
Weiner, with his long tenure as a
regional director and with one of
the largest (about 1,000 teen mem-
bers annually) and most successful
regions in the U.S., was asked to
serve as interim international direc-
tor in 2000-2001. He spent the year
flying weekly between Washington,
D.C., and Michigan until a new direc-
tor was chosen.
Over the last few years, the organi-
zation has successfully spun off from
B'nai B'rith International, necessitat-
ing its own fundraising and a host of
new programs. The Michigan Region
BBYO adult board has become even
more prominent in boosting the
organization's visibility and creating
innovative fundraising campaigns,
such as a regional convention ad
book and a spring BBYO fashion
show.
Weiner, who leaves his post June
30, is not surprised by the organiza-
tion's success. In fact, his gauge is the
number of adults in the community
who come up to him to say, "I had
such a great time in BBYO."

Thursday, January 17, 2008, 7:30 p.m.,

Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit • D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
Marion & David Handleman Hall • 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield

Including a discussion, "Jews Becoming Americans"
with Professor Howard Lupovitch

Please join us as the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival and SAJE for All Seasons
present The Goldbergs, a nostalgic look at becoming American in the 1940s.
Based on the TV show and one of the most popular radio programs in history,
The Goldbergs is both funny and poignant, the story of a reunion, a failed love
affair and an almost business tragedy.
Howard Lupovitch, ritual director at Congregation Beth Ahm, will lead a brief discussion
after the film.

All seats $10. Tickets at the door, or call 248.432.5577 ext. 7 for advance seats

Presented by: SAJE for All Seasons & the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival's SCREENING ROOM

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January 10 • 2008

A15