Sta ff photos by Ang ie Baan

Spirituality

Audrey Elkus, 11, of Bloomfield Hills carries in her bag of change.

Making Lots Of Cents!

Pennies add up at students' tzedakah project.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

was chosen to participate based
on the nature and relevance of
their volunteer opportunity,"
outh who enter a syna-
Greenhill said.
gogue on Sunday morning
"Many students have to serve
usually come laden with
a certain number of hours
Hebrew schoolbooks or b'nai mitz-
doing volunteer activities prior
vah study materials. But many of the
to their becoming b'nai mitzvah
pre-teens who visited Congregation
And this activity allowed them
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield on
to focus on age-appropriate
Sunday, Jan. 27, hauled in heavy
opportunities in our commu-
sacks jingling with coins.
nity."
Participating in the 13th annual
The event was sponsored
Tzedakah Experience, 300 sixth-
by
Federation's Alliance for
Left: Katie Friedman, 11, of West Bloomfield makes a stop at the donation site.
grade students collectively brought
Jewish
Education and Women's
Right: Daniel Ziegenfelder, 12, of Troy, Susie Pappas of Bloomfield Hills, and Aron Baxter, 11, of West
$4,000 in charitable donations to the Bloomfield at the Tzedakah Experience
Department, in partnership
event.
with the Metro Detroit Board
The students — many accompa-
of Jewish Educators, LaSalle
nied by their parents — brought change
Detroit.
community's social service agencies by
Bank and Shaarey Zedek, with the DeRoy
saved through the Penny Harvest project
The Tzedakah Experience does way
working through real-life scenarios of
Testamentary Foundation serving as cor-
that encourages youngsters to put aside
more than provide a change drop-off site.
fictional families:' Greenhill said. "They
porate partner.
their coins to contribute to charity.
It also offers a better understanding of
chose which agencies would best fit their
The Tzedakah Experience event was
"They donated money of all kinds,
the agencies that may be recipients of the
family's needs."
chaired by Suzi Terebelo, Federation
including cash and checks, [but] the
donations, through the "Choose Your Own
The group also was able to "shop" for
Women's Department board member,
majority was pennies," said Jennifer
Adventure" component of the event.
volunteer opportunities in the "Mitzvah
with Keren Alpert and Andee Liberman
Greenhill, senior campaign associate at
"During this virtual road rally, stu-
Mall."
representing the Metro Detroit Board of
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
dents and parents learned about our
"Each agency represented [in the mall]
Educators. 0

Senior Writer

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February 7 • 2008

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