Front Lines
NOTEBOOK
JNen ine
This Week
Community-Wide Connector
Shelli Liebman Dorfman
Senior Writer
B
eth Raz of Oak Park got an unexpected response to her first
posting on the MichiganShuls Yahoo group, an online commu-
nity announcements listing.
After placing a message about her garage sale, set in preparation of a
year-long move to Israel, she said, "I received an e-mail from someone
in Israel who saw my post and offered to help us in any way she can
when we get there."
Raz's listing joined others, including those for homes for sale, softball
leagues being formed and blood drives being planned. "It is a nice way
to stay connected and to learning what is going on in the community,"
she said of the medium that reaches hundreds of local Jews. "It includes
a wide variety of information, including messages about people who
need tefillot (prayers), shiurim (classes), sales and special events!'
The group also posts messages shivah notices,
memorial services and Purim costume sharing to
Jewish day school newsletters and requests for com-
munity action on behalf of Israel.
MichiganShuls was founded by Monica Fischman
of Southfield, who modeled it after the successful
synagogue-based Yahoo groups she belonged to while
living in New Jersey.
Monica
"Most organizations and synagogues have
Fischman
their own membership distribution," she said.
"MichiganShuls is a way for someone who might
belong to a synagogue or organization in the next city to still see what's
going on all over. We have had postings from synagogues, as well as
[those including] the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the
Jewish Community Center and the [Jean and Samuel] Frankel Center
[for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor]."
Adina Pergament utilizes the group to share information on upcom-
ing programs, including the 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, debate on
presidential election issues, to be held at the West Bloomfield JCC. "I
find MichiganShuls to be a great resource, both personally and profes-
sionally',' said Pergament, the director of Seminars for Adult Jewish
Enrichment, who posts both SAJE and other JCC events. "It's quick and
easy way to get the word out about our events — free of charge!"
First-time poster Aliza Sosne of Oak Park started out just reading
Pre-Release Movie Screening
Farmington Hills-based JARC's Young Adult Committee will pres-
ent an exclusive pre-release screening of Henry Poole Is Here at 7:30
p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Birmingham 8 Theatre on Old Woodward.
Producer Gary Gilbert will introduce the film and lead a question-
and-answer session after the screening.
Henry Poole is Here tells the funny, poignant and uplifting story of a
disillusioned man who attempts to hide from life in a rundown subur-
ban tract home only to discover he cannot escape the forces of hope.
The movie stars Luke Wilson, Adriana Barraza, Radha Mitchell, Cheryl
Hines and George Lopez. The director is Mark Pellington.
Native Detroiter Gary Gilbert is the founder and president of
Camelot Pictures, a film production and financing company based in
Los Angeles. He financed and produced the highly acclaimed feature
film Garden State starring Zach Braff and Natalie Portman.
Henry Poole is Here premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
and will open nationwide on Aug. 15.
Tickets for the JARC event are $18 and can be purchased at www.
jarc.org or by calling (248) 538-6611. Young Adult Committee chairs
are AJ Falik and Kate Bush.
- Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor
A8
July 31 = 2008
www.JNonline.us
other's messages, then "welcomed MichiganShuls into my daily routine,"
she said.
Sosne recently posted her own message about an 8 p.m. Wednesday,
Aug. 6, parenting lecture with Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg at Young Israel
of Oak Park, where she is a Jewish family educator. "Rabbi Goldberg is a
fantastic speaker and I wanted to reach out to the greater community."
Fischman, who is the group's moderator, now is in the midst
of a campaign to introduce the 2-year-old site to more members.
Membership has already reached 240 and message posting has expand-
ed from six during the first year to 354 so far in 2008.
MichiganShuls members can subscribe to receive e-mails as they
come in, or to receive a daily summary of all e-mails that were distrib-
uted through the day.
The group includes a section for members to post links to organiza-
tions and Web sites with information relevant to the Detroit Jewish
community.
Fischman also has created a database for local businesses with Jewish
ownership. "My hope is people will use this when looking for a service
and want to support the Jewish-owned businesses in our area',' she said.
"When the JN started the 'I Get It' campaign, I thought this was a way
to help make it easier for the Jewish community to support each other,
by letting people know what business were owned by members of our
community." The database can be accessed by MichiganShuls members.
"I chose the name MichiganShuls so as to not exclude," Fischman
said. "If you live in Michigan and you are Jewish and want to know what
is going on, this group is for you. Its non-denominational; we take post-
ings from Orthodox through Reform."
Event postings include religious, educational, cultural and social.
Fischman sees metro Detroit as a great place for a Yahoo group that
includes so many areas. "I think one big difference in Michigan versus
other areas is that here, we are one big community;' she said. ❑
The MichiganShuls Yahoo Group
For information on MichiganShuls, e-mail Monica Fischman at:
monicafischman®gmail.com . To join the group, access the Web
site at: groups.yahoo.com/group/MichiganShuls/join or send a
blank e-mail to: MichiganShuls-subscribe@yahoogroups.com .
There is no charge to join.
Minyans In Beijing
Beijing has had an organized Jewish
community since China's open-door
policy of the late 1970s. The city's
Chabad-Lubavitch and liberal con-
gregations cooperate well, notably on
education.
And Jewish visitors coming to
Nip
the Chinese capital for the Summer
-.. Alratie
Beijing 20012‘
Olympics will find plenty of choices
for davening on Friday night and
Saturday morning.
While Judaism is not among the five world religions recognized by
the Chinese government, foreigners are basically free to observe, as
long as they are diligent about keeping in touch with authorities and
registering any activities.
Some 1,500 Jewish residents and a regular flow of Jewish tourists
can pray at the liberal Kehillat Beijing and Chabad services at multiple
locations.
- Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Put Your Teen
To Work!
The JN is seeking teens
interested in writing and
photography to help us
cover: the JCC Maccabi
Games Aug. 17-21 and
"A Fair To Remember," a
Federation-sponsored Israel
at 60 celebration at the
Michigan State Fairgrounds
in Detroit Aug. 21.
Teen stories and photos
will appear in print and on
the JN Web sites. Teens will
work with JN staff mem-
bers.
Teens also are encour-
aged to join the Teen2Teen
staff for the coming year.
T2T is featured each month
in the JN.
Interested teens should
send an e-mail to Story
Development Editor Keri
Guten Cohen at kcohen®
thejewishnews.com or call
(248) 351-5144.
Latest From Israel
Check our streaming news
from Ynetnews.com for con-
tinuous updates and longer
news, opinion and feature
stories. Click on a scrolling
story on the left.
Celebrations!
Find weekly listings of
births, b'nai mitzvah,
engagements, weddings
and anniversaries as well
as past simchahs all online.
Click on Lifecycles.
Online Poll
This week's poll question:
Has your job or business
been affected by the down-
turn in the U.S. economy?
Visit the JNonline.us
homepage to vote.
Last week's question:
Should America boycott the
2008 Olympics in China?
Last week's poll results:
Yes: 47%
No: 53%