Front Lines JNenline NOTEBOOK This Week www.JNonline.us A Sad Swim Alon Mandel, a University of Michigan athlete from Israel, had his hopes dashed at the Olympic Games last week, even before he got to compete. His father, Kostiya, 51, fell off a ladder and died Aug. 7 while hanging a banner that was a tribute to his son on their home in Netanya. Kostiya Alon Mandel Mandel was a vice president for research and development for a Farmington Hills-based firm, FriCSo Inc. Alon, who will turn 20 on Saturday, continued to compete in Beijing at the urging of his family. He met with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Beijing and was joined there by his sister Maya, a former U-M swimmer who is an Israel Defense Forces intelligence officer, and their mother, Rina. Alon Mandel will be a junior at U-M this fall majoring in engineer- ing and won All-American honors last winter at the NCAA champi- onships on U-M's 200- and 400-yard medley relay teams. He set an Israeli record at the European championships in April in the 200- meter butterfly, but finished 13th. In Beijing, with his mother and sister watching, he lowered the Israeli record to 1:59.27. His time, however, was three seconds slower than what he needed to advance to the semi-finals in the 200 fly. The Mandels returned to Israel to bury Kostiya. - Alan Hitsky, associate editor Special Birthday In Israel The Full Report Setting Up Shop For Yad Ezra To view the Inspector General's report on how the Army victimized Southfield resident David Tenenbaum for being a Jew and wrongly accused him of being an Israeli spy in his work as a civil engineer at the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) in Warren, go to JNonline.us . Click on News, "I Wanted To Prove My Innocence" and "View The inspector General's Report.' Shoshie, 11, and Naomi Silow, 5, at their stand. Naomi Silow, 5, of Huntington Woods along with her sister, Shoshie, 11, raised almost $30 for Yad Ezra of Berkley by selling lemonade and cookies. The stand, decorated with neon animal shapes in pink, green, blue, yellow and green, stood at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. The girls were successful by asking hungry, returning campers being dropped off at the JCC to make a purchase. Mother Sarah Hartman-Silow, a professional artist, helped with decorating. A cup of lemonade and cookie sold at 25 cents each. Selling began July 24 when Eryn Fox, friend and babysitter, 16, of Oak Park and Mindy Schneider, 16, also of Oak Park, helped supervise the stand. Naomi wanted to keep the first dollar for herself and then donate the rest. This has not been Shoshie's first time fundraising for a good cause. At past years' birthday parties, she's asked friends to bring in donations for Hurricane Katrina victims instead of receiving presents. "You feel really good about it because it's really rewarding and you're helping out other people Shoshie said. Both girls attend Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield. "As long as it's fun, I think I'll keep on doing it," Naomi said. "I don't think anybody was surprised; it was the sort of thing they do. I am very proud of them:' their mom said. - Gabriella Ring, Teen2Teen Intern Jane Shayne celebrates at an Israeli McDonald's. "Growing up, I never had a birthday party, so in essence I gave myself the best birthday present — my 80th birthday in Israel with my fam- ily, a trip of a lifetime said Jane Shayne of Farmington Hills. In July, she hired a guide, a bus and a driver and treated her four daughters, son-in-law and two grandchildren to 10 days in Israel. She ended the trip with a little something from home. "My mother is a major McDonald's fan, so the last day, we cel- ebrated at McDonald's, with balloons and everything," said daughter Debbie Horowitz of West Bloomfield. Other family members on the trip were Josh Syme of West Bloomfield, Karen and Rick Halberg of Farmington Hills, Patti Shayne of Birmingham, Emily Halberg of Royal Oak and Nancy Shayne of New York City. Guten Cohen, story development editor A10 August 21 • 2008 Ai A League Of Their Own Some 800 Jewish women from the United States and Canada are expected to attend the Women's League for Conservative Judaism Biennial Convention Nov. 9-12 at the Hyatt-Regency Dearborn. Women's League is the parent body for 600 affiliates in Conservative- Masorti synagogues. The convention theme is "Heart & Soul?' Plenary programming will focus on the performance of commandments as the road to spiritual fulfillment and communal rejuvenation. Presentations will be by Dr. Arnold Eisen, chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and vice president of the American Jewish University in California. A panel of physicians — all members of Women's League — will address how physical health and spiritual well-being are intertwined. There will be a special presentation by Rabbi Danny Nevins, former Detroiter and dean of the JTS rabbinical school, an Israel expo and other programs. - Alan Hitsky, associate editor E-Newsletter Desire notification when stories that interest you in particular are posted on JNonline? It's easy to des- ignate the kinds of stories you like when you sign up for your personalized e-newslet- ter. Only at JNonline.us . Just click on Newsletter on the menu near the top of the page. Celebrations! Find weekly listings of births, b`nai mitzvah, engagements, weddings and anniversaries as well as past simchahs all online. They are all bundled under each week's publica- tion date. Just visit JNonline.us and click on Lifecycles on the left. Online Poll This week's poll question: Has watching the Olympic Games in Beijing spurred you to do more exercise yourself? Visit the JNonline.us homepage, below the left menu, to cast your vote. Last week's question: Could the conflict in Georgia lead to another Cold War? Last week's poll results: Yes: 60% No: 40%