Front Lines
NOTEBOOK
Maccabi Thank You
Leaders of the 2,200 Detroiters who volunteered at the JCC Maccabi
Games in August were thanked at a reception last week in downtown
Detroit's First National Building.
Todd Sachse, president of the Jewish Community Center of
Metropolitan Detroit, and Dr. Harold Friedman, chairman of the
Games, broadly hinted that the JCC is considering hosting the Games
for Jewish teenagers again four years from now.
"It's something we're considering:' Friedman said. "It would be nice
to do it again before we have to re-invent everything."
Sachse presented Games director Karen Gordon with a homemade
scrapbook of Detroit Maccabi memorabilia and Freidman with a
Maccabi montage. Others attending the event were offered leftover
Maccabi gym bags, medals and T-shirts.
-Alan Hitsky, associate editor
Saving Israeli Lives
The gift of a 32nd ambulance by Natalie and Manny Charach of West
Bloomfield was one of six ambulances donated to Israel by the Detroit
Jewish community last week. Last year, the Charachs also donated the
Natalie and Manny Charach Emergency Medical Center in Ashdod.
The donations were announced at the 41st annual event of the John
J. Mames Chapter of the Michigan Region of American Red Magen
David for Israel. ARMDI is the American fundraising arm of Magen
David Adorn, which provides Israel's national pre-hospital emergency
needs, including medical, disaster, ambulance and blood services.
At the dinner, Detroiters also donated four new paramedic training
scholarships to MDA.
Recipients of the Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award were
local business leaders Tamara and Eugene Friedman and Emmanuel
and Zoya Gauser, all of whom emigrated from the former Soviet
Union to America in the 1970s. They gifted an ambulance on behalf of
the Jews of the former Soviet Union.
Judith Grant served as chair of the Sept. 21 dinner at Adat Shalom
Synagogue, Farmington Hills. Co-chairs were Dr. Ariel Barkman and
Dr. Margo Yellen Woll.
"Dr. Mames would be so proud:' Grant said, "of how his devoted
wife, Eva, continues to carry on his legacy in providing the people of
Israel with the finest emergency medical care in the world. Eva, we all
thank you for your tireless efforts and relentless commitment."
- Robert Sklar, editor
volunteers worked in the soup kitchen, the sewing center, hospital,
gardens and elsewhere.
"There's more to this program than the work:' Rachel said. "Every
Wednesday was tour day. Israel grows so fast that there is more to
see each time we go. The last two weeks we went to Tel Aviv, Eilat, the
Dead Sea and then to Jerusalem!'
Each Shabbat offers free time; and every evening something is
planned, including a trip to the symphony, ballet, an Israeli Chinese
restaurant and presentations by the Ethiopians of handcrafted items.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to experience the daily lives of the
Israeli people said Sheilah Goldberg of Oak Park, who also went on
the trip. "The volunteer work is meaningful, and we're contributing to
their society"
Other WIN trips begin in mid-January. Options include four or
eight weeks. Trips must be booked 90 days prior to departure. For
more information, contact the Hadassah mission office, (800) 363-
2373.
Create Memorials Online
For thousands of years, Jews have memorialized their loved ones by
participating in the Yizkor (remembrance) prayer service during Yom
Kippur.
This year, Jews will have another way to remember ancestors
— with a 21st-century twist.
Officials with Ti11120.com have launched a special section on their
Web site for Jews worldwide to post memorials — at no cost — to
remember loved ones. Memorials can include photos, messages and
whatever other information family and friends consider important
during Yom Kippur, which begins at sundown Oct. 8.
As part of the Web site, online visitors can make secure donations
to nationally respected charities on behalf of loved ones. In addition,
they can fill out online yahrtzeit (anniversary of death) reminders
that will be e-mailed when it is time to light the memorial candle.
Ti11120.com has other services at no charge, including a system that
notifies users when someone in their community has died, so they
will be able to attend the funeral. The Web site also provides online
condolence cards and a system to automatically send food baskets to
a family sitting shivah, as part of its community service.
The name Ti11120.com , comes from a traditional Jewish blessing,
may you live till 120!' It refers to the age Moses is said to have lived to
and is meant to wish someone a happy, healthy and long life.
- Ken Guten Cohen, story development editor
A10
October 2 • 2008
Ai
www.JNonline.us
Latest From Israel
Check our streaming news
from Ynetnews.com for
updates, opinion and feature
stories. See the center of our
homepage for an Israel story
that changes twice daily.
Visit JNonline.us and click on
a scrolling story on the left.
What've I Got To Lose?
Check in
on Story
Development
Editor Keri
Cohen's
quest for
fitness and
weight loss.
Keri Cohen
There's a
lot to learn
along the way, as she says in
this new blog post.
Only at JNonline.us . Go to
the right side of homepage
and click on the box: What
Have I Got To Lose?
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:
Will you be making amends
to others during this High
Holiday season?
Visit the JNonline.us
homepage, below the left
menu, to cast your vote.
- Robert Sklar, editor
WIN By Working In Israel
Peter and Rachel Siegel of West Bloomfield participated in Hadassah's
Winter in Natanya (WIN) program for eight weeks in January. Peter, a
retired physician, taught English in the schools. Rachel taught English
in a boarding school for Ethiopian children in the upper grades. Other
This Week
Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor
"
White House Summit
Top leaders of the Union of. Orthodox Jewish Congregations of
America, including Rabbi Steven Weil, met Friday morning with
President George W. Bush at the White House in advance of Rosh
Hashanah, which began Monday night. Weil is senior rabbi of Beth
Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills, Calif., and former rabbi of Young
Israel of Oak Park.
The 15 lay and rabbinic leaders of the nation's largest Orthodox
Jewish umbrella organization wished the president a healthy and
sweet new year. They gave him a framed reproduction of President
George Washington's letter to the Newport Jewish community extol-
ling religious freedom in the United States.
The discussion also spotlighted the Bush administration's work to
promote religious freedom and Israel-related matters.
Dienline
Rachel Siegel of West Bloomfield with some Ethiopian students
she worked with during the Hadassah trip to Israel.
Last week's question:
Was it correct to cancel the
invitation of Republican vice
presidential candidate Sarah
Palin to address the anti-Iran
rally Sept. 22 at the United
Nations?
Last week's poll results:
Yes: 41%
No: 59%