Family Focus

62 AndCountinck!ies.

Book Cadillac reopening rekindles wedding reception

Robin Schwartz

Special to the Jewish News

R

ita Sue Cohen was just 17 years
old when she and her husband,
Elliot, celebrated their wed-
ding with a lavish reception in the grand
ballroom of Detroit's Book Cadillac Hotel.
Their 400 invited guests took up the
hotel's entire fourth floor. The date was
Oct. 3, 1946.
"It was one of the first big Jewish wed-
dings after World War IV recalled Mrs.
Cohen.
"The Book Cadillac was the place to get
married:'
But the iconic hotel, once a symbol
of Detroit's wealth, fell on hard times.
The swanky spot where the Beatles,

Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra once
slept, as well as Presidents Franklin D.
Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and civil
rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., sat abandoned for more than two
decades and narrowly escaped the
wrecking ball.
The Cohens of Bloomfield Hills were
among a huge crowd that gathered Oct.
25 to celebrate its rebirth after a two-year,
$190 million renovation. The black-tie
gala was just in time for their 62nd wed-
ding anniversary.
"The hotel has changed quite a bit; it
doesn't have the big staircase it once had;'
said Cohen.
She carried a black and white photo of
her wedding reception during the evening
of dinner and dancing.

"They gave us a private tour of the
room where we were married:' she
added. "It was very, very nice."
During better times in the city,
the Cohens, now in their 80s, owned
nine movie theaters including the old
Hollywood Theater on Fort Street in
Detroit. Mrs. Cohen was a volunteer for
35 years at Beaumont Hospital, Royal
Oak.
The couple have two children, two
grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
They expressed hope that the Book
Cadillac's revival is a sign of better things
to come for Detroit.
"I think they need something like that
downtown;' Cohen said. "I never thought
I'd live to see the Book re-open, but I'm
glad I did!"

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\

ss

Rita Sue and Eliot Cohen

Cookies For A Cause

Teen volunteers help Camp Mak-A-Dream
give 'normal' summer to kids with cancer.

Mel Singer and Lauren Lewis

Teen2Teen Staff Writers

C

amp Mak-a-Dream. Four small
words, one big impact.
As teens, we all know camp is
a place to relax and spend your summer.
However, some are not so lucky to have the
opportunity to be carefree. This is where
Camp Mak-A-Dream comes in.
Camp Mak-A-Dream is a cost-free
camp in Gold Creek, Mont., for children
and young adults with cancer. They enjoy
camp as an average teen does, and they
get the special care and treatment they
need.
To help fund this unbelievable camp,
Camp Mak-A-Dream/Michigan Chapter
hosted its annual event called Cookies 'N'
Dreams in late October.
As two teenagers who attend camp
ourselves, we know how important it is
to spend summers being yourself in a
place like camp. This is the reason we

both enjoy volunteering for this wonderful
organization.
Cookies 'N' Dreams is an event where
each baker provides 800-1,000 cookies
for everyone to sample. This fun event
also includes a candy store, donated by
the Sweet Factory at Somerset Collection
in Troy, and music and dancing donated
by Southfield-based Star Trax DJs,
emcees and dancers. There are also arts
and crafts, character photos, gifts and
face painting. Everyone donates his time,
generosity — and especially those cook-
ies.
Bakers included Annabel Cohen,
Blooming Bakery, Cookies By Design,
Cookie Cool Cookie Co., Cupcake Station,
Indulge Baked Sweets and Treats, Lil'
Monica's Gourmet Cookies, Cakes
and Pastries, Market Basket, Marty's
Cookies, McCormick & Schmick, Mrs.
Fields Cookies, Peter's Palate Pleaser,
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory,
The Townsend Bakery and 2 Unique

Volunteers Manna Sucher, Mel Singer and Maude Etkin, all freshmen at Bloomfield

Hills Andover High School. Teen2Teen staffer Lauren Lewis also attends Andover.

Catering.
The highlight of this event attended
by 700 people was actually hearing the
campers speak about their triumphs and
struggles. They spoke about how camp
gives them the chance to be "normal" and

comfortable. It is truly a pleasure to be
able to relate to these kids on a totally dif-
ferent level.
For more information or to make a
donation, call (248) 723-5575 or visit the
Web site at www.campdreammich.org .

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November 20 • 2008

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