For Mitzvah Day, Sarah Kiperman, 21, of West Bloomfield and resident Benjamin

Hardy sing a duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" at the Fountains of Franklin

retirement community in Southfield.

Rabbi Daniel Syme and Jim Hiller with donations from Hiller's Markets.

Julia Friedman, 19, of West Bloomfield stirs the huge pot of cooked vegetables at

St. Leo's Soup Kitchen, Detroit.

Helping Hands

Temple Beth El food drive gets
big boost from Hiller's Markets.

W

hen I saw what was going on with the economy, I knew people
needed food, coats and toiletries," says Rabbi Daniel Syme of
Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. "And then I heard about a
mother who diluted her baby's formula because she couldn't afford to buy more.
We can't solve the problem — but we can't stand by and do nothing. We have an
imperative responsibility to do what we can to help."
Two weeks ago, Rabbi Syme initiated an impromptu food drive at his syna-
gogue. At services, meetings and events, he invited people to contribute to six
bins at the synagogue.
Members' support was immediate and impactful; the bins were full before the
first week was through. Congregation members Scott and Judy Roberts, owners
of AMJ Distribution Co., delivered the goods to food pantries and soup kitch-
ens. Not a day later, the bins were full again. And then longtime congregant Jim
Hiller, CEO of Hiller's Markets, stepped forward in a big way.
On Dec. 23, a Hiller's truck brought its donation to Temple Beth El: 40 cases
of macaroni and cheese dinners, 30 cases of chicken noodle soup and 25 cases
of peanut butter. The entire donation amounts to hundreds of meals for hun-
dreds of families.
"Hiller's donates to food banks year-round, but I could not say no to Rabbi
Syme," Hiller said. "We have a long history together and I believe in everything
he does. Rabbi Syme is a wonderful leader, inspiring people every day to heed
the call to help in whatever way they can."

❑

Michelle Friedman, 15, and Linda Friedman, both of West Bloomfield, cut onions

for the cooked vegetables at St. Leo's.

January 1 • 2009

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