I.

Special Report

FEDERATION'S FAMILY MISSION

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where opportunity thrives.

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Open House, where - Our students themselves
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Several generations gather on Masada: back row, Ken Gold of Bloomfield

Hills, Matthew Gold, 16, Seymour Stein of Ashtabula, Ohio, Linda Gold and
Daniel Gold, 16. Front row, Sherry Epstein of Pepper Pike, Ohio, Lauren Gold,
13, and Erica Epstein, 14.

CRANBROOK
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1468830

A22

January 8 a 2009

although their daughter, Hannah, had
been in Israel once before on the inau-
gural Hillel Day School of Metropolitan
Detroit eighth-grade trip.
"It was so wonderful meeting real
Israelis;' Steve said. "All of the people I
met were very nice and hospitable. It is
a very dynamic country. The home hos-
pitality dinner was one of my personal
highlights because I love to meet the
people wherever I go!'
While another 15 percent of partici-
pants hadn't been to Israel in more than
20 years, the remainder of people have
visited Israel anywhere from two times
to 50.
Ken Gold, 47, of Bloomfield Hills was
in Israel for the fifth time. He was one
of several three-generation families
on the mission. He came with his wife,
Linda, their three children, Daniel, 16,
Matthew, 16, and Lauren, 13; his father-
in-law Seymour Stein, 82, of Ashtabula,
Ohio; his sister-in-law Sherry Epstein
of Pepper Pike, Ohio, and her daughter
Erica, 14.
"The defining moment of the trip
was the b'nai mitzvah ceremony where
the three generations connected in the
capital city of our people," Gold said.
"We felt connected to the thousands
of generations that came before us. In

a spiritual way, we also felt a connec-
tion to the generations that will follow,
symbolized by the Torah scroll being
unwrapped. To me, that represented the
eternal heritage of our people. We can-
not wait to return to Israel!"
Dr. Mark Uzansky, 40, of Bloomfield
Hills, who came to Israel with his wife,
Halley, children, Emily, 8, and Jesse,
5, and his mother-in-law Marilyn
Goldsmith, also of Bloomfield Hills,
said, "Coming to Israel with my family
has been so wonderful. The peak of
my emotions was raised as we arrived
in Yerushalayim. As I held my wife
and children, I realized my hope and
dreams were alive,; and I was part of
something so special and so large. I am
ALIVE, and exceedingly proud to be
Jewish."
Pamela Applebaum, 43, of Bloomfield
Hills was on her fourth trip to Israel,
but this was her first ever with daugh-
ters Rebecca, 13, and Molly, 11.
"Being here with my daughters and
seeing all it all through their eyes made
it feel like the first time for me, all over
again," she said.
"Climbing the hill and ascending
into Jerusalem was amazing, especially
when I thought of all the historical con-
nections over the entire course of his-