SCHOOL

MAZEL TOV!

Hillel Honorees

School cites 'Dream Maker' Berman;
Blechmans, Genes to get Segal award.

H

illel Day School of Metropolitan
Detroit will honor Mandell L.
"Bill" Berman — a commu-
nity activist, mentor and philanthropist
— with its annual Dream Maker Award.
Doris and Frederick Blechman, together
with Sharon and Martin Gene, are 2009
recipients of the school's Rabbi Jacob E.
Segal Award.
Berman has served
as president of the
Council of Jewish
Federations and the
Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit.
He was a co-founder
and serves as the
honorary chair-
Mandell Berman
man of the Jewish
Education Service of North America.
He was the first chairman of the
Skillman Foundation, board chair-
man of the Michigan State Housing
Finance Authority and president of
the Southeastern Michigan Builders
Association. His honors include
Federation's Fred M. Butzel Award, the
most prestigious in the Detroit Jewish
community.
His imprint is on groundbreaking
educational initiatives like the locally cre-
ated and nationally imitated Federation
Jewish Experiences for Families as well as
the North American Jewish Data Bank at
the University of Connecticut and Metro
Detroit's United Hebrew Schools. The
University of Michigan Hillel center bears
his name.
Bill and his wife, Madeleine, have
just announced establishment of a new
National Jewish Policy Center (with
the Revson Foundation) at New York
University. At Congregation Shaarey
Zedek of Oakland County, he has chaired
the building committee and the Clover
Hill Park Cemetery board.
He distinguished himself as a naval
officer during World War II. He also
earned two degrees at Harvard. He and
Madeleine are grand-
parents.
Doris and Fred
Bechman are parents
of three Hillel Day
School graduates and
Fred served Hillel as
the president of the
board;
Doris was a
Fred and Doris
board
member.
They
Blechman

were founding members of the Frankel
Jewish Academy of Metropolitan Detroit,
where Doris served on the executive com-
mittee.
Fred is a member of the Federation's
executive committee, and planning and
allocations steering committee. He chairs
the Commission on Jewish Eldercare
Services and has held leadership posi-
tions at Shaarey Zedek and Clover Hill
Park Cemetery.
Doris is a past member of the Detroit
Cabinet of the Jewish Theological
Seminary of America and of the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit's executive committee. She assist-
ed in the expansion of the Oak Park JCC,
directing the reopening of its Henry and
Delia Meyers Library. She served as chair
of the JCC's Seminars for Adult Jewish
Enrichment and is a past board mem-
ber of MSU Hillel, Federation, the Joint
Action Committee for Political Affairs and
Israel's Alyn Hospital.
Sharon and Marty
Gene are also parents
of three Hillel gradu-
ates. Marty served as
president of Hillel's
board. He, Sharon,
and their siblings
established the Izaak
and Sonia Blechman
Sharon and
Science Education
Marty Gene
Endowment Fund.
The Genes are found-
ing members of Frankel Jewish Academy.
Marty is a past chair of the Detroit
Cabinet of JTS, served on the List College
Board of Advisors of JTS, was an officer
of Shaarey Zedek, and has been involved
with the Radomer Mutual Aid Society.
Sharon is a member of the JTS Detroit
Cabinet, and has been active with Alyn
Hospital, ORT, Federation Women's
Campaign and Jewish Experience for
Families.
The Hillel Day School Patron Party
will be held Thursday, May 7, at the
school with a minimum gift of $1,800.
The school's annual dinner will be held
Wednesday, May 27, at Shaarey Zedek
Southfield.
Proceeds from these events provide
student financial assistance, technology
purchases, professional development and
educational resources for Hillel. For res-
ervations, call Hillel's development office,
(248) 851-6950.

March 20
Sherri (Christy)
and Daniel Kukes
of Birmingham
are pleased to
announce the birth
of their son, Lance
Harry, brother
Kukes
of Chase Marvin.
Proud grandparents
are Thomas and Rosanne Kukes
of Bloomfield Hills and Gus and
Doreen Christy of Farmington Hills.
Great-grandparent is Chilly Revich
of West Bloomfield. Lance is named
in loving memory of his maternal
grandfather Harry Levine.

"MIN March 9
Amy (Macwan)
and Adam Ostroff
of Modiin, Israel,
are delighted to
announce the birth
of their son, Ari
s
Jacob. Proud grand-
Ostroff
parents are Phyllis
and Ron Ostroff of
Birmingham and Julie and Richard
Macwan of Nazareth Illit, Israel. Ari
is named in loving memory for his
paternal grandfather, Harry, and
maternal grandfather, Jacob.

—

Jan. 14
Jodi (Weiss) and
Michael Feld of
Royal Oak welcome
with much love and
happiness the birth
of their son, Brady
Hunter (Ya'akov
Feld
Simcha). Excited
first-time grand-
parents are Andy and Steve Weiss of
White Lake and Ann and Jeff Feld
of Las Vegas, Nev. Brady is named in
loving memory of his great-grand-
mothers Bertha Konopko and Freda
Weiss and his great-grandfather
Joseph Weiss.

Seth Andrew
Canner will celebrate
his bar mitzvah dur-
ing Havdalah services
at Temple Israel
in West Bloomfield
Saturday, April 18.
Participating in the
Canner
simchah will be
his proud parents,
Adriana and Steven Canner. He is the

Jan. 7
Scott and Elizabeth
(Bodenmiller)
Maslowe of West
Bloomfield joyfully
announce the birth
of their daughter,
Violet Miriam. She
Maslowe
is a joy and a wonder!
Proud grandparents
are Linda Burke of Dundee and Noel
Bodenmiller of Port Clinton, Ohio, and
Martin Maslowe of West Bloomfield
and Resha Maslowe of Oak Park.

Dec. 29
Jennifer (Koster)
and Steve Jasgur
of Birmingham
announce the birth
of their daughter,
Simone Elise. Big
sister Baila Rose,
Jasgur
20 months, is
finally warming up!
Grandparents are Harriet Jasgur of
West Bloomfield and the late Robert
Jasgur, Joann and Robert Rozycki
of Troy. Simone is named in loving
memory of both of her paternal great-
grandfathers, Solomon Docks and
Solomon Jasgur.

ft

Sept. 2
Jamie and Brenna
Karbel of Commerce
Twp. are pleased to
announce the birth
of their daughter,
Madelyne Eva. She
joins her big brother
Lucas, 3, at home.
Grandparents are Barbara and Sidney
Stutz of Franklin and Doris and Jimmy
Lester of Milford. Great-grandparents are
Albert and Kerry Stutz of Farmington
Hills. Madelyne is named in loving
memory of Evelyne Karbel. She is the
granddaughter of the late Paul Karbel
and great-granddaughter of the late Carl
Karbel, the late Irving and the late Ethel
Reiff, and the late William and the late
Ozzy Sabaroff.

grandchild of Lorraine Canner and the
late Marvin Canner, Lucia Gonzalez
de Novelli of Buenos Aires, Argentina,
and the late Ricardo Novelli.
Seth attends James R. Geisler
Middle School in Walled Lake. His
most meaningful mitzvah project
was involvement with children at
Friendship Circle in West Bloomfield.

B'nai Mitzvah on page C16

April 16 2009

C15

