Metro tlib
AROUND TOWN
HERE'S TO..
Wonder Women
Former presidential press secretary Dee Dee Myers
speaks at luncheon honoring Leypsa Groner.
William Lansat of Farmington Hills, attor-
ney and of counsel to the firm of Schnelz,
Wells of Birmingham, has been reappointed
by Gov. Granholm to the Governor's Task
Force on Children's Justice for a two-year
term. Lansat chairs the training committee
responsible for the development curriculum
for training in the area of abuse and neglect.
Larry Leib of Farmington Hills was elected
to the board of directors of the North
American Interfaternity Conference. He has
served as part of Sigma Alpha Mu's delega-
tion since 2006 and is the immediate past
supreme prior.
,
Richard J. Pappas, for-
merly of Midland, has
accepted the position of
Grand Rapids' Davenport
University president.
His duties will begin in
August.
WA
Denise Kalt of Franklin, Dee Dee Myers, Leypsa Groner of Southfield, Karen Couf-Cohen of Franklin, Julie Nelson Klein of
West Bloomfield and Janice Stoneman of Bloomfield Hills
I
t was June 1, 1959, when record keepers at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek first noted the arrival of Rabbi Irwin
Groner and his wife, Leypsa. Half a century later,
through simchot, holidays, good times and bad, they are deeply
ingrained in the history of the Oakland County congregation.
More than 550 people gathered at the synagogue in
Southfield, May 6, to honor Shaarey Zedek's "Rebbitzen in
Chief" for 50 years of dedication. She was presented with
Sisterhood's first ever Woman of Valor Award during the 2009
Lois Linden Nelson Woman's World luncheon.
"It is with the greatest pride that I have always embraced my
role as the wife of Rabbi Irwin Groner," Lyspsa told the crowd.
"At this time in my life, I count the many joys I have known;
good friends, loving children, and my
devoted life-partner whose wit and
wisdom continue to enrich my life
In addition to the award, Cantor
Meir Finkelstein surprised Mrs.
Groner at the piano with an original
song he wrote for her. Then, guest
speaker Dee Dee Myers took the stage.
Myers was only 31 when she made his-
tory as the first female White House
press secretary under President Bill
Clinton (and one of the youngest people
ever to hold that job). She went on to
•
Karen Couf-Cohen tries on a hat
at the boutique show
A16
May 21 . 2009
serve as a political commentator, an adviser to the NBC drama
series The West Wing, and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair
magazine. Her book, Why Women Should Rule the World, is a
New York Times best seller.
"The book is in no way anti-male," Myers explained. "I love
men; my dad's a man; I married a man; I gave birth to a little
man. I don't want my son to succeed at the expense of my
daughter, but I don't want my daughter to have opportunity at
the expense of my son either."
Myers said the premise of the book is that women should
rule alongside men. She also talked about politics, the news
media and serving as a White House spokesperson during the
president's extra-marital affair with intern Monica Lewinsky,
which resulted in a political sex scandal.
"Life with Bill Clinton was never dull," Myers said, eliciting
chuckles.
Following the presentation, she took questions from the
audience and signed copies of her book. The afternoon also
included boutique shopping and an "over the top" raffle to raise
funds for Sisterhood supported projects.
Spotted in the crowd were: event co-chairs Denise Kalt
and Karen Couf-Cohen, both of Franklin; Karyn Sokol of
Birmingham; Cheryl Chodun and Jennifer Friedman, both of
Huntington Woods; Sharon Eisenshtadt of Bloomfield Hills;
and Carol Rosenberg of West Bloomfield. E
a.)
Dr. Sherry Najman of Southfield and Doreen
Hermelin of Bingham Farms
Karyn Sokol of Birmingham
Lila Zorn of West Bloomfield was honored
along with 38 others at the Race Relations
& Diversity Task Force Champion Honor
Roll Breakfast April 30 at the Community
House in Birmingham. For several years she
has led volunteers at West Bloomfield-based
Friendship Circle that provides support for
special needs families. She has also orga-
nized the Enlighten American Art & Essay
Contest for school kids in Metro Detroit, and
coordinated Unto Every Person There is A
Name to teach about the Holocaust, She has
been instrumental in bringing in a a top
Muslim scholar to advance Jewish-Muslim
understanding and a former neo-Nazi
recruiter to Schoolcraft College in Livonia to
teach the futility and danger of hate.
An art work titled World Book by Lynne
Avadenka of Huntington Woods was award-
ed the Dorothy Saxe Award for Creativity
in Contemporary Arts. It is on exhibition at
the Contemporary Jewish Museum of San
Francisco, as part of a national invitational.
See several views of World Book at her Web
site, www.lynneavadenka.com .
Detroit-based Wayne
State University Law
School third-year student
Solomon Radner of Oak
Park was re-appointed
the only student liaison
to the American Bar
Association's (ABA) White
Radner
Collar Crimes Committee.
He is among only 64 law students nation-
wide chosen as 2009-2010 ABA student
liaisons. His report, "White Collar Crimes
Committee Provides Guidance in Turbulent
Times',' was published in the April edition of
the ABAs Student Lawyer magazine.