Special Report

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Volunteers
bring a
Rosh Hashanah
connection
to seniors.

Shell Liebman Dorfman

Senior Writer

essie Kay plans to celebrate Rosh
Hashanah this year by sharing
a festive meal with her family at
their home. But she also looks forward to
receiving something special for the holi-
day at the senior facility where she lives in
in Southfield.
As in years past, Kay has been among
the men and women who begin the Jewish
New Year with a holiday gift presented
through the Rosh Hashanah Packages
Program.
"We appreciate that we are recog-
nized:" said Kay, who has approximately
30 Jewish neighbors at the Fountains At
Franklin. "Although it's just a package, it
makes us feel connected and part of the
community. It brings us warm feelings of
the holiday"
The Rosh Hashanah project is coor-
dinated by the Tikkun Olam Volunteers
(TOV) committee of the Women's
Department of Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit, in partnership with
the chaplaincy program of Jewish Senior
Life of Metropolitan Detroit (JSL).
This annual program typically brings in
about 120 volunteers from throughout the
community to help assemble and deliver
the packages to Jewish residents living
in primarily non-Jewish eldercare facili-
ties:' said Jessica Goodwin, Federation
campaign associate. "This year, packages
were delivered to 500 Jewish residents in
29 facilities throughout the metropolitan
area.
The volunteers who assembled the
packages during the morning of Sept. 9,
donate to cover the cost of items that fill
the white gift bags. This year's gifts, cre-
ated at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills,

Gift Of Community on page 16

to s by Ang ie Ban

Left: Volunteer Dottie Levitsky of

L

West Bloomfield delivers a

Rosh Hashanah package to

Dolly Katsenstein, a resident at

American House in West Bloomfield.

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September 17 & 2009

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