feature
by Bassie Rabin
making mitzvot
growing up and celebrating life with seniors at Danto.
started volunteering at Danto at the young
tender age of 5. Many little girls would have
been a bit scared to volunteer that young in
an elderly facility, but I was quite the opposite. I
remember the first day I stepped into Danto Health
Care Center in West Bloomfield with my father, the
rabbi there; I loved it right then.
It was so exciting to be like a grown-up. I would
talk to the residents, laugh with them, play bingo
and wheel them around in their wheelchairs wher-
ever they needed to go. The best part was when I
pushed the big, long wheelchairs. I thought I was so
strong. After all, a girl younger than 7 being able to
push around the wheelchairs was a big deal.
When the time came for my brother Shmuel's
first traditional haircut, upshirin, at age 3, I was 8
years old. I was an "old" volunteer by then. All the
nurses, residents and their family members knew
me by name. My brother's haircut took place in the
café. The residents were thrilled to be able to partici-
pate in a Jewish celebration, hands on. They adored
my little brother. They would not stop kissing and
hugging him. In addition, many of them were able
to participate in the haircutting ceremony and then
enjoy delicious refreshments. What a treat!
Now as I write this article, I am 18 years old,
and my brother is 13, a bar mitzvah. Many years
have passed, and I am still a volunteer at Danto. I
have seen many happy and sad things occur during
this time. Some residents went to their final resting
places. May they pray on our behalf and ask for
the coming of Moshiach, the Messiah. Some have re-
covered from their illnesses, thank God, and gone
home to their families. And some I still visit when
Left: Ten years ago, Shmuel Rabin, 3, stands on a chair near his father Rabbi Yerachmiel Rabin, preparing for his upshirin, first
haircut, at Danto Health Care Center. Above right: Shmuel Rabin, 13, reads from the Torah during his bar mitzvah at Danto,
where his father is the rabbi.
I come to Danto.
Now that I am older I am able to see what it
means to the residents when children and young
adults take time out of their day to come and say
hello, talk with them or just give them a hello and a
smile. I am so happy that I was given this opportu-
nity as a youngster, and now I can truly appreciate
it more than ever before.
It has been 13 years since Danto opened its
doors, helping and caring for many people. Now
we celebrated 13 years at my brother Shmuel's bar
mitzvah on Oct. 5 at Danto. May he live gezunterheit
(in good health) until 120. The residents enjoyed
hearing him read the Torah and rejoiced with him
and our family. It was truly an awesome event.
Seeing all my older brothers coming back to
Danto for the bar mitzvah and singing for the resi-
dents made me realize what an impact our visits
make on the spirits of the elderly people. I am truly
The proud bar mitzvah with his proud father, while brothers,
Zalmy of Montreal, and Mendy of Brooklyn, sing in his honor.
thankful that I was given the op-
portunity to be part of this impor-
tant mission and I would encour-
age others to do the same.
Bassle Rabin, 18, is a student at the
Lubavitch Seminary in Montreal.
help yourself
by Erica Sachse
JCC Teen Center to offer free ACT seminars to help parents and students get ready for college.
A
s a high school senior looking back on my
junior year, I can still feel the stress and
anxiety surrounding the ACT and college
preparation. With college admissions being ex-
tremely competitive, and the increased emphasis
on standardized testing in the application process,
the ACT can feel like a daunting, two-headed beast
waiting to devour every junior's brain.
Thankfully, the Metro Detroit area has many fine
tutors to combat the ACT monster and make the test-
ing process easier. I used Mally ACT in West Bloom-
field. They offer private tutoring in each sub-catego-
ry of the ACT: math, science, English and reading. I
went to Michael Mally for science and Shane Mally
for math. After only two sessions, my sub-scores had
improved exponentially. Like many tutors in the
TT2
teen2teen October 15 • 2009
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community, they provide real ACT practice tests
and highlight useful tips and tricks in navigating the
test and cutting down on wasted time.
Starting on Oct. 25, Mally ACT will host free in-
formational seminars for parents and students at the
Beverly Prentis Wagner Teen Center at the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, 6600
W. Maple Road in West Bloomfield.
Each of the four sessions will be tailored to fresh-
men, sophomores, juniors and seniors. The sessions
will focus on course selection, ACT preparation,
testing accommodations, the importance of extra-
curricular activities, the college application process,
choosing appropriate colleges and the benefits of
tutoring. Finally, a free practice ACT will be admin-
istered for all interested students.
This is an incredible opportunity for students
and parents. Any and all uncertainties and ques-
tions will be addressed.
The freshman seminar begins Oct. 25; sopho-
mores begin Nov. 8; juniors on Nov. 15; and seniors
on Dec. 6. The date for the three-hour ACT prac-
tice test is to be determined.
For more details and to register, contact Lindsey
Fox-Wagner at (248) 417-6083 or e-mail at lfox@
jccdet.org .
Erica Sachse, 17, is senior at Berkley
High School and co-chair of the Teen
Center.