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 iN 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.