Metro Shaarey Zedek Means Business See a MOVIE. Go to a CHINESE RESTAURANT Business-to-business networking program kicks off and scores. Repair the WORLD. Choose your mitzvah. Share your day. MITZVAH Day Come make someone happy. Friday, December 25 Ike Engelbaum, Edward Chudnow, Steve Schiafer and Lori Blumenstein-Bott, executive director of Shaarey Zedek, exchange business cards at a speed net- working event. Join us Friday morning for breakfast and mitzvah-making. Karen Couf Cohen Special to the Jewish News Jimmy Prentis Morris Building A. Alfred Taubman Campus 15110 W. 10 Mile Road Oak Park C Dozens of volunteer activities from which to choose. All volunteer activities will be concluded by early afternoon. NON- PERISHABLE FOOD DRIVE Bring items with you on December 25 Together we will celebrate the strength of our community. We are JewishDetroit. We care. We help. We give. Sign up by December 9th online: jewishdetroit.org/mitzvanday Questions? Contact Michael Daitch, (248) 642-5393, ext. 9, or email daitch©jfmd.org Jewish Community vAlkv Relations ♦ WA Council 11, Event Co-chairs: Micki Grossman Stephanie Rosenbaum Jewish \ -r-s-z- - Federation at Metropolitan Petrott 1546230 12 November 12 • 2009 ongregation Shaarey Zedek Business Connect is the new- est initiative at the Oakland County synagogue. Developed to add value to its membership and encourage business within the Shaarey Zedek com- munity, the first event kicked off on Oct. 21 at CSZ Southfield featuring "Business to Business Speed Networking." This is the first of many member/busi- ness-related events that Shaarey Zedek has lined up in response to a challenging business climate creating a more urgent need to reach out for new business. Valerie Hayman Sklar, a Shaarey Zedek trustee and chairperson of CSZ Business Connect, developed the pro- gram as an opportunity for members to exchange business information in a setting beyond standard synagogue programming. The breakfast event drew more than 50 people from a variety of industries. They participated in "Speed Networking:' a clever spin on the popu- lar speed-dating concept that has each attendee spend five minutes with anoth- er attendee to introduce themselves, trade business cards and essentially pitch their business. Sklar got the idea for Speed Networking after participating in a lead- ership group that used a similar idea. "I think the people who came to the event loved meeting new people that they could do business with and they'll also enjoy seeing another friendly face when they come to services:' Sklar said. "I also saw people there who only come to shul with their kids for Hebrew school events, but were happy to be find anoth- er place to fit in." A CSZ Connect logo was developed and a program business card giving dates of future events was placed in an attractive business card holder and handed out to attendees. "These are tough times," said Brian Hermelin, CSZ president. "Synagogues have to be responsive to the needs of members. We believe this program is meeting those important needs at this challenging time Other business-related initiatives developed by Lori Blumenstein-Bott, CSZ executive director, include a busi- ness information profile/directory available to all members. The directory, printed and posted on the Shaarey Zedek Web site, gives members, staff and clergy the opportunity to learn more about fel- low members and to do business within the synagogue community. Blumenstein-Bott also identified members who were willing to provide their expertise on an as-needed or one- time/short-term consultative basis. F Karen Couf Cohen is a public relations consultant based in Franklin.