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Metro

AROUND TOWN

A Winning Night

Akiva's annual Chinese Auction helps raise funds for families in need.

Karynne and Rabbi Eric Grossman and Robert and Carolyn Kelman, all of Southfield

Akiva President Howard Korman and his wife, Michal, of Southfield with Sheryl

Korelitz of Huntington Woods

I

t's truly a win-win situation. Participants at Akiva Hebrew Day School's annual
Chinese Auction purchase tickets with the hope of taking home fabulous prizes
and, as a result, they help local Jewish families in need. More than 375 people
attended this year's event Dec. 6 at Congregation Shaarey Zedek Southfield.
There were 60 different prizes to win, including roundtrip tick-
ets to Israel, Las Vegas and New York, gift cards to popular stores,
flat-screen TVs, sports memorabilia and more.
"The funds raised at the auction help defray the increased
scholarship needs at Akiva," said Jonathan Goldstein of
Huntington Woods, the school's director of development. "With
the struggling economy, the success of events like this becomes
that much more important."
About 300 students from nursery school through 12th grade
attend the Orthodox Zionist day school in Southfield; more than
40 percent of families receive financial help through scholarships.
"The day school is the key to affiliation and creating com-
mitted Jews:' said event chair Shaindle Braunstein of West

Bloomfield. "We have to come together as a community to ensure we can continue to
provide that service, even in crisis."
Auction attendees mingled, dropped tickets in various boxes for the chance to win
prizes, and enjoyed cocktails and a huge dinner and dessert buffet. This is the 19th year
the school has hosted the auction; this year's theme was "Night of a Thousand Stars."
"The room was packed and that was really uplifting, considering the economy:' said
Cheryl Jerusalem of Oak Park. "Win or lose, people really have a great time because
they know it's for a good cause."
Spotted in the Chinese Auction crowd were: Devorah and Ken Rich, Deanna and
Ira Kleiman, and Becky and Jerry Eizen, all of Oak Park; Monica and Ari Fischman,
Sarah and Marty Kornblum, and Marcie and Stuart Lebenbom, all of Southfield; and
Sharona Shapiro and David Lerner, Judy and Rob Newman, Kimberly and Bryan
Schon, Rachel and Dan Shere, and Terry and Neil Schloss, all of West Bloomfield. Ii

For more information about Akiva Hebrew Day School or to make a donation,
go to www.akivak12.org or call (248) 386-1625.

Chaye Kohl of Southfield and Teri

Julie and Eugene Sherizen of

Bruria and Richard Schwarcz of Oak

Giannetti of West Bloomfield

Huntington Woods

Park

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December 31 • 2009

Zoya and Evan Rice of Oak Park