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Mitzvab-
Day
2009

Zayd Ahmed, Sumayyah Ahmed and Dr. Muzammil

Ahmed, all of Canton, with Lynne, Benjamin and

Rabbi Norm Roman of West Bloomfield at Gleaners

Mitzvah Day

Mitzvah

organizers Gail

Greenberg of the

.o

0

Moments

Federation staff;

Micki Grossman,

JCRC co-chair;

Michael Daitch,

JCRC staff;

and Stephanie

Rosenbaum,

Federation co-chair

Muslims join with Jews to help
Christians enjoy Christmas.

E

O

go
X

.0

Robert Cohen
Special to the Jewish News

T

his Christmas, a new dimension was added
to the Jewish community's annual Mitzvah
Day, the single largest day of volunteering by
Metro Detroit Jews.
At the invitation of the Jewish Community
Relations Council (JCRC), more than 40 members of
the Muslim community joined with 900 Jewish vol-
unteers to allow Christians who work or volunteer at
local nonprofit organizations to have the holiday with
their families.
It makes sense for Muslims to join Jews in a
project like Mitzvah Day. They also do not celebrate
Christmas, and the two religions share a common
value. The Jewish concept of tzedakah (righteous
acts) is paralleled by the Muslim concept of zakat,
one of the five pillars of Islam requiring that those

who embrace the faith should help the needy.
The Muslim volunteers worked side-by-side with
Jewish volunteers at Gleaners Community Food Bank
of Southeastern Michigan in Pontiac, where they
met for the first time. Together, they sorted donated
food and enjoyed the experience as an exercise in
social justice as well as an opportunity to make new
friends.
"Mitzvah Day 2009 (5770) was an opportunity for
friends and strangers alike to join together in true
community,' said Rabbi Norm Roman of Temple Kol
Ami in West Bloomfield, who provided most of the
Jewish volunteers at the food bank.
"Some 80 of us representing Jewish and Muslim
organizations informally chatted, complimented
and joked with each other as we sorted tons of food
items. Children, parents, teachers, doctors, an imam
and a rabbi all worked together in the spirit of har-

Mitzvah Moments on page 16

Standing: Soozie and Todd Mendel, Iry Tobocman, Barbara Mazer,

Rebecca Mendel, all of Birmingham, and Suzie As-Sanie of Ann

Arbor. Kneeling: Henry and Sophie Mendel of Birmingham, !man
and Nedel Shanawani of Ann Arbor

December 31 009

15

