Metro

MITZVAH DAY

Mitzvah Moments from page 15

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Seth Betman, 11, of West Bloomfield, left, poses

near the tree at Grace Centers of Hope in

Pontiac with two young Christian volunteers

there with their parents and a mom and her child

who were enjoying the holiday at the center.

Seth was volunteering during Mitzvah Day with

his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

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Working on lunch at Grace Centers of Hope with other volunteers and staff are Laurie Kach of Farmington Hills,
third from left, and her son, Jeremy, 15, far right.

mony, mutual respect and helping those in need',' he said.
One of the organizers of the Muslim volunteers, Dr.
Muzammil Ahmed of the Council of Islamic Organizations
of Michigan, said afterward, "We had a great experience on
Mitzvah Day and appreciated the hospitality shown by the
Jewish community
"I think both our communities need to see the kind and
compassionate side of each other. We have an obligation
to show everybody that mutual respect and cooperation is
not just possible, but the established norm. Participating
in Mitzvah Day was also a way we could recognize the long
history of service and volunteerism that the Jewish corn-

16 December 31 • 2009

munity has shown in this area. I hope we can find other
projects to work on in the future'
The Jewish Community Relations Council and the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit sponsor Mitzvah Day,
which is nearly a 20-year tradition in this Jewish corn-
munity and also takes place in many other cities across
the nation. It is believed this is the first Mitzvah Day event
where a Jewish community invited Muslims to participate.
Because of the unique nature of the pairing of Jewish
and Muslim volunteers at Christmas, this Detroit "good
news" story was picked up by newspapers across the coun-
try; ironically, it came at a time when Detroit was garnering

Eliana Fridman 4, of Birmingham helps assemble

meals for West Oakland Meals on Wheels.

international headlines for an attempted terrorist attack on
a plane landing at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
"Make Someone Happy" was this year's Mitzvah Day
theme. The volunteers began their day at the Jewish
Community Center in Oak Park. Following a light breakfast
and brief orientation, they fanned out to 74 pre-assigned
volunteer sites throughout Metro Detroit.
Bent on giving back, families with children as well as
teens, young adults and seniors donated a few hours of
their time participating in a variety of activities, including
visits to older adults in nursing care facilities, preparing
and serving holiday meals, and delivering toys and gifts to

