Family Focus

SPONSORED BY
BEST SOURCE CREDIT UNION

Making A
Difference

Former Detroiter earns teen mitzvah
honors at Arizona day school.

Anne Frank Award winner Ari Roth talks with Holocaust survivor Helen

248-851-5030
6881 Orchard Lake Rd. on The Boardwalk

Handler at the award reception.

Rachel Steingard
Jewish News of
Greater Phoenix

Scottsdale

A

ri Roth, a sophomore
at Jess Schwartz Jewish
Community Day School
in Scottsdale, won this year's Anne
Frank Teens Make a Difference Award
and received $613, symbolizing the
number of mitzvot in the Torah. He
is the son of former Detroiters Lori
and Dr. Steven Roth. Ari, 15, is a for-
mer student of Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit.
This year marked the ninth anniver-
sary of the award, an honor granted
by the Women's Philanthropy of the
Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix
to recognize the exceptional volunteer
achievements of local Jewish youth.
Nine Valley high school students
were selected as finalists; the award
reception was held on April 18.
Federation Community Services
and Outreach Director Debra
Kleinberg said Roth, 16, was selected
because of the amount of time he ded-
icates to his community service proj-
ects. Roth has cystic fibrosis. He has
been raising money and awareness for
the genetic disorder even though he
has major time constraints because of
his disease.
"He was chosen because he has been

able to accomplish so much. He has
really focused his time and effort and
dedicated himself' Kleinberg said.
Roth has raised more than $5,000
for cystic fibrosis research. He said he
was honored to receive the award and
was impressed by the other finalists.
"I think that they are all really
amazing and I was shocked at all
of the work. I thought they were all
amazing stories': Roth said.
At the event, Holocaust survivor
Helen Handler spoke to the finalists
and their families
Handler spoke about her life as a
teenager in Hungary. Just before her
family was deported to Auschwitz,
she found her mother washing and
packing the Passover dishes. When
Handler asked why, her mother replied
that it was for Passover the next year.
Handler said that was an example of
how naive the Jews in Hungary were.
Handler also spoke to the finalists
about the importance of an education.
She said there is no excuse for them
not to attend college.
Roth said hearing Handler speak
was especially meaningful to him
because his grandparents survived the
Holocaust.
"Hearing Helen was very moving': he
said. "She is a very good speaker and
I've heard her in the past. My grandpar-
ents are survivors of the Holocaust and
they were in camps so my family can
relate [to her]. It hit home." Li

(77

•Rumplestiltskin
•LUSA
•Persuasion
•Cassens Murphy Band

•

-Simone Vitale Band

•Nightline
•Sun Messengers
•Radio City

•Newsmaker
-Skyline and the Back Street Horns
•The Jerry Ross Band

•Joyride

ILOR110-1R,OSS

STERLING ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT AGENCY

Visit our web site www.lorioross.com

Call for free video consultation

248-398-9711

iN

July 22 • 2010

59