Building Community

Teen Cultural Forum from page 66

Charity; and Jeannie Weiner, past •—•
president of the Jewish Community
Relations Council of Metropolitan
Detroit (JCRC).
•Education
Vinos Kassab, edu-
cator; and Nancy Welber Barr, vice
president of the JCRC.
The two newspapers will continue
to provide guidance, access and other
means of support to assist the work-
groups.
Economic development co-chair
Howard Rosenberg of Bloomfield Hills
sees his workgroup not only help-
ing Chaldean and Jewish businesses
get off the ground and grow, but also
solving sticky problems. He also hopes
to solicit financing from the U.S.
government for Michigan companies
willing to be involved in rebuilding
war-ravaged Iraq.
Rosenberg said Building
Community is important because
it shows how organizations like the
Detroit Jewish News and the Chaldean
News aren't limited to reporting the
news. They also can interact with
community leaders to make things
better for Michigan.
"All Michiganders need to work
together to reduce fear, hate and
distrust between people of different
faiths and ethnicities," Rosenberg said.
"Business is one way to do that:"

—

Creative director, Deborah Schultz

Senior copy editor, David Sachs

Our sixth two-page monthly spread,
developed by the Farmington Hills
strategic communications firm Tanner
Friedman, appears on pages 40-41.

Staying Alive from page 67

"We're going to try to col-
laborate with other CASAs
and keep our name present
on campus',' said the senior
engineering student.
That chapter donated
and held fundraisers for
the pro-life group, Life
Matters, based at the
Crisis Pregnancy Center in
Southfield. On Sept. 26, the
chapter is co-sponsoring
the Mother Theresa
E'rootha dance troupe members include Joe Arabbo,
Day of Service with the
left, Samantha Arabbo, Ranna Abro, Sali Kesto,
Albanian American Student
Noor Toma and Steven Yousif.
Organization for the second
year. This event will bring
school and college students are paired
hundreds of people work-
with professionals in their areas of inter-
ing together on projects around Metro
est. The group especially needs physi-
Detroit.
cians because of the high number of
Some chapters have their own popu-
Chaldeans studying medicine. E'rootha's
lar functions, like Ann Arbor's Live
successful Youth Refugee Mentoring
from Babylon and State's Chaldean Day.
Program focuses on study skills and
Notably, they collaborate with each other
socialization.
to show who Chaldeans really are.
"We want to cultivate future leaders
William Mansour, president of the
in every field:' said Kalasho. "We want
Michigan State chapter, said he wishes
E'rootha to be proactive. We want to be
more Chaldean students would become
doers."
involved in CASA. "My estimate is that
Another group of doers are the mem-
there are about 50 Chaldeans at MSU, but
bers of the Chaldean American Student
we hardly have 10 active members:' he
Association (CASA). Launched by two
said.
Chaldean students at the University of
Mansour said the group helps
Michigan-Dearborn in 1993, the group
Chaldean students fit into a new environ-
has been emulated at six other univer-
ment.
sities — the University of Michigan
"Being in CASA really helped me to
in Ann Arbor, Michigan State in East
adapt in an area out of my comfort zone.
Lansing, Wayne State, Oakland University By living in an area with so many differ-
in Rochester, Lawrence Technological
ent cultures and not many of your own,
University in Southfield and U-D Mercy.
it helps to be able to connect with other
CASAs mission is to not only advance the Chaldeans who understand you:' said
Chaldean community professionally, but
Mansour. "It personally helped me during
also to give back through public service
my first year at times when I was home-
and charity work.
sick."
Ziad Yousif (Shounia), president of
U-M Dearborn's chapter, has great expec- Laura Abouzeid contributed
tations for the upcoming school year.
to this report.

❑

A typical Shabbat dinner at the

Michigan State University Hillel

Michigan Hillels

For information on programming,
Shabbat meals, holiday services
and more, go to these websites:
• Eastern Michigan University:
www.emuhillel.org
• Central Michigan University:
CMU Hillel Facebook page
• Grand Valley State University:
GVSU Hillel Facebook page
• Hillel of Metro Detroit:
www.hillel-detroit.org
• Michigan State University:
www.msuhillel.org
• University of Michigan:
www.umhillel.org
• Western Michigan University:
www.wmuhillel.org

Birthright Israel:
Apply Soon!

Taglit-Birthright Israel provides
the gift of first-time, peer-group,
educational trips to Israel for 10
days for Jewish adults ages 18
to 26; most are college students.
Most of the free trips are coordi-
nated through campus Hillel orga-
nizations. Signup for December
Birthright Israel trips opens Sept.
14. It is recommended to register
that day. For general informa-
tion, go to www.birthrightisrael.
com . Students should check with
their Hillel for specific registration
information because trip organiz-
ers vary.

Connecting On Campus from page 67

Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
in Bloomfield Township and other smaller
Jewish federations across Michigan.
Additional opportunities are provided
by the Israel Campus Coalition (ICC),
comprised of 33 national Jewish organiza-
tions to provide resources and programs
promoting pro-Israel education and activ-
ism. Taglit-Birthright Israel provides the
gift of first-time, peer group, educational
trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages

68

September 2 y 2010

18 to 26, mostly college students.
Decades ago, when Jews were not wel-
come in the Greek system, Jews formed
sororities and fraternities nationwide.
While many are no longer exclusively
Jewish, fraternities Alpha Epsilon Pi
(AEPi), Sigma Alpha Mu (SAM) and Zeta
Beta Tau (ZBT) and sororities Alpha
Epsilon Phi (AEPhi) and Sigma Delta Tau
(SDT) still exist on some larger campuses.
Currently U-M, MSU and WSU have

active Jewish/Judaic Studies programs
with newer programs recently developed
at EMU and OU. Some campuses, such as
MSU, also have a Jewish Student Union
that's a voting member of the university's
student government.
Additionally, the University of Michigan
also has two Orthodox outreach organiza-
tions: Chabad House, part of the world-
wide Lubavitch movement, and the Jewish
Resource Center of Machon L'Torah,

based in Oak Park.
At smaller colleges, such as Grand
Valley State, students involved in Hillel
work closely with local synagogues. The
interaction is mutually beneficial. And
many synagogues in Metro Detroit send
their clergy to the larger Michigan cam-
puses to meet for a meal with students
whose families belong to their congrega-
tions. Often, synagogues also will send
holiday packages to these students. Ell