Metro
AROUND TOWN
Winners' Wonderland
Photos by Brett Moun ta in
Akiva supporters brave a winter storm to attend annual Chinese Auction.
Nancy Kleinfeldt of Huntington Woods and Rivka Jacobs of Southfield
T
he same winter storm that caused a catastrophic roof collapse at the
Metrodome in Minneapolis and dumped nearly half a foot of snow on Metro
Detroit did not stop more than 420 people from attending the annual Akiva
Chinese Auction. There were treacherous driving conditions Dec. 12 as participants
made their way to Congregation B'nai Moshe in West Bloomfield for the Hebrew day
school's annual fundraiser. Organizers say it took some people an
hour and a half just to get there.
"Our parents and supporters are not just from Oak Park
or West Bloomfield; they're from everywhere said Cheryl
Jerusalem of Oak Park. "The first big snowstorm of the season
might have really hurt us, but the crowd kept arriving. It shows
how much people enjoy the auction and how much they value
Akiva's role in our community."
This was the 20th year for the event, which features fabulous
prizes, including high-end electronics like flat-screen televisions,
a MacBook computer and an iPad. People also could drop tickets
into boxes for a chance to win a trip to Israel, jewelry or even a
Fathead Xzipit rocker recliner. To top it all off, there was a $10,000
David and Maya Sternberg of West Bloomfield and Rose and Henry Brystowski of
Oak Park
raffle, drinks and a seemingly endless strolling dinner and dessert buffet.
"Each year, it's not just a fundraiser, but a fun and exciting evening:' said Sidney Katz
of Southfield, Akiva's executive director. "Many people look forward to this all year."
Money raised at the auction helps defray the increased scholarship needs at Akiva.
About 300 students from nursery school through 12th grade attend the Modern
Orthodox Zionist day school in Southfield; more than 40 percent of families receive
financial help through scholarships.
"It was great to see so many Akiva supporters come to the event despite the bad
weather:' said Jason Brown of Beverly Hills, a 1988 Akiva graduate and a member of the
school's board of directors. "I've never won anything, but it's not really about winning or
losing. It's truly about giving back to the school that gave me a great education."
Spotted in the Chinese Auction crowd were: event chair, Gil Stebbins of Oak Park and
associate co-chairs Fern Herschfus of Southfield and Cheryl Jerusalem of Oak Park;
Adina and David Barth and Mira and David Benjamin, all of Oak Park; and Rivka
and Brian Jacobs, Jill and Joseph Greenbaum, Janelle and Stuart Teger, Michal and
Howard Korman, and Rita and Bert Schreiber, all of Southfield. 0
To learn more about Akiva Hebrew Day School, go to www.akiva.org .
Elana Berlin and Yehudit Jubas, both of
Claire Arm of West Bloomfield, Sarah
Akiva Executive Director Sidney
Southfield
Greenes of Oak Park and Dassie Arm of
Katz and Michael Greenbaum, both of
Oak Park
Southfield
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December 23 • 2010
Jill and Joseph Greenbaum of Southfield