For Love Of Hillel

Docent Esther Weine

speaks to a tour group

Day school to fete top lay supporters.

at the Holocaust

istlemorial Center.

Teach Holocaust

HMC offers docent training program.

T

he Holocaust Memorial Center
in Farmington Hills is looking
for "very special individuals"
to serve as docents who lead groups —
often middle school, high school and
college students — on 90-minute walk-
ing tours of the HMC, explaining the
exhibits and interpreting history and
lessons to be learned.
"The effort requires a long-term com-
mitment, self-motivation and textbook
study' explained Dr. Stuart Falk, head of
the Docent Steering Committee. "It is a
wonderful opportunity and a rewarding,
enriching experience for people who
want give back to the community and
enlighten visitors on the atrocities and
lessons learned from the Holocaust."
An initial docent orientation and
training session for adults will be held at
9:30 a.m. Sunday, March 13, at the muse-
urn. Four additional Sunday morning
sessions are required, including a make-
up session for any sessions missed.
The Prospective Docent Training

Project also includes a detailed mentor-
ing process at later dates, all leading to
certification. Training, which is chal-
lenging, will be led by steering commit-
tee members. After training, prospec-
tive docents will receive an assignment
to prepare them for certification.
Docents typically volunteer during
the day, Sunday through Friday, and
can commit as much time as they wish.
Schedules are flexible.
Sue Krolikowski of Grosse Pointe
Woods, who is not Jewish, has been a
docent for seven years.
"I don't wish to be a bystander," she
said. "The message and lessons learned
from the Holocaust are too important
not to share. Most of the tours I lead are
middle or high school students, who
draw parallels between the Holocaust
and today's problems such as intoler-
ance and bullying."
For information, contact Falk at
(248) 855-2152 or Selma Silverman at
(248) 553-2400, ext. 12. I

Yad Ezra Hosts Charity Poker;
Urges Purim Pasta Shake-up

Y

ad Ezra, the kosher food
pantry in Berkley, will hold
its sixth annual "Ante Up for
Hunger" from 8-11:30 p.m. Saturday,
March 5, in its warehouse, 2850 W. 11
Mile Road, Berkley.
The event is a fun-filled night of
Texas Hold 'em poker, bingo, a silent
auction, food, drink, prizes and more.
Ante Up for Hunger assists more
than 1,600 families, which represents
approximately 3,600 individuals served
by the food pantry every month. Yad
Ezra distributed 900,000 pounds of
food in 2010; the independent non-
profit agency receives most of its fund-
ing through individual contributions.
Co-chairs for this year's event are
Nancy Kleinfeldt and Amy Schlussel.
Tickets to attend Ante Up for
Hunger are $50 each, with an addi-
tional $50 for poker tournament buy-
in. Register at www.yadezra.org or by
calling (248) 548-3663.

20

March 3 • 2011

In another effort, Yad Ezra is
encouraging synagogues, schools and
organizations that offer a Megillah
reading for Purim to ask attendees to
bring boxes of pasta to shake instead
of a grogger each time Haman's name
is mentioned during the service.
After the holiday, the pasta will be
donated to Yad Ezra for distribution
to the food pantry's client families. In
addition to all the staples provided by
Yad Ezra, the kosher food pantry cur-
rently gives out 2,000 pounds of pasta
every month.
Purim, a holiday known for giving
gifts for the poor (Matanot L'evyonim)
begins Saturday evening, March 19.
Synagogues and organizations from all
over the community are planning on
participating.
Because of the continued high unem-
ployment rate in Michigan, 5 percent
of the Jewish Metro Detroit population
relies on Yad Ezra for assistance. I I

Alan J. and Sue Kaufman

H

illel Day School has named Sue
and Alan J. Kaufman winners of
its top honor, the Dream Maker,
and Robert Finkel winner of its Rabbi
Jacob Segal Award.
The Kaufmans are philanthropists and
social activists as well as benefactors
in educational, health care and cultural
institutions throughout the country.
"We are so proud to honor the
Kaufmans' dedication to excellence in
education, the arts and sciences as well
as their commitment to assisting others','
said Steve Freeman, head of school.
The Kaufmans' philanthropy supports
the Kaufman Athletic Endowment Fund
at Hillel Day School, where Alan serves
on the board of directors as well as the
foundation board, and an endowment for
the preschool and nursery school at Adat
Shalom Synagogue, where he is on the
board. Both the school and synagogue
are in Farmington Hills.
These endowments were established
with Kaufman's father, the late Herbert
W. Kaufman. The Kaufmans have
established funds at Michigan State
University, University of Michigan,
Tamarack Camps, Jewish Theological
Seminary, Walsh College, Bloomfield
Hills Cranbrook/Kingswood Schools,
Bar-Ilan University-Haifa, American
Technion Society and Farmington Hills-
based JARC.
Alan Kaufman, an attorney and found-
ing senior partner of Kaufman, Payton
and Chapa, a Farmington Hills-based
law firm, also is chairman, president and
chief executive officer of H.W. Kaufman

Robert Finkel

Financial Group Inc./Burns &Wilcox and
Kaufman Group Insurance Companies.
Sue Kaufman was an attorney for
Ford Motor Co. Sue has served on the
executive board of the PTO of Hillel Day
School as well as the school's board of
directors. She serves as vice president
of programming for the Greater Detroit
Chapter of Hadassah.
Robert Finkel receives the Rabbi Jacob
Segal Award for his professional service
and long-term commitment to Hillel
Day School and the community at large.
Finkel is an attorney and one of the
founding members of the Farmington
Hills firm Finkel, Whitefield, Selik, spe-
cializing in labor and employment law.
Finkel's commitment to Hillel Day
School began more than 38 years ago
as a small favor for a good friend. This
"favor" has been extended to 18 board
presidents and four heads of school.
Finkel and his wife of 45 years, Linda,
have both been active in the community
serving on school boards and commu-
nity boards.
On Monday, April 11, at 7 p.m., Hillel
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit will
hold its Leadership Circle Reception
at the school, 32200 Middlebelt Road
in Farmington Hills. Hillel's Annual
Dream Maker Dinner will be on
Thursday, May 19, at Adat Shalom
Synagogue. For more information or
to RSVP, contact Cheryl Schanes, direc-
tor of development, at (248) 539-1488
or cschanes@hillelday.org . LJ