making a difference
by Elizabeth Kirshner
mission accomplished
rir
summer in Israel motivates teen to run for a cause.
he second page of my now-
completed notebook from last
• summer is dated July 14, and
on it is a short paragraph that shaped
the months to follow.
See, this piece is entitled "13.1"
and it is my "official" so-called con-
tract to myself to participate with
Team Yachad in a half-marathon dur-
ing the Miami Marathon on Jan. 30.
I had spoken to two newfound
friends about the marathon, and in-
stantly decided to commit myself in
writing so that I would not back out.
It was this dedication originally, but
later a much deeper purpose, that
brought me to Miami for my great
mission.
Allow me to explain: Yad B'Yad is
a summer Israel experience for high
school students through Yachad (Na-
Yad B'Yad teens in Israel last summer
tional Jewish Council for Disabilities)
The training, however, proved bru-
that brings together teens and individ- tal. I have enjoyed running for the past
uals with special needs. Besides allow- year or so, but am by no means natu-
ing me to tour Israel last summer, the rally athletic. Yet, with the help of my
trip instilled in me Yachad's ultimate physics teacher (a marathon expert),
message of inclusion.
my iPod and an optimistic approach
Yachad advocates not only for to the icy West Bloomfield sidewalks,
those with disabilities, but for respect- I surpassed my prior limits, ultimately
ing all people and their precious gifts. increasing my "long runs" to 11 miles
Yachad's philosophy is that we all before the event.
have disabilities and challenges, but
When it came time for the actual
also hold potential and value.
race, I was overwhelmed with senti-
So it was precisely this idea that ment. This was finally the time when I
pushed me through raising $3,000 and would put into action what I had been
running 13.1 miles. The financial as- appealing for in letters.
pect turned out to be far easier, thanks
As I spent a sunny Shabbos in
to generous friends and family.
Miami with Team Yachad's 77 run-
two-way
continued from page TT3
ners and nearly 30 supporters, I felt
my anxiety fade and my excitement
mount. The passion and care my
friends displayed reminded me why I
was pursuing this ridiculous goal at all.
The founder of Team Yachad, a
high school senior, reminded every-
one that in one year the team had
more than doubled from last year's 29
runners.
Every step I pounded was an ex-
pression of appreciation for this im-
pactful cause. The cohesiveness and
sense of belonging I feel with Yachad
is epitomized by the reactions the run-
ners exhibited upon seeing each oth-
ers' bright orange jerseys from afar,
teen2teen staff •
adjusting paces to run alongside each
other, cheering "Go Yachad! Keep it
up!"
Throughout the 13.1 miles, I looked
out for other Team Yachad runners,
and eventually we used our shared en-
ergy to bolt through the finish line. As
I did so, I could not help but cry, over-
whelmed with my accomplishment as
well as the significance this held for
Yachad as a team.
As I ran, I contemplated how much
this journey meant to me and to oth-
ers, to the persistent team members in
wheelchairs and the born athletes who
finished under two hours.
I thought of David, a Yachad mem-
ber with the friendliest attitude I have
seen, who often asks his friends, "Am I
doing good?"
We all need this sort of reassurance,
and Yachad provides the kind of rela-
tionships that give the confidence to
believe in oneself with certainty.
As I was swelling with pride over
my achievement (and my 2:37:41
time), I saw my run as not a race but
a prayer fulfilled. I had satisfied my
personal contract as well as my hopes
for promoting a more accepting and
meaningful future. Mission accom-
plished.
Elizabeth Kirshner,
16, is a junior at Akiva
Hebrew Day School in
Southfield.
hotline: (248) 351-5144 • kcohen@thejewishnews.com
Reporters I Chavivah Bluth, Molly Grossman, Elizabeth Kirshner, Hannah Korelitz, Avi Mendelson, Avielle Movsas, Jamie Rashty,
dons of a college entrance exam. In a world where reading permeates all of
the academic fields, my Jewish studies background helped me to excel in
general studies," Ms. Gaba adds.
As do all skills in life, learning to handle and manage all of the work giv-
en in a school with a dual curriculum takes effort and a new way of thinking.
Sophomore Sierra Stone, who has just recently switched to FJA, says,
"Coming into a school with a dual curriculum was a very difficult change to
adjust to, especially because the school day is much longer. Because of the
dual curriculum, there is much more work given out by the teachers and
there is a lot more to keep track of. It has definitely taught me to stay very
organized and to manage my time so that everything does not pile up."
It may not be for everyone, but these students make it clear that having a
dual curriculum has taught them great organizational skills as well as how to
think critically and feel connected to both being Jewish and an American. 1
Samantha Zwick, 17, and Gideon Levinson, 16, are juniors at Frankel Jewish Academy
in West Bloomfield.
TT4 teen2teen March 24.2011
Stephanie Schulman (Akiva Hebrew Day School, Southfield); Yona Isaacs, Gabriella Ring, Claire Sinai (Berkley); Nechama Tawil (Beth
Jacob, Oak Park); Madeleine Gonte (Birmingham Groves); Rachel Gorosh, Joanna Loney, Emily Schottenfels, Mara Stein, Rachael Vettese,
Rachel Wein (Bloomfield Hills Andover); Abby Hyman (Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood); Mad Cohen (Community, Ann Arbor); Emily
Zussman (Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills); Jillian Apel, Tamar Brown, Arica Cykiert, Abbie Ginis, Polina Fradkin, Emily Goodman, Helene
Glickman, Rachel Goutman, Heather Grossman, Jessica Kahn, Rachel Klein, Gideon Levinson, Noam Saper, Talia Schechet, Lexi Smith,
Pp
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Zoe Soble, Maddy Soltz, Sara Weinfeld, Samantha Zwick (Frankel Jewish Academy, West Bloomfield); Rachel Hollander, An Well (Harrison,
Farmington Hills); Daniel Chandross, Jillian Goldstone (Hillel, Farmington Hills); Mayer Schneider (home schooled); Harriet Cooper
(Milford); Rachel Berlin, Sam Gringlas, Elie Neuman, Nate Strauss (North Farmington); Rob Pasick (Novi); Jordana Hoffman (Oakland
Early( College, Farmington Hills); Lily Grier, Liza Kohlenberg (Orchard Lake Middle, West Bloomfield); Batsheva Honig (Walled Lake
CD
Northern);Liz Nagle (Walled Lake Western); Jennifer Finkel, Abigail Jankelovitz, Heather Rosenbaum (West Bloomfield); Liza Kohlenberg
(West Bloomfield Orchard Lake Middle School); Mackenzie Coden (West Bloomfield Walnut Creek)
Photographers I Jessica Avery Polk (Frankel), Colton Graub (Cranbrook-Kingswood )
supervising staff
Chief Operating Officer I F. Kevin Browett
Executive Editor I Keri Guten Cohen
Creative Director I Deborah Schultz
1. 9 r
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Jewish
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Federation
Detroit
ALLIANCE FOR
JEWISH EDUCATION
IT Director I Deanna Spivey
Teen Consultant I Jon Layne
Supported by a generous grant from
the Stephen H. Schulman Millennium Fund.
A Jewish Renaissance Media publication © 2011
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