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Blending Generations

FJA students introduced this year's Eighty Over Eighty honorees.

A

s in the past, this year's Eight Over Eighty event
recognized eight distinguished senior adults, all
older than 80, who have demonstrated a dedica-
tion throughout their lifetimes to the Jewish values of tik-
kun olam (repairing the world). But this year, the honorees
were introduced by a younger generation.
Teens from Frankel Jewish Academy in West Bloomfield
interviewed the eight ahead of time, then introduced them at
the May 15 event, telling about the honorees' lives and offering
insights about what they, the teens, learned from them. The
juxtaposition of the seniors and the teens was meaningful.
This year's honorees are Marvin Fleischman of
Bloomfield Hills, Morrie Greene of Southfield, Austin
Kanter of West Bloomfield, Fern Katz of Southfield, Paula
Marks-Bolton of West Bloomfield, Jack Robinson of
Bloomfield Hills, Wilbert Simkovitz of Oak Park and Bruce
Thal of Birmingham.
The luncheon is the largest annual fundraising event held
on behalf of Jewish Senior Life. Proceeds benefit the Quality
of Life Fund, which provides financial support for enriched
programming, food subsidy, medical needs, special transpor-
tation, the Butzel Camp experience and more.

Left: Emcee Alan Muskovitz, radio personality and writer, surrounded by the honorees.
Right: Event co-chairs Jason Hirsch of Birmingham and Arlene Selik of Huntington Woods.

.r"- lEWISH SENIOR LIFE

Honoree Paula Marks-Bolton of West
Bloomfield

Honoree Fern Katz of Southfield

Hoops For Kids

E

arlier this month, David Lasday
visited both Akiva Hebrew Day
School in Southfield and Hillel
Day School in Farmington Hills to
meet with students in grades 3-5 about
Netanya Hoops for Kids.
Lasday, son of Federation's Alliance for
Jewish Education Director Jeff Lasday,
is the program director for this Israeli
program that supports schools, after-
school programs, orphanages, youth
sports teams and medical services in
Netanya. Hoops for Kids partners with
local youth education programs to build
one community and one team.
By banking on the notoriety of
Netanya's basketball team — Barak
Netanya — Hoops for Kids supports
community programs through player
visits, educational youth basketball
clinics and ticket contributions, provid-
ing school supplies and funding after-
school lunch programs and building
renovation.
While in Metro Detroit, Lasday taught

14 June 30 - 2011

Frankel Jewish Academy students David Weinfeld,
Alex Vieder, Josh Sider and Alex Adler

FJA students Samantha Zwick, Dalia

Antebi-Lerman, Polina Fradkin and
Estee Reed

Local day school students learn how basketball helps kids in Netanya.

students about the Barak Netanya team
and the city of Netanya, including the
ethnic makeup of the community, its
location and basketball cheers.
"We discussed the different life skills
that Netanya Hoops for Kids basketball
clinics teach such as teamwork, goal set-

ting, resilience and discipline," Lasday
said. "My goal was to build off the
anthem, "Am Achad, Lev Achad" (one
nation, one heart), and utilize the status
of a professional basketball team to con-
nect young Jewish children in Detroit to
Israel and the community of Netanya."

David Lasday of Netanya Hoops for Kids gets the ball rolling.

Hillel fourth-grader Samy Meyer said,
"I thought it was inspiring; it was really
cool. I found it interesting that they
teach their players Hebrew if they don't
know it through basketball."
To learn more, visit
www.netanyahoopsforkids.org .

Lasday signs Barak Netanya photos for
Hillel students.

