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Golden Torah winner
extols Jewish education.

Yeshiva Boys' Choir, under Rabbi Rocky Stewart's direction

Robert Sklar
Contributing Editor

is newest honoree described the
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah as "a shining
La:g example of what a communal institu-
tion can do as it educates thousands of
children, youth and young adults, begin-
ning with an early childhood center, all
the way up to a post-high school Women's
College and its extraordinary Scholars
Koller
And don't forget that the Southfield-
based Yeshiva, founded in Detroit in
1914,"reaches far beyond its core respon-
sibilities to engage our entire Detroit
Jewish community in a remarkable way,
exemplified by the Jean and Theodore
Weiss 'Partners in Torah' program:' said
Golden Torah recipient Nancy Grosfeld of
Bloomfield Hills.
Grosfeld has been interim president
of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit since October. Before that, she
served three years as president. She was
honored at the Yeshiva's annual dinner on
Nov. 13 at the Marriott Hotel Renaissance
Center in Downtown Detroit.
"I am truly in awe of the Yeshiva's ability
to grow and to flourish, to reach out and to
succeed, in spite of the constant economic
challenges that it faces in its mission to
provide for every child and every family
that needs its help and support:' Grosfeld
said in accepting the Golden Torah.

14 November 24 • 2011

iN

mission of our Federation."
About 75 percent of the Yeshiva's 740
students receive some level of tuition
assistance.

Golden Torah winner Nancy Grosfeld and
her husband, Jim, are longtime Jewish
education proponents.

Education Devotee
"Her devotion to the success of the Jewish
people and her desire to see our com-
munity flourish and grow will be etched
in the storied history of the Detroit
Jewish community:' Yeshiva President
Gary Torgow told the 2,400 guests at the
$250-per-plate dinner.
He added: "Nancy's ascendancy to the
Federation presidency came at a very dif-
ficult time in the economic history of our
community. With her force of personality
and her visionary activism, she lifted the
spirits and reinvigorated the vitality and

A Special Present
Torgow presented U.S. Vice President
Joe Biden, the dinner keynoter, with an
illuminated translation of the Book of
Exodus — a gift valued at less than $40,
in accordance with federal law.
"I'm told you began with a weekly
class of just five students some 97 years
age Biden said to Yeshiva support-
ers. "And now you're the largest Jewish
school system in the state.
"For nearly a century, you've set
a standard for excellence not just in
Jewish education, but also in education
period, preparing each generation for
leadership and service in the commu-
nity, which is an unyielding Jewish tradi-
tion."
Biden's appearance continued a tradi-
tion of high-profile dinner speakers. The
list has included Gerald Ford, Carl Levin,
Hillary Clinton, Dick Cheney, John McCain,
Jeb Bush, Joe Lieberman and Rudy
Guliani.

State Plaudits
Gov. Rick Snyder brought greetings from
Lansing. He envisions Yeshiva alumni
playing key roles in helping him rein-
vent Michigan and revitalize Detroit. He

applauded "the hard
work of people that have
this school's fabulous
background, that under-
stand the spirit of win-
ning together — of hav-
ing that spirit of relent-
less positive action to
say it's not about them, Gov. Rick
but about how we solve Snyder
problems together, in
a way where there's no
blame or threat, only
success:'
In the dvar Torah,
Rabbi Avraham Cohen,
director of Partners
in Torah, reflected
Rabbi
on Yeshiva students
Avraham
drawing "inspiration
and lessons from their Cohen
deeply planted roots
— their parents and their grandparents
who are the foundations of our Jewish
community."
Cohen talked about students absorbing
Torah values as well as learning about and
practicing mitzvot and acts of loving kind-
ness through "the nurturing and warm
atmosphere of the Yeshiva."
"Then through the careful instruction
and expertise supplied by the rebbes and
teachers," he added, "they blend these
components together in their special way
to produce beautiful and unique fruits."

