Walled Lake
Schools Tn Lini
Teen Form
Angelic Gasso
Gail Katz
Nancy Welber-Barr
ome of the kids think that all Jewish
people are rich. Here, they got to work at a
kosher food pantry for Jewish people who
can't afford food for their families
y
— Vinos Kassab
Farmington Hills — gathered
Oct. 9 at Yad Ezra kosher food
pantry in Berkley. They took
part in a joint community ser-
vice program organized by the
Education Workgroup of the
Building Community Initiative.
"We wanted the students to
just interact and do something
positive for the Jewish com-
munity," said Vinos Kassab of
West Bloomfield. She co-chairs
the Education Workgroup with
Nancy Welber-Barr of West
Bloomfield. Kassab is a fourth-
grade teacher at West Hills
Middle School in Bloomfield
Hills.
"They helped sort the food
donated during an annual Yom
Kippur food drive Kassab
said. Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement, is one of the High
Holy Days for Jews.
"We had them pair off and go
with friends, and we had groups
of Jewish and Chaldean students
working together:' Kassab con-
tinued.
Before arriving at the food
pantry, the children gathered at
Adat Shalom to watch videos
about the Jewish and Chaldean
cultures and to learn what it
means to keep kosher (to follow
Jewish biblically dictated dietary
laws).
Perhaps the most surprising
lesson for the children was the
mission of Yad Ezra (Hebrew for
"Helping Hand"). The organiza-
tion provides free kosher food,
toiletries and household cleaning
items to about 1,600 low-income
Jewish families in Southeast
Michigan.
"This helped break down
stereotypes," Kassab explained.
"Some of the kids think that all
Jewish people are rich. Here, they
got to work at a kosher food pan-
try for Jewish people who can't
afford food for their families."
Making New Friend!::
Kassab says at the start of the
Yad Ezra event, the children were
very segregated because none
of them really knew each other.
She noticed the boys starting to
interact right away; it took the
girls a little bit longer.
"At this age, they've already
kind of made their friends;
they're more comfortable with
who they know," she said. "We
asked them what similarities
they saw. Some pointed out that
we all came from other countries
Others noticed both cultures
opened up grocery businesses
when they first came to the U.S."
Welber-Barr also sat back as
the students worked together
and reflected on why programs
like this are so important.
"With most of these kids in
their everyday life, they interact
with a lot of people and not
everyone is from the same group
they're from:' she said. "We live
in a very diverse community
and people need to trust one
another and get along.— and
realize we're all here to have a
positive impact on our commu-
nity. It's important to understand
the people who live and work
around you; and frankly, you're
going to have a richer life if you
interact with all different kinds
of people."
By the end of the Yad Ezra out-
ing, organizers say it appeared
their mission was accomplished.
"The students hit it off:'
Welber-Barr said. "They were
eager to work with one another."
The teens will come together
again in the future to help devel-
op a new Chaldean American
Ladies of Charity food bank pat-
terned after Yad Ezra. During the
bus ride home, there was a feel-
ing of inclusion that did not exist
when the program first began.
"I asked them, `Did you make
a new friend today?"' said
Kassab. "A lot of them answered,
`Yes!'" BC
For more information
about the Face to
Faith program or to
get involved, email:
facetofaith@yahoo.com.
Close to 5,000 students attend the
three high schools that make up the
Walled Lake Consolidated School District.
Superintendent Kenneth Gutman, who is
Jewish, believes the students speak as
many as 60-80 languages among them.
"We have a very diverse student body,"
Gutman says. "There's a significant
Jewish and Chaldean population and
growing Asian and African American
populations."
The district has a unity declaration
that reads, "We hereby document our
resolve and desire to help create a Walled
Lake school community and a world in
which we express love through kindness
to all. Our school community is a place
in which diversity is an asset, a source
of beauty, and an inspiration." It goes
on to say, "Our own conscious behaviors
should foster acceptance, respect and
compassion for all people," regardless of
race, religion, gender and other factors.
Walled Lake has hosted diversity
programs in the past; in the coming
months, the district is planning its own
Jewish-Chaldean teen forum, which will
be similar to the October 2010 forum
hosted by Bloomfield Hills Schools and
the Building Community Initiative of the
Chaldean News and Detroit Jewish News.
"We have not had a lot of Jewish-
Chaldean issues," Gutman says. "This is
a proactive type of effort. The goal is just
to try to bring everyone together."
Radio personality Mojo (Tom Carballo)
of 95.5-FM has agreed to lead a frank
discussion, as he did for Bloomfield
Hills Schools. Panelists are expected to
include local Jewish and Chaldean clergy
members. Time, date, location and other
details are still in the works.
"I think we've always known it's
important to bring students of different
races and religions together to find
common ground," Gutman explained. "I
think students are more receptive now
than ever. We have students growing up
in a different population than previous
generations grew up with. I think the
time is right to start developing some of
these relationships. It will only make us
stronger." BC
Watch for event details at:
www.wlcsd.org
December 2011
CHALDEAN NEWS I JEWISH NEWS 7