Left: Aviva Feit of New York, Leora Leib
of Southfield, and Mushky Nachlas and
Penina Forta, both of Oak Park.
Rifcah Krolikowski of Oak Park
0
Community auction benefits Akiva scholarship fund.
Robert Sklar
Contributing Editor
T
he informality of Akiva Hebrew Day School's annual
auction belies the popular event's important intent: to
generate badly needed dollars for tuition assistance.
This year's 21st version of the strolling dinner, silent auc-
tion, raffle and prizes drew about 500 people, from vari-
ous walks of Jewish life, to Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield. Admission was $36. Auction items included jew-
elry, trips, electronics, kosher catering, health club member-
ships, golf and birthday packages, store gift certificates, sup-
port for Akiva teaching tools — even airfare for two to Israel.
Among the many new faces was that of Rabbi Tzvi
Klugerman, who became the Akiva head of school on Aug.
1. He and his wife, Yaffa, arrived in Southfield in July from
Silver Spring, Md. He served as middle school principal of the
Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy in Rockville, a Washington
suburb. The Klugermans have four children at Akiva and a
19-year-old daughter in Israel serving in the Sherut Le'umi
Corps at Shaarei Zion Hospital in Jerusalem.
"Being a new transplant to the Detroit area, my first auction
was impressive the rabbi said. "Seeing so many different con-
stituencies come out in support of Akiva was a real boost for
me. Yaffa and I enjoy the vibrancy and breadth of the Jewish
community of greater Detroit?'
The Southfield-based Orthodox Zionist day school has 300
,
Miri and Craig Gertner of Southfield
students this school year, a 10 percent increase. More than half
rely on scholarships. The auction produces up to 2 percent of
the revenue that feeds Akiva's $3.6-million annual operating
budget. Akiva received a Federation campaign allocation of
$438,004 for 2011-2012.
While mingling at the Dec. 11 auction, school president
Seth Korelitz of Huntington Woods gazed around the crowded
Shaarey Zedek social hall and said, "Akiva is an amazing place.
We are creating the future leaders of the Jewish people. We
provide students with both a top-notch general and a top-
notch authentic Jewish education.
"Anything that gives people a reason to find out more about
Akiva is a tremendous opportunity:' added Korelitz. He and
his wife, Sheryl, have two daughters who attend the school.
Most auction attendees have a direct tie to Akiva, but some
who don't still return year after year just to support the school.
Said Korelitz: "It's a fun way to support a great institution?'
Their two children attend Hillel Day School of Metropolitan
Detroit, but Jennifer and Steven Teper of Farmington Hills
have attended the Akiva auction two years in a row. Their con-
nection is a friend who is an Akiva graduate.
"I never had a private Hebrew day school experience when
I was growing up in Oak Park and so want to do better for my
children," Steven told the IN. •
"My wife and I believe in providing a strong Jewish back-
ground, and we support the community in doing that, whether
at Hillel or Akiva."
Oot
Dan Montigelli and Kate Bush of Detroit
Bina and Ari Mandelbaum of Southfield
1: 1;";
Deanna Kleiman of Oak Park bids.
Ariella and Mikey Skoczylas of
Southfield
10 December 29 a 2011