Teens engage in

"Name That Faith"

activity.

Interfaith teen group celebrates its one-year anniversary.

Gail Katz
Special to the Jewish News

F

ace To Faith held its fifth event for
high school teens in mid-March
and celebrated the one-year anni-
versary of this interfaith youth initiative.
Face to Faith was the brainchild of
Bloomfield Hills Andover High School
senior Josh Morof, who, after participat-
ing on a Chaldean and Jewish teen panel
sponsored by the Building Commuity
Initiative of the IN and the Chaldean News
a year ago, decided to form a broader-
based interfaith teen initiative.
About 70 Muslim, Jewish and Christian
teens met last March at the Jewish
Community Center in West Bloomfield for
an evening of learning about each other's
faiths and a chance to dialogue with each
other to break down myths and stereo-
types.
The teens continued to meet at the
Presbyterian Church of Birmingham in

The Rev. James Hamilton, Imam

In this team-building activity, teens

Mohammed Al-Masmari, the Rev.

work to build a structure only select

Amy Morgan and FJA teacher Marc

team members can see.

Silberstein

September 2011, the Muslim Unity Center
in November 2011, Adat Shalom Synagogue
in January 2012 and finally at Andover
High School in Bloomfield Hills this March
for the grand finale for this year.
When the diverse teens arrived at
Andover, they got to know each other
through an icebreaker called "Find

Passover Parcels

Someone Who." They then enjoyed Middle
Eastern food purchased from the Muslim
Unity Center's cafe and had fun breaking
bread together.
The teens then divided up into two
groups. The first group played a game
called "Name That Faith!' Verses from the
Koran, the Torah and the New Testament

were called out and teams of teens had to
identify their sources.
It became evident that many of the
verses were quite similar across the three
faith traditions. Contributing to this
group game were Imam Mohammed
Al-Masmari from the Muslim Unity
Center in Bloomfield Hills, the Rev. James
Hamilton from the Trinity Episcopal
Church of Farmington Hills, the Rev.
Amy Morgan, associate pastor at First
Presbyterian Church of Birmingham, and
Marc Silberstein, instructor at the Frankel
Jewish Academy (FJA) in West Bloomfield.
The second group engaged in a team-
building activity led by two Jewish teens
— Morof and FJA student Ilana Woronoff.
Teens had to build a structure that only
selected members of their team were
allowed to see. It was clear that team coop-
eration and accurate verbal instructions
were what was needed to win this game.
At the end of the evening, the teens
shared what they had learned about each
other and the value of Face to Faith in
breaking down barriers and stereotypes
about diverse faith traditions. Some teens
very active in this initiative will be going
to college next fall and will not be part
of the program next year. The returning
teens were asked what they might like
to include in next year's Face to Faith
programming. Some responses included
learning how to deal with misconceptions
and conflict and perhaps participating as
an interfaith group in doing community
service.
In the next year, the hope is to attract
teens of other faith traditions, such as
Sikh, Hindu, Unitarian and Buddhist, who
have not yet been part of Face to Faith. E

Gail Katz is co-founder of WISDOM (Women's

Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach
in Metro Detroit).

Yad Ezra/Moles Chetim distribute 1,200 holiday packages to needy families.

F

or the 21st year, approximately 60 volunteers from Yad Ezra and the Moies
Chetim Organization of Detroit as well as staff members distributed Passover
food packages to 1,200 needy Jewish families in the community.
David Jaffee, Yad Ezra warehouse manager, made sure that families received a "Seder
in a Box:' Every family received a package containing chicken, matzah, soup mix, grape
juice, gefilte fish, eggs, matzah meal, horseradish, celery, apples, potatoes, walnuts, pars-

ley, candied fruit slices and other items for use on the holiday.
For many volunteers, the distribution is the highlight of the year as they greeted and
assisted Yad Ezra's client families during the two-day distribution at the agency's ware-
house under the direction of Brooke Lipsitz, client/volunteer coordinator. More than
70,000 pounds of Passover groceries were boxed, bagged and given out so that everyone
in the community can celebrate this important holiday. ❑

Spencer and Alana Blatt and Hallie and Lindsay Remer

Three generations of Fox family members

Ian Sherman, Yad Ezra marketing coordinator, with Lawrence

volunteer during Passover distribution.

— Jeff, Irene and Jody Fox — volunteer

Technological University student volunteers Brandon Olsen,

during Passover distribution at Yad Ezra.

Alia Safa, John Stebelton and Jovan Lozanovski

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