J-Cycle II offers cyclists an up-close look at Detroit and Jewish sites.

The first stop on J-cycle II took riders

early 200 cyclists joined
leaders from the Jewish
Historical Society, the Isaac
Agree Downtown Synagogue, the
Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit
and Hillel of Metro Detroit for a 20-mile
bicycle tour of Detroit on Aug. 19.
Now in its second year, J-Cycle cel-
ebrates the exciting developments hap-

Cemetery, Michigan's second-oldest
Jewish cemetery.

N

into the Beth El section of the Elmwood

pening in and around Detroit while
giving participants the chance to explore
the city's rich Jewish history up close.
Volunteer docents at 10 stops high-
lighted the contributions of Jewish
leaders, past and present, who have
enriched local Jewish culture and history.
Cyclists rode by and learned about the
Heidelberg Project and developments at

Left: Blair Nosan, a team leader, and Jerry Cook, president of the

Jewish Historical Society, take a quick break on the steps of the

Spaulding Court building in Detroit. Right: U.S. Sen. Carl Levin
greeted riders at Milliken State Park in Detroit.

Splash-Tacular
Fun Beth Shalom

hosts a slippery, sliding,

bouncing wet event.

Spaulding Court, Clark Park and Grand
Circus Park. This year, organizers gave
the event a "green" focus with hydration
stations along the route and a stop at the
Jewish-owned Detroit Farm and Garden
shop.
The event is presented as a community
awareness project and does not raise funds.
However, this year organizers chose to

donate $1 from each entry fee to the Back
Alley Bikes Program, a nonprofit organiza-
tion run by Hub of Detroit, which provides
cycling education and services with a focus
on youth development, sustainable prac-
tices and community access. ❑

Above: J-Cycle volunteer Jacob Cohen of Detroit and Ann Wanetik of West Bloomfield talk about

Grand Circus Park. Right: Standing in Clark Park in Southwest Detroit, Grosse Pointers and J-Cycle
volunteers Janis and Bob Ackerman share the history of this area, which once was home to many

Jewish-owned shops. The park is just across the street from the Summer in the City House and less
than a mile from the new Moishe House.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Contributing Writer

K

ids from throughout Metro
Detroit came to beat the heat
at Congregation Beth Shalom's
annual Summer Splash-Tacular on July

25. The fun ranged from water activities
for the younger set to giant, slippery water
slides for the bigger kids. An ice cream
sundae bar topped off the event, spon-
sored by the Oak Park synagogue's Gan
Shalom PTA and Be Well Chiropractic in
Farmington Hills. ❑

c(.-

Zachary Bahash, 5, of Oak Park

Allie Tepper, 6, of West Bloomfield

splashes his way through a slippery
tunnel.

sports a sideways move down a steep
slide.

26

September13 • 2012

Noam Ellis, 3, and Ari Ellis, 4, of Oak
Park are excited just to bounce.

Laura Winer, 2, of Oak Park enjoys a
cold treat after some water play.

JIM

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