$2.00 DEC. 20-26, 2012 / 7-13 TEVET 5773 theJEWISHNEWS.com A JEWISH RENAISSANCE MEDIA PUBLICATION » Chanukah Lights Second annual Menorah in the D event brings nearly 1,500 Downtown. See page 12. » Newtown Massacre Local schools, organizations react to the tragedy in Connecticut. See page 18. DETROIT JEWISH NEWS metro » Pluralism Push Israeli rabbi eyes toppling of Israel's religious barriers. See page 21. Getting ready for Menorah in the D >> cover story Home Sweet Homes To Be Habitat for Humanity Oakland County partners with the Jewish community. Lynne Meredith Golodner I Special to the Jewish News W Navigating the dating world after age 40. and we laugh until our tummies hurt during the date, I find myself leaving the date with a smile from ear to ear'.' There were 99.6 million unmarried people older than age 18 in the United States as of 2010, according Karen Schultz Tarnopol to the United State Census Bureau; 61 percent had Special to the Jewish News never been married, 23.8 percent (23.7 million) were divorced and 14.4 percent (14.3 million) were wid- hough there are inherent challenges in dating owed. between the ages of 40 and 60, If you are looking for love, you're in good company. not to mention dating Jewish, David and Margo some of the benefits from when we were After much research in the Jewish com- Grossman dance young linger. munity in the Detroit Metro area, however, at their wedding. "I still get butterflies," says Denise it became clear there is a gap in social pro- They were fixed Goodwin, 53, of West Bloomfield, a gramming that would help singles ages 40-60 up by her former divorced mother of two. "I like the excite- meet one another. boss. Social programming through reli- ment of the unknown and all its inherent possibilities when going on a date gious schools, synagogues, the Jewish Gary Schwartz, 50, of West Bloomfield, who is Community Centers and the Jewish Federation single, says, "I enjoy having a good meal, and you can never have enough friends. If the conversation flows CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 T 1942 - 2012 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Eve y Week hen Howard Korman moved his family of six from West Bloomfield to Southfield to be part of a vibrant Orthodox community, he was dis- mayed to hear talk of how no young families would move to that neighborhood because of its aging population. So he set about trying to encourage young families to move in. Over the past few years, Korman has succeeded in bringing in some 28 families, with more to come. One major obstacle, though, has been finding affordable housing for families who are paying school tuition, buying kosher food and otherwise funding the costs of an observant Jewish life. So when Tim Ruggles, execu- tive director/CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County, approached Korman to discuss a potential collaboration, he was all ears. "There are a lot of foreclosures in this neighborhood," says Korman, a Tim Ruggles urologist, father of four and Young Israel of Southfield member. "The key is the foreclosures. Habitat gets foreclosures before anybody knows about it. I have a couple of families who have been looking, and they can't quite afford the houses here due to divorces and other traumas. I would love to take advantage of even one or two foreclo- sures to get some families in who can't afford other proper- ties:' The potential for Korman and others in the Jewish com- munity to work with Habitat for Humanity of Oakland County to help Jewish families become homeowners is vast. Ruggles is now in conversation with several Jewish agencies as well as individuals like Korman to find ways that Habitat can serve the Detroit Jewish community. "Habitat's mission is to give a hand up to families need- ing a path toward responsible home ownership," says Ruggles. "We have long partnered with local churches toward helping those in their congregations and communi- ties find affordable housing. It makes perfect sense to build those same relationships in the Jewish community to ben- efit more people in Oakland County" CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 8 93363 5