Families Together

arents and children of all ages spent
time together at the synagogue and in
the community with hands-on projects
designed to give congregants the opportunity to
make a difference in the lives of others.
The Jan. 13 volunteer program was co-spon-
sored by the Adat Shalom Education & Youth
Department and the synagogue's Sisterhood,
Men's Club and Social Action Committee.
Following lunch, Rabbis Aaron Bergman and
Rachel Shere launched the afternoon with a
"spiritual send-off" Then families moved into
"tikkun olam" mode at Adat Shalom, at the
Sunrise Assisted Living Residence in Farmington
Hills, at Yad Ezra in Berkley and at the Detroit
Rescue Mission in Detroit. More than 80 took
part in the program.

❑

Volunteers at Adat Shalom build a community.

Making goodie bags for less fortunate kids to be
donated to Beaumont Children's Hospital, Detroit
Public Schools, Orchards Children's Services and the
Lighthouse of Oakland Country: Olivia Bronstein, 9,
of Bloomfield Hills, Beth Berk and her son, George
Timlin, 13, of West Bloomfield, and Ethan Mostyn, 10,
of Wixom.

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•

Sisterhood used the day to launch its new "Caps for Kids"
project. The knitting circle included Betsy Winkelman of West
Bloomfield, Danielle Ruskin of Novi, Beryl Levin of Farmington
Hills, Maria Biederman of Franklin and Sheri Biederman of
Farmington Hills.

Stuart Freedman
and daughter
Rachel, 8, of
West Bloomfield,
read a prayer
together before
starting their
social action
projects.

The Ruskin
family made
a cozy fleece
blanket to be
donated to the
Baldwin Center in
Pontiac. Cuddling
up with their
finished product
are Sydney, 7,
Harrison, 5, and
Sasha, 7, of Novi.

Lori Ashmann and Jennifer Ribiat, both of
West Bloomfield, helped to organize the day.

Batter Up!

Friendship Circle hosts baseball clinic for special needs kids.

T

he weather was springlike
enough on Jan. 13 to play
baseball outside, but the
Friendship Circle Gym in West
Bloomfield became the venue for
a baseball camp instead. More
than two dozen children with spe-
cial needs, eager to learn the finer
points of America's game, attend-
ed the camp, and they brought
with them gloves and bats, a will-
ingness to learn and big smiles on
their faces.
Camp attendees were treated to
an hour-long session with one of
the top baseball instructors in the
Midwest, Chris Newell, owner of
Player's Edge (chrisnewellbase-
ball.com ) in Auburn Hills, who
Dozens of kids learned the basics of baseball Jan. 13 at Friendship Circle.
generously donated his time.
"I am so honored to have been
here to work with these great
kids," he said. "It's my first visit to Friendship Circle,
but this is a game for everyone, irrespective of what
and I would urge anyone who hasn't been here before
level your game is at."
to come and volunteer. We had some good baseball
Youngsters were shown the proper way to hit, field
lessons today, but the life lessons were much more
and throw. The children, ranging in age from 8-14,
important. Those lessons are mainly the ones I
were put through their paces by Newell and a throng
learned. I am used to working with ballplayers who
of volunteers as their parents, brothers and sisters
are headed to play college or professional baseball,
looked on.

•

❑

Charlie Dauch, 17, a junior and baseball player at
Bloomfield Lahser High School helps Ari Cheken, 12,
with his swing.

January 24 • 2013

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