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Temple Israel volunteers help
Northwest Detroit stay strong.

Harry Kirsbaum I Contributing Writer

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
shopping carts and take them back to their cars.
"We'll need more carts next time," says Warren
Crockett, a volunteer from the University Commons
District.
He joins volunteers from Temple Israel, Hartford
Baptist Church, Gleaners Community Food Bank of
Southeastern Michigan and several other local chari-
table organizations at a mobile pantry set up in the cen-
ter as part of "Project Healthy Community: An Evolving
Vision with Endless Opportunities" (PHC), a program
that began at Temple Israel last fall.
This monthly "Mobile Pantry:' a partnership with
Gleaners, is just one spoke in the wheel, says Temple
Israel's Rabbi Josh Bennett.
The next two programs will be "Blessings in a
Backpack," which partners with Meijer to give food to
students from low-income schools for the weekend; and
building a food pantry similar to Yad Ezra in the NWAC
basement.
"One of our challenges is to move slowly:' Bennett
says, looking over the scene of volunteers loading shop-
ping carts with food. "We have so much to do. As we
evolve, we'll add more:'
It was the rabbi's High Holiday "A
Call to Action of Social Justice" ser-
mon that sparked the movement.
After 18 years working with teenag-
ers as the youth rabbi, Bennett moved
on to social action, he says. "I had
to re-envision the next stage of my
Rabbi Joshua
career:'
Bennett
And with the help of Dr. Melvyn and

Diane Rubenfire, who heard the ser-
mon, the movement began.

Back To Detroit

Rubenfire of West Bloomfield was
brought up a half-mile from the
NWAC, which in the 1950s was bet-
ter known as the Jewish Community
Center. Schooled at MacDowell
Elementary, Mumford High and
then Wayne State, he became a
cardiologist, then chairman of the
Ron Lockett, executive director and CEO of the Northwest Activity
Department of Medicine at Sinai
Center; Lisa Corey of Birmingham; Warren Crockett of Detroit; Dr. Melvyn
Hospital for 20 years.
Rubenfire of West Bloomfield; Karen Sherbin of Farmington Hills; Rabbi
Now a cardiologist for his sec-
Josh Bennett of Temple Israel; Andre Peterson of Gleaners
ond 20 years at the University of
Michigan Health System and direc-
tor of the Preventive Cardiology
Department, he and
his wife, Diane, want to give back.
"I returned his call, and said how
"We have been giving time and
about a tour in two weeks?" Lockett
money to the Temple and the com-
said. "And he said, 'How about in 20
munity:' Rubenfire said. "We said, 'It's
minutes?"'
time to give back to more than the
During the tour, Rubenfire told
Jewish community:"
Lockett that he grew up in the neigh-
borhood, but he was also representing
kth„,,b4 On the Monday after the sermon,
Dr. Melvyn
the Jewish community and Temple
they took a trip to the old neighbor-
Ron Lockett
Rubenfire
hood.
Israel, adding the rabbi said the NWAC
"We didn't know what to expect, if
would be a good target for the temple's
it was in shambles or what:' Rubenfire said. When he
social action programs. "It's not only
called the NWAC to ask for a tour of the facility, he got
us; it's 3,500 families and 10,000 members," Rubenfire
a call back from Ron Lockett, executive director and
said.
CEO.
Lockett said, "You wouldn't believe what we discussed

Rebuilding on page 10

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March 28 • 2013