metro

The Avy Schreiber Band leads

hundreds of people from Middlebelt

Road toward Hillel Day School in

Farmington Hills.

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Gabriella Burman

Special to the Jewish News

M

ore than 500 members of the
Jewish community participated
in the dedication of Hillel Day
School's newly written Sefer Torah on
May 19. The Torah, named for William
M. Davidson, the Guardian Industries
CEO and philanthropist who died in
2009, was communally written by Hillel
families and supporters, fulfilling the
613th mitzvah to write a Torah scroll.
"It was history in the making to con-
tribute to the actual writing of a Sefer
Torah that my children will read from:'

said Hillel parent Lezlie Mostyn. "And
watching the sofer inscribe the last let-
ters of the Torah, which form the word
Yisrael, was very meaningful. I cried:'
Steve Freedman, head of school,
called the dedication, which included a
Klezmer-led parade beneath a chuppah
handmade by students, "a moment in
time:'
"If you didn't get the relevance and
purpose of a Jewish day school education
before, it all came together that Sunday:'
he said. "This Torah represents who we
are as Jews; that we are grounded in our
values and traditions even as tools such
as technology help us soar into the future

Ethan Davidson embraces the Torah named in honor
of his late father, William Davidson.

as we educate 21st-century children:' he
said.
He noted that a grant from the William
Davidson Foundation facilitated the
implementation of technology through-
out Hillel, including a 1:1 technology pro-
gram that has put tablet PCs in the hands
of all students in seventh and eighth
grades, and that will expand to include
fifth and sixth grades next year.
Those sentiments were echoed later the
same day at the Hillel Day School Annual
Dream Maker Dinner, honoring Jim and
Karen Berger, whose involvement with
Hillel spans four generations, and Joel
Jacob, and celebrating the dedication of

Emma Cutler, 9, looks up at the new canopy created
by Hillel students.

Honoree Joel Jacob, far right, with Ronit Lipsky, left,

Hallie Berger, honoree Jim Berger, Jaclyn Berger,

Andrew Jacob, Autumn Jacob, Micayla Jacob, Merrick
Jacob, Michael Jacob, Moshe Kachlon and Eric Lipsky

honoree Karen Berger and Joshua Berger

20 June 6 • 2013

the Davidson Sefer Torah.
Speaking to the crowd of nearly 400
attendees, Ethan Davidson, son of
William Davidson, showed how he has
taken up his father's mantle, champi-
oning Jewish vitality in Detroit, as he
spoke about the importance of Jewish
day school education as a means to keep
future generations in the fold.
"We want to make sure there are a lot
of touch points for Jewish engagement in
Detroit, and Hillel Day School is foremost
among them:' he said.

❑

Gabriella Burman of Huntington Woods works
in communications for Hillel Day School.

Lisa and Jason Klein

Eighth-grade speaker Jacob Edelson aloft in his
celebratory chair