Walled Lake Schools
invites you
to attend our
Community Performances
WL Northern HS Performing Arts Center to host
PHILHARMONIC
"A Phantom, A
Witch and A King"
Halloween Pops Concert
October 25, 2013, 7:30 p.m.,
WL Northern HS
• Featuring the Michigan
Philharmonic with music director
and conductor Nan Washburn
• Special performances by Walled
Lake Schools student choirs
For ticket information,
go to wlcstickets.com
or call 248-387-9160.
WL Western HS Performing Arts presents
"Shrek -
The Musical"
November 14-17 & 21-24, 2013
7:30 p.m., WL Western HS
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
For ticket information,
go to wlcstickets.com
or call 248-387-9160.
WL Northern HS Performing Arts presents
"David and Lisa"
■
I
November 14-16, 2013
WL Northern HS
For ticket information,
go to wlcstickets.com
or call 248-387-9160.
WL Central HS Performing Arts presents
4rel
"You Can't Take it
With You"
December 5-7, 2013
7:3o p.m., WL Central HS
For ticket information,
go to wlcstickets.com
or call 248-387-9160.
WL Central, Northern & Western HS
choirs, bands and orchestras present
Collage Concerts
•December 10, 2013 -
WL Western HS band & orchestra
•December 11-12, 2013 -
WL Northern HS choirs, band
& orchestra
•December 17 18, 2013 -
WL Central HS choirs, band
& orchestra
•December 19, 2013 -
WL Western HS choirs
-
For ticket information,
go to wlcstickets.com
or call 248-387-9160.
WL Northern HS Performing Arts Center to host
Holiday Pops with the Phil
Presented by the Huron Valley
Council for the Arts
December 13, 2013
WL Northern HS
Featuring the Michigan Philharmonic
with music director and conductor
Nan Washburn.
1111CHIGAN
PHILHARMONIC
For ticket information,
go to www.huronvalleyarts.org
or call 248-889-8660.
1865320
20 October 17 • 2013
Volunteer David Broner motivates
others to make a difference, too.
D
avid Broner didn't set out to
become an extraordinary vol-
unteer. Before he retired three
years ago, he was laser-focused on his
family businesses in Auburn Hills. But
this high-energy guy knew he was des-
tined to give back.
His late father, Barney, who started
Broner Glove Company in 1933 with his
father, Harry, was very involved in the
Jewish community
"He did what he could to help people
Broner said. "I do what I do to prove to
my dad that I'm doing the right stuff"
One of his best friends, Paul
Hooberman of Franklin, thinks that's
too simple an explanation.
"David just wants to make the world
a better place, to lead by example for
his family and his [seven] grandldds,"
Hooberman said. "He wants them to see
how a mentsh operates. David doesn't
limit the scope of his activity to the
Jewish community; he wants to impact
everyone. He wants everyone to improve."
True to that desire, Broner would only
agree to do this story if he could get
across this message: "Helping others —
even an hour a week — it's possible for
you to do:'
Broner's own epiphany about volun-
teering came three years ago at age 70
when he retired and left two of his three
children to run the family's industrial
safety equipment businesses. He read the
book Don't Retire, Rewire by Jeri Sedlar,
and his life was changed by her advice
about personal growth and transition.
"I thought she had written the book
for me said Broner, who has met Sedlar
several times in New York. "I had never
volunteered before, only worker
Now every day of his week is filled
with volunteer activities, from helping
small business owners in Detroit, to
finding jobs for people in the Jewish
community, to serving on the board of
Hebrew Free Loan, to helping young
students improve their reading at
Emerson Elementary School in Detroit.
Knowing The SCORE
For 21/2 days each week, Broner volun-
teers for SCORE, a nonprofit association
suppored by the U.S. Small Business
Administration (SBA) that helps small
businesses get off the ground and grow.
"I help more by listening than by tell-
ing:' Broner said. "Most know what to do;
sometimes they just need new toolboxes:'
On Wednesdays, he heads to the
Southwest Detroit Business Association
to coach small business owners. He may
be in Corktown another day. Additionally,
he serves as an SBA Ambassador to all
business associations in Detroit.
He also does one-on-one SCORE
coaching with young Jewish entrepre-
neurs he met through Jordan Wolfe,
who was instrumental in beginning
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit's CommunityNEXT project
aimed at attracting and retaining young
Jewish people to Detroit.
"I think I'm their age," Broner said with
a smile. They, in turn, helped Broner
acquire social media and marketing skills
that he now teaches for SCORE.
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Recognizing that employment is essen-
tial for those in the Jewish community
hardest hit by the economic downturn
and also necessary for retaining young
Jews in Southeast Michigan, Broner
turned his attention to job placement.
Along with Karen Alpiner, Eugene
Sherizen, Arthur Horwitz and
Hooberman, Broner created CSI
(College Student Internships) as a way
to attract Jewish college students from
Metro Detroit back home by providing
summer internships — some that could
turn into full-time positions.
"It's a very good thing:' Broner said.
"We didn't know anything about human
resources, but all know people [with
businesses] who would give kids a shot:'
CSI now has been folded into
Emerson Elementary preschool
teacher Pat Foster, student Branden
Heath and volunteer David Broner
Federation and expanded to include job
assistance for young Detroiters.
About 18 months ago, Broner and
Hooberman created jobs@shaareyzedek.
org to help people at their shul looking
for work. They then spread their email
idea to Rich Agree and Joey Bigelman,
friends at Temple Israel in West Bloom-
field, who started jobs@templeisrael.org .
The men divvy up the list and meet
with those who emailed them, and then
they get together to talk about how they
can best help the individuals. They also
relay information about resources, such
as learning computer skills through
places like the Hermelin ORT Resource
Center and the West Bloomfield Library.
Kids And Literacy
Not Retired, Rewired gave Broner the
idea of going to a school and help-
ing a student. He started volunteering
before he retired, going to O.W. Holmes
Elementary in Detroit on a Friday
morning, and then heading to work.
He found the experience rewarding,
so he and his wife, Lily, who supports all
his efforts, spoke to the Shaarey Zedek
sisterhood to entice more volunteers.
Eight agreed, and they started volun-
teering at Emerson Elementary.
Though not officially part of an orga-
nized literacy effort, Broner has talked
up the experience and added many
more volunteers at Emerson.
"Volunteers could save the schools:'
he said simply. "If people in the commu-
nity would say they could volunteer an
hour a week, they could help two kids
for 30 minutes each.
"If you want to do something, go do
it:' he urged. "A lot of people need help.
I feel so lucky I'm able to do this.
"The way I see it is you can sit on
your back porch and rock on a chair, but
don't hang with me. I want to be with
those who help others:'
❑
Do you know someone to nominate as
"Mentsh of the Month"? Send nominations to
Keri Guten Cohen at kcohen@renmedia.us .