F.

Jewish

for college students by college students

VOLUME 4, NO. 4

edu

November 21, 2013 / 18 KISLEV 5774

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Educating Others

GVSU Hillel brings Kindertransport play

and exhibition to campus.

Audra Gamble

jewish@edu writer

rand Valley State University in Allendale is currently
hosting a series of events devoted to Kindertransport, a
Holocaust story that often goes untold.
Kindertransport was an effort by the British government to
protect Jewish children from the Nazis after Kristallnacht, the Night
of the Broken Glass, on Nov. 9-10, 1938. Over the span of nine
months, approximately 10,000 Jewish children were brought to
Britain by train or ship and fostered by British families.
Many of the children brought to Britain were spared from death
camps, where many of their family members were killed.
"It was an uplifting tale of people coming together for the
greater good during one of the harsher time periods in history,"
said sophomore Shelby Bruseloff of West Bloomfield.
The Kindertransport events are being held during the 75th anni-
versary of Kristallnacht.
An exhibit, "The Kindertransport Journey," will be displayed in
the atrium of the Mary Idema Pew Library until Nov. 24. It is on
loan from the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau
County, N.Y. and is being sponsored by the GVSU Hillel and the
GVSU Office of Multicultural Affairs.
"It means a lot to have the exhibit here on campus," said senior
Emma Cohen of West Bloomfield, a GVSU Hillel board member. "I
think it is extremely important for students at GVSU to learn and
be educated about Kindertransport and what took place at that
time.
"It is so cool to have part of such a powerful and unique exhibit
here on our own campus in our own library and to know that we
at Hillel made it happen."
GVSU Hillel president senior Noah Zucker of West Bloomfield
said, "It's just nice to have this exhibit here for the GVSU com-
munity to become more culturally and historically literate. It shows
that the community cares about learning about other people in
their community. The idea of helping to paint a bigger picture
about Jewish history and some of the things our people have gone

G

Educating Others on page 54

Hillel@GVSU student leaders: (top) senior
Emma Cohen, West Bloomfield; junior
Allie Camhi, Kalamazoo; junior Alissa
Cohen, West Bloomfield; (bottom) junior
Jessica Naftaly, sophomore Shelby Bruseloff
and senior Noah Zucker, all from West
Bloomfield.

Karson lectures at Alpha Epsilon Pi at Michigan State
University.

MSU student loses best friend to drugs,
then works to inform others of the dangers.

I

Leslie Spector jewish@edu writer

t was a typical Tuesday night for Jeff
West Bloomfield. He was smart, athletic and
Karson, studying and doing homework
friendly. He was passionate about helping people;
in the business library at Michigan State
he was the one who always gave a homeless man a
University. He decided to take a quick
couple dollars or some food.
break from his work and check Facebook. As he
He was in and out of rehab and three-quarter
scrolled through his news feed, he came across a
houses for years trying to fight his battle against
post that made his heart stop.
drugs. Karson was by his side every step of the
"Rest in peace, my brother Tim."
way. Rothman's dream was to one day be
Those words were all it took for Karson's
able to educate kids on drug abuse and
"normal day" to take a drastic turn for
prevention through his story.
the worst. His life had instantly changed
"He wanted to inform others about his
forever.
addiction so no one would have to suffer
Tim Rothman's battle with drug
like he and his loved ones," Karson said.
addiction began in middle school with
cigarettes, then marijuana, which led to
Turning Point
cocaine and eventually heroin, the ulti-
Tim
Rothman's death was a turning point in
mate cause of his death.
Rothm an
Karson's life. He made a promise to his
"I'm just going to try it once and be
best friend that he would help him get
done, I promise," Rothman had said to Karson.
through his addiction and always be there for him
On Jan. 31, 2012, Rothman was found dead in
Karson's promise evolved into a drug prevention
a motel room in Pittsfield Township, south of Ann
organization he founded in Rothman's memory.
Arbor. He was 20 years old.
The Tim Rothman Organization took off on April
16, 2012.
"I didn't believe the Facebook status," Karson
said. "There's no way Tim was dead. I had to
"This would have been Tim's 21st birthday,"
hear it from Mrs. Rothman, so I drove from East
Karson said. "This is also the day that I got per-
Lansing right to Tim's West Bloomfield home. I
mission from his parents to start the organization."
The Tim Rothman Organization is a drug
started crying and so did she. That is when I knew
it was real."
prevention and educational program geared
Rothman was your average suburban kid from

In Tim's Memory on page 54

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November 21 • 2013

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