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Yeshiva Boys Choir perfoitns

eighth-grader Nochum Mayer Rabi,

as soloist to the right of Rabbi

Yerachmief Stewart, the director.

High Honors

S

Yeshiva Beth Yehudah pays tribute to education champion.

outhfield-based Yeshiva Beth
Yehudah presented its highest
honor, the Golden Torah Award,
to Mandell "Bill" Berman of Franklin, a
leader in Jewish philanthropy, education
and demographics.

"True to his devotion to Jewish edu-
cation, he served as first chairman of
the Education Division of our Jewish
Federation, when it was frankly not
popular to stand up and proclaim Jewish
education as a critical community prior-

ity," Yeshiva President Gary Torgow told
2,350 guests, including 900 students, at the
99-year-old day school's annual dinner on
Oct. 25 at the Marriott Detroit Renaissance
Center. "From that early service and
throughout his career, Bill has been at the

forefront of nurturing and energizing the
critical day school movement."
Lawrence Jackier of Bloomfield Hills
became the newest Yeshiva Guardian in
gratitude for his commitment to Torah,
charity and community — and to the
Yeshiva.
Rahm Emanuel, elected Chicago's first
Jewish mayor in 2011, was dinner speaker.
In 2012, he promoted lengthening the
school day for every public school student
in the Windy City. He said it's the mis-
sion "of every responsible adult, every
responsible person in public life, to make
sure the next generation gets an essential
education.
And the Yeshiva is blazing a path on
how to show it:'

❑

- Robert Sklar, contributing editor

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivers the keynote address.

Mandell "Bill" Berman accepts the Golden Torah
Award from U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich.

Fundraising
Success

Yad Ezra's 23rd annual

dinner brought in more

than $700,000.

M

ore than 500 people attended
Yad Ezra's annual fundraiser
last month at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. The event
marked the Berkley-based kosher food
pantry's 23rd dinner and was the most
successful fundraising effort in the
agency's history, bringing in more than
$700,000. For more on Yad Ezra or to
donate or volunteer, go to www.yadezra.
org.

Lea Luger, executive director; Jim and Sherri Ketai, co-chairs; Matt and Nicole
Lester, honorees; Rachel and Josh Opperer, co-chairs; Nancy Kleinfeldt, Yad Ezra
president

Diane and (the late) Emery Klein
Volunteer of the Year Award winners
Betty and Ed Klein of West Bloomfield

and Diane Klein of Southfield

❑

Right: Yad Ezra's executive
committee and honorees: Alan
Reiter, Huntington Woods; director
Lea Luger and Richard Simtob, both

of West Bloomfield; Barbara Zaltz,
Huntington Woods; honorees Matt and
Nicole Lester, Bloomfield Hills; Nancy
Kleinfeldt, Huntington Woods; and Jeff

Supowit, Farmington Hills.

Elliah, Matt, Asa and Nicole Lester

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November 28 • 2013