freedom of religion and freedom of education" Helbrans said the group's homes were thoroughly investigated and every child was spoken to at least once in private. The Quebec youth protection inves- tigation revealed that children were suffering from poor dental health and skin problems, they were not bathing on a regular basis, they were not being schooled according to any Canadian curriculum and only spoke Yiddish and Hebrew. And concerns about forced marriages and teen pregnancies were passed along to provincial police, according a youth protection official who worked their case. But Helbrans said youth protection services in Quebec repeatedly reported no neglect or abuse was found, and that the only issue was the group's challeng- ing of the education system. Helbrans said they chose to move to Ontario because the province is more lenient with its education regulations, which will allow their community to have an easier time home schooling. Children's Services in Chatham have received files that have been trans- ferred from Quebec on the group, and Helbrans said they have already met with representatives from the Children's Aid Society in Windsor. Helbrans said in October five chil- dren were removed from the commu- nity amid a custody dispute between their mother and father. According to Helbrans, the father had abandoned the sect and moved to Israel and had report- ed his children were suffering neglect. 'Not A Cult' As for forced teen marriage, Mayer Rosner, one of Lev Tahor's directors, said the females of the group marry by choice, but it is an "organized" mar- riage. "You have to understand all the Jewish Chasidic communities have organized marriages" said Rosner. "And we do the marriages when the girl is over 16 years of age He said the orga- nized marriage is always between two members within the community. The group is also not a cult, like it is sometimes referred to, said Rosner. "People in our group are people who love our style and tradition. Our com- munity is a group that if anyone wants to go, they can go:' said Rosner. "One of the things of a cult is you cannot get out, but our group is a group that only has people who are happy to stay here, not people who are forced to stay. The people are happy and excited to live here together." According to IsraelNationalNews. com, a court in Quebec on Nov. 27 ordered 14 minors, aged 2 months to 16 years old, to be moved into foster care. Child protection officials in Chatham are speaking to counterparts in Quebec about how to proceed, hav- ing met members of the sect on Nov. 28. A decision has yet to be made on how or whether to comply with the court order from Quebec, reports the Toronto Star. ❑ To access the Windsor Star website, visit www.windsorstar.corn. 1 11 i 111 XFINITY® HOME SECURITY • CONTROL • ENERGY You can't always be at home — but you never have to be far from it. Look after your home, family and valuables from anywhere. XFINITY® Home is the total home security and control solution that simplifies your life. ENERGY /Save up to 10% on your energy bill /Control your lights and thermostat remotely CONTROL 'Comedy For KAT' Dec. 12 Kids All Together (KAT) is an award- winning inclusion program that offers children and teens with special needs the opportunity to participate fully in children's and teen's pro- gramming at the Jewish Community Centers in West Bloomfield and Oak Park. "Comedy for KAT" at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, is an event to raise awareness and support. The evening will feature Joe DeVito, Dwayne Gill and Mark Boyd. Tickets are $25 (must be 21 and over) and include two drink tickets. Reservations of six or more are accept- ed. RSVP to Paul Barker at (248) 432-5538 or pbarker@jccdet.org . To purchase tickets or make a donation, go to https://jccdet.wufoo.com/forms/ comedy-for-kat. For information on special needs pro- grams, contact Nichole Shotwell at (248) 432-5460 or nshotwell@jccdet.org . Maccabi Tryouts Dec. 5 19 Tryouts and audition requirements are set for the 2014 JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest Aug. 17-22. Here's the schedule at West Bloomfield JCC: • Baseball (U14 & U16): 8 p.m. Dec. - 11 and 7 p.m. Dec. 17, JCC gym • Basketball (U14 & U16): 5:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and 14, JCC gym; 3-6 p.m. Dec. 15, Akiva gym. • Basketball (girls): 5:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and 14, JCC gym. • Bowling: 7 p.m. Dec. 12, JCC meet- ing rooms. • Dance (competitive): 1 p.m. Dec. 8, JCC aerobics studio. • Golf: 6 p.m. Dec. 12, JCC meeting room 203. • Inline hockey: 4 p.m. Dec. 5, JCC Inline Hockey Center. • Soccer (U14 & U16 - boys): 7 p.m. Dec. 18, JCC Inline Hockey Center. • Soccer (girls): 7 p.m. Dec. 18, JCC Inline Hockey Center. • Softball (girls): 7 p.m. Dec. 10, JCC gym. • Swimming: 8 p.m. Dec. 12, JCC meeting room 203. • Table tennis: 8 p.m. Dec. 5, JCC meeting rooms. • Tennis: 7 p.m. Dec. 5, JCC meeting rooms. • Volleyball: 7 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19, JCC gym. • ArtsFest participants (and parents) informational meeting at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the JCC, room 202. Learn about what you need to audition. 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Visit http:// www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12720 for details. Call for restrictions and complete details, or visit comcast.com . ©2013 Comcast. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. JN 1873500 December 5 • 2013 23