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A Marvelous Mitzvah Day!

800 Jewish volunteers made Christmas Day brighter for others around Detroit.

M

ore than 800 volunteers stepped forward on Dec.
25 to share the magic of Mitzvah Day, volunteer-
ing their time and spreading good cheer at 39
project sites throughout Metro Detroit.
Presented to the community by the Jewish Community
Relations Council and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, Mitzvah Day 2013 was co-chaired by Janet Berman,
Seth Fisher, Micki Grossman and Hy Safran. For the fifth
year, Muslim volunteers worked alongside Jewish volunteers
at several Mitzvah Day sites. Volunteers delivered toys to
children in Southwest Detroit, helped out with meals on
wheels, played bingo with seniors, served meals at homeless
shelters and much more.
While the original purpose — replacing Christian staff
and volunteers so they can spend the day with their fami-
lies — still rings true, the event has become a tradition that
families look forward to every year.
Mitzvah Day volunteer Joan Stern said, "It was a very
meaningful and memorable day for our family. Roy, the
Capuchin Soup Kitchen volunteer coordinator, made sure we
appreciated their mission and interacted with their guests.
To give of our time, not just financial support, to repair the
world was truly a wonderful experience:'

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Ariel Feldman of Farmington Hills and Denise Feldman of Ann

Melanie Lubin of New York works with

Arbor at Vista Maria

the girls of Vista Maria in Detroit on

rainbow loom jewelry.

Curtis Love and Sue Birnholtz helped serve

Bruce, Michelle, Jenna and Lisa Gooel and Matthew and

Matt Berke and Kevin Berke are ready to dish up a

Christmas breakfast at the Tumanini Center in

Lauren Kash delivering toys in Southwest Detroit for

meal to veterans at Piquette Square in Detroit.

Detroit.

Jimmy's Kids

Bradley and Hannah Wise and Theron Howard Barr and Theron Barr get

Volunteers Jordyn, Debbie, Libby and Sam Berke, who is on active duty in the National

ready to deliver toys for Jimmy's Kids.

Guard, serve meals at Piquette Square.

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January 9 • 2014

JN

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