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Chinese Auction

M

ore than 450 people braved
the snow and cold on
Sunday, Dec. 15, to attend
Akiva Hebrew Day School's annual
Chinese Auction at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Guests
enjoyed an elegant strolling dinner
while bidding on more than 60 prizes
that included a wide variety of gift
cards, flat-screen TVs and weekend
getaways as well as a grand prize trip
to Israel.
The evening was chaired by Gil
Stebbins with the assistance of Fern
Herschfus and Cheryl Jerusalem and
staffed by a cadre of 40 volunteers.
Although the auction is not the
school's main fundraiser, it netted
more than $40,000 for student finan-
cial aid. The event also launched the
start of a year-long celebration of
Akiva's 50th anniversary. The auction's
success would not have been possible
without the generous support of Team
Detroit, Ford Motor Credit, Quicken
Loans and Fathead.

Annual event kicks off Akiva's year-long 50th anniversary celebration.

Sheryl and Seth Korelitz of Huntington Woods with Scott
Kaufman, CEO, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit

Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, Yeshiva Beth Yehudah executive director, and
Dan Mendelson of West Bloomfield, Akiva president

❑

Roman and Angela Israiloy of West Bloomfield flank Rabbi Michael
and Devorah Cohen of Oak Park.

Helping Hands

O

Emanu-El members help effort to stem hunger for Oak Park students.

n Dec. 15, members of Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park part-
nered with Norup International School, also in Oak Park,
in Helping Hands for Hunger at the Huntington Woods
Recreation Center.
Forty percent of the elementary school children and 20 percent of
middle-schoolers eat only when food is provided by the school.
In total, volunteers assembled 185 bags of food for a local school food
bank. In addition to the bags, money was raised to fund 69 gift cards
and an additional $225 was given to the school food pantry to spend on
food cards for middle-school children.

❑

Dani and Ariella Shaffren of Southfield

Right: Temple Emanu-El
families help assemble

food bags.

Bottom right: Volunteers

from Temple Emanu-El at
Helping Hands for Hunger

event

Bottom left: Rabbi Arturo

Kalfus loads up a food bag.

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January 16 • 2014

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