Helping Others

A

Joe Cornell dance-a-thon teaches tweens they can make an impact.

rea sixth-graders danced for more than
an hour straight at a fundraiser dance-a-
thon graduation for the Joe Cornell Dance
Program. The tweens finished the 13-week etiquette-
dance class by raising nearly $4,000 for Blessings in a
Backpack.
Tweens have been dancing and learning social
graces and positive boy-girl interaction through Joe
Cornell since the 1950s. The dance-for-a-cause grad-
uation for its annual middle-school dance program is
in its fifth year. The aim of designating a worthy non-
profit to receive the support and fundraising efforts
of students is to teach the kids that the world is big-

ger than their own small social circles, and that each
of them, individually, could make a difference — but
that collectively, they could make an impact.
"This graduation fundraiser is great fun; it gives
purpose and inspiration to our program and helps
us finish on a high lever says Steve Jasgur, president
of Joe Cornell Entertainment in Southfield and co-
owner with his sister, Rebecca Schlussel.
Blessings in a Backpack is a nonprofit that feeds
more than 63,000 children in 583 schools in 45
states. Joe Cornell students collected pledges from
friends and family to sponsor their 75-minute dance-
a-thon. ❑

Lauren Schostack, Kaitlynn Luckoff, Jordyn Glass and

Stacey Hirsch

Rikki Goldman, Jane Hooberman, Rebecca
Schlussel, Emily Feldman and Mari Lynn

MC Hollywood, center, with Joe Cornell graduates Steve Jasgur, center, with (clockwise from top left) Jacob
Schlussel, Ben Klein, Ben Goldstein, Russel Presser and
Will Bloomberg

Ultimate

Pajama Party

Temple Israel families

enjoyed an evening of

crafts and a pancake

dinner.

0

n Jan. 25, a cold winter eve-

Harrison, Steven and Cameron Safran of Novi

Michael, Lily and Jennifer Rasansky of West Bloomfield

ning, young families gath-
ered at Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield for the ultimate pajama party.
The evening began as children created a
stuffed Torah, colored their own Bedtime
Shema Book and prepared a bedtime
snack. The crafts were followed by a deli-
cious pancake dinner with all the fixings
— strawberries, blueberries, bananas,
chocolate chips, whipped cream and
sprinkles.
Following dinner, families gathered to
enjoy a beautiful Havdallah service and
Jewish bedtime songs led by the Temple
Israel clergy.

❑

Tana and Miles Dolgin of Huntington
Woods

Jessica Leicht of South Lyon

Justin and Luke Fenberg of West
Bloomfield

February 6 • 2014

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