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New IDF Post

Lt. Col. shares how the Israeli

military uses social media to advance its cause.

atrons of the Friends of the
Israel Defense Forces (FIDF)
gathered over brunch to
hear Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich, head of
the Interactive Media Branch at the
IDF Spokesperson's Unit, speak on
"Defending Israel in the Media War" at
Tam-O-Shanter Country Club in West
Bloomfield on March 2.
Leibovich and her team of 40 cre-
ative, tech-savvy teenage soldiers
address the challenges of digital diplo-
macy in today's age of technology and
social networking. Leibovich, who over-
sees 30 IDF social media platforms, bat-
tles the misleading images and articles
related to Israel that are common across
various news platforms.
Her presentation was sponsored
by Sheldon Yellen and the Michigan
Chapter of the FIDE

❑

See page 14 for a full story on
Leibovich's speech.

First Shabbat

M

Tamir Oppenheim, FIDF Midwest regional director; Mark Orechkin of Bloomfield
Hills, FIDF Michigan Chapter board member; Leibovich; and event sponsor Sheldon
Yellen of Bloomfield Hills

FIN

Arie

Labovitz

Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich and Ann
Newman of Bloomfield Hills, FIDF
Michigan Chapter's chairman emeritus
and board member

❑

Rabbi Miller with Adam, Eric and Ryan Becker,

16

March 20 • 2014

Linda Katzman, FIDF Michigan Chapter
board member, and Rhoda Katzman,
both of Bingham Farms

Beth El congregants welcome new Rabbi Mark Miller at Shabbat services.

ore than 700 Temple Beth El members
and friends from the community gath-
ered in Bloomfield Township on Friday
evening, Feb. 28, to celebrate Shabbat with the con-
gregation's new lead rabbi, Mark Miller.
Congregants enjoyed a special "pre-neg" prior to
services, greeting old friends, enjoying wine and hors
d'oeuvres and, judging from their smiles and com-
ments, eagerly anticipating Rabbi Miller's first worship
service at Temple Beth El. No one was disappointed.
Rabbi Daniel Syme set the tone with a warm
welcome, and the service was beautifully sung by
Cantorial Soloist Rachel Kalmowitz. Miller joined
her in singing various prayers and played several
Shabbat melodies on his guitar.
The rabbi's wife, Rachel Ann, surprised him by
flying in from Houston for the occasion. She and
their sons, Mori and Abraham, will join him in
Michigan following the close of the school year.

all of Bloomfield Hills

Elliott Baum of Royal Oak and Arie
Leibovitz of West Bloomfield, FIDF
Michigan Chapter board member

Max Lapides, West Bloomfield; Rachel Ann and Rabbi Mark Miller, Birmingham;

Sissi Lapides, West Bloomfield; Paul Dizik, Lathrup Village; and Peggy and

Rachel Ann and Rabbi Mark Miller

Dennis Frank, West Bloomfield

Dr. Philip Ruben, Bloomfield Hills; Iris Jaffe, Farmington Kim Goodman, West Bloomfield; Jim Deutchman, Franklin;

Hills; Ashton Rubin and Jamie Rubin, Bloomfield Hills;

Liz and Lacey Modell, Bloomfield Hills; and Julie Brown,

and Bradley Jaffe, Chicago

West Bloomfield

