frontlines

Giving Back

C

arson Litvin, son of JN
account executive Melissa
Litvin, is turning 8 soon. But
this year, instead of receiving gifts, he
will be receiving the joy that comes
from giving.

For his birthday, Carson is hosting a
birthday dance party/fundraiser to ben-
efit three local charities.
"Me and my mom thought it up:'
said Carson, who after attending a bar
mitzvah party that featured entertain-
ment by Star Trax, had his heart set on
a dance party of his own.
"That would have been too extrava-
gant for an 8-year-old's birthday party:'
his mom said. "But I thought I could
use his idea as an opportunity to teach
him about charity and giving back:'
Carson helped to choose the chari-
ties that will benefit from his birthday
party. He chose Humble Design, where
he volunteered last fall. Humble Design
was started in 2009 by Treger Strasberg
and Ana Galofre Smith to help families
coming out of homeless and abuse
shelters furnish their homes with gently
used household goods.
The second charity to benefit is
the Lori Haber Buckfire Foundation.
Buckfire, who died from ovarian can-
cer at the age of 41, was a dear friend
of Melissa Litvin's. A foundation was
started in her honor to provide finan-
cial support for the Planet Lori Art
Camp at the Birmingham Bloomfield

Birthday party fundraiser is a lesson in tzedakah.

Art Center for children who had or
have a parent with cancer, for ovarian
cancer research and education, and
BRCA gene awareness.
The final charity to benefit will be
the Mitzvah Meals program at Temple
Beth El in Bloomfield Township, which
generously donated the venue for the
big event. Mitzvah Meals, done in part-
nership with Hiller's Markets, provides
food for needy families in the commu-
nity. A donation of $30 can provide a
family of four with food for five meals.
"This party wouldn't be possible with-
out help from the community:' Litvin
said.
Star Trax is donating the entertain-
ment, and a snack station is being spon-
sored by PublicCity PR, Dakota Bread
and JN's food columnist Annabel Cohen.
The party, which takes place at
Temple Beth El from 3-5 p.m. on
Sunday, May 4, is open to the com-
munity. A minimum donation of $20
per child is recommended. In addition
to great music and snacks, the first 100
families will also receive a "swag bag"
with items donated from local busi-
nesses.
Carson's brother Spencer, who is
currently studying for his bar mitzvah
at Temple Emanu-El, along with his
friends, will be earning mitzvah hours
at the event. They will be manning
the snack stations and helping out as
needed.

JN CONTENTS

111.....011111,

Carson Litvin

"Carson has been learning about tze-
dakah at Sunday School his whole life
Litvin said. "He knows it's a mitzvah to
give back to others. This fundraiser will
reinforce that lesson:'
Is Carson bothered that there will
be no presents for him at his birthday
party?
"Not at all," he said. "It will be fun
to dance to hip-hop music with every-
body:'
For more information, or to volun-
teer for mitzvah hours, contact Melissa
Litvin at mlitvin@renmedia.us .

❑

theJEWISHNEWS.com

April 24-30, 2014 I 24-30 Nisan 5774 I Vol. CXLV, No. 12

Ann Arbor
24
Around Town
19
Arts/Entertainment .. 59
42
Business
28
Calendar
Food
65
Health & Wellness .... 51
Israel . 8, 46, 48, 50, 53, 68
JN Archives
6
Letters
5
Life Cycles
70
Marketplace
74
Metro
8
Next Generation
50

Obituaries
81
Points Of View
48
Red Thread
31
Sports
67
Staff Box/Phone List... 6
Synagogue List
58
Teen2Teen
68
Torah Portion
57
World
46

Shabbat: Friday, April 25, 8:07 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, April 26, 9:13 p.m.

Shabbat: Friday, May 2, 8:15 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, May 3, 9:22 p.m.

Times are from Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

Columnists

Danny Raskin
Robert Sklar

Shabbat Lights

66
48

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