metro
Jewish News To Receive New Detroit's
''Closing the Gap" Corporate Award
N
ew Detroit Inc.'s 16th annual
"Closing the Gap" awards cer-
emony and dinner will take place
on Tuesday, June 24, at 5:30 p.m. at MGM
Grand Casino and Hotel in Detroit.
"The 'Closing the Gap event dem-
onstrates how advancing race relations
can come in many forms, and this year's
awardees are certainly indicative of that
sentiment' said Shirley Stancato, New
Detroit President and CEO.
The Detroit Jewish News will receive the
Corporate Award.
"The Detroit Jewish News has served
Metro Detroit's Jewish community since
1942:' say event organizers. "The paper
demonstrates its ongoing commitment to
maintaining relationships with communi-
ties of color through collaborations with
the Chaldean-Jewish Building Community
Initiative and the Black-Jewish Forum,
both aimed at improving the quality of life
in southeastern Michigan:'
The Nonprofit Award will go to
Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS),
which provides an array of services that
enable people to achieve self-sufficiency
and obtain quality affordable housing.
Enrico "Rico" Razo will receive the
A Friend's Role in
Interventio
An evening on intervention
with Jeff Jay.
Jeff Jay is a clinical interventionist and
co-author of Love First: A Family's
Guide to Intervention (Hazelden, 2008).
He has been working full time in the
alcohol and drug treatment field sinc
1986, including work for the Hazelde
Foundation. Jeff specializes in difficu
and complex interventions, including those complicated
psychological issues, such as anxiety disorders, bipolar
disease and trauma.
The Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House provides guidan
and support to individuals and their families struggling wi
isolation and other life crises, such as addiction, through a
welcoming Jewish recovery community that offers
friendship, support, and spirituality.
June 19th, 7:00pm
•
18 June 12 • 2014
•- E _ • • , • -
II
_MI
III
What inspired you to pursue a career
as a rabbi?
What do you enjoy doing in your free
time?
I knew from a young age that I had
a passion for Jewish learning. I credit
strong parental encouragement and my
Hillel Day School education with instill-
ing that passion. Ultimately, as I contin-
ued my studies in a variety of fields, I
kept coming back to a deep appreciation
of Jewish text study, a passion for teach-
ing and a profound love for having the
opportunity to share the transformational
moments in people's lives, both joyous
and somber. The ability to combine those
passions is what led me to the rabbinate
as a career.
Currently, learning to play guitar. I love
playing the violin, singing with others,
playing basketball and spending quality
time with friends.
How did you meet your wife?
friendshipcircle.org/events
-I II
■
'I
_• _•.
■
❑
Back Home from page 17
This is a free event and light refreshments will be served.
yarden@friendshipcircle.org / 248-788-7 • •
Inaugural Young Leader in Action Award
for his progressive leadership in race rela-
tions and youth advocacy in Southwest
Detroit.
Bob Berg, partner and vice president
at Berg Muirhead and Associates, will
receive the John Rakolta Jr. Leadership
in Race Relations Award. He is being
honored for his courageous servant lead-
ership role in race relations and public
affairs during critical moments in Detroit's
history. Berg's career included serving
in the roles of executive assistant for
Public Affairs to Michigan Gov. William
G. Milliken from 1977 to 1982 and then
as press secretary for Detroit Mayor
Coleman A. Young from 1983 to 1993.
DTE Energy CEO Gerard M. Anderson
is serving as the event chair. Awards will
be presented by Stancato and William
S. Taubman, New Detroit chairman
and chief operating officer of Taubman
Centers Inc.
Individual tickets are $150, and a range
of sponsorship opportunities are avail-
able. For information, contact Angela
Richardson at (313) 664-2047,
arichardson@newdetroit.org or visit
www.newdetroit.org.
• •
I met Miriam at a Jewish learning
retreat outside of New York that I was
running as part of my job with Moishe
House. She was hired through the friend
network to be the sign language inter-
preter for the weekend because we had a
participant who happened to be deaf. Our
first emails to one another were negotiat-
ing her fee for the weekend! We clicked
immediately. Six and a half months later
we were engaged, and six months after
that we were married. Originally from
Albany, she's as excited as I am to call
Detroit home.
How concerned are you with the find-
ings of this past year's Pew study?
We need to stop worrying about num-
bers and demographics and recognize the
reality that being part of a Jewish com-
munity isn't for everyone — even if born
Jewish. We're blessed to have choices.
Instead, we need to focus on making sure
folks know that our doors are wide open
and welcoming (and not only saying it,
but living it in our actions), and showing
that the collective wisdom of the Jewish
tradition, being part of an active Jewish
community and the rhythms of the
Jewish calendar have the ability to add
meaning to and enhance life. We need
our community to be so warm, loving,
content-rich and joyous that you'd be
crazy to not want to be a part of it. ❑
Horwitz's first event at Congregation Shir
Tikvah will be a Friday, June 20, barbecue
at 6 p.m. followed by a musical Shabbat
service at 7:15 p.m. The event is open to the
community.