community

StandWithUs Marks
'Festival Of Lights'

M

ore than 220
StandWithUs sup-
porters reserved
seats at the Fourth Annual
Festival of Lights gala celebra-
tion to honor Margot and Dr.
Herbert Gardner on Dec. 7 at
Temple Beth El in Bloomfield
Township. An appetizer
and wine reception greeted
guests, with music by Stefan
Kukurugya.
In the chapel, Rabbi Mark
Miller welcomed with his
SWU-MI Board Member Rae Ann Sharfman with
exciting story of the 2001
Amy and 2013 honoree Andre Douville
founding of StandWithUs
(SWU) that he witnessed 13
years ago while serving his
Los Angeles congregation. Cantorial
and Emerson Fellow Madelyn Soltz at
Soloist Rachel Kalmowitz led singing of
Michigan State Univeristy. They gave
the anthems.
many reasons why SWU's intensive
Andre Douville and Ed Kohl, 2013
training and strategies are essential
Festival of Lights honorees, presented
in the battle to defeat the Boycott,
the StandWithUs Beacon of Light award
Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) move-
to the Gardners for their many years of
ment cropping up on college campuses
in Michigan. Andrew lauded his high
dedication to the international organiza-
tion's mission of Israel education and
school preparation as an SWU-trained
MZ Teens intern for contributing to
advocacy. The evening's surprise was
Eugene Greenstein's presentation of the
his success in strategizing to defeat the
Beacon of Light award to StandWithUs-
2014 pro-divestment campaign on U-M's
Michigan's President Barbara Moretsky.
campus.
The gala's guest speaker, interna-
Recently, SWU installed a pro-Israel
tional investigative author and journalist billboard on a Texas highway to counter
Edwin Black gave a spellbinding glimpse one with anti-Israel messaging. This
into his next book with a PowerPoint
is just one example of how Festival of
presentation concerning the Ottoman
Lights proceeds support the SWU mis-
Empire, international law and Israel.
sion here and around the globe. To
Three inspiring SWU dinner speak-
donate, go www.StandWithUs.com or
ers were Central Region High School
mail to StandWithUs-Michigan, P.O. Box
Program Coordinator Vida Velasco,
251153,West Bloomfield, MI 48325.
Michigan Campus Liaison Andrew Moss

❑

Menorahcade 5775
On Dec. 17, the second night
of Chanukah, a parade of doz-
ens of vehicles topped with
giant, electrically lit menorahs
traveled from the Harry and
Wanda Zekelman Campus of the
Lubavitch Yeshivah-International
School for Chabad Leadership
in Oak Park through Southfield,
Huntington Woods, Royal Oak
and Birmingham. Many of the
vehicles had speakers playing
Jewish holiday music. Male
students ages 13-19 from 10
countries and 17 states attend
the school.

StandWithUs-MI Festival of Lights Co-chair Reva Rosen with Honorees Margot and
Dr. Herbert Gardner, guest speaker Edwin Black and Co-chair Ed Kohl

Dr. Eugene Greenstein surprising SWU-MI President Barbara Moretsky with the
Beacon of Light Award

Chanukah Treats
A Chanukah party for
50 residents, family and
friends of all religious
sects included potato
latkes at St. Anne's Mead
in Southfield on Dec. 20.
Jean and George Blostein
recently moved into the
assisted living facility.
Their son Joel was a host
of the event.

One of the many menorahs on wheels

Freida Blostein, granddaughter of Jean and
George Blostein, holds up a plate of latkes.

January 1 • 2015

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