The American Friends
of Bar-Ilan University
congratulates
United States Winners
of Bar-Ilan University's

2015
Presidential Award
of Distinction

Young Eva Goldman's, now 14, work to clean up the B'nai David Cemetery in

Detroit inspired this community project.

Preserving History

As it celebrates its 60th anniversary, Bar-Ilan
University (BIU) has inaugurated the Presidential
Award of Distinction. It is given to individuals who
share a profound commitment to the mission of BIU,
demonstrate inspirational communal leadership and
generosity, appreciate the importance of higher
education in shaping future generations, and who
hold an abiding love for Israel and the Zionist values
upon which it was built.

Mazal Toy to the first US winners of this Award!

Lawrence, NY & Bal Harbour, FL

Eli Hirmes

Aventura, FL

Laurie Moskowitz Hirsch

Dr. Don Lebell

Gary Ran

Dr. Joseph D. Rosenblatt

Alice Neuman Schoenfeld

Bloomfield Hills, MI

Hollywood, FL

New York, NY

Beverly Hills, CA

Jewish and Zionist values are central to Bar-Ilan's initiatives
in the sciences, law, nanotechnology, engineering, business,
the humanities and its Medical School in Safed.

American Friends of

Bar-Ilan University

www.afbiu.org

2000420

10 April 16 • 2015

Volunteers to hold 2nd annual spring
cleanup of historic Detroit cemetery.

T

he B'nai David Cemetery Care
and Preservation Project will
continue its commitment to the
historic cemetery on Detroit's East Side
with a community cleanup event on
Sunday, April 26. This marks the second
annual cleanup day at the cemetery.
Partners in the project include
the Greater Detroit Jewish Cemetery
Association, Repair the World, the
Ira Kaufman Chapel, Clover Hill Park
Cemetery and the Jewish Historical
Society of Michigan.
B'nai David Cemetery is located at
9535 Van Dyke, north of Interstate 94
and south of Lynch Road in Detroit,
in the City Airport area. The cem-
etery saw its first burial in 1898, just
six years after the founding of Beth
David Synagogue, which was started
by Russian immigrants. The cemetery
hosts approximately 1,300 gravesites. In
recent decades, the cemetery has fallen
into severe disrepair and its landscape
dominated by weeds and tall grasses.
"We had more than 150 volunteers
attend last year's spring cleanup and
another great showing at a fall cleanup
co-sponsored by Jewish Family Service
said David Goldman, president of
the Friends of B'nai David Cemetery
Organization and organizer of the April
26 cleanup. "The cemetery is looking
better and we are attempting to raise
funds so we can repair the many fallen
headstones. We are trying to give the
B'nai David Cemetery the respect it
deserves:'
The inspiration for the project came
from Goldman's teen daughter, Eva, who
two years ago led her family and friends
in a one-day cleanup of the cemetery,
where her great-great grandmother is
buried. Her father assembled the coali-
tion to continue with the project.
This year, in addition to helping to
clean up and preserve the cemetery, vol-
unteers will participate in a genizah cer-
emony to bury worn-out and damaged

prayer books from the synagogue that
once owned the B'nai David Cemetery.
Genizah means "reserved" or "hidden"
in Hebrew and the ceremony stipulated
in the Talmud says that sacred items
should be stored in a place where they
cannot be destroyed, such as a plot in a
Jewish cemetery. The genizah ceremony
will be conducted at 1 p.m. April 26.
Former Congregation B'nai David
members will be able to pick up yahrtz-
eit or memorial plaques that had hung
in the synagogue. About 150 plaques
will be on hand at the cleanup. Family
members can check for names on the
B'nai David Cemetery Facebook page.
Repair the World Detroit, a branch of
the national organization, is an active
sponsor of the spring cleanup and has
also brought other groups to the cem-
etery to help clean and learn a bit about
its rich Detroit history.
Ben Falik, director of Repair the
World Detroit, said, "This project is not
just about paying respect to those that
came before us; it's about re-exposing
the Jewish community to the city of
Detroit, a city Jews helped build, and
giving them the opportunity to help
repair a piece of their own community"
Goldman said the Friends of B'nai
David Cemetery Organization has about
$11,000 in its account from donations.
The funds will be used to repair and
maintain the cemetery.
"This winter, the David Horodoker
Society gave $2,500 to repair the iron
gate at the front of the cemetery, which
we plan to do this summer" Goldman
said. "We believe the headstone repairs
will cost approximately $9,000. We are
in the process of seeking a grant to
begin these repairs"
To register for the April 26 event, go
to www.goo.g1/8R1hq6. To help fund
this project, contact David Goldman at
david@migoldman.com or (248) 686-
9801, or Ralph Zuckman at rzuckman@
cloverhillpark.org or (248) 514-2557.

❑