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May 21, 2015 - Image 110

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 2015-05-21

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

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Artist works with Hillel students
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t's a longstanding tradition at
Hillel Day School for parents to
select a class gift for each student
to receive upon becoming a bat/bar
mitzvah rather than having every stu-
dent bring a present to every celebration
party. This year, instead of purchasing
mass-produced items from an appropri-
ate catalogue, the parents of the classes
of 2015 and 2017 decided to do some-
thing a bit different.
Hillel parent Nomi Joyrich originally
contacted renowned Judaic artist Gary
Rosenthal to inquire about setting up a
wholesale account for making purchases.
But when he explained his Hiddur
Mitzvah project, she saw the opportunity
to transform the class gift effort into a
truly special experience.
Rosenthal first came to Hillel to work
with the class of 2015 when they were
in sixth grade. He explained that Hiddur
Mitzvah is the commandment to beau-
tify ritual objects, and he talked about
the way art can be used in the service of
tzedakah.
Each student created two pieces of
glass: one piece became the focal point
of a menorah that became her/his bat/
bar mitzvah gift; the second piece was
turned into a menorah that would be
donated to charity. The students also cre-
ated one bigger piece of glass to be used
in a large tzedakah box — their eighth-
grade gift to the school.
During seventh grade, the students
had several meetings and discussed
where they wanted to donate their
menorahs. Aviva Lupovitch sug-
gested donating them to a small Jewish
Ugandan community (the grade had
spent the year learning about this com-
munity and had raised money to build
them a well). The class was unanimous
in its support for this idea, but many stu-
dents wanted to be able to hand deliver

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110 May 21 • 2015

Meredith Weingarden and her sixth-
grade daughter Emilie with artist
Gary Rosenthal

I

Gary Rosenthal and eighth-grader
Eden Joyrich put money in the new
tzedakah box in the Hillel lobby.

their menorahs.
They decided to ship half the meno-
rahs to Uganda and carry the other half
with them to Israel and donate them to
the Shalva School for children with spe-
cial needs.
"The fact that my artwork is lighting
up homes across the world amazes me,"
Lupovitch said.
When it came time for the parents
of the Class of 2017 to decide on a class
gift, the conversation turned quickly
to the Hiddur Mitzvah project. It was
decided to approach a few congregations
to help defray some of the expenses.
For the second time, Temple Kol Ami
decided to sponsor a family event, and
Congregation Shaarey Zedek elected to
co-sponsor it.
Tiffany Green, Kol Ami's cantorial
soloist, said, "Collaborating with other
congregations fosters a healthy Jewish
community:'
Two weeks before the eighth-graders
left for Israel, Rosenthal unveiled the
large tzedakah box and slid the first dol-
lar through its slot.
All of your fingerprints are on this
glass, and so when anyone donates tze-
dakah in this box, it will also be a mitz-
vah for all of you" he told the students.
Rosenthal then went to work with the
sixth-graders to help them make their
menorahs.
"It is striking how the different aspects
of this one project actively involved the
children in so many of our core Jewish
values —Zionism, klal Yisrael (Unity
of the Jewish people), tik k un olam and
kedushah, bringing beauty and holiness
into the world" said Saul Rube, dean
of Judaic studies at Hillel. "These types
of varied, real-life experiences have a
profound and lasting impact on our
students, and we are so grateful to Gary
Rosenthal for bringing this into the Hillel
community:'



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