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Finale Friday
Summer in the City celebrates 14
years of service with blowout event.
Andrew Weiner
Special to the Jewish News
ummer in the City's Finale Friday ended the
Southwest Detroit-based nonprofit's summer of
programming with a bang.
More than 1,200 people came out to the Howard Hardy
Crowell Recreation Center on Aug. 14 to participate in the
biggest day in SITC history. Volunteers spent the day play-
ing with campers from the seven day camps SITC operates,
painting a 10-panel mural and working with recreation cen-
ter staff on park beautification.
"Each year we challenge ourselves to be more 'fun, flexible
and fulfilling' than the year before,' said SITC co-director
Nick Johnson of Detroit. "This year, our volunteers and com-
munity partners made that happen:'
After being spread out in activities throughout the park,
the day culminated with volunteers and campers gathering
for a picture in front of the freshly fmished mural.
"I'm not sure how we'll top this next year:' said Paint
Director Hannah Burns of Detroit as she surveyed a 40-foot
section of the mural. "We should probably start painting
now:'
More than 1,200 people turned out for Summer in the City's Finale Friday this year and created this mural to
brighten the Howard Hardy Crowell Recreation Center in Detroit.
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Andrew Weiner served as co-director of SITC 2015 and is now a
Repair the World Fellow. See a related story on page 43.
Volunteers work to paint the winning mural — designed
as part of a competition among the creative staff at
the Mars Agency, a Southfield-based marketing firm.
Carla Underwood, left, and Rachel Fine, both of
Detroit, take a quick break from the action.
Picnic Fun Suburban-Urban Interfaith Unity Picnic draws folks to Belle Isle.
B
elle Isle was the site for the fifth annual Suburban-
Urban Interfaith Unity Picnic organized by the Detroit
Interfaith Outreach Network in partnership with sever-
al interfaith and civic groups. About 300 people enjoyed perfect
weather as well as kosher hot dogs, hallal chicken, veggie burg-
ers and beef hamburgers on the grill in addition to wonderful
ethnic side dishes and desserts. The opening began with inspir-
ing songs, prayers and speeches by members of Jewish, Catholic,
Bahai, Methodist, Unificationist and Muslim clergy — all to lift
The interfaith picnic drew participants of all religions.
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August 27 • 2015
up Detroit and bring unity to the suburbs and city.
Other activities included a drum circle, organized games and
a bounce house for kids, a folk song sing-along and Motown
music for dancing, which then led to Israeli dancing led by
Rabbi Dorit Edut.
Members of Congregation T'chiyah, the Isaac Agree
Downtown Synagogue, the Grosse Pointe Jewish Council,
Congregation Shir Tikvah and the Reconstructionist
Congregation of Detroit were spotted among the crowd.
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A drum circle played in a shady grove.
Rev. Lawrence Ventline and Rev.
Rodney Gasaway welcome all.
Wendy Wilder-Werner, Rabbi Dorit
Edut and Elizabeth Wilder Hurvitz