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theJEWISHNEWS.com

A JEWISH RENAISSANCE MEDIA PUBLICATION

» Volunteer Extraordinaire Community builder
Nancy Grosfeld to be honored with Butzel Award.
See page 8.

» E-Z Roll Oak Parkers get to know their city and their
neighbors by bicycle. See page 28.

» Inside The Intern Robert De Niro gets to work with
a pair of Michigan natives in his new movie. See page 60.

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

family focus

Local leader Nancy Grosfeld will be cited
for distinguished community service.

» cover story

Everyone
Is Family

Dream Trip

Small-town shul opens
once a year for Detroiter-led
High Holiday service.

Friendship Circle's first family trip to Israel
creates bonds of spirit and closeness.

Ronelle Grier I Contributing Writer

Shelli Liebman Dorfman I Contributing Writer

Mitch Parker

teaching

Federation's

Torah Line by

Line class.

W

hen Ilana Eastman's college roommate
told her there was no one to lead the
Rosh Hashanah services her family
attends in a small Illinois town each year, Ilana had
a reaction that keeps on giving.
"She said, 'Why don't you ask my dad?"' recalls
her father Dr. Mitch Parker.
This week, he spent his 10th Rosh Hashanah
in Spring Valley, Ill. Parker recalled thinking, "I
hadn't led services in a few years, and I missed it. It
seemed like both an interesting and an important
cause, so I decided to give it a try. I'm always up for
something new."

CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

A highlight of the trip: Former Detroit Noah Tighe, now of North Carolina, and Noah Goldberg of Commerce

Township are held aloft as IDF soldiers dance at their base near the Syrian border.

W hile many Jewish families dream of visiting
Israel together, it can seem like an impossi-
ble dream for parents whose children have
special needs. This summer, six families were able to
fulfill this dream thanks to some meticulous planning
by Friendship Circle of Michigan, a dedicated group
of teen volunteers and a donation from the Davidson
Foundation, established by the late Detroit business-
man and philanthropist William Davidson.

1942 - 2015

Covering and
Connecting
Jewish Detroit
Eve y Week

8 08805

The group, led by Friendship Circle family coor-
dinators Rabbi Tzvi and Sarah Schectman, spent
the first six days of the 11-day trip exploring the
Jerusalem area before heading north to visit cosmo-
politan Tel Aviv, the mystical city of Safed and the Sea
of Galilee, and spending their last day enjoying the
views in the Golan Heights.
The grant from the Davidson Foundation made
the trip affordable for the six families and allowed
Friendship Circle to provide a teen volunteer for each
family as well as accessible accommodations and "spe-
cial needs-friendly" activities.
The logistics were handled by Israel Maven Tours, an
Israeli touring company that specializes in custom trips
for families, organizations and other groups.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 46

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