metro >> around town

Sharing Traditions

eter Torah Synagogue in West
Bloomfield hosted its fifth
K "Different Cultures, Different
Foods" program on Aug. 16 with three
families' stories about life in Egypt. About
90 participants attended.
Mireille Elgazaar Plotke described the
gradual breakup of her large family in Cairo
as intermittent attacks on Jews forced emi-
gration to Israel and beyond from 1948 to
1970.
Sal Castro told of his 1967 imprisonment
in Alexandria for "just being a Jew" and of
his escape to Italy. In France, while in the
U.S. visa line, he had a memorable meeting
with Ambassador Shirley (Temple) Black.
As the more than 90 guests sampled
Egyptian Jewish cuisine, Rabbi Sasson
Natan introduced Synagogue President
Rick Behar, who described his family's
complex life in Cairo and unhappy depar-
ture.
Sisters Hilda Castro and Esther Kodsi
had spent days preparing their favorite reci-
pes in Keter Torah's kitchen.
Program co-sponsors included
StandWithUs-MI, Greater Detroit
Chapter of Hadassah, National Council of
Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section
and Zionist Organization of American,
Michigan Region.

Keter Torah series sheds light on the plight of Jews from Egypt.

Early arrivals read the Jewish Egyptian history and recipes handout.

Homemade Egyptian Malabi dessert with baklava

Hilda Castro drains her sesame-coated falafel.

Rabbi Sasson Natan prepares slides for Mireille Plotke's story.

❑

Tradition It's family time at Temple Israel's

communitywide Labor Day picnic.

T

emple Israel's annual Labor Day picnic, a free family event, featured a
Brotherhood-hosted blood drive through the Red Cross and a congrega-
tion-sponsored blood marrow recruitment drive through Gift of Life.
The Sept. 7 fare at the West Bloomfield synagogue included pony and train rides,
giant slides, a DJ, face painting, arts and crafts, and a hot dog lunch. The picnic,
made possible through the Morris and Esther Bittker Fund, drew 2,500 people.
Teens from the Youth Federation of Temple Israel (YFTI) recruited homeowners
in need of work around the house in exchange for a donation on Mitzvah Day, com-
ing Oct. 11. All donations fund youth scholarships.

❑

YFTI members:
kneeling, Lauren
Ruby of Bloomfield
Hills and Emma
Fellows of Farmington
Hills, both 16, and
standing, Noah
Provizer, 17, of
Farmington Hills,
French exchange
student Jonas Cohen,
15, and Swedish
exchange student
Rebecca Hofvander,
17, both of West
Bloomfield, and
Logan Ben-Ezra, 17,
of Farmington Hills.

36

September 24 • 2015

Blood donors: front, Ken Meisel and Randy
Watsky, both of Farmington Hills, and, back,
Rabbi Joshua Bennett and Gail Fantioni of
Farmington Hills.

Molly Rohtbart, 7, and Alyssa Greenhut, 6, both
of West Bloomfield; Molly's mother, Dana; Cantor
Michael Smolash; Julie August, temple presi-
dent; and Alyssa's mother, Melissa

Ella Graff, 5, of West Bloomfield

• ...
Eliora Winer, 4, of Oak Park

