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Unusual Jobs

Unconventional work choices bring satisfaction.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman I Contributing Writer

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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recent visit with a
staff member of the
Adventure Park at
West Bloomfield began with an
unsettling text that read, "Look
up. I'm about 45 feet above you
— to the left of the high wire!"
The message came from the
park's rescue lead, Tara Lynnz.
Her job is to monitor the aerial
trails, where guests move from
platform to platform by cable,
wood bridges, rope and zip
Tara Lynnz shows a little more of her acrobatic
lines, and "rescue" those who
prowess during her recent trip to Iceland.
decide the park's 10- to 65-foot
high obstacles are not for them.
"If anyone needs assistance or wants — or three months.
needs — to come down from anywhere in
For the past five years, Tara also has been
the park, it's my job to get them using some involved with local movie production.
pretty awesome equipment:' Lynnz said.
"On set, I've done everything from grunt
She tends to seek out the extreme, the
work to lights and special effects makeup:'
daring or the unexpected in whatever she
she said. "It was great to find my people.
delves into.
What kind of job has you working 21 hours
Taking an interest in performance
of the day with little-to-no breaks, gives you
early on, the graduate of Hillel Day
two hours of sleep and then, quite literally,
School of Metropolitan Detroit and North
you can't wait to come back the next day?"
Farmington High School performed in
She has also worked as a production
musical theater at both schools. She also
assistant and done some acting as an
extra in films with big-name celebrities,
was deeply involved at the Detroit Opera
including Hugh Jackman and Lawrence
House, on and off stage, doing wigs, make-
up, props and wardrobe. While working on
Fishburne.
a degree at Michigan State University, she
Lynnz has been to Portugal, Spain,
played polo — on horses.
Morocco, France, Thailand, Malaysia,
In addition to her work at the Adventure
Hong Kong, Macau, Canada and Israel. She
Park, Lynnz soars: training and teaching
recently returned from Iceland.
static trapeze and aerial silks, an acrobatic
"I have been taking one trip a year since
technique she describes as one where she
I was 20:' she said. "My first trip overseas
"dives, flips, spins, drops and dances while
was to Thailand with my dad. The travel
hanging from fabric suspended 20-50 feet
bug bit me harder than most. I don't spend
money except on travel; OK maybe running
from the ceiling:'
Her interest began after viewing a photo
shoes or on tickets to Cirque du Soleil."
of a woman on silks, who turned out to be a
A graduate of the graphic design pro-
local instructor, later sought out by Lynnz.
gram at the Specs Howard School of Media
At 24, with no dance or gymnastics back- Arts in Southfield and an accomplished
ground, she flew into something new
photographer, artist and writer, Lynnz just
"What started as a once-a-week hobby
completed the courses at Baker College of
morphed out of control:' she said. "I
Auburn Hills needed to apply to the school's
jumped into more advanced classes, but
physical therapist assistant program this fall.
quickly topped out and had to go find
"Education wise, I am taking a leap:' she
different places to train. Eventually I was
said. "Settling on an actual career is pretty
asked to teach at a different studio in
uncharacteristic of me. I've never actually
exchange for free studio time:'
understood how anyone can settle on doing
And that led to jobs, both teaching and
one thing for the rest of their life. Hopefully,
performing throughout Michigan and as
the job will actually be the means by which
far away as Club Med Punta Cana in the
I travel, as it's a field needed all over the
Dominican Republic, where she worked for
world:' ❑

8

September 24 • 2015

A Jewish Firefighter-
Paramedic?

B

eing a firefighter may be a
more common, exceptional
career choice among many
Americans. But in the Jewish commu-
nity, not so much.
Joe Roth's 21/2-year-old daughters,
Sophia and Hadley, are too young to
realize their dad's job is a huge deal, but
they definitely enjoy the perks.
"They love looking at the fire engine
and ambulance, and then going across
the street to get ice cream and eating it
on the back of the engine," Roth said.
"Whenever they come to visit me at
work, they always refer to my station as
`Daddy's House:"
After receiving a bachelor's degree
from Michigan State University, Roth
underwent 10 weeks of training in the
fire academy and two years of school-
ing to become a paramedic. "Most, if
not all, full-time fire departments in the
Detroit area require their firefighters
to be licensed paramedics" said Roth,
who lives in West Bloomfield. "My job is
split as a firefighter and paramedic. We,
as a department, provide residents and
visitors with medical care/transport to
appropriate hospitals. On the fire side,

Joe Roth, at the fire station, with

his 2 1/2-year-old twin daughters,
Sophia and Hadley.

we protect life and property from fires
or other types of natural disasters"
He decided on his career for personal
reasons.
"I chose to become a firefighter
because I wanted to help and protect
people in their time of need," Roth said.
"Plus, being a firefighter is physically
demanding and that's right up my alley.
"I love my job," said Roth, who is the
only Jewish firefighter at Fire Station 3
in Warren. "I could not imagine doing
anything else. It is very gratifying to
know that at the end of the day you
might have made a difference in some-
body's life. It could be as simple as help-
ing an elderly person up off the floor,
or more serious as saving someone's
home from a complete disaster"

❑

Talking With Her Hands

S

Emily Kimmel-Kurtz at Cranbrook
Institute of Science in Bloomfield Hills

signs a lesson on the reproduction of

plants and the beautiful areas that
surround the building.

ometimes Emily Kimmel-Kurtz
can go for hours at work with-
out saying a word, even though
she is never alone.
"To be honest, I prefer it that way,"
said the certified educational sign
language interpreter.
Her training allows her to com-
municate between deaf, hard of hear-
ing and non-verbal individuals and
the hearing communities — using
sign language rather than the spoken
word.
"I like to think of myself as a vessel
of communication:' she said. "I am

Talking With Her Hands on page 10