"There is only one
degree of separation

with me and the rest
of the world!"

— Sharon Collins

governess. She was Bertha, my mom's
governess!"
Collins called her parents, who came
over and had a great time talking about
Bertha, Germany and what a small world
it is.
In the summer of 2009, Chelsey
Eichler, a Tamarack Camps counselor,
formed a special bond with camper Lea
Siegel, 9, from Lyon, France. Little did
they know the depth of their connection.
Chelsey made a point of meeting Lea's
father, Eric, and grandmother (the late)
Joyce Siegel, who picked her up after
camp.
"I asked Joyce where she lived and she
said Huntington Woods:' said Chelsey,
23, who lives in Farmington Hills. "I
asked if she knew my grandmother, Faye
Damraur, who works at Temple Emanu-
El [in Oak Park] and knows a lot of
people in that area."
Joyce then told her that her grandfa-
ther, Lou Damraur of West Bloomfield,
and Lea's grandfather, (the late) Robert
Siegel, Joyce's husband, were first cousins.
Eichler now works at Know
Advertising in Royal Oak, where her boss
was looking for a nanny on care.com this
past June. "He ended up interviewing
my sister, Carly, who is 21:' Eichler said.
"They don't include last names for users
on the site and neither of them knew the
connection until the interview. So now
he's her boss, too:"
For Sharon Collins, just sharing a
story has brought uncanny connections,
like when she told friends Anita and Dr.
Ralph Zicherman of West Bloomfield
about A Vanished World by her Uncle
Otto's father-in-law, celebrated photog-
rapher Roman Vishniac, and discovered
the book that chronicled photos of Jews
from Germany in the 1930s includes a
photograph of Ralph's grandfather, Jakob
Zicherman.
Collins said she sometimes feels "there
is only one degree of separation with me
and the rest of the world!"
And Leeson —who now lives in the
home where I grew up; with whom I
compared notes on the neighborhood,
schools and synagogues of my child-
hood — recalls being "utterly shocked" at
our meeting and "very surprised by the
hashgacha pratis [Divine providence]"
of our remarkable, unforgettable, chance
encounter. *

Federation

Joins Global
Day Of Giving

T

he Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit is
gearing up to partici-
pate in #GivingTuesday 2015,
a global day of giving that har-
nesses the collective power of
individuals, communities and
organizations to encourage phi-
lanthropy and celebrate gener-
osity worldwide. Occurring on
Dec. 1, #GivingTuesday is held
annually on the Tuesday after
Thanksgiving to inspire people
to improve their communi-
ties and support their favorite
charities and causes.
"After two days of shopping,
a day dedicated to giving back
is a great way to refocus and
remember what's important,"
says Lisa Cutler, Federation's
senior director of philan-
thropic operations. "While
we think about Federation's
Annual Campaign all year long,
#GivingTuesday gives us an
opportunity to participate in a
worldwide conversation about
giving as well as have conver-
sations with our supporters
about the importance of taking
care of the needs of the Jewish
people and building a vibrant
Jewish future in Detroit, in
Israel and around the world."
Ilana Block, Federation's
NEXTGen Detroit campaign
co-chair, says, "Federation has
participated in years past, but
this year we are amping up our
efforts to make #GivingTuesday
a day of support for the Detroit
Jewish community. We're ask-
ing the community to help
spread the word by taking to
social media and participating
in a communitywide telethon:'
Federation's #GivingTuesday
telethon will take place on Dec.
1 with a first shift starting at
9:30-11:30 a.m. and an after-
noon option from 4:30-8 p.m.,
both at the Federation building
in Bloomfield Township. All
are welcome to participate for
any amount of time. Register at
jewishdetroit.org/
givingtuesday. *

Lk

CONGREGATION

/MI\
SHAAREY ZEDEK
V

presents

LIGHT UP YOUR CHANUKAH
TWO MUSICAL EVENTS AT CSZ

27375 BELL ROAD, SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN 48034
featuring

JEWISH A CAPPELLA

DECEMBER 5, 2015
8:00 p.m.

An adults-only evening with
strolling supper, specialty drinks
and a spectacular musical performance.

411IXOLOGY
AND MUSIC

CSZ MEMBERS:

$25 each by December 3, $30 each after December 3.

NON MEMBERS:

-

$30 each by December 3, $35 each after December 3.

FAMILY .10
iv DECEMBER 6, 2015
11:00 a.m.
CHANUKAH
An all-ages musical event,
open to the community.
CONCERT

ADULTS: $5 each
CHILDREN AGES 12 AND YOUNGER:

$3 each

SIX13 COMMITTEE:

Michelle and Steven Adamczyk
Wendy and Philip Arnold
Ilana and Adam Block
Jill and Bryan Cohen
Suzi and Larry Dell
Lisa and Milton Feldberg
Jennifer and David Geiringer
Natasha and Aaron Kendal

Michal and Howard Korman
Naomi and Scott Laker
Leigh and Jeffrey Moss
Sue and Larry Oleinick
Suzi and Bennett Terebelo
Talia Weltman-Cisneros
and Andres Cisneros
Emma and Michael Zerkel

FOR TICKETS, CONTACT TOBYE BELLO AT
TBELLO@SHAAREYZEDEK.ORG OR 248.357.5544.

5IX13'S APPEARANCE IS SPONSORED BY:

Congregation Shaarey Zedek and the Sandra Davis Memorial Fund
in association with
-
YOUNG ISRAEL OF
(7. - 1 \ Jewish Federation
Family
LibedU 01L—A

OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

to

0—ISOUTHFIELD

2050420

JN

November 26 2015

13