metro » continued from page 13 Water For Flint Local efforts yield tons of bottled water; you still can help. M Ashley Musser of the Flint Jewish Federation uses bottled water to make coffee. lead can reside in the nervous system.” Getting involved in solving problems associated with the water crisis is the anti-stress advice of Cheri Dickinson, a social worker and therapist with Oakland Psychological Clinic treating Flint residents. “Stand up and do something,” she says and suggests contacting legisla- tors and other government officials to express personal problems related to the water as well as helping collect and distribute bottled varieties. “By empow- ering yourself, you’re doing something to change the way things are.” Dickinson, a member of Temple Beth El who has been an adviser for Flint Reform Temple Youth, encouraged her group to collect water for a local food bank. Gabe Goldman, a Jewish envi- ronmentalist serving as director of the Outdoor Jewish Classroom in Pennsylvania, was invited to speak at both the temple and synagogue in Flint Township long before the lead crisis became widely known. He was very disturbed by what he witnessed during a January weekend in the area despite knowing that various governmental agencies are investigating the issues. “Jewish environmentalists view what’s happening in Flint as a health crisis — not a water crisis or an envi- ronmental crisis,” he explains. “In Judaism, performing mitzvot identified with environmentalism is not for the purpose of taking care of the Earth. It is for the purpose of taking care of people.” To make donations of money for bottled water, filters and lead testing kits to help the people of Flint, contact the Flint Jewish Federation at (810) 767-5922 or flintfed.com. * 14 January 28 • 2016 etro Detroit’s Jewish community has reacted to the crisis in Flint by collecting bottled water, monetary donations and even non-mixing baby formula. Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield spearheaded an effort to gather a semi-truckload of bottled water to deliver to the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint this week. At press time, B’nai Israel Synagogue and Temple Israel, both in West Bloomfield, Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park, Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills and Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield had joined the effort. By the end of last weekend, Shir Shalom alone had collected 6 tons of bottled water. A Corrigan Movers truck will take the water to Flint. Hillel Day School in Farmington Hills is conducting its own bottled water collection through Friday and is sending its supplies through Art Van, which uses its trucks to make deliveries to Flint. Teachers Yifat Golan and Dana Friedman coordinated the effort for Student Ambassadors, a program that invites students to apply to represent Hillel in the community and work on behalf of the school and learn leadership skills at the same time. Goodman Acker PC law firm in Southfield collaborated with State Rep. Jeremy Moss to collect bottled water and other supplies at the Southfield Public Library. In partnership with Federation’s NEXTGen, Moishe House Royal Oak and Repair the World, The Well hosted a learning ses- sion about water issues using secular poetry, biblical and rabbinic selections and modern articles. Bottled water also was collected. The Flint Jewish Federation is collecting monetary donations at www.flintfed.com, or consider giving through a special fund set up by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit — 100 percent goes directly to the Flint federation and to the Flint Child Health & Development Fund, led by the United Way of Genesee County and established at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint to ensure that children are afforded the resources and interventions to over- come this population-wide exposure to lead. Go online to https:// action.jewishdetroit.org/events/flint-emergency-donation. * Hillel Day School students Matthew Zivian and Anna Weinbaum with water collected for Flint residents. The student ambassa- dors will deliver the water to Art Van, which will use its trucks to deliver it. Todd Lee of Farmington Hills receives bottled water from Jacob Douville, 14, of West Bloomfield, a member of SSTY (Shir Shalom Temple Youth). ARLENE FRANK TO HELM IADS The Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue ment by increasing scholarship funds, (IADS) appointed Arlene J. Frank as its engaging corporate and community first full-time executive director. Frank organizations, collaborating with com- manages daily operations and oversees munity organizations and creating more the development of membership, pro- awareness of its programs and services. gramming, ritual, growth and develop- Her board positions have included ment, and community support. Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring, Detroit “I’m excited to start a new Women’s Forum, Birmingham challenge at the Downtown Maple Clinic and National Synagogue, and I’m fortunate Council of Jewish Women, to join the congregation as it Greater Detroit Section. continues to grow Jewish life “The Downtown Synagogue’s in Detroit,” Frank said. “As impressive growth was elevated a lifelong Detroiter, I have when we hired full-time staff in a compelling connection to 2012, and we will continue to both the synagogue and the reach new heights with Arlene as Arlene Frank city. I embrace the congrega- our executive director,” said IADS tion’s commitment to revital- Board President Leor Barak. “She ize Detroit as well as its dedi- is a formidable community leader cation to tikkun olam.” with a host of experience in nonprofit Frank spent the past 23 years as direc- management, and she brings a positive tor of the Womencenter at Oakland and professional approach to our congre- Community College, guiding the depart- gation.” * MDOT TO DISCUSS OAK PARK PROJECTS Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) representatives will be present at an Oak Park City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1, to discuss tree removal in Victoria Park and other overpass projects — and to gather citizen input. Tree removal is part of a larger project to be continued this spring where the material over the entire bridge deck will be removed, includ- ing on Church Street. Vehicular traffic will be rerouted to Coolidge Highway and pedestrian pathways will be rerouted to the Rothstein Park walkways. Temporary walkways will be created around the construction site, but crossing over I-696 will be prohibited through Victoria Park. At the conclusion of this MDOT project, an updated play structure with rubberized play surface will be installed, trees replaced, park benches added and new lighting installed. The meeting is open to the public at 14000 Oak Park Blvd. Or contact MDOT-Oakland at (248) 451-0001. Look for an upcoming story in the JN. *