metro » n e ws yo u c a n u se ISRAELI INNOVATION Artist’s rendering of DuCharme Place NEW DIGS DOWNTOWN After a groundbreaking ceremony Nov. 6 with longtime Detroit developer Walter Cohen, along with business leaders and elected officials, construc- tion is set to begin on DuCharme Place. The 85-unit apartment community will be the Lafayette Park area’s first new lifestyle community. The site is close to Downtown, the Dequindre Cut bicycle/walking paths and the river- front. DuCharme Place will offer a mix of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans with prices ranging from $900 to $1,900 per month. “We saw this as an ideal opportunity to develop a lifestyle-focused residen- tial community,” says Walter Cohen, developer of DuCharme Place along with his son David Cohen. “DuCharme Place offers indoor parking, top-quality amenities and is centrally located, while offering afford- able living to Detroiters.” * YIOP IMPROV The GO Comedy! Improv Theater of Ferndale will entertain at Young Israel of Oak Park at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 6. The melava malke event to welcome new synagogue members will feature wine and dessert. $28 per person. There will be a kids’ movie night for ages 3 and up at $2 per child. RSVP to Milt Neuman, 248 398- 7079 or https://www.eventbrite. com/e/yiop-go-comedy-night- tickets-20111088808. * GO Comedy! Improv Theater * Marilyn Fealk, Ruth Zerin and Nancy Josephson A REALLY BIG SHOE NCJW/Greater Detroit volunteers held another successful shoe drive this fall, gath- ering more than 2,300 pairs of shoes and boots they donated to a dozen agencies in Wayne and Oakland Counties that help those in need. Volunteers dropped off collection boxes to schools and synagogues, shlepped the full boxes back to the office, and sorted and prepared bags of shoes to be picked up by, or delivered to, agencies. NCJW offers big thanks to all who donated their gently used shoes and boots. Every pair made a difference to someone in need. Time to start saving for next October. MENTAL HEALTH The George Orley Mental Wellness Initiative (GOMWI) and University of Michigan’s Wolverine Support Network will host a second annual event to create a network of mental wellness for youth and their families beginning with regis- tration at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham. Speakers include students from the Wolverine Support Network who have benefitted from the program and Dr. Stephen Strobbe, recipient of University of Michigan’s 25th annual Golden Apple Award, as guest speaker. Hosts are Linda Aikens and Diane Orley of GOMWI. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. A ticket donation of $50 per person is suggested, or a tax-deductible donation can be made to the George Orley Mental Wellness Initiatitve at theGOMWI.org/donate-today. * CONTEST FOR KIDS The Kroger Co. of Michigan’s ninth annu- al “I Can Make History” contest is open to students in grades 4-12 who demonstrate their creativity in art, essays, music and poetry. Besides individual awards, Kroger will offer a $3,000 Best in Show Scholarship and a $5,000 School Leadership Award as part of the $71,000 presented. The latter honors the school with the most winning entries in the combined categories. Students may submit only one entry per category, but are encouraged to enter mul- tiple categories. All entries must address * one of two themes: • Name an African American past or present that you admire and describe how that person impacted or continues to impact history. • How do you feel young people today can make an impact on history? Packets are available at Kroger stores or at www.icanmakehistory.com. Deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29. * JEWISH WRITING CONTEST MISSEBABA 2016 Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills will holds its annual “fun and fundraising” event, “Missebaba” on Saturday, Feb. 27. The gala evening will feature Bluewater Kings Band cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and dinner by Quality Kosher chic. Catering as well as music and Tickets are $150 per person ($75/ dancing to the high-energy sounds of person for young adults ages 21-35). the Bluewater Kings Band. For details, visit www.adatshalom.org Chairpersons are Joan Chernoff or call Executive Director Alan Yost at Epstein of Bloomfield Hills and Cathy (248) 851-5100. Slavik of Birmingham. Dress is casual * 24 January 28 • 2016 Daniel Howes, the Detroit News business col- umnist who wrote articles about his experi- ences on the 2015 CEO Mission to Israel, will share his insights about the trip at the Feb. 3 board meeting of the Jewish Community Relations Council at 7 p.m. at the Federation Building in Bloomfield Township. Howes traveled with nearly two dozen Michigan CEOs. His stories last November explored how Israel’s risk-taking culture and collaborative public- private partnerships may prove helpful as business Daniel Howes leaders in Michigan and its largest city seek new ways to jump-start job growth after more than five years of restructuring and reform. Howes is columnist and associate busi- ness editor at the Detroit News. An award- winning journalist, he has been the paper’s senior automotive writer as well as its automotive columnist based in Germany. He also has been an investigative and projects reporter for the newspaper’s business desk. Reservations are requested for the Feb. 3 program. Contact Miriam Ciesla at ciesla@ jfmd.org or (248) 642-5393. The Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University will hold its first annual writing competition for Metro Detroit high school students, with a first prize of $500 in each category. Submissions may be essays, short stories or one or more poems relating to some aspect of Jewish life, culture or history. The goal of the competition is not only to encourage high school students to think and write on matters of Jewish importance — past, present and future — but also to cultivate fresh perspectives on what are often well-trodden and time-worn conver- sations, discussions and debates. Winning entries will be included in a literary magazine published by the Cohn- Haddow Center. Deadline for submissions is March 1. Visit www.judaicstudies.wayne. edu/writingcontest.php for competition rules and suggested topics. *