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Puppets Teach

Lubavitch Cheder students have
fun learning to make good choices.

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Artist Liz Cohen talks about one of her exhibited photographs.

Jewish Connection

Wine and art event draws crowd to David Klein Gallery.

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bout 60 people attended a Jewish
wine and art evening earlier this
month at the David Klein Gallery
in Birmingham. The event, organized by
the Birmingham Jewish Connection (BJC),
was sold out in advance.
The wine tasting was orchestrated by
local connoisseur Elie Boudt, proprietor
of Birmingham’s Elie Wines, who selected
choice kosher wines for sampling and fas-
cinated the crowd with his wine expertise.
Assorted special cheeses and appetizers
were prepared by Quality Kosher Catering.
Liz Cohen, an artist-in-residence and
head of the photography department at
Cranbrook Academy of Art, spoke about a
photo from her Bodywork project on dis-
play at the gallery.
BJC Rabbi Boruch Cohen said, “Wine
represents the inner spiritual dimension
or soul of Judaism. Like wine, spiritual
Judaism is intoxicating — it’s rich, flavor-
ful, alive. Our sages say that when wine
goes in, the secrets come out; so too, when
Jewish spirituality is learned, the meaning
of our traditions become clear to us.”
The BJC is a grassroots organization
started to act as a rallying center for the
Jewish people in and near Birmingham.
For more information, visit www.
BirminghamJewishConnection.org.

t the Lubavitch Cheder in
Oak Park, preschool students
participate in interactive pup-
pet shows as part of a Torah Team les-
son. The puppets are used to address
difficult situations and to show the
students how to identify their emo-
tions and control their reactions to
make good choices.
Chana Stein, preschool director, uses
a series of engaging and interactive
puppet shows designed to give each
child insight into his or her emotional

world, to empower them to make good
choices, to guide them to develop
sensitivity toward the needs of others,
and to learn to succeed in social and
emotional encounters.
Following each puppet show, the
students practice applying the lesson
of that week’s show. Their teachers and
parents say they have seen tremen-
dous growth in the children’s ability to
handle their emotions and make good
choices.

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The use of puppets helps the children identify their emotions.

Karen Beznos of West Bloomfield
and Fran Broder of Birmingham

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Chana Stein, director of Lubavitch
Cheder preschool, conducts a fun
puppet session with the students.

Craig Menuck, Birmingham; Ita Leah Cohen,
Birmingham; and Michal Korman, Southfield

22 February 25 • 2016

Sonia Gonte and Susan August, both
of Bloomfield Hills

A boy attaches
a situation card
to Cherry the
Children’s Traffic
Light to identify if
an activity is safe or
dangerous.

Students get ready for a puppet show
that helps them make good choices.