metro » continued from page 25 OBAMA’S JEWISH LIAISON TO SPEAK AT BETH EL TEMPLE WINS MLK AWARD Temple Emanu-El was recently honored by Rev. Nicholas Hood III, pastor of the Plymouth United Church of Christ, with the 25th Annual Martin Luther King Day Award. Temple Emanu-El was honored for its commitment to social action and justice, community improve- ment and for its many years of service to humanity. Linda Greenwood, chairperson of Temple Emanu-El’s Social Action Committee, and her husband, Jim Greenwood, center, were present to receive the recognition at a Sunday ser- vice honoring Martin Luther King Day. * PSA PROMOTES MENINGITIS VACCINE Emily Stillman was a sophomore vaccinated against four of the five at Kalamazoo College when she serogroups of meningococcal disease. tragically contracted bacterial She had received the conjugate vac- meningitis and died three years cine at ages 11 and again at 17, just as ago. On Feb. 2, 2013, after just recommendations dictate. However, 36 hours in the hospital, Emily this vaccine only protected her against died with her family by her side. Serogroups A, C, W and Y — not “It has been three years of B. The vaccine that would have Emily Stillman sadness. Three years of crying. protected Emily was not yet avail- Three years of wishing I could able in the United States. It is now. feel her hug one more time,” said Alicia Recommendations have been approved. Stillman, Emily’s mom. “Three years of not Every single day Alicia Stillman advocates hearing her voice. Three years of grieving through the Emily Stillman Foundation for for the loss of what was, and what will never this vaccine. The MenB Forever Emily pub- be.” lic service announcement was released this Alicia made her sweet daughter a prom- month in another attempt to reach parents. ise before she died. “I promised her I would “This PSA is not actors playing a role. It somehow figure out how this could have is not funded by a pharmaceutical company happened, and I would fix it. I would be trying to sell vaccines,” said Alicia as to why her voice, and I would make sure that this this is so important. “It is my gut-wrenching would not happen to anyone else,” she said. story — filmed at Emily’s grave and at the Shortly afterward, the Emily Stillman funeral home where I said my final good- Foundation, a 501(c) (3), began to raise bye. I describe in my own words with my awareness for meningococcal disease and own voice what I learned and how other organ donation. families can avoid living my nightmare.” This tragedy should have been pre- View the PSA at https://youtu. vented. Emily had been protected by being be/5p9N8FrYbkI. * GIFTS FOR KIDS AT CHILDREN’S VILLAGE The Oakland County Prosecutors’ Foundation for Kids, led by Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and the charity’s presi- dent, Henry M. Nirenberg, delivered presents to Mandy’s Place in Oakland County’s Village in Pontiac to chil- dren who have been separated from their families through no fault of their own. The children were provided with clothes, school supplies, toys and treats. “Seeing their smiles and tears of joy motivates us to work even harder to help local kids in need,” said foundation 26 February 25 • 2016 Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper (right foreground) with Foundation for Kids board members and volunteers board member Jonathan H. Schwartz. To learn more about upcoming foundation events, or to donate, contact Schwartz at JSchwartz@seyburn.com. * Matt Nosanchuk, White House General Tom Perez in the liaison to the American Jewish Civil Rights Division, where community, will share an he played a key role on the insider’s view of his work as a Defense of Marriage Act Jewish Detroiter in the Obama litigation team, resulting in White House at 2 p.m. Sunday, the Supreme Court’s historic March 6, at Temple Beth El in decision allowing same-sex Bloomfield Township. marriage. Mark Miller, senior rabbi of Matt A member of the Temple Beth El, will interview Nosanchuk Obama campaign in 2008, Nosanchuk about his work Nosanchuk helped lead the with the administration on a host campaign’s LGBT policy commit- of Jewish issues, including the Iran tee. He received the American Bar nuclear deal, U.S.-Israel relations, Association’s inaugural Stonewall homeland security, Middle East pol- Award in recognition for his con- icy and immigration. There also will tributions to advancing LGBT civil be a question-and-answer segment. rights and the Attorney General’s The program is sponsored by the Distinguished Service Award for his Jewish Community Relations Council work on the Defense of Marriage Act and Temple Beth El. litigation. Nosanchuk, who was born in Reservations are requested for the- Windsor and raised in Detroit, joined March 6 program. To RSVP, contact the Obama administration in 2009 as Miriam Ciesla at ciesla@jfmd.org or senior counselor to Assistant Attorney (248) 642-5393. * SHAAREY ZEDEK TO HONOR RABBI ADLER JVS’ TRADE SECRETS FETES ENTREPRENEUR Congregation Shaarey Zedek will celebrate the life of Rabbi Morris Adler, who was mortally shot by a mentally ill congregant at the Southfield syna- gogue 50 years ago this month. The commu- nity is invited to coffee and con- versation at 9:30 Rabbi Morris a.m. Sunday, Adler Feb. 28, at the synagogue to share and listen to memories and to reflect on Rabbi Adler’s profound legacy. Rabbi Adler will be honored during Shabbat morning services on March 5. A new exhibit from the Shaarey Zedek archive dedi- cated to the rabbi’s memory will be on display for the first time. The congregation is also form- ing a committee to plan a commu- nity-wide event in Rabbi Adler’s memory to take place in the spring or summer. Those interested should contact Rabbi Aaron Starr at rabbistarr@shaareyzedek.org or (248) 357-5544. Look for a full story on Rabbi Adler, the shooting and his legacy in the March 10 JN. When Linda Schlesinger-Wagner of West Bloomfield found herself in financial straits after a difficult divorce, she took a chance and created the Skinnytees clothing line through a home shopping network. Skinnytees has since grown into an $8 million enterprise. Schlesinger- Linda Wagner will share Schlesinger- her struggles and Wagner successes at JVS’s eighth annual Trade Secrets dinner on Wednesday, March 9, at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. The fundrais- ing event benefits women’s jobs pro- gramming at JVS including the Women to Work Program, which helps women reinvent themselves and enter the workforce after difficult life changes, such as divorce or disability or death of a spouse or partner. Felicia Militello, a Women to Work graduate from Commerce Township, will be presented with the JVS Women to Work Award for successfully retool- ing herself to re-enter the workforce. For ticket/sponsorship details, visit www.jvsdet.org/tradesecrets or contact Fran Victor, chief development officer, at fvictor@jvsdet.org or (248) 233- 4290. * *