metro »
The Soul Cafe is open for business featuring kosher dairy meals.
in the program, and Shemtov hopes to even-
tually reduce the costs and increase the num-
ber of participants. Customers at the Soul
Cafe or other visitors are welcome to watch
the artists at work in the studios.
“We want the public to view them as true
artists, not artists with special needs,” said
Shemtov, adding that artists receive 40 per-
cent of the sales from their work.
David Kole has been working on his chess
sets for about 10 months with facilitating
staff artist Adam LaVoy. The chess set fea-
tured on the JN cover came from Kole’s own
drawings and was colored by artist Rena
Cohen. The set has been bought for $500 by
Dr. George Dean, a world-renowned local
collector.
The young artists can choose from cut-
ting-edge digital arts such as photography,
computer animation, graphic design, laser
cutting and 3D printing as well as traditional
art forms that include painting, ceramics,
weaving, jewelry and mixed media.
“What I like most about my art is the col-
ors; vibrant colors make me feel happy,” Meg
Donley said. “My favorite thing about art is
that you can express yourself.”
The fiber studio, run by facilitating staff
artist Carolyn Morris, has looms in various
sizes for creating small items such as place-
mats to large wall hangings and room-size
rugs. Mezuzahs created from fiber-glazed
weavings have become popular gift items.
“Some of the artists have never woven in
their lives,” said Morris, whose background
includes commercial art, social work and
special education. “They sit down and it’s
beautiful. A lot of ‘creative mistakes’ turn
into really cool patterns. It’s all in the world
of creation.”
Other studios are devoted to textiles,
where artists can learn silk-screening tech-
niques, wood-working and printmaking,
including traditional block printing and
chine-colle, a mix between printmaking and
collage. There is also a studio for visiting
artists, who are invited to use the equipment
and facilities and share their expertise with
the young adult artists.
“I love the patience I learn from our art-
12 May 19 • 2016
Ronelle Grier
continued from page 10
Ben Nadis of Farmington Hills
works in the Soul Cafe kitchen.
Lead restaurant staff trainer Kim Kaplan teaches
employee Noah Sriro how to wrap silverware in nap-
kins for the Soul Cafe.
ists,” said Lori Champagne, a volunteer artist
who owned an award-winning engraving
shop in San Diego. “Calmness and patience. I
love their joy, seeing what they can create. No
matter what’s going on in their lives, there’s
happiness here and something they can do
— good people doing good things.”
FEEDING THE BODY
While the Dresner studio is feeding the artis-
tic soul, the Soul Cafe provides a different
kind of nourishment in the form of healthy
and delicious meals, snacks and coffee
drinks in a casual setting designed for com-
fort and communing.
While the restaurant is run by Epic
Kosher Catering’s Milk & Honey under
the leadership of Chef de Cuisine Hunny
Khodorkovsky, the staff includes a mix of
professional cooks, servers and young adults
with special needs who are being trained in
the various aspects of restaurant service.
Employees such as Noah Sriro, Jordan
Weinfeld and Sam Morris perform various
functions under the guidance of lead restau-
rant staff trainer Kim Kaplan, who uses her
background as a special education teacher
to help the trainees develop their skills and
learn appropriate workplace protocols. The
training involves educational, vocational and
behavioral components.
“The goal is having everyone be success-
ful,” said Kaplan, “so it’s a win-win situation
for Friendship Circle, the employees and the
guests.”
She encourages the other restaurant staff
members to use positive reinforcement
to help the trainees meet the expectations
of their respective jobs, which range from
refilling water glasses, setting and clearing
tables, washing dishes, sweeping the floor
and other tasks that keep the restaurant run-
ning smoothly. Some perform food prepara-
tion such as peeling potatoes, measuring
cookie dough and making egg wash for the
Friendship Challah, which is baked and sold
in the restaurant.
Some of the trainees are receiving a pay-
check for the first time; others have been
employed before in situations that were not
conducive to success. Kaplan helps them
learn new skills by breaking tasks down into
manageable bits.
“Small steps become big steps,” she said.
Khodorkovsky or Chef Hunny, as she is
called, wants the Soul Cafe to be a destina-
tion where people come together to enjoy
good food in a welcoming, inclusive atmo-
sphere.
“It’s a place to feed your body, mind and
soul,” she said, “a happy place where people
can hang out, where everything is made
from scratch with a lot of healthy options.”
The kosher dairy restaurant is currently
open six days a week (closed on Saturday)
for breakfast and lunch. Selections include
omelets, authentic Israeli shakshuka, pastas,
pizza, fresh fish, salads and soups, all using
fresh seasonal ingredients. Vegetarian and
gluten-free dishes, such as pizza with cauli-
flower crust, are plentiful.
An in-house kosher Starbucks offers cof-
fee drinks, tea, lemonade and smoothies.
Everything is made on the premises; even
the syrups used in the lattes and other bever-
ages are preservative-free.
For the young adult workers, the Soul
Center is a place to learn and grow in an
environment of acceptance and encourage-
ment. For their parents, it is a haven within a
world where tolerance is not always a given.
“Noah loves it,” said his mother, Andrea
Sriro. “When he got his first tip, he was so
excited. I’m thrilled.”
What does Noah plan to do with his first
paycheck?
“I’m going to put it in the bank,” he said
wisely.
*
Grand Opening
Come to the official grand opening of
the Farber Soul Center, from noon-3 p.m.
Sunday, June 5, 5586 Drake Road, West
Bloomfield. Tour the center, meet artists,
shop and enjoy lunch in the Soul Cafe.
RSVP to friendshipcircle.org/
openhouse for 10 percent off lunch.
The Soul Cafe is now open Sunday-
Friday: breakfast from 7 a.m.-11 a.m. and
lunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Reservations
accepted but not required. (248) 788-
7400. FCSoulCafe.com.