life cycles » Madison Hope Butler, daughter of Lisa and Daniel Butler, will become a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield as she reads from the Torah Butler on Saturday, Oct. 1. She will be joined in celebration by her siblings Jadyn and Sydney, and proud grandparents Fran Nagle and Jack Halifi, Kerry Nagle, Barbara and David Moss, and Debra and Steve Butler. Madison is a student at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. As a Type 1 diabetic and youth ambassador for JDRF of Metro Detroit, she spoke at JDRF events and helped spread aware- ness of the organization and the efforts to free the world of Type 1 diabetes. Through her fundraising efforts, she has raised more than $20,000 for JDRF. Madison found this to be the most meaningful of her many mitzvah experi- ences. Coden Kyle Ross Coden will lead the congregation in prayer on the occa- sion of his bar mitzvah on Friday, Sept. 30, at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. He will be joined in celebration by his proud parents, AUG. 3 Melissa (Lynn) Lafer and Jesse Lafer of West Bloomfield are delighted to announce the birth of their son, Benjamin Alex Lafer (Binyamin Alexander). Benjamin Lafer is welcomed home by proud big brother, Jacob Dillon. Thrilled grandparents are Dee Dee and Norman Lynn of West Bloomfield, Kerry Lafer of Farmington Hills, and Barbara and Larry Elson of Commerce Township. Benjamin Alex is named in loving memory of his paternal great-grand- mother Betty Weingarten and his maternal great-grandmother Anne (Gerry) Barr. Fowler JULY 25 Sara (Eber) Fowler and Jeffrey Fowler of Chicago, Ill., proudly announce the birth of their son, Samuel Meir (Shmuel Meir). Thrilled grandparents are Debbi and Jon Eber Karen and Andy Coden, and his siblings Mackenzie, Kendall and Megan. He is the grandson of Geraldine Kraus, the late Dr. Edmond Kraus, Barbara Coden and the late Ted Coden. Kyle is a student at Walnut Creek Middle School in West Bloomfield. For one of his most meaningful mitzvah projects, he led a charity drive to pro- vide sports equipment to the Detroit Police Athletic League (PAL) to benefit underprivileged children. Samantha Rose Desmon will lead the congregation in prayer as she celebrates her bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Oct. Desmon 1. Joining in Samantha’s celebration will be her proud parents, Beth and Mike Desmon, and brother Jake. She is the loving grandchild of Fran Nagle and Jack Halifi, Kerry Nagle, and Loretta and Michael Desmon. Her late great-grand- parents are Sylvia and Nate Krause, Carol and Harold Nagle, Rosemarie and Henry Desmon, and Anita and Hanz Janzen. Samantha is a student at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. As part of her most meaningful mitzvah project, Samantha was the team cap- tain for Relay for Life West Bloomfield of West Bloomfield, and Sandra Cohen and Patrick Fowler of Charlottesville, Va. Samuel Meir is named in loving memory of his paternal grandfather Samuel Cohen and his maternal grand- father Murray Eber. APRIL 18 Sam and Naomi (Washawsky) Harwin of Berkeley, Calif., are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Laya Malka Harwin, little sister Harwin to Renana. Proud grandfather for the sixth time is Larry Harwin of West Bloomfield. Laya is named after her paternal grandmother Maxine Lois Harwin, whose Yiddish name was Malka Liba. Purple Monkeys, raising funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society. Over the past three years, her team has raised more than $30,000. Zachary Hayden Friedman was called to the Torah at Congregation B’nai Moshe on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016. He is the son of Kenneth and Sharon Friedman Friedman and brother of Kevin Friedman, grandson of Judith and the late Bernard Friedman, and Beverly and Mark Roth. Zachary attends Anderson Middle School in Berkley. For his mitzvah proj- ect, he taught karate classes to younger children at the Oak Park Community Center. Ashley Paige Gilbert (Shirah Bracha) of Farmington Hills cele- brated her bat mitzvah on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. She was joined by her Gilbert proud parents, Jeff and Michelle Gilbert; devoted sister, Gabby Gilbert; loving grandparents, George and Joanie Cohen, and Mary Cabaniss; and many special family members and friends. Ashley is in the eighth grade at Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills. Her most meaningful mitzvah project was collecting used towels and blankets from generous family, friends and other acquaintances, which were then donated to various Metro Detroit animal shelters. Mia Rose Lewis will read from the Torah on the occasion of her bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Oct. 1. She will be joined in cele- Lewis bration by her proud parents, Jen and Keith Lewis, and her brother Jack. Mia is the grandchild of the late Thelma and the late Martin Kopel, and the late Betty and the late Karl Lewis. She attends Covington Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. As part of her mitz- vah project, Mia has been involved with PeerCorps Detroit, a program of Repair the World, working alongside other youth and residents of Detroit in the urban garden and farming movement. Specifically, she worked in the Eden Gardens Block Club neighborhood on beautification through garden develop- ment and found this project to be very meaningful in creating a bridge from the suburbs to the city. Shapiro 65th P hyllis and Harvey Shapiro of West Bloomfield and Scottsdale, Ariz., celebrated their 65th anniversary on Sept. 23 at a family dinner with their children and grandchildren. The festivities will continue with family and friends in Arizona. September 29 • 2016 141