jews d
MYJEWISHDETROIT.ORG
in
the
Humble Design
Receives Grant
Humble Design, a Metro Detroit-
based nonprofit organization that
helps families transitioning out of
homeless and abuse shelters by
providing furnishings and design
services, received a $30,000 grant
from the Dresner Foundation in West
Bloomfield.
The grant will be used toward new
beds for children. Humble Design
donates 15-30 beds a week to families
in need; beds are the nonprofit’s big-
gest expense.
Humble Design, formed in 2009,
turns empty houses into clean, digni-
fied and welcoming homes. Clients
are selected through recommenda-
tions by local shelters. Many of the
families are victims of abuse and have
left behind all personal items. Humble
Design transforms their formally bare
walls into a dignified, safe space by
repurposing gently used household
goods. To date, the nonprofit has ser-
viced more than 725 families.
The Dresner Foundation is dedi-
cated to transforming lives in proudly
positive ways through grants focused
on health, youth and family, and ani-
mal welfare. •
Trybal Gatherings
Israel Outdoors, an organizer of
Birthright Israel trips, has launched
Trybal Gatherings, a series of four-day
all-inclusive getaways at Jewish sum-
mer camps across the county for young
Jewish adults in their 20s and 30s. The
Gatherings are open to non-Jewish part-
ners and friends who want to explore
Jewish community.
Each Trybal Gathering is a four-day,
three-night all-inclusive experience at a
Jewish overnight camp. The Gatherings
include both classic and out-of-the-
box camp activities, such as color war,
ropes courses, a bar mitzvah-themed
dance party, and inclusive and informal
Shabbat experiences. All meals, lodg-
ing and an open bar are included in all
Gatherings. Through this immersive
environment, Trybal Gatherings will
build Jewish community and serve as a
grassroots entry point to and for Jewish
life and local Jewish organizations.
This summer, gatherings are sched-
uled in Texas, California, Pennsylvania,
Massachusetts and Wisconsin. The cost
for each Gathering starts at $575 per
person for individuals who register by
March 31. Groups of four or more who
register together save another $25 each.
Register at www.trybalgatherings.com/
register. •
New App Counters Threats
to Jewish Community
In the face of growing reports of
threats on Jewish people and institu-
tions nationwide, the Community
Security Service (CSS) is launching
a new app called the Jewish Security
Application (JSA). JSA empowers
individuals to report suspicious
activity and document anti-Semitic
incidents quickly and accurately
from their smartphones. JSA also
provides a panic button to alert local
authorities to immediate threats.
Jason Friedman, executive director
of CSS, said, “The American Jewish
community needs to fundamentally
change the way we approach securi-
30
March 16 • 2017
jn
ty. Not everyone has it in them to be
proactive, but JSA emboldens every
member of a community to be more
vigilant and, more importantly, to
be able to quickly and easily report
suspicious activity.”
The JSA is available free for both
Android and iOS phones. CSS will
soon begin to distribute access to
the JSA through its affiliated syna-
gogues, schools and community
centers. Any Jewish organizations,
institutions, individuals or com-
munities interested in the JSA are
encouraged to contact CSS for more
information. •