passover
Family
To
Family
Community members and individuals
served by JARC share Passover
seders and bond over the years.
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ABOVE: Lindsey Fox-Wagner
at a Pitt home seder with her
grandma, Irene Fox.
TOP RIGHT: Jodi Fox, at a Pitt
home seder, flanked by Esther
N. and Maureen, who live at the
Pitt home.
I
mportant occasions often trump what
might seem like ordinary commitments.
Yet for Jodi Fox and Paul McDonald of
Huntington Woods, even wedding plans did
not interfere with a special, unbreakable
Passover tradition.
Included on their overflowing calendar
was the date of the holiday seder at JARC’s
Frederick H. Pitt home in Bloomfield
Township, taking place just two days after
their April 8 wedding.
Participating annually with her family, Jodi
said, “Not going this year never crossed our
minds. The Pitt home and the other homes
that come to the Pitt seder are a part of our
family and we would never miss it.”
Four generations of the extended Fox fam-
ily have been a part of the seder for clients
served by the agency ever since Jodi’s sister,
JARC’s former development director, brought
the idea to the rest of them seven years ago.
“When I started working at JARC, my best
friend, Lisa Rothberger [ former JARC chief
internal operations officer], told me then that
she and her husband, Jared, led the seder
at the Harry and Sarah Laker home in West
Bloomfield every year,” said Lindsey Fox-
Wagner of West Bloomfield, who remains
closely connected to JARC.
“I was also the volunteer coordinator.
Wanting to get more involved and wanting
to secure all my volunteers for the seder, I
signed my family up,” she said.
EVERYONE IS INVITED
For that first seder, Jodi and Lindsey were
joined at the Pitt home by their parents, Jeff
and Leah Fox, and Jeff ’s mom, Irene Fox, all
of West Bloomfield.
Through the years, new family members
joined, including Lindsey’s husband, Jordan
Wagner, their 2-year-old son Nathan, and
Jodi’s fiance, Paul. This extended group will
attend this year.
All who live in JARC homes — with 24/7
services provided in 30 locations — are
invited to attend a first night-Passover
seder at one of six host homes. Those in the
Independent Living Services program — who
receive staff support in their own apart-
ments or condos — may attend a seder at the
Farmington Hills-based JARC office.
Volunteer Ron Elkus of Huntington Woods
will lead the spirited seder there, as he has
for many years.
All the seders are volunteer-led, with some
volunteers being members of the JARC staff.
BREAKING MATZAH
When Lindsey first suggested they partici-
pate, her mom says they were honored to be
part of the seder, which she leads from the
30 Minute Seder Haggadah provided by the
agency.
“Everyone else reads along with the folks
in the home,” Leah said. “We are in charge of
leading the service and making sure every-
one has an opportunity to participate if
they’d like.”
The seders fit right into JARC’s mission “to
enrich the lives of people with disabilities
through gentle and loving support, valued
relationships and engagement with the com-
munity, in accordance with Jewish values.”
“Some homes switch who will host the
seders year-to-year, but the Pitt ladies have
hosted every year we have participated,”
Lindsey said.
“Sonya, the Pitt home manager, is very
familiar with the holiday and always makes
sure the table is set and ready for their
guests,” Lindsey said. Sonya Wilson works
along with the ladies who live in the home,
continued on page 30
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April 13 • 2017
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