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An Evening
With Friends
Inconvenient — But Manageable
Jewish institutions take Oakland County boil water advisory in stride.
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
F
areas of the United States as well
as residents in Flint, who endured
poisoned water supplies for nearly
two years.
Across the region, schools and
buildings closed on Tuesday when
it was unsure if there would be
any water supply at all and to also
prepare their sites for the coming
week by closing water fountains
and setting up water bottle distri-
bution centers and hand-sanitiz-
ing stations.
Come Oct. 25, the JCC
and the FJA campus
reopened. Water foun-
tains were sheeted with
plastic and the locker
rooms, showers and
saunas remained closed.
FJA students were sup-
plied with water bottles
and extra hand-sanitiz-
ing stations.
“We made do just like
everyone else,” Bryan
Gottlieb, FJA director
of marketing and com-
munications, said. “The
students were very
responsible and other
than the fact we lost a
day of Spirit Week [ for
Homecoming], the situ-
ation put things like [the
plight of the people in]
Puerto Rico in perspec-
tive. It was a minor
inconvenience. The big-
gest headache for staff
FJA history teacher Joe Bernstein hands out water bottles to juniors Ben was that we couldn’t
Goldstein and Russell Presser during the Oakland Co. water crisis. make coffee.”
The only programs
that remained closed
throughout the water
boil advisory were the pool and
and students at Frankel Jewish
the Sarah and Irving Pitt Child
Academy got a “water boil” day
off to catch up on their sleep and
Development Center.
study one more day for upcoming
On Oct. 25 the JCC released the
exams.
following statement regarding its
In general, schools, synagogues
decision to prolong these closures:
and senior residences through-
“Under these conditions, we
out the Jewish community in
are not able to operate as normal.
Bloomfield Township, West
We will continue to update you
Bloomfield and Farmington
as more information is shared
Hills took the situation in stride,
with us from Oakland County. We
implemented safety procedures as
recognize that this is an inconve-
directed by the Oakland County
nience to parents and hope that
health and safety guidelines —
it will be resolved sooner than
including ensuring toilets could
anticipated.”
flush and sprinklers were in work-
Hillel Day School of Metro
ing order — and counted their
Detroit was also closed Oct. 24 but
blessings compared to those long
opened for the remainder of the
suffering in hurricane-ravaged
week, as did many public schools
or nearly a week, people liv-
ing in 12 Oakland County
communities were advised
to boil water used for drinking,
preparing food and more after a
line break potentially contami-
nated water supplies the evening
of Monday, Oct. 23.
The next morning, fitness
enthusiasts wishing to get in a
workout at the Jewish Community
Center of Metro Detroit in West
Bloomfield were out of luck
24
November 2 • 2017
jn
across the affected region.
Head of School Steve Freedman
released the following statement
last Tuesday evening announcing
the reopening of the school:
“The safety of our students and
staff is always the top priority. The
school did not lose its running
water and all bathrooms remained
operational. Water fountains were
either blocked or shut off and the
school purchased cases of bottled
water for drinking; the cafeteria
was open for lunch using boiled
water for cooking, and cleaning
pots and utensils and bottled
water for food preparation.”
The staff and administrators at
Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan
Detroit also acted quickly, first
informing senior residents and
their caregivers about the situation
and then securing safe supplies of
water for drinking and cooking,
said Nancy Heinrich, JSL CEO.
While some residents with
open wounds were advised not
to bathe with tap water because
of increased risk of infection,
Heinrich said the staff worked
quickly to modify the kitchens
where meals are prepared and
served three times each day in
assisted living and memory care
residencies and five dinners per
week in independent living resi-
dences. Every resident received
one gallon of water per day that
was delivered to their doorsteps.
The kitchen staff worked with gal-
lons of bottled water to cook and
prepare meals and switched glass
and silverware to disposable paper
and plastic cutlery.
“We consider ourselves fortu-
nate that none of our residences
lost water pressure to flush toilets;
but if that were the case, we had
other additional emergency proce-
dures to be put in place,” Heinrich
said. “Our residents have been
phenomenal and heeded the cau-
tions, and we all did the best we
could to keep our residents com-
fortable and supplied with clean
drinking water.”
By Sunday, Oct. 29, all commu-
nities but sections of Farmington
Hills got the all-clear from Oakland
County that water was safe after
residents and buildings took the
proper post-advisory procedures to
flush their water systems from pos-
sibly contaminated water. •
The fourth annual “An Evening with
Friends” of Jewish Senior Life (JSL)
in memory of Jeffrey Zaslow (previ-
ously known as Media Night) will be
returning to the Berman Center for
the Performing Arts, located on the
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish
Community Campus on Thursday,
Nov. 16, at 7 p.m.
The evening will
feature concert pia-
nist David Syme per-
forming Springsteen
to show tunes, along
with special guests
Temple Israel’s
Cantor Michael
Smolash and the
Daniel Syme
Hillel Day School
choir.
Friends of Jewish
Senior Life supports the mission of
JSL and is dedicated to enhancing the
quality of life for older adults in the
Detroit Jewish community by provid-
ing financial support and resources
for social, educational, spiritual and
cultural programs. It also operates gift
shops in several JSL residences along
with Marvin’s Bistro in the Fleischman
Residence. The group supplies holiday
flowers and runs the annual Walk of
Ages fundraiser, along with other sup-
ports for JSL residents.
“We are thrilled to welcome inter-
nationally renowned pianist David
Syme back home to Detroit for his
only local performance,” said Friends
of Jewish Senior Life Director Leslie
Katz. “The event will be a celebration
of great music and spirit and proceeds
will support programs and services
that benefit older adults.”
Syme, an American piano virtuoso
living in Ireland, has had a long and
colorful career. He has performed
in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center,
Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, and
in major venues in 17 European coun-
tries, Canada and Mexico.
“I’m pleased to be returning home
to Michigan to help such a wonderful
cause,” Syme said. “I truly hope all my
friends and family, along with JSL sup-
porters, will come out and raise some
much-needed funds for the organiza-
tion and have some fun while doing it.”
The event, which was launched in
2014, will also serve as a tribute and
honor the legacy of the late Jeffrey
Zaslow, who, along with his wife,
Sherry Margolis, were great volunteers
and supporters of JSL.
Ticket prices are $36 and $54.
There’s also a $118 exclusive patrons
event ticket, which includes a private
reception with David Syme and a
signed CD. For more information and
to purchase tickets, call JSL’s Beth
Tryon at (248) 592-5026 or visit www.
jslmi.org/events/annual-jeff-zaslow-
media-event. •