jews d

in
the

Aiding Pet
Rescue

Birthright Israel
Adds Older
Age Category

Birthright Israel, the largest pro-
vider of cultural trips in the world,
is introducing a new age category
for the first time since the organi-
zation’s founding in 1999. A lim-
ited number of Birthright Israel
trip options for ages 27-32 will be
introduced this summer in addition
to the standard programming avail-
able for ages 18-26.
The increase in Birthright Israel’s
maximum eligible age reflects
changing societal trends with young
adults making life decisions — such
as getting married and having chil-
dren — later in life. Building on
Birthright Israel’s most successful
year with nearly 48,000 participants,

this change will enable more Jewish
young adults to develop connec-
tions with their heritage, the larger
diaspora community and the State
of Israel.
After 18 years in operation and
after having sent more than 600,000
Jewish young adults on trips, this
change reflects Birthright Israel’s
commitment to constantly evalu-
ating programming to match the
needs of its participants.
Summer registration will offi-
cially open on Jan. 30 with an
early-bird option for pre-registered
applicants on Jan. 29, 10 a.m. Visit
registration.birthrightisrael.com. •

Valerie Hayman Sklar, founder of
Corporate Specialties, owner of two
dogs, wanted to give back to the city
of Detroit and surrounding commu-
nities.
“The pet oxygen recovery mask can
be an expensive item for firehouses
to carry,” Sklar explains. Her busi-
ness is to help assist with marketing
solutions, so she developed a decal
that includes a company logo to help
emergency workers rescue animals
in a fire or other emergency with this
multi-use decal.
Emergency responders don’t
always know when a household has
pets. Corporate Specialties customiz-
able emergency stickers are an easy,
effective way to alert them that you
have a beloved furry family member
in your home. Just place them on the
doors and windows in your home,
and your pets are better protected.
“When you purchase a minimum

Pasta is an arson dog.

of 50 of our pet emergency stickers,
we’ll apply those proceeds to pur-
chasing pet oxygen mask kits and dis-
tributing them to community fire and
emergency departments,” she says.
For more information visit
corporatespecialties.com/
protectyourpets and
corporatespecialties.com. •

Orley Lobby Better Refl ects JFS

Secular Rabbis And
Jewish Leaders Ordained

Madricha Mary Raskin,
Madrich Jeffrey
Schensnol, Rabbi
Jeremy Kridel,
Rabbi Joysa Winter, Rabbi
Adam Chalom, Rabbi Sivan
Maas, Madricha Jamie
Ireland and Rabbi
Miriam Jerris

The International Institute for
Secular Humanistic Judaism cel-
ebrated the graduation of three new
leaders and ordained two new rabbis
Nov. 10 at the Birmingham Temple
Congregation for Humanistic
Judaism. An honorary ordination of
a recently deceased rabbinic student
was also observed.
The newest leaders, known
as Madrikhim/ot in Hebrew
and Vegvayzer in Yiddish, are Jamie
Ireland (San Francisco Bay Area),
Mary Raskin (Portland, Ore.) and
Jeffrey Schensnol (Phoenix, Ariz).
They joined more than 60 other
leaders certified since the founding
of the IISHJ in 1985.
Rabbi Joysa Winter
(Philadelphia) and Rabbi
Jeremy Kridel (Washington, D.C.) are
the newest of the almost 50 Secular
Humanistic Jewish rabbis ordained
worldwide to date. These leaders

22

January 4 • 2018

jn

and clergy are tasked with shepherd-
ing the movement into the future.
Especially moving was the posthu-
mous ordination of David J. Steiner
as honorary rabbi. The certificate
was accepted by his son Itamar who
shared how much it would have
meant to his father. Steiner was
a polymath with skills as varied
as cow midwifery and documen-
tary filmmaking. The next evening,
his award-winning documentary
film, Saving Barbara Sizemore, was
screened in tribute.
Secular Humanistic Judaism
is a cultural Jewish identity lived
through a human-focused, non-
theistic philosophy of life. Secular
Humanistic Jews believe that Judaism
is the evolving civilization of the
Jewish people, created, lived and rec-
reated in response to the needs and
beliefs of each generation. •

A view of the new JFS lobby

Rabbi Aaron Starr of Shaarey Zedek, Gregg Orley,
Melissa Orley Lax, Larry Lax, JFS CEO Perry Ohren

Jewish Family Service helps thou-
sands of people each year, making a
positive impact on our community.
Now, the agency’s lobby better reflects
the breadth and depth of JFS’s reach.
Designed in memory of Suzanne
and Joseph Orley, the beautiful new
look is thanks to the generosity of
their family members, including
Harriet and Gregg Orley, Marcie and
Rob Orley, Melissa and Larry Lax, and
Joy and Allan Nachman.

Visitors are now greeted by photos
that reflect the community as well as
JFS’ services, volunteers and support-
ers. Large video monitors display all
current programming as well as info-
graphics representing the many areas
of service performed by JFS. And a
new donor plaque recognizes those
who were part of a capital campaign
that built the building in 2004, with
lead gifts from Suzanne and Joseph
Orley and Sally and Graham Orley. •

The Shul Offers Women’s Course

Pause & Affect, a new seven-session
series for women offered globally,
is presented by the Rosh Chodesh
Society (RCS) in cooperation with
The Shul Chabad Lubavitch.
The course is designed for women
at all levels of Jewish knowledge.
Participants may attend individual
classes or the entire series.
“This course allows us to pause
and examine the way we live our
lives,” says RCS facilitator Itty

Shemtov of The Shul.
The Rosh Chodesh Society is an
international Jewish sisterhood
that aims to connect, empower
and inspire Jewish women through
monthly experiences.
Pause & Affect classes will
take place at The Shul in West
Bloomfield every other Monday,
starting Jan 8. For more information,
call (248) 255-2451 or visit
theshul.net. •