CONGRATULATIONS
TO OUR 2018 AWARDEES

jews d

in
the

Higher Hopes! Expands Food
Distribution Months

Eugene Driker

Florine Mark

William Davidson Lifetime
Achievement Award

William Davidson Lifetime
Achievement Award

Bill Birndorf loads a car with groceries.

Joshua Goldberg

Mark-Lis Family
Young Leadership Award

Adam Finkel

Rachel Opperer

Frank A. Wetsman
Young Leadership Award

Sylvia Simon Greenberg
Young Leadership Award

Rachel will be in Israel and
unable to attend the event.

Federation

Awards
Night

Tuesday, May 22, 2018
7:00pm

Dessert reception following | Dietary laws observed

The Berman Center for the Performing Arts
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322

Please respond by May 15, 2018
jewishdetroit.org/awardsnight

18

May 3 • 2018

jn

Good news from Higher Hopes! The
charity has expanded its food dona-
tion program from four to seven
months — April through October
— and this year will distribute 8,000
35-pound meal kits to families in dire
need in Detroit with kids enrolled in
the Early Head Start, Head Start and
Great Start Readiness programs. This
doubles the amount of food donated
from 140,000 pounds to 280,000
pounds.
Each nutritional meal kit includes
10 pounds of chicken or beef, whole

grains, fresh fruits and vegetables,
juice and canned goods — enough to
make 15 to 20 meals.
Early Head Start Child Care
Partnership Program location direc-
tors determine which families within
each individual program are most
in need of the assistance, and they
provide the 100-family list for each of
their designated food Mobile Pantry
Distribution locations. The families
must make arrangements to pick
up their kits within the designated
pick-up time and on the date they are
provided at their child’s Early Head
Start location.
“The outpouring of support and
donations for this program contin-
ues to flourish, which is incredible,”
says Bill Birndorf, founder of Higher
Hopes! “The kits we donate provide
between 15 to 20 complete meals
for families, which helps lessen the
financial burden they have. This
frees up much-needed money to pay
other bills and buy clothes and other
needed items.”
Corporate and individual contribu-
tions are always welcome and can be
made at higherhopesdetroit.org or at
facebook.com/
higherhopesdetroit. •

Gawel Joins FJA As Director
Of General Studies

tion of Head of School Rabbi
Frankel Jewish Academy, a
Azaryah Cohen.
private college preparatory
Before becoming princi-
Jewish day school serving
pal of BHS, Gawel was the
grades 9-12, announced
assistant principal of Novi
Randy Gawel will be its
High School. He earned dual
director of general studies
master’s degrees in English
beginning with the 2018-
and secondary education
19 school year.
teaching from Boston College
Since 2009, Gawel
Randy Gawel
in Chestnut Hill, Mass. He
has been the principal
attended Lyndon State College
of Berkley High School,
in Lyndonville, Vt., as an under-
where he currently oversees a staff
of 125 and manages a student popu- graduate where he earned a B.A.
in English literature. Gawel holds
lation of nearly 1,400 teens. His ten-
teaching certifications for second-
ure at BHS has been one of distinc-
tion, and the school has consistently ary/middle school English and his-
maintained its position as one of the tory from the state of Michigan.
“Mr. Gawel’s education and
state’s best high schools throughout
extensive experience make him an
his tenure. In fact, Newsweek maga-
extraordinary candidate who will
zine named BHS one of the nation’s
foster meaningful relationships,
top high schools in 2011.
build community and serve as an
As FJA director of general studies,
instructional leader,” FJA’s Cohen
Gawel will oversee the execution of
all secular curricula and will become said. “His character will serve the
FJA community well and will inspire
an integral part of the administra-
our students to think critically, cre-
tive team working in concert with
atively and compassionately, now
his Jewish Studies counterpart Dr.
and in the future.” •
Seth Koreltiz, all under the direc-