jews in the d
continued from page 20
The Czech Philharmonic’s
live performance breathes
a conviction and beneath-
the-skin rapture…”
(Financial Times)
Photo by
Harald Hoffmann
Czech Philharmonic
Orchestra
NOV
1
THU
41
Semyon Bychkov, conductor
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
HILL
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PROGRAM
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734.764.2538
——— U M S . O R G
Feel the Joy
at Fleischman Residence / Blumberg Plaza
Open House
Sunday,
Nov. 4th
from 12–3 p.m.
Experience our outstanding service and programming.
Enjoy all the comforts of home in our assisted living community.
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
Fleischman Residence ȏ :0DSOH5RDG:HVW%ORRPȴHOG
5HVHUYH\RXUVXLWHWRGD\ȏ&DOO-LOO%HQJOHȏMVOPLRUJ
People of all faiths and
beliefs are welcome.
22
October 25 • 2018
TTY 711
jn
relief options in removal proceed-
ings in a perverse way. As a result,
brown people have overwhelmingly
endured the harsh consequences of
these changes.
Could our laws be better?
Absolutely. They might be outdated,
backward and punitive, but the laws
that govern our immigration system
are not broken because they accom-
plish their implicit goal, which is to
perpetuate underlying, institutional/
structural racism that favors white
immigration over brown immigra-
tion.
Q: It sounds like you spend much
of your time helping people work
out difficult situations. How do you
manage stress and stay healthy?
RR: I do this work because I care.
During my seven years in legal
services, I have been able to help
thousands of people with small and
large legal problems. At the same
time, I have been unable to help a
lot of people, too, because of limited
resources, time, complexity of cases
or, in many situations, lack of legal
solutions. As such, I have learned to
say “no.” It has not been easy to do,
and I am the first to admit that I say
“yes” too often, but saying “no” has
been one way that I attempt to limit
the cases and tasks on my plate.
I also recognize the physical and
psychological effects of persistent
stress and secondary trauma. Every
day, our clients tell us stories about
their lives that are horrific and trau-
ma-filled. It is our job, first of all,
to listen and to understand their
circumstances. Then, it is our role
to determine how/if we can utilize
these real-life stories to help our cli-
ents achieve their goal(s), using the
law as a vehicle. Unfortunately, we
cannot forget many of these stories
and end up taking them home with
us. Therefore, it is imperative that I
practice self-care. One way of doing
so is running. I strive to run at least
three days per week, even when a
week is really stressful.
Another way that I practice self-
care is to physically separate work
from home. I actually enjoy my
commute between Detroit and Ann
Arbor because it gives me time to
decompress and debrief before I get
home. Also, I am less likely to return
to work on the weekend if it is 40
minutes away, so boundaries really
do matter. And when I am home, I
do try to limit work-related activities
and emailing.
ON COMMUNITY WORK AND
SYNAGOGUE LIFE
Q: How do you set boundaries in
your busy career?
RR: One way I do this is my
community involvement. I am
a board member of the Jewish
Community Relations Council/AJC,
where I serve on the Government
Relations Committee. I continue to
participate in a Jewish “festival of
learning” with Limmud Michigan,
part of a global forum for Jewish
education. And every Shabbat,
nearly without fail, you’ll find me at
synagogue.
Judaism always has been a big
part of my life, a commitment
reinforced growing up with strong
examples of activism and volunteer-
ism in my family. Synagogue is one
of the places where I get a strong
sense of community. Because I am
part of a community in Detroit
and also have a strong connection
with the Jewish community in West
Bloomfield, I am affiliated with two
synagogues.
No matter what’s going on at the
office every Friday, I see to it that I
leave work at 5 or 6 p.m. And that’s
it; I’m done. I also strive to keep
Shabbat as my day. To the greatest
extent possible, I don’t check email.
I don’t work unless an emergency
arises like the travel ban that went
into effect last January and I had
to be at the bridge and tunnel, and
then helping to quarterback a local
response.
Q: As a member of the Wexner
Heritage Program, class of 2017-18,
what have been your greatest les-
sons so far?
RR: I have been humbled to be
a part of the Wexner program,
recently finishing the first of a two-
year curriculum. It’s been a remark-
able opportunity to delve into
Jewish history, thought and text
in depth and to focus on personal
growth and leadership development
using Judaism as a lens.
Greatest lessons so far? Everything
I’ve learned from my cohorts — 20
busy professionals, reaching for the
heights in their community roles,
each with a vision for the future of
Jewish Detroit and how we can help
achieve more together. ■
Vivian Henoch is editor of Federation’s
myjewishdetroit.org, where a longer version
of this story first appeared.