April 25 • 2019 23
jn
And The
Winner Is …
Members of the Motor City chapter
of United Synagogue Youth (MCUSY)
returned home April 14 from Central
Region USY’
s regional convention at
Camp Wise in Chardon, Ohio, sleepy
yet victorious after clinching Central
Region United Synagogue Youth’
s
“Most Improved Chapter of the Year”
award as well as seven other acco-
lades.
CRUSY includes local chap-
ters from parts of Indiana, all of
Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Western
Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
MCUSY is comprised of teens from
local Conservative synagogues includ-
ing Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield, Beth Shalom in Oak Park,
Adat Shalom in Farmington Hills,
and B’
nai Israel, B’
nai Moshe and
Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield.
With 13 high schoolers and seven
middle schoolers, MCUSY is small
but vibrant. “Our ‘
most improved’
title bears witness to our teens’
per-
sistence, creativity and positive atti-
tudes,” said adviser Tova Schreiber.
This year, MCUSY events included
Purim and Chanukah parties and
raising money for forestry in Israel
during Tu b’
Shevat.
Sam Gawel, Israel affairs vice presi-
dent, said the chapter won best Israeli
Culture Event award for its March
“Passport to Israel” program. Powered
by imagination, teens spent a Sunday
on a one-day jaunt to Israel. They
wrote prayer notes for the Western
Wall, applied Dead Sea mud, sam-
pled the Israeli peanut snack, Bamba,
staged a mock Eurovision contest and
crafted mystical jewelry in Tzfat.
“We had a great year. Our board’
s
dedication to focusing on our pro-
gramming forged the way to the
chapter’
s success,” said Gawel, a senior
at Frankel Jewish Academy.
Interested teens can check out
upcoming MCUSY events includ-
ing participation in the May 5 Walk
for Israel at Adat Shalom, Kabbalat
Shabbat services and dinner on May
17 and a social action/tikkun olam
event on May 26. For middle school-
ers, there will be a Kadima “mystery”
event 2-3:30 p.m. at Shaarey Zedek.
For more information, go to mcusy.
weebly.com. ■
STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Register at jccdet.org/reelabilities
Or Shoshana Baruch 248.432.5543
sbaruch@jccdet.org
Sunday, May 19
1:00 pm
$5 Pre-registration – 2 movies
$5 Pre-registration – Activities
$10 at the door
Dan Habib
will provide
introductions
and talk back
DAN HABIB
inspirationalmovies
and overcoming
CHALLENGES
featuring
the award winning director
JCC’S OPENING THE DOORS PROGRAM
A Taste of ReelAbilities with
of hope
Autism Alliance of Michigan
Peggy and Dennis Frank
JARC
JVS
Kadima
Little Timbers Tutoring
Positive Behavior Supports Corporation
Tamarack Camps
The Therapy Spot
Ina Kirstein
Lindamood-Bell
Learning Processes
A special thanks to
all of our partners.
Mary Must
Madelon Seligman
z”l
& Lou Seligman
The Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Henry Ford Department of Pediatrics
Presenting Sponsor
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Sensory
Friendly
Activities
For all abilities; ages
8 years and older
Drums Alive, art & yoga
Dropoff @ 12:45 pm
“
Including
Samuel”
This award-winning,
inspirational
Including Samuel,
passionately
chronicles the
family’s hopes and
efforts to overcome barriers
to include Samuel in every
facet of their lives.
Running time: 58 minutes
“
Mr. Connolly
Has ALS”
A high school
principal is embraced
by his community
and students as he
continues to lead
the school, despite
rapidly losing his
ability to walk and speak due to
the effects of Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS).
Running time: 32 minutes