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