20 May 2 • 2019
jn

Walk for
Israel 
Adat Shalom to host annual event to
show support for the Jewish State.

C

ome rain or shine, Andre 
Douville hopes Israel sup-
porters will bring their 
blue-and-white pride for the Walk 
for Israel Sunday, May 5, at its new 
location at Adat Shalom Synagogue in 
Farmington Hills. 
Douville, who founded the walk 15 
years ago with help from his dedicat-
ed committee, said the 
family-oriented day will celebrate 
all that is positive about Israel. With 
three modern-day holidays cropping 
up on the Jewish calendar, including 
Israel’
s Memorial and Independence 
days (Yom HaZikaron and Yom 
Ha’
atzmaut) and Yom Yerushalayim, 
Jerusalem Reunification Day, Douville 
said “May is that Israel time of year.”
The weekend is also crowded with 
other events, including the kick-
off of the Lenore Marwil Detroit 
Jewish Film Festival at the Jewish 
Community Center and a Yom 
HaShoah observance at the Holocaust 
Memorial Center. So, Douville is 
grateful Adat Shalom is hosting after 
many years at Temple Shir Shalom in 
West Bloomfield, where Douville had 
been executive director. 
“We loved our relationship with 
Shir Shalom and the committee for 
years has thought of changing things 
up by alternating the walk’
s location 
to different parts around town,” said 
Douville, who has family in Israel 
and lived there himself for many 
years. “We hope our walk along 
Northwestern Highway will draw 
more people and increase our expo-
sure to help all people understand the 
important relationship between the 
United States and the State of Israel.”
Douville said the walk is expected 
to draw about 2,000 people; he counts 
on a good showing from the area’
s 
congregations, schools and Hebrew 
schools as well as other non-Jewish 
organizations that have shown sup-

port previously. 
He also said Farmington Hills 
police said they will have a high-
visibility presence in light of the 
incident at the Chabad of Poway in 
California.
Adat Shalom Executive Director 
Alan Yost said he and his congrega-
tion are honored to host the walk, 
which coincides with their Synergy 
Weekend featuring scholar-in-resi-
dence, journalist, book author and 
former IDF soldier Matti Friedman. 
“It worked out to offer the com-
munity an exciting event and they 
can also hear a talk from Friedman to 
begin the day,” Yost said. 
Before the walk, U.S. Rep. Brenda 
Lawrence, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters and 
other local dignitaries will address the 
crowd. Adat Shalom Hazzan Daniel 
Gross and other clergy will lead the 
U.S. and Israeli national anthems. 
Though Douville understands these 
are polarizing times in both American 
and Israeli politics, he said the walk 
encourages people to put aside differ-
ences to celebrate the essence of Israel. 
The day starts at 10:30 a.m. with a 
talk featuring Friedman and continues 
with a free kosher lunch, a carnival 
and entertainment by Star Trax. The 
walk will begin at 1:30 p.m., taking 
participants on a roundtrip stroll up 
and down Northwestern Highway 
for a little more than a mile. The 
carnival and activities go until 3 p.m. 
Donations of $5 or more are greatly 
appreciated, Douville said. 
There is ample parking in Adat 
Shalom’
s two main parking lots. 
Handicap parking will be in the 
auxiliary parking lot and be clearly 
marked. Parking attendants will assist. 
Participants should expect a security 
presence with uniformed and plain 
clothes officers; bags will be inspect-
ed. Advanced registration is encour-
aged walkforisrael.org. ■

JERRY ZOLYNSKY

jews d
in 
the

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A scene from last 

year’
s Walk for Israel 

JN -

