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

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