FEBRUARY 13 • 2020 | 33
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for the Germany Close Up
program for young profes-
sionals in 2018.
Daniel also volunteers
with the Ronald McDonald
House of Metro Detroit,
New Horizons Rehabilitation
Services, Wayne State
University, the Friendship
Circle and United Way.
In his free time, he
enjoys attending concerts,
traveling, studio cycling,
trying to become a better
golfer, watching Detroit
and Michigan State sports,
spending time with family
and friends and collecting
vintage vinyl records. He
once played trumpet at
Carnegie Hall and Ground
Zero in New York City,
under the direction of the
late Cantor Stephen Dubov
in 2003.
ELANA FOX
Elana Fox
is passion-
ate about
connecting
people with
the vital
resources
they need to live happy and
healthy lives. During her past
five years in Detroit, she has
worked to support non-tra-
ditional food entrepreneurs
with Foodlab Detroit; to sup-
port improved transportation
access and infrastructure
with Lime Scooters; and cur-
rently to nurture the growth
of Detroiters and urban
access to nature as director
of people operations with
Bloomscape.
While all her work is
infused with her Jewish val-
ues — connection to com-
munity, a desire to give back
and a belief in justice — she
also loves connecting directly
with the Jewish commu-
nity. In the past few years,
she has supported multiple
Detroit Jewish community
organizations, including The
Well, the Bethel/Downtown
Synagogue Partnership and
NEXTGen’
s PresenTense
Detroit. She also loves spend-
ing time with her Shabbat
dinner group and thinking
about how to continually
grow her Jewish communi-
ty, with a focus around the
interfaith community, in
Metro Detroit.
Originally from Cleveland,
Ohio, and having lived in
Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya
and Israel, she has adopted
Detroit as home. Her favorite
“sporting event” is the annual
Scripps National Spelling
Bee.
JON WRIGHT
Jon Wright,
32, is
the Vice
President of
Operations
of Motor
City
Accident
Attorneys. As the Managing
Attorney of the Michigan
branch, Jon dedicates his
practice to securing rightful
compensation for his cli-
ents injured in automobile
and workplace accidents.
Jon graduated from the
University of Miami School
of Law, is licensed to prac-
tice law in both Michigan
and Florida and is an active
member of the Michigan
Association for Justice.
Jon started his Jewish
journey by participating in
both Temple Shir Shalom
and BBYO programs. In
Lessons for
Life volunteer
Cookie Koblin
shares her
story.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
Get involved,
go to
friendshipcircle.org/
foreverfriendship
Friendship
Circle’s
Lessons
for Life
Cookie Koblin’s grandson was
just 3 years old when he was di-
agnosed with autism. She knew
right away that it would be her
job to help support her daugh-
ter’s family and fi
nd resources
for her grandson. The family
quickly found support through
Friendship Circle, giving them
hope they needed to navigate
their needs.
“My family was so embraced
by the Friendship Circle family
that when the building opened
and they started Lessons for
Life, I knew I had to volunteer,”
Koblin says. “My grandson is
23 now, and I will continue to
be here every week as long as
I can. Bassie and Levi Shemtov
are truly showing people what
kindness, patience and real love
look like through this work.”
Cookie is a regular face at
Friendship Circle’s Weinberg
Village in the Ferber Kaufman
Lifetown Facility on the Meer
Family Friendship Center.
When students arrive for their
day at the Lessons for Life pro-
gram, Cookie is often the fi
rst
person they meet. Most days,
she’s a “teller” at the facility’s
Huntington Bank.
“The kids are so excited to
see me because they know I’m
going to give them money!”
says Koblin. “We teach them
how to count their money.
Whether they can count or are
verbal or nonverbal, it’s OK.
We’re here to make them feel
like it’s real life and they can ex-
perience it all in this safe place
to learn.”
For Cookie, volunteering
has given her the chance to
see students learn and grow
through the years, just like her
own grandson.
“Lessons for Life is this beau-
tiful thing that gives the stu-
dents real education and takes
them as far as they can go,” she
says. “We’re all volunteers, but
we get so much more than we
give. I learn from these children.
They can fi
nd laughter and
provide joy in any situation.”
Through Friendship Circle’s
Lessons for Life, students with
special needs and teenage
volunteers and classmates
are learning not only how to
navigate the real world, but
also how to work with each
other. Koblin says they are also
learning how to recognize and
encourage someone who is
differently abled.
“Lessons for Life is teaching
compassion, patience and that
everyone is the same even
if they are different,” Koblin.
“Volunteering here has taught
me what real love and kindness
mean, not only for my own
family, but also for everyone I
meet.”