22 | JANUARY 13 • 2022 

faces&places

Helping others is a central value of 
Judaism and of Congregation Beth 
Ahm in West Bloomfield. Led by 
Beverly Gale and Cathy Lichtman, 
a team of more than 30 synagogue 
volunteers, from teens to seniors, 
prepared 350 lunches for the clients 
of Crossroads of Michigan, a Detroit-
based social service agency. 
The volunteers prepared a multi-
course meal from scratch — baked 
pasta, green beans, salad, bread, fruit 
and dessert. Working on-site and 

interacting with the staff and clients 
of Crossroads added extra meaning to 
the volunteer experience. 
Throughout the year, the Beth 
Ahm tikkun olam team organizes 
mitzvah opportunities to help those 
in need. Whether it be collecting PPE 
and assembling COVID safety kits, 
feeding the hungry, providing school 
supplies or distributing winter cloth-
ing, the tikkun olam team addresses 
the basic needs of those in the Jewish 
and broader communities. 

Amy Brode gets some of the pots needed for pasta.

Stan Meretsky wraps bread.

FAR LEFT: 
Mike Schmitz 
performs the 
final task of 
clean-up.

LEFT: Beverly 
Gale reviews 
the menu 
with Chef 
Mike of 
Crossroads.

Beverly Fradis, Elanor Fradis, Suzanne Prussian, Renee Fein and Miles Auster pack 
lunches on the assembly line.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CONGREGATION BETH AHM

Beth Ahm Members 
Help Crossroads Clients

