6 | JUNE 9 • 2022
T
he highlight of my high
school experience at the
Frankel Jewish Academy
thus far took place over the course
of a week toward the end of May.
My 10th-grade
classmates and I set
off on an adventure
to Portland, Ore.
While I anticipated
this would be a
fun week with my
friends in a cool
city, I came home feeling a very
strong sense of accomplishment
and the reward of changing peo-
ple’s lives for the better.
Our Portland trip included fun
and challenging outdoor activities
like hiking in the Columbia River
Gorge and a morning spent white
water rafting with a knowledge-
able guide. The hiking and rafting
were extremely fun, but the rest
of the trip was about performing
mitzvot.
Sitting on the red-eye flight to
return home, I reflected on what
my peers and I accomplished
in Portland. I realized that we
incorporated the head, heart and
hands in our social action proj-
ects, which benefited the homeless
population of this large city in the
Northwest.
The head represents the
learning that took place while in
Portland. One of the main topics
that we spent the entirety of our
trip learning about was the differ-
ence between homelessness and
houselessness. We learned that
while some people don’t realize
the difference between the two,
many of the people living on the
streets of Portland find homeless-
ness to be offensive.
Another talking point during
the trip was learning how to help
those struggling to survive with-
out having them lose their dignity.
This means that while they need
our help, it can be difficult to ask
for it. We learned about this while
touring Dignity Village, a city-rec-
ognized village of tiny homes
where people can live when they
don’t have a place to stay. This
village is self-governed by the res-
idents who can live in the village
for any amount of time. Overall,
we spent so much time learning,
which led to a more meaningful
trip.
The second focus during this
trip was connecting with the
people we got the opportunity to
meet, this is represented by the
heart. We used our hearts to feel
compassion toward those who
are houseless, and we tried to
understand the plight of men and
women whose lives did not turn
out as they expected.
As a grade, we worked to help
the houseless community of
Portland because we knew how
big of an impact our actions
would make. Getting the chance
to work on these construction
sites and farms helped us gain
empathy toward the less fortunate
in Portland.
Finally, I want to focus on the
hands, this depicts the times when
we got our hands dirty and spent
time working in the sun. We
worked to build tiny homes for
the houseless as well as working
on farms, planting vegetables for
those without access to fresh,
healthy food.
Overall, a very successful mis-
sion to Portland. Our 10th-grade
class bonded, enjoyed the gor-
geous surroundings of the Pacific
Northwest and had a lot of fun.
What I will always remember
about this life-changing experi-
ence is how I integrated my head,
heart and hands into the perfor-
mance of charitable acts. I don’t
think this endeavor would have
been as successful or meaningful
had any of those components not
been included in our work toward
helping the houseless people of
Portland.
Jonah Miller is a sophomore at Frankel
Jewish Academy and a graduate of Hillel
Day School.
1942 - 2022
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PURELY COMMENTARY
Jonah Miller
Jane and Larry Sherman Continue Their Extraordinary Legacy
Through a Gift to the Centennial Fund
Jane and Larry Sherman stand among the great leaders
of Jewish Detroit. Together, their impact has strengthened
not just our local community, but Jewish life throughout the
world. Through a variety of activities, Jane continues the
legacy of her father, Max M. Fisher, along with her
philanthropic family. This includes her historic work on
behalf of Ethiopian Jews and children at risk in Israel; her
role in fostering a strong relationship with our Partnership
Region in the Central Galilee; and her support for the next
generation of Jewish leaders—her Fisher Flight program is
a major catalyst for today’s national leaders and donors.
She has served as Women’s Campaign chair and President,
the first woman chair of the Annual Campaign and
Federation Vice President. Like Jane, Larry is a native
Detroiter who has been involved with the Federation and
Jewish causes throughout his life. He has been deeply
involved in building Detroit’s connection with Israel and has
led countless community missions over the past 50 years.
With their Benefactor Level commitment to the
Centennial Fund, Jane and Larry add another milestone to
their legacy as Jewish communal leaders. The Centennial
Fund is the central endowment campaign for ensuring the
long-term security of Jewish Detroit and will impact the
core areas that Jane and Larry have worked tirelessly to
support, including Social Need, Jewish Identity and
Education and Global Jewish Responsibility. The Shermans’
Centennial gift will establish the Jane F. and Larry Sherman
Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment (PACE). Jane
herself served as the first Co-chair of the PACE campaign,
leading the efforts to establish what is the most versatile
and flexible vehicle for future community support, locally, in
Israel and elsewhere. This gift exemplifies the couple’s
extraordinary generosity and vision and will ensure that
they continue to enrich Jewish lives long into the future.
Photo: Brett Mountain
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