16 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022

A

major donation from a
local dental practice is
the most recent mile-
stone of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek’s efforts to provide aid for
Ukraine.
Since Russia first invaded
Ukraine in February of this year,
the synagogue has launched
numerous cam-
paigns to gather
financial support,
medical supplies,
hygiene kits and
more to help
Ukrainians impact-
ed by the ongoing
crisis.
Tru Family
Dental of Bingham
Farms is the latest
donor to contribute
to these initiatives.
The dental prac-
tice has recently donated 1,000
toothbrushes, 1,000 rolls of
dental floss and 2,000 tubes of
toothpaste to send to Ukraine
— a team effort that the dental
practice’s Dr. Sumant Ram says
“takes a village” to support.
“
After one of our longtime
patients told our front office
staff about the Ukraine support
efforts at Congregation Shaarey
Zedek, our team assembled,
”

Ram explains. “We decided
immediately that this was some-
thing we wanted to support.
”
Karen Couf-Cohen, who
serves on Shaarey Zedek’s Board
of Trustees and is chair of the
Social Action Committee, which
handles many Ukraine initia-
tives, added, “If you’re stuck in
a warzone without resources,
brushing your teeth is a big
deal.
”
Through Sam Rozenberg, a
Shaarey Zedek member who
originally hails from Ukraine,
the Social Action Committee
has learned about the most
pressing needs the country is
facing because of the ongoing
war, and hygiene products rank
as a top necessity.
“There’s a desperate need
[for these supplies] in eastern
Ukraine,
” Couf-Cohen says. “We
want to help, and we want to
help with where the need is.
”

A COMMUNITY EFFORT
To continue these efforts,
Shaarey Zedek is hosting a Pack
for People event on Sept. 9 at
4:30 p.m., where the commu-
nity is invited to come to the
synagogue to help pack boxes
of critical supplies to send to
Ukraine. Repair the World

Detroit’s Rebecca DeGroot will
also join the event to share how
it connects to Jewish service.
The packing event will
include assembling the hygiene
kits donated by Tru Family
Dental, as well as other essential
supplies the synagogue is cur-
rently sourcing such as ibupro-
fen, socks, underwear, combs,
hairbrushes and shampoo,
among others. The synagogue
is also working closely with Yad
Ezra to gather many of these
items.
Each kit will include hand-

written cards created by Shaarey
Zedek youth to give recipients
a bit of cheer and to let them
know people are thinking of
them on the other side of the

world. “We want the best for
you, we’re praying for you, and
we want you to stay safe,
” Couf-
Cohen says of the messages that
will be included in the cards.
Kits will then be transported
to eastern Ukraine through the
points of Lviv and Poltava. Once
they’ve reached the east side of
the country, kits will be deliv-
ered by the Ukrainian human-
itarian organization Just People
to families of one or two affected
by war.
Recipients will include seniors
who aren’t mobile enough to

leave their homes, and women
and children who stay to be near
their husbands. Many Ukrainian
men of fighting age have left
their families to serve with

OUR COMMUNITY

Major dental donation marks latest
milestone for Congregation Shaarey
Zedek’s Ukraine relief efforts.

Ukraine
Relief Efforts
Continue

Karen
Couf-Cohen

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Sam
Rozenberg

Michelle Stehney,
hygienist, and Wendy
Riley, front desk, with
donations.

“ROLLING UP YOUR SLEEVES AND
GETTING INVOLVED IS ONE OF THE
BEST WAYS TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE

REALLY MAKING A DIFFERENCE.”

— KAREN COUF-COHEN