32 | MARCH 16 • 2023
J
Learn, The J Detroit’s
lifelong learning depart-
ment, will offer a pop-up
class on human rights next
week as part of its JLearn Now
series.
“Give Me Your Tired, Your
Poor: A Story of Immigration”
will be led by Rabbi Ari Witkin
via Zoom on March 23 and
March 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tuition
is $36.
Witkin will give his firsthand
account of the U.S. southern
border crisis, based on trip to El
Paso, Texas, as part of a rabbini-
cal human rights visit. Witkin is
director of leadership develop-
ment at the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit and serves
part-time as rabbi of Temple
Beth Israel in Bay City.
Along with 15 other rabbis,
the rabbinic human rights
organization T’ruah and the
immigration rights organiza-
tion HIAS, Witkin traveled in
December 2022 to learn more
about the realities of the crisis.
He is a founding member of
T’ruah’s workgroup on immi-
gration.
In January, Witkin penned an
opinion piece for the Detroit Free
Press following his trip, saying
that helping asylum seekers is a
moral imperative.
“My own motivation to par-
ticipate in this trip was very
much born out of my identity as
a Jewish American,
” he said. “So
much of my people’s history is a
story of migration and a search
for a safe home in which to
build a better life.
”
In light of increasing num-
bers of migrants and asylum
seekers at the border and an
ever-deepening gridlock in
Washington, this two-part
course will explore the realities
of the situation today as well as
what a Jewish response looks
like and what our tradition
says about our responsibility to
those seeking a better life here
in America.
“We are honored to have
Rabbi Witkin share with us his
experience and knowledge so
the Jewish community can be
reminded of our responsibility
to others in need,
” said Shelley
Wish Chaness, senior director
of JLearn.
A goal of the JLearn Now
pop-up events is to explore and
analyze current events around
the globe through a Jewish lens.
“Our ancestors were immi-
grants, and the Torah obligates
us to help those in need. It’s
imperative that we as a people
explore this further.
”
Call (248) 205-2557 or visit JLearn.
example, would be divided up
amongst several volumes of
braille to prevent the books
from becoming too heavy.
There are also two grades
of braille printed: grade one
(uncontracted) and grade
two (contracted). Grade one,
Mazzara says, is for beginners
just learning braille, while
grade two is for more advanced
readers. Bindery books include
print on the opposite side of the
braille as well to help sighted
parents teach their children
braille correctly.
BOOKS FOR ALL
Printing braille books, but
most importantly, printing free
braille books, is a need that
Remer says continues to grow.
A recent survey by American
Community Survey found
there are more than 560,000
children with vision difficulty
in the United States.
The Bindery often finds
itself getting calls from school
librarians with blind or low-
vision students who don’t
have any braille books in
their libraries. “Reading is
important,
” Mazzara says. “If
we can get books to every child
out there, that’s just fine with
me.
“I’ll keep doing it until I can’t
anymore,
” she adds. “It’s an
important part of my life.
”
While there are many
orders for the typical children’s
literature, such as the famous
Harry Potter or Goosebumps
series, the Bindery’s inventory
includes everything from
mystery books to books
about outer space. It offers a
convenient online checkout
process that Mazarra says has
significantly expanded the
Bindery’s reach.
In fact, Temple Beth El
Bindery is such a crucial
resource for free braille books
for children that it’s been
recommended as a key source
by Perkins School for the Blind,
where author and disability
rights advocate Helen Keller
studied for four years.
“We’re thrilled every day that
we participate in helping blind
children,
” Remer says. “It’s
important to me. It’s important
to Janet. It’s important to
everyone who volunteers at the
Bindery. Our dream is to bring
literacy to blind or low-vision
children.
”
continued from page 31
RIGHT: Bruce Plisner of Farmington Hills, Karen Lowen of Farmington
Hills, Pirjo Ritta Gray of Beverly Hills, Cathy Segel of West Bloomfield,
Beth Michelson of West Bloomfield, Earl Remer of West Bloomfield,
Sandy Marks of West Bloomfield and Jan Mazzara of Rochester Hills.
A Jewish Lens
JLearn class focuses on Rabbi Witkin’s
experience at the U.S. southern border.
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
OUR COMMUNITY