18 | NOVEMBER 30 • 2023
J
N
D
isplaying one’s Jewish
pride is among the
most important
actions the Jewish communi-
ty can take at this time.
A Farmington Hills
mother and son went all
out with a literal display
of their Jewish pride for
Multicultural Night at
Kenbrook Elementary
School.
Shayna van Uden and
her son Austin, a Kenbrook
fifth-grader, immediately
jumped at the chance to par-
ticipate in the event, which
allows Kenbrook families to
share their culture/heritage
by preparing a display table
in their own creative way.
Along with promoting
Jewish pride in the face of
the current climate for Jews
around the world, and with
Chanukah coming up, van
Uden thought this would be
a good learning opportunity
for the school community.
“Kenbrook is very mixed,”
she said. “We have a lot of
Indian, Arabic and Christian
families, but there’s only four
or five Jewish kids in the
school. I felt we needed to
educate and show them we’re
just like everybody else.”
She bought a three-sided
poster board and filled up
the board with various edu-
cational pieces for parents
and students to read as they
passed by the display table.
One side of the poster was
dedicated to Chanukah, with
descriptions of the holiday,
the various foods eaten and
dreidels. Another side was
dedicated to Shabbat and
all it entails. Information
also was given about
Reform Judaism and Reform
Zionism, the Star of David,
the hamsah and challah, and
a short blurb of what being
Jewish means to Austin, were
also on the board.
Their table had an Israeli
flag, menorahs and sufgani-
yot (Israeli donuts) for pass-
ersby. And van Uden had
shirts made for them that
read “Am Yisrael Chai.”
“I was very happy to repre-
sent being Jewish, what our
holidays are and how being
Jewish isn’t just our culture,
it’s our way of life,” van Uden
Kenbrook Elementary School
community learns about Jewish
culture from fifth-grade student.
Farmington Hills
Family Displays
Jewish Pride
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
OUR COMMUNITY
LEFT: The van Udens’
Chanukah display.
BELOW: Austin
answers questions
from passersby.