that’s the main theme that stood out
to me from Parshat Bo, so helping the
Innocence Project fit perfectly,” said Eli,
whose family, including his twin sister,
Ariella, lives in Farmington Hills.
He brought in the “cubing”
community by contacting the WCA that
governs competitions for mechanical
puzzles that are operated by twisting
groups of pieces, including the Rubik’s
Cube. They recognize world records
and host competitions internationally,
including those in which Eli has
participated.
Together, Eli and representatives of
the WCA organized “Solve 4 Justice
Southfield 2024,” a World Cubing
competition encompassing the same
rules and awards as their other events,
but with the added bonus of raising
funds for the Innocence Project.
SYNAGOGUE PARTNERSHIP
Next, Eli asked Rabbi Yonatan Dahlen at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek, where he
and Ariella became b’nai mitzvah on Jan.
20, if the synagogue would help with his
plan.
They not only helped, they went one
step further, offering the space, security,
set up and clean up for the Jan. 7 event.
“They also donated water, lemonade,
the mic system, tables, chairs,
tablecloths and a ton of other
components for this
cause,” Leslie Katz
said.
Jerusalem
Pizza and Bagel
in Southfield
provided
kosher pizza at a
discounted price
with profits of sales
at the event going
to the Innocence
Project. Nino
Salvaggio International Marketplace
in Bloomfield Township contributed
kosher snacks to be sold for donations.
A total of 220 individuals, including
competitors and guests, attended the
daylong event where information and
posters helped share the message of
supporting the Innocence Project.
Eli and WCA organizer Tyler Rose
created the “Innocence Project Solve
4 Justice” logo that was used on all the
badges worn by competitors at the event
and on the WCA website.
“The
competition
sold out at 100
participants with
a percentage of the registration fees
going to the Innocence Project,” Leslie
Katz said.
In addition to approximately $2,200
in funds brought in at the event, Eli has
raised more than $1,300 so far through a
fundraising page.
“Eli’s d’var Torah [Torah lesson]
speech during his bar mitzvah service
included why he’s raising money via
the Rubik’s Cube competition for the
Innocence Project,” said Marci Iwrey,
program coordinator, b’nai mitzvah
FEBRUARY 22 • 2024 | 11
continued on page 12
Established in 2001, the Cooley
Law School Innocence Project
operates as a law school clinic
with a dual mission to provide
legal assistance to, and secure
the release of, persons who are
wrongfully imprisoned for crimes
they did not commit, and to pro-
vide its students with a learning
experience.
The Cooley Law School
Innocence Project has screened
more than 6,000 cases and is
responsible for the exoneration of
nine wrongly imprisoned individ-
uals, including one who spent 32
years in prison.
They collaborate with other
organizations in Michigan and
across the country and belong
to the Innocence Network,
an affiliation of independent
innocence organizations, credited
with the release of more than 375
wrongfully convicted prisoners,
mainly through the use of DNA
testing, dedicated to combating
wrongful convictions worldwide
and to improve existing laws
and support new legislation
that improves
the criminal
justice
system.
Sister Ariella times
Eli as he practices.