Washtenaw Jewish News Presort Standard In this issue… c/o Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor U.S. Postage PAID 2939 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor, MI 48108 PJ TBE Local Permit No. 85 Library Mitzvah Women Expands Day in the Food Industry Page 16 Page 21 Page 26 June/July/August 2012 Sivan/Tammuz/Av/Elul Volume XXXVI: Number 10 FREE HDS teacher Aron Kaufman wins Jewish Educator Award Israel Scouts Friendship David Shtulman, special to the WJN Caravan to perform at the ebrew Day School teacher, Aron of Israel, Juda- Hebrew Immersion program at HDS in 1995. Jewish Community Center Kaufman has been awarded Ann ism and mak- He is an expert in several creative methods of Shoshana Jackson, special to the WJN Arbor’s Steven Elyakin Jewish ing a difference teaching language to young students includ- H Every year the Israel Scouts Friendship Cara- Educator Award and is also Ann Arbor’s re- in the next gen- ing Total Physical Response, kinesthetic and van spends a day entertaining and educating cipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award eration. What music, drama and storytelling. the campers at Camp Raanana, the Jewish for Excellence in Jewish Education. Kaufman better way to Jennifer Rosenberg, a colleague of Kauf- Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor’s was recognized at the Jewish Federation An- honor Steve man at HDS and the 2007 winner of this summer day camp for children entering nual Meeting on May 30. than to honor same award, says of Kaufman, “His style is grades K–8. After spending the day at camp, The Steven Elyakin Jewish Educator those who teach so unique and his passion so apparent that the Israel Scouts will perform in the evening Award carries a $1,000 cash prize and honors the children former students often remember moments at the JCC for the entire community. an Ann Arbor Jewish educator for outstand- about Judaism in his classroom as highlights of their time The Israel Scouts Friendship Caravan is ing commitment to Jewish education and and Israel.” at Hebrew Day School.” part of a larger delegation of approximate- performance in transmitting love of Judaism The recipi- Kaufman says, “I am grateful to the Elya- ly 100 teenage scouts who travel to North and Jewish peoplehood to our youth. ent of the Ste- kin family and the Jewish Federation for Neal Elyakin describes the award created Aron Kaufman ven Elyakin honoring me with the Steven Elyakin Jew- to honor the memory of his brother Steven Jewish Educator Award also becomes the Ann ish Educators Award and the Grinspoon/ with these words. “Steven Elyakin (z”l), for Arbor recipient of the Grinspoon-Steinhardt Steinhardt Award for Excellence in Jewish whom this award is named, believed deeply Award for Excellence in Jewish Education. Education. It has been a distinct honor and in maintaining a strong connection to Israel The Grinspoon-Steinhardt Award provides privilege to teach, inspire and be inspired by and Jewish values. Steven lived in Israel for al- a $1,000 professional development stipend a generation of students at the Hebrew Day most two decades. He worked in the orchards, and an opportunity to participate in a Com- School of Ann Arbor. Thank you for recog- volunteered with children, and was loved by munity of Practice with outstanding peers as nizing my efforts in the classroom, which many. His life was cut short in 1999 when, at well as ongoing access to professional devel- sends a strong message that kids matter, Jew- the age of 39, he died in a car accident. The opment opportunities for Jewish educators. ish education matters, and the Hebrew Day Elyakin family established the Steven R. Elya- Kaufman, who has been a teacher at He- School of Ann Arbor (HDS) matters.” n kin Philanthropic Fund to honor Steve’s love brew Day School for 22 years, pioneered the Israel Scouts, 2011 Sukkah design-build competition coming in September America each summer to represent the land of Israel. Using song, dance, and storytell- Avram Kluger, specaial to the WJN ing, the Israel Scouts celebrate the Jewish ukkot (Festival of Booths) is a bibli- heritage and bring the sights and sounds of cal holiday that begins annually on Israel to life. S the 15th of Tishrei and lasting for This summer the Israel Scouts will per- seven days. Historically Sukkot commemo- form at the JCC on Wednesday, August 1. rates the 40-year period during which the The program will start at 7 p.m. and will be Children of Israel were wandering in the followed by a community ice cream social. desert and living in temporary shelters. Spe- The charge for the event is $3/person for cific rules governing the building of a suk- Camp Raanana families and JCC members, kah, later codified in Jewish law, date back to or $5 person for non-members (children the time of the Mishnah (circa 200 CE) and under 2 are free). Registration forms will be Talmudic (circa 600 CE) periods. posted in advance at www.jccannarbor.org Sukkah Arbor is an Architectural Design- and will also be available at the JCC. Build Competition to re-envision the sukkah Host families are needed to host the mem- for the 21st century. This competition encour- bers of the Israel Scouts Friendship Caravan ages use of “state of the art” design techniques for one night on Wednesday, August 1. If you and building materials to alter one’s concep- are interested in hosting or would like more tions of what is possible and renew this tradi- information about the Israel Scouts perfor- tional structure. mance, contact [email protected] Sukkah Arbor is being held in partnership or 971-0990. with the AIA (American Institute of Architects- continued on page 2 Sukkah entry by 513 Design at Sukkah City design competition in New York I Letter to the Editor 2935 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 voice: 734/971-1800 A “nuanced” anti-Zionist runs for the Ann Arbor City Council fax: 734/971-1801 The function of the Ann Arbor City Council is to make policy decisions for running the city. e-mail: [email protected] Its jurisdiction ends at the city limits. Nonetheless, ideologues, more concerned with agitation www.washtenawjewishnews.org than with the democratic process, keep pushing the Council to pass resolutions on national and international issues beyond its scope. A leading practitioner of this modus operandi, Chuck Warpehoski, is now running for the City Council in the 5th Ward. Warpehoski is director of the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice. The ICPJ has been able to find injustice only in Israel, Editor and Publisher Susan Kravitz Ayer not in Sudan, or Syria, or Iran, and from time to time promotes boycotts of Israeli goods. The ICPJ has refused to condemn the Herskovite harassment of Beth Israel Congregation, even Calendar Editor though Daoud Walid, the Michigan Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Claire Sandler did so at a meeting sponsored by the ICPJ. This was reported in the Washtenaw Jewish News, but was left out of the accounts of the meeting in other media outlets. Advertising Manager Warpehoski is the author of the Islamophobia resolution passed by the City Council that Gordon White was based solely on anti-Muslim activities that took place hundreds of miles away and there- Design and Layout fore not within the City’s purview. When this was first broached, the Human Rights Com- Dennis Platte mission (appointed by the mayor and City Council) proposed a broader anti-bigotry text including condemnation of anti-Semitism as represented by the very real local manifestation Staff Writers of this form of prejudice in the now nearly nine-year long ongoing siege of Beth Israel referred Mary Bilyeu, Sandor Slomovits, Rochel Urist to above. Warpehoski out-maneuvered the Commission to push through his one-sided ver- sion. That he took such great pains to avoid condemning anti-Semitism is troubling. On a Contributing Writers Karin Ahbel-Rappe, Halye Aisner, Edgar subsequent AnnArbor.com blog, his response to criticism was to the effect that Jews ask for M. Bronfman, Miriam Brysk, Lisa Franklin, too much. In the previous primary in the same ward, Neal Elyakin was subjected to thinly Karen Freedland, Karla Goldman, Rabbi Aha- veiled anti-Semitic attacks (anti-Zionist, Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his ron Goldstein, Ruth Ellen Gruber, Alexandra ilk call it). Despite sometimes-raucous tactical differences with him, Henry Herskovitz and Halpern, Uriel Heilman, Peretz Hirschbein, Blaine Coleman would interpret the election of Chuck Warpehoski as encouraging progress Rachael Hoffenblum, Shoshana Jackson, for their jihad, and as an invitation to escalate their monomaniacal antics that have disrupted Cindy Klein, Avram Kluger, Kim Reick Kunoff, Joan Levitt, Josh Lipowsky, Nancy Margolis, Soo City Council meetings with endless calls for anti-Israel sanctions. Ji Min, Debra Rubin, Mae Sander, Dina Shtul, by Henry Brysk David Shtulman, Elliot Sorkin, Mati Wagner The Washtenaw Jewish News is a free and inde- pendent newspaper. It is published monthly, Sukkah competition, continued from page 1 with the exception of January and July. It is reg- istered as a Non-profit Michigan Corporation. Opinions expressed in this publication do not Huron Valley Chapter). The AIA is reaching and recognition of their designs. necessarily reflect those of its editors or staff over 5,000 architects and builders throughout The holiday of Sukkot and the building of a Michigan and everyone is encouraged to submit sukkah comprise many universal themes. The a design. Additionally, requests for design sub- basic needs of shelter and the fragility of life are missions have been sent to the various schools symbolized by the sukkah.