Front Lines NOTEBOOK JNen ine This Week Community-Wide Connector www.JNonline.us Put Your Teen Shelli Liebman Dorfman other's messages, then "welcomed MichiganShuls into my daily routine," To Work! Senior Writer she said. Sosne recently posted her own message about an 8 p.m. Wednesday, The JN is seeking teens eth Raz of Oak Park got an unexpected response to her first Aug. 6, parenting lecture with Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg at Young Israel interested in writing and posting on the MichiganShuls Yahoo group, an online commu- of Oak Park, where she is a Jewish family educator. "Rabbi Goldberg is a photography to help us B nity announcements listing. fantastic speaker and I wanted to reach out to the greater community." cover: the JCC Maccabi After placing a message about her garage sale, set in preparation of a Fischman, who is the group's moderator, now is in the midst Games Aug. 17-21 and year-long move to Israel, she said, "I received an e-mail from someone of a campaign to introduce the 2-year-old site to more members. "A Fair To Remember," a in Israel who saw my post and offered to help us in any way she can Membership has already reached 240 and message posting has expand- Federation-sponsored Israel when we get there." ed from six during the first year to 354 so far in 2008. at 60 celebration at the Raz's listing joined others, including those for homes for sale, softball MichiganShuls members can subscribe to receive e-mails as they Michigan State Fairgrounds leagues being formed and blood drives being planned. "It is a nice way come in, or to receive a daily summary of all e-mails that were distrib- in Detroit Aug. 21. to stay connected and to learning what is going on in the community," uted through the day. Teen stories and photos she said of the medium that reaches hundreds of local Jews. "It includes The group includes a section for members to post links to organiza- will appear in print and on a wide variety of information, including messages about people who tions and Web sites with information relevant to the Detroit Jewish the JN Web sites. Teens will need tefillot (prayers), shiurim (classes), sales and special events!' community. work with JN staff mem- The group also posts messages shivah notices, Fischman also has created a database for local businesses with Jewish bers. memorial services and Purim costume sharing to ownership. "My hope is people will use this when looking for a service Teens also are encour- Jewish day school newsletters and requests for com- and want to support the Jewish-owned businesses in our area',' she said. aged to join the Teen2Teen munity action on behalf of Israel. "When the JN started the 'I Get It' campaign, I thought this was a way staff for the coming year. MichiganShuls was founded by Monica Fischman to help make it easier for the Jewish community to support each other, T2T is featured each month of Southfield, who modeled it after the successful by letting people know what business were owned by members of our in the JN. synagogue-based Yahoo groups she belonged to while community." The database can be accessed by MichiganShuls members. Interested teens should living in New Jersey. "I chose the name MichiganShuls so as to not exclude," Fischman send an e-mail to Story Monica "Most organizations and synagogues have said. "If you live in Michigan and you are Jewish and want to know what Development Editor Keri Fischman their own membership distribution," she said. is going on, this group is for you. Its non-denominational; we take post- Guten Cohen at kcohen® "MichiganShuls is a way for someone who might ings from Orthodox through Reform." thejewishnews.com or call belong to a synagogue or organization in the next city to still see what's Event postings include religious, educational, cultural and social. (248) 351-5144. going on all over. We have had postings from synagogues, as well as Fischman sees metro Detroit as a great place for a Yahoo group that [those including] the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the includes so many areas. "I think one big difference in Michigan versus Latest From Israel Jewish Community Center and the [Jean and Samuel] Frankel Center other areas is that here, we are one big community;' she said. ❑ [for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor]." Check our streaming news Adina Pergament utilizes the group to share information on upcom- from Ynetnews.com for con- ing programs, including the 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, debate on The MichiganShuls Yahoo Group tinuous updates and longer presidential election issues, to be held at the West Bloomfield JCC. "I For information on MichiganShuls, e-mail Monica Fischman at: news, opinion and feature find MichiganShuls to be a great resource, both personally and profes- monicafischman®gmail.com . To join the group, access the Web stories. Click on a scrolling sionally',' said Pergament, the director of Seminars for Adult Jewish site at: groups.yahoo.com/group/MichiganShuls/join or send a story on the left. Enrichment, who posts both SAJE and other JCC events. "It's quick and blank e-mail to: [email protected] . easy way to get the word out about our events — free of charge!" There is no charge to join. Celebrations! First-time poster Aliza Sosne of Oak Park started out just reading Find weekly listings of births, b'nai mitzvah, Pre-Release Movie Screening Minyans In Beijing engagements, weddings Farmington Hills-based JARC's Young Adult Committee will pres- Beijing has had an organized Jewish and anniversaries as well ent an exclusive pre-release screening of Henry Poole Is Here at 7:30 community since China's open-door as past simchahs all online. p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Birmingham 8 Theatre on Old Woodward. policy of the late 1970s. The city's Click on Lifecycles. Producer Gary Gilbert will introduce the film and lead a question- Chabad-Lubavitch and liberal con- and-answer session after the screening. gregations cooperate well, notably on Online Poll Henry Poole is Here tells the funny, poignant and uplifting story of a education. disillusioned man who attempts to hide from life in a rundown subur- Nip And Jewish visitors coming to This week's poll question: ban tract home only to discover he cannot escape the forces of hope. the Chinese capital for the Summer Has your job or business -.. Alratie The movie stars Luke Wilson, Adriana Barraza, Radha Mitchell, Cheryl Beijing 20012‘ Olympics will find plenty of choices been affected by the down- Hines and George Lopez. The director is Mark Pellington. for davening on Friday night and turn in the U.S. economy? Native Detroiter Gary Gilbert is the founder and president of Saturday morning. Visit the JNonline.us Camelot Pictures, a film production and financing company based in While Judaism is not among the five world religions recognized by homepage to vote. Los Angeles. He financed and produced the highly acclaimed feature the Chinese government, foreigners are basically free to observe, as film Garden State starring Zach Braff and Natalie Portman. long as they are diligent about keeping in touch with authorities and Last week's question: Henry Poole is Here premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival registering any activities. Should America boycott the and will open nationwide on Aug. 15. Some 1,500 Jewish residents and a regular flow of Jewish tourists 2008 Olympics in China? Tickets for the JARC event are $18 and can be purchased at www. can pray at the liberal Kehillat Beijing and Chabad services at multiple Last week's poll results: jarc.org or by calling (248) 538-6611. Young Adult Committee chairs locations. Yes: 47% are AJ Falik and Kate Bush. - Jewish Telegraphic Agency No: 53% - Keri Guten Cohen, story development editor A8 July 31 = 2008 .