Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit

Florine MarkPresident

Mark A. LitExecutive Director

David StoneAssociate Executive Director

Leslee MagidsonAssistant Executive Director

Mary CeciController

Kimberly RaznikDirector of Operations

D. Dan & Betty Kahn BuildingEugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus

6600 W. Maple RoadWest Bloomfield, MI 48322

248.661.1000

Jimmy Prentis Morris BuildingA. Alfred Taubman Jewish Community Campus

15110 W. Ten Mile RoadOak Park, MI 48237

248.967.4030

www.jccdet.org

Summer 2013

2013

Summer 2013

Come to the EdgeThe Jewish CommuniTy CenTer of meTropoliTan DeT r o i T

Fall 2013

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

4 Meet the JCC StAFF

MattCooperofCenterFitnessinOakPark

5 Meet the JCC LAy LeADeRS

HowardIwrey,JCCExecutiveCommittee

6 heRe’S LooKing At you, KiDS!

WhythePittCDCisagreatplacetobe.

8 BACKStAge with eLAine

Thesecretsandmemorablestoriesoflifeat TheBermanCenterforthePerformingArts.

10 tAKe A Bite out oF thiS!

Yummyrecipesanddeliciousdishes. Thisissue:anewchallahforRoshHashanah andsomethingsweetfromMississippi.

12 the SeCRet LiFe oF the JCC

Ahiddenstaircase.Acuriouscollectionofobjects. IntroducingsurprisingplacesattheJCCinOakPark andWestBloomfield.

14 one woRLD

JCCwelcomestheJewishGayNetwork.

15 you Know it!

FindingaJewishconnectiontoabsolutelyeverything–plussomereallyweirdstuff.

16 PiCtuReS PeRFeCt

AlookatJCCsinyearspast

18 CeLeBRAte

HappyRoshHashanah!

19 JCC By the nuMBeRS Acompellingcollectionoftidbits.

What’s Inside

Welcome to the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit’s CometotheEdge!

In each issue, we’ll introduce you to life at the JCC: our programs, staff, lay leaders and friends, our community. Along the way, we hope you’ll learn something you didn’t know and have a lot of fun.

The JCC is a place where everyone is welcome and where everyone feels at home. At the same time, we encourage you to step out of the familiar, to “come to the edge”:

Stop saying “one day” and join a Center Fitness yoga or spin class now; attend an Annual Jewish Book Fair or SAJE lecture on a subject that’s totally new to you; take the plunge and learn to swim at the JCC Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy; come to The Berman for a play or a film that’s anything but your typical fare.

Come to the edge; you are surrounded by friends and family, and you can fly.

Have an idea, a question or a comment? Please e-mail eapplebaum@jccdet.org.

Thanks for stopping by. We’re glad you’re here!

ElizabethApplebaum,editorErikaKeri,graphicdesignerMikeMcGettigan,webmaster

the MiSSion of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit

is to insure Jewish continuity, to support Jewish unity, to enrich Jewish life

and to participate in and promote the well being of the Jewish and general

community and the people of Israel.

“Come to the edge.”“We can’t. We’re afraid.”“Come to the edge.”“We can’t. We will fall!”“Come to the edge.”And they came.And he pushed them. And they flew.~ Guillaume Apollinaire

Name:

Matt Cooper

Job title: Assistant Director of Fitness, Oak Park

Job responsibilities: I play a role in all aspects of day-to-day operations of the fitness club, including staff scheduling, payroll, equipment maintenance and supply orders. I’m also one of our certified personal trainers, I maintain our Facebook page and I produce a monthly newsletter.

How long have you worked at the JCC?11 years total (the last eight years I’ve been full-time)

What’s your favorite part of your job? The best part of my job is that no two days are ever the same. It’s not uncommon for me to attend a meeting, train a client, brew a pot of coffee and fix a TV all within a few hours! I’ve also been able to develop great relationships with many of our members and my co-workers over the years, and that definitely makes it enjoyable to work here.

Meet the JCC Staff Meet the JCC Lay Leaders

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Name:

howard iwrey

Professional work title:Attorney and member of Dykema Gossett; chair of the Antitrust and Trade Regulation Department

Title with the JCC:At-large member of the Executive Committee

What do you like best about working with the JCC?The challenge and the reward. The JCC means many things to many people. It is the social, educational and cultural center for our Jewish community. It is also a business that competes in the private sector and therefore must offer best in class services and facilities. It is a satisfying and rewarding job to attempt to meet the needs of the diverse JCC stakeholders.

Tell us a little about you.I was born in Detroit (Sinai Hospital, of course) and spent the first 11 years of my life in Detroit and enjoyed the JCC on Outer Drive as a young child. My family moved to West Bloomfield a few years before the JCC opened. I recall giving tours of the extremely muddy construction site. I graduated from West Bloomfield High School and received my undergraduate (Economics and Political Science) and graduate (Law) degrees from the University of Michigan.

In my spare time, I enjoy sailing. I sail a Catalina 30 Tall Rig (the MightyRuach2) out of the North

Star Sail Club in Harrison Twp. Last year, the MightyRuach2 (with the help of a very good crew of seven) won the International Catalina Association North American Championship. I also enjoy attempting to play ice hockey and golf, and working out at the JCC Health Club.

Tell us about your family.Carolyn (who I met in my sophomore year at Michigan) and I have been married for 29 years. Carolyn is a bar and bat mitzvah tutor at Temple Israel and owns Clearspace Organizing, which handles home organizing, moves and estate sales.

We are the proud parents of two boys, Jack, who will be a freshman at the University of Michigan, and Daniel, who holds a BFA in Musical Theater from Tulane University and is pursuing a Masters of Music at New York University. Daniel is also an adjunct professor of Voice at NYU and hopes to have a career on Broadway.

What’s your favorite movie?“Office Space”

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Tell us a little about you:I was born in Detroit and grew up in Oak Park. I went to Berkley schools, then to Michigan State, where I graduated in 2004. After living in Royal Oak for a few years, I moved back to Oak Park with my girlfriend Sally and our two dogs, Perry and Stewie. We enjoy spending much of our time outdoors, whether it’s biking, running or just taking the dogs for a walk. I love living in this area, and having most of my immediate family within a few minutes away makes it even better.

What’s the last great book you read?It’s hard to pick one out, but I’ve recently gotten into the Gabriel Allon Israeli spy series by Daniel Silva.

What’s one of your secret talents? I’m very good at pop culture trivia.

If you could take a vacation any-where in the world it would be to…Anywhere tropical with lots of heat, sand and turquoise water.

Describe your perfect day:A perfect day would be gathering in the backyard with family, friends and the dogs (if they’re behaved), enjoying good food and drink. It doesn’t take much to satisfy me!

Here’s Looking at You, Kids!

The Pitt CDC is the only Jewish early childhood center in Metro Detroit that is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Founded in 1926, the NAEYC is a nonprofit association that focuses on improving the well-being of children, with particular emphasis on the quality of educational and developmental services for children from birth through age 8. Based in Washington, D.C., the NAEYC offers certification only to the most qualified child development centers which have passed a rigorous self-study of education and safety.

Studies* throughout the United States show that children who attend early childhood education programs are more likely: ✿ To pass state literacy and math

assessments, to graduate from high school, to find it unnecessary to repeat a grade

✿ To find employment ✿ To have a higher income✿ To have positive family

relationships as adults

A 2012 study, commissioned by a task force including former Pitt CDC parents, JCC board members and executive staff, and early childhood experts from the Jewish Community Centers Association, found that parents had overwhelmingly positive comments about the Pitt CDC, including observations that:✿ The Pitt CDC is a safe environment

for children✿ Children gained outstanding

academic skills and were well-prepared for elementary school

✿ Technological training is essential for today’s children, and the Pitt CDC does an excellent job providing these tools

✿ Class sizes are very good

✿ The Pitt CDC facility is terrific. Especially noted were a cooking room, playgrounds, the romp-and-roll room and the pool

✿ The Pitt CDC offers top-notch enrichment classes including music, science, swimming lessons and Hebrew language

✿ The flexible hours make it easy for families to choose the option that’s best for them, from a few half days to five full days

✿ Jewish families at all levels of observance feel comfortable in the program, while families from the general community say that their children enjoy the school’s Jewish cultural events

* Sources on early childhood education and future success include the Yale University Child Study Center, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Chicago Longitudinal Study, the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University.

One Parent’s Perspective…

“Whenevermydaughterissociallyinteractingwithotherchildren,the

parentsseemtobeamazedatmydaughter’sadvanceddevelopment.

TheyareevenmoreimpressedthatshecanreciteherABCs,knowsher

colorsandshapesandcancountto13,allbeforeturning2.

“Icreditmydaughter’sadvancementstothefantasticcareandattention

shegetsattheJCC’sPittChildDevelopmentCenterinWestBloomfield.

Sheisnotonlyblossomingacademically,sheisalsogrowingsocially

andemotionally.

“Moreover,sheislearningvaluablelifeskillssuchasgoodmanners,

sharing,andpickingupafterherself.Asateacher,Iknowchildrenexcel

whentheyareprovidedwithapositiveenvironment,strongcurriculum,

andtop-notchteachers,allthethingsyoucanfindattheSarah&Irving

PittChildDevelopmentCenter.

“Iwouldn’tthinkofsendingmydaughteranywhereelse.”

Alisa Vensko

Do you know your ABCs about the JCC’s Pitt Child Development Center?

A – Accreditation

B – Best Results

C – Clear Benefits

6

BACKStAge WITH ELAINEThe secrets and memorable stories of life at The Berman Center for the Performing Arts

i am often asked: What’s it like working with famous people at The Berman? i can only answer with a story.

When I was in my early 20s, I was hired as production manager for

a portion of the R. Kelly, “I Believe I can Fly” tour.

I remember not being able to rent a car because I was younger than 25, and now I would be in charge of everything from ordering the towels to ordering the flights, from running the rehearsals to writing commercials, from producing advertisements to keeping the produc- tions on time - to name a few things.

I told my Grandpa that I was very nervous about this job because I was just…well…me, and the people on the tour were at the height of their fame, including LL Cool J, of whom I was a fan. I knew I could successfully manage people in Michigan theatre, but what about famous people? My Grandpa responded with something that sticks with me every day: “Elaine, everyone puts his pants on one leg at a time.”

“I know,” I said, “but these people have people who do that for them.”

He said: “Treat them all like they are the other person and you will be fine.”

You see, not only was my Grandpa amazing at doing just about everything, he also knew just about everything.

The first day, I had to walk into LL Cool J’s dressing room.

My hands were shaking, and I was sweating… but I did exactly what Grandpa said. I treated the manager like he was just as important as LL Cool J, and I treated LL Cool J like he was just as normal as the manager. It worked! I started to relax and soon realized that these people weren’t icons…they were people, and I stopped shaking.

Later that day, I saw a nervous-looking man, wearing a baseball

hat, in the hallway. I asked him if he was okay. He said: “I don’t like standing in this hallway, and my dressing room is being cleaned.” I realized I was talking to R. Kelly; that’s how we met.

This moment would be pivotal for my entire life. I said, “Well, come sit with me in my office,” and he did. We had a nice talk about his concert, the huge SUV he drove on stage, why he wanted scaffolding, his favorite dessert, my favorite type of chocolate, a bar in town we were going to for a press event later and how we both love Chicago. Then his manager came in and said that the dressing room was ready. R. Kelly thanked me for giving him a safe place to sit, and he went on his way.

Later, at rehearsal, I heard my name spoken over a microphone at a 20,000-seat concert venue. It’s a very neat thing to hear your name bounce off a hill. It’s even better to know that a person who’s surrounded by that much fame trusts you.

8

And that’s how the rest of the tour went. It was marvelous,

the performers were wonderful, and I figured out that famous people are actually people first, famous second.

So, what’s it like working with famous people? Like working with people.

elaine (hendriks) Smith hails from Fraser, Michigan. She grew up with a love of the theatre which she learned from her family, none of whom are professional artists. At a young age, elaine saw Peter Pan fly in a live production, and she was sold on theatre. At 15, she received her first award for building 24 beards for a production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” which began a career in theatrical design and manage- ment that has spanned more than two decades.

elaine was a deputy director of Matrix theatre Company, is an alumna of the Second City, was artistic director of the historic gem & Century theatres and has created intern and youth programs in Michigan and Minnesota. She was production manager and lighting designer for last year’s off-Broadway run “Say goodnight gracie” and is a member of Actor’s equity Association.

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11

Southern born and bred,

Brenda Ware Jones has learned to incorporate

healthier options into her region’s not-so-healthy cuisine.

A vegetarian for the past 20 years (who still cooks meat for her carnivore husband), Brenda loves taking advantage of the seasonal farmers’ markets in Mississippi. Travels to Italy,

France and Great Britain have added many recipes to her

files. This one, loosely based on a dish she remembers fondly from a small inn in Yorkshire, can also be made with butternut squash.

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Sagewhat could be nicer than sitting with friends in your sukkah

as the afternoon turns into a bright, cool evening, and you dine on this absolutely scrumptious dish?

Recipe by Brenda Ware Jones

5 medium sweet potatoes

2 red pears, peeled and diced fine

1 stick butter

8 oz. mascarpone cheese

1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar

1 T. dried rubbed sage

3 tsp. cinnamon

salt, to taste

1/2 cup milk

Peel and chop potatoes, then boil until tender. Drain.

Add pears and butter; stir until potatoes are blended but still a bit lumpy.

Add mascarpone and seasoning, and then blend well. Stir in milk.

Top with caramelized pecans and crisp-fried sage leaves. Bake at 350 until bubbly.

By erin gleeson for the Forest Feast, www.theforestfeast.com

Caramelized Pecans and Sage Topping1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup fresh, whole sage leaves

3 T. butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

Heat butter and sugar in skillet; stir

until bubbly and thoroughly mixed.

Cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes ropy.

Stir in pecans and toss to coat.

Add sage leaves; coat carefully so as not to tear them.

Let mixture cool, and then crumble atop sweet potatoes.

A hiDDen StAiRCASe. A CuRiouS CoLLeCtion oF oBJeCtS.A gReAt FieLD oR A PLACe to FinD the veRy oBJeCt youR heARt DeSiReS. A LooK At SoMe oF the JCC’S tReASuReS.

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The Red BalloonHanging on a bulletin board just above the desk of Rachel Ruskin, director of the JCC’s Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival, is a red balloon in a box.

Here’s the lovely and true story (which Rachel heard from her sister, Julie Ohana), behind the balloon:

A little girl lived with her family on a farm where, one day, a chicken fell into a hole.

Her father asked the girl to make certain the chicken got out securely. As she did, the girl fell into the hole, and she could not get out. She screamed, she tried to climb along the sides; nothing worked. Then all of a sudden she caught a glimpse of a beautiful red balloon overhead – and soon she was out of the hole.

What does it all mean?

A million things – and all of them bright.

Most important to Rachel is what it means about what one person can be for others. She encourages them to be a red balloon: help someone else get out of a hole; when you know someone needs a hand, be there; don’t simply talk about doing nice acts – do them, and then don’t pat yourself on the back for it; give hope; reach out; be generous; be there.

Hall of HeroesA staggering 20 million Soviet soldiers and citizens died during World War II.

The names and photos of Jewish soldiers who served, with exceptional bravery, in the Soviet Army can be found in a memorable display at the JCC: the young and handsome Yuliy Polakov, and Lyuba Ruban, her shirt laden with (mostly red, of course) medals, and hundreds more.

Where to find it?☛ JCCinOakPark.Enterthebuildingandtakethefirstleft,thenaquickright,thenanotherleft.TurnrightafterSara’sDeli;wallisontheright.

Something FishyNeed a break from crazy-busy life?

Fish may be the answer.

According to “The Effects of Watching Aquariums on Elders’ Stress,” published in 1990 in Anthrozoos, the simple act of watching fish swim back and forth can lower blood pressure and make anyone feel more relaxed.

No fish of your own? No problem.

Shalom Street Museum is home to a delightful collection of fish who, for absolutely no charge, will be happy to help you de-stress. Just sit there and gaze at those cute little guys, including a very friendly yellow fish (who often comes right up to the edge of his bowl to look at you, too) and a snazzy three-stripe damselfish, for as long as you like.

Bonus: Be sure to ask Shalom Street’s Assistant Director, Andee Lieberman, about the museum’s serpent starfish. A little creepy, but a lot of fun.

Where to find it?☛ ShalomStreet,JCCinWestBloomfield.

You Are So Beautiful To MeLooking to bring some quality works of art to your home?

This past spring Pablo Picasso’s “Le Rêve” sold for $155 million.

Two years ago, Paul Cezanne’s “The Card Players” went for $259 million.

Or maybe you’re trying to tighten up on your budget – but would still like to buy something extraordinarily beautiful.

The Jewish Community Center hosts the Farber Adult Art classes, taught by Harriet Gelfond, each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Some of the wonderful works the students have created are on display and available for purchase. Paintings start at about $50, and subjects vary from landscapes to a wedding couple to a sunset.

Where to find it?☛ JCCinOakPark;simplyturntoyourleftasyouenterthebuilding.

Little Red Caboose, Chug, Chug, ChugIt’s good to be a little kid at the JCC.

Don’t miss the charming red travel car used to take tiny ones for rides (four at a time). Be sure to wave when you see kids passing by!

Where to find it?☛ AllaroundtheJCCinOakPark.

A Jazzy Splash of ColorIt wakes you up! It says, “Hey, take a look at me!” It’s sharp and bright and fun.

The doors of the Janice Charach Gallery were created by artist Janet Kelman, based on a painting by the gallery’s namesake, the late Janice Charach. It’s a modern splash of yellow like a sun, deep blue, red and green and brown and black.

Where to find it?☛ TheJaniceCharachGallery,JCCinWestBloomfield.

Where to find it?☛ LenoreMarwilFilmFestivalofficesatTheBermanCenterforthePerformingArts,JCCinWestBloomfield.

JCC Welcomes the Jewish Gay Network Finding a Jewish connection to absolutely everything – plus some really weird stuff.

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The RAY team

➲ Albert einstein faced a number of challenges when he was a child. When Albert was 5 years old and forced to stay in bed with an illness, his father brought a pocket compass to his son, who quickly became completely absorbed. It may, in fact, have been this very compass that led to Einstein’s endless interest in how things work.

➲ want to place a note in the Kotel but can’t make it to israel? There are a number of online options that will do this for you at no cost. Visit http://www.tehillimclub.com/page.php?page=24.

➲ While in Tel Aviv recently, actor Ashton Kutcher told fans: “israel is near and dear to my heart.”Kutcher was on his fourth visit to the country, attending a conference with his business partner, the Israel-born Guy Oseary (Madonna’s manager), from the venture capital firm A-Grade.

Kutcher praised Israel’s hi-tech know-how, noting Israel’s “wealth of knowledge that [is] creating really gigantically valuable, innovative ideas.”

➲ thanks to a group of israeli scientists, blind Americans just had their first chance to use a smart phone that not only easily allows them to make phone calls but lets them use the Internet, send text messages, access audio books and magazines and recognize various denominations of dollar bills.

Project RAY’s team includes veterans of the Israeli telecommunications industry and is headed by Boaz Zilberman, who told the TimesofIsrael, “I think we have

developed a life-changing device that will make life much easier for blind people.”

The RAY phone allows navigations through touch and voice. A person touches a certain spot on the phone screen and a voice identifies the location, and then guides the user to exactly what he needs. When placed atop a dollar bill, RAY’s camera will announce its denomination. RAY also can identify colors and contains a GPS.

➲ Looking for something a little creepy to do while in vegas?How about meeting up with Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel?

In December 1946, Siegel opened the Flamingo Hotel & Casino, which he named in honor of his girlfriend Virginia Hill, whom the mobster called “Flamingo” because of her long and thin legs.

The Flamingo cost $6 million to build and was described as the world’s most luxurious hotel when it opened.

Though Bugsy was murdered in 1947, his ghost has since frequently been spotted at the famous hotel – and he still likes to do things in style. Siegel’s favorite haunt is said to be the Flamingo’s presidential suite.

The Jewish Gay Network (JGN) recently became an agency of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit.

With offices at the JCC in West Bloomfield, the JGN is under the auspices of the JCC’s Arts, Culture and Education department and will both present its own events and serve as a co-sponsor of regular JCC programs.

“TheJGNhasservedanimportantroleinourcommunity,teachingcompassion,understandingandacceptance,”said JCC Executive Director Mark A. Lit. “IamdelightedthattheyhavechosentoofficiallyunitewiththeJCCtofurtherthesegoals.”

The JGN was established in 2004 with the mission to serve all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Jews, their families and friends. JGN activities include:

♦ Presenting educational programs on diversity, bullying and inclusion in religious schools

♦ Hosting Shabbat dinners and pre-holiday text study classes

♦ Co-sponsoring LGBT-themed films at the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival, LGBT authors at the Annual Jewish Book Fair and gay-friendly events at the JCC Stephen Gottlieb Music Festival

♦ Family and Friends, a discussion-support group that welcomes all LGBT individuals, their families, friends and allies

♦ Developing educational programs and materials for rabbis, community leaders, teachers and mental-health professionals who serve the Jewish community

♦ Representing the Jewish community at the annual Motor City Pride Festival every summer

“TheJGN’sforemostconcernisforthosewhoarestrugglingwiththeirsexualidentity,”JGN President Michael Phillips

said.“WeknowthatthepresenceofJGNservesasacomforttothosewhoarejustwatchingfromadistance,andwewelcomethosewhoarebeginningthejourneyofcomingout.”

For information, please contact Michael Phillips at 248.432.5661, mphillips@jccdet.org or www.jgnmi.org.

Famous gay and Lesbian Jews:

Roberta Achtenberg, formerassistantsecretaryofHUD

Leonard Bernstein, composerandconductor

Lionel Blue, firstopenlygayrabbiintheUnitedKingdom

Aaron Copland, composer

George Cukor, filmdirector

Fred Ebb, lyricist

Debbie Friedman, singerandsongwriter

Victor Garber, actor

Judy Gold, comedian

Lesley Gore, singer

Lorenz Hart, lyricist

Jerry Herman, composerandlyricist

Nitzan Horowitz, firstopenlygayperson tobeelectedtotheKnesset

Isaac Mizrahi, designer

Lou Reed, guitarist

Maurice Sendak, authorandillustrator

Stephen Sondheim, composerandlyricist

Michael Tilson Thomas, composerandconductor

A look at Detroit JCCs in years past

1716

Staff at the health club at the JCC on Meyers Road: (top row, from left) Lily Bailey, Lottie Baker and Norma Farrel; (bottom row) Marion Klingman, Sylvia Zukin, Reva Usher

Photo by Irene B. Bayer

A meeting at the JCC on Woodward Avenue: (back row, from left)Bessie Carron, Sarah Avrin, Eva Lang; (front row) Gittel Garber, Rose Granits, Iva Drapkin, Minna Kramer

Photos by Bob Benyas

Sports champs at the JCC on Meyers Road

Photo by Irene B. Bayer

A nursery school class at the JCC on Broadstreet in Detroit in February 1958.

Photo by Benyas-Kaufman

Battle of the Bands, a popular JCC Club, in 1966

Photo by Walter Kamm

Striking a completely natural pose, budding young Einsteins, with JCC staff member Marshall Rubin (center), in a photo taken during Junior Science class at the JCC on Meyers Road, circa 1965.

Photo by Irene B. Bayer

Aliens at the JCC? No! Just participants in a 1967 JCC summer camp, envisioning the amazing world of tomorrow!

Lucy Siegel and Sam Pine, Detroit delegates to the Conference of Golden Agers, held in Chicago in 1958. Taken at the JCC on Broadstreet.

Photo by Benyas-KaufmanPhotos courtesy of the Leonard N. Simmons Jewish Community Archives

This year, Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of Thursday,

September 4 and lasts for two days, the first and second of the Hebrew month of Tishrei.

Rosh Hashanah includes festive meals and symbolic food; braided challahs are especially popular, but the most famous food is apples and honey, eaten as an expression of hopes for a sweet new year. (Please stop by the JCC around this time and help yourself to a free apple and honey stick at the front desk!)

Here are a few interesting facts about the holiday:

✡ “Rosh Hashanah” is Hebrew for “head of the year.” The holiday marks the beginning of the new year and commemorates the creation of the world.

✡ The Torah, in Leviticus 23:24 and 29:1, says that we are to observe Rosh Hashanah, though the name of the holiday is not directly stated.

✡ Rosh Hashanah begins the three- week holiday season that continues with Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah.

✡ One of the most famous traditions of Rosh Hashanah is to blow the shofar, made from the horn of a kosher animal (usually a ram). The shofar is sounded during Musaf, the prayer that follows the Torah reading.

Want to bring a little magic into your holiday?

TheMeahShaarimneighborhoodofJerusalemishometoarestaurantfamousforitsapplekugel.Here’stherecipe,whichisbotheasyanddelicious!

7 green apples, sliced thin

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup brown sugar with cinnamon

Place brown sugar and cinnamon mix in the bottom of an 8"x8" pan.

Combine remaining ingredients, then pour this over the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Sprinkle top lightly with a bit more cinnamon, then place in pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until golden on top.

Chag Sameach – Happy Rosh Hashanah – Happy New Year!

Celebrate!Celebrate!

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JCC by the numbers

3,000Average number of towels used at Center Fitness in Oak Park in one

week Yowza! That’s a lot of laundry, and thanks to the great team in

Oak Park, the job gets done. On a typical day, they wash

10 loads of towels.

900-1,000The average number of basketball

players who hit the JCC in Oak Park for a game in one month

12The number of times in a day

Ronda Brodsky, West Bloomfield Center Splash director, is likely to hear “The water in the pool

is too hot,” or “The water in the pool is too cold.”

432Average number of golf balls used

at the Annual Dr. Larry D. Sills Memorial JCC Golf Classic

(Not that there are 432 players, though. So while we’re not

suggesting that some of those golf balls disappear in water or in bushes or may even go way

out of range, maybe even to Kalamazoo, well…)

35,000Number of water bottles needed for the upcoming JCC Maccabi Games & ArtsFest. In case you

haven’t heard the buzz… the Games & ArtsFest is headed

to Detroit next summer! Let’s all drink – water – to that!

350 (Fall)

500(Winter)

400(Spring)

170 (Summer)Average number of players

in the Kenny Goldman Basketball League

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