Cooking for Ukraine

Farber High School students, staff raise money for Ukrainian orphans.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

TOP: Hodaya Ellis, Alyssa Skoczylas, Jordana

Jacobs, Daphna Feldman and Rena Press work

together. BELOW LEFT: Farber student Jordana Jacobs preparing Yerushalmi Kugel. RIGHT: Farber

students Avi Selesny. Aharon Kosofsky and Aviel Siegel hard at work.

Last month, Farber High School students and staff came together to help those in need halfway around the world.

Daphna Feldman, Farber High School’s Hebrew coordinator, watched the news when the war started in Ukraine and, like everybody else, was very upset and disturbed. Feldman then read about children from two Jewish orphanages in Odessa who fled the country seeking refuge and felt something needed to be done.

Together with her faculty, it was decided to launch a fundraising activity.

Feldman and her team decided they were going to cook — making enhancements for the Shabbat Hagadol meal, the Shabbat before Passover. It was decided they would cook the food and sell it with all proceeds raised going to the Jewish children who were forced to leave their orphanages in search of safety. The food

was sold to Farber families and some families from Young Israel of Oak Park.

About 30-35 Farber high school students and five Farber teachers from the Hebrew department did the cooking. The youth organization Bnei Akiva also joined them. The cooking was done in stages and took place over two weeks. The food was cooked out of Farber’s school kitchen and the Young Israel of Oak Park kitchen. Rabbi Sharly Digedker also spent many hours in the kitchen helping out.

“We felt our students should be engaged in something like this, and they should learn when our fellow Jews are in trouble, we need to help them,” Feldman said. “And rather than just go and ask them to bring me a certain amount of money from home, I wanted them involved in doing something and feel they’re actually doing something to help the kids.”

The five-course enhancements included Yerushalmi Kugel, seasoned rice, puff pastry filled with mushrooms, Salatim (Israeli salad) and chocolate cake.

More than 50 families ordered the meals and around $3,000 was raised for the orphans. Feldman said some families donated money. Some families sponsored the fundraiser, giving them a bigger amount of money to help cover their expenses.

Feldman says the students were truly engaged in the fundraiser, which she hoped would be the case.

“I really wanted to stress to them that if we don’t help our fellow Jews wherever they are in trouble, then who is going to help them?” Feldman said. “Indifference is something we don’t live by. We have to show we care, and if we could just put a smile on these Jewish orphans’ faces for Passover, if they can get something new for Passover, that would be nice. I think it’s a very important lesson to teach our students.”

Feldman would like to see other schools do the same thing or something similar to help the cause.

“I’m hoping if other schools read about it, they’ll do something too,” Feldman said. “We need to take care of each other.”

Daphna Feldman, fundraiser organizer, helping prepare the food.

A Conversation with Bernie Smilovitz

CHAIM, Children of Holocaust Survivors in Michigan, welcomes WDIV sports anchor Bernie Smilovitz for a community conversation Thursday, May 12, at 7 p.m. at The Zekelman Holocause Center in Farmington Hills.

Bernie will share stories about his mother, survivor Rita Smilovitz. Channel 4 anchor Devin Scillian will be host.

Attendance is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP

by Tuesday, May 10, to chaim2gen@gmail.com.

Rita and Bernie Smilovitz

SOAR to Hold Mock Trial

The SOAR Mock Trial, a recurring program offered by SOAR Lifelong Learning Institute (formerly the Society of Active Retirees) is back. Produced by Stephen Steinhardt, this popular event puts audience members in the jury box as they listen to a cast of real-life expert witnesses and attorneys who offer testimony as to whether President Gerald Ford was justified in his decision to pardon his predecessor Richard Nixon. At the conclusion of the event, the “jury” will render its decision. This free event will take place attThe Hawk Community Center Auditorium, 29995 W. 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, on Friday, May 6, at 1 p.m.

The two-hour event is structured like a real trial in which the “jury” hears arguments from attorneys and expert witnesses. Attorney Chris Nesi will serve as the prosecutor/ plaintiff and argue that Ford was not justified: the central core of his argument being that whatever other circumstances were involved, the President of the United States must be held to the same or better legal, mora, and ethical standards. Pardoning Nixon when others were convicted and served time set a poor precedent for future presidents and their behavior.

The defense, led by Professor Robert Sedler, Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus at Wayne State University, will argue that by accepting a pardon, there was an admission of guilt: the system worked, Nixon stepped down, it was time to let the country heal. Richard Nixon, played by Judge Michael Warren, will take the stand to attest to the accomplishments of his time in office and that his resignation allowed the country to move on without impeachment hearings. And the final witness, Gerald Ford, played by journalist Jack Lessenberry, will testify his actions were in the best interest of the country, that by accepting the pardon, Nixon admitted guilt. Other witnesses include Other Joe Kosmala, Dana Warnez and John Chmura.

Reservations are required. SOAR follows current CDC COVID guidelines. For more information and tickets, go to www.soarexplore.com or call, (248) 626-0296.