Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/895657
24 November 2 • 2017 jn jews d in the F or nearly a week, people liv- ing in 12 Oakland County communities were advised to boil water used for drinking, preparing food and more after a line break potentially contami- nated water supplies the evening of Monday, Oct. 23. The next morning, fitness enthusiasts wishing to get in a workout at the Jewish Community Center of Metro Detroit in West Bloomfield were out of luck and students at Frankel Jewish Academy got a "water boil" day off to catch up on their sleep and study one more day for upcoming exams. In general, schools, synagogues and senior residences through- out the Jewish community in Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield and Farmington Hills took the situation in stride, implemented safety procedures as directed by the Oakland County health and safety guidelines — including ensuring toilets could flush and sprinklers were in work- ing order — and counted their blessings compared to those long suffering in hurricane-ravaged areas of the United States as well as residents in Flint, who endured poisoned water supplies for nearly two years. Across the region, schools and buildings closed on Tuesday when it was unsure if there would be any water supply at all and to also prepare their sites for the coming week by closing water fountains and setting up water bottle distri- bution centers and hand-sanitiz- ing stations. Come Oct. 25, the JCC and the FJA campus reopened. Water foun- tains were sheeted with plastic and the locker rooms, showers and saunas remained closed. FJA students were sup- plied with water bottles and extra hand-sanitiz- ing stations. "We made do just like everyone else," Bryan Gottlieb, FJA director of marketing and com- munications, said. "The students were very responsible and other than the fact we lost a day of Spirit Week [ for Homecoming], the situ- ation put things like [the plight of the people in] Puerto Rico in perspec- tive. It was a minor inconvenience. The big- gest headache for staff was that we couldn't make coffee." The only programs that remained closed throughout the water boil advisory were the pool and the Sarah and Irving Pitt Child Development Center. On Oct. 25 the JCC released the following statement regarding its decision to prolong these closures: "Under these conditions, we are not able to operate as normal. We will continue to update you as more information is shared with us from Oakland County. We recognize that this is an inconve- nience to parents and hope that it will be resolved sooner than anticipated." Hillel Day School of Metro Detroit was also closed Oct. 24 but opened for the remainder of the week, as did many public schools across the affected region. Head of School Steve Freedman released the following statement last Tuesday evening announcing the reopening of the school: "The safety of our students and staff is always the top priority. The school did not lose its running water and all bathrooms remained operational. Water fountains were either blocked or shut off and the school purchased cases of bottled water for drinking; the cafeteria was open for lunch using boiled water for cooking, and cleaning pots and utensils and bottled water for food preparation." The staff and administrators at Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit also acted quickly, first informing senior residents and their caregivers about the situation and then securing safe supplies of water for drinking and cooking, said Nancy Heinrich, JSL CEO. While some residents with open wounds were advised not to bathe with tap water because of increased risk of infection, Heinrich said the staff worked quickly to modify the kitchens where meals are prepared and served three times each day in assisted living and memory care residencies and five dinners per week in independent living resi- dences. Every resident received one gallon of water per day that was delivered to their doorsteps. The kitchen staff worked with gal- lons of bottled water to cook and prepare meals and switched glass and silverware to disposable paper and plastic cutlery. "We consider ourselves fortu- nate that none of our residences lost water pressure to flush toilets; but if that were the case, we had other additional emergency proce- dures to be put in place," Heinrich said. "Our residents have been phenomenal and heeded the cau- tions, and we all did the best we could to keep our residents com- fortable and supplied with clean drinking water." By Sunday, Oct. 29, all commu- nities but sections of Farmington Hills got the all-clear from Oakland County that water was safe after residents and buildings took the proper post-advisory procedures to flush their water systems from pos- sibly contaminated water. • FJA history teacher Joe Bernstein hands out water bottles to juniors Ben Goldstein and Russell Presser during the Oakland Co. water crisis. STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Inconvenient — But Manageable Jewish institutions take Oakland County boil water advisory in stride. The fourth annual "An Evening with Friends" of Jewish Senior Life ( JSL) in memory of Jeffrey Zaslow (previ- ously known as Media Night) will be returning to the Berman Center for the Performing Arts, located on the Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. The evening will feature concert pia- nist David Syme per- forming Springsteen to show tunes, along with special guests Temple Israel's Cantor Michael Smolash and the Hillel Day School choir. Friends of Jewish Senior Life supports the mission of JSL and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults in the Detroit Jewish community by provid- ing financial support and resources for social, educational, spiritual and cultural programs. It also operates gift shops in several JSL residences along with Marvin's Bistro in the Fleischman Residence. The group supplies holiday flowers and runs the annual Walk of Ages fundraiser, along with other sup- ports for JSL residents. "We are thrilled to welcome inter- nationally renowned pianist David Syme back home to Detroit for his only local performance," said Friends of Jewish Senior Life Director Leslie Katz. "The event will be a celebration of great music and spirit and proceeds will support programs and services that benefit older adults." Syme, an American piano virtuoso living in Ireland, has had a long and colorful career. He has performed in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, and in major venues in 17 European coun- tries, Canada and Mexico. "I'm pleased to be returning home to Michigan to help such a wonderful cause," Syme said. "I truly hope all my friends and family, along with JSL sup- porters, will come out and raise some much-needed funds for the organiza- tion and have some fun while doing it." The event, which was launched in 2014, will also serve as a tribute and honor the legacy of the late Jeffrey Zaslow, who, along with his wife, Sherry Margolis, were great volunteers and supporters of JSL. Ticket prices are $36 and $54. There's also a $118 exclusive patrons event ticket, which includes a private reception with David Syme and a signed CD. For more information and to purchase tickets, call JSL's Beth Tryon at (248) 592-5026 or visit www. jslmi.org/events/annual-jeff-zaslow- media-event. • An Evening With Friends Daniel Syme