Watch Jarc CEO, Shaindle Braunstein, make her famous festive apple challah for Rosh Hashanah with Yenta Girl, Samantha Foon. Click here for the video and recipe!

Thank you to the Ethel Hyman and Rose Kaplan Foundation for sponsoring our annual Shabbat Cookout!

This issue features:

• Jarc's longest-standing employee of 40 years

• A generous family's history in advocacy

• Highlights of summer fun

Click here to read the latest Support Report!

A few weeks ago, 13 people we serve enjoyed a day of rides, games, water slides, seeing farm animals, and more at Michigan's Adventure. Thank you to the Sheila and Leo(z"l) Ordin Social Club Fund for providing this experience!

Here are some of the highlights:

• It was Jeffrey's first time on a roller coaster and he loved it! You can tell by his smile- he's wearing blue in the photo below.

• Vashon rocked a basketball game and won a prize!

• Feeding and petting farm animals was a first for many.

• Bumper cars were a hit, as evidenced by Jason's smiling face below.

• Everyone got a kick out of being able to refill their re-useable cups with fountain drinks all over the park.

After a full day of excitement, everyone was asked on the bus ride home how they would describe their day. Some words included Lovely. Fun. Amazing. Stupendous. Terrific. And most enthusiastically, "This is the best day of my life!"

The Ellen Labes(z"l) Festival Series generously sponsored a Motown concert for those we serve! Below are details, provided by Talia Glass, Jewish Teen Fund Board intern.

This year's Jarc Motown Concert was held in the event room of Temple Shir Shalom. The dance floor was ready and the environment was lit up with lights and smiles of attendees. 

By the time I arrived, seats were filled awaiting the performance. While waiting for the show to begin, people talked, grabbed snacks, and we all were given matching glowing scrunchies. 

Prior to this event, I did not have much knowledge as to what Motown music is but I was delightfully surprised. Motown music is an upbeat version of soul and R&B and it originated right here in Detroit Michigan. 

Singer Carla and pianist Alex blew us all away by playing the hits of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and more over the course of the event. The dance floor was never empty. We all were equipped with our own inflatable instruments to play along as beach balls were thrown across the floor. The songs brought joy to us all as we clapped along to the beat. Echoes of cheers filled the hall as we all sang along to “My Girl” by The Temptations. Dancing with attendees was so delightful and fun. 

The night concluded with a special birthday celebration for some August birthdays before we finished off with an encore performance by Carla and Alex. As clean up commenced the room continued to be filled with hums of Motown music until everyone began to make their way home with our light up scrunchies. 

Jarc’s Motown Concert was an incredible event and I am so glad I was able to attend.

Below are details about Jarc's Birthday Bingo, provided by Talia Glass, Jewish Teen Fund Board intern.

This month’s Jarc Bingo was in honor of Jarc’s 57th birthday. Temple Beth El was filled with decorations of balloons and streamers and everyone donned matching birthday crowns.

After singing happy birthday, I worked with other volunteers to pass out cake to all attendees. It was the consensus between myself and others that both the vanilla and chocolate cakes were delicious. 

Then it was time for what everyone was waiting for: bingo. The number callers began calling out letters and numbers as I waited at the prize table for the first winners of the night. Prizes included socks, calendars, jewelry, nail polish, coloring books, lotion, and much more. The first prizes chosen was a notebook and a water bottle but the sell out items of the night were the calendars and socks. 

As the rounds continued and more numbers were called, the prizes continued to disappear. Each winner was filled with glee picking out their own little treasure. 

By the end of the night multiple rounds were played of different rules and the majority of the prizes were in the hands of attendees. It was an incredibly fun celebration of all that Jarc does and I was so happy I was able to attend. 

Even at 100 years of age, Dr. Paul Feinberg continues to support Jarc. As does his multi-generational family.

Read his inspiring story here!

Jarc Beats & Eats was generously funded by the Ellen Labes(z"l) Festival Series. Below are the details, provided by Talia Glass, Jewish Teen Fund Board intern.

Jarc Beats & Eats was held in a tent outside Temple Beth El, where we were able to enjoy both beautiful weather and music. I arrived early and was able to witness the environment come alive as attendees entered the space. 

Prior to dinner, I was able to get to know Ben, who is served by Jarc, as we discussed each of our favorite things including my favorite animal, a giraffe while Ben’s is a bald eagle. I was then able to interact with many attendees as I worked with fellow volunteers distributing dinner. 

Around this time, the entertainment of the evening, The Bloomfield Hills High School Drumline arrived. I talked with some drumline members and heard how excited they were to perform for everyone. 

The anticipation for the music was building as we witnessed the band warm up. The booms of the drums and the clangs of the cymbals echoed through the tent as the cheers began for the group's opening song. The songs brought joy to us all as we clapped along to the beat. As the set continued, attendees soon made their way to the front and began dancing. Ben graced us with his incredible hip hop moves and Kayla bopped along with other attendees. I watched in awe of the music the drumline was creating and the bliss it was bringing everyone. Once the setlist finished, many attendees created their own music with the students' instruments. I watched as people talked with the students and expressed their gratitude for performing. 

The Jarc Beats & Eats event was an incredible experience to continue to get to know those served by Jarc and have a fun night with some incredible people. 

Hobbies & Hangouts, a program of Making Community Connections, offers classes for the people we serve and those without disabilities to learn together and form relationships. Each class is offered as a series to maximize opportunities for connection. Our latest class, the Nature Series, was attended by Talia Glass, a member of The Jewish Fund Teen Board internship program, generously funded by the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation. Below is Talia's account of the event.

I was lucky enough to attend the first of the series, which focused on nature and the importance of being outside. Initially the plan was to learn to fish, but due to the air quality, Jarc was able to pivot into finding a new indoor activity while still encompassing the essence of nature: making bird feeders. 

At the Johnson Nature Center, attendees and I were met with our incredible instructor Cass, who began by telling us a traditional Ojibway tale on how hummingbirds created the stars. Conflict between the animals continued to boil over until the great spirit, Gitchi Manitou, created a blanket over the sky, blocking out the sun. Each creature attempted to remove the veil but they were all unable to return to the light. Finally the hummingbird asked the larger animals if she could try but the others scoffed and discouraged her. No hummingbird would be able to accomplish what these great animals were unable to do. Even with the demeaning words from her peers, the hummingbird flew up to the sky higher than the eagle and began to poke holes in the sky to let the light in. Seeing her determination, Gitchi Manitou removed the veil of darkness and allowed the day to return and all of the animals were able to live in harmony. 

Following the story, we were given owl pellets and broke them apart to find different bird bones inside. We were provided with a sheet that displayed different bone structures and which animal they belonged to so we were able to match the bones we found. During this period of discovery I was able to talk to some of the attendees. Each person I met was incredibly kind and so invested in the program.

Afterwards, we assembled our own birdcages before placing them outside as different birds and a few squirrels rushed to investigate our new creations. We were then graced with the presence of Johnson Nature Center’s very own Great Horned Owl. This majestic creature astounded everyone with its large presence. 

“My favorite bird is a blue jay,” said Johnathan, who has been served by Jarc since 1999, “I love coming to the Hobbies and Hangouts events and learning new things.”

On July 12, 2020, we hosted a socially distanced, drive-in movie fundraiser at Canterbury Village. With two moving showings, snacks, and beautiful weather, it was all we could do to get everyone together during COVID.