“GETTING TO KNOW YOU “
The first in a series highlighting new and old Temple members

SUE GREEN AND JIM MARKS
Lifelong Detroiters, Sue Green, and Jim Marks are brand-new Temple Beth El members, having officially joined in September 2008. They currently make their home in Southfield and recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. Sue and Jim have two grown sons. Joshua Marks, 24, the youngest, is working his way through the automotive mechanics program at a local Honda dealership. Gabriel Green, 32, is serving our country as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. He and his wife Sarah (high school sweetheart) and grandchildren Katie, age six, and Jack, five months, currently make their home in 29 Palms, California.

Sue fills her days at Brasscraft Manufacturing Corp. in Novi as a manager in their I.T. department and Jim is owner-operator of a small electrical contracting company they simply call Jim Marks Services, Inc. “Our sole purpose of toiling day after day at our chosen professions,” they claim, “is to allow us to take that cherished vacation to visit the untamed, natural world in far off places and scuba dive.”
And why Beth El?

Jim was brought up at Temple Israel, and Sue at Beth Moses. Since their marriage, by Rabbi Loss of Temple Israel, they had been unaffiliated because of the differences in their individual comfort level with any of the services they tried. Sue’s son, Gabe, had become a Bar Mitzvah at Beth Shalom and Jim’s son, Josh, through Workmen’s Circle. It was the Brit Milah of their grandson, Jack, this past summer that served as a wakeup call that something was missing in their lives. They tried different shuls again. It was the combination of the Shabbat service, and the warmth of Rabbi Syme, Keren Alpert and our Temple members that made them feel at home at Beth El. From there it was a very simple decision.
Says Jim, ”We would like to take this moment to say thank you to all of the clergy, staff, volunteers, and members of the congregation who have all encouraged us to further our studies of Torah and made us feel right at home as part of the Beth El family.”

APPLICANTS BEING ACCEPTED
FOR PROJECT JOIN

College students interested in Jewish communal work experience are invited to apply for the Jeanette and Oscar Cook Jewish Occupational Intern (JOIN) program next summer. Eight-week paid summer internships at Jewish communal service agencies are available to full-time college students who are area residents. Interns will work with professionals in business administration, marketing, communications, research, program planning, human services and community relations. Written applications for JOIN are now being accepted; interviews will be held through January 30. JOIN is administered by JVS.
For an application or information, contact Debra Silver at JVS, 248-233-4233 or dsilver@jvsdet.org.