Holiday Time is Coming Soon

November 30th, 2024 Posted by Wendy Uncategorized 0 thoughts on “Holiday Time is Coming Soon”

Just as we have in years past, we have big plans to bring some joy to every Pasteur family. This year, we’re starting early with a book-give-away. Our plan was to give every Pasteur student a new book to take home before they went on Thanksgiving break. This has been delayed due to the COVID cleaning (read further for more information). They will get the books when they return to school this week.

Before Christmas vacation begins, all 304 students will receive a bag of new art supplies (crayons and colored pencil, art pads, Play-Doh, and an activity book and a book to read) that will definitely keep them busy and creative during the school break.

For 15+ families, who are in the greatest need (several of which are considered “homeless” – living with family members or in temporary housing), we are planning a special surprise. As we have in past years, the Friends will “adopt” these families to insure that every child receives holiday gifts. We will be sending new clothes, books and toys to the kids in each home, newborn to 18.

While the time and talent of our volunteers is free, these things come with a price tag. To accomplish all that we have planned, we need your help! You showed up big last year and we believe that this year can be even better. These gifts will cost upwards of $5,000.

Please consider making a gift, as our help for the holiday may be the only gifts they receive, by sending a check to the address below or donating on our website www.friendsofpasteur.org. You can feel good about your gift making a direct impact on a family!

The Eisenberg Outdoor Classroom at Pasteur

November 30th, 2024 Posted by Wendy Uncategorized 0 thoughts on “The Eisenberg Outdoor Classroom at Pasteur”

Thanks to an incredible donation by Kenny Eisenberg, Pasteur will be getting a new outdoor structure that will serve as a classroom and activity center. The kids will be able to go outside, rain or shine, to have classroom instruction, reading time, or work on science experiments. This area will also be the perfect place in warm weather for school programs and receptions. The students and teachers are really excited to have a new learning environment and look forward to the completion of this project.

Rosa Parks Event

March 7th, 2024 Posted by MARCY FELDMAN Uncategorized 0 thoughts on “Rosa Parks Event”

Friends of Pasteur host educational program about Rosa Parks

February 1 & 2, 2024

This article by Shari Cohen was in the Detroit Jewish News 2/22/24

Rosa Parks is recognized as one of the foremost pioneers of the Civil Rights Movement — a soft-spoken, dignified African American woman who wouldn’t give up her seat for a white man on a Montgomery city bus. Her subsequent arrest led to a boycott of Montgomery’s segregated public bus system by local African Americans and a hard-earned early success for the civil rights movement.

The Friends of Pasteur, a local nonprofit that provides enrichment for Detroit’s Pasteur Elementary School students, brought Parks to life with a special gift from Ron Cohen, a 1962 Pasteur graduate, and his wife, Christie Smith. With their donation, an amazing Rosa Parks re-enactor from Montgomery, Alabama — Ann Clemons — visited Detroit for educational presentations at Pasteur School, New Prospect Memorial Baptist Church in Detroit and Temple Shir Tikvah in Troy

Cohen saw Clemons’ reenactment of Rosa Parks on a trip to civil rights sites organized last year by Cary Levy, a long-time friend and corresponding secretary for the Friends of Pasteur. “She really portrayed the problems of Montgomery. She was phenomenal,” Cohen said. While he has lived in Oregon for many years, Cohen has contributed to the Friends of Pasteur since its inception and attended some board meetings.

Clemons’ first presentation was held on Feb. 1 at New Prospect Missionary Baptist Church, a partner and neighbor of Pasteur School. Rev. Carnel Richardson, church pastor, mentioned his involvement in the Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity to Levy. The Coalition is a program of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC/AJC) and Rev. Richardson thought that this group might want to participate in the Rosa Parks program. Rabbi Asher Lopatin, JCRC/AJC executive director, responded positively and provided a dessert buffet after the Clemons’ presentation.

As a group of more than 100 Pasteur staff, church members and Friends of Pasteur volunteers watched attentively, Clemons spoke in Park’s quiet, measured tone. Dressed in a 1950s-era gray suit, hat and gloves with a vintage pocketbook, she embodied Parks’ persona. Clemons described the indignity of paying bus fare to the driver at the front of a bus, and then having to exit and reenter the designated “Colored Section” at the rear.

On Dec. 1, 1955, when there weren’t enough seats for white passengers, the bus driver ordered Parks to give up her seat for a white man. She refused and was subsequently arrested. A representative of the Montgomery NAACP and a white lawyer bailed her out of jail. Local African Americans then boycotted the public bus system to end the segregated seating policy and enable them to be hired as bus drivers. After 381 days, the city agreed to change its policies.

At three presentations at Pasteur School, Clemons described what life was like in the segregated South. Students asked why she didn’t give up her seat on the bus and why there were separate drinking fountains for Black and white individuals. “I refused to be disrespected by anyone — white or Black,” said Clemons/Parks. “You did not always have these freedoms. You can go to any college you want if you make good grades.”

Pasteur teachers explained the importance of understanding history and the sacrifices made on their behalf by Parks and other civil rights heroes. Each student received an individual photo taken with Clemons — a gift that evoked smiles.

On Friday night, Clemons spoke to members of Congregation Shir Tikvah and guests, including members of Good Shepherd Missionary Baptist Church, who gave her a standing ovation. During the two-day program, Clemons reached 500 students and adults with the story of Rosa Parks’ courage and determination to gain equality for all.

“Clemons provides an awareness of what life was like. I’m proud that this event could come to Detroit because of Rosa’s Detroit connection,” Cohen said.

Rosa Parks’ Detroit Years

After the Montgomery bus boycott, both Rosa Parks and her husband lost their jobs and received death threats. They moved to Hampton, Virginia, and later to Detroit where Parks worked for U.S. Rep. John Conyers from 1965 to 1988. She continued her civil rights activism and wrote several books.

Her husband died in 1977; and in 1981 their house was robbed, and Parks was injured. The late federal Judge Damon Keith called a longtime friend — the late Al Taubman — asking for help to provide safer housing for Parks.

Taubman arranged for Parks to move to Riverfront Apartments in Downtown Detroit. A diverse group of prominent Detroiters —African American, white, Christian and Jewish —subsequently helped to pay her rent.Taubman also provided his plane to take Parks to the opening of the Troy University Rosa Parks Museum in 2000. She died in 2005 at age 92 and was the first African American woman to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

The Holidays Are Upon Us

December 9th, 2021 Posted by Tomeka Newsletter 0 thoughts on “The Holidays Are Upon Us”

Just as we have in years past, we have big plans to bring some joy to every Pasteur family. This year, we’re starting early with a book-give-away. Our plan was to give every Pasteur student a new book to take home before they went on Thanksgiving break. This has been delayed due to the COVID cleaning (read further for more information). They will get the books when they return to school this week.

Before Christmas vacation begins, all 312 students will receive a bag of new art supplies (watercolors, art pads, Play-Doh, and a fun kit to make snowflake ornaments) that should definitely keep them busy and creative during the school break. As the price of groceries, gas and everything else is up this year, we will also be giving a $100 gift card to EVERY family. We know this will help supplement their holiday dinner and assure a happier holiday.

For 13 families, who are in the greatest need (several of which are considered “homeless” – living with family members or in temporary housing), we are planning a special surprise. The families that were selected are working hard to give their children every opportunity which is why they’ve chosen to send their kids to Pasteur. After talking to them, it’s clear that they are both humble and grateful for what the Friends will be doing this year. Every child deserves to receive holiday gifts so we will be sending new clothes, books and toys to the kids in each home, newborn to 18.

While the time and talent of our volunteers is free, things like computers, books, toys, clothes and groceries all come with a price tag. To accomplish all that we have planned, we need your help! You showed up big last year and we believe that this year can be even better. These gifts will cost upwards of $35,000.

Please consider making a gift, as our help for the holiday may be the only gifts they receive, by sending a check to the address below or donating on our website www.friendsofpasteur.org. You can feel good about your gift making a direct impact on a family!

How Is COVID-19 Affecting School?

Because of the rising numbers of COVID, the Detroit Public School Community District closed the schools for the entire Thanksgiving week in order to thoroughly clean the buildings. They have also decided to go to online learning every Friday through December in an effort to keep COVID numbers down. Though computers were distributed to all DPSCD students last year, not all still work and not all students were in school at the time to receive them.

Tutoring Opportunities

Because so many children are behind in their education, tutoring is more important now than ever! If you are able to tutor, either reading or math, please respond to this email or contact Carol Winokur, Chair of our tutoring program, at cswinokur@ymail.com. Tutoring can be done easily from your home in Michigan – or wherever you are this winter. We’ll be giving Amazon Fire tablets to those children who don’t have computers so that they can Zoom with a tutor. Your help is truly needed.

Veteran volunteer Gaye Tischler has such a passion for the little kids at Pasteur. She had been reading to the children in our special needs classes for several years. Gaye missed the children for the last 20 months, and decided to return to the school last month: “I was very moved when a little boy in Ms. Woodard’s class remembered my first name: it is good not to be forgotten. I love my former little school so much; it’s my happy place.”

Whether if was your “happy place” or not, today’s Pasteur kids need you desperately! You can be confident that your gift of time or money is making a difference for children and families in Detroit!

Thank you for anything you can do to help!

Stay safe,

Wendy Wagenheim, Chair of the Board

Marcy Feldman, Founding President

Friends of Pasteur Featured on WXYZ Detroit

December 30th, 2020 Posted by Tomeka Uncategorized 0 thoughts on “Friends of Pasteur Featured on WXYZ Detroit”

Friends of Pasteur in the News

December 29th, 2020 Posted by Wendy Uncategorized 0 thoughts on “Friends of Pasteur in the News”

Alumni Step Up: The Friends of Pasteur School Help Needy Families During the Pandemic

CHRISTMAS 2020!

December 27th, 2020 Posted by Wendy Uncategorized 0 thoughts on “CHRISTMAS 2020!”

On December 15th,16th and 17th we pulled off the largest project we have ever done in our organization’s history and we were able to make the holidays of the 256 Pasteur families a little merrier. None of this would have been possible without the enormous response to our last e-blast and the incredible generosity of our community of Friends!

We “adopted” 18 families of the families, sending clothes, toys and books to 68 kids, a gift card to Meijer and a food box, provided by Project Healthy Community. But the project didn’t end there. Every Pasteur family got a $75 Meijer gift card, a toy or book for each Pasteur student and some household goods for their parents. We owe tremendous thanks to our board members, the volunteers and the Pasteur staff who did the planning, the shopping and the schlepping!

But this is not the end and our work is not done. When the pandemic started last March, one generous donor asked how can we continue to help if the crisis lasts through November? Now we are asking, how will we continue to help through the winter? Covid-19 continues to riddle the country and it has wreaked havoc with our students. Remote learning has been difficult and, in some cases, impossible for too many. Any adult who spends a lot of time on zoom calls or isolated from friends can attest to the strain and tension that we feel. Imagine how it is for children. Our kids have been dealing with this for months and it’s not good. Online attendance is low, some

kids just don’t log in and the grades are dropping for the majority of students, even those who do show up every day.
These children are missing the socialization of being with their friends or the pat on the back from a teacher that’s so needed. Let’s face it. The things that keep kids happy and interested in school are missing. The teachers and staff are recommending an incentive program to get the kids engaged and online every day. Some incentives are free, but some cost money like coupons for fast food, a pizza dinner for their family or a gift card to a store. There are lots of possibilities if a program like this has our backing.

Many of you have been so generous, even donating 2 – 3 times this year and we are so grateful! If you have not yet finished your yearend contributions, please consider reaching a little deeper to
help get this program off the ground. Every dollar you give goes directly to Pasteur families!
. . . and yes, for those who don’t remember, we are a 501 (c) (3).

6th Grade Sees Play of Anne Frank

March 15th, 2020 Posted by MARCY FELDMAN Uncategorized 0 thoughts on “6th Grade Sees Play of Anne Frank”

On March 11 our 6th Graders went to the Detroit Institute of Arts to see the live production of The Diary of Anne Frank. It was produced by the Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET) which normally has a two-week run for schools in Michigan. This was the third day of productions and, unfortunately, the last as the Governor and Mayor shut down large group gatherings because of the Pandemic.

Friends of Pasteur gave each student a copy of the book. They now have time to read the book as school is closed for at least two weeks. We did meet with the students two days earlier to discuss the Holocaust and trying to understand how people can be cruel. We will follow up with the class when school resumes.

WHAT’S POPPIN’ Feb. 2020!

March 15th, 2020 Posted by MARCY FELDMAN Uncategorized 0 thoughts on “WHAT’S POPPIN’ Feb. 2020!”

FEB. FINAL!

ROBOT GARAGE OF BIRMINGHAM CAME TO PASTEUR!

November 12th, 2019 Posted by mattk Newsletter 0 thoughts on “ROBOT GARAGE OF BIRMINGHAM CAME TO PASTEUR!”

On September 17, the Friends of Pasteur School Detroit brought in The Robot Garage to work with the 5th and 6th Graders for a robot/robotics workshop. This one day event taught the children how to build a robot and the importance of team work! This is one of the special events the Friends brings to enhance the learning experience!

We would love to continue bringing in experiences like these for all the grades. This program costs approximately $1,000.