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Meet the cohort of 2021 — young Jews making a difference in our community. See page 8

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Duty Young Detroiters serve in the IDF to “give back” to Israel. See page 12

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With Detroit’s help, Israeli firm creates app to give your car a smoother, more efficient ride. See page 12

Todah Morim! Thank you, teachers! An appreciation of our day school educators during this pandemic. See page 13

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contents

Jan. 13-19, 2022 / 11-17 Shevat 5782 | VOLUME CLX, ISSUE 23

MAZEL TOV 28

Moments

BUSINESS 30

Celebrating 20 Years

Here’s To

Inside the Antique Business

Interior designer and antique expert Sally Serwer lifts the curtain behind the trade.

PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints

A Carob for Tu b’Shevat

The new year offers plenty of chances to learn.

Torah portion

Food for the Soul

The Power of Ruach

Synagogue Directory

Thoughtful Judaism

What could be more comforting on a cold winter day than a hot bowl of chicken soup?

Green Project

National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan is helping the homeless, and the environment, with sleeping mats made of plastic bags.

FACES & PLACES

Beth Ahm Members Help Crossroads Clients Temple Israel Feeds the Homeless

SPORTS 26

Two-Time Champion

Troy Athens senior Ryan Gruca sets his sights on college, the next stop on his soccer journey.

‘The New Year for Trees’ begins Sunday night, Jan. 16.

ARTS&LIFE 40

Healing Art for the Planet

Environmentally Speaking opens at the Janice Charach Gallery in the JCC.

Lighthouse Pivots, Expands Efforts During Pandemic

The need for emergency food and emergency shelter services have increased dramatically.

SPIRIT 34

OUR COMMUNITY 12

PathologyOutlines.com’s Pathologist Directory lists 600 pathologists over 60 countries.

An Optimistic Musical

Producer Orin Wolf brings Hairspray to the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.

Celebrity News

EVENTS 46

ETC.

Community Calendar

The Exchange 47 Obituaries 49 Looking Back 54

40 Shabbat Lights

Shabbat begins: Friday, Jan. 14: 5:06 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, Jan. 15: 6:11 p.m. Tu b’Shevat Monday, Jan. 17

* Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

JANUARY 13 • 2022

WIKIPEDIA

PURELY COMMENTARY for openers

Happy Healthy New Year!

roundhog Day is less than a month away and there’s a major change coming to the annual celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. That’s right, this year is not about whether Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow when he emerges from his burrow on Feb. 2, but rather will he be wearing a mask? Pray Alan not, we don’t need six more Muskovitz weeks of the pandemic. Contributing Writer There is actually something really exciting to look forward to in 2022 — likely sometime in June. That’s when, fingers crossed, the recently launched Webb Telescope is scheduled to begin transmitting its first images from 1 million miles out in space, providing us with a whole new perspective about our very existence. The telescope was conceived in 1996 but cost overruns, redesigns and COVID-19 led to an eventual 25-year labor, without the benefit of an epidural. It’s fascinating to follow the progress of the telescope in real time at www. jwst.nasa.gov, which includes distance traveled, miles left to final orbit, speed, temperatures and what the in-flight movie is. The telescope is currently traveling at 3,190 mph, which in Earth terms means you could fly to Los Angeles in 43 minutes, still enough time for a passenger to get in a fight for not wearing a mask. That is if the flight isn’t already among the thousands of flights currently being canceled. The James Webb Space Telescope website says the infrared telescope “will explore a wide range of science questions to help us understand the origins of the universe and our place in it. Seeking light from the first galaxies in the universe … directly observe a part of space and time never seen before … gaze into the epoch when the very first stars and galaxies formed, over 13.5 billion years ago.” To put in perspective

JANUARY 13 • 2022

just how long ago that really is, that’s 13,499,999,935 years longer than the Lions last won a championship. In the hoopla over this marvel of technology, let’s not forget the accomplishments of Webb’s distinguished predecessor, the Hubble Telescope. While it’s still a functioning satellite, NASA was able to get the new Webb Telescope for just $10 billion as part of a federally sponsored Telescope Lease Pull Ahead Program. For the last 32 years, Hubble has been transmitting breathtaking images of space but is positioned just a mere 340 miles above Earth. Can you imagine what we are in store for when Webb begins transmitting from a million miles away? Hubble, though, will always have one major advantage over Webb, its accessible for service calls. The last one was in May 2009, when astronauts aboard the space shuttle Atlantis docked on the telescope to perform upgrades during several spacewalks over nearly 13 days. On the occasion of Hubble’s 25th anniversary in April 2019, I shared in the JN the transcript of the last communication between Hubble and the astronaut who performed the routine checkup on the telescope’s lenses. It read as follows: Astronaut: “Hubble, do you see better through lens Number 1 or Number 2?” Hubble: “2.” Astronaut: “Number 2 or Number 3?” Hubble: “Um, can you do that again?” Astronaut: “Sure. 2 or 3?” Hubble: “Gosh, they’re so close.” Astronaut: “Number 2 or 3?” Hubble: I’ll say 3. Wait, 2. No, sorry, 3.” With the end of the Space Shuttle program, there are no scheduled flights to Hubble, but Jeff Bezos just announced that if Hubble — which is expected to need progressive lenses by the time it turns 50 — orders them through Amazon, he’ll deliver them aboard one of his Blue Origin rockets. Free if they

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope

sign up for Prime. Arguably, one of the most fascinating capabilities of the Webb Telescope will be its ability to study planets outside our solar system, including conducting tests to determine if their atmospheres show any signs of life. Unfortunately, the telescope won’t be able to go as far as determining intelligent life, which is a shame, since we here on Earth are experiencing an ever-growing shortage of it. I’m hoping as you’re reading this NASA was successful in its initial attempt to begin deploying Webb’s mirror made up of 18 hexagonalshaped gold coated beryllium panels. The panels were folded to fit into the Ariane 5 rocket payload, which was the maximum allowed carry-on luggage. According to NASA, the unfurling of Webb’s giant mirror is just one of 300 ways the telescope could fail. Boy, can you imagine the angst NASA’s Webb team must be going through? I can. I’m just about ready to turn on and set up my new, just received Apple iPhone 13 … Houston, we have a problem. Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/acting talent, speaker, and emcee. Visit his website at laughwithbigal.com,”Like” Al on Facebook and reach him at amuskovitz@thejewishnews.com.

PURELY COMMENTARY essay

A Look at Israel: 2022

espite entering the third year of the global pandemic, it seems that 2022 is looking quite positive for Israel, albeit with some challenges. Over the last 12 months, Israeli tech IPOs, as well as mergers and acquisitions, jumped a massive 520% Naomi Miller over the previous year, with an unprecedented value of $81.2 billion, compared to $15.4 billion in 2020. In addition, 2021 was a record year for funding of tech companies and startups, reaching $25 billion in investments. Analysts are identifying this massive growth partly as a result of the development of a new business culture. Today, the maturing Israeli

entrepreneur is aiming to build a strong local company and take it public, rather than developing technology and then selling it, which was the model of the last two decades. This massive growth will be challenged in the coming year by the current shortage of approximately 13,000 skilled workers in the tech sector. Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar has announced that 2022 will be the year of renewable energy. Her ministry will be setting up, for the first time, a department with funds of $320 million that will invest in a national plan for researching and developing clean energy. As a result, the Minister said, “gas can wait,” and will halt the search for natural gas off the Mediterranean coast to pursue and optimize renew-

able energy projects. The last decade has seen young Israeli families discovering that home ownership is almost unattainable. Housing prices have been rising continually, and 2021 witnessed the highest rise in a decade, at 10.3%. According to the Alrov Institute for Real Estate, an average Israeli couple would both need to work 27 years to buy a standard four-room apartment. The good news is the Bennett government has recently developed a four-year plan from 2022 to increase the supply of housing and ultimately reduce prices, with the aim to narrow the gap between supply and demand by 2025. I hoped we would not be writing about COVID-19 by now, but here we are in that familiar scenario. Israel is

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JANUARY 13 • 2022

currently closed to tourism while waiting to see what the new Omicron variant has in store for us. The good news: Israeli biotech company Bonus BioGroup has developed a cell therapy for treatment of severe cases of COVID. The recent trial had a 94% success rate, with 47 or the 50 patients surviving conditions of life-threatening respiratory distress. Although closed off to the world, the Israeli economy is open and vibrant and COVID rates remain low. We hope 2022 will be the year of renewed tourism and that we will see you here soon. Naomi Miller is Director of Israel Partnerships at the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator and Israel Representative and Missions Director for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

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PURELY COMMENTARY opinion

Should We Be Concerned about our Democracy? Jewish thought leaders respond to the question.

s we mark the oneyear anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, some in our country question the health of our democracy. Can we be sure that people will accept the results of the 2022 midterm elections? Louis Will we see Finkelman more politiContributing Writer cal violence? A recent poll conducted by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland revealed that about one-third of Americans agree with the statement “violence against the government can at times be justified.” Clearly some dangerous lines have been crossed, and our institutions have responded weakly. The health of American democracy seems threatened. My mother’s German cousins remembered listening to the radio as the new Chancellor greeted the nation. They thought, “Germany is a refined and sophisticated nation; how many weeks will that buffoon last in power?” My mother’s German cousins got out of Germany in time, or I never would have heard them reminisce about that night. Should we be concerned that the same thing could happen here, in America? I sent that question to an assortment of historians, political thinkers, activists and rabbis. Here are the responses I received, edited

JANUARY 13 • 2022

for brevity and sorted from most reassuring to most unsettling.

NOT TIME TO PANIC Dov Zakheim has held many posts in a distinguished career as military, political and economic adviser, among them Undersecretary of Defense in Dov the second Bush Zakheim Administration. He is also an Orthodox rabbi who has written extensively on the political challenges faced by biblical figures. His response: “You ask a troubling question, but I think upon consideration you will see that the situation is nowhere near as dire as some may think. “To begin with, it makes little sense to compare the U.S. and Germany. Germany had a legacy of virulent antisemitism reaching back to the First Crusades. “On the other hand, the United States was founded as a democracy where Jews, at least officially, had a rightful place — witness Washington’s letter to the Jewish community of Newport. “Surely there is antisemitism. It will never go away. But does the government — at any level — support it? Clearly not. “I happen to believe that God blessed this country like no other. You may not share that belief. “But American democracy is not in danger — mildly threatened, perhaps, but not more than in the past.

“Nor are Jews in danger.” Yitz Greenberg, rabbi, author, activist, theologian and historian, currently senior scholar in residence at the nondenominational Yeshivat Hadar, Yitz responded: “The Greenberg United States is not so fragile a democracy as to be drawing the 1930s German analogies at this time. If, God forbid, the democracy collapsed (highly unlikely), there is Israel now, with instant access for any Jew in the world who is threatened (unlike the 1930s). “It is not time to panic.” Howard Lupovitch, associate professor of history at Wayne State University and head of the Cohn/Haddow Center for Judaic Howard Studies, wrote: Lupovitch “In my mind, there are two red lines. The first is between violent versus non-violent manifestations of antisemitism — not so much the frequency or intensity but whether we are still protected by law enforcement and government. In other words … when is it no longer possible for us to call on or rely on the police for protection? “The second is the point where what has hitherto been largely polemical antisemitism becomes more systemic, as in anti-Jewish laws, which we have not seen since the Johnson-Reed Act nearly a century ago.

“I do not in any way dimmish the surge of antisemitism especially during the last five or six years — symptomatic more than anything else of a former president who, for personal gain, advocated violence and peddled hate, outrage and fear; and was aided by the false urgency of the 24-hour news cycle and social media. “All of the concerns about those undermining democracy by gaming the system notwithstanding, democracy prevailed in the last two elections. Things may look different after November 2024 or January 2025, but, for now, the guard rails are still there. “In short, I am — and we must be — ever vigilant, but it not (yet) time to panic.” DEMOCRACY IN DANGER? Marc Kruman, professor of history at Wayne State University and founder/director of the Center for the Study Marc of Citizenship, Kruman writes, “I agree that our democracy is in danger. For those of us who are deeply committed to democracy, this is a deeply concerning moment. “Black and Brown people are more likely to take the hit first in this country. You can see that in the tendency to minimize the power of Black people through redistricting. I don’t see that as crystalizing in a focus on Jews yet. “Talk about a fraudulent election, endlessly repeat-

“AND THIS IS HUMAN NATURE — TO WAIT AND SEE AND THINK, ‘THIS CAN’T HAPPEN HERE.’ IT CAN HAPPEN EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES, AS WE CAN SEE.” — GUY STERN

ed even before the 2020 election, has weakened democracy. Sixty percent of Republicans, according to polls, do not believe that Biden was elected in 2020. That shows the power of a lie, delivered by a trusted source and repeated endlessly by a segment of the news media. “Should we see the expansion of antisemitism after the elections of 2022 and 2024 (an official celebration of an act of antisemitic violence?), then it may be time to make an assessment. I would first want to see if the country’s democratic institutions hold.” WRITING ON THE WALL Charles Silow holds a Ph.D. in psychology, founded the Program for Holocaust Charles Survivors and Silow Families at Jewish Senior Life and serves as its director. He writes: “Are we approaching a 1930s model of Germany now? Some survivors that I know believe we are. They see the handwriting on the wall; they see the rise of the radical right taking over as being similar to the rise of Nazism. Many of the second generation want to make sure that their family’s passports are up to date, just in case. The Jews in Europe were, for the most

part, trapped. “It’s complicated: Many love the former president and think nothing of a risk. Or they see the risk coming from the Left. They see America as becoming a lawless, Socialist country. They are on guard. “If we see more and more violence and the unraveling of our democratic institutions and a civil war-type scenario, we will see increasing movement of people thinking of leaving.” Guy Stern is a decorated member of the secret Ritchie Boys World War II military intelligence interrogation team. His Guy Stern recent memoir is titled Invisible Ink, and his response focused on the options people have. “Obviously, the individual circumstances of the would-be emigrant are one of the additional factors. Has he/she been able to decide on the country of refuge and is bound by the restrictions laid down by that nation? “I would like to add an anecdote, describing the difficulty. An elderly Jew is ready to emigrate and goes to a travel agency to book passage. He points to a country on a globe of the agent’s desk. The agent tells the old Jew: ‘No, that country does not accept continued on page 11

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JANUARY 13 • 2022

PURELY COMMENTARY opinion

KENNETH LU/FLICKR COMMONS

Jews and Muslims Can Work Together

long-simmering conflict between CAIR, the MuslimAmerican civil rights organization, and the Anti-Defamation League has now reached the boiling point: A Bay Area CAIR Yehuda leader dismissed Kurtzer the ADL and JTA.org groups like it as “polite Zionists” who could not be trusted as allies. ADL’s CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, fired back, calling her comments “textbook vile, antisemitic, conspiracy-laden garbage.” It would be a mistake to see this as a mere spat between two organizations. It reflects what could be an alarming turning point in Jewish-Muslim relations in America, and a symptom of how polarization can undermine civil society. All of us who care about what Muslims and Jews could do together should take note and work to repair the damage that is being done. In late November, Zahra Billoo — CAIR’s San Francisco director — delivered a blistering address at the conference of American Muslims for Palestine. First, Billoo drew a straight line between support for Israel and a wide array of American social ills, including the killing by police of innocent Black and Brown Americans. Those charges play on tropes that have become commonplace in far-left criticism of Israel and the IsraelAmerica relationship. But Billoo went much further, directing her listeners

JANUARY 13 • 2022

Protesters at San Francisco International Airport condemn then-President Donald Trump’s executive order barring travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, Jan. 29, 2016.

to be cautious about “polite Zionists” — naming Jewish federations, “Zionist” synagogues and Hillel chapters whose civil society world she said masks an Islamophobic agenda. Similarly, American Muslims for Palestine had just published a report that neatly divides the Jewish community between those to avoid — including the organizations listed above, as well as my organization and others — and those it was “safe” to work with. Both AMP and Billoo placed Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow as the only Jewish organizations on the “good” list. THE DANGERS OF ‘GROUPING’ For those of us familiar with interfaith work, this separation of “good” and “bad” groups is a familiar and pernicious rhetorical and political strategy. It happens to American Muslims all the time, especially since

9/11, when others who are suspicious of them and their motives demand they pass litmus tests. Such tests are understandable: It is hard to engage with “the other,” so we often try to understand others through the prism of our own commitments and categories. Interfaith engagement, meanwhile, can be a strategy for building political power. And when the goal is to amass power, it is not surprising that groups would instrumentalize “the other” toward that end. Doing so is very, very dangerous. To divide American Jews this way — between the vast majority of American Jews who identify with Israel and are thus characterized as dangerous and duplicitous, and the small dissident minority who are “kosher” — has two major problems. The first is that Jews, no less than anyone else, should have the right to narrate the complexities of our own identities. We American Jews

do overwhelmingly support Israel in one way or another, and most of us are comfortable with identifying as Zionist. Yet we exhibit enormous diversity concerning what those attachments mean to us and how they obligate us. The overwhelming majority of Jews in the world see the emergence of a Jewish state as something that changes the meaning of being Jewish, and see ourselves attached to that story in one way or another. Our interfaith friends need to approach this aspect of Jewish identity with curiosity, rather than dismissing it out of hand through a predetermination of what Judaism is “supposed to be.” Secondly, this caricature of American Jews and our commitments strips us of the capacity to build relationships with our Muslim friends and neighbors — relationships that could be rooted in compassion and could even lead to us

INTERGROUP RELATIONSHIPS What I fear most, however, is how we as a Jewish community act in a moment like this. Some of my ire is reserved for the Jewish organizations named by AMP and the Billoo speech as “good” Jews and who are relishing the designation. I mean, sure: Everyone wants to be liked, and I understand the political logic of using external allies to help fight battles inside your community. Allies are allies, I suppose, but these groups are welcoming endorsements from those who are actively and dangerously delegitimizing the majority of world Jewry. In doing so, these “good” Jews are giving aid to an antisemitic stratagem. I desperately hope the mainstream Jewish community — those of us

named as the bad Jews — will not allow the focus on CAIR and its failings to thwart the work we absolutely must continue doing to build stronger and more resilient intergroup relationships. This is how polarization works: Extremists exploit fear to create divisions, and then they reap the returns when the massive middle is scared away from the important work of seeking common ground. I appreciate that organizations like the ADL need to confront CAIR in a moment like this and call out the antisemitism, but I would hate to see this incident undermine years of patient work — by the ADL and many other organizations — in reckoning with the past and building trust. It would be catastrophic if positive Muslim-Jewish engagement in America were to be sabotaged by individuals and organizations unable to imagine alternatives to acrimony. There is so much work to be done. Muslim-Jewish relations took on extra political significance with the rise of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred since the 2016 election. The Israel-Palestine conflict continues to be exploited not just by marginal Jews and Muslims but by other Americans, including in Congress, to divide us. This is especially sad and ironic since America could genuinely be one of the few places on Earth where Jews and Muslims might forge an extraordinary bond. Even in Israel-Palestine, a future for peace and justice for all its inhabitants will need to be built by Jews and Muslims together. If, like me, you are a member of the Jewish community alarmed by the CAIR story, don’t let it undermine your efforts in realizing such a future. Let their leaders navigate their own leadership failures, and let’s not make it harder for them by drowning them out. Instead, let’s lead our communities, and ask: What can we do to strengthen the relationship with American Muslims? Yehuda Kurtzer is the president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and host of the Identity/Crisis podcast.

SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED? continued from page 9

emigrants.’ The Jew points to one after another country, but always gets a similar answer. Finally, he turns to the agent and says: ‘Could you please show me a different globe?’ “Of course, one has to distinguish between the past and now. In hindsight, it is easy to judge and say that most Jews waited too long to get out of Nazi Germany. And this is human nature — to wait and see and think, ‘This can’t happen here.’ It can happen everywhere at all times, as we can see.” TIME TO WORRY Corinne Stavish, professor at Lawrence Technological University and director of Technical and Professional Communication, writes: “My worry for this country’s future is not for my family; it’s for the country to which all four of my grandparents fled and kissed the ground upon arrival. I yearn for ‘The New Corinne Colossus,’ but it’s gone. Stavish “We have lackluster legislative leadership, corrupt corporations, eroding education and mawkish media. It is time to go because we who have the history of affecting change realize that what we thought had changed didn’t. It is ‘the unkindest cut of all.’” Louis Finkelman is a professor at Lawrence Tech and a rabbi at Congregation Or Chadash in Oak Park.

Yiddish Limerick

Tu b’Shevat We plant a boyml, two or three It’s Rosh Hashanah of the tree. Un then mir vartn quite a bit Until mir hobn a frucht to eat. Dos iz Tu b’Shevat for you and me.

BRIAN GREEN, WIKIPEDIA

interrogating our own commitments. Urging American Muslims to write off the majority of American Jews as enemies from the start is to foreclose any possibility of serious interfaith work and undermines relationships that could be politically valuable for American Muslims. The strategy is as counterproductive as it is dehumanizing. I am not primarily concerned with CAIR, but rather hope that this kind of thinking does not become normative in Muslim spaces (which at present, I do not believe it has). I am grateful to know Muslim leaders, like my friend and colleague Imam Abdullah Antepli, who are speaking out to rebuke CAIR, AMP and their leaders for misrepresenting American Islam, and instead are trying to forge new paths forward. After all, the best critiques of any group or movement comes from leaders inside their own communities. This has been the approach of our Muslim Leadership Initiative program at the Shalom Hartman Institute since it began: to invite Muslim leaders into the internal conversation of the Jewish people, and especially our debates about Israel and Zionism. Resilient relationships are built through trust and character witnessing rather than through demarcating red lines at the outset.

boyml: little tree Un: and Mir vartn: we wait Mir hobn: we have frucht: fruit Dos iz: it is By Rachel Kapen JANUARY 13 • 2022

CSZ

OUR COMMUNITY

Thoughtful Judaism The new year offers plenty of chances to learn. STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ust as it did in the fall, Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Southfield will offer weekly in-person, free and study sessions open to the public that broadly cover the sweeping concepts of Judaism beginning 10 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 30. Rabbi The hour-long Aaron Starr classes will be constructed from the Thoughtful Judaism curriculum, developed by the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and made possible by a grant from the Hermelin-Davidson Center for Congregation Excellence. They will be taught by Rabbi Aaron Starr, Rabbi Yoni Dahlen and Rebecca Starr, director of regional programs for Hartman Institute of North America. Classes will meet in-person at the synagogue, and there will be no online alternative to take the class on Zoom. This semester, Rabbi Starr expects to welcome attendees from a diverse background of observance and exposure to Judaism. Last semester, Starr said enrolled students ranged in

JANUARY 13 • 2022

ages from 20 to 90. The classes are geared to attract a diverse audience including interfaith couples and Jews of Choice who are seeking an informal Jewish learning setting to delve deeply into the philosophical questions about Judaism. Coursework begins with the notion of Judaism as an interpretive tradition and dovetails into the notion of what it means to be a Jew and to live Jewishly. “Jews do not read the Bible as fundamentalists, and I remember a student from last semester saying to me that she did not realize how innovated and unique is Judaism’s approach to the Bible,” Starr said. “The Hartman Institute uses the language being and becoming and examining identity versus practice. These concepts reinforce the principle that we hold dear at Shaarey Zedek that everybody is welcome. The classes are intended to spark conversations about the big ideas that animate Judaism, the central concepts that inspire us and guide us.” To register, call the synagogue office at (248) 3575544 or https://shaareyzedek. shulcloud.com/event/founda-

tions-for-a-thoughtful-judaism2.html. FOUR THEMES Components of Thoughtful Judaism were first offered in the Detroit Metro area last fall through JLearn at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit. Thoughtful Judaism revolves around four themes: Peoplehood: The meaning and definition and purpose of Jewish community, how it can be diverse and hold shared values and a shared history and an exploration of the main centers of Jewish life: Israel and North America. Faith: An exploration of questions relating to one’s relationship with God and what a life of faith entails, models in Judaism that exemplify the complexities of having a relationship with God as well as viewpoints on where Jews who do not believe in God fit in. Practice: What is the meaning of the system of mitzvot and what does it accomplish? In an age that encourages independent and self-minded thinking, how can one find relevance in rituals and how the sanctification of time, space

and body can lead to holiness. Ethics: In what ways is the individual obligated to the widest and innermost circles of community according to Jewish tradition? How to maintain relationships even when one party wrongs another, and the obligations parents and children have to one another. OTHER CHANCES TO LEARN In addition to the classes planned at CSZ, other Thoughtful Judaism classes taught online over Zoom through JLearn are slated for the new year. To register, call (248) 205-2557 or visit https:// tinyurl.com/yckpcwkw. Choices include: “Engaging Israel, Foundations for a New Relationship; A Hartman Institute Curriculum,” ongoing noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursdays through March 3. Instructor: Rabbi Brent Gutmann of Temple Kol Ami. Through discussion, text and video lectures, Gutmann reframes the discussion about the enduring significance of the State of Israel for contemporary Jews worldwide. The class will cover the concepts of Jewish sovereignty, ethics in military power, maintaining a Jewish democracy, and the relationship between American and Israeli Jews. Tuition: $165. “Thoughtful Judaism: Peoplehood and Practice.” 7 to 8:15 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Jan. 25 through May 3. Instructor: Rabbi Michele Faudem. The class will cover concepts of Jewish faith, belonging, challenges of Jewish peoplehood, ethical obligations to God ourselves and our community. Tuition: $175.

Brown Adult Day Program Reopens Metro Detroit seniors living with dementia welcomed back.

ALISON SCHWARTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

he Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program reopened its Southfield location Jan. 5 after a nearly two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While staff had pivoted to virtual programming to keep vulnerable seniors engaged and as active as possible, the Southfield center remained closed until a critical number of both vaccinated participants and available staff was reached. The Brown Program’s West Bloomfield location was able to reopen slowly beginning in June 2021, with some previous Southfield attendees able to get transportation to the location. Through in person and virtual offerings, the Brown Program provided services to 67 people living with dementia; and 103 care partners received in-person, virtual and/or telephonic supports from October through December 2021. The Brown Program is a joint initiative of Jewish Senior Life and JVS Human Services, which has been offering innovative and stimulating programs for more than 20 years for those living with dementia, as well as providing support to their families. “We have families and participants who have been waiting very eagerly to return in-person to Southfield, and we are so excited to welcome them back,” said Debi Banooni, program director. “We have kept in con-

tact and have offered outreach to our families, but there is a big difference between virtual programming being offered for an hour compared to a full day of programming being offered in person. Now family members can get on with their schedule knowing their loved one is having a meaningful and engaging experience.” The Southfield location will be initially offering services from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, ramping up to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Strict COVID precautions are in place. The program is only open to fully vaccinated people from fully vaccinated households; participants must wear a mask; participants require a negative PCR test on the first day of attendance; social distancing is practiced (limiting the number of people who can be served); and all participants have a health screen at the start of the day. Family members are not permitted inside the program. “The risk of negative impacts of isolation for a person living with dementia is significant, so our reopening will offer a better quality of life for our vulnerable seniors,” Banooni said. Activities include music, quizzes, art projects and discussions, and participants are provided with lunch. For more information on the Brown Program, call (248) 233-4000 (Southfield) or (248) 661-6390 (West Bloomfield) or email info@ brownadultday.org.

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Fiddler on the Roof in Concert Sat Feb 19 // 8 pm Sun Feb 20 // 4 pm Hill Auditorium

In this theatrical concert performance, professional Broadway singers Chuck Cooper (Tevye) and Loretta Ables Sayre (Golda) star alongside phenomenally talented U-M Musical Theatre students to create a special event that features the first live performance of John Williams’s orchestral arrangement of the movie score. Supported by: Menakka and Essel Bailey, The Lester Family, Don and Judy Rumelhart (exclusive supporters of music director Andy Einhorn), and Elaine and Peter Schweitzer

For tickets call 734.764.2538 or visit ums.org

JANUARY 13 • 2022

OUR COMMUNITY

Food for the Soul

What could me more comforting on a cold winter day than a hot bowl of chicken soup?

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Mish Mash at Steve’s Deli

JANUARY 13 • 2022

Chicken soup to-go is available at Steve’s Deli.

t’s chicken soup season. As the temperature drops and the snow begins to fall, there’s nothing quite like sitting down to a steaming hot bowl of soup. COVID-19 has accelerated soup sales even further, say local delis. Luckily, whether you want to sit down or carry out, there’s no shortage of delis in Metro Detroit ready to make you a bowl of this Jewish comfort food. There’s someone up early stirring giant pots of broth, carrots, onion, celery and more at every establishment. Steven Goldberg, owner of the Stage Deli in West Bloomfield, has vivid memories of making kreplach and matzah balls at his grandmother’s side as a young child. And he’s been serving chicken soup based on his grandmothers’ recipes since the restaurant opened its doors 60 years ago. His late father, Jack, blended the flavors his maternal and paternal grandmothers, from Russia and Western Poland respectively, used to make their soups shine. And it’s led to a soup generations can enjoy. “It’s very heartening to me to be able to continue the tradition that goes well beyond my grandparents,” he says. “It feels great. Chicken soup has cultural continued on page 16

PICKLES & RYE

Art Dubin of Pickles & Rye Deli holds a steaming bowl of comfort.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

OUR COMMUNITY

STAGE DELI

continued from page 14

STAGE DELI

Country Chicken Noodle Soup from the Stage Deli

The Mish Mash at Stage Deli

“IT FEELS GREAT. CHICKEN SOUP HAS CULTURAL ATTACHMENTS TO HEALING, SOOTHING, UPLIFTING — IT’S JEWISH PENICILLIN. IT IS WOVEN INTO THE WARMTH AND FABRIC OF OUR CULTURE.” — STEVEN GOLDBERG

attachments to healing, soothing, uplifting — it’s Jewish penicillin. It is woven into the warmth and fabric of our culture.” Stage Deli sells chicken soup in its restaurant and also has a grab-and-go case for people who want to heat it up at home. It makes a filling and tasty snack, meal and cooking base for sauces, rice or potatoes, he says.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

“We make it every day — as big as our pots are in the kitchen, we fill them, and repeat and repeat,” he says. “We work very hard to keep up with the demand.” And while he experiments at home, putting all kinds of herbs, vegetables, chili and sauces in the soup, at the restaurant, his goal is to make a consistent bowl. “My goal is to make it taste like my grandmothers’ soup, day after day, 365 days a year,” he says. “It should be a beautiful melding of flavors, with none sticking out.” COMFORT MEDICINE Down the road at Steve’s Deli in Bloomfield Hills, they’ve been selling their signature chicken soup for the past 25 years to people buying it for colds and comfort, says Alexandra Weitz, co-owner of Steve’s Deli. “I don’t think it’s proven medically, but some people feel if you have chicken soup, it’s a cureall,” she says. “We sell a lot of it.” In fact, many scientific studies over the years have explored the idea that chicken soup could really be beneficial to help you heal from the common cold. They look at its potential anti-inflammatory effects as well as how it helps fight

infection. Research also looks at how chicken soup contributes to helping people feel less lonely and its potential to lower blood pressure. Meanwhile, people continue making their passion for the popular comfort food known, one bowl at a time. At Steve’s Deli, perennial winners at Temple Shir Shalom’s Annual Chicken Soup Cook-Off, they have regulars who come in from all over Oakland and Wayne counties to order a hot bowl of soup and other popular menu items. For many, she says, customization is key. “You can get your chicken soup so many different ways. Some days you just want clear Pick up some soup to broth, some days you want go at Val’s Deli. kreplach, some days you want matzah ball, some days you want everything,” she says. “It depends on the weather.” Some people just get carrots, some people get noodles, some people get mish- mash, with everything in it. “It’s actually part of the old-time deli, getting real, natural chicken soup with noodles and adding kreplach or matzah balls or carrots,” Weitz adds.

boiling,” he says. “We put a lot of love into the soup.”

A PICKLE TWIST West Bloomfield’s Pickles & Rye Deli makes chicken soup every day and on Wednesdays also offers a Polish Dill Pickle Soup with a chicken soup base. “It’s similar to our regular soup, but it’s a creamier soup that’s got pickles in it,” says Art Dubin, a chef at the deli. “It’s really popular.” Broth is always what people think of when it’s cold, he says. And in the seven-and-a-half years VAL’S DELI since Pickles & Rye opened, it has brought chicken soup with a rich, hearty flavor to the community — to the tune of 10-15 gallons a day. They use owners Rick Therrien and Greg Costigan’s recipe. “It’s been successful all these years,” Dubin adds. For the Stage’s Steven Goldberg, part of the joy of chicken soup is seeing people’s reactions to it. From people who have never tried it to chicken soup regulars, he says, he’s glad to see the HOT SELLER impact a bowl of soup A more recent addition can have. to the local deli scene, “To see their faces Val’s Delicatessen in West light up, their hearts Bloomfield opened in gladden and their spirits December 2019, with Val soar when they enjoy the Izrailov and Carey Gerchak, Polish Dill Pickle Soup soup with a matzah ball co-owners, just getting start- at Pickles & Rye or kreplach or pulled ed when the pandemic hit. chicken — it’s very gratiStill, they were able to stay fying,” he explains. open and have a loyal following, says They go through some five gallons a And even though the trends may Izrailov, with chicken soup their hotday, he says. “I think it’s just a Jewish sta- change — for example, with the matzah test-selling item. ple. People order it when it’s 90 degrees ball getting more popular as it becomes “We are known for our chicken soup,” outside, or when it’s 5 degrees outside — more familiar outside of the Jewish comIzrailov says. In 2020, Val’s Deli won the people love it.” munity — chicken soup is sure to always People’s Choice Award, Best Matzah Ball When Izrailov gets to work at 6 a.m., be on the menu. Professional and Best Chicken Noodle soup is the first thing he starts. “We have “It’s not going anywhere, and rightfulProfessional at Temple Shir Shalom’s a huge kettle in the back of the restauly so,” he says. “It’s delicious and nour10th Annual Chicken Soup Cook-Off. rant, and the chicken soup is constantly ishing, so why not?” JANUARY 13 • 2022

COURTESY OF NCJW

OUR COMMUNITY

Green Project ALISON SCHWARTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Carrie Kushner makes plastic yarn.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

COURTESY OF NCJW

National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan is helping the homeless, and the environment, with sleeping mats made of plastic bags.

Marilyn Mossman and Susan Goldsmith, board member of the Corner Shower and Laundry, unload matts.

lastic Bags Make Plastic Mats is the name of a new initiative from National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW|MI), which is aimed at both addressing the plastic pollution problem while helping Detroit’s homeless community have a better night’s sleep. Members of NCJW|MI’s Green Committee wanted to come up with a practical solution to reduce the plastic waste from plastic bags and learned that it was possible to create comfortable sleeping mats from plastic bags. “Plastic bags are not recyclable curbside, and plastic pollution is a huge problem,” says Cathy Cantor, co-chair of the Green Committee. “Our thinking is that we don’t want anyone using

plastic bags, but if you have them — and most of us do — we can do something good with them for Detroit’s homeless population.” Marilyn Mossman, also co-chair of the Green Committee, reiterated that the aim was to repurpose plastic bags, not use new ones. “We have been offered new bags by companies, but we don’t want them. We don’t want people to take home their shopping in plastic bags, and eventually we would like to see all single-use plastics — like bags, bottles, cups and straws — replaced by compostable, biodegradable or washable products,” she explained. Volunteers will be doing their part for tikkun olam, repairing the planet. Informational flyers for the project provide startling statistics: According to the EPA, about 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are produced each year worldwide, requiring billions of pounds of fossil fuels and billions of gallons of fresh water. The bags lead to billions of pounds of solid waste as well as millions of tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere each year. Additional problems are that plastic bags never completely break down; plastic bags increase the risk of severe flooding by clogging storm drains and other sources where water accumulates; and plastic bags also pollute the oceans and shorelines and kill hundreds of thousands of avian and marine wildlife. To find a way to reuse the bags now, and do some good, makes sense to the Green Committee. “I wish we didn’t have a homeless problem, but we do, and at least creating the mats with the bags is making these people’s lives just a little bit easier,” Mossman says. To produce the mats, NCJW|MI has been asking for donations of used clean plastic bags, flattened, if possible, delivered to its office in. Then, volunteers create the yarn — known as plarn — by cutting the bags into strips and rolling them into balls. Others who like to knit or crochet then use the plarn to make the mats, which are then returned to the NCJW office. More information on the project is available at https://ncjwmi.org/ plastic-mats. So far, 10 mats have been made, all

donated to the Corner Shower and Laundry, a nonprofit in Corktown that provides free shower and laundry access for those who are homeless or otherwise in need. Susan Goldsmith, who is both a board member of the Corner Shower and Laundry and a member of NCJW|MI, said that the mats have been gratefully received. “Our guests are living on the street, and these mats give them a little cushion, a little padding, and help remove them from the elements. It’s a little bit of comfort that they otherwise wouldn’t have,” she said. NCJW’s Green Committee started back in 2019 with a group of about 10 board members who were interested in ways to protect the environment. “We are a group of active, dedicated and environmentally passionate volunteers who want to educate the public about ways we can combat global warming,” Cantor says. Since then, the Green Committee has grown to about 25, and includes many NCJW general members who all want to work on this issue. The group has organized talks, such as a program on climate change hosted by WDIV-TV meteorologist Paul Gross and another on plastic waste with National Public Radio journalist Laura Sullivan. Cantor and Mossman represent NCJW Green on the Great Lakes Plastic Pollution Solution Coalition, working with individuals from many organizations to have a larger impact on reducing plastic pollution. In summer 2021, NCJW|MI members were invited to take part in Plastic Free July, part of a worldwide initiative that aims to reduce plastic usage. “We sent out an e-blast to encourage our members to take the pledge and avoid using plastic as much as possible,” Mossman says. “Our hope is that any habits developed in that month, such as not using straws or using reusable shopping bags, will then become a year-round habit.” Anyone who would like to get involved with Plastic Bags Makes Plastic Mats can email ncjwgreen@gmail.com. Plastic bags can be dropped off at NCJW|MI’s office at Suite 306, 26400 Lahser Road, Southfield MI 48033 or call 248-355-3300, ext. 0. JANUARY 13 • 2022

OUR COMMUNITY

A volunteer delivers food to a family’s home in Pontiac. Lighthouse’s Thanksgiving food distribution provided food boxes to 2,000 families.

Lighthouse Pivots, Expands Efforts During Pandemic

The need for emergency food and emergency shelter services has increased dramatically. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

ocal nonprofit Lighthouse, which helps the fight against homelessness and poverty in the community by providing food, shelter, transitional housing, affordable housing developments and other services, has pivoted and expanded to accommodate the increase in the local community’s needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Early in the pandemic, emergency food distribution shifted from being supplemental to

JANUARY 13 • 2022

being entirely essential, not only needing to provide to more families, but also providing them with everything they need all at once in a safe, no-contact manner. “That meant home delivery for some people, working with a broad base of volunteers to coordinate delivery of food boxes to households across the county,” said Ryan Hertz, the Jewish president and CEO of Lighthouse. “It also meant expanding the num-

ber of sites where we distribute food and partnering with other pantries to distribute our food boxes through them.” Since the beginning of the pandemic, Lighthouse’s emergency food efforts have increased tremendously, from serving about 300-500 households a week to around 5,000 a week. Before the pandemic, Lighthouse provided emergency shelter out of churches and synagogues with guests moving week-to-week to different congregations to provide those services. That immediately became unsafe, and the agency realized it needed to pivot. The emergency shelter program moved to hotel rooms to keep clients, volunteers and

partners safe. Shelters became unsafe due to potential COVID exposure. Through Lighthouse’s crowdfunding platform, HandUp, a campaign was created to raise $25,000 for unanticipated costs associated with moving its shelter into another format. United Way for Southeast Michigan committed $50,000 to try and push the campaign’s goal to $100,000. Several other groups then provided a match as well. Between governmental, corporate and foundation support, plus individual donations, the campaign raised about $3 million by the end of 2020. “All of that funding went to purchasing food wholesale and for our food distribution work,

A LONG-TERM APPROACH On any given night, Lighthouse is serving four times the number of households with emergency shelter services during the pandemic. Lighthouse is also in the midst of renovating a building to create the only homeless emergency shelter in Oakland County specifically designated for families. “The way I describe it to our staff and board is we’re building a plane in the air, and now we have to build the landing gear,” Hertz said. “We need to figure out more sustainable approaches, moving out of crisis mode into a longer-term approach to continue to zero in on the most acute needs in our community.” Starting to run out of hoteling dollars and 2020 campaign funds, Lighthouse had to figure out its longer-term plan for families. The answer was adapting one of its legacy transitional housing facilities into an emergency shelter facility. “The rationale was that we took the grants for transitional housing and worked to convert those to transition-in-place grants, meaning instead of people coming into our building for two years and then moving out, we work with them to secure an apartment in the community, provide them with rental assistance and supportive service for two years, and then they can transition-in-place and take over their lease at the end of the program so they’re not displaced,” Hertz said. That decision opened the way for the legacy transitional housing facility to be con-

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LIGHTHOUSE

to renting hotel rooms and providing meals to our shelter clients, and equipment and logistical support around those initiatives,” Hertz said. “We were very lucky to have a community surround us with support to make all this happen.”

“WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE A COMMUNITY SURROUND US WITH SUPPORT TO MAKE ALL THIS HAPPEN.” — RYAN HERTZ

Lighthouse CEO Ryan Hertz BELOW: Lighthouse volunteers work on the holiday Adopta-Family program, which helped more than 500 families celebrate the holidays with some level of normalcy, warmth and joy.

verted into an emergency shelter program for shorter-term crisis situations, with 18 apartment units and 54 beds, all designated for families. Hertz said he believes it’s going to be a long community conversation to figure out, not just at Lighthouse, but globally, how to address issues that were there pre-COVID more sustainably for the long haul. “One thing I’ve come to learn in my 13 years of being in homeless services and anti-poverty work is society is willing to

accept, in most cases, quite a lot of folks going without, without necessarily taking action and resolving those problems,” Hertz said. “The pandemic changed that; it was a real wakeup call. People in fairly welloff communities, regardless of financial situation, felt very vulnerable. And in feeling that level of vulnerability, I think it created a level of empathy for others who have been vulnerable and were now even more so.” Hertz believes that’s part of why they saw such an influx of resources allowing them to meet more needs than ever before. “So coming out of this and into the future, the question becomes: ‘Are we going to be able to sustain that?’ That’s

where we’re at, trying to solve for that,” Hertz said. Lighthouse has worked diligently in the housing assistance side of things as well. As a partner in the COVID-19 Emergency Rental Assistance program, Lighthouse has provided more than $7 million in rental assistance to prevent more than 800 evictions in the local community since March 2021, the end of the eviction moratoriums. Lighthouse has also continued to work on the systemic side of the problem and solving the problem at its source, such as how to address affordability so there are fewer people facing eviction in the first place. Like most nonprofits, fundraising efforts are critical right now to address the dramatic increase in the community’s needs. For ways to help, receive help and further info, visit lighthousemi.org. JANUARY 13 • 2022

faces&places

Beth Ahm Members Help Crossroads Clients Helping others is a central value of Judaism and of Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield. Led by Beverly Gale and Cathy Lichtman, a team of more than 30 synagogue volunteers, from teens to seniors, prepared 350 lunches for the clients of Crossroads of Michigan, a Detroitbased social service agency. The volunteers prepared a multicourse meal from scratch — baked pasta, green beans, salad, bread, fruit and dessert. Working on-site and

interacting with the staff and clients of Crossroads added extra meaning to the volunteer experience. Throughout the year, the Beth Ahm tikkun olam team organizes mitzvah opportunities to help those in need. Whether it be collecting PPE and assembling COVID safety kits, feeding the hungry, providing school supplies or distributing winter clothing, the tikkun olam team addresses the basic needs of those in the Jewish and broader communities.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CONGREGATION BETH AHM

Amy Brode gets some of the pots needed for pasta.

FAR LEFT: Mike Schmitz performs the final task of clean-up.

LEFT: Beverly Gale reviews the menu with Chef Mike of Crossroads.

Stan Meretsky wraps bread.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

Beverly Fradis, Elanor Fradis, Suzanne Prussian, Renee Fein and Miles Auster pack lunches on the assembly line.

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Jewish Secrets of Healthy Communication One doesn’t need to search online to know that society is struggling with relationships. Most of us know this firsthand. If you do check online, you’ll find ample evidence that this is a worldwide issue, in which marriages are struggling, friendships are strained or broken, and family conflict is on the rise. That’s the bad news. The good news is that we can make things better, and it begins with healthier communication. “As a rabbi, it is painful when conflict between family or friends comes to my attention,” said Rabbi Shneur Silberberg of Bais Chabad, who will be teaching the class. “What is more frustrating is that all too often, with proper communication, the conflict could have been entirely avoided.” He added, “While harmful communication can bring destruction and division (death in the power of the tongue), so too, says King Solomon, can it bring healing, profound friendship and life.

“Please join me as we study the Jewish Secrets to Healthy Communication. Let us begin to solve one of the world’s greatest challenges, one person, one family, one friendship and one community at a time.” The classes, six Sundays, begin Jan. 16, from 11 a.m.12:30 p.m. at Bais Chabad of West Bloomfield, 5595 W. Maple Road in West Bloomfield. (Complimentary breakfast served). Class will be streamed on Zoom as well. Classes also will be conducted for six Tuesdays, starting Jan. 18, from 7-8:30 p.m. at Bais Chabad and on Zoom. Cost is $80, including textbook. Scholarships are available thanks to the Mara Israel Scholarship Fund. All are welcome to try out the first class at no charge. Reserve to rabbishneur@ baischabad.com or at baischabad.com/templates/ articlecco_cdo/aid/4909068/ jewish/Upcoming-Course. htm. Questions? Email or call Rabbi Shneur Silberberg at (248) 855-6170.

Havdalapalooza Hillel Day School invites the community to welcome the new week with ice skating and fun activities at Havdalapalooza on Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. at Troy Sports Center. Partnering with Hillel for fun activities are Adat Shalom Synagogue, Aish Detroit, BBYO, Congregation Beth Ahm, Frankel Jewish Academy, JFamily, Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Tamarack Camps and Temple Israel. Admission is $10 per person with skate rental and $5 per person without skate rental. RSVP by Jan. 23 to www.hillelday. org/havdalapalooza22 to join the fun. Havdalapalooza is sponsored by Fischman Insurance Group and Telemus Financial Life Management, Event Sponsors, and Hunter Pasteur Homes, Art Sponsor.

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JANUARY 13 • 2022

faces&places

Temple Israel’s Brotherhood and Sisterhood members

Temple Israel Feeds the Homeless PHOTOS COURTESY OF TEMPLE ISRAEL

emple Israel has housed the homeless for many years, partnering with the South Oakland Shelter. This year, the week looked different but was filled with amazing hard work and creativity. While Temple Israel was not able to physically house the homeless, Temple members were able to feed them lunch and dinner for the week. Throughout the week, volunteers of all ages came together to prepare and package more than 900 meals for the South Oakland Shelter. “Our volunteers were so dedicated to providing nutritious and delicious meals for the homeless. It was an amazing week filled with giving back,” said Temple Israel’s Rachel Kestenberg.

LEFT: The middle school youth group, QUEST, made more than 300 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. RIGHT: QUEST also packaged 85 pasta and meatball dinners.

LEFT: Lunches consisted of turkey sandwiches some days and peanut butter and jelly the others. RIGHT: The high schoolers worked together and were very efficient.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

JCRC/AJC

DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM AT THE DETROIT OPERA HOUSE

World Premiere!

Participants of JCRC/AJC Dubai Interfaith Fellowship Mission at the airport awaiting takeoff.

Dubai Interfaith Fellowship Mission The JCRC/AJC Dubai Interfaith Fellowship Mission is underway. The mission marks the launch of the JCRC/ AJC interfaith fellowships between Jews, Muslims and Chaldeans. The five fellows on this one-week trip to Dubai, all college students in southeast Michigan, will spend seven intensive days learning how to discuss differences in a meaningful but respectful way while exposed to elements of Islam and Judaism in Dubai. Upon their return, they will be community ambassadors

to recruit, and model for the cohorts of interfaith fellowships that JCRC/AJC plan for the fall. “We hope this mission, both through the students’ own experience on the trip and engagement with the Dubai residents they will meet on the trip, will inspire college students back in Michigan, and that these students will continue to reflect on the great benefits of diverse people coming together in civil discourse, to listen, share and learn,” said Adar Rubin, Israel associate at the JCRC/AJC.

Dance Theatre of Harlem Company. Photo by Janée Smith.

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Stay in the know with all things Jewish...

The Jewish Fund Announces Grants and New Board Members At its fall board meetings, The Jewish Fund re-elected its leadership and elected four new board members. Michael Eizelman was re-elected Board Chair and Jeffrey Schlussel was re-elected Vice-Chair. New members are Dr. Jeffrey Devries, Gilda Jacobs, Dr. Candace Johnson Kimpson and Steven Schanes. The board awarded nearly $1 million in new and continuation grants. This includes a new capacity building grant to Jewish Family Service of $112,000 and an additional $146,000 grant to expand

technology support services for older adults to address social isolation. A general operating support grant of $100,000, the first by the Fund, was awarded to JARC, and a $75,000 grant to Corktown Health Center to open a dental clinic. A $25,000 grant to Michigan League for Public Policy will support efforts to expand the state’s utilization of community health workers, and a $27,000 grant to Gilda’s Club will support its expansion in Detroit.

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JANUARY 13 • 2021

SPORTS

Two-Time Champion Troy Athens senior Ryan Gruca sets his sights on college, the next stop on his soccer journey. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ATHENS BOOSTERS

Troy Athens soccer star Ryan Gruca is all smiles after scoring a goal vs. Grand Blanc this past fall.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

e’s been a national champion with his club soccer team and a state champion with his high school soccer team. Now 17-year-old Troy Athens High School senior Ryan Gruca is looking for a place to play college soccer. He’s not worried about having to earn a spot in that team’s starting lineup. “It’s OK if I don’t play right away in college. I’ve been on the bench a lot during my soccer career and worked my way into the starting lineup. I love a challenge,” he said. “Of course, if I’m at a college for three years and I’m still not starting, that’s a different story. I may have to go elsewhere,” he added with a laugh. Athens boys soccer coach Todd Heugh said Gruca could make an immediate impact in a Division II, Division III or NAIA program in college. “Ryan hasn’t reached his full potential as a soccer player,” Heugh said. Gruca is looking for what he considers his best fit for soccer and academics in college. He plans to pursue athletic training for a career. “I’d like to make a college decision in the next month, in time for the national signing day in late February,” he said. Gruca is a 5-foot-9,

170-pounder who can play anywhere on the soccer field ... defense, midfield or forward. But he’ll most likely play forward in college. “I played mostly forward in high school, and I feel that’s my best position,” he said. “I also have the most fun playing there.” Gruca certainly had fun in the summer of 2018, when he helped his U15 Waza Football Club nationals team win a U.S. Youth Soccer national championship in Texas. His fun was tempered a bit by the weather in the Lonestar State. “It was very, very, very hot down there,” Gruca said. “I did a lot of sweating. I never want to play in that kind of weather again.” Gruca also had fun in the fall of 2019. He scored two of Athens’ three goals in the second and final overtime period in the Red Hawks’ 4-1 win over Traverse City West in the Division 1 state championship game. It was Athens’ first state title since 1997, when the Red Hawks ended a 16-year stretch during which they won five state championships. Gruca’s goal with 7:20 left in the second OT put the

ATHENS BOOSTERS

Ryan Gruca

Red Hawks (23-2-1) ahead of Traverse City West for good. His second OT goal made it 4-1. “Ryan always gave us everything he had athletically, emotionally and mentally, and he was always dialed in and ready for big moments, even when he was a sophomore in that state championship game,” Heugh said. Athens made it to the Division 1 state semifinals in 2020, but lost 2-0 to Traverse City West. This past season had a different feel for the Red Hawks. Gruca was the captain of a young team that needed leadership and a role model, and he was there to supply both. “I was happy with the season,” he said. “We got better as the year went along.” Heugh said Gruca was a fine captain. “Ryan brought the younger guys along with him,” he said. “He always demanded his personal best and he had high expectations for others.” Athens finished 13-4-2 this past fall, losing 1-0 to archrival Troy in a Division 1 district semifinal game. “We came so close to scoring against Troy three or four times in that game,” Gruca said.

Gruca had seven goals and 11 assists for Athens as a sophomore. He was No. 4 in scoring on the team with 18 points. He became a full-time starter when he was a junior “and started taking over games,” Heugh said. Gruca was the Athens team leader in goals, assists and points as a junior and senior. He had 10 goals and 12 assists in 2020, and 17 goals and six assists in 2021. Gruca didn’t play for Athens as a freshman, opting to play for his club soccer team. He said he’s glad he joined the Red Hawks as a sophomore and stayed on the squad for three years. “I watched the Athens boys soccer team play when I was in middle school, and I had a lot of friends on the team,” he said about his decision to play high school soccer. “Plus, I already knew Coach Heugh. I had him for a teacher in middle school,” he said. That was in a video class at Larson Middle School. Gruca, then an eighth-grader, and Heugh talked about soccer often during the class. “I’m glad Ryan played high school soccer. I think he fully enjoyed the experience,” Heugh said. Gruca loves soccer. And he loves winning. “I’m very competitive,” he said. “I also love being on a team. You’re a band of brothers that will have each other’s backs for life.” Gruca’s parents are Jeff and Karen Gruca. He has a younger brother Jake, 14. Please send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com. JANUARY 13 • 2022

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MAZEL TOV! Brady Hunter Feld, son of Jodi and Dr. Michael Feld, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his sister Bryce. Brady is the loving grandchild of Sandy and Steven Weiss, and Ann and Jeff Feld. He is a student at Berkshire Middle School in Beverly Hills. Brady’s most meaningful mitzvah project included making and selling LEGO keychains to raise money for Camp Tamarack’s Campaign for Change.

Jonah Samuel Haupt, son of Alyssa and Jeff Haupt, will lead the congregation in prayer as he becomes a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his brother Caleb. Jonah is the loving grandchild of Sherry and Howard Berris, and Shirley and the late Clair Haupt. Jonah is a student at Oak Valley Middle School in Commerce Township. As part of his mitzvah project, he partnered with Brilliant Detroit and collected donations by holding a bike-athon and riding 21.57 miles.

Kobi Eric Schmeltz, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at B’nai Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. He will be joined by his parents, Ilana Glazier and Lowell Schmeltz, brothers Benji and Ryan Schmeltz, and grandparents Paula and Lou Glazier, Sheila and Ralph Schmeltz. Kobi is a seventh-grade student at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills.

Paul 50th

uzanne and Charles Paul of Farmington, lifelong members of the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism (founded as the Birmingham Temple), celebrated in October the 50th anniversary of their wedding, which had been officiated by Rabbi Sherwin Wine. They are the proud parents of Coreen Paul of Sacramento, Calif., Vincent Paul of Grosse Pointe Park and Sara Bowman of Farmington. The children’s spouses are Richard McElroy, Meg Paul and John Bowman; the three grandsons are Charles Paul, Anthony Paul and Nathaniel Bowman. The family marked the milestone with a weeklong celebration at a home in northern Michigan in August.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

UPSCALE CONSIGNMENT & AUC TION HOUSE

Greenberg-Kohn

urrounded by loving family and friends, Erinn Kohn and Matthew Greenberg were married on Oct. 9, 2021, at Franklin Hills Country Club. Erinn is the daughter of Helene and Leslie Kohn of West Bloomfield, and Matthew is the son of Illana and Daniel Greenberg of Franklin. Both Erinn and Matthew attended Frankel Jewish Academy, where they first met and started dating. Erinn is a graduate of Michigan State University, and the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Matthew is a graduate of the University of Michigan. The couple reside in Chicago, Ill.

Lubin-Kaplan

s. Shelley Kunin of Farmington Hills is thrilled to announce the marriage of her daughter Melanie Lubin to Lee Kaplan, son of Mrs. Penny Kaplan of Jericho, N.Y. The presence of their beloved fathers, Donald Lubin and Edward Kaplan, was felt throughout the simchah. Ms. Lubin earned degrees in management and journalism at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. She went on to become a gemologist accredited by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Now residing in New York City, she is a diamond specialist employed at Ring Concierge. Mr. Kaplan earned his bachelor’s degree in history at Syracuse University in Syracuse, N.Y. He proceeded to earn his juris doctor from New York Law School and practices law in New York City. After COVID-related postponements, the couple finally married on Oct. 16, 2021, at Cold Spring Country Club in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.

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business SPOTlight

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BIRMIN GH A M

Celebrating 20 Years

PathologyOutlines.com’s Pathologist Directory lists 600 pathologists in more than 60 countries. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

athologyOutlines.com — a free, no registration, online pathology textbook — is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Started in Metro Detroit in 2001 by Dr. Nat Pernick, the website employs 20 staff members, an editorial board with 36 academic pathologists and has more than 300 active authors. The site is based on the belief that accurate medical

information written, edited and peer-reviewed by qualified medical professionals, should be free and accessible to everyone. Pernick, a pathologist himself and a third-generation Detroiter, had the idea for the site when he finished his residency. “We have books and notes, but being obsessive-compulsive, I want to have everything in one place and on the web,” Pernick

here’s to

The executive board of the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation announced the appointment of Donald Rudick as its executive director. One of his major functions will be the planning of the Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf Outing in June at Franklin Hills Country Club.

Dr. Nat Pernick

Alexandra Osten, head of advertising Channel Partnerships, was recognized by Forbes after she helped her company launch and expand advertising partnerships with Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest. She manages advertising spend that passes through Sprinklr from a roster of clients that include 80% of the Fortune 1000. Business Leaders for Michigan today announced that Randi Berris, an award-winning corporate communications leader and former statewide news editor, has joined the organization as vice president of marketing and communications. Berris, who has a degree in broadcast journalism from Syracuse University, also served two decades as news editor at the Associated Press.

Republican Gabi Grossbard of Southfield announced his campaign for Congress. He is a Medicare specialist working to assist the elderly with the complicated enrollment and plan selections. Grossbard wants to focus on healing our country, lowering inflation and giving parents a voice in their kid’s education. continued on page 33

JANUARY 13 • 2022

says. “And I thought it should be free, so everyone could use it. And, it’s easy for people to use. It shouldn’t be hard to find the information we need to make a diagnosis or to tell another doctor what we recommend.” Pathologists around the globe use PathologyOutlines. com every day to help diagnose and treat disease, averaging 45,000 visits per day. “Most of us know what we do every day, but maybe one or two cases a day, it’s something that’s different, we haven’t seen it before or we haven’t seen it in a while, and so we have to look it up,” Pernick says. “It’s a very quick reference to look things up, and that’s why I think it’s been helpful to people.” To celebrate the 20th anniversary of PathologyOutlines.com, it has embarked on a new initiative to build a worldwide directory

“IT SHOULDN’T BE HARD TO FIND THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MAKE A DIAGNOSIS.” — DR. NAT PERNICK

of pathologists to create a stronger and more connected pathology community. Within a few weeks of its launch, more than 600 pathologists had signed up from more than 60 countries and more are added daily. “I had been trying to think how we could unify the world of pathologists, so when pathologists read a paper written by another pathologist, hear a talk or see them at a meeting, they can look them up,” Pernick says. The site’s staff can create a profile in the directory for the pathologist or pathologists can

do it themselves. Pernick says the initiative is very ambitious because it can’t be automated. “This is going to take several years, but I think it will be useful for the profession,” he says. “It makes the world a lot smaller when people know who everybody else is.” In addition to constantly updating and refining its medical textbook, PathologyOutlines.com has been committed to fulfilling charitable goals, such as helping to establish the Detroit College Promise Scholarship and creating a Pandemic Relief Music Award

for musicians affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Pernick takes pride in those charitable efforts, along with valuing PathologyOutlines. com employees and site visitors. “We try to practice the Golden Rule: Things we don’t like seeing on websites, we don’t want to do to other people who are visiting our website,” Pernick says. He also believes it’s important to apply the Jewish ethics that all of us have been taught to our business lives along with our personal lives. “I grew up with the idea that it’s important for me to be the best person I can be and to make the world a better place and, of course, these are traditional Jewish values,” he says. “I think it’s important for us, particularly being Jewish, to try to set a good example of how a good business should be run.”

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JANUARY 13 • 2022

business

1960s rare collection of Abraham Palatnik lucite animals

Inside the Antique Business

Interior designer and antique expert Sally Serwer lifts the curtain behind the trade.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SALLY SERWER

“I sold on my own,” Serwer recalls, “and then I went to the best store in town, Odd Fellows Antiques.”

Sally Serwer

INSIDE THE BUSINESS OF ANTIQUE DEALING Odd Fellows Antiques is home to some 50 antique dealers. Once a week, Serwer brings in her latest goods to sell at her booth, which includes a wide range of everything from beautiful fine antiques to flea market finds. “I’ve got great artwork and furniture, mid-century chairs, old French chairs,” she describes. “A lot of antique dealers who are there, they specialize in one area, and I don’t really have a specialty because I love too many different genres. I have a gamut for everything.” While Serwer has perfected the art of

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

hen Sally Serwer was 6, her mother, Adeline Steinman, would take her to antique shows at Temple Israel. “It was in my blood very early on,” the interior designer and antique dealer says. For more than 40 years, Serwer, 67, of Bloomfield Hills, has worked in interior design as the owner of Sally Serwer Designs. She’s also sold items at Berkley’s Odd Fellows Antiques for 15 years as an antique dealer, serving clients throughout Metro Detroit and beyond. At the forefront of Serwer’s unique style and taste is an aptitude for classic and vintage pieces, which she aims to incorporate into any space she decorates. “I have been known to be a person to use

JANUARY 13 • 2022

antiques with all of my designs,” she says. “Even if it’s a very modern house, I feel like you need to have new and old to make it different from everyone else’s.” Catching what she calls the “retail bug” from her father, Alvin Steinman, who owned women’s boutique Alvin’s Bride with several locations throughout the state, Serwer combined that passion with her mother’s love for antiques (another trait she says was passed down) into her business. Throughout her career, Serwer began to collect antiques that she could later sell to her clients. She assembled a vast collection that she stored in her garage, turning antique dealing into a side business that she could add to her main interior design business.

Murray Eisnersigned Woody Allen print

HERE’S TO continued from page 30

Sally’s booth at Odd Fellows Antiques

finding and selling rare or unusual items, clients also come to her with specific asks, which she then seeks out. “They’ve hired me to begin with because they like my taste,” she says of her clients, who are mostly high-end customers. Depending on the day, Serwer can work with anyone from celebrities who live in Michigan to young families looking for one-of-a-kind furniture and artwork. “I try to find things that are very classic and will never go out of style,” she explains. “I try not to buy things that are too trendy.” FINDING AND COLLECTING ANTIQUES For Serwer, the search for antiques never stops. “I crawl through holes to get the items,” she laughs. Whether she’s traveling with her husband, William, and spots something distinctive, or browsing estate sales, Serwer continues to keep an eye out for her next greatest find. Before selling an item, particularly chairs, Serwer also makes sure everything is in excellent condition. “If I find an old chair, I’ll always have it redone,” she explains. “I like the idea of having a fresh new fabric.” Over the years, Serwer’s business has mostly been through word-of-mouth. “I

don’t like to do too much advertising,” she says. When an interesting piece or collection, the latter of which she tries to assemble so people can have matching decor, becomes available, she’ll post the antiques on her Facebook page, which can generate anywhere from one buyer to hundreds of calls. In antique dealing, it’s always busy season, Serwer explains. Yet her favorite time to sell is in the summer when she can offer outdoor items. “I love anything that’s old stone or architectural,” she says. The holidays are also a great time for antique sales, thanks to a large interest amongst customers for vintage Christmas furniture and decor. “Odd Fellows is known for having vintage Christmas stuff,” Serwer says. After more than four decades in the interior design business and 15 years dealing in antiques, Serwer has learned exactly what it takes to find rare items — and everyone can do it, she says. “Don’t turn down a garage sale,” Serwer advises. “Go to consignment stores. They’re almost like antique stores, but they don’t make it to antique stores because the dealers are buying from them.”

Rabbi Benyamin Vineburg has been elected to the Neshama Association of Jewish Chaplains Board of Directors. It is the sole voice and certifying body for Jewish Chaplains in the United States. He is excited to be able to represent the Detroit Jewish community in advocating for the way we approach and deliver Jewish spiritual care as a craft, particularly during this difficult time.

Congressman Andy Levin announced that he will run for reelection where he grew up and where he lives, in Michigan’s newly drawn Eleventh Congressional District, in 2022. He will be a fourth-generation resident of the heart of this new district in Oakland County.

Richard J. Kaplan, retired mayor of Lauderhill, Fla., has written a book, The Russian Escape, a novella. His grandfather was a drummer in the Russian army before he escaped and made his way to America. The book is a fictionalized tale of his travels based on known facts of his life and the history happening at the time.

Erica Meyers is the new engagement and program associate at The Well. She was born and raised in Metro Detroit before attending the University of Michigan to earn a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and German language and literature.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

SPIRIT ESSAY

A Carob for Tu b’Shevat O

n the 15th of Shevat, when the calendar says early winter, and Eastern Europe lies covered in snow, in Israel the first signs of spring appear as the almond tree begins to flower. So the Mishnah declares the 15th of the month of Shevat as the new year for trees, the start of the fiscal year for arborists Louis Finkelman (Rosh Hashanah Contributing 1:1). Writer You have to pay your agricultural taxes on each year’s harvest separately. The year starts on a specific day well after the olive harvest of the old year and well before any fruits are ever ready — so you have no trouble telling whether your fruit comes from this year’s crop or last year’s. Our forebears, Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews in the warm lands of the south, could celebrate Tu b’Shevat and their connection to

JANUARY 13 • 2022

the land of Israel by developing an elaborate meal around the fruits of Israel, “a land … of vine and fig and pomegranate, a land of oil olive and (date) honey” (Deut. 8:8). They ate courses of olives, pomegranates, and dates, in between drinking white wine and red wine. Our forebears, Ashkenazic Jews in the colder northern lands of Europe, made a strong effort to keep their connection to the land of Israel, too. Ashkenazi Jews, like Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews, recite a blessing in gratitude for the land in every grace after meals. Our synagogues, ideally, face toward the land of Israel. But in the colder parts of Europe, it was difficult, years ago, to obtain foods from the Holy Land. If you wanted to celebrate Tu b’Shevat, you had to make do with whatever fruits you could get. That meant eating dried carob, the fruit of a kind of locust bean tree (Ceratonia siliq-

ua) — in Yiddish, bokser. Which explains why, when I went to Hebrew school, the teacher gave us each a stubby piece of dried carob. I also got a few other pieces because the other children did not particularly want any. It takes an effort to enjoy the taste of dried carob — chew on the woody pod long enough, and you can get some flavor — but you can enjoy the idea that the fruit came from Israel. Think of what that meant to our ancestors in Europe. Fresh carob makes a better snack: chewy, sweet, umami, with a unique complex flavor. Last time I visited Israel, my family had a picnic in a grove of carob trees, and I enjoyed several of the pods for dessert. I thought they were delicious. On the other hand, no one else wanted any. Like it or not, the fruit is a pretty complete food. It has plenty of sugars and other carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.

Carob has several culinary uses, including as a chocolate substitute, as if anything could replace chocolate. The locust bean gum that thickens commercial food products comes from the seeds of the carob. Etymologists say bokser comes from a word meaning “ram’s horn tree,” perhaps inspired by the appearance of the twisty dark pods. The English, carob, derives from the Hebrew haruv. From the same three-letter root, het-resh-bet, come words for “destruction,” for “sword” and for “dryness.” What’s the connection? Maybe because the tree survives in dry parts of the world, or the fruit dries completely; or the pod looks like a scimitar; or, in a famine or drought, you can at least eat carob. THE CAROB IN LITERATURE The carob appears in rabbinic literature. When Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai offended the Roman

TORAH PORTION

Lessons In Trust

T authorities, he and his son Eliezer hid in a cave with a stream and a carob tree, providing all their needs for years (Talmud Shabbat 33b). The Mishnah treats the carob as a tree that produces food for humans (Peah 1:5 and elsewhere) although much of the crop was used for animal fodder. Rabbinic literature uses the expression “eating carob” to mean “living in poverty” (Lev. Rabbah 13:4). An old man planting carob trees appears in several rabbinic stories (Rabbi Burton Visotsky counts at least eight versions). In rabbinic literature, the carob famously takes years to reach maturity. In one version, the Roman emperor challenges the old man, “Will you live to eat the fruit of these trees?” And the old man responds, “Early or late, I do what pleases my Master in Heaven.” The emperor mockingly offers the man a basket of gold if he lives to bring the fruit to the palace. Many years later, the man brings the fruit, and the emperor gives him a basket of gold (Leviticus Rabbah 25:5). In a parallel story, early scholar Honi challenges the old man, who says, “I found carob trees in the world; as my forefathers planted these for me, I, too, plant these for my children.” (Talmud Taanit 23a).

Author Miriam Feinberg Vamosh notes a grove of carob trees grows at Yad Vashem, which honors the memory of “righteous gentiles,” those who heroically saved the lives of Jews during the Holocaust, by planting carob trees in memory of each hero. Vamosh wondered, “Why carob trees?” She found her answer when a guide at the Rothschild Gardens in Zichron Ya’akov explained why the carob trees in that garden bear no fruit. The Rothschild Gardens carobs get too much water, the guide said: “Because we water the lawns regularly, the carobs get too much water and they don’t bear fruit — carobs only bear fruit under stress, where no other fruit will grow.” Vamosh writes, “Right then and there, I connected to the Yad Vashem carobs: They symbolize the people who ‘bore fruit’ in a desert of evil and immorality.” So, on Tu b’Shevat, we can celebrate the coming of spring and our connection to the land of Israel by eating olives, pomegranates and dates, and drinking wines, but perhaps we might also want to chew on a carob fruit. Louis Finkelman is a professor at Lawrence Tech and a rabbi at Congregation Or Chadash in Oak Park.

his Torah portion covers they put their trust in God and the seven-week period not worry about the next day between the departure of or would they live lives of fear, the Jews from Egypt and receiv- always worrying about tomoring the Torah at Mount Sinai. row? This was a critical time, The final section of which included the splitting Beshallach details the battle of the Red Sea. In fact, this with the nation of Amalek. In Shabbat is called Shabbat Shira, describing this, the Torah uses the Sabbath of Song, which the Hebrew phrase asher korcommemorates the cha baderech, which means “Az Yashir,” which was literally “they met you on sung by the Jewish your way out of Egypt” people when the sea (Deuteronomy 25:18). The engulfed the Egyptian Chasidic masters interpret army and obliterated korcha to mean “cooled you Rabbi Elimelech them. off.” The Jews came out of Silberberg The text relates that Egypt all fired up. They were at that moment the on their way to Mount Sinai Parshat Beshallach: to receive the greatest gift Jews “believed in God Exodus and in Moses His serin God’s treasure chest, the 13:17-17:16; vant” (Exodus 14:31). Holy Torah. Then Amalek Judges The Talmud explains attacked with the purpose 4:4-5:31. that they reached an of trying to extinguish their awareness of God that enabled excitement. The battle against them to point to and identify a Amalek continues forever, as particular lofty level of Divinity. there is a personal Amalek withThe Torah portion also in each one of us that attempts reveals some weaknesses in to throw cold water over the their response to stressful situasoul’s natural desire to have a tions. When the Egyptians tried love affair with the Almighty. to crush them at the Red Sea Despite the complaints the or when they were in desperate people expressed on a number need of water and food, the of occasions, the prophet says in response was one of fear and the name of God, “I remember complaint. the kindness of your youth, your Although they had witnessed following Me into the desert” the miracles of the plagues and (Jeremiah 2:2) On the whole, the other wonders, bad habits God gives us a good grade for persist; as slaves in Egypt, they our behavior in the desert. had gotten used to complaining. This Shabbat of Song is a The Torah portion describes time to nurture and express our the miraculous food known as excitement about the special the manna. They were never relationship we enjoy with the given more than a one-day Almighty as chosen people, supply (except for Fridays when thereby dealing a defeat to our they received a two-day supply, internal Amalek. for Friday and Shabbat; thus, they would not have to work on Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg is a rabbi at Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center the Sabbath to gather it). This in West Bloomfield. was not an easy test: Would

JANUARY 13 • 2022

SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

The Power of Ruach

n September 2010, BBC, Reuters and other news agencies reported on a sensational scientific discovery. Researchers at the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research and the University of Colorado had shown through computer simulation how the division of the Red Sea may have taken place. Using sophisticated modeling, they demonstrated how a strong east wind, blowing overnight, could have pushed water back at a bend where an ancient river Rabbi Lord is believed to have merged Jonathan with a coastal lagoon. The Sacks water would have been guided into the two waterways and a land bridge would have opened at the bend, allowing people to walk across the exposed mud flats. As soon as the wind died down, the waters would have rushed back in. As the leader of the project said when the report was published: “The simulations match fairly closely with the account in Exodus.” So, we now have scientific evidence to support the biblical account; though to be fair, a very similar case was made some years ago by Colin Humphreys, professor of materials science at Cambridge

JANUARY 13 • 2022

University and professor of experimental physics at the Royal Institution in London, in his book The Miracles of Exodus. To me, though, the real issue is what the biblical account actually is. Because it is just here that we have one of the most fascinating features of the way the Torah tells its stories. Here is the key passage: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. (Ex. 14:21-22) The passage can be read two ways. The first is that what happened was a suspension of the laws of nature. It was a supernatural event. The waters stood, literally, like a wall. The second is that what happened was miraculous not because the laws of nature were suspended. To the contrary, as the computer simulation shows, the exposure of dry land at a particular point in the Red Sea was a natural outcome of the strong east wind. What made it miraculous is that it happened just there, just then, when the Israelites seemed trapped, unable to go forward because of the sea, unable to turn back because of the Egyptian army pursuing them.

There is a significant difference between these two interpretations. The first appeals to our sense of wonder. How extraordinary that the laws of nature should be suspended to allow an escaping people to go free. It is a story to appeal to the imagination of a child. But the naturalistic explanation is wondrous at another level entirely. Here the Torah is using the device of irony. What made the Egyptians of the time of Ramses so formidable was the fact that they possessed the latest and most powerful form of military technology, the horse-drawn chariot. It made them unbeatable in battle and fearsome. What happens at the sea is poetic justice of the most exquisite kind. There is only one circumstance in which a group of people traveling by foot can escape a highly trained army of charioteers, namely when the route passes through a muddy seabed. The people can walk across, but the chariot wheels get stuck in the mud. The Egyptian army can neither advance nor retreat. The wind drops. The water returns. The powerful are now powerless, while the powerless have made their way to freedom. This second narrative has a moral depth that the first does not; and it resonates with the message of the book of Psalms:

INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING.

INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING.

“His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love.” (Psalms 147:10-11) The elegantly simple way INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. in which the division of the Red Sea is described in the Torah is so that it can be INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. read at two quite different All Seasons invites you to discover new perspectives and levels, one as a supernatural miracle, the other as a moral every moment of new everyperspectives day! All Seasonsenjoy invites you to discover and tale about the limits of technology when it comes to enjoy every moment of every day! the real strength of nations: that to me is what is most striking. All Seasons invites you to discover new perspectives and It is a text quite deliberateevery day! and ly written so that our underAll Seasonsenjoy invitesevery you tomoment discover of new perspectives standing of it can deepen as the moment Joys of Senior Living enjoyFor every of every day! we mature, and we are no For the of Seniornew Living longer so interested in the All Seasons invites youJoys to discover perspectives and mechanics of miracles and enjoy every moment of every day! more interested in how freedom is won or lost. So it’s good to know how the division of the sea happened, but there remains a For the Joys of Senior Living depth to the biblical story that can never be exhausted by computer simulations For the Joys of Senior Living and other historical or scientific evidence, and depends instead on being sensitive to its deliberate and delicate ambiguity. Just Managed by: Ask Us Why! Proud Recipient of the Prestigious as ruach, a physical wind, can part waters and expose Managed by: Ask Us Why! Proud Recipient of the Prestigious land beneath, so ruach, the human spirit, can expose, beneath the surface of a story, a deeper meaning beneath.

All Seasons invites you to discover new perspectives and enjoy every moment of every day!

For the Joys of Senior Living

LEARN MORE AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM LEARN MORE AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM

The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks served as the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, 1991-2013. His teachings have been made available to all at rabbisacks.org. This essay was written on Feb. 6, 2017.

LEARN MORE AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM MORE AT LEARN MORE LEARN AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM LEARNALLSEASONSLIVING.COM MORE AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM Managed by:

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JANUARY 13 • 2022

SPIRIT

Synagogue Directory CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org

Temple B’nai Shalom Benton Harbor (269) 925-8021 tbnaishalom.org

Ahavas Israel Grand Rapids (616) 949-2840 ahavasisraelgr.org

INDEPENDENT Grosse Pointe Jewish Council Grosse Pointe Woods (313) 882-6700 thegpjc.com

Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.org Congregation Beth Israel Flint (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.org Congregation Beth Shalom Oak Park (248) 547-7970 congbethshalom.org Beth Tephilath Moses Mt. Clemens (586) 996-3138 bethtephilathmoses.com B’nai Israel Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 432-2729 bnaiisraelwb.org Congregation B’nai Moshe West Bloomfield (248) 788-0600 bnaimoshe.org Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue Detroit (313) 962-4047 downtownsynagogue.org Congregation of Moses Kalamazoo congregationofmoses.org Congregation Shaarey Zedek Southfield (248) 357-5544 shaareyzedek.org

JANUARY 13 • 2022

Kehillat Hatzhav Hagadol Mackinac Island (906) 202-9959 mackinacsynagogue.org

Beth Tefilo Emanuel Tikvah Southfield (248) 559-5022 Birmingham-Bloomfield Shul Birmingham (248) 996-5818 bbchai.org B’nai Israel-Beth Yehudah Oak Park (248) 967-3969 bi-by.org B’nai Zion Oak Park (248) 968-2414

ORTHODOX Agudas Israel Mogen Abraham Southfield (248) 552-5711 aymadetroit.org

Chabad House-Lubavitch of Eastern Michigan Flint (810) 230-0770 chabad.org

Ahavas Olam Southfield (248) 569-1821 Ahavasolam.com

Chabad Jewish Center of Commerce-Walled Lake Commerce Township (248) 363-3644 jewishcommerce.org

Ahavas Yisroel Oak Park (248) 298-2896 Learntorah.info Aish Hatorah in the Woods Oak Park (248) 327-3579 Aishdetroit.com Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills (248) 855-2910 chabad.org Bais Chabad of North Oak Park (248) 872-8878 chabad.org Bais Haknesses Hagrah Oak Park (248) 542-8737 Balfour Shul – K’Hal Rina U’Tefila Oak Park (732) 693-8457

Chabad Jewish Center of Novi-Northville (248) 790-6075 novijewishcenter.com Chabad Jewish Center of Troy Troy/Rochester Hills (248) 873-5851 jewishtroy.com Chabad-Lubavitch of Bingham Farms Bloomfield Hills (248) 688-6796 chabadbinghamfarms.com

Etz Chayim of Toledo Toledo, OH (419) 473-2401 Etzchayimtoledo.org First Hebrew Congregation South Haven (269) 637-1603 firsthebrewcongregation.org Kehillat Etz Chayim Huntington Woods etzchayim-detroit.org Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit Oak Park (248) 968-1891 kollel@kolleldetroit.org Mishkan Israel, Nusach H’ari, Lubavitch Center Oak Park (248) 542-4844 theyeshiva.org Ohel Moed Shomrey Emunah West Bloomfield (248) 737-2626 ohelmoed.org Or Chadash Oak Park (248) 819-1721 or-chadash.org Sara & Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center of West Bloomfield (248) 855-6170 baischabad.com Shaar Hashomayim Windsor (519) 256-3123

Chabad of Western Michigan Grand Rapids (616) 957-0770 chabadwestmichigan.com

Shaarey Zedek Windsor (519) 252-1594 shaareyzedekwindsor.com

Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh Oak Park (313) 320-9400 dbndetroit.org

Shomer Israel Oak Park (248) 542-4014 godaven.com

Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomreyemunah-105705.square.site The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net

Temple Beth El Battle Creek (269) 963-4921 Temple Beth El Bloomfield Township (248) 851-1100 tbeonline.org

Temple Israel West Bloomfield (248) 661-5700 temple-israel.org Temple Jacob Hancock templejacobhancock.org

Temple Beth El Flint (810) 720-9494 tbeflint@gmail.com

Temple Kol Ami West Bloomfield (248) 661-0040 tkolami.org

Temple Beth El Midland (989) 496-3720 tbe_midland@yahoo.com

Congregation Shaarey Zedek East Lansing (517) 351-3570 shaareyzedek.com

Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org

Temple Beth Israel Bay City (989) 893-7811 tbi-mich.org

Temple Shir Shalom West Bloomfield (248) 737-8700 shirshalom.org

RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Israel Lansing (517) 882-0049 kehillatisrael.net

Temple Beth Israel Jackson (517) 784-3862 tbijackson.org

Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org

Congregation T’chiyah Ferndale (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit (313) 567-0306 reconstructingjudiasm.org REFORM Bet Chaverim Canton (734) 480-8880 betchaverim@yahoo.com Temple Benjamin Mt. Pleasant (989) 773-5086 templebenjamin.com Congregation Beth El Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca

Congregation Beth Shalom Traverse City 231-946-1913 beth-shalom-tc.org Temple Beth Sholom Marquette tbsmqt.org Temple B’nai Israel Kalamazoo (269) 342-9170 Templebnaiisrael.com Temple B’nai Israel Petoskey (231) 489-8269 templebnaiisraelofpetoskey.org Temple Emanuel Grand Rapids (616) 459-5976 grtemple.org Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org

REFORM/RENEWAL Congregation Shir Tikvah Troy (248) 649-4418 shirtikvah.org SECULAR/HUMANISTIC Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit Farmington Hills (248) 477-1410 chj-detroit.org Sholem Aleichem Institute Lathrup Village (240 865-0117 secularsaimichigan.org SEPHARDIC Keter Torah Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 681-3665 rabbisasson.wixsite.com/keter Ohr Hatorah Oak Park (248) 294-0613 Ohrhatorah.us

TRADITIONAL Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net MINYANS Fleischman Residence West Bloomfield (248) 661-2999 Yeshivat Akivah Southfield (248) 386-1625 farberhds.org

ANN ARBOR

CONSERVATIVE Beth Israel Congregation (734) 665-9897 @BethIsraelCongregation ORTHODOX Ann Arbor Chabad House (734) 995-3276 jewmich.com Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan annarborminyan.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation (734) 445-1910 aarecon.org REFORM Temple Beth Emeth (734) 665-4744 templebethemeth.org RENEWAL Pardes Hanah pardeshanah.org SECULAR HUMANISTIC Jewish Cultural Society (734) 975-9872 jewishculturalsociety.org Please email factual corrections or additional synagogues to list to: smanello@thejewishnews.com.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

ARTS&LIFE ARTS ART

Healing

for the

Environmentally Speaking opens at the Janice Charach Gallery in the JCC. KIM FAY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

JENNIFER PATSELAS

he Janice Charach Gallery will present Environmentally Speaking, an exhibition that brings together the work of 14 artists who share a sense of tikkun olam, or stewardship and healing of our environment. This show, opening Jan. 16, is intended to deliver an empowering and hopeful approach to the challenging topic of climate change. It features works in a variety of mediums while offering ways we might connect with and through nature to begin to heal. Artist and lead curator Laura Earle poses the question: “What is the legacy we want to leave for future generations? We can already see the cumulative impact of simple daily choices — so many changes have occurred just in our lifetime.” Artist and co-curator Leslie Sobel’s Interwoven Ecologies is borne from a lifelong love for the outdoors, particularly the study of watersheds and the creatures who live in those ecosystems. Strips of paper with images of such residents from fungi to whales, illustrate how we bind together in a shared existence. The culturally Jewish

JANUARY 13 • 2022

Laura Earle, Leslie Sobel and Olivia Guterson are co-curators of the Environmentally Speaking exhibit.

JENNIFER PATSELAS

ng Art

underpinning of stewardship resonates, incorporating humans into these networks in order to preserve them. Susan Hoffman Fishman’s In The Beginning There Was Only Water II visually communicates the vastness of the Earth’s beginnings while it draws on the origin stories of Genesis and the concept of dominion. This panel is part of a larger installation that is an abstract interpretation of what scientists have determined happened at the creation of the planet and for the billions of years that followed. Fishman is asking the viewer to consider our relationship with Creation to formulate a healthier connection between us and the planet. Nancy Cohen’s Between addresses the worsening condition of the flood plains in her home area of New York and New Jersey. Her use of handmade paper, then drawing with pulp and ink,

TRACEY EASTHOPE

JENNIFER PATSELAS

he Planet

CLOCKWISE: Susan Fishman Hoffman’s In the Beginning There Was Only Water II, acrylic and mixed media work on paper, 5 by 5 feet. Tracey Easthope’s The Solar Cell is part of a larger series titled The Climate Orders and the Couture Parade, featuring eight different digital costume images. Leslie Sobel’s Interwoven Ecologies, mixed media, stitched, glued monotype and digital print, 31 by 47 inches. FACING PAGE: Nancy Cohen’s Between, paper pulp, ink, kozo and handmade paper, 21 by 60 inches.

continued on page 42 JANUARY 13 • 2022

ARTS&LIFE

Details

ART

Environmentally Speaking is set to open — free to the public — on Jan. 16 from 3-6 p.m. at the Janice Charach Gallery at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield. Participating artists include Nancy Cohen, Justin Cox, Kate Dodd, Laura Earle, Tracey Easthope, Elizabeth Barick Fall, Susan Hoffman Fishman, Gina Rafaella Furnari, Olivia Guterson, Cynthia LaMaide, Trisha Schultz, Leslie Sobel, Laurie Wechter and Jana Dietsch Wingels.

JENNIFER PATSELAS

LEFT: Laura Earle’s Greenhouse Gases, reclaimed plastic, steel and video, 11 by 5 by 11 feet. BELOW: Olivia Guterson’s How You Still Love Us, oil and acrylic on birch panel, 24 inches.

continued from page 41

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Environmentally Speaking features two audience participation projects hosted at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit. Dear Earth invites the public to write letters to the Earth, which are

JANUARY 13 • 2022

then placed in a mailbox. Susan Hoffman Fishman will create an installation out of the letters and video record the process.

NN IF ER

creates a highly textured piece with gorgeous line work that interprets as grasses and reeds under water. The Solar Cell by Tracey Easthope imagines a universal religious practice that is dedicated to caring for our natural planet. She’s input humanity into the environmental equation wearing a celestial and fiery costume. Artist and co-curator Olivia Guterson’s How You Still Love Us calls upon her Jewish and Black heritage in the patterns she saw in her Grandmother’s doilies and babushkas to African brooches and church hats. The work is remarkably precise for the materials employed. The use of negative space makes for an interesting composition as well as a place of rest. Her titles are portions of a haiku she’s written through a deep spiritual practice where she views her work as an act of service and a way to engage and spark conversation. Greenhouse Gases by Laura Earle presents how you might imagine gases in the atmosphere if you could actually see them. This sculpture makes the invisible concrete and therefore undeniable.

PA TS E

LA S

The second involves artists across the country who have created cigarette box-sized pieces of art to reflect their thoughts and feelings on the state of our environment. These pieces will be placed in a refurbished vintage vending machine and will be for sale

throughout the exhibition. Artworks will be documented in a book by Laura Earle. Environmentally Speaking and Hazon will present a Tu b’Shevat Seder performance, Elements Elements of Life: Moving Together with Nature.. This one-time presentation is an artistic rendition of the Holiday of the Trees, which occurs Jan.16, in sculptural and dance form. This production takes the viewer on a seed’s journey, facing the environmental challenges of earth, wind, water and fire, to becoming the Tree of Life, the foundation on which the Jewish faith stands. All the costumes are thoughtfully and intricately detailed using only natural materials. This recital is created in such a way the viewer is completely immersed in the experience. Both the visual art and the Seder performance invite the community to action in healing our natural world. Not through scary images, which most of us have become desensitized to, but by “seducing through beauty,” as Sobel puts it. All the artists include in their work a strong spiritual practice and a sense of service to our collective home and existence. “We have a narrowing window in which we can make lasting change,” Earle said. “I want to amplify insightful and hopeful voices in that conversation and encourage every member of our community to take part.”

ARTS&LIFE THEATER

PHOTO BY CHRIS BENNION AND JEREMY DANIEL

An Optimistic Musical

The ensemble dances to “You Can’t Stop the Beat.”

Producer Orin Wolf brings Hairspray to the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.

T Orin Wolf

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

he producer who brought the last tour of Fiddler on the Roof to the Fisher Theatre — a production that had to be cut short because of COVID restrictions — is putting another popular musical, Hairspray, on the road. Orin Wolf, president of NETworks Presentations, believes the upbeat show, about a teenager wanting to appear on a TV dance program, offers an uplifting experience during pandemic times. “There’s something just inherently optimistic about the music and the story,” said Wolf, who has been to Michigan through work responsibilities and family ties having to do with his wife, attorney Shiri Bilik Wolf, growing up in Michigan, attending the University of Michigan and occasionally writing for the Detroit Jewish News. “Hairspray is not a naïve optimism; it’s an informed optimism because it was written about a continued on page 44 JANUARY 13 • 2022

MARC J. FRANKLIN

Andrew Levitt (aka Nina West), Niki Metcalf and Toneisha Harris

Details

JEREMY DANIEL

Hairspray will be performed Jan. 18-30 at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. Tickets start at $39. Fisher Theatre, (313) 872-1000, ext. 0 or ticketmaster. com.

Andrew Levitt, also known as Nina West

JANUARY 13 • 2022

ARTS&LIFE THEATER

continued from page 43

time in this country [during the 1960s] when there was adversity, and that resonates,” he said. “It’s sorely needed in the climate we’re in today and the challenges we face. It’s a shot in the arm of positive energy and positive, affirmative thinking.” The musical, running Jan. 18-30 at the Fisher Theatre, has songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The fast-paced numbers include “Welcome to the ’60s,” “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.” “It’s one of those scores where every song that comes through has such an impact,” Wolf said. “‘Good Morning Baltimore’ has such optimism. This teen character, Tracy, chooses to see things in a way that infuses her with energy and positivity, and the song really underscores that. It’s a perfect way to set off the story.” Wolf ’s story as producer welcomes the mood of the song as he moves beyond the tight restrictions that shut down live productions. He spent the days away from live theater in planning for its return. “I can’t state how difficult it was to put people back into the theater safely, moving actors and crews in and out of theaters and hotels,” he explained. “Knock wood, we’ve had a pretty good go of it so far. Our actors have been taking really good care of themselves, and [with venue practices put in place], it’s been extraordinarily safe for audiences. “We’re thrilled, and we’re enjoying it. We’re finding the power of being back in a live theater worth the effort.” Wolf, whose wife is from Israel, has brought award-winning stage shows and performers from that country to the United States. The Band’s Visit, originally an Israelimade film, revolves around an Egyptian band stranded in Israel. Na Laga’at’s Not by Bread Alone, a performance by a troupe of deaf

and blind actors, invites audiences into aspects and understandings of their lives. “[The Israeli troupe presented] an extraordinary work of art,” Wolf said of the reasoning behind his production choice. “I really appreciated it as beautiful and very moving. “All my shows have special meaning to me, but I certainly appreciate telling stories of Jewish characters.” Casting of a Hairspray character brought a distinctive aspect to both the movie and play iterations. The idea that the role of the teen’s mom, Edna Turnblad, not be played by a woman was started by John Waters, film writer and director. For the Detroit production, the part will be portrayed by Andrew Levitt, also known as Nina West from Ru Paul’s Drag Race. “I think the character has always been sort of an outsider and sees herself that way,” Wolf said, defining the continuing choice as stylistic. “By immediately introducing elements of the performance of that character to make the audience understand this person to be different is what makes the character so compelling.” Also in the production are Niki Metcalf as the teenage Tracy Turnblad, Christopher Swan as dad Wilbur Turnblad, Toneisha Harris (from NBC’s The Voice) as Motormouth Maybelle and Billy Dawson as Corny Collins. Wolf had aspirations of being on stage while studying at The Hartt School, a performing arts conservatory at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, but that changed as he entered the working world. “When I got out of college, I was assisting people [in production],” he recalled. “I started my love affair with producing and worked my way up in the industry. I love the theater and being part of it makes me happy.”

ARTS&LIFE CELEBRITY NEWS

BETTY WHITE’S ‘SPECIAL’ JEWISH FRIENDS, FUN IN MOTOWN, A SMOTHERING MOTHER Before Betty White died, I decided to write a column item about the Betty White tribute film, which was (and is) scheduled to play in select theaters Jan. 17, what would have been White’s 100th birthday. (Titled Betty White, a Celebration, it will play at the Maple Theater in Bloomfield Hills. It is a one-day only screening; nationwide). I didn’t want to write up “just” a list of Jewish stars White worked with, like Ed Asner on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Estelle Getty and Bea Arthur on The Golden Girls. So, I checked out two memoirs that White wrote. Her 1995 memoir was very detailed. The 2011 memoir was much lighter —a collection of sweet memories. Pretty soon I realized that White worked with tons of Jewish folks, but it was hard to tell who she really, really liked. She literally had nothing bad to say about anyone. Eventually, I found three Jewish colleagues you could “just” tell she was especially fond of. As most of you know, game shows were very important to White. While she never stopped acting, guest shots on game shows were her biggest “thing” from about 1960 until she joined The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1973. A guest shot on Password changed her life. She met the show’s host, Allen Ludden, then a widower with three young children. They married in 1963. Ludden hosted Password until his death in 1981, age 63. Password was one of many game shows created by the GoodsonTodman company. Its “hands-on” producer/top executive was Mark Goodson (1915-1992). White’s 1995 book has a full-page photo of Goodson, with the caption: “One-ofa-kind, a good friend.” She recounted how kind Goodson was to Allen

ANGELA GEORGE, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

Betty White

Ludden when Ludden’s first wife fell terminally ill. White added that Goodson had a rocky romantic life, and he often turned to her for counsel or just for a kind ear. Bob Stewart (1920-2012), White wrote, “invented” three mega-hit Goodson-Todman game shows (Password, The Price is Right and To Tell the Truth) before he went off to create his own game show production company in 1964. (Stewart went on to “invent” the $100,000 Pyramid). White wrote that she and Stewart became close friends and, as of 1995, they dined together frequently. Stewart, I found out, was born Isadore Steinberg. He changed his name because he thought he had lost a job due to antisemitism. In her 2011 memoir, White says that Carl Reiner (1922-2020) and Allen Ludden served in the same Army entertainment unit during WWII. She first met Reiner when he and some other guys who served with Ludden were guests in her home. In 2010, Reiner appeared as White’s date in several episodes of Hot in Cleveland. White totally

loved Ludden and loved to hear good things about him. She just kvelled when Reiner told her, during a break in filming, that he “wouldn’t have had a career without Captain Ludden.” Reiner explained that during their Army days, Ludden told Reiner he liked his comic material. Ludden then managed to get it seen by a big-time showbiz producer. MOTOWN SERIES I was asleep at the wheel last month when American Auto, an NBC sitcom about a (supposedly) Detroit-based auto company, “sneak previewed” its first two episodes. I just caught up with those episodes, which are free to view on Peacock and online. New episodes air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Basic plot: a car company, called Payne, is struggling and its new CEO (Ana Gasteyer) has no auto industry experience. The flaky Payne top execs don’t help her much. They include Wesley (Jon Barinholtz, 42), the airhead grandson of the company’s founder. (My 13-word review: some jokes and scenes were funny, but not quite enough. More work needed). The series was created by, and is written by Justin Spitzer, 44. He’s best known for creating and writing the NBC Superstore series, which ran for six seasons. His wife, Jenna Bans, 47, is best known for creating and writing the NBC series Good Girls, which aired for four seasons. Premiering on the 20th is Single Drunk Female, a comedy/drama series (Freeform channel/app, 10 p.m.). Sophia Black-D’Elia, 29, stars as Samantha Fink, an irreverent alcoholic who gets into trouble. She avoids jail by moving in with her smothering mother (played by ’80s “brat pack”star Ally Sheedy, 59). Both actresses have non-Jewish fathers and Jewish mothers. BlackD’Elia calls herself Jewish, and Sheedy has always been secular.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

DAY OF SERVICE 10:30-NOON, JAN. 17

AN EVENING WITH YONINA 7:30-9:30 PM, JAN. 15

JAZZ IN JANUARY 7:30 PM, JAN. 14 Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings Nightnotes series. Gilda Award-winner Ian Finkelstein and friends perform a night of jazz at Hagopian World of Rugs, 850 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham. Tickets: $30 general, $25 senior. Visit detroitchamberwinds. org. For info: contact Priya Mohan at 248-559-2095 or at mohan@art-ops.org. SOULFUL YOGA 10 AM, JAN. 15 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites you to join Rabbi Aaron Bergman and yoga instructor Mindy Eisenberg. Connect body and soul as they apply the wisdom of Torah to the gentle practice of yoga. No yoga experience is necessary. Free. For questions, contact 248-8515100. AN EVENING WITH YONINA 7:30-9:30 PM, JAN. 15 This online event is hosted by Congregation Beth Shalom, Oak Park. Yonina, an Israeli musical duo made up of married couple Yoni and Nina Tokayer, will come via Zoom from their home in Israel. There will be options to attend either in person at the synagogue (with masks) to watch on the screen there or to attend virtually,

JANUARY 13 • 2022

via Zoom Those who attend virtually will be sent a Zoom link in the week leading up to the event with information about how to access the concert. There will be a 90-minute virtual musical tour of Jerusalem, live from the duo’s studio in Israel, with pre-recorded segments interspersed throughout the evening. The cost is a minimum of $18 per household if attending from home and $18 per person if attending at the synagogue. Info: Beth Rodgers at bethshalomprogramming@gmail.com. CELEBRATE THE TREES 10:30-NOON, JAN. 16 At Congregation Beth Ahm, 5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield. Barbara Jean and her puppet friends will share Dr. Seuss’ story of the Lorax and the importance of trees along with crafts and more. Free and open to the community. Register by Jan. 14. at cbahm.org/event/tubshevat2022 VOLUNTEER DAY 10:30 AM-NOON, JAN. 16 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites the community to join in a Volunteer Day program. The tradition continues as participants of all ages (adults, teens and children) work on a variety of handson projects that will help organizations in the Metro

Detroit area improve lives. For more information, visit adatshalom.org/adat-shalom-events/, call 248-8515100 or email jgross@adatshalom.org. FRUIT AT THE SHUK 11 AM, JAN. 16 To celebrate Tu b’Shevat in Israel, we’ll practice bargaining at the shuk, farming on a kibbutz and even training in the IDF. Along the way, we’ll taste all the special fruit of Israel. At Bais Chabad Torah Center, 5595 W. Maple, West Bloomfield. For ages 5-11. Cost: $15. Free for Hebrew school students. In each city, kids will pick up a “souvenir” along with a sticker to add to their maps. At the last city, Tzfat, kids will create a unique Hebrew name painting using a cool watercolor technique, ending off with a beautiful masterpiece to take home before a final group picture at the Kotel. WONDERS OF NATURE MULTIPLE TIMES, JAN. 16 Celebrate Tu b’Shevat, the Jewish birthday of the trees, with an immersive artistic experience for families with children ages 4-8 at the JCC in West Bloomfield. Explore the elements of the natural world through an interactive dance experience, sculpture art, a painting class and a sneak preview of the

exhibit “Environmentally Speaking” at the Janice Charach Gallery. This program features the artistic talent of the Shua Group, Billy Mark, Laura Earle and Marci Bratt. Due to COVID, spaces are limited, and masks are required for everybody ages 2+. This program is a partnership between Hazon Detroit and the JCC’s Berman Center for Performing Arts, Janice Charach Gallery and Jfamily. Jfamily will be packaging donations for Vernor Elementary School on Martin Luther King Day. Please consider bringing one of the following items as a donation: shampoo, conditioner, body soap, hand soap, deodorant, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, sanitary pads, lotion, crayons, dry erase markers or markers. Registration fee is $20: jlive. app/events/1425. TU B’SHEVAT SEDER 7 PM, JAN. 16 Join Hazzan David Propis and Rabbi Yoni Dahlen as they lead Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s annual Tu b’Shevat Seder, an hourlong exploration of music, mindfulness and appreciation of the natural world that surrounds us. Free. Register: shaareyzedek.org/calendar/ upcoming-events.

DAY OF SERVICE 10:30-NOON, JAN. 17 Join Jfamily, The Well and Congregation Shaarey Zedek for a morning of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Participants will pack supplies to support students and families at Vernor Elementary School while also looking at Dr. King’s vision for unity between all people. Sledding (weather TBD) and a warm-up snack provided as well. At the synagogue, 27375 Bell Road, Southfield. Register: jlive.app/events/1378. HOW TO STEWARD 7:30 PM, JAN. 17 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites you to join Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch, director of spiritual care on Zoom. In honor of Tu b’Shevat, this session will study bal tashchit — the principle of not wasting. The New Year of the Trees is a time for us to review our commitments to the Earth. Free. To register and receive a Zoom link, contact Mikki Shenkenberg, mshenkenberg@adatshlaom.org or 248-851-5100. BRAIN HEALTH WORKSHOP 1-2:30 PM, JAN. 19 “Intervention and Care for Brain Longevity” with Lynn Etters, a board-certified adult and gerontological nurse practitioner. She will identify strategies for diet, stress management, exercise and spiritual fitness. A focus on spiritual fitness includes the practice of meditation and its broad range of positive health outcomes. Register in advance for this Zoom event at MindU@jfsdetroit. org or 248-788-MIND. After registering, you will receive a link via email to join the meeting.

ARTIST SPEAKS 7 PM, JAN. 20 The Jewish Historical Society of Michigan will host, on Zoom, “A Conversation with Yigal and Shear Ozeri,” Israeli artist and his daughter, who is managing director of Yigal Ozeri LLC. Yigal’s exhibition, “Brush with Reality,” has been on view at the Flint Institute of Arts. Hosted by Barbara Cohn, this live conversation will cover Yigal Ozeri’s life growing up in Israel, his artistic influences, the art market and his newest series, “Americana.” He will also take viewers on a virtual tour of his studio. Cost: JHSM members $10; non-members: $18. Register by Jan. 19: form/jotyform. com213546584771161. CAREGIVER SUPPORT 1:30-2:30 PM, JAN. 20 Virtual Caregiver Support Groups for individuals who are care partners for those living with cognitive changes including several types of dementia. Contact Dorothy Moon, Brown Adult Day Program social worker, for Zoom link and more information: 248-233-4392, dmoon@jvshumanservices. org. AUTHORS SPEAK 7-8 PM, JAN. 20 On YouTube, Arkady Martine, author of A Desolation Called Peace, and PJ Manney, author of (CON)SCIENCE, discuss their most recent books, the state of speculative fiction and how being Jewish has informed their work. After registering, check your email for your registration email. It contains the link to join the Livestream. Register: jlive. app/events/1012. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews.com.

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MIRRIAM BRAVERMAN, 98, of Ann Arbor, died Jan. 3, 2022. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Eric and Julie Braverman, Leslie and Gail Braverman; daughter, Lainie Katz; grandchildren, Erica Braverman, Paul Braverman, Maxwell Braverman, Nicole (Zak) Troiano, Natalie Katz and Samantha Katz; great-grandchild, Kai; many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Braverman was the beloved wife of the late Samuel W. Braverman; the sister of the late Lillian Cooper. Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to Friendship Circle or Autism Speaks. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

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GERTRUDE BURSTYN, 94, of West Bloomfield, born in Detroit, formerly of Windsor, Ontario, died Dec. 25, 2021. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Sanford and Kathy Burstyn of Phoenix, Ariz.; daughter and son-in-law, Elaine and Dr. Robert Robins of West Bloomfield; grandchildren, Jessica Robins and Andrew Spott, Matthew and Miriam Robins, Aaron and Michelle Robins, Benjamin Burstyn, Abby Burstyn; great-grandchildren, Annabelle Spott, Ezra Spott, Shimon Robins, Shlomo Robins, Batsheva Robins; other loving family and friends. Mrs. Burstyn was the beloved wife of the late Morris Burstyn; cherished daughter of the late Morris and the late Bertha Silberman; loving mother of the late Leslie Burstyn; dear sister and sister-in-law of the late Raymond and the late Minnie Silberman, the late Ethel and the late Allan Barron. Contributions may be made to the FIDF, Jewish Senior Life or a charity of one’s choice. A graveside service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

GAYLE ELLEN SAMPSON LASKY EDELSON, 67, of Franklin, died Jan. 3, 2022. She is survived by her husband, Alan Edelson; daughters and sons-in-law, Julie Lasky Beznos and Sam Beznos, and Brooke Lasky Margulis and Jeffrey Margulis; grandchildren, Dylan, Elle and Blake Beznos, and Whitney Margulis; mother, Gladys Sampson. She is also survived by Jeffrey Edelson, Bradley Edelson, and Zachary and Elizabeth Edelson. She was the adored special friend of Lynne and the late Richard Ludwig, and was cherished by many friends whom she loved like family. Mrs. Lasky Edelson was the beloved wife of the late David Lasky; the devoted daughter of the late Gerald Sampson; the caring niece of the late Norman Sampson; she was also predeceased by Zachary Edelson. Interment was at Hebrew Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, David Lasky Memorial Fund, NC06DS, 4100 John R, Detroit, MI 48201, karmanos.org/ karmanos-foundation/tribute-gifts-karmanos-foundation; Kadima, Ludwig Shulman Family Fund, 15999 W. 12 Mile, Southfield, MI 48076, kadimacenter.org; Temple Israel, Zachary M. Talan Edelson Maccabi Scholarship Fund, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, temple-israel.org/tributes; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

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During the coming week, Kaddish will be said for these departed souls during the daily minyan at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. Your support of the Torah learning of our children and our Kollel’s Torah Scholars brings immeasurable heavenly merit. Please call us at 248-557-6750 for more information.

14 Shevat Jan. 16 Agi Alpert Max Barth Esther Waldman Ellis Lori Epstein Fannie Faber Morris Goodman Fae Hellen Bessie Holtzman Shlomo Karbal Meyer Minkin Harry Schneider Charles Weiss Elias Milton Weiss William Wilner 15 Shevat Jan. 17 Bernard Amhowitz Edwin Block Stepha Pitt Molly Plotkin Harold Wade Lila Wagmann 16 Shevat Jan. 18 Moshe Goldfarb Morris Kallush Esther Lisabeth Milton Mermell Bella Schulman

Nathan Stahl Fannie Zalenko Weinerman Sam Zingeser 17 Shevat Jan. 19 Craig Evan Blecher Rose Burstein Solomon Cohen Sylvia Coleman Nathan Fine Noach Mendel Gamze Joel Goodman Yossel Halpert Philip Helfman Fannie Ruth Kreitman Lillian Lux David H. Lynn Ben Stein Mina Wolman 18 Shevat Jan. 20 Rachel Berkowitz Herbert B. Bunin Israel Glicklin Morris Goldberg Leo Kaufman Molly Kobrin Arthur E. Plotnick Frank Sears Morris Sherman

Samuel Sherman Milton M Shiffman Fannie Smith 19 Shevat Jan. 21 Bella Band George X. Cobitz Dora P Corman Jennie Eisenshtadt Paul Fenton William Greenstein Esther Hecker David Kaufman Jacob Levin Sadie Lichtenberg Getta Malach Morie Nelson Rose Langwald Tomarin Rose Anna (Matz) Zeifman 20 Shevat Jan. 22 Charles Drescher Becky Efros Morris Franovitz Max Friedman Sandra Karmazin Ann Magid Sarah Revzin Max C. Shiovitz Harry Sklar

School for Boys • Beth Jacob School for Girls • Bais Yehudah Preschool Weiss Family Partners Detroit • Kollel Bais Yehudah • Maalot Detroit P.O. Box 2044 • Southfield, MI 48037• 248-557-6750 • www.YBY.org

JANUARY 13 • 2022

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 49

JERRY GEORGE FIRESTONE, 73, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 31, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Marcia Firestone; son and daughter-in-law, Zachary and Dr. Ilana Firestone of Woodmere, N.Y.; brother, Tom Firestone; brotherin-law, Dr. Steven Lipton; grandchildren, Abigail Firestone, Leon Firestone. Mr. Firestone was the loving son of the late Sam and the late Charlotte Firestone; dear brother of the late Levi “Fraidy” Firestone, the late Eva Lipton. A funeral service took place at Hebrew Memorial Chapel. Interment was held at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. RITA RACHEL GOLDEN, 93, passed peacefully on Jan. 1, 2022. She was born in Detroit to Morris and Charlotte Papo. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Vivacious and spirited, Rita lived life to the fullest every day with zest and a positive outlook. Rita graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in early childhood education. Soon after college, she married her “true love,” James A. Golden, with whom she spent 57 beautiful years. Rita and Jim retired to Sun City West, Ariz., which she referred to as “paradise,” as

there was always something to do and something to learn to “stay young and never be bored.” Rita was a petite woman with a large personality, a signature hair style and bright red lips and nails. An excellent cook, she took great joy in meticulously planning and plating meals and shared the love of entertaining with her family. Rita loved golf, tennis, bowling, playing games and her artwork, especially china painting. In her 70s, Rita began a monthly newsletter reporting on all her grandchildren. She was immensely proud of her family, and it was her special way of connecting the cousins who were spread across the country. Mrs. Golden is survived by her four children and their spouses, Steven (Cherie), Douglas (Soraya), Nancy (Larry), Elizabeth (Robert); her grandchildren, Ryan (Heidi), Adam, Zachary, Alessandra, Francesca, Seth (Juliana), Brad (Mira), Maxine, Nate; and her great-grandchildren, Ziva and Gaige. Contributions may be sent to a local food pantry or the American Cancer Society. RUTH GOODSTEIN, 99, formerly of Washington, D.C., and Detroit, of San Rafael, Calif., passed away on Dec. 26, 2021. Mrs. Goodstein was the beloved wife for 66 years of the late Fred Goodstein; and the mother of the late Sharon (Dr. Jerry) Young of San

Rafael, Calif.; she was the sister of the late Al Bordow and Harry Bordow of Washington, D.C.; and the sister-in-law of the late Faye Frumin, Sophie Ellenbogen and Dave Goodstein. She is survived by her children, Harold (Kathy) Goodstein of West Bloomfield, Steve Goodstein of Scottsdale, Ariz.: grandchildren, Dr. Matthew Young of Fairfax, Calif., Dr. Rachel (Rimone) Frucht of Portland, Ore., Rebecca (Josh) Gustin of San Rafael, Calif., Corey Goodstein (his fiancée, Kayla Radler) of New York; great-grandchildren, Sammy and Izzy Frucht, and Alex Gustin. Services were held at Mount Tamalpais Cemetery in San Rafael. Contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Association, City of Hope or

the charity of your choice. ARTHUR HARVEY LANDAU, 81, of Bloomfield Hills, died Jan. 1, 2022. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Irene Landau; sons and daughterin-law, Kevin Landau, Adam Landau, and Zachary Landau and Jennifer Mastaw; sistersin-law and brothers-in-law, Sandy Landau, Neil Brown, and Donald and Lynda Moses; many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and many close, loving, kind friends. Mr. Landau was the loving brother of the late Milton Landau and the late Thelma Brown; the devoted son of the late Irwin and the late Dorothy Landau. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions

may be made to University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, 651 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48226, law.udmercy.edu; Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, temple-israel.org/ tributes; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. JEROLD LEVINE, 72, of Scottsdale, Ariz., formerly of Michigan, died Jan. 3, 2022. Jerry was an executive at Car Pak Mfg. Co. for many years and formed many lasting friendships both professionally and with the beloved staff. He was an avid golfer, bike rider and the fitness center knew him well. He volunteered at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale and was a former

board member of Jewish Vocational Service. He loved to travel and had wonderful travel experiences all over the world with his wife, Lynne; and he shared many spectacular golf trips with his friends. Jerry’s treasure was family and friends. He was loved by everyone who met him. Mr. Levine is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Lynne; sisters and brothers–in-law, Donna and Mel Sternfeld, Susan and Robert Paletz, Joyce and Bruce Lefco, and Frances Horwitz and Gary Russell; sistersin-law and brother-in-law, Gayle and William Floyd, Karen Ginsburg and Suzanne Ginsburg; many loving nephews, nieces, cousins and friends; his beloved dog, Lexi. He was the son of the late Meyer Levine and Audree Levine Horwitz, and the late continued on page 52

Jews believe that death is not a tragic end, but a transition. Let us assist your loved one in that journey.

JANUARY 13 • 2022

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 51

Joshua Horwitz. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to JVS Human Services, Lynne and Jerold Levine Fund, 29699 Southfield Road, Southfield, MI 48076, jvshumanservices.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. RICHARD LULKIN, 84, of Farmington Hills, died Dec. 11, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Linda Lulkin; son and daughterin-law, Sam and Jill Lulkin; daughter, Jennifer LulkinBartlett; grandchildren, Emily Lulkin, Ethan Lulkin and

JANUARY 13 • 2022

Merrick Bartlett; sister, Renee Ettinger; sister-in-law, Joann Shecter; loving nieces and nephews, Shellee Gordon, Michael and Kitty Shecter, Kenny Shecter and his fiancee, Elyse Hoffman, Sandy Shecter, Ronald Ettinger and Lisa Benjamin Gottlieb, Elaine Ettinger and Tom Greenberg, and Laurie and Joel Volk; many great-nieces and great-nephews whom he adored. Mr. Lulkin was the dear brother-in-law of the late Jerome Ettinger, the late Ronald Smiler and the late Benjamin Shecter. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, 999 17th St.,

Suite 200, Denver, CO 80202, iaslc.org; Jewish National Fund, 42 E. 69th St., New York, NY 10021, jnf.org; Gleaners Community Food Bank, Oakland Distribution Center, P.O. Box 33321, Detroit, Michigan, MI 48232-5321, gcfb.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. WILFRED E. McNABB, 95, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 4, 2022. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, David and Tina McNabb; daughter and son-in-law, Connie McCabe and Nick Dodson; grandson, Matthew McNabb; significant

other, Norma Portney Sugar. He is also survived by Norma’s daughter and son-in-law, Lisa Goldenberg and David Pappas; and their children, Hailee Goldenberg, Dustin Goldenberg, Jeremy and Abbie Pappas, and Kayla Pappa; and Jeremy and Abbie’s children, Yoni and Koby Pappas. Mr. McNabb was the beloved husband of the late Freda McNabb; and the devoted son of the late Beryl and the late Arthur McNabb. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to an animal rescue league or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

FRANCES LURIE MIRSKY, 90, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 3, 2022. She is survived by her daughters and sons-inlaw, Elissa and Charles Soares, Shelley Rubinstein, Karen and James Abram; grandchildren, Jeanette (Rune) Christensen, Marsha (Michael) Bycraft, James (Micki Lynn) Rubinstein, Kristina Burke (fiancé, Chad Marshall), Laura and Emily Abram; great-grandchildren, Morgan, Ryan, Jack, Ruby, Lindsay, Logan and Orion; many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Mirsky was the beloved wife of the late Allen Mirsky; mother of the late Debra Mirsky (partner, Jeffrey Stevens); the sister of the late David Lurie and the late Ruth Hampton; mother-in-law of the late Paul Rubinstein. Interment took place at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the Karmanos Cancer Institute. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. DONALD NITZKIN, 88, of Boca Raton, Fla., died Dec. 22, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Florence Nitzkin; daughter and son-in-law, Shelley and Marc Shindler; sons and daughters-in-law, Jay and Andi Nitzkin, and Gary and Julie Nitzkin;

grandchildren, Jennie and Adam Gnesin, Julie and Mark Cohen, Adam and Jessica Shindler, Jacob Nitzkin, Ari Nitzkin, Rachel and Jon Silverberg, and Jonah Nitzkin; great-grandchildren, Ellery, Parker, Dean, Anna, Grace and Nealie; brother, Joel Nitzkin; brothers-in-law, and sister-in-law, Morty Tobin, Al Tobin, and Marshall and Rhoda Tobin. Mr. Nitzkin was the devoted son of the late Meyer and the late Martha Nitzkin; the loving son-in-law of the late Louis and the late Jenny Tobin; the dear brother-in-law of the late Phyllis Nitzkin, the late Diane Tobin, the late Virginia Tobin, and the late Harold and the late Ruthy Tobin. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to any Jewish charity. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. IDAN PHILLIPS, 39, of Oak Park, died Dec. 29, 2021. Many “bitey” dogs are waiting for him at the other end of the rainbow bridge. He is survived by his parents, Mark and Aviva; his brothers, Segev and Roey; his sisters-in-law, Courtney and Bridget; his nephew, Ezra; his niece, Talya; his partner, Krysia; and Riley. Contributions may be made to the Animal Welfare Society of Southeastern Michigan.

OBITUARY CHARGES The processing fee for obituaries is: $125 for up to 100 words; $1 per word thereafter. A photo counts as 15 words. There is no charge for a Holocaust survivor icon. The JN reserves the right to edit wording to conform to its style considerations. For information, have your funeral director call the JN or you may call Sy Manello, editorial assistant, at (248) 3515147 or email him at smanello@thejewishnews.com.

A Hard Working, Family Man

at Fishman, 89, of West Bloomfield, died shortly after sunset on Dec. 28, 2021, at his home surrounded by family. Son of immigrants and a natural-born storyteller, Nat — through his stories and work — kept alive the legacy of his father, the late Jacob Fishman, who went from a pushcart in New York City to opening Fishman Produce Company Nat Fishman in Detroit, and mother, Mina (Hendl) Fishman, a painter and pianist trained in Vienna, who ran her American household with many Old-World traditions. Nat attended military school in southern Illinois and upon his return to Detroit, after a few semesters at the University of Michigan, took over Fishman Produce at the Detroit Union Produce Terminal. He was hardworking, leaving home for work each day at 4 a.m.; he was a tough but compassionate business owner, often personally helping his Teamster employees. A second-generation, lifelong member of Congregation Beth Abraham Hillel Moses (now Beth Ahm), Nat served as president from 1981-1983. He was president when the congregation burned its mortgage in 1982 and when the building burned to the ground and was rebuilt in 1983. He received the State of Israel Tower of David Award in 1984 in recognition of his role in helping sell Israel bonds. Nat met Lois (Goldberg)

Fishman on a double-blind date, leading to a wonderful 67-year marriage. Together, they enjoyed taking long drives in Nat’s silver El Dorado convertible, hosting holiday dinners and simchahs for their large extended family, and throwing memorable poolside parties for their many friends. An only child, Nat was thrilled to marry into Lois’ large family, headed by the late Harry and Jeannette Goldberg, the late Eddie (Miriam) Goldberg, the late Herbie (Irene) Goldberg, Madeline Rosenfield (and her late husbands, Irwin Posner and Jerry Rosenfield), Sharon Balamut (and her late husband Michael Balamut) and Nate (Nancy) Goldberg. He was the beloved father to Graham (Sue) Fishman, Jill Farber, Jodee (Roy) Raines and Jayme Fishman; treasured zaydie of Jarrett Fishman, Amanda (Ben) Lesnick, Brandon Fishman (fiancé, Erin), Justin Farber, Hailey Farber (fiancé, Jordan), Merrick Hirschman, Ayla Raines, Jasmine Hirschman and Zoe Raines; and adored great-grandfather to Oakley Fiona Lesnick. He is also remembered by many loving nieces and nephews. Services were at Kaufman Chapel; interment at Beth Abraham Cemetery. Contributions may be made to plant a tree in Israel, usa. jhf.org; or to the Weizmann Institute, donate.wiezmann-usa. org. Arrangements by Kaufman Chapel. JANUARY 13 • 2022

Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org Irv Bluestone (left) and Doug Fraser, UAW President, c. 1979. COURTESY OF WALTER P. REUTHER LIBRARY, ARCHIVES OF LABOR AND URBAN AFFAIRS, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY.

A Legendary Labor Leader

ne of the pleasures of searching the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit is seeing a photo of someone you know. This was the case when I recently ran across an image of a friend of mine: Irving Julius “Irv” Bluestone (1917-2007). Irv Bluestone was one of America’s great labor leaders. He was a mensch of the highest order, greatly respected Mike Smith and well-liked by rank-andAlene and Graham Landau file union members as well as Archivist Chair by corporation leaders. Plainly speaking, Irv was one of the most decent human beings that you could ever meet. Irv was raised in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Jewish immigrant parents from Lithuania. He graduated from New York City College in 1937 with a degree in German literature and then headed to Switzerland to study at the University of Bern. Irv was one of the rare labor leaders of his era to have a university education. While traveling around Europe, Irv found himself in Austria when German troops marched into that nation during the “Anschluss” in 1938. Luckily, as an American citizen, Irv was safe, but he was appalled. This was an epiphany for him: “I became

JANUARY 13 • 2022

convinced that only a strong labor movement can preserve democracy.” Irv returned to the United States and landed a job as a grinder at the GM Hyatt Bearing plant in Harrison, New Jersey, in 1942. He joined the fledgling United Automobile Workers union (UAW) and immersed himself in the labor movement. Irv soon proved himself to be a wise and innovative labor leader. In 1947, he was brought to UAW headquarters in Detroit by legendary UAW President Walter Reuther and, in 1961, became Reuther’s top administrative assistant. In 1970, Irv was appointed to lead the union’s largest unit, the GM Department. In that position, he represented 500,000 workers. In 1972, he was elected vice president of a UAW that had 1.5 million members and, unlike recent times, there was never a hint of scandal. Irv retired from the UAW in 1980, and Wayne State University wisely offered him a position as university professor of industrial relations. His office was at the Walter Reuther Library where I worked for 25 years. I cannot tell you how much I learned from him. Irv was a true intellectual and an outstanding teacher. Irv’s wife, Zelda, was also a gem, a wonderful person and Irv’s soulmate. Zelda told me a story about a road trip with Irv. They

stopped at a rest area, and after a few minutes, Irv was back on the road. As he was thinking about an upcoming meeting — he was always pondering ideas — he suddenly realized that he had forgotten something at the rest stop: Zelda! She would tell that story with love for Irv and a twinkle in her eye. Irv was also involved in Detroit’s Jewish community and is cited on 89 pages in the Archive. He often spoke at events such as the Men’s Club of Congregation Beth Achim (March 12, 199,3 JN), the JNF Tree of Life Dinner (May 1, 1993) or at Temple EmanuEl (Oct. 21, 1988). Irv was also a staunch supporter of Israel and its labor organization, Histadrut. Former UAW President Douglas Fraser aptly described Irv Bluestone in four words: “He was pure gold.” Indeed. Doug was spot on. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation. org.

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DJN January 13, 2022

Articles inside

Looking Back

Obituaries

The Exchange

Celebrity News

Healing Art for the Planet

An Optimistic Musical

Community Calendar

The Power of Ruach

Torah portion

A Carob for Tu b’Shevat

Essays and viewpoints

Temple Israel Feeds the Homeless

Green Project

Food for the Soul

Beth Ahm Members Help Crossroads Clients

Moments

Inside the Antique Business

Lighthouse Pivots Expands Efforts During Pandemic