DJN April 7, 2022

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The Universal Language

Metro Detroiter and network of family, friends and strangers band together to assist Afghan refugees.

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contents

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April 7–13, 2022 / 6-12 Nissan 5782 | VOLUME CLXIX, ISSUE 8

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Shabbat Lights

Shabbat begins: Friday, April 8, 7:48 p.m.

Shabbat ends: Saturday, April 9, 8:52 p.m.

* Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

ON THE COVER: Cover photo/credit: Shafi and his family wearing Detroit and Michigan clothes that Farber gifted them.

Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

PURELY COMMENTARY 4-9

Essays and viewpoints.

NEXT DOR 26

Innovation Expert

28

Purim O’Madness

OUR COMMUNITY 10

The Universal Language

Metro Detroiter and network of family, friends and strangers band together to assist Afghan refugees.

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Tikkun Olam in Action

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Freedom Stories

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Local teens collect supplies for Ukraine.

TKA fundraiser for Ukrainian Relief to feature stories from the Jewish and Black experiences.

Baby Carriers for Ukrainian Moms

Oak Park mom spearheads mitzvah to help Ukrainian mothers.

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How to make a difficult conversation a little easier.

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Moments

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Barry Brodsky ends an amazing two decades as coach of the Birmingham Marian girls soccer team.

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Celebrity News

A Fishy Tale

EVENTS

A 100-year-old recipe became a Baron family tradition.

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A Familiar Tradition

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Shmurah matzah: A protection and remedy for healing.

The Maxwell House Haggadah plays a role in many families’ seders.

Fruits of Freedom

This Haggadah, written by a biblical ethnobotanist, offers a new perspective for your seder.

Why Human Beings Were Created Last

Israeli-set production comes to the Fisher Theatre April 19-May 1.

Complementary exhibits are on view at the JCC’s Janice Charach Gallery.

Community Calendar

HEALTH 51

Three new books to help celebrate the holiday with your little ones.

SPIRIT 40

ARTS & LIFE

Searching for an authentic recipe for this seder staple.

Matzah on the Doorpost

The Book Is Closed

Synagogue Directory

The Centuries-Old Mystery of Charoset

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SPORTS

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Expressions in Glass

New Story Books for Passover

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Torah Portion

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MAZEL TOV

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The Band’s Visit

PASSOVER

Advance Care Planning

Graduating Jewish high school students can be listed in our annual Cap & Gown issue on May 19. Submit your free listing and purchase congratulatory ads at thejewishnews.com/cap-andgown.

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The Well partners with Adat Shalom Synagogue for holiday fun.

FOOD

Friends for 75 Years

Four 90-something friends still get together weekly.

Jenna Beltser is the founding director of Jewish startup accelerator.

CAP & GOWN TIME!

Feeling Helpless

After healing from COVID-19 trauma, Ukraine crisis causes new mental health concerns.

NOSH 52

KAL’S Lunch Bowl

ERETZ 54

Meet the Olim

Talya Woolf: In Israel, “you’re family”

ETC.

The Exchange Obits Spotlight Looking Back

55 57 61 62

CORRECTION

The incorrect address was given for Congregation Shir Tikvah in a recent JN story. The correct address is 3900 North Field Parkway, Troy, MI 48084.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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PURELY COMMENTARY for openers

Over and Done With!

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n 1917, many an ear caught the bars of “Over There,” a highly patriotic song by George M. Cohan. It was hard to overlook its popularity. It was never considered overdone; however, we can easily make a case for the overuse of “over” in our everyday speech.

We are desirous of having roofs over our heads; but to purchase the same, we Sy Manello may get in over our heads.

Editorial Assistant Home costs are often over the top. Buying without doing due diligence may find you crying

over spilt milk.

Don’t get the gambling bug; lean over backwards to avoid it. It may lead you into a situation where you are asked to fork over what you owe. If you do not, you may get a working over, which could then lead to you being hung over.

Have you ever been so surprised by an action that you could be knocked over with a feather? Maybe you were the one someone else put one over on. Well, if it is over and done with, there is no use in losing sleep over it.

It is no fun to be taken advantage of; when you realize that you have been run

roughshod over, you know that the party’s over and vow that such a thing will happen again only over your dead body!

Do not wait until you are over the hill to fall head over heels in love. It is nice to have someone to make a fuss over. If that someone can skim over your faults rather than chew them over, you will know that your wait is over for the love of your life.

Well, it is time to end this set of observations because I hear the pulchritudinous woman warbling. (That means it is over because the fat lady is singing. I do wish you would remain a bit more with it!) Over and out.

essay

Maintaining Our Humanity in War

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s we enter another week of the war in Ukraine, an imbalanced battle has caused thousands of casualties and refugees. With our media, and especially social media, bursting with news, briefings and personal narratives, I found myself Yiftah Leket struggling with Israel’s emissary to Detroit some of the notions that I have encountered. When thinking about why I am struggling, I finally realized that it stems from my experiences as a fighter pilot in the Israeli Air Force.

It was during an operation in Gaza where I was assigned to fly and attack a military target. In this type of assignment, we had only 30 minutes from when the siren went off to

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when the bomb would hit the target. We were in a rush … it was tense, we were focused … Everything that we did was done for one purpose: hitting the target with maximum accuracy. There was no room for mistakes. One typo of a coordinate, which was 14 digits long, and it’s all over.

Warfare today is much more digital. You receive the coordinates, and the rest is almost like a video game. You don’t even have to see the target to hit it. It can be in the pitch black of night. In order to function well in the digital battlefield, there has to be a strong sense of trust in the system that is going with you into battle.

As we approached the target, I opened the map-kit we had and looked at the target and its surroundings. The maps showed that not far away from our target was a mosque. I

The author in the IDF

immediately reported this information over the radio and the call was made to head back to the base and to not take the risk of having collateral damage that might affect civilian lives. I remember this moment as something I am proud of.

I had, and I still have, trust in the Israeli Defense Forces and their commanders. Despite this situation, if I honestly share what it looks like to be a pilot on the modern battlefield — it can easily go into two paths: The first is the banality of serving. Being in the Air Force, especially when you are on duty at the headquarters, it

can feel like you are just going to work. Of course, it’s more intense than an ordinary job, and you understand the gravity of your work, but with the advancement of technology of warfare came the digitization of these tools. The modern battlefield is built from numbers.

You get a list of targets from the Intelligence Corps or from another special unit and the targets are all numbers. You get the coordinates, send them to the airplanes where they are entered into the fire control systems, and from there you attack. The pilot reports that the continued on page 8

community update

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his month we are focused on two things: Ukraine and Mission Planning. Our overseas partners are briefing us regularly and, in turn, we are working to answer questions and keep the Detroit Jewish commuJennifer nity apprised of Levine the situation in Ukraine.

Our hearts are with the many refugees — mainly women, children and the elderly — who have had to leave their homes with only what they can carry. Many of them left their husbands or sons behind to fight. Because we were in Ukraine yesterday, we were prepared to be there today. Our partners, the Jewish Agency for Israel, JDC, World ORT, National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry and others, are working around the clock on the ground in Ukraine and just over its borders.

Additionally, the first plane carrying 300 olim arrived in Israel last month. Some of them went to Nof HaGalil, one of our Partnership 2Gether cities where the mayor and community at large have welcomed them with open arms. Others went to Kfar Silver youth village in southern Israel, which is a program of World ORT and is supported by the Detroit Jewish Federation. We are incredibly proud of the work our partners are doing, much of it through the generosity of this community.

With our first mission (in over two years!) scheduled for this first week of April

PHOTOGRAPHER: OLIVIER FITOUSSI

Ukraine, Missions to Israel and You.

Ukrainian refugees arriving in Israel

and two more right behind it, a lot of time is being spent training staff on protocols, procedures and COVID preparedness. For right now, vaccine requirements, PCR tests and potential quarantines are the new travel reality. We are working hard to make sure that everyone is prepared for their travel on the Partnership Steering Committee, the Interfaith Mission and two Leadership Development programs from April through May. While we are busy with these missions, we also have three BIG things happening in the Missions space: First, the Motor City Mission is heading out under the leadership of Chairs Lisa and Richard Broder, and Diane and Bill Goldstein. Visit MotorCityMission.org to

learn more and register.

Second, the Sue & Alan Kaufman & Family Teen Mission is going this summer. The itinerary continues to be refined, and we are so excited to be working with Tamarack Camps and our community congregational partners on getting Metro Detroit teens back to Israel.

Lastly, we are thrilled to announce that we are back in the Birthright business.

Federation is working with Temple Shir Shalom and Hillel of Metro Detroit on two trips this spring.

Several of us have been working on an Israel Education Initiative which we launched at a Federation Board of Governors meeting last fall. We’re developing a timeline and starting to build our toolbox of resources

for educators and community members. One of our important partners in this initiative is OpenDor media.

As a leading global nonprofit media company, OpenDor educates, entertains and engages its audiences by bringing to life big ideas and authentic stories, and by celebrating all things Jewish.

As an official partnering organization with OpenDor, educators and clergy from the Metro Detroit community now have unlimited access to hundreds of videos, films, lesson plans and other resources at their fingertips.

Stay tuned for more information on this initiative in the coming months.

Jennifer Levine is director of the Israel & Overseas Department at the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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PURELY COMMENTARY essay

Memories of Pesachs Past

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n a spring day in the early 1960s, my family arrives at my Bubbie’s small Oak Park home in time to allow my mom to help with the seder preparation. My aunts, uncles and first cousins are also there early. As each family walks Jeff London in, my Bubbie’s face lights up at the sight of her grandchildren.

She stumbles over the list of the names of the grandkinder, “Jeffrey, Freddie, Sandy, Mark … etc.” and we all laugh at her struggle to remember each of us, though we know she knows who we are and loves us all.

When it’s time for the seder to begin, we all find our seats at the long collection of tables in the small living room. My Uncles Lawrence (AKA Lazer) and Gary are at the head of the table,

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with my dad sitting just to their right. Uncle Irving sits near the middle of the table, next to his daughter, Sandy. Uncle Irving’s seat will be immortalized as the “passing seat” during the seder meal (as in, “Please pass the potato kugel, Irv.”).

My Uncle Nate is probably making funny noises only he can produce, cracking up my cousins and me. My mom and aunts, Dorothy, Janet, Barbara and Barbara, also sit at the other end of the seder table, although they | Editorial DIrector of Editorial: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@thejewishnews.com Associate Editor: Rachel Sweet rsweet@thejewishnews.com Associate Editor: David Sachs dsachs@thejewishnews.com Social Media and Digital Producer: Nathan Vicar nvicar@thejewishnews.com Staff Reporter: Danny Schwartz dschwartz@thejewishnews.com Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@thejewishnews.com Contributing Writers: Nate Bloom, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Keri Guten Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Louis Finkelman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, Robin

take turns popping up to head to the kitchen for various chores related to seder items and dinner. Cousin Linda is older and therefore functions more like an aunt than a cousin. The rest of the cousins are sprinkled around the table, usually sitting together so we can laugh at inside jokes, but not far from our parents’ watchful gazes.

Only my Bubbie is standing as the seder begins. This special lady, a mythic presence of my childhood, twice widowed Schwartz, Mike Smith, Steve Stein, Julie Smith Yolles, Ashley Zlatopolsky

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and probably in pain at that time from the remnants of a stroke, is nonetheless beaming as she looks out at her family sitting around the seder table. I remember that look on her face.

I would see it again a few years later on my mom’s face when the seder moved to our house in Southfield. And again, on my wife’s face, whenever our whole family gathers for any special family occasion in our dining room.

Our seder in the early ’60s reflected the times. Many of our rituals and tunes were old standbys, probably brought to America along with Shabbat candlesticks from Russia through Ellis Island. And yet, as we kids were learning some new tunes and rituals in Hebrew school, there was an attempt made to modernize and streamline the seder. The four questions were of course attempted by the youngest child who felt almost ready (with some push continued on page 9

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Through Their Centennial Fund Gift, Debbie and Michael Berger Demonstrate the Power of Vision in Action As longtime donors, volunteers and leaders, Debbie and Michael Berger represent the full range of involvement and impact in our Jewish community. Debbie is the consummate grassroots volunteer, always willing to roll up her sleeves to do essential ‘on-the-ground’ work, whether it be programming, fundraising for the Annual Campaign or helping others in need, such as delivering Meals on Wheels or participating in Mitzvah Day. Michael is an active Federation and Foundation leader and board member who currently serves as President of the JCC, and he is often engaged in complex problem-solving around the community’s most urgent challenges. Together they share a deep connection and commitment to Jewish life in Detroit—values they learned from their parents and have actively instilled in their own children, Samantha, Jeremy and Victor. “We’re extremely proud to be a part of the Detroit community,” notes Michael, “Detroit has been a leader for communities of our size in the development of new ideas, the creation of programs, and the ability to garner significant financial support.”

Now, with their gift to the Centennial Fund, the Bergers are helping to promote the strength and vitality of the community long into the future. The Centennial Fund is the central endowment campaign to ensure the long-term security of Jewish Detroit. For their commitment, Debbie and Michael have chosen to create a Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment (PACE). While they may later designate some of the gift to one of their many areas of interest in Jewish life and welfare, the PACE fund will provide a legacy of ongoing support for the community, year in and year out. “The Centennial Fund is really about the future of Jewish Detroit,” they say. “It’s not about today; it’s about tomorrow.” In this way, the Bergers’ commitment demonstrates both of the fundamental qualities that characterize them as leaders: Thoughtful and wise vision as well as active participation. “Our family has felt privileged and fortunate to be in the Detroit Jewish community,” they say.

“It’s been very good to us, and we want it to be good for those that come after. The only way to make sure of that is to invest in the future and continue to give back.”

PURELY COMMENTARY student corner

Mind and Soul Together

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or the last few years, the United States has been polarized with conflict. Both politically and philosophically, it is a fact that the U.S. makes for a country of disagreement in the present.

However, this is something that Zeev Maine can be fixed and adjusted. Now is the time to do it.

As a Hillel student, I have learned so much about repairing the broken and healing the vulnerable. In addition, Hillel has taught me ways to think critically to help my community both positively and effectively, using my mind and my soul. As I embark into my final weeks at Hillel, I am grateful for the experiences that the school has given me and the lessons for life that I have learned.

One of those treasures was our trip to Washington, D.C., where we spent hours learning about important history and facts about America. We visited monuments, museums and memorials to expand our knowledge on the history of our country. We also had deep conversations in which we learned a lot about each other.

Finally, we shared laughs with each other throughout our meals, on the bus and in our rooms.

Throughout these events, Hillel was educating our minds by teaching us lessons and developing our souls by letting us build connections with each other. Hillel has nurtured us into capable and intelligent young adults who can use both their minds and souls to move forward to the next step and into tomorrow. And by stimulating our minds and souls, Hillel has ensured us that all

of us can grow to be the leaders of our community. This is how Hillel has instructed their students in the classical generational tradition of Hillel.

Today, as I continue to watch the tragedy that is happening in Ukraine unfold, I can use Hillel’s mind and soul lesson in order to help all Ukrainians. I can use the tools Hillel has gifted me to make a difference, an effect, an impact on Ukraine.

And it doesn’t necessarily have to be large, but something to help the situation. It is vital that we do not simply look the other way and think that it is not happening to us, but that we feel bothered and disturbed by the crisis. Because I feel unsettled, I feel motivated to help and make a difference in any manner possible.

It is not just me that must apply the “Hillel lesson” to himself. It must be our whole community, extended-com-

munity, state and ultimately the country. We must, together, look at what real tragedy and conflict is and move beyond ours. If we do this, we can bring peace to the world and bring justice to all civilians, including Ukrainians.

I challenge all of my classmates to apply the “mind and soul” lesson to themselves.

We must listen to the words of Golda Meir, “It isn’t really important to decide when you are very young just exactly what you want to become when you grow up. It is much more important to decide on the way you want to live.”

As we listen to these words, we realize that it is our time to make a difference. Forward, with mind and soul, better together.

nected to your country’s narrative, but extrapolating conflicts just creates more conflict.

When we dehumanize people from the other side, just because they are from the other side, we dehumanize ourselves.

You don’t need to look hard to find ordinary people writing memes on social media, cursing and demonizing Russians (civilians or soldiers).

I was fortunate to serve in the Israeli Air Force, which relies on the Israeli Defense Forces Code of Ethics. This code gives an unproportionable weight toward the decision making of soldiers in the battlefield, regarding the morality of their

actions and the importance of innocent lives.

I truly hope this war will end today. It’s horrible, it’s sad, it’s devastating. Unfortunately, it seems like it will continue longer than we wish. While it is happening, our morality comes into effect as we try to stop the invasion and the killing of innocent civilians while staying humane ourselves in the way we think, speak, write, and educate ourselves and others, about the situation.

Zeev Maine is an eighth-grader at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit.

Maintaining Humanity in War continued from page 4

target was hit, and the controller fills out an Excel sheet, and they move onto the next target.

The other path, which is the total opposite of the banality of the job, is the feeling of a real hatred for the enemy. It’s natural to feel that you hate someone who wants to kill you … but if we think about it, there is a fine line between the will to go into battle and beat your opponent and hating him as a person. From my perspective, there is no reason to hate an entire population of any organized group (such as a state or any other governing body) just because their leaders have decided to go to war. This is

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an especially important point when thinking about how soldiers express themselves within the civil discourse.

CIVILIANS IN ISRAEL I recently attended a briefing by an Israeli official, who told us that there are Russian and Ukrainian teens that live together in a boarding program in Israel. He shared the complexity they now have between them. For me, this is very saddening. Why on earth would two teens, living in Israel, become enemies just because their states are at war?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not so naive. It’s natural to feel con-

Yiftah Leket is Detroit’s community shaliach (emissary) from Israel.

This essay was first published by Federation’s Israel and Overseas Department.

MEMORIES OF PESACHS PAST continued from page 6

from anxious parents) in the old familiar way, before it later morphed into a newer more melodic tune. “Dayenu” was sung in the well-known tune, although we had shortened the song by then to five or six verses.

We all took turns reading from the Haggadah; the kids laughed at the names of the rabbis and younger kids stumbled over the words, but everyone who could read was encouraged to try.

And through it all, my Bubbie stood guard to ensure that we didn’t skip anything important, even though I doubt that she could read Hebrew.

As I recall, we read from yellow and red Haggadahs, which were a little bit newer than the older Maxwell house versions and had bigger print, but still told the story of the Exodus in the old way. I always tried to find the copy of the Haggadah I had used in Hebrew School class, which I knew because I had written in ink in the margins “Louis is a spaz,” blaspheming my

Hebrew school friend in the vernacular of the times (and whom I haven’t seen for 60 years!). Talk about political incorrectness on so many levels!

There was a clear division of labor at the seder. Men were there to run the seder and teach the kids. Women participated in the seder but had one eye (and often both feet) in the kitchen.

This was especially true for the after-dinner portion of the seder, when we returned to the seder table to complete the ritual and sing songs together. My cousins and I strived so hard to learn to follow the Hebrew and sing as fast as our uncles on “old country” family tunes for “Adir Hu,” “Key Lo Noeh” and “Echod Mi Yodeya.” We would laugh and sing and pound on the table as we tried to keep up. In our family, that was a sign of a coming of age.

My sister Sheila (now Shana) and cousin Sandy gradually began to question the role of men and women at the seder.

Why were the boys allowed to stay at the table, while girls were expected to help out in the kitchen with clean up? The original seating pattern also was gender-based, with men and boys closer to the head of the table.

Gradually, over the years, things began to change. The seating patterns tended toward less strict gender norms. I also recall my girl cousins, who were also attending Hebrew school, gradually being present at the table for the after-dinner reading and songs, keeping up with the men as well as the boys. And by the end of each seder, my aunts would join us in the living room for “Chad Gadya” and we would all stand up and sing “Hatikvah” together and end with “God Bless America,” including drum beats and harmony.

The seder was the time we felt the closest as an extended family and the most Jewish. As kids, we would complain to each other about having to come, but I think we all knew how much we want-

ed to be “in the room.”

We all still recall my Uncle Gary’s notorious clues for finding the Afikomen, including the most famous of them all which involved the phrase “Ruby Begonia,” which I believe was lifted from an episode of Amos and Andy, which eclipses our previous record for political incorrectness! But I’m sorry if you’re offended; I can’t write about Pesachs past without mentioning that famous clue that we all remember. It still brings a shared laugh whenever we recall our old seders.

And though my Bubbie may have been clueless about that clue, she made sure that we always knew and always did what was important. Somewhere, I know she is still standing guard, beaming at all of us, because her family still keeps the faith and remembers.

Dr. Jeff London is a retired child psychiatrist from Farmington Hills.

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jfsjoyproject.org 248.970.2655 E joyproject@jfsdetroit.org APRIL 7 • 2022

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ON THE COVER

The

Universal Language Metro Detroiter and network of family, friends and strangers band together to assist Afghan refugees.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Shafi’s wife (right), Zach’s classmate Syd, Farber’s grandson Zach and Shafi and his children, delivering boxes of Amazon wish list supplies.

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W

hen Metro Detroiter Karen Farber and her husband arrived in Los Angeles in mid-December for their yearly winter trip, she had no idea what was to come.

Farber, a semi-retired teacher who has taught 45 years in the Farmington Public Schools district, was visiting her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren as she does every year.

But a chance encounter at a hotel barbecue turned this trip into an experience of a lifetime, spurring grassroots community involvement and a network of family, friends and strangers banding together to assist Afghan refugees.

MEETING A NEW FRIEND A few weeks into the Farbers’ stay at the Los Angeles hotel they call home every winter, Karen Farber noticed a big group of people at the hotel she had never seen before.

Farber figured they were from a foreign country and wondered if they were having a convention.

One day soon after, Farber was at the hotel’s outside barbecue spot when one of the individuals walked up to her.

“I’m grilling lamb chops and this man comes up and asks if he can take a picture of the food. I said of course. He said he had never seen anything like it. I asked where he was from and he said Afghanistan,” Farber said.

The man, Shafi, was staying at the hotel with his wife, mother, 4-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter along with nearly 100 other refugees from Afghanistan (including dozens of other families) who fled the country after the violent Taliban takeover in late summer 2021.

Farber and Shafi started talking about all he and his family had endured the previous few months. Shafi showed her pictures and videos he had of when the U.S. brought planes into Afghanistan and helped people evacuate.

An Amazon wish list delivery. Shafi, his wife and son, along with Larry Farber and his grandson Zach.

“He and his family were actually at the airport. He was an interpreter for the American soldiers so he was able to get out,” Farber said. “Shafi had videos of the Taliban shooting at the airport and people climbing the walls.

He and his family waited in lines for two days, not being able to leave or go to the bathroom and with no food, even with two very small children.”

Eventually, Shafi and his family were able to get on a plane, traveling from Afghanistan to Qatar to Germany and then taken all the way to Camp Atterbury in Indianapolis, which was full of other refugees. They stayed there for four months.

“SHAFI HAD VIDEOS OF THE TALIBAN SHOOTING AT THE AIRPORT AND PEOPLE CLIMBING THE WALLS.” — KAREN FARBER

“Shafi said there were about 7,000 people,” Farber said. “He showed me pictures of people waiting in line for food, miles long, and oftentimes they would get to the front and there wouldn’t be any left. They gave them two pairs of pants and shirts, and they slept in bunk beds in a barrack with other families.”

After that, Shafi and his

family were brought to the Los Angeles hotel with almost 100 other Afghan refugees.

Shafi is one of the few refugees who speaks and understands English, which helped in the initial meeting with Farber.

“So Shafi’s showing me all these pictures and videos, and my grandson Zach, who is 10 years old, was listening and said he wanted to help,” Farber said.

It was at that point Farber decided what needed to happen — her family would help them in any way they could.

“We decided we were going to get involved and help because we just couldn’t leave these people,” Farber said.

TIME RUNNING OUT Farber was motivated to move quickly because the government only helps refugees for a limited time.

“Our government gives them three months. Shafi and his family arrived at the hotel on Jan. 4, but the contract was signed Dec. 28, so would only go until March 28. At the end of three months, they had to continued on page 12 APRIL 7 • 2022

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ON THE COVER continued on page 11

TOP: Karen Farber and Shafi with his new car, a 2012 Honda Civic. BOTTOM: Shafi at his new job as a greeter and seater at an upscale LA Italian restaurant.

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APRIL 7 • 2022

be out of here,” Farber said. “They get three months and then they have to find their own apartment, their own job and they’re on their own.”

As of late March, the government was supposed to be giving the refugees an extra few thousand dollars for living expenses, but the resettlement agency had not received that money from the government, Farber said.

“The only money they’re getting is $250 a person per month for food. That’s not very much,” Farber said. “And then they were given $1,000 for good will money when they left the camp in Indianapolis.

“These people can’t get a job until they have a car. They can’t get a car until they have a license.

They can’t get a license until they get a permit. You can’t get a permit until you have an address. You can’t get an address unless you have money,” Farber said.

The very first thing Farber did was take Shafi and his family shopping next door at a Trader Joe’s, filling up their cart on her own dime.

“They never saw anything like Trader Joe’s. They were in awe,” Farber said. “I’m taking them through and showing them everything. They didn’t want me to buy very much, one package, and I said no, one package is not going to feed your family.”

As they were shopping, a woman asked Farber asking what she was doing.

That woman, Nazir, told Farber that she was a Persian Jew who could speak Shafi’s language. She spoke with Shafi and gave him her number. She wanted to get involved and help. Soon, Nazir brought food and clothing for many of the refugee families at the hotel, becoming the first of what would become a network of many individuals helping the LA-based refugees.

HELPING MORE REFUGEES “Then my grandson Zach sat down with Shafi and made a wish list of everything he and his family needed, which was everything,” Farber said. “My daughter, Rachel, set up an Amazon wish list. Zach sent an email out to all his friends at school about it. I spoke to my friends at home and many of them contributed.”

Pretty soon, the entire wish list was bought. When the items were bought, they were delivered to Rachel and Zach, packaged up and brought to the hotel for Shafi and his family.

Other refugee families at the hotel heard about the help Shafi and his family were getting.

Another family asked Farber if she would take them to the grocery store, which she did, buying them a basket full of food as well.

While they were there, another two women asked what they were doing, which led to more connections being made.

“One of them has a nonprofit that helps refugees assimilate into society,” Farber said. “She’s from Vancouver and does it in Canada, and her sister has an Afghan husband, so they wanted to get involved.”

The two women helped with refugee transportation and also bought Afghan food for the refugees, putting it in the hotel lobby so they could come get what they needed.

Farber then continued the efforts by calling the Islamic Center of Downtown Los Angeles to see how else the refugees could be helped. The center had no idea any refugees were there, but Farber worked with them to make things happen.

“I got them to come out and meet with all the refugees. Now, every Friday, they send taxis to bring the refugees down to the Islamic Center so they can pray in the mosque,” Farber said.

Shafi has also been helping the other refugees with their needs as he speaks such good English, Farber added.

SHAFI MOVES FORWARD Farber went with Shafi to the bank to help him open an account. One of the bankers, Marge, became interested in Shafi’s journey and wanted to help.

Marge had some contacts she wanted Shafi to meet, including a job recruiter and a prominent woman in the community whose husband owns a talent agency.

Through meeting the latter, Shafi has recently been hired at an upscale LA Italian restaurant as a greeter and seater.

“They love him,” Farber said.

“He is learning all about Italian cuisine.”

The Farbers also helped make contacts for Shafi and his family’s post-hotel living arrangements. With their help, as well as the help of the prominent husband and wife connected to the LA entertainment world who are acting as co-signers, Shafi and his family are expected to move into a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment in April. The husband and wife team are helping Shafi with whatever the difference is in the rent and what he can afford to pay for the first year.

The Farbers have also helped Shafi get a Social Security card, a work permit and driver’s license. Shafi recently bought a 2012 Honda Civic.

BECOMING NEW AMERICANS Shafi’s wife recently got her first-ever manicure.

“After we finished, she turned to me with tears in her eyes and said, ‘I am so lucky to be in America. I can

One of the dinners the families have had together in the hotel courtyard area. Shafi, his wife, mother and two children, and Karen Farber’s grandson Zach.

“COMING HERE, I KNEW NOBODY. IF SHE WERE NOT HERE, I WOULD HAVE NOTHING. SHE’S MY MOM, MY AMERICAN MOM.” — SHAFI

do anything here. I can look beautiful,’” Farber recalled.

Farber says Shafi, his family and all the other refugees have been extremely appreciative of their help, and they show it in their own special ways.

“Because they don’t have any money, they make you food,” Farber said. “I would say three nights a week we get a knock on the door, and we get food delivery that one of the families has made. This is not just Shafi’s family. Other families we have helped are so appreciative.”

Being a longtime teacher, Farber has always been interested in culture and learning so she can help her students become better global citizens of the world. But being able to learn firsthand about Shafi and his family’s culture,

including having meals together where the two families bring their respective dishes, has been an experience of a lifetime.

“We’ve brought them bagels, lox and blintzes and those kinds of Jewish foods from the deli.

And hamburgers, french fries and hot dogs — American food. And then they made and brought theirs. What an experience,” Farber said.

In the process of leaving Afghanistan, Shafi was separated from his siblings. One ended up in Germany. One is still in Afghanistan. Shafi said it’s been hard being without them, and he’s working to find an immigration lawyer to try to reunite.

With Shafi missing his home in Afghanistan, the Farbers have gone to great lengths to connect him to a new home, Detroit included.

“We bought Shafi some stuff from Detroit. We ordered him a (Detroit) Tigers T-shirt, a Michigan T-shirt, just different things so he can feel connected,” she said.

Shafi is thankful for the network of people who have helped him and his family, most of all Farber herself.

“It’s been really great. She’s been helping us a lot,” he said.

“She’s been finding people from all different places, talking with them, and they come over and bring so much stuff and donations.

“Coming here, I knew nobody. If she were not here, I would have nothing. She’s my mom, my American mom,” Shafi laughed. “She’s really nice, really kind.”

Shafi is also appreciative of continued from page 14 APRIL 7 • 2022

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ON THE COVER continued from page 13

his new job, realizing how lucky he is to have one.

“I am working every day, all day,” Shafi said. “I am happy I’m working, I have to support my family, so it’s important for me and I enjoy the job.”

The two families’ children have also connected, not letting the language barrier become an issue.

“Shafi’s little boy is 4 years old, and he doesn’t speak a lick of English, none, and you should’ve seen him and Zach playing,” Farber said. “It’s no problem. They played football, played in the pool, played Connect Four. Kids don’t really need to speak the same language. Because there’s a universal language: it’s love, and that’s what we need to promote.”

Farber says about 20 refugee families are left at the hotel now.

The rest of them have either

found apartments or have other family in the U.S. that the resettlement agency sent them to be with.

Farber says the entire network of people who have contributed has been reflective of a community effort, and it shows that one small gesture can end up going such a long way.

Helping the refugees has been a blessing for Farber and her family, both as Jews and human beings, she says.

“The Jewish people believe in helping everybody, in tikkun olam and helping the world, and I’m a big believer in that,” Farber said. “I’ve raised my children and grandchildren like that, and it brings tears to my eyes when I think about our first encounter and where we are now. I just feel so blessed to have met him and his family and the other people.”

Karen Farber and Shafi’s wife getting a manicure, the latter’s first one ever.

The Farbers are staying in Los Angeles through Passover, which means they’ve been able to see Shafi and his family settle into their new place.

“I think we’ve made great friends,” Farber said. “I think this is a forever friendship. We now have an Afghan family, and they now have a Jewish Detroit

family in LA. My heart is full with all that Shafi has accomplished in just a little over three months.”

Shafi is looking for an immigration lawyer who might help him reunite his family. If you or someone you know can help, contact dschwartz@ thejewishnews.com.

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OUR COMMUNITY

Tikkun Olam in Action Local teens collect supplies for Ukraine.

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I Chase Ben-Ezra, Luke Linovitz, Reid Linovitz and Zach Homer

Zach Homer, Chase Ben-Ezra and Luke Linovitz

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n response to the crisis in Ukraine, Zach Homer, 16, of Birmingham, and his friends made volunteering their first priority. Even with busy school and sports schedules, he, along with Chase Ben-Ezra, 16, and Luke Linovitz, 15, set aside time to collect items to support those impacted by the ongoing fighting. Together with Ben-Ezra’s father, Steven, they took a U-Haul filled with donated goods to a warehouse in Hamtramck, where volunteers are organizing the items into paletts and shipping containers to be sent out.

“We just wanted to give back as much as we possibly could because that’s the most we could possibly do,” Homer says.

Word traveled quickly that the boys were holding a fundraiser. They posted on social media, and soon had donations piling up from people they knew and also people they’d never met. “We’d have hundreds of packages on our porch,” Homer explains. Within a week, they’d unboxed everything and sorted it out for delivery.

His family’s got a personal connection to the Ukraine as well, through their housekeeper, Iryna, who has been with the family for more than a decade. “She’s part of our family,” he says. “She has lots of family fighting and doing everything they can to hold their ground and, most importantly, stay alive. So we wanted to give back to her as much as possible.”

Homer says he’s impressed by the number of people who donated to their cause. “I think the most important part was gathering as much stuff as possible to help out as much as possible and give people as many resources as they need,” he says. “Stuff ’s not supposed to get that bad, and it did.”

Warehouse Operations Lead Oleksandr “Sasha” Tkachenko, who represents the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee, says he was impressed when the teens showed up. “It’s something we really like to see, that somebody in the younger age is helping. It’s really important to us.”

Seeing younger volunteers makes him smile, he adds, something he hasn’t done a lot since the conflict started. “It’s bringing a smile back to my face,” he says. “They are helping, and it’s great.”

Tkachenko’s group, which operates out of a donated warehouse, has already shipped five containers and sent 28 pallets by air. They started out accepting clothes and medical items but shifted their focus to building first aid packages.

They also continue shipping diapers and hygiene products like toothpaste. “Those kids, I remember them specifically

— they brought us what we really need,” he explains.

MOVED TO ACT Chase Ben-Ezra, of Franklin, says the idea for the donation project came about after he heard about his cousin doing something similar in Connecticut. It inspired him to want to find a local company to partner with in Michigan.

“We thought something needed to be done to help [people in Ukraine],” says Ben-Ezra.

With the help of his mom, Amy Ben-Ezra, they found and contacted Standard Trucking to find out what items to gather.

Within 48 hours, Chase Ben-Ezra and his friends had drafted a letter that they emailed to family and friends with an Amazon wish list of supplies.

They texted and posted to let people know. They accepted donations though Venmo as well and used the money they received to purchase wish list items.

They collected tactical first aid kits, goggles, long underwear, blankets, sleeping bags, boots, socks, gloves and more.

Luke’s uncle, who owns a foam manufacturing company, manufactured 90 sleeping pads to donate. Their message went out on a Saturday, and the following Saturday, Ben-Ezra’s dad rented the U-Haul, and they caravanned down to Hamtramck to get everything delivered.

“I am really proud that we were able to get this done so fast, and that our family and friends found what we were doing so important as well,” says Ben-Ezra. “It felt so good to be able to bring them as much as we did, knowing that so many people cared.”

UkrainianAmerican Crisis Response Committee If you want to send goods to Ukraine, this is the right time to help, says Oleksandr “Sasha” Tkachenko. “The world is affected by this war.

It’s not directly affecting us as a country, but there are a lot of dramatic things happening in Ukraine.”

To find out more about what the organization is collecting right now, he says to contact the call center, which will provide direction.

DROP OFF AT: Standard Trucking 13400 Giradin St. Hamtramck, MI 48212 WAREHOUSE HOURS: Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sunday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

QUESTIONS: (313) 920-8959 (Anya) (313) 920-9641 (Nazar) (313) 920-8245 (Khrystina) Luke Linovitz, of Birmingham, grew up hearing stories about the people who helped his grandfather, an Armenian who fled Turkey for Lebanon at the age of 1, and who eventually came to the United States at the age of 20 to attend school.

“When I saw those people suffering, I remembered what my grandpa had gone through, and I didn’t want to just keep watching; I wanted to help,” he says. “Seeing the warehouse and the amount of goods and people that must have gone into this operation gave me a feeling of hope for the people in Ukraine.”

Freedom Stories

TKA fundraiser for Ukrainian Relief to feature stories from the Jewish and Black experiences.

N

ationally recognized play folk, blues, spirituals and storytellers Corinne other American Roots music.

Stavish and Rev. He has performed professionRobert Jones Sr., will provide ally throughout the United an evening of stories for adults States, Canada and Europe. He on the theme of freedom, has appeared in schools, drawing on Jewish and colleges, libraries, union Black experiences, on halls, prisons, churches Wednesday, April 20, at 7 and civil rights organizap.m. at Temple Kol Ami tions. At the heart of his in West Bloomfield. The message is the belief that program will also be live- Corinne our cultural diversity tells Stavish streamed. a story that we should celThe program is a ebrate, not just tolerate. fundraiser for refugees The program is being displaced in the fight for spearheaded by Temple freedom in the Ukraine.

Kol Ami and co-sponThe artists are waiving sored by the Interfaith their fees. All proceeds Leadership Council of Rev. Robert will be donated to HIAS, Jones Sr. Metropolitan Detroit, an international refugee Detroit Interfaith relief organization.

Outreach Network (DION), As of March 24, the UN Jewish Community Relations estimated that 6.5 million Council (JCRC)/AJC, The J’s Ukrainians have been displaced Cultural Arts Department, internally and another 3.6 milCongregation for Humanistic lion have fled the country. This Judaism of Metropolitan makes it the largest such disloDetroit, Congregation Beth cation in Europe since WW II. Shalom, Congregation “As we gather during this Shir Tikvah, Congregation holy week to remember our T’Chiyah, Isaac Agree two communities’ struggles for Downtown Synagogue, Temple freedom, we need to remember Emanu-El, Cohn-Haddow that the struggle for freedom Center for Judaic Studies, is ongoing, most notably in TABBIES Book Group, Ann Ukraine today,” Stavish said.

Arbor Storytelling Guild, Stavish performs nationally Detroit Story League, MI Story, and specializes in personal, Jewish Storytelling Coalition historical and biblical narraand the Detroit Association of tives. She has appeared at the Black Storytellers (DABS).

National Storytelling Festival The suggested donation and was named the Detroit is $18 or a multiple of $18.

Jewish Woman Artist of the Participants are encouraged to Year in 2001. She is a professor donate at the level they are able at Lawrence Tech University. and moved to contribute.

Rev. Robert Jones Sr. is a To register for the program singer, songwriter, storytellor make a donation, go to tkoler and self-taught on many ami.org/social-action/ or call instruments, which he uses to (248) 661-0040.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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OUR COMMUNITY

Baby Carriers for Ukrainian Moms Oak Park mom spearheads mitzvah to help Ukrainian mothers.

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

W

TOP: Many of the donations came with notes of love and support.

LEFT: More than 40 baby carriers were collected, along with $750.

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hile bombs explode in Ukraine and people are escaping for their lives, it’s life as usual for those of us in the rest of the world. War can feel very far from our doorsteps … until just a few words manage to make it more Aliza Ancier personal and heart-wrenching.

That’s what happened to Oak Park mom Aliza Ancier, who’d seen posts online of people collecting items like toys and clothes for the Ukrainian refugees.

It was when she saw a callout for baby carriers from We Carry Ukraine that she paused.

“It painted a picture in my head of these mothers escaping with very few belongings and carrying a baby in their arms … It just suddenly felt so painfully real to me,” Ancier shared.

A hands-on mother to her kids, Ashi, 6, Naava, 4, and Yoni, 5 months, Ancier has always loved “baby-wearing” and even had a small “gemach” of extra baby carriers that she happily loaned out to whoever asked. After hearing the call-out, Ancier immediately decided to donate her stock to the organization.

Just five months previously, Ancier had been expecting twins. While her son, Yoni, was born healthy, her daughter, Chaya Nechama, was stillborn.

“I’d been planning to wear my twins together and didn’t get to … So I decided to donate my baby carriers in honor of my baby daughter,” Ancier said.

Ancier also posted on different Facebook groups, like the 3,000+ member strong Jewish Moms of Metro Detroit page and others, asking if any other moms in the area had extra baby carriers they’d want to donate.

She was completely stunned by the response.

Within five days, she had collected more than 40 baby carriers, many which were delivered with hand-written notes of encouragement by their donors. She’d also collected $750 from people who did not have baby carriers to donate but still wanted to be part of this mitzvah and pitched in for shipping fees.

Ancier lovingly packaged the top-of-the-line versatile carriers and sent them off to the organization, which is located out of St. Louis, ironically where Ancier is from, too. She moved here just four years ago with her husband, Justin. They are members of Rabbi Yosef Bromberg’s shul at Aish HaTorah and send their children to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah.

Currently, these baby carriers, donated with love by moms in the Detroit Jewish community, are joining hundreds of others from across the country and will soon be winging their way toward those displaced moms, where they’ll hopefully offer a little solace and support during this dark time.

It’s not manna from heaven, but this Passover, provide something just as crucial to the survival of the Israeli people.

Whether it’s a missile attack, a new Covid variant, or serious car crash, your gift to Magen David Adom ensures its 30,000 emergency medical technicians and paramedics have the supplies and resources they need to save lives. So this Passover, while you recount the story of the Jews’ redemption from slavery, your gift will help modern-day Israelis survive the threats they face today.

Make a gift to Magen David Adom today. Pesach kasher v’sameach.

afmda.org/passover

APRIL 7 • 2022

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OUR COMMUNITY

Friends for 75 Years E

ach week, Gerald Freedman, Harold Kulish, David Lippitt and Robert Weitz sit around a table of their chosen dining spot around Metro Detroit to bicker, banter, finish and cut off each other’s sentences. It’s the kind of conversation you can only have with friends you’ve had for more than 75 years.

The four men all turn 90 this year. Among the group is a wealth of information and knowledge of history about Detroit’s bygone Jewish and other ethnic neighborhoods.

They recently met at the offices of the JN to discuss their friendship and the changes they’ve seen in Detroit in the decades they’ve lived here and why they wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

Each Saturday for the last 10 years or so, the friends pick a restaurant in Metro Detroit for breakfast or lunch. They had to

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Four friends turning 90 still get together weekly.

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER TOP: Robert Weitz, David Lippitt, Harold Kulish (seated) and Gerald Freedman enjoy each other’s company, as they have for over 75 years, at Sahara Restaurant in Oak Park.

take a break over the pandemic and even tried Zoom meetups, which just left them frustrated, they all agreed.

Now that cases have eased, they are back on the dining circuit, at first finding places with outdoor seating, now easing their way back into indoor dining.

Their tastes run the gamut from diners to delis, and they have a special affection for Middle Eastern food. Their favorite haunts these days are Phoenicia in Birmingham, the Stage Deli in West Bloomfield and Siegel’s Deli in Commerce.

Though they might sometimes go out on Saturday evenings as couples with their wives, Saturday brunch or lunch is a time exclusively set aside for the men to catch up, schmooze and reminisce about their boyhood.

“How lucky are we that we are all 90, live in our own homes, are still married, can still drive and get around, and get together with good friends,” mused Lippitt, of Commerce Township, who worked in insurance sales. “(Meeting up for our weekly get together) provides a good feeling that we look forward to

every Saturday,” said Kulish, of Bloomfield Hills, who made a career in real estate and is CEO of property management firm Cormorant Co. “When women get together, they talk more about personal things than men do. Men are more superficial than women are. So as a result, what we talk about by and large, is current events and the past,” he said.

But Lippitt disagreed.

“We also talk about sports and politics, and what’s going on with our houses and our family, too,” said Lippitt, who has been married to his wife, Elaine, for 46 years.

“Not to mention death and divorce,” quipped Weitz, of Huntington Woods, a retired school counselor who spent his career at Fraser High School in Macomb County.

“Talking about divorce is kind of humorous when you’re 90, because you don’t

get divorced. But we talk a lot about who has passed on and who is seeing who.”

A LONG HISTORY The men grew up in Detroit’s Dexter neighborhood. There, they met in elementary and middle school, played ball, got jobs and all graduated Central High School in 1950.

They were active in B’nai B’rith Youth Organization’s Aleph Zadik Aleph No. 63 as teens.

All but Kulish graduated from Wayne University, before the institution was renamed Wayne State University in 1956.

“There were two distinct Jewish neighborhoods in Detroit,” Lippitt said. “In the Dexter neighborhood, you had multi-family homes that were built very close together and people made a modest middle-class income. As the kids living in Dexter, we all worked.

“WE ARE ALL WALKING SURVIVORS … WE ARE ALL LUCKY TO BE ALIVE.” — DAVID LIPPITT

The Jewish kids who lived in the Seven Mile neighborhood in the larger, single-family homes, not so much,” Now in their 90s, the men have had their share of health problems, from diabetes to cancer to heart disease. But they all feel very fortunate to have each other, their wives, relatively good health, mobility and the independence to get out each week to schmooze with each other over a meal.

“We are all walking survivors,” Lippitt said. “We are all lucky to be alive.”

Outside of their get-togethers,

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the four enjoy spending time with their spouses and seeing their children and grandchildren, the bulk of whom make their homes in Metro Detroit.

They talk about the changes they have seen in Detroit with wistful nostalgia and look hopefully to some of the economic progress as the city works its way out of decades of decline.

As times have changed, the four said that they think it is more of a challenge for today’s kids to form the kinds of friendships out in the suburbs compared to the way they grew up in the closely knit, multi-family

houses on the streets of Detroit, where kids lived in close proximity to one another and were left to their own devices — more than today’s more scheduled suburban kids who live on bigger lots spread further apart.

“We were somewhat independent compared to the kids today,” recalled Kulish, who in 2021 worked on an initiative to provide instruments and teach instrumental skills to Detroit K-12 students in public and private schools.

“You could walk to a friend’s house or a vacant lot to play. We walked by ourselves to school.

Kids can’t do any of those things today; they are totally dependent on their parents to drive them everywhere. Kids today don’t have the pleasure of spending time with their friends playing ball or hanging out on the porch after school like we did.”

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OUR COMMUNITY

Advance Care Planning How to make a difficult conversation a little easier.

W

e look forward to having many life cycle conversations with our families … about the person we’ve fallen in love with, about what we might name the baby (G-d willing) or what our retirement plans might look like. But there is one life cycle conversation we do not look forward to having … the one about our wishes for care near the end of life.

Lynn Breuer Despite the fact that this is a vital and straightforward conversation to have, most of us would be hard pressed to think of a more uncomfortable topic to bring up.

And if we summon up the courage to talk about it, our children or partners may not be in a place to hear it. But I have sat with too many adult children, poring over power of attorney documents trying desperately to understand what their parents would have wanted at that moment to not push the issue.

The Advance Care Planning process gives each of us the opportunity to have a voice in decisions made about our care should we ever be unable to speak for ourselves. This includes deciding what types of care we want and what types of interventions we do not want.

It also invites us to think about more subtle issues such as whether or not we want family to gather, if we would like a pet therapy visit while in the hospital or if we would like a certain type of music

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playing. Hopefully I’ve already covered the “why” it’s important to have this conversation and put it in writing. Now let’s turn to the Who, What, When and How. WHO An important part of the process is deciding who will carry out your wishes. In Michigan, this is called your patient advocate. Most likely choices include a spouse or partner, adult child or friend. Points to consider as you ponder your options include: • How does this person respond to stressful situations?

• How often are you in contact with them as your wishes may change over time?

• Will this person be able to carry out your wishes even if they don’t agree with them?

WHAT You’ll need papers stating your clear wishes for end-of-life care. It can be confusing because these documents can be referred to as a Patient Advocate Designation, Health Care Power of Attorney, Health Care Proxy or Medical Power of Attorney, but regardless of the name, the content

Resources FOR HELP • https://fivewishes.org/ • https://theconversationproject.org/ • https://www.michbar.org/public_ resources/probate_pad

JFS ST. PAUL

and intent is the same. An attorney can draft them, or you can download a form to complete on your own.

WHEN The best time to start the conversation is before a health crisis occurs, when everyone is thinking clearly and able to talk openly. Holiday gatherings ironically end up being the perfect time as families’ members are usually in the same place. April 16 is National Health Care Decision Day, which coincides with Passover this year.

This might provide the perfect opportunity to start the conversation.

HOW Many people start this conversation by referencing a plot line on a TV show or book where a main character passes away or struggles with illness or reference a related news event. Others suggest starting the conversation after processing through a loss saying something along the lines of “I’ve been thinking about how difficult it was to know how best to honor your Mom’s wishes last year and think we should talk about what we want.”

WHERE Once completed and signed (because, in Michigan, a patient advocate must sign that they accept this responsibility), give copies of your documents to your physicians and hospital (where the information can be added into your medical record), and keep a copy at home in a safe place where family and your patient advocate can access it if needed.

One final thought: Be as specific as you can with your wishes, and update the documents as needed. This is not a one-anddone conversation. For example, someone might draft that they do not want heroic measures taken if there is no chance of a good quality of life. What does “quality of life” mean to you? It might mean something very different at 55 then at 85, and the choices we make today may be very different from the choices we might make 10 years from now.

Lynn Breuer, LMSW, CDP, is the Senior Director of Community Outreach & Wellness at Jewish Family Service, overseeing the health coaching and cognitive fitness programs. She is also adjunct faculty at Madonna University School of Social Work.

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MAZEL TOV! Eve Berger (Chava Gabriela), daughter of Jon and Liz Berger, is a seventh-grader at the Friends School in Wilmington, N.C. She was called to the Torah at B’nai Israel Congregation in Wilmington on Saturday, April 2, 2022. In addition to sharing her simchah with her sister Lillian and her parents, Eve is thrilled that her grandparents Don and Arleen Rochlen of Bloomfield Hills, and Arthur and Barbara Berger of Bethesda, Md., aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends celebrated with her.

For her mitzvah project, Eve has been volunteering at her new synagogue. She has worked at a soup kitchen, made challahs for meal delivery, packed gloves and hats for the homeless, planted trees in a local park and much more.

Zoe Rose Brand, daughter of Lori and Matthew Brand, will become a bat mitzvah at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills on

Saturday, April 9, 2022. She will be joined in the celebration by her sisters Mia, 15, and Alexa, 7. Zoe is the loving granddaughter of Gail and Les Baron, and Eileen and Arthur Brand.

Zoe is in seventh grade at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. For her mitzvah project, she collected new and used dance costumes and attire for Dance Fairies to give to children in need across the world.

Jordan Maxwell Serlin, son of Lori and Dr. Brian Serlin, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, April 8, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his sister, Hailey. Jordan is the loving grandchild of Linda and Murray Goldenberg, Cathy and Joel Serlin, and Linda and Bill Horn.

He is a student at Norup International School in Oak Park. His most meaningful mitzvah project was raising money for the American Cancer Society.

IMMIGRATION LAW FIRM ANTONE, CASAGRANDE & ADWERS, P.C. Representation in all areas of family and business immigration law.

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APRIL 7 • 2022

HOW TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Mazel Tov! announcements are welcomed for members of the Jewish community. Anniversaries, engagements and weddings with a photo (preferably color) can appear at a cost of $18 each. Births are $10. There is no charge for bar/bat mitzvahs or for special birthdays starting at the 90th.

For information, contact Editorial Assistant Sy Manello at smanello@thejewishnews.com or (248) 351-5147 for information or for a mailed or emailed copy of guidelines.

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Jake earned a finance degree at Michigan State University and is employed as a mergers and acquisitions analyst at Mission Veterinary Partners. Amy will graduate from Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine in May and will begin her residency in neurology at Beaumont Royal Oak/Farmington Hills this July.

An April wedding is planned at The Henry in Dearborn.

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SPORTS

Barry Brodsky and his wife, Jane, at their condo in Palm Desert, California, in January.

The Book Is Closed Barry Brodsky ends an amazing two decades as coach of the Birmingham Marian girls soccer team.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

N

ineteen seasons. Nine Division 2 state championships and two runner-up finishes. Fourteen trips to the Final Four.

Those are the nuts and bolts of Barry Brodsky’s resume as coach of the Birmingham Marian High School girls soccer team.

With four consecutive state titles in his back pocket, a streak that was interrupted in 2020 by a season canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brodsky decided late last year to step down as the Mustangs’ coach.

He hasn’t had much time to think about how much he misses coaching these days as the spring season for girls soccer begins.

Brodsky, 66, is a certified public accountant with an office in Farmington Hills, and it’s income tax time for his clients.

“When I left Marian, I wanted to leave the program in good shape. It’s in good shape,” Brodsky said.

“I was actually the coach there for 20 seasons. That would have been a nice round number to say, but I don’t count the 2020

season. We only got in four pre-season practices before everything was shut down by the state.”

Brodsky said he carefully considered his resignation decision last summer, and informed Marian in November of his desire to resign.

Several factors swayed his decision to step down, he said, including the COVID-related death of Marian Athletic Director and good friend Dave Feldman in January 2021.

Feldman was always available to answer questions and provide guidance for a Jewish coach at a Catholic high school, Brodsky said, and tremendously supportive of Brodsky’s team.

Without a soccer season to prepare for, Brodsky was able to spend three months this winter with his wife Jane at a condo they have in Palm Desert, California.

Besides enjoying the nice California weather instead of dealing with a Michigan winter back home in West Bloomfield, “I can work remotely out there,”

Brodsky said.

Brodsky wants to be able to communicate better with Spanish-speaking folks in California, so he’s been taking weekly online undergrad Spanish classes during the fall and winter semesters through the University of MichiganDearborn.

“I’m sure I’m the oldest student in my Spanish classes by a good 40 years,” said Brodsky, a 1973 Southfield-Lathrup High School grad and 1977 Michigan State University grad.

Brodsky earned a master’s degree in taxation from Walsh College in Troy in 1984.

Allie Brodsky, 26, played for her father for four seasons at Marian (2009-13), winning two state championships, before continuing her soccer career at Kalamazoo College.

She said her father’s decision to resign as Marian’s coach wasn’t an easy one.

“My dad isn’t one to walk away from something, especially something he loves,” Allie said. “I’m glad he’ll have more time for himself now.

People don’t realize the amount of time a coach devotes to the job outside of practices and games.”

Allie said she and her father had a difficult talk before she decided to join him at Marian.

“He told me I had to prove

to everyone -- him, the other coaches and players -- that I should be on the field playing,” she said. “When you’re 14, that’s not the easiest thing to hear.

“My dad was the best coach I ever had. He pushed me harder than anyone else. I wouldn’t be the person I am today (a second-year medical student at Central Michigan University) without his coaching.”

Allie said one of the secrets to her father’s success at Marian was his ability to individualize his coaching.

“He knew which girls he could yell at, and which girls he had to hold their hand a little,” she said. “He knew I could handle being yelled at.”

Brodsky is happy about Marian’s choice as his successor as coach. Reid Friedrichs, an assistant coach for four years, was promoted to coach last month.

“I can’t say enough good things about Marian,” Brodsky said. “I coached fantastic kids who excelled athletically and academically.”

Brodsky also was the boys soccer coach at Birmingham Groves High School and Birmingham Brother Rice High School, winning a state championship with Brother Rice in 2009.

Tips to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

Barry Brodsky and his daughter Allie at the University of Michigan women’s basketball team’s 64-49 win over Villanova at Crisler Arena on March 21 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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NEXT DOR

VOICE OF THE NEW JEWISH GENERATION

Innovation Expert Jenna Beltser is the founding director of a Jewish startup accelerator.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

J

enna Beltser has always been inspired by the idea of innovation.

As the director for the Orthodox Union’s Impact Accelerator, a program that identifies and helps grow new Jewish nonprofit organizations, Beltser, 31, of Southfield, seeks out startups that address critical issues in the Jewish community through innovative ways.

“What I really love about the Jenna program is that it inspires innoBeltser vation,” says Beltser, who helped launch OU Impact Accelerator in 2018 after a year of developing it alongside leadership and coworkers. “It allows people who are passionate about different causes to step up to the plate.”

FINDING A NATIONAL REACH Through the accelerator, OU receives some 50-80 applications a year from nonprofits nationwide interested in joining the program.

This year, they received 72 applications that spanned numerous industries and causes related to the Jewish community.

Out of the dozens of applications, four to six are selected each year to participate in a cohort experience that includes a nonprofit curriculum, coaching mentorship and an initial grant to help grow the business.

“We’ve received applications from all across the country and from different issue areas,” says Beltser, who recently moved back to Michigan with her husband, Lev, and their two children, “like Holocaust education, seniors and technologies that address certain issues.”

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Beltser works with members of the 2018 OU Impact Accelerator cohort.

So, what does OU look for in the perfect applicant? Beltser says it’s all about scale.

“We look for organizations that have either a national reach or potential for national reach,” she explains. “Things that could be replicated in different communities.”

The startups themselves, of course, must be innovative as well, offering something new that hasn’t been done before — a key contingent of the OU Impact Accelerator.

In the future, Beltser hopes to expand the program’s reach to also help Jewish nonprofit startups with more local angles succeed, such as through facilitating connections to the right parties.

“They are still in our fight pool, so to speak,” Beltser says of localized nonprofit startups.

‘START WHERE YOU ARE’ Working with Jewish nonprofits, Beltser says, has always been an interest for her. She began her career working at two financial technology startups, Visible Alpha and Novus. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s in international relations and economics.

“At first, I was just volunteering with a project at the OU,” she recalls of first connecting with Orthodox Union, one of the largest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. “Then, OU wanted to do something working with Jewish startups, new Jewish organizations.”

The need prompted Beltser to officially join OU, shifting from working in financial technology to working on building an accelerator that could help Jewish nonprofit startups succeed. At OU, she was able to use her

knowledge of the startup world to develop a successful program that numerous businesses have now benefitted from.

“It was a collaboration of everyone at OU at the time,” she says of bringing the accelerator program to life. “We have a poster hanging on our wall that says ‘start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.’ It was really thinking through what models exist right now and what do we have available?”

FILLING A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY Launched during a time in which startup accelerators were booming in popularity, OU Impact Accelerator quickly filled a need for business support in the larger Jewish community. As the program’s founding director, Beltser designed the cohort experience, along with the curriculum and format of the program. She also works with each startup one-on-one.

Throughout OU Impact Accelerator’s nonprofit curriculum, Jewish startups learn about fundraising, marketing, operations, leadership and anything else necessary to run a successful nonprofit organization. In return, OU gets a unique view into the larger needs of the Jewish community nationwide, one that Beltser doesn’t take for granted.

“Every year, we learn about what’s going on,” says Beltser, who is also involved in her local synagogue and Jewish community. “We have so much data about what people are doing in the community and also where we need help.”

For example, she continues, “Can we connect all five organizations that are working all over the country that deal with mental health?

Through our program, we’ve developed a bird’s eye view.”

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NEXT DOR

VOICE OF THE NEW JEWISH GENERATION

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WELL

Erica Meyers, Hannah Berger and Jenna Lopatin showed off their festive Purim and St. Patrick’s Day spirit.

Participants Nikki Baron and David Sable put together Mishloach Manot for fellow guests.

Purim O’Madness The Well partners with Adat Shalom Synagogue for holiday fun.

Rabbis Jeff Stombaugh of The Well (right) and Dan Horwitz of Adat Shalom Synagogue (left) put on a show with their creative Purim spiel.

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR

W

ith multiple celebrations all happening at the same time — Purim, St. Patrick’s Day and the first round of March Madness — Rabbi Dan Horwitz of Adat Shalom Synagogue had an idea.

“Dan came to us with the idea of fusing together these three holidays,” said Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh, executive director of The Well.

Planning meetings and brainstorming ensued, and on March 17, The Well and Adat Shalom Synagogue presented this new Purim experience for young adults in the community at the Whiskey Factory in Detroit.

“It was quite special having the chance to collaborate for the first time since returning to Metro Detroit with Rabbi Jeff and The Well team,” Horwitz said.

Attendees enjoyed Irish whiskey and watched the games on large pro-

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jector screens provided by StarTrax.

Horwitz said there was a great turnout and people were happy to be out and about socializing with COVID cases on the decline.

“Since Purim is a holiday where mask-wearing isn’t uncommon as part of costumes, the ‘mask-optional’ approach was well received,” he said.

“It was a nice showcase of what it can be like for The Well to partner with with the synagogue,” Stombaugh said.

“I loved having the chance to flex our creative muscles together to create a celebration that simply felt great, had robust Jewish content, embraced celebrating life, and that was likely the only Purim experience most of the attendees had this year,” added Rabbi Dan.

Friends Tzvi Tanenbaum, Audrey Bloomberg, Steven Davis, Jacob Krause, Miriam Horwitz, Rabbi Dan Horwitz and Brooke Bendix enjoyed reuniting and catching up.

Visit www.meetyouatthewell.org for info.

The crowd enjoyed watching the first round of March Madness games on large projector screens provided by StarTrax.

FOOD

The Centuries-Old Mystery of Charoset

Searching for an authentic recipe for this seder staple.

LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

W

hen you conduct a seder, after kiddush, the Mishnah tells us, they bring you “matzah, lettuce, charoset and two cooked dishes” (Pesahim 10:2), what we think of as the “seder plate.” The Mishnah defines “matzah” (at 2:5) and specifies that lettuce is one of the five varieties of bitter herbs (at 2:6) — but it never defines charoset.

The Talmud tells us what to do with charoset, but it also never tells us what charoset is.

We dip the lettuce, apparently in charoset (Talmud Pesahim 114a).

Rabbi Eliezer tells us that charoset fulfills a mitzvah, though he does not say which mitzvah; the other rabbis say it does not fulfill a mitzvah (Mishnah Pesahim 10:2). If charoset is not a mitzvah, why does one bring it? Rabbi Ami says, “to counteract the bitterness (kapa) of the bitter herb.”

Dip the bitter herb in charoset, but Rav Pappa warns, do not leave it too long, as its sweetness would completely nullify the bitterness (Pesahim 116a).

Other rabbis in the Talmud tell us that charoset has a symbolic purpose. Rabbi Levi says we have it: “In memory of the apple tree” (Pesahim 116a). Which apple tree?

The only apple mentioned in the Bible, where the female lover tells her male paramour, “under the apple tree I roused you” (Song of Songs 8:8). (Note: Genesis does not reveal specifically what type of forbidden fruit Adam and Eve consumed, although sometimes portrayed as an apple.)

Sephardic Recipe on page 32 Regarding charoset, Rabbi Levi proclaims it: “In memory of the mud” (Pesahim 116a). Which mud? In Egypt, the Hebrew slaves made bricks of mud and straw (Exodus 5).

Rabbi Yohanan says: “Spices in memory of the straw.”

Rabbi Levi tells us charoset looks like mud, Rabbi Yohanan that it has spices, and Rabbi Ami tells us that charoset is sweet — but no one tells us what charoset is. Why does no one tell us what charoset is?

FINALLY, A RECIPE A few centuries later, in his annotated prayerbook, Rav Saadia ben Yosef Gaon (born in Egypt in about 882, died in Baghdad around 942), finally provides us with a recipe for charoset. He finishes the recipe with the observation, “it is halek.”

In Rav Saadia’s time, people still used the dip, but under a different name. It seems that no one needed to define charoset because everyone used this kind of dip. Think of how a modern cookbook might mention ketchup without describing it.

Here is Rav Saadia’s recipe: “One cooks up a sauce of dates, walnuts, sesame and kneads them with vinegar — and it is called ‘halek.’” Saadia Gaon’s description of charoset matches recipes from the Sephardic and Mizrachi world; the recipes often use the word “halek.”

A variety of recipes for “halek” or charoset gathered from India to North Africa resemble Rav Saadia’s. Joan Nathan, writing in the New York Times, describes halek as: “Iraqi date syrup. Dating back at least to the Babylonian exile in 579 B.C., this date jam, like those

from grapes, pomegranates and bee honey, was a sweetener in the ancient world. It is still served today in various forms by Iraqi, Syrian, Burmese and Indian Jews.

Maimonides has a version of charoset that could include dates, but he also allows other sweet fruits of Israel along with the vinegar and spices: figs, grapes, and pomegranates. “How do we make it? We take dates or figs or raisins or similar items and mash them, and we put vinegar in them, and spice them with spices, like mud with straw, and place it on the table on the nights of Passover” (Mishneh Torah, Zemanim, Laws of Leavened and Unleavened Bread, 7:11).

The finished product, a sweet and sour fruit-based dipping sauce, probably resembles the duck sauce that we think of as Chinese.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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FOOD

CUTLINES

A Fishy Tale A 100-year-old recipe became a Baron family tradition.

MICHELLE KOBERNICK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELLE KOBERNICK

M

y husband’s friend Tony Baron came to visit with him after his recent knee surgery.

I’ve always liked Tony. He is a good guy who is naturally curious; and around me, his questions revolve around food and cooking. These being my favorite subjects, we end up in some focused culinary conversations.

He stopped by the kitchen to find me preparing different meals for Michael’s recovery. True to form, he stayed to ask about everything I was doing. What was I cooking? What was in it? How did I make it?

Over our dinner, the conversation made its way

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to cooking, which lead to the upcoming Passover holiday. “You make your own gefilte fish, don’t you?” he asked, assuming all culinarians must.

While I learned how to make beautiful terrines and pates in culinary school, made similarly, I had never made gefilte fish. Our family tradition was relying on the jarred innovation and convenience made popular in 1888 and introduced by the B. Manischewitz Company.

Whenever I talk to people that make gefilte fish, it typically accompanies a rich tradition that’s lasted for generations. I learned that Tony’s family has this kind of long-standing gefilte ritual. For more than 20 years, he and his two brothers, Dan and Jeff, have met in Detroit to make gefilte fish with Evelyn, their 96-year-old mother. Evelyn was taught by her mother-in-law Rose. Rose immigrated to the U.S. in 1911 at age 16 from a shtetl near the unstable borders between Russia, the Ukraine and Poland, still in the news today.

BABA ROSE’S RECIPE “Baba” Rose made her gefilte fish in her American kitchen until she was 94 years old, when Evelyn took over. It was done from memory because no one had ever created an official written recipe. Everything Baba taught Evelyn had been transferred to her through the hands of the women who made it before them. It wasn’t written until the mid-1980s, when their Aunt Luba followed Rose around the kitchen, observing and capturing her steps.

Aunt Luba’s notes are the document the family still uses today. When Tony showed it to me, it was obvious how much it had been enjoyed over the years. Handwritten, it was splashed with years of stains from fish stock, paprika and maybe egg. Notes are scribbled up and down the pages with revisions and updates that modernized the recipe.

The Baron family’s version is savory, where others can be sweet, depending on which side of the European divide you are from.

Tony talked about how his mom would insist on going to the market to inspect the eyes of the fish herself, continued on page 32

BABA ROSE’S GEFILTE FISH For the fish stock 8 pounds boned white fish, head, skin and bones reserved 3 large Spanish onions, ends trimmed and scored Kosher salt Quite a lot of pepper Enough water to reach 2½ inches deep in the stock pot Heads, bones and skin of filleted whitefish Directions Remove ends and peel onions. Cut a ½-inch deep X cross pattern on the onion ends. Place in the bottom of a large stockpot. Add kosher salt with quite a lot of pepper. Pour enough water into the pot to measure exactly 2½ inches deep and bring to a boil. Add the fish trimmings to the water and return to a boil. Cover and let stock simmer while making the fish.

For The Fish 1 medium bowl of water 3 medium finely chopped onions, sprinkled with Kosher salt 8 pounds deboned and ground whitefish 7 eggs, beaten with a fork 3 level soup spoons of kosher salt 40 shakes of black pepper, plus another 24 3 level soup spoons of matzah meal Fish stock Directions Fill a bowl with water for rinsing your hands and set aside.

Place the fish in a colander to drain while preparing the other ingredients. Chop the onions fine, sprinkled with kosher salt. Add the ground fish to the onions.

In a separate bowl, beat 7 eggs with a fork. Combine eggs with the fish and onions. Add the kosher salt, black pepper, and matzah meal. Use your hands or a fork to mix well, then taste for taste.

Form the fish to the size of your palm, about threeinch oblong shaped pieces, rinsing hands as needed. Return the stock to a boil and gently lay the fish pieces into the pot with a spoon. Reduce stock to a simmer, then cover the pot leaving an air opening.

Cook for 2½ to 3 hours. Cool the fish in the stock.

Remove patties from stock and store in the refrigerator. Sprinkle with paprika before serving.

Makes approximately 25, five-ounce patties.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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FOOD continued from page 31

to assess clarity and freshness.

They use whitefish and sometimes trout, even though it can be made with carp or pike.

Under Evelyn’s strict guidance, the butcher would debone, skin, filet and grind their fish while they shopped.

When they returned, they were handed one bag of fillets, and another filled with heads, bones and skins for stock making. I wondered about using chicken stock or bones, also gelatinous, to render a milder, less fishy stock. My attempts to make a culinary contribution with them are still under consideration.

Tony’s explanation for how the stock is made began with peeling and scoring a big X into the cut ends of three large onions, then putting them in a

large pot. Next, sprinkle them with kosher salt and “quite a bit of black pepper.”

According to the brothers, Evelyn used a ruler to measure the water at exactly 2½ inches deep. Once the onion and water came to a boil, the fish bones, skins and heads were added.

The stock simmers while you make the fish.

The fish instructions were written in the same rustic fashion. It calls for “three level soup spoons” of the salt and matzah meal, which is to be followed by “40 shakes of black pepper, plus another 24.”

After they’re combined, the directions read, “taste for taste.”

Realizing the parasitic risks of eating raw lake fish, the cause of “Jewish Grandmother’s

Disease,” the brothers reassured me they don’t do that.

Like most chefs, they cook off a small amount to assess the seasoning so they can make adjustments before they mold it. The patties get lowered carefully into the broth pot, partially covered, and simmered for a long 2½ to 3 hours.

This amount of cooking time has been an ongoing debate until they started using an instant read food thermometer to check for doneness. They now measure when the fish has reached a safe temperature, which they’ve discovered happens sooner.

Temperature is always a more reliable test for doneness to ensure food safety. Once they see 180 degrees, they can safely turn it off. They cool the patties in stock and carefully remove them with a slotted

continued from page 29

GRAPE CHAROSET FOR PASSOVER Copeland Marks, in Sephardic Cooking: 600 Recipes Created in When the grape juice has Exotic Kitchens from Morocco to India, provides this recipe for been reduced to a syrup, it is then known as honey. a sweet Charoset without the vinegar: Mixed with nuts, it is an extraordinary concoction that can be served at any time of the year over ice cream or even as a breakfast jam. A similar halek made from dates is prepared by the Jews of Calcutta, India.

Ingredients 4 pounds juice white grapes ⅓ cup toasted sesame seeds ⅓ cup toasted walnuts

Sephardic Recipe

Directions Juice the grapes ... Discard the dry pulp.

Cook the juice down to a maple syrup consistency, ending with about ⅓ of the total amount of the juice.

Thick, but still liquid. Cool.

Grind the sesame seeds and walnuts separately in a processor. Add this to the grape syrup and mix well.

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APRIL 7 • 2022

spoon, and store in the refrigerator. Their family adds a sprinkle of paprika for garnish instead of the traditional slice of carrot.

I learned a lot about gefilte fish that night, between the kinds of fish you can use, to the proprietary ingredients of the broth. What I love about his story is how these brothers are preserving the family’s tradition and keeping it alive for their mother and children.

They look forward to getting together for this every year. Even after a whole day of grinding, mixing, molding and poaching, they are smiling and having fun. Satisfied with their efforts, they clean up, filled with hope that the fish turns out good this year. If not, that’s okay, too. For families like theirs, there is always next year.

This is the charoset of the Kurds.

Northern Jews, called Ashkenazim, follow a tradition, perhaps inspired by Rabbi Levi’s opinion in the Talmud, using raw grated apples (Song of Songs 8:5), walnuts (see Song of Songs 6:11, “I went down to the walnut grove …”) along with red wine and cinnamon to make charoset (Which Ashkenazic Jews call “charoses”).

Another reason for Jews from Northern Europe to use these ingredients: That is what they had. They could not easily acquire dates, figs, grapes or pomegranates, the fruits of Israel.

That is why Ashkenazic Jews have a ritual food called charoses, which we eat as part of the seder, while Mizrachi and Sephardic Jews enjoy halek for charoset at the seder, and at other meals during the year.

PASSOVER

New Story Books for Passover

Three new books to help celebrate the holiday with your little ones.

A

JN STAFF

re you ready to add some new holiday books to your current lineup of bedtime stories for your 4-to-8-year-olds? Here are three charming books to consider this year. All are available at amazon.com.

A Persian Passover

By Etan Basseri, Illustrated

by Rashin Kheiriyeh Kalaniot Books, $19.99 “Many years ago, in a small town in Iran,” the book begins. The story is about siblings Ezra and Roza, who are helping their parents prepare for the seder. The traditional cleaning is underway, the ingredients for hallaq — the Persian version of charoset, made from dates, raisins and nuts — are assembled, and the children are charged with taking the family’s sack of flour to the synagogue’s community oven, where teams of bakers transform it into matzah.

A disaster occurs on the way home, but the duo’s misadventures ultimately provide an opportunity to invite a lonely neighbor to their seder.

Passover, Here I Come

By D.J. Steinberg, Illustrated

by Emanuel Wiemans Grosset & Dunlap, $5.99 Celebrate Passover with a collection of funny and festive poems from the author of the hugely popular Kindergarten, Here I Come!

The seder plate is set and the pantry’s filled with matzah — Passover is here! Author D. J. Steinberg is back with an all-new collection of poems celebrating the joys of Passover, from singing the Four Questions to finding the Afikomen.

The book includes a sheet of stickers for extra holiday fun.

The Melody

By Oded Burla, Assaf Benharroch (Illustrator) Ilana Kurshan (Translator) Kalaniot Books, $19.99 The Melody, written by Oded Brula, an Israeli writer and poet who is considered among the founders of children’s literature in Hebrew, at first seems a simple tale of a melody in search of a home.

In this translation, the melody asks mountains, rivers and stones, crows and moles to listen to it before finally finding a mother, who hums the melody for her child.

Look closer at this story, and you will find Jewish connections to God offering the Torah to the Jewish people.

According to a 2,000-yearold commentary, God offers the Torah to all the people of the ancient world, but none accept it until it is presented it to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai.

Jewish Fund Grants Bring Dental Health to Metro Detroit’s Needy The word “dentures” may conjure up cartoon images of teeth soaking in a glass of water or a punch line from a corny joke. But to many of Metro Detroit’s uninsured poor, their need for dentures is no laughing matter, but a critical health issue.

Thanks to grants from the Jewish Fund and the Jewish Fund Teen Board, 75 patients of the Malta Dental and Medical Clinic in Detroit are getting their dentures — and with them, a new lease on life.

“We can change someone’s life with a set of properly-fitting dentures,” said Nancy Harmon, the clinic’s dental director. “Health, social life, employability — just about every marker of well-being improves dramatically. Patients come to the clinic too ashamed to even open their mouths, and they walk out beaming with a new smile.”

The grants, which total $25,000, make it possible for the Malta Clinic to provide dentures without cost to patients. The cost of dentures — anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars — poses an insurmountable barrier to the uninsured poor, explained Thomas Larabell, president of the Malta Clinic board of directors.

“It’s a time-consuming and expensive process to make dentures that fit well,” Larabell noted. “We are so grateful to the Jewish Fund board of directors and Teen Board for helping us meet this critical health need.”

APRIL 7 • 2022

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PASSOVER ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Matzah on I the Doorpost Shmurah matzah: A protection and remedy for healing.

Yaakov Gregg

An Expensive Bread

Rabbi Chaim Moshe Bergstein, director of Chabad in Farmington Hills, together with his wife, Chaya Devorah, had never heard of this custom before, but he does know all about shmurah matzah. He’s been providing shmurah matzah for the Detroit Jewish community for over 40 years.

This year Rabbi Bergstein sold (or gave away) almost 500 pounds of shmurah matzah — 280 pounds from New York, 80 pounds from Israel and 120 pounds from, incredibly, Ukraine. The Ukrainian matzah was baked and shipped to America before the hostilities began.

Rabbi Bergstein deals with a supplier and does not know the Ukrainian bakers personally or how they are faring in the war.

“The Ukrainian bakers claim their method of making matzah is more traditional, whatever that means, but they have a good hechsher and I trust them,” Rabbi Bergstein said. “They wrap their matzah in a thin, colorful cellophane and package them in well-fitting boxes, which seems to stop them from breaking so easily. The Ukrainian matzah bakers definitely give more care to packaging than the American matzah bakers!”

The Ukrainian matzah became popular about 15

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nside one red-brick Oak Park home, everything is fairly typical except for one thing that catches every newcomer’s eye and causes them to inevitably ask, “What’s that doing there?”

“That” is several pieces of matzah and “there” is on the door header over the kitchen.

Meet Yaakov Gregg, 60, owner of Jacob’s Ladder Heating and Cooling, father and grandfather of a growing mishpachah.

“Jews tend to find a source in scripture somewhere, apply it to our lives somehow and then use it as a segulah (protection),” said Gregg, who has been putting a piece of shmurah (watched) matzah on top of his doorway for over 30 years now. “One theory behind this practice is that shmurah means ‘watched’ and we want the mitzvah of matzah to ‘watch out’ or protect us as well.”

At the end of every Pesach seder, while eating the afikomen, Gregg, his wife, Carole, and their family get to work nibbling the matzah into round or fun shapes and then pick their favorite, the one that will grace the top of the doorway throughout the entire year. Then Gregg hoists the smallest child who’s still awake onto his shoulders and that kid has the honor of putting the matzah onto the door header.

“It’s a lot of fun for the kids; it all adds to the enjoyment of the seder,” Gregg said.

years ago and, according to Rabbi Bergstein, always gets rave reviews.

“The matzah from Ukraine is much thinner than usual, which makes it easier to chew … It doesn’t give our jaws such a major workout. It’s crispy and really delicious. People love it,” he said.

He sells regular Ukrainian matzah for $18/pound and whole wheat for $21/pound, significantly cheaper than the usual $30-40 price tag from Amazon or other locations. Still, a typical 5-pound box of machine-made kosher-for-Pesach matzah can cost under $10 … How to justify the expense?

According to Rabbi Bergstein, there’s a mitzvah to watch the flour of the matzah from the beginning of the baking process to make sure that no water came in contact with it. For centuries, Jews have taken it further than that, and watched the flour even from the time of its milling. Shmurah matzah, however, is guarded from the time of harvesting — even though it is definitely kosher if it was just guarded from the time of baking.

“The only time there is actually an obligation to eat matzah is at the seder,” Rabbi Bergstein said. “The matzahs for the seder have to be made ‘Lishmoh’ — for the sake of the mitzvah. It is clear from the codifiers

At any given time, he has up to six or seven pieces of matzah from previous years on his door header. If one falls down during the year, he properly and respectfully discards it.

AN OLD CUSTOM Gregg was able to procure a source from a Jewish book (Sefer Kaf HaChaim) which said: “The minhag (custom) of saving a piece of afikomen is not only in chutz la’aretz (outside Israel) but anywhere, and it’s not in case you don’t have for next year. The reason is that it’s a shmirah (protection).

Many hang it on top of a doorway until the next erev Pesach when they burn it with the chometz. This minhag is brought down in basically every minhag sefer (Minhag Yisroel Torah, Nitei Gavriel and other Pesach seforim.)”

DOES IT REALLY WORK? “I’ve never experienced major open miracles, but I do believe the matzah fosters an awareness,” Gregg said. “It’s similar to a mezuzah … Its very presence subconsciously reminds us that Hashem is watching over us and helps us find God in our lives.

“That awareness can help us see everyday miracles, turn thoughts like, ‘what a bad day’ into ‘hey, I’m vertical, I’ve got good balance, I can smell and taste, etc.’ It that every aspect of the baking from the mixing, the kneading, the rolling of the dough, the placement in the oven, has to all be done with intent for performing the mitzvah. Every phase of the baking process has the workers actually articulating aloud, ‘l’shaim matzos mitzvah’ — literally, “for the purpose of making the matzahs that will be used for the mitzvah.

“It’s hard to imagine that the entire process of intent at every phase is transmitted by the pressing of a button that starts the assembly line for machine-made matzah,” Rabbi Bergstein added. “It is thus better to have the hand-baked matzah because of the intent by the people involved in the baking saying that they do this Lishmoh — for the sake of the mitzvah.”

Bread of Healing What does Rabbi Bergstein say about shmurah matzah offering yearlong protection?

can help us recognize the gifts Hashem has given us that we usually take for granted.”

While Gregg puts matzah over the main entrance into his kitchen, he’s heard that many who keep this custom use the front door to the house. Some people tape up their matzah. He’s even heard of people who carry the matzah around in their pockets as a segulah for wealth!

Russ Siegel, a software developer, and his wife, Kari, an occupational therapist and Feldenkrais practitioner, also have the custom of placing a piece of shmurah matzah over their kitchen doorway in their Southfield home. Russ has been doing it for 22 years now; when he first heard of it, it seemed to be a growing local custom.

The Siegels put up one piece of afikomen after each seder and, at the same time, take down the previous year’s matzah.

The family also sometimes get questioned by visitors about the shmurah matzah, seemingly random on top of the door header, and Kari simply explains, “We guard the matzah, and the matzah guards us.”

The matzah is also a symbol, a reminder of the freedom of the past and the promise of good times ahead.

Russ and Kari Siegel and their children Daniel and Tova in front of their kitchen doorway

“We aren’t aware of any clear miracles or protection that we’d really attribute to the matzah, but we like having it up there.

We’re aware of it and notice it every day,” said Kari.

Their children, Daniel, 10, and Tova, 8, enjoy the custom too, although of course they have never known life without it.

“Matzah is called the ‘bread of faith’ and ‘bread of healing,” Rabbi Bergstein said. “According to the Zohar, shmurah matzah helps us with our faith. It acts like a channel, a receiver of messages coming straight from God. Matzah is supposed to be a remembrance of our redemption, a vehicle for us to relive what went on at that time … And one of the things that we experienced back then was that we were, as it says, ‘cured of all ills.’ So too, matzah has the characteristic of being able to heal us.”

Best of all, Rabbi Bergstein actually knows a story to back this up. He knew the players personally. Since it’s been so many years, however, he said any discrepancies or missing details are because of his faulty memory.

“Years ago,” Rabbi Bergstein began.

“Back in the late ’60s/early ’70s, my shadchan Rabbi Mendel Baumgarten was close to the Pozepov family who had just arrived in America from the former Soviet Union.

Rabbi Bergstein holds a colorful box of Ukrainian matzah in one hand and gluten-free oat matzah from America in the other … next to some of the hundreds of pounds of matzah that he gives away or sells before Pesach.

continued on page 36

APRIL 7 • 2022

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PASSOVER continued from page 35

INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING.

With great enthusiasm, the

INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING.Pozepov family took on differ-

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

ent mitzvos, kosher, Shabbos, mikvah … But sadly, soon after that, the young Pozepov father was diagnosed with cancer and given only a 5% chance of survival.”

Distraught, the family turned to their friend, Rabbi Mendel Baumgarten. Here they were taking on all these mitzvot in order to become closer to God and this is how He was repaying them?

Baumgarten had a private audience with the Lubavitcher Rebbe soon afterward and told him about Pozepovs.

“The Rebbe opened a drawer in his desk, took out a whole shmurah matzah that had clearly been there since Pesach and said, ‘This is the bread of healing, let him wash, say hometzi, eat it and bentch afterwards.’ Rabbi Baumgarten passed on the message to and he followed the Rebbe’s instructions,” said Rabbi Bergstein. “I saw Mr. Pozepov a few years later; he had surpassed the doctor’s predictions. He was at his children’s weddings; he lived to see many grandchildren.”

So even though Rabbi Bergstein had never actually heard of the custom of putting shmurah matzah over doorways, the concept was certainly not foreign to him.

“This special matzah which is made just for the sake of the mitzvah has power to give us all kinds of blessings, including cures,” Rabbi Bergstein said with a big smile. “Does it for sure always work? I know it did at least once.”

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Managed by: Managed Managed by: by:

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APRIL 7 • 2022

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Ask Us Why! Ask UsAsk Why! Us Why!

For more information or if you would like to have shmurah matzah, contact Rabbi Bergstein at (248) 613-1809.

PASSOVER

A Familiar Tradition

The Maxwell House Haggadah plays a role in many families’ seders.

I

f coffee is made from beans, and beans are prohibited during Passover, does that mean we would have to go uncaffinated during the weeklong holiday?

In the 1920s, this was a serious question because some mistakenly thought coffee beans were legumes. They are not.

Still, this created a problem for Maxwell House because Jewish customers weren’t buying coffee during Passover.

To help sales, the company enlisted the help of Joseph Jacobs, an advertising executive known for marketing to the Jewish community. Jacobs consulted with a rabbi who certified the coffee kosher for Passover, thus launching Maxwell House into one of the longest and arguably one of the most effective direct marketing campaigns ever.

At the time, ads in Jewish newspapers stated, “It is a mitzvah to tell you that this Passover you won’t have to turn down the pleasure of your favorite drink.

For Maxwell House Coffee is kosher for Passover.”

Jacobs convinced the coffee maker to publish a branded Haggadah based on the initial success. First printed 90 years ago, the book became

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FALCON FAMILY

JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ABOVE: The Falcon family celebrate their seder with the Maxwell House Haggadah. RIGHT: A 2019 limited edition of the Maxwell House Haggadah with a shout-out to the Amazon Prime TV show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

one of the most widely used Haggadot in America. There are more than 60 million copies in print, and a half-million more published each year.

Teri Falcon of Oak Park treasures the 25 or so Maxwell House Haggadot she and her family consistently use. The booklets belonged to her grandparents. When they stopped hosting seders, she inherited them. Her grandparents have since passed away, but the Haggadot that probably came

from what was once a Farmer Jack grocery store at 10 Mile and Coolidge will forever grace her Passover table.

Some are missing pages; others are held together with duct tape. Familiarity with the text and fond memories evoked from reading the wine-stained pages are some of the reasons Falcon won’t give them up.

When she was gifted a set of Haggadot not published by the coffee maker, set a set Haggadot not published by the coffee

maker, she donated them.

Elie Rosenfeld, CEO of Joseph Jacobs Advertising, said comfort and nostalgia are a few reasons the Haggadot are still widely used.

“It allows a family to do Passover in a way that they are comfortable. It doesn’t preach.

It’s simplistic and lets the family make the seder their own. It doesn’t bring in anything extra.

It just gives you the most basic aspects of what the seder needs continued on page 39 APRIL 7 • 2022

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PASSOVER

Fruits of Freedom

This Haggadah, written by a biblical ethnobotanist, offers a new perspective for your seder.

AVERY ROBINSON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

D

ayenu: it would be enough if I had a practical, well-designed Haggadah with English translation; this alone is exciting.

Dayenu: a Haggadah that offers many explanations of the different ritual elements (so that guests can distract/understand for themselves).

Dayenu: a Haggadah that helps me better understand what is Passover?

And why, after a year of working out the kinks in my rye sourdough, do I have to spend a week eating the most basic, uninteresting and digestively difJon ficult crackers?

Greenberg Dayenu: a Haggadah designed for foodies.

Dayenu: a Haggadah for those who have spent the pandemic noticing all of the different trees and

plants in their neighborhood again and again and again.

The recently published Fruits of Freedom, The Tora Flora Hagadah does this and more.

It illuminates the multi-layered meanings of the Passover seder through understanding “the natural and agricultural history of the Biblical and Talmudic worlds” within the context of the underlying multicultural environments (and different ecosystems) where Jews lived.

Written by Jon Greenberg, a “Biblical ethnobotanist” who has worked as an agronomist at Cornell and the USDA, The Torah Flora Hagadah offers an accessible anthropological explanation for many components of the Passover seder.

TOP: Ancient Egyptian depiction of “Hyksos” (Canaanites or Hebrews). Note the colorful robes, suggestive of the “coat of many colors” that Joseph wore. BOTTOM: (left) Ancient Egyptian depiction of grape harvesting and wine production. (right) Illustration in a 14th-century Spanish Haggadah depicting a lordly hare controlling or beating a dog while being served by a modestly dressed pig. Such imaginative animal scenes were commonly used in medieval and Renaissance Haggadot as a code for thoughts that could not safely be expressed in public.

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The wine cup of pharaoh Tutankhamun (“King Tut”). One of the reasons for the four cups of wine at the seder is the four mentions of pharaoh’s wine cup by the wine steward as he described his dream to Joseph. These cups were also used in divination.

Fruits of Freedom is designed to help us understand the most fundamental of Passover questions: Why? Why is this dinner so different? Why must we publicly burn our chametz?

Why must we roast our korban pesach (paschal lamb) on pomegranate wood instead of our standard backyard barbecue or in the oven? Why do some people eat a banana as their karpas? Why did horseradish (root) become so acceptable when the Mishnah specifically indicates that maror is from the leaves or stems of plants and the Gemara does not include it as one of the acceptable plants on its list?

With nearly 100 images, many of them botanical, Fruits of Freedom takes a cultural and ecosystem approach to “reveal unfamiliar meanings of every detail of the seder, from the table settings and menu to the color of the wine and ingredients in the charoset.”

The Passover seder is, at its core, a highly circumscribed dinner party that is arguably the greatest intergenerational informal educational environment ever designed. It’s a poly-sensorial and multilingual experience where the Four Questions, conventionally recited by the youngest, is just one of the many ways in which the seder is designed to teach.

As an environmental educator and culinary historian, the Fruits of Freedom Haggadah particularly speaks to me. Opening the maggid section, Greenberg asks “Leaving Egypt in haste — how fast was that?” to introduce leavening processes for a society that relied on, and barely understood, wild yeasts.

In the discussion of chametz whimsically titled “Leaving Bread, Leaving Egypt,” Greenberg’s commentary provides a historical cultural primer on Egyptian culture where people quite literally worshipped the god of fermentation of bread and beer. Abstaining from bread and beer, the Hebrews define their break from Egyptian slavery and cultural subservience with matzah, which is the most deliberately unleavened bread you could possibly make.

There is so much fascinating material included in this book.

Gleaned from many disciplines, sources and eras, Fruits of Freedom makes the Passover seder so much accessible through translation and contextualization.

Whether you are a foodie, environmentalist, historian or simply hungry for a little bit of everything, this food-forward Haggadah will be sure to nourish your own Passover seders for many years to come.

Dayenu.

A FAMILIAR TRADITION continued from page 37

to be. People have been using them for decades, so it connects them to their family.

“The fact that it’s free at a supermarket — right there where you’re buying your brisket, your matzah and your wine — has helped keep up the tradition. If the ease in getting them wasn’t there, people might buy a box of matzah and invite some friends and family over, but they may not have the actual text. So, (for example) they may not know when to drink the four cups of wine.”

The accessibility of the coffee maker’s Haggadah led it to become the official Haggadah of the Margolis family. Paul Margolis, a Chicago native and Bloomfield Hills resident, said that when his dad was in the military, the Haggadah was easily accessible. Plus, reading from the same book year after year led to some fun family traditions.

“It’s bound to happen, somebody is going to do something funny, or there’s something that gets said that makes everybody laugh, and then it becomes something you remember going forward,” Margolis said.

One of their traditions is a game they call “pick the viz.”

Based loosely on predictions made by a Chicago sports broadcaster, they guess which family member will get one of the two paragraphs with the abbreviation “viz.” (meaning “namely”) in it as they go around the table reading passages from the Haggadah.

“If you read that section, there was this big cheer at the table because you got the ‘viz.’ paragraph,” he said about the word, which is used right before talking about the four sons (updated to children in the 2011 edition) and listing the 10 plagues.

Although his wife, Caroline,

remembers using a variety of Haggadot, the couple is partial to the Maxwell House version.

Natalie Finerty of West Bloomfield also grew up reading from the Maxwell House Haggadah. It wasn’t until she had kids that she learned there were alternatives and swapped out the ubiquitous Haggadah for a more kid-friendly one.

Still, she has fond memories of reading from the pages of the Maxwell House Haggadah and could always tell which pages were skipped versus the ones they read, based on whether the pages were crisp and clean or worn and stained.

“We definitely skipped a lot,” she said.

With six editions printed, not everyone seated at Finerty’s Seder table had the same version. Often, it became a case of frantic page-flipping to find the text that matched what was being read out loud, she recalled.

The most recent overhaul occurred with the 2011 edition.

Updates included separating the Hebrew and English on opposite pages and revising some images and English translations.

Outdated words like “thee” and “thou” were dropped.

According to Rosenfeld, consumers frequently contact the New Jersey-based advertising agency to ask for previous editions of the Haggadah to replace damaged books from their collection.

They don’t have previous editions. But they do have copies of the 2011 version that can be shipped to those who can’t get them at the local grocery store.

The books are still free but cost $3 each for shipping.

Grocery stores in Metro Detroit do not appear to have copies with this year’s Passover food selection.

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SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

Why Human Beings Were Created Last

T

he most current parshot, Tazria and Metzora, begin with a discussion of the laws of childbirth and a bris, key milestones of life, and the laws regarding purity and impurity, what we call tum’ah Rabbi and taharah, of Warren people.

Goldstein Rashi raises a question about the order of the Chumash: in the previous portion, Shemini, the Torah details the laws of purity and impurity with regard to animals. Current portions deals with the laws of purity and impurity with regard to people. It would seem that the appropriate order should have been to deal with the laws of human beings first and then the laws of animals,

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as human beings are more important; why, then, does the Torah deal with the laws of animals before the laws of human beings?

To answer the question, Rashi quotes from the Midrash which says that God modeled this structure on the order in which He created the world. In the same way that when He created the world, He created animals before human beings, so, too, in the Torah He dealt with the laws of the animals before the laws of human beings.

The question, then, is compounded; why did God create animals before human beings in the first place?

FOUR REASONS The Talmud in Sanhedrin 38a gives four reasons why God created animals before

human beings.

• First, so that the heretics would not say that there was a partner in Creation with God. Had God created Adam and Eve at the beginning of the six days of Creation, the heretics and the deniers of God’s existence would say that God did not create the world — Adam and Eve actually did it, or at least helped Him out. Therefore, Adam and Eve had to be created at the end, to take away the argument from the heretics and the deniers.

We see from here how important it is to refute heresy and those who deny the truth. We see as well that people will deny even God’s creation of the world. People will deny many things — for example, the Holocaust, God’s existence or the Jews’ right to the Land of Israel.

Basic facts of history and rational inquiry are denied by people, and we must go to the trouble to refute the heresy and stand up for what we believe, just as God did by structuring the order of Creation in such a way.

• The second reason that human beings were created last is because God wanted to teach people humility; even the mosquito was created before humankind. Lest we think we are so great, even a mosquito was created before us.

One of our commentators, the Ktav Sofer, explains further that when people sin and are detached from God, they are saying their body is what defines them. Human beings are comprised of two parts, body and soul. We can view ourselves as a body, which just happens to have a

TORAH PORTION

“THE PURPOSE OF CREATING HUMAN BEINGS WAS FOR US TO SERVE GOD.”

soul but our main identity is the body, or we can view the soul as our main identity and the body as merely the house for the soul.

If our whole selfdefinition is based solely on “body,” then we are saying that we are not superior to the animal kingdom. Therefore, God reminds us that even the mosquito was created before humankind. But if the soul is the main focus, then man is truly superior; the soul, being a Divine spark of God Himself, preceded all of Creation. The soul and the intellect are the key differentiating factor between human beings and animals.

On a physical level, we are no match for the animals: even a simple mosquito can beat us. Look how much trouble we go through to fight off the mosquitoes: we have developed drugs and all kinds of creams and insecticides to fight them off. Physically, we are weaker.

It is only with the spiritual and intellectual dimension of the neshamah, the soul, that we are elevated above the animal kingdom. We were created last to remind us that if we are going to behave like animals, then even the mosquito is better than us; it preceded us.

• The third reason the Gemara gives for human

beings created last is so that they would be created on Friday and go straight into Shabbos, straight into doing a mitzvah.

• The fourth reason human beings were created at the end is because God wanted the world to be ready for them, like a bride and groom who enter the wedding hall last; everything is ready and everyone is waiting just for them because they are the most important part of the celebration.

THE MEANING OF LIFE The third and fourth reasons are actually connected.

Human beings were created last so that they would enter a world ready and waiting for them, indicating that all of Creation was created just for them.

This relates to — and is dependent on — the third reason, namely, that human beings came last in order to go straight into a mitzvah; the purpose of creating human beings was for us to serve God. God created everything for human beings, in order that human beings would serve Him. That is the ultimate purpose of the world.

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who has a Ph.D. in Human Rights Law, is the chief rabbi of South Africa. A longer version of this article first appeared on aish.com.

Divisiveness Is a Sickness

T

he Torah portions from When COVID first hit, these two weeks speak humanity went into an intense about something we’re period of isolation that probably all too familiar with over the last had never been experienced two years: isolation. recently. One couldn’t help but They teach us about the notice this was happening at a spiritual nature of isolation and time when societal discourse had what we can do to move completely broken down. forward. The parshah The inability to have civil begins with the metzora’s discourse about any topic purification process. A even slightly controversial metzora is a person who left us with discussions was stricken with a spirithat frequently ended in tual malady and condition Rabbi Noam toxic territory.

Gross called tzaraas, incorrectly Social media has been identified as leprosy. The weaponized to create a Parshat physical symptom is a very cancel culture movement Metzora: specific rash, sometimes that leaves people afraid Leviticus boils or inflammation to say anything for fear of 14:1-15:33; which erupts on the skin. being viciously attacked.

II Kings The Torah says that People write things to 7:3-20. this individual needs to each other online that leave the community and they would never dare say live outside the camp until the face-to-face. I’ve seen many ugly tzaraas goes away. He’s not even fights on Facebook and have yet allowed to be in the company to see anyone actually “win” an of other people who are impure argument. with other impurities and are This week’s parshah is both a also outside the camp. He needs wakeup call and a breath of fresh to be in complete isolation. air. We are meant to use our Why? The sages say this was a words to bring people together, punishment for speaking lashon not to create division and chaos. hara, evil speech, which caused Warmth and caring are what separation between man and carry the day. It all starts with wife, and between man and his humility, with being able to see friend. Therefore, it is only fitthe humanity of those who may ting that he be punished through disagree with us. complete isolation from the sociUltimately, there is more that ety he helped divide. unites us than divides us. Almost The purification process everyone shares the basic values includes ingredients that are of life, liberty and the pursuit meant to help humble the of happiness. The struggles of person: cedar wood, a tall and life are shared and experienced imposing tree that symbolizes by people of all backgrounds. haughtiness; crimson thread Knowing this is half the battle (whose red dye comes from an and can lead us to a needed new insect, a lowly creature); and era of peace and harmony. What hyssop (a lowly bush), both could be better than that? symbolizing humility. The mesRabbi Noam Gross works as an educasage: My haughtiness and lack tor for the Young Professional Division of humility led me to denigrate of Partners Detroit. others.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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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

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Kehillat Hatzhav Hagadol Mackinac Island (906) 202-9959 mackinacsynagogue.org ORTHODOX Agudas Israel Mogen Abraham Southfield (248) 552-5711 aymadetroit.org Ahavas Olam Southfield (248) 569-1821 Ahavasolam.com

Balfour Shul – K’Hal Rina U’Tefila Oak Park (732) 693-8457 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 Chabad House-Lubavitch of Eastern Michigan Flint (810) 230-0770 chabad.org

Ahavas Yisroel Oak Park (248) 298-2896 Learntorah.info

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

Aish Hatorah in the Woods Oak Park (248) 327-3579 Aishdetroit.com

Chabad Jewish Center of Novi-Northville (248) 790-6075 novijewishcenter.com

Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills (248) 855-2910 chabad.org

Chabad Jewish Center of Troy Troy/Rochester Hills (248) 873-5851 jewishtroy.com

Bais Chabad of North Oak Park (248) 872-8878 chabad.org

Chabad-Lubavitch of Bingham Farms Bloomfield Hills (248) 688-6796 chabadbinghamfarms.com

Bais Haknesses Hagrah Oak Park (248) 542-8737

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

Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh Oak Park (313) 320-9400 dbndetroit.org 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 Shaarey Zedek Windsor (519) 252-1594 shaareyzedekwindsor.com

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

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

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

MINYANS Fleischman Residence West Bloomfield (248) 661-2999

Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomreyemunah-105705.square.site

Temple Benjamin Mt. Pleasant (989) 773-5086 templebenjamin.com

Temple Jacob Hancock templejacobhancock.org

Yeshivat Akivah Southfield (248) 386-1625 farberhds.org

The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org

Temple Beth El Battle Creek (269) 963-4921

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

Temple Beth El Bloomfield Township (248) 851-1100 tbeonline.org

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

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

REFORM/RENEWAL Congregation Shir Tikvah Troy (248) 649-4418 shirtikvah.org

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

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

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

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

SECULAR/HUMANISTIC Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit Farmington Hills (248) 477-1410 chj-detroit.org

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

Sholem Aleichem Institute West Bloomfield (248) 865-0117 secularsaimichigan.org

Congregation T’chiyah Ferndale (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit (313) 567-0306 reconstructingjudiasm.org REFORM Congregation Beth El Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca Congregation Beth Shalom Traverse City 231-946-1913 beth-shalom-tc.org Congregation B’nai Israel Muskegon (231) 722-2702 cbimkg@gmail.com

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

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

SEPHARDIC Keter Torah Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 681-3665 rabbisasson.wixsite.com/ keter

SECULAR HUMANISTIC Jewish Cultural Society (734) 975-9872 jewishculturalsociety.org

Ohr Hatorah Oak Park (248) 294-0613 Ohrhatorah.us

Please email factual corrections or additional synagogues to list to: smanello@thejewishnews.com.

TRADITIONAL Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net

Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org APRIL 7 • 2022

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ARTS&LIFE

MUSICAL THEATER

The Band’s Visit

Israeli-set production comes to the Fisher Theatre April 19-May 1.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Sasson Gabay

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M

usical theater audiences trade in razzle-dazzle staging for more subtle expressions of the heart when they view The Band’s Visit appearing April 19-May 1 at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre.

The caliber of the experience has been heralded by professional colleagues after seeing the Broadway run of the production, which is set in Israel. The play became one of only four musicals ever to win six Tony Awards.

In 2017, judges voted top rankings in the categories of Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Direction.

The storyline explores personal reactions and interactions, with some laughs, as members of an Egyptian band heading for a performance in Israel mistakenly get on the wrong bus.

They find themselves dropped off in a remote area that unexpectedly connects them — heart-to-heart — with lonely town residents as they wait for the next bus.

The production is an adaptation of an Israeli film written and directed by Eran Kolirin and developed for the stage at the behest of New York producer Orin Wolf, whose wife, Shiri Bilik Wolf, was raised in Michigan and occasionally wrote for the Detroit Jewish News.

“My romance with this project started in 2007 when we shot the film, and it hasn’t stopped,” said Sasson Gabay, an award-winning Israeli stage, film and TV star, who continued

ISRAELI STAR IN THE LEAD “Maybe The Band’s Visit caught me at a certain time in my life or tugged at my imagination because I feel attached to the character. I felt something very special and unique in the simplicity and humanity of all the characters. Anyone can identify within the story.”

Gabay brings a varied resume to the tour. His roles have stretched from internationally acclaimed classics (such as Cyrano de Bergerac and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf) at the Beit Lessin Theatre in Tel Aviv to more contemporary projects (such as the feature film Rambo III and HBO’s Oslo).

Depicting Tewfiq, he relates to the contradictions presented in the character, someone affected by personal tragedy

despite projecting the strength and formality of a police officer while holding the artistic soul of a musician.

“In order to portray the character, I had to learn the Egyptian accent,” Gabay said.

“This was a challenge, and I loved it.”

Bringing a special happiness during the first leg of the tour, interrupted by the pandemic, was having one of his five children in the cast. Son Adam (HBO’s Our Boys) was cast as Papi, a shy café worker.

Offstage, Gabay is happy that he is accompanied on tour by his wife, Dafna Halaf Gabay, an author of children’s books and writer for children’s programing in Israel.

“I feel lucky that I’m getting to see America,” said Gabay, who reads up about each tour city just before appearing there. “I enjoy it all more because my wife is with me.”

The acting team includes Janet Dacal (Prince of Broadway, Wonderland, In the Heights) in continued on page 46

Joe Joseph, Sasson Gabay, Janet Dacal

Itamar Moses

ANDREW ECCLES

PHOTOS BY EVAN ZIMMERMAN, MURPHYMADE.

The company of The Band’s Visit North American Tour.

with the Broadway and tour versions in the role of Tewfiq, conductor of the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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Details

The Band’s Visit runs April 19-May 1 at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.

Tickets start at $35. Ticket purchasers will receive a Detroit Health & Safety Guide via email prior to performance.

Ticketmaster. com. (313) 872-1000 (ext. 0).

ARTS&LIFE

MUSICAL THEATER continued from page 45

the co-starring role of Dina as well as Joe Joseph as Haled, Clay Singer as Itzik and Joseph Grosso as Telephone Guy. MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT As the tour moves toward Detroit, playwright Itamar Moses, 44, moves into new projects while appreciating the friendship he established with Gabay, 74, because of their connections to Israel. Moses was born in America to parents from Israel.

“There turned out to be not many degrees of separation between people he knew in Israel and who my parents knew or were related to my family,” said Moses, based in New York and married to a theatrical lighting designer. “We have forged a bond around the people we know.”

Another bond is an appreciation of the music and lyrics written for The Band’s Visit by David Yazbek, a winner of Tony and Drama Desk awards with past productions including The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Actor and playwright are especially drawn to a song at the end of the musical —“Answer Me” —which expresses the feelings of a man waiting for a phone call from the woman he loves. The number musicalizes a person’s yearning to connect with someone else.

Away from work, both men are drawn to taking long walks and reading novels.

Moses, asked by the producing team to adapt the film for theater, is satisfied with the way the musical “feels more than the sum of its parts” and seems to have an overall effect that can’t be attributed to a specific element.

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TOP: Janet Dacal and Sasson Gabay RIGHT: Clay Singer

This will be the second time Moses has been chosen to handle an adaptation. His first such project involved a novel, The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem.

“Other than that, all my stage work has been original,” said Moses, who explained that transitioning a novel was more fundamentally difficult.

“Although novels are another storytelling form, they’re not a dramatic storytelling form.

They’re all about description and subjective experiences of the characters, and that’s very difficult to translate to a stage.

“While The Band’s Visit as a movie is very different from the theater [version], it’s much closer, but if you’re doing an adaptation, you have to find yourself in it and what it is saying to you.”

Moses found his way into the storyline through his experiences in Israel.

“I’ve been to the Middle East many times,” he said. “I have

a lot of relatives in the region, and there was something on the cultural level that spoke to me about the story. It felt like I understood the people in the story as part of my familial past.

“On a more universal level, there are these universal human truths in the story that spoke to me. One of the things this show is about is that if you strip away external structures — governments, political ideologies — and boil things down to individual people, the divisions that seem so insurmountable dissolve.”

Moses, the son of a psychotherapist mom and film professor dad, became interested in theater during high school by watching plays and having friends immersed in theater programs. At Yale University, while majoring in the humanities, he participated in extracurricular theater activities and turned to writing.

In graduate school at New York University, he focused on

writing. Outrage, about martyrdom and written to apply for graduate school, became his first-produced play performed

by Portland Center Stage in Oregon. Other plays staged at regional theaters include Bach at Leipzig, Celebrity Row and Yellowjackets.

Scripting for television in a team environment has connected him with TNT’s Men of a Certain Age, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and WGN’s Outsiders.

“I have had individual characters with aspects of my own Jewishness or family history making their way into shows, sometimes more overtly and sometimes less,” he said.

“I also think there’s something very Jewish about the way that I write inherently even if there isn’t anything very Jewish about the characters. I’m the kind of writer who likes to give every character the best possible argument for [each one’s] point of view or the strongest possible position for what they’re arguing for.

“Since The Band’s Visit, there’s an uptick in the Jewish specificity in the work that I’m being offered and choosing to do myself. Even aside from the success of The Band’s Visit, there’s a byproduct of something that show triggered in me.”

ARTS&LIFE ART

EXPRESSIONS IN

Glass

Complementary exhibits are on view at the JCC’s Janice Charach Gallery.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A

t least three glass artists new to showing their work in Michigan will be represented as two simultaneous exhibits are presented through May 18 by the Janice Charach Gallery at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield.

Adam Goldberg, of Ohio, will display a contemporary sculpture in the 4th Bi-Annual Michigan Regional Glass Exhibition, which spotlights some 50 Michigan and Ohio artists, including Albert Young, founder and owner of Michigan Hot Glass Workshop, and son Nolan Young as well as Andy Koupal, Herb Babcock and Lou Krueger.

A complementary exhibit, SIP, in the upper gallery, which spotlights original approaches to functional and decorative glassware, has invited artists from more distant states to debut their projects. They include Alexander Rosenberg, of Pennsylvania, who often uses glass as a tool to observe the natural world, and Josh Bernbaum, of Vermont, who experiments with color.

Curator of the main exhibit is Alli Hoag, glass artist and professor at Bowling Green State University, where she heads the glass program. SIP curator is glass artist

Ryan Thompson, supervisor of the Greenfield Village Glass Shop.

“I’ll be showing a sculpture made out of steel and glass that’s called ‘Gnomon,” said Goldberg, who links the work to a public commission. “It’s made up of two triangles that are in balance.

“The piece is a study for what has turned into a large installation that’s going in an Ohio park. It represents a 9-foot tall version functioning as a sundial and casting a shadow on a large scale.”

During high school, Goldberg started experimenting with glass as a fun activity offered by the Toledo Museum of Art. Serious studies happened through a bachelor’s degree program at Bowling Green State University.

At the suggestion of his grandfather, who made Toledo warehouse space available, Goldberg began offering his projects to the public while teaming up with other glass artists.

“I like to make glass that anybody can interact with,” said Goldberg, who designs

Judaica for family and friends. “I like to think about the end user.”

With a varied clientele, he has made large projects for business display.

“I like to spend time in the garden, and I like to incorporate my ideas of gardening and landscape design into my sculptural work,” Goldberg said. “I’m drawn to glass because I like the team aspect [that we have].”

Alexander Rosenberg, who divides his

continued on page 48

LEFT: Adam Goldberg’s “Gnomon.” TOP: Josh Bernbaum’s specialty drinking glasses. CENTER LEFT: A pair of black goblets by Josh Bernbaum.

CENTER RIGHT: Alexander Rosenberg’s “looking glass,” a goblet-like object used to examine a distant landscape in miniature on the viewer’s desktop. RIGHT: Rosenberg’s piece, titled “orb,” comes from a design derived from a mechanical model of the solar system.

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ARTS&LIFE ART

continued from page 47

and whose graduate accomplishments time between personal projects and teachwere at the Massachusetts Institute of ing at the college level, has won many Technology, does not use molds. Instead, awards, written for artistic publications and he prefers glass that is gathered out of a furappeared on the Netflix glassmaking series nace and shaped with hand tools.

Blown Away.

Josh Bernbaum develops In West Bloomfield, he more functional pieces. is showcasing two proj“I’ve made drinking ects that depart from the glasses since I started workintended use of functional Complementary glass ing with hot glass, and it’s glassware. exhibits will be on kind of a touchstone for “Much of my work is display through May 18 by the Janice Charach me,” Bernbaum said. “A in conversation with the Gallery at the Jewish lot of what I do involves history of science and the Community Center techniques or processes in role of glass in measuring, in West Bloomfield. blown glass which allow encapsulating and observ(248) 432-5579. me to explore the use and ing the natural world,” said Charachgallery.org. placement of various colors.

Rosenberg, glass studio “I employ processes that director at Wheaton Arts in allow different layers of New Jersey.

“One object [on display] is called ‘looking coloration throughout the wall thickness of each piece.” glass,’ a goblet-like object used to examine Bernbaum melts his own glass colors a distant landscape in miniature. The other, from scratch, which means he is mixing the titled ‘orb,’ comes from a design derived raw materials together and melting them from an orrery, a mechanical model of the in a furnace instead of incorporating presolar system.” made glass colors. When the piece is cooled Rosenberg, whose undergraduate studies off, he carves through the exterior with were at the Rhode Island School of Design

Details

diamond carving tools to reveal other layers of color.

“I have a pair of black goblets in the show,” Bernbaum said. “Even though you can source black glass to incorporate, it is never going to be the same look as if you melt that black glass in a furnace and gather it out of the furnace when it’s in a molten state.”

Bernbaum, who knew he wanted to be an artist in high school, entered the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston thinking he would specialize in graphic or industrial design. That changed after he studied glassblowing.

Through early employment with a designer-builder of glassblowing equipment, he learned techniques to construct his own equipment.

“The nice thing about making my own is that it’s all customized to me,” said Bernbaum, whose wife, Marta, is a glass artist specializing in jewelry. “I know how to fix pretty much everything I build.”

Predominantly marketing through social media stands out as one approach the three artists have in common.

Huntington Woods Student Wins Scholarship According to the Coalition Against Childhood Cancer, the average cost of battling childhood cancer for just one family starts at $833,000, including medical costs and lost parental wages.

Northwestern Mutual, through its Foundation, is committed to making a difference in the lives of those children and their loved ones, including providing needed financial support.

As part of these efforts, local Huntington Woods resident Shayna Lopatin has been recognized as one of the company’s 2021 Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship recipients.

Northwestern Mutual’s Childhood Cancer Scholarship Program was

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Shayna Lopatin

created in an effort to ease the financial burden on families affected by childhood cancer by helping to fund school tuition and fees. This year’s program marks the largest group of scholars to date, with 50 students nationwide receiving a $5,000 renewable scholarship (for a total of $10,000).

When Shayna Lopatin was just 9 years old, her sister Cara was battling cancer.

Because of the various cancer treatments, including inpatient chemo, six weeks of radiation and a stem cell transplant, Shayna’s sister and mother were gone for weeks at a time.

Shayna found positivity through the kindness from friends and family who wrote letters, made sure her family had plenty to eat and helped with household chores. This inspired Shayna to support other families and children going through cancer by creating the Better by Letter Club where letters were written to those facing challenges.

Additionally, Shayna has completed three half-mara-

thons to raise money for Chai Lifeline, an organization that helps families with life-threatening illnesses, and has participated in panels discussing the impact of cancer on siblings.

Shayna is currently attending the University of Michigan to find a career based on her passions of communication, theater, social activism and politics.

“Helping siblings of those going through cancer has also helped me in processing what I went through,” said Shayna Lopatin.

“I aspire to create and support organizations that provide sibling support. My sister’s cancer has given me the tools to support other families who are affected by childhood cancer.”

ARTS&LIFE CELEBRITY NEWS

BLANKA BOROVÁ (KAROLÍNA ČERNÁ)

Ben Foster

Dar Zuzovsky

Auschwitz. His strong build prompted the SS to train him to be a boxer. The SS found it “entertaining” to force prisoners to box to the death before military personnel. Haft survived 76 such matches. (Foster stars as Haft).

There are quite a few Jewish characters, but Foster and Israeli model and actress Dar Zuzovsky, 31, are the only Jewish actors who play a Jew. Vicky Krieps, who plays Miriam, Haft’s (real) Jewish girlfriend, isn’t Jewish — but I give Krieps a “pass” because her real-life grandfather was an antiNazi resistance leader. The film was directed by Oscarwinner Barry Levinson, 79.

Frankly, I think this — I don’t like seeing Jews beat other Jews to death. Also consider the reception to Triumph of the Spirit (1989), a true-life film about Salomo Arouch, a Greek Jew forced to fight in Auschwitz.

Critics panned Triumph, and the late, great critic Roger Ebert pointed-out the film’s main flaw —a flaw that may bedevil The Survivor, too. Ebert felt that by focusing on the fights, and expecting viewers to root

for Arouch, the filmmakers in effect forced audiences to behave no differently from the Nazis in the story.

Another real-life “fighting Jew,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksky, 44, is back on Netflix. A couple of years ago, they streamed his hit Ukrainian comedy series, Servant of the People and, for obvious reasons, Netflix recently brought it back. It originally aired in the Ukraine in 20152019. Capsule plot: After a Ukrainian high school teacher’s tirade against government corruption goes viral on social media, he (Zelensky) finds himself the country’s new president.

Obviously, life imitated art when Zelensky was elected the (real) president of Ukraine in 2019.

CNN+ began streaming on March 29. This new subscription service says it is “a completely distinct experience … offering live news reporting and new original features.” It appears that new service features boil down to these: (1) Some interactive live news programs where viewers can ask reporters (live) questions. “Regular” CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer, 74, and Dana Bash, 50, are already set to host at least some of these live interactive programs. (2) Interview programs, like the new Jake Tapper Book Club. The first episode of Book Club streamed on March 29. Tapper, 53, talked to Dolly Parton and James Patterson about their new books. Also, look for Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?, an

JIM GREENHILL FROM ARLINGTON AND DURANGO, USA

BEN FOSTER IN TWO NEW FILMS, ZELENSKYY IS BACK ON NETFLIX, CNN+ PREMIERES Ben Foster, 41, is an excellent actor who you might know from X-Men: The Last Stand (2006); 3:10 to Yuma (2007); and Hell and High Water (2016).

By coincidence, Foster has lead roles in two new movies opening this month: The Contractor (opened last week) and The Survivor, an original HBO Max film (premieres April 27).

Foster was raised in his father’s Jewish faith and was a bar mitzvah. He is married to Laura Prepon, 41 (Donna on That ’70s Show).

Like Foster, Prepon is the child of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother.

Contractor is an action film about James Harper, a former special forces soldier (Chris Pine) who goes to work for a private company along with his best friend, Mike (Foster). Harper needs friends when he takes on a very dangerous overseas mission.

The Survivor is based on the true story of Harry Haft (1925-2007). Haft, a Polish Jew, was just 16 when he was sent to

DELEPOT - OWN WORK

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

Chris Wallace

interview program hosted by former Fox anchor Chris Wallace, 74 (yes, he is Jewish). (3) There’s some traditional straight news reporting. Wolf Blitzer will go from his late afternoon (regular) CNN broadcast to the CNN+ studio and host an evening “straight news of the day” program and; (4) Some programs and original films that first ran on “regular” CNN will be available, on-demand, via CNN+. This includes Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown and RBG, a biofilm about the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

If you subscribe on or before April 26, you get a 50% discount on the regular subscription price (regular price is $6 per month).

This discount is “lifetime” if you act by April 26. “Early subscribers” will get halfoff the regular price if, and when, they raise the CNN+ subscription price (i.e., if they raise it to $8 — you’ll pay $4) You can get CNN+ via cable or satellite, on most interactive devices, like smart phones, and on Amazon Fire. It’s not yet available on Roku.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

GET GARDEN READY 11 AM-1 PM, APRIL 10 CAREGIVER SUPPORT 2 PM, APRIL 7 Taking care of a loved one can be difficult. So can ensuring that your own needs are being met during this challenging time. It’s easy to feel isolated but Jewish Family Service and Jewish Senior Life are here to offer family caregivers support, comfort and a sense of community.

“It’s Okay Not to Be Okay” with Dr. Micky Golden Moore will be a virtual presentation.

Info: jfsdetroit.org/caregiver.

MUSIC AT THE ARK 8 PM, APRIL 9 Kyshona will appear at The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor.

Her voice is a part of the fertile ground of the Nashville creative community and songwriting culture. Tickets: $20. Info: theark.org/events.

CHAMBER MUSIC 8 PM, APRIL 9 At the Seligman Performing Arts Center, 22305 W. 13 Mile Road, Beverly Hills. Imani Winds & Friends in world premiere of “Fallen Petals of Nameless Flowers,” a new work featuring poetry based on writings of Michigan’s incarcerated youth; commissioned by Chamber Music Detroit from Imani founding

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member, composer and hornist Jeffrey Scott. Ticket info: chambermusicdetroit.org.

Digital access April 9-19 at CameraMusic.org/live. Digital single tickets or subscriptions are available.

GET GARDEN READY 11 AM-1 PM, APRIL 10 Join NEXTGen Detroit Volunteers for a day of service as they help the team at the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative gear up for the growing season. Dress for the weather and a little dirty work and help get the garden ready for spring and summer. There is no charge to volunteer. Register in advance by April 8. This event is intended for young adults ages 21 to 45. Info: jlive.app/events/1879.

COMMUNITY BRUNCH 10-11:30 AM, APRIL 10 The Well is partnering with Zingerman’s Delicatessen to create Zingerman’s Friendseder Community Brunch. A special Friendseder brunch menu will offer traditional elements of the Passover seder, like matzah and charoset, but in a fun and exciting new way.

Hosts will be Zingerman’s Event Coordinator Tessie

Ives-Wilson and Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh. They will lead a guided tour of the special menu — the tastes, products, ingredients, meaning, ritual and traditions. Join in person at Zingerman’s Delicatessen or virtually on Zoom. 18% of ticket sales will be donated to support Friendseder. Two ways to participate: a $65 in-person ticket, and a $50 virtual ticket. To see what’s included in each ticket option, visit the Zingerman’s website: zingermans.com.

The Well believes that costs should not be a barrier to participation. Contact Marisa Meyerson (marisa@ meetyouatthewell.org) for information on subsidized ticket options.

FEMINIST TORAH STUDY 11 AM, APRIL 10 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites you to join Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch, director of spiritual care, for a spiritual, intellectual and conversational learning experience.

You don’t have to know what “feminist Torah” is to show up. RSVP to Jodi Gross at jgross@adatshalom.org or 248-851-5100 | Info: adatshalom.org.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT 1:30-2:30 PM, APRIL 12 A virtual caregiver support groups for individuals who are care partners for those living with cognitive changes including various types of dementia. Contact Dorothy Moon, Brown Adult Day Program social worker, for Zoom link and more information: 248- 233-

4392, dmoon@jvshumanservices.org.

Pamela S. Nadell, Ph.D

‘A PROBLEM RETURNS’ 7 PM, APRIL 12 The Jewish Historical Society of Michigan will host, on Zoom, “American Antisemitism: An Old Problem Returns” with Pamela S. Nadell, Ph.D. In this program, we turn to the past to help us grapple with the antisemitism of our own moment in time. Cost: JHSM members: $10; non-members: $18. Register by 9 pm on April 11. A Zoom link for the program will be sent 24 hours before: form.jotform. com/220725430928152.

MUSIC AT THE ARK APRIL 9, 8PM

Kyshona APRIL 7 • 2022

HEALTH

A

s the war in Ukraine rages on, some Michiganders face growing anxiety and concern.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, just weeks after a recent Omicron surge saw COVID-19 numbers jump dramatically, the double whammy leaves many feeling like the world is experiencing one major crisis after another.

Dr. Melanie Schwartz, licensed psychologist and owner of West Bloomfield- and Commerce-based Viewpoint Psychology, says these world events are having a mental health impact on local residents. “It’s like people can’t handle one more thing,” she said.

With devastating news unfolding day after day about the worsening conflict in Ukraine, Schwartz says some Michiganders, who are still dealing with the mental health impact of COVID-19, now have a second challenge to deal with.

The American Psychiatric Association, or APA, recently issued a statement stating, “The war in Ukraine will have adverse mental health effects on individuals and communities around the world.” The APA advises mental health support to “mitigate the distress and the treatment of mental health conditions that may arise as a result of the crisis.”

In addition to traditional news sources, social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram offer people a first-hand and often different look at destruction throughout Ukraine and the growing refugee crisis at the Ukraine border through photos, videos and live stories.

CONCERNS ABOUT FUTURE IMPACTS OF THE WAR Witnessing these events, Schwartz says, can be difficult for many, especially in Metro Detroit where there is a large UkrainianAmerican population of more than 46,000 individuals. Many in the area have family in Ukraine or know of people who do.

“I’m seeing increased anxiety related to what’s going on,” she says, “because people are thinking about the future and how it’s going to impact us going forward.”

Witnessing the war through news footage and stories, Schwartz continues, can be “very anxiety-provoking and devastating.”

Feeling Helpless After healing from COVID-19 trauma, Ukraine crisis causes new mental health concerns.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

This anxiety can present itself through “There’s a time and a place to talk about avoidance, a form of anxiety, or direct anx- it,” she says of the crisis, “but it can’t be the iety by worrying and focusing on the crisis thing that rules your life because that’s not in Ukraine. healthy.”

COVID-19 created a sense of helplessFinding that balance may help people ness for many, Schwartz says. It’s a wound reduce stress and anxiety. It’s healthy to that recently started to heal as COVID-19 share your feelings, Schwartz explains, case numbers finally began to drop, but but the key is to be mindful of how often the Ukraine crisis is reopening that wound you’re consuming news or talking about for many, once again causing people to feel the war. helpless.

“To have the TV on 24/7 and watching “People were starting to feel like they it play out, that’s not healthy,” she says. had more control,” Schwartz “There has to be a sense of says. “Then now this. It goes backing away from it, focusing right back to that helpless on yourself and what you do feeling.” have control over in your life.

Sometimes, Schwartz “Watching trauma play out explains, feelings of helplessall day long is going to trauness can lead to depression, matize you,” she advises. “It’s which her practice saw a lot going to increase anxiety.” of during the COVID-19 It’s OK to modify news pandemic. While she’s not consumption, Schwartz says, currently seeing depression in whatever manner best suits as a result of the Russiayour life. Some people avoid Dr. Melanie Schwartz Ukraine war, she believes it watching TV or going on could become a concern if social media altogether to help the war continues. “I’m seeing just anxireduce their anxiety, while others make ety now,” she says, “a sense of impending a conscious decision to remain on social doom of what’s next and what’s going to media, choosing to scroll past news stories happen.” or posts that may be triggering.

“It’s hard to take a break,” Schwartz PRACTICING SELF-CARE admits.

Right now, Schwartz says practicing self“If you don’t want to give up social care is crucial to managing feelings of anxi- media, that’s fine. You don’t have to focus ety during this unprecedented situation. on certain stories.”

APRIL 7 • 2022

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NOSH

DINING IN THE D

KAL’S Lunch Bowl I

woke up today with a craving for fava beans.

Now that’s a sentence I never thought I’d write. It’s just that the seasoned beans (Fooul) I had the day before at KAL’S Lunch Bowl in Royal Oak were uncommonly tasty.

The large beans were sautéed with strips of caramelized red onion and topped with a lemon juice and olive oil drizzle. Contented sigh.

KAL’S describes its delicious cuisine as “Fresh Mediterranean Fusion.” The restaurant’s “Bowls” meals, the centerpiece of the menu, offer myriad possibilities. The diner’s choice of eight main items, including Fooul, is placed in a large bowl with a base of saffron rice, roasted vegeta-

bles or hummus. The bowl continues building by adding Fattoush, Greek, Tabbouleh or house salad; pickles or pickled turnips; and finally, a sauce: garlic, Amba (pureed pickled mango), hot Sriracha or mild ranch dressing.

Starting at $11, the bowls top out at $15 for beef tenderloin kabob chunks. The other centerpieces are chicken breast, grilled or deep-fried and breaded as a chicken cream chop; chicken or beef shawarma (the most popular choices); Sujiq (also “Sujuk” or “Sucuk” — spicy beef and lamb sausage, sautéed with leeks), and Falafel (chickpea and veggie deep-fried fritters). The same items can fill a wrap sandwich. Adding two eggs for $2 more creates “The Ultimate” Breakfast Bowl or Breakfast Wrap.

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Anna Al-Amara, Lorelei Al-Amara, Kal Al-Amara and Seymour Schwartz

The acronym “KAL” reflects the partners’ names. They are “K” for Kal Al-Amara, the restaurant’s Iraqi-born executive chef; “A” for his Chaldean-American wife, Chef Anna Al-Amara, an Oakland Community College culinary program graduate; “L” for their daughter, Lorelai Al-Amara, 5, and adorable; and “S” for

Seymour Schwartz, a self-employed defense attorney for 43 years.

Schwartz, a longtime fan of Kal’s cooking at another restaurant, encouraged him to go into business together. The restaurant’s opening day was June 11, 2021, on Anna’s birthday.

“It’s been a wonderful collaboration,” said Schwartz,

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ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER

who “learned cooking with my Bubbie Shirley.” He helps the Al-Amaras and employee Eli Vail with cooking duties on Saturday mornings, saying: “I’ve always wanted to have a kitchen.”

KAL’S is situated in the northeast corner of the Royal Oak Farmers Market.

Weekends are hectic when vendors are in residence. After closing Mondayss, the casual eatery operates weekdays in a voluminous space. Repeat customers and others noticing the outdoor signage pick up carry-outs or dine inside.

Among the “Starters” on the restaurant’s Halal menu — pork is forbidden — is the spreadable appetizer, Baba Ghanoush. Schwartz smokes the eggplant needed over apple and cherrywood in his backyard smoker. He also smokes red peppers for hummus.

I really enjoyed my savory plate of Loaded Falafel, another appetizer, featuring a moister-than-most chickpea mixture that Chef Kal said has “Israeli, Egyptian and Lebanese influences.”

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APRIL 7 • 2022

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53

ERETZ

MEET THE OLIM

THE WOOLF FAMILY

The Woolf family.

Talya Woolf: In Israel, “You’re Family” AVIVA ZACKS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

alya Drissman Woolf, 44, made aliyah in 2015, from Farmington Hills with her husband, Ariel, and their baby, Elchanan, who is now 8 and the older brother of Yehonatan, 6, Lilach, 4, and Liora, 21 months.

JN: Where did you make aliyah to?

Talya: We made aliyah to Giv’at Shmuel. We heard it would be a soft landing because there’s a big Englishspeaking community. We lived there for about two years and then moved to a small, mixed neighborhood in Netanya.

JN: What do you think about your community?

Talya: It’s a great community and the schools are amazing. Our kids’ school keeps winning national awards.

JN: What’s your Zionist background?

Talya: The Drissman family is very Zionist, very pro-Israel. We never really talked about living in Israel, but there was a lot of pro-Israel talk in our home.

We went to Israel for the first time as

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APRIL 7 • 2022

a family in 1991, and then my sister started studying here every summer.

One summer, I came along with her and studied at Neve Yerushalayim, but back then I never thought about making aliyah.

JN: When did you decide to make aliyah?

Talya: I started thinking about it when I had been a lawyer for a few years. I wondered about how to convert my license so that I could practice in Israel. I started looking into it and found out that if you practice in the U.S. for five years, you don’t have to take the bar exam in Israel. When I met my Israeli husband, he made it clear that he wanted to live in Israel, which was fine with me.

We decided not to move to Israel immediately when we got married because I wanted him to get to know my family. We lived in Detroit for three years.

JN: What do you miss about living in

Michigan?

Talya: My dad, my brothers and sister (who lives in Toronto). I also miss snow.

JN: Do you have a message for anyone who’s thinking about making aliyah?

Talya: If you have younger children, absolutely move here because there is nothing like the Israeli community. In America, I felt like the whole world was not Jewish, and we had this little bubble where we would celebrate our holidays.

We’d get dressed up for Purim and go to our public high school in our costumes, and we’d always have to explain it. We also had to explain why we missed so much school in September. My kids are growing up where they don’t have to constantly explain their identity.

When I was working in America, I had to go through the calendar and ask for several days off every year for all the holidays. I also had to explain Fridays in the winter when I had to leave early.

Now, my identity is just myself, not the observant Jew who needs time off.

JN: What positive things have you found here?

Talya: People say Israel is so expensive, but here we have great health coverage, which is ridiculously cheap.

Schooling and college are also very inexpensive.

If non-observant people are thinking about making aliyah, there are good secular schools here, and there’s a feeling of family even if you’re not religious. On Yom Kippur, everybody rides their bikes because everybody’s off work and no one’s driving. It has become a family day.

Everybody gives you advice on the street even if you didn’t ask for it, and you can get conflicting advice from one block to the next. But it’s only because they love you and they worry about you, even though they don’t know you.

Because you’re family.

There will never be the perfect time to make aliyah. Just do it.

OTF Grant Provides a Boost to the Windsor Jewish Community Centre After a long hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Windsor Jewish Community Centre is launching new and engaging programming for people of all ages and backgrounds.

With the support of a $56,600 Resilient Communities Fund grant, awarded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in 2021, the WJCC has added a full-time position to their roster, welcoming Joe Schnayer to the team as a dedicated programming professional.

“I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to the

Windsor Jewish Community Centre on the award of this Resilient Communities Fund grant,” said Lisa Gretzky, MPP Windsor West. “The grant will allow the organization to bounce back from the limitations resulting from the pandemic and continue to deliver the essential services they have been providing this city for years.”

In addition to supporting staffing costs, the funding from OTF provides the WJCC with the resources to build on previous programming such as

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“The impact of the OTF grant is a huge support for our community,” said Richie Kamen, Director of Programming and Senior Services. “With a new full-time staff member and more avail-

able resources, we are better equipped to engage and connect our community in a time when they need it the most.”

The Windsor Jewish Community Centre serves as a busy hub of activity, enriching life for the Jewish and Windsor communities. They stand strong behind their mission to welcome everyone to share in the richness of Jewish life through social, recreational, educational and multicultural activities. For more information, please visit www.jewishwindsor.org.

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OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

SHIFRA DOTHAN of Kfar Saba, Israel: Ima of Bosmat Dovas (Eric), and Safta of Noam and Talya, passed away on March 18, 2022, with the comfort of her family near.

May her beautiful soul, blessed softness and kindness be of fond memories to the family members here and in Israel for generations.

SHERELL EDWARD GORDON, of Farmington Hills, passed away after a short illness on March 11, 2022.

Born in Detroit on May 27, 1924, Sherell was a lifelong, Metro Detroit resident.

A veteran of WWII, he also fought in the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 as a pilot in the Israeli Air Force.

He was a beloved husband, father, stepfather, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend to all who had the pleasure of meeting him.

Sherell enjoyed gardening, travel, golf, photography and spending time with family.

To quote his wife of 39 years and partner for almost 50, Sherell was an “avid reader, meager sleeper.” He was kind, generous, witty and — like all lost loved ones — special.

Sherell is survived by his wife of 39 years, Sondra; sons, David (Shirley) Gordon, Robert (Lisa) Gordon; stepchildren, Patti Kurche Phillips and Jeffrey Starr; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a host of others who will miss him very much.

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57

Emanuel Dines Emanuel (Manny) Dines was a special person in the field of social work, whose life is deeply etched into my heart. Manny lost his life to ALS in mid-February, and I would like to share some of his history with the Jewish community that was not mentioned at his funeral. Manny was an avid reader of current news, including the weekly Jewish News.

He made sure to share any information he learned with people he knew could benefit from it. Manny loved sports, particularly college ones. He was on the rowing team of the University of Michigan when the team made it to the finals for the first time. He loved to bicycle and took part a few years in the yearly bicycle run sponsored by Jewish Federation. Manny also worked for many years with JARC, as his main interest was in social work. Sadly, he never continued his learning in Jewish education; however, his ties to the Jewish community of Detroit were very strong to the very end of his life. With the help of Rabbi Yerachmiel Rabin of Detroit’s Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network putting on tefillin whenever available, he recited the appropriate prayers quite well. As his disease advanced, his articulation diminished and he whispered to the best of his ability. He tried so hard to connect with G-d as the advance of this disease paralyzed his body completely. On behalf of Manny’s family, I Susan Dines, Manny’s mother, would like to extend my deepest gratitude for the help we have received from the Jewish community, both spiritually and emotionally. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Rabbi Yerachmiel Rabin, who has supported the family weekly, sometimes more often, to the very end. Gratitude also goes out to other clergy who worked with me and Emanuel over the last five years, such as Rabbi Dorit Edut, Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch, Rabbi Rachel Shere, Cantor Colman Reaboi and Cantor Daniel Gross. May the memories of Manny’s life continue to be a blessing for all those who knew him and for those who will benefit from the work he did in his short life of 50 Years. Written by Susan Dines

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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.

9 Nisan April 10 Anne Cohen Abraham Reuben Hoffman Eliezer Kazerinski Goldie Randell Joseph Schey Harry Simon Sarah Zack 10 Nisan April 11 Max Amhowitz Morris Chaim Bodzin Jack Cohn Elizabeth Feinberg Jacob Goldstein Ida Greenstein Jacob Kesselman Rose Levin Rhoda Schwartz 11 Nisan April 12 Esther Cohen Ethel Fischer Reva Gruich Simon Knoppow Bertha Kroll

Oscar Rottenberg Morris Shoob Julius Unrot Rose Yagoda 12 Nisan April 13 Frieda Baron Reva Buchman Annie Charness Ida Ferrer Rose Fine Milton Fischer Marlene Friedman Rabbi Solomon Krevsky Nathan Lux David D Mills Benjamin Schuraytz 13 Nisan April 14 Charles Finer Rose Gelberman Abraham Lusky Esther Malamud Arlene Shapiro Charlotte Stein

14 Nisan April 15 Helen Cieck Jacob Goodman Yaakov Hoffman Sam Kogan Harry Laker Louis Levin Morris Markowitz Benjamin Nucian Harold “Hal” Rossen Benjamin Sachs Henry J. Smolinsky 15 Nisan April 16 Rebecca Greenberg Frances Lynn Katt Abe Kole Ruth Doris Malach Sophie Mudrick Joseph Roth Solomon Rubens Anna Schneider Phillip S. Silverstein Joseph Singer

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

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OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 57

JUNE GURWIN, 94, of Franklin, died March 29, 2022.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Fran and Gary Grossman; loving grandchildren, Adam and Samantha Bell, Robbie Bell; great-grandchildren, Adrienne, Casey, Brooke and Jason Bell; many nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephew.

She is also survived by devoted caregivers, Bianca, Verlinda, Kim, Toya, Sabrina and Jeannine.

Mrs. Gurwin was the beloved wife for 40 years of the late Robert G. Gurwin; loving mother of the late Steven Gurwin; sister of the late Dr. Alvin (Marilyn) Howard and the late Dr. Arthur (Ruth) Howard; devoted daughter of the late Morris and the late Ida Howard; daughter-in-law of the late Lewis and the late Lena Gurwin.

Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to Project Altogether at Temple Shir Shalom or Heart 2 Hart Detroit. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

DANIEL HOFFER, 96, of West Bloomfield died March 31, 2022.

He grew up in Detroit and graduated from Central High School. He was known for his kind heart and making people smile. His appreciation for life was contagious.

Daniel was a WWII veteran and active in the Pinsker

Progressive Aid Society. He enjoyed softball, ping pong, skiing, tennis, golf, swimming, amateur radio and playing the harmonica (from age 10 to 96). His greatest joys were his wife, raising his daughters and spending time with his grandchildren.

Mr. Hoffer is survived by his cherished wife of 54 years, Laura Hoffer; daughter, Stacey Hoffer; daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie and Gary Hollander; grandchildren, Matthew, Darren and Kadie Hollander, Benji and Jonah Weckstein; beloved nieces.

He was the loving son of the late Ben and the late Sadie Hoffer; dear brother and brother-in-law of the late Julius and the late Sylvia Hoffer, the late Martin and the late Frances Hoffer.

Contributions may be made to Hospice of Michigan, 400 Galleria Officecentre, #400, Southfield, MI 48034.

A graveside service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park, Pinsker Section.

Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

FRANCES KAUFMAN KESSLER, 96, of New York, N.Y., died March 24, 2022.

An independent thinker who believed self-censure was overrated, she moved to New York, where she worked as a model and on the political campaigns of Democrats, including Ramsey Clark.

She worked at both New York Magazine and Esquire for decades.

Mrs. Kessler loved the the-

ater and had impeccable style.

She had a severe allergy to nuts, seeds, injustice and bigotry. She was a proud daughter of Detroit.

She was the wife of the late Saul Kessler; daughter of the late Lou and Anne Kaufman; sister of the late Arnold Kaufman; niece of the late Harry, the late Ira, the late J. Kelly, the late Norman Kaufman, the late Lillian Mayer and the late Minnie Rosenthal. May her memory be for a blessing.

Burial was in Detroit.

Memorial in New York to be scheduled at a later date.

Contributions may be made to ACLU Foundation, Attn: TaxDeductible Gift, 125 Broad St., 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004; or NAACP, 2990 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

may be made to a charity of JONATHAN Shy; daughters and son-inone’s choice. Arrangements by law, Sharon Firsht, and Faye ADAM MAMAT, Ira Kaufman Chapel.

43, of Madison, and Marc Sher; grandchilWis., died March dren, Andrew Lieberman and 22, 2022.

PHYLLIS SHY, 86, his fiancee, Nora Barnett, Jonathan was of Commerce Marni Lieberman and her a 1996 graduate of Groves Township, died fiance, Josh Glowacki, Alana High School, and he received March 26, 2022.

Lieberman and her partner, his B.B.A. degree with high She is survived Matthew Rosteck, Matthew honors from the University by her sons and and Elizabeth Firsht, Jennifer of Michigan, Ross School of daughter-in-law, Michael and Shy, Joseph Shy, Jacob Business. Jonathan built a Lori Lieberman, and Scott Sher, Sara and Matthew career as a financial analyst. continued on page 60 Known for his kind and gentle nature and his tenacious pursuit of excellence, Jonathan was also admired for “Same Location Over 80 Years” his artistic talents and athletic CEMETERY INSTALLATION Monuments and Markers skills.

ANYWHERE IN MICHIGAN Bronze Markers He was the beloved son of Memorial Duplicating Monuments and Markers 248-542-8266 MONUMENT CENTER Frank and Kathy Mamat of Bronze Markers Cemetery INC. Lettering & Cleaning Memorial Duplicating “Same Location 80 Years” West Bloomfield; the loving Cemetery Lettering & Cleaning father of Ava Mamat, Luke CEMETERY INSTALLATION ANYWHERE IN MICHIGAN Mamat and Sienna Mamat; the cherished brother of Steven Call 248-542-8266 661 E. 8 MILE ROAD FERNDALE Mamat.

1 1/2 blocks East of Woodward Interment was at Beth El www.MonumentCenterMichigan.com Memorial Park. Contributions

Monument Center Inc.

For the peace you need . . . for the respect of the life you treasured.

APRIL 7 • 2022

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Sephardic Leader Stephen Shalom

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

JTA

continued from page 59

Bodzy; great-grandchildren, Alexander and Haley Bodzy, and Ellie Firsht; sisters, Ceil Cicurel and June Rubenstein; brother and sister-in-law, Bryan Levy and Diana Trivax; brother-in-law and sister-inlaw, Norman and Carolyn Shy. Mrs. Shy was the beloved wife for 54 years of the late Leon Shy; the dear sister-inlaw of the late Sol Cicurel and

the late Seymour Rubenstein.

Interment was at Hebrew Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Forgotten Harvest, 21800 Greenfield Road, Oak Park, MI 48237; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or to a charity of one’s choice.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

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.

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Stephen Shalom, a leader of the U.S. Sephardic Jewish community who promoted Middle East peace and religious tolerance, died at 93, March 24, 2022.

The heir to a handkerchief manufacture fortune, I. Shalom, now known as New York Accessory Group, Shalom was at different times in his life a leader of major Jewish and pro-Israel philanthropies.

They included the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York (now the UJA Federation of New York), the World Sephardi Federation and Israel Bonds. He was also involved with the American Jewish Committee; HIAS, the Jewish immigration advocacy group; the Jewish Agency, and the Joint Distribution Committee.

Shalom said the accomplishment of which he was most proud

was working with Rep. Stephen Solarz, D-N.Y., with the blessing of President Jimmy Carter, to bring 400 Jewish women who wanted to marry within their faith to the United States from Syria in 1977.

Born in Brooklyn to parents who had immigrated from Aleppo, he regretted and resented the stereotype that had attached to Jews of Middle Eastern and Sephardic origin as being militant and intolerant of Arabs.

As Israeli governments turned to peace-making, he encouraged Sephardic leaders in Israel to join the efforts, in order to increase their influence in a country that once was dominated by Ashkenazi Jews, but also to roll back perceptions that Sephardim and Mizrahi Jews were anti-peace.

SPOTLIGHT

ELISABETTA A. VILLA/WIREIMAGE VIA GETTY IMAGES

Senate Unanimously Confirms Deborah Lipstadt as Antisemitism Monitor Deborah Lipstadt walks a red carpet for “Denial” during the 11th Rome Film Festival at Auditorium Parco Della Musica in Rome, Oct. 17, 2016.

RON KAMPEAS JTA

T

he Senate in a voice vote on March 30 unanimously confirmed Deborah Lipstadt, the Holocaust scholar who endured delays and a contentious hearing in her nomination to be antisemitism monitor.

The vote took mere seconds.

“The ayes appear to have it,” Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the Wisconsin Democrat who was presiding over the session, said after calling for a vote.

“The ayes do have it. The nomination is confirmed.”

There were no “Nos.” It was not clear from the C-Span video, which Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff posted on his Twitter feed, how many senators were present for the vote to confirm Lipstadt to the State Department role.

Still, the fact that none of Lipstadt’s erstwhile Republican

critics demanded debate or a headcount — actions that could have further delayed her nomination — was in sharp contrast to the procedural maneuvers Republicans used for months to delay her confirmation.

Ossoff introduced the motion to nominate Lipstadt in part because he represents Georgia, where Lipstadt teaches at Emory University, but he also noted his Jewish roots in his 4-minute speech.

“It was U.S. forces who liberated Dachau and Buchenwald. and Annie and Israel, my great-grandparents, they got out of Europe,” Ossoff said. “Many of my family did not, Madam President, and they perished in the Holocaust. This isn’t ancient history. This is recent history. And right now as we speak, the scourge of

antisemitism is rising again, in this country and around the world. If we mean the words ‘never again,’ then at long last, Madam President, let’s confirm Deborah Lipstadt to fight antisemitism on behalf of the United States.”

Lipstadt is now the first antisemitism monitor to have the role of ambassador, under a law passed by Congress in 2020, which enhances her status overseas when she makes representations to foreign governments and allows her more direct access to the secretary of state and to the president should she come across a situation that she believes requires executive action.

The fact that the rank of ambassador means the role requires Senate confirmation subjected Lipstadt to scrutiny. Her sharp past criticisms

of former President Donald Trump, and particularly of Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, led to delays and a contentious hearing in February. Only two Republicans on the Foreign Relations Committee joined Democrats earlier this week in advancing the nomination.

A broad array of Jewish and pro-Israel groups advocated on behalf of Lipstadt, including groups like the Orthodox Union and Christians United for Israel that maintain close ties with Republicans.

Lipstadt, 75, has been for years a go-to expert for the media and for legislators on Holocaust issues, particularly on how the genocide’s meaning should be understood in the 21st century, and whether it had any cognates among anti-democratic forces in the current day.

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Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

50 Years of Fiddler

I

think it was at the old Americana Theater in Southfield, but I cannot recall why I was there. Maybe I was on a date? But I sure do remember the film. It was Fiddler on the Roof, a blockbuster, one of the most notable films in the history of American cinema.

The script of Fiddler on the Roof is based upon one of Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem’s most beloved characters “Tevye the Dairyman.” The essence of the movie is the story of Tevye and his five daughters, three of Mike Smith marriageable age. They Alene and Graham Landau all live in a shtetl, which Archivist Chair most historians believe is a portrait of the one in which Aleichem (1859-1916) was raised.

Released in November 1971, the movie Fiddler on the Roof celebrated its 50th birthday last year. The film is based upon a play of the same name that debuted at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit on July 25, 1964, before it began its storied run on Broadway a few months later. I did not know this until JN Associate Editor David Sachs brought this fact to my attention. I dove into the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History and soon found that Fiddler on the Roof has a long history in the city and Michigan.

First, there are several stories about the premier of Fiddler at the Fisher. The play starred Zero Mostel and received good reviews in JN (July 31 and Aug. 7, 1964) — there was a lengthy daily newspaper strike in Detroit that year that may have saved the play from some negative reviews. I also found a small item about Congregation B’nai David sponsoring the play (July 3, 1964). And, within weeks, Borenstein’s and Spitzer’s were selling recordings of the music.

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The show was really a work in progress when it first debuted in Detroit.

After the test drive here, several songs and script elements were scrapped and/or rewritten before it appeared on Broadway. Obviously, the producers, writers, director and actors hit the right combination. Fiddler on the Roof became nothing short of legendary.

For example, how many of us know the songs? We all know “If I Were a Rich Man” as we “ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum” all day long (my spell check went nuts on this phrase). And there is “Tradition.” I can still hear Topol, who played Tevye in the movie, sing this out loud and clear.

Since 1964, Fiddler on the Roof has been performed thousands of times in professional theatrical productions around the world. Zero Mostel and Theodore Bikel also became famous portrayers of Tevye. Moreover, there have been thousands of additional performances at high schools and colleges, and by local theater troupes.

Fiddler was again in the news last month. Saturday Night Live parodied Fiddler in a skit. This is a sure sign of the ubiquitous influence of Fiddler. As reported in the JN, the University Musical Society at the University of Michigan staged a concert performance of Fiddler on the Roof featuring the Grand Rapids Symphony and the singing of various students.

Simply stated, Fiddler on the Roof is great work. And, now that I’ve written this column, its songs will be playing in my head for a few days!

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

PAM STOLER ASHLEY MANN R

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