OUR COMMUNITY
“Freedom Stories”
Night of stories from the Jewish and Black Experience raises over $10K for Ukrainian relief. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
N
To schedule a personal tour and inquire about move-in specials, contact Tracey 248-661-1836 TTY# 711 or email: tproghovnick@jslmi.org
36
|
MAY 19 • 2022
ationally recognized storytellers Corinne Stavish and Rev. Robert Jones Sr. provided an evening of stories and songs on the theme of freedom while drawing on Jewish and Black experiences on April 20 at Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield. The program was a fundraiser for refugees displaced in the current fight for freedom in Ukraine. The artists waived their fees, and all proceeds, more than $10,000, have been donated to HIAS, an international refugee relief organization. Stavish performs nationally and specializes in personal, historical and biblical narratives. She was named the Detroit Jewish Woman Artist of the Year in 2001 and has received the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence Award. Jones is a singer, songwriter, storyteller and self-taught on many instruments, which he uses to play folk, blues, spirituals and other American Roots music. He has performed professionally throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. The program was spearheaded by Temple Kol Ami and co-sponsored by 21 organizations, including the Interfaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, Detroit Interfaith Outreach Network, Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC)/AJC
Storytellers Corinne Stavish and Rev. Robert Jones Sr. along with event organizer Steve Merritt.
and many other synagogues and other Jewish and Black organizations. Gathering during the holy week of Passover, everyone involved said it was only fitting to tell the stories of Jewish and Black struggles for freedom while keeping in mind the ongoing struggle for freedom in Ukraine. Stavish told the story of visiting the now-closed Friheds Museum on a trip to Denmark and learning about how the majority of Denmark’s Jews escaped being captured by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Although Sweden’s king had originally aligned the country with Nazi Germany, Danish physicist Niels Bohr persuaded him to allow Denmark’s Jews to find refuge in his country. As Nazi forces took over Denmark in 1943, about 7,200