DJN June 2, 2022 by The Detroit Jewish News

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200 June 2-8, 2022 / 3-9 Sivan 5782

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Dispatch from Dnipro One woman’s story of escaping — and surviving — the bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine. See page 12

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contents June 2-8, 2022 / 3-9 Siva 5782 | VOLUME CLXXI, ISSUE 16

53 44 PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11

Essays and viewpoints.

54 NEXT DOR 30

OUR COMMUNITY 12 18

One woman’s story of escaping — and surviving — the bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine.

The Nightmare Hunt for Baby Formula

SPORTS

Denial in D.C.

Supreme Court declines to hear two different attempts to stop longtime Ann Arbor synagogue protesters.

Giving Back Life Lessons

Heart of Gold Winner

Henry Moses teaches life skills to students with special needs.

Six Games, Six Days, One National Championship

Zachary Felsenfeld of West Bloomfield finishes his college hockey career with a flourish.

Trade Mission to Tel Aviv MIBA leads delegation to Israel’s EcoMotion conference, laying the groundwork for Michigan-Israeli collaboration in smart mobility.

FACES AND PLACES 54

Not Your Bubbie’s Manischewitz

ETC.

Shabbat & Shavuot Lights

From the Home Kitchen of Chef Aaron: Lake Perch Dinner Moments

SPIRIT

Torah Portion

Synagogue Directory

Celebrating Female Voices in the Cantorate

ARTS&LIFE

Windsor’s Jewish organizations and synagogues partner to launch indigent Jewish Burial Fund.

BUSINESS

MAZEL TOV

The Final Kindness

Community Calendar

FOOD

Patti Morris Phillips named winner of the second annual award honoring amazing volunteers in our community.

Talking and listening across the political divide.

The Exchange 55 Obits 57 Looking Back 62

How Structure Can Change Your Life

Let’s Be Civil

Celebrity News

EVENTS

Birthright Trips Resume after COVID Hiatus

Congregation Shaarey Zedek welcomes the Shul Sisters on June 9.

Kalamazoo’s Congregation of Moses Continues to Grow

The shul strives to “reach people where they are.”

Royal Oak’s Skateboarding Lawyer

A mobile legal advice trailer and miniBlockbuster are just a few of his projects.

Dispatch from Dnipro

A community of mothers offers resources and support for one another.

A Culturally Important UkraineJewish Music Connection CSZ Hazzan David Propis’ Eighth Day of Passover Hallel should not be missed.

Shabbat begins: Friday, June 3, 8:47 p.m. Shavuot 1: Saturday, June 4, 9:58 p.m. Shavuot 2: Sunday, June 5, 9:59 p.m. Holiday ends: Monday, June 6, 10 p.m.

* Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar

ON THE COVER: Cover photo/credit: Iana Syrotnikova and her rescue cat, Lady (10), sheltering in their basement in Kharkiv. Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

Wolf Hound

New release by Metro Detroit filmmaker tells untold story of World War II.

thejewishnews.com

Shocking Title, Great Read

Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews

A review of People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn

JUNE 2 • 2022

PURELY COMMENTARY for openers

A Busy Body

goal for us all is to remain as active as possible. Doing so has many positive physical and mental ramifications. If, however, you find your mind is willing, in this instance, but the flesh is weak, you may Sy Manello want to hone Editorial your language Assistant skills to include as much of your body as you can. Lend me your ear. Do not keep your head in the clouds; that is not practical either literally or figuratively. Doing so may find you in over your head in situations. To have a really good time,

you may be requested to let your hair down. (These days, I wish I could!) Caution: Try not to get in someone’s hair. Off the top of my head, that is the best advice I could come up with. Being a sight for sore eyes means you are bringing joy to someone; good way to go. If they let you in on a secret, be sure to keep your lips sealed. It is not usually a sound idea to stick your neck out for a cause or person. In return, you may get the cold shoulder, especially if money is involved. Then you may have to cry your heart out just to get it off your chest. Finding a shoulder to cry on may be a difficult task if folks are not

sympathetic and that may eat your heart out. Someone really bothering you? Ask him to get off your back. Don’t get involved in anything that will cost you an arm and a leg. When

confronted, say your hands are tied. Making a promise of financial aid can sometimes have you put your foot in your mouth. Always remember to play it by ear.

are often not recognized for the vital contribution they provide to our students and, in turn, the culture at large. As a retired teacher in the arts field, the return on my efforts came in light of the transformation of the middle school student from day one through graduation. This alone was often a sufficient personal reward. It is apparent that there are many educators in the Jewish community that are commended for their skills. Thank you for reporting on this usually invisible effort! What a great resource! What encouragement!

Bill Cohodas’ Legacy

letters

The Scourge of Hate

I am a 72-year-old Jewish woman whose heart is broken for Sofia Bat Sarah (“Detroit’s Youngest Tichel-Maker,” May 19, page 38). I am very sad that that she was attacked by antisemitic people and took her site down. What is happening to our country and world? It is such a scary place. Growing up in the ’50s and ’60s, our family lived in northwest Detroit. My schools were very integrated. We Blacks and Jews stuck together. I still have many of my Black and Jewish friends from my early years. I grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust, which frightened me along with the lynchings down South. I personally experienced hateful people when I was out of my

JUNE 2 • 2022

realm. Sofia, who sounds like a wonderful young woman, I am so sorry that you had to experience hate. All this hate in our country and world is horrifying. This is not how I grew up. We are going backwards, and it is terrifying. The white supremacists march at night like the nazis did and look how that turned out. I refuse to capitalize their names. It’s an assault on humankind. Some people will never learn, and I say never again. — Gaye Tischler Via the web

Our Teachers Deserve Respect

As you mention in your introduction (“Educators of the Year,” May 19, page 22), teachers

— Laura Gumina Via the web

As daughters of Willard and Lois Cohodas, we were particularly grateful to see your recent article about our father, Bill, in the William Davidson Digital Archive column (“‘The UP’s Jewish Soul’,” May 19, page 118). How proud my dad would be to read of your appreciation of his dedication and efforts! Our mother, who is 104, was deeply touched by this article. We both agree that Dad would have been thrilled with the Governor’s Council on Genocide and Holocaust Education that was passed a mere four months after his death. Thank you for continuing my father’s sterling legacy. — Lynn Cohodas Stahl Nancy Cohodas Oberman

Yoni Torgow is the recipient of the

2022 Frank A. Wetsman Award The JVS+Kadima Board of Directors and staff wishes you mazel tov on receiving this prestigious award.

The Frank A. Westman Young Leadership Award was established in 1961 by Mrs. Frank A. Wetsman and William M. Wetsman as a memorial to their beloved husband and father. This award recognizes exceptional leadership potential and service to the Jewish community on the part of a young man.

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5/23/22 2:11 PM

PURELY COMMENTARY student’s corner

A ‘Hidden’ Holiday

o here we are: The end of the Hebrew month of Iyar is around the corner, with it possibly already having passed by the time this article has been published in the Jewish News. The 2021-2022 school year will be coming to a close, with the summer being in Brody sight. Fleishman The seniors at FJA have already graduated, with April 29 being their last day. They embarked on a trip to Israel on May 15. My own class, the freshmen of FJA, went to Montana to visit the Northern Cheyenne, who are a group of Native Americans residing slightly northeast of Yellowstone National Park. With all of the distractions and events out of the way, it’s

about time to reveal the main focus point of this article: the upcoming and recent Jewish holidays. To start, there have been three modern Jewish holidays and memorial days that have been commemorated recently: Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut. This year, all three of them fell on dates when we had school, so we got the chance to commemorate them during school. The schedule was adjusted to set aside time for special ceremonies and activities. However, unlike the three holidays/memorial days mentioned above, the next holiday is one where there is no school (if one attends a Jewish school that is). Shavuot has always been one of those obscure holidays to me. My family doesn’t typically do

anything special during this time except to go to a friend’s house for a meal. For most other yom tov holidays (like Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, certain days of Passover, etc.), my family will either go to services or do something at home for them. This is not the case for Shavuot, which is spent like a normal weekend or snow day when there’s no school. Furthermore, because the holiday is in close proximity to the end of the school year,

school trips, other important events/days and more, the holiday often feels like it is glossed over, with not much attention being put on it. It’s not like this is a small holiday either. It is one of the three harvest festivals, or Shalosh Regalim, with the other two being Sukkot and Pesach. In addition, we count down to Shavuot with the Omer, which is a 49-day period from the second day of Passover to Shavuot. There is an additional continued on page 7

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JUNE 2 • 2022

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continued from page 6

reason as to why Shavuot is more obscure than other holidays. When compared to celebrations such as Passover and Chanukah, Shavuot is not commercialized in the slightest. While these holidays see entire sections of stores dedicated to them, community events for children and more, Shavuot rarely, if at all, gets any of these. However, even though the signs don’t point to it being an important date, it actually is. As mentioned earlier, it’s one of the three harvest festivals; although this was a bigger deal in ancient times, this would

in theory put it on a similar level to Sukkot and Pesach. In addition, Shavuot is when the Jewish people received the Torah, a momentous occasion to say the least. To end, I would like to pose a question: Why do you think Shavuot is more of a “hidden holiday” even though it has such a significant background and meaning? What can we do to bring hidden holidays like Shavuot into the spotlight? Brody Fleishman is a freshman at Frankel Jewish Academy and a graduate of Hillel Day School.

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Yiddish Limerick Shavuot

Men zogt az mir alle in Sinai gevayn Un Moishe Rabeinu mir alle gezayn. Un Naase v’nishma gezogt with no fear Farvos undzer Torah was always so dear. Un in yeder Shavuot tzu shul mir vel gayn. Men zogt- they say az mir alle inn Sinai gevayn- that we all were in Sinai mir alle gezayn- we all saw Un naase v’nishma- And we’ll do and we’ll hear gezogt- said Farvos undzer Torah- Bbecause our Torah Un in yeder Shavuot- And in every Shavuot tzu shul mir vel gayn- to synagogue we will go. By Rachel Kapen

Save the Date

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JUNE 2 • 2022

PURELY COMMENTARY opinion

Why There’s No Peace in the Middle East

ecent Congressional proposals seek to prohibit Israel’s use of American funds or military equipment to maintain control of the West Bank. Such proposals reflect a (by no means uncommon) belief that Israeli insensitivity Victor to Palestinian Lieberman aspirations is the main reason peace has never been achieved. If only Israel would commit to withdraw from the West Bank and adopt a more conciliatory approach, Palestinians would accept a two-state solution along the 1967 lines — and the conflict finally would end. Those assumptions, I fear, have little historic justification. Since its creation in 1994, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has faced conflicting imperatives. On the one hand, it cannot remain in power without military support from Israel — including regular raids on Hamas cells in the West Bank — and financial support from the U.S., Europe and Arab states. The PA cannot ignore demands from those parties that it remain open to a twostate solution. On the other hand, Palestinian popular opinion has always been, and is now more than ever, opposed to the existence of a Jewish state. Eliminating Israel, polls show, remains the cherished objective for

70%-80% of Palestinians. The PA, therefore, cannot accept a two-state solution without risking a total loss of legitimacy or an uprising such as allowed Hamas to drive the PA from Gaza in 2007. What then does the PA do? It refuses to say yes to any proposal. It refuses to say no. Indeed, it refuses to say anything, however generous the settlement may appear to outsiders. That was what the PA did in 2000-2001, 2008 and 2014. On those occasions, in return for recognition, Israel offered to withdraw from territory equal to 96-100% of the West Bank, to divide Jerusalem, to accept a limited refugee return and to arrange generous compensation for the rest. Those offers met almost everything the PA President Mohammed Abbas says he wants. But Palestinian popular opinion demanded not only that those offers be rejected, but also that they be rejected with violence: bombs in Israeli cities in 1993-1996, the second intifada of 2000 to 2003, Hamas-initiated wars in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021; all such attacks issued from territory Israel had evacuated in an effort to reduce tensions. True, of course, Israel also had and has diehard opponents of compromise. Nevertheless, three Israeli prime ministers — Rabin, Barak and Olmert — were able to marshal pro-peace majorities for which there was no Palestinian counterpart.

REFUSAL TO ACCEPT A JEWISH STATE I would emphasize that refusal to accept a Jewish state has defined Palestinian politics for generations. It was the bedrock position of Haj Amin al-Husayni (the Palestinian leader from 1922-1948, who allied with Hitler), of the PLO’s charter and, today, of Hamas and its patrons, Iran and Hezbollah. Twentyfirst-century rejection of peace offers awarding Arabs extensive or total control of the West Bank had precedents in 1937, 1939, 1947 and 1968. Virtually everything of which Palestinians complain — refugees, West Bank annexation, the security wall, settlements, the Gaza blockade — began as a defensive response to Palestinian-initiated or -supported violence, If all past efforts at reconciliation have failed, by what logic are they likely to succeed now — when Hamas, with Iranian support, is more popular than ever? If elections were held today, polls agree, pro-Hamas candidates would trounce Mahmoud Abbas’ PA by at least four-to-one. Hamas leaders vow they will not only destroy Israel but will expel all Jews whose families arrived after 1914, i.e., 99%. Refusal to accept what Palestinians see as the Jews’ historic theft of their land is understandable. In effect, Palestinians had to pay the price for European antisemitism for which

they bore no responsibility. Yet understandable though Palestinian grievances may be — and I can recite those grievances as well as any Palestinian — the fact remains that the demand for Israel’s destruction has been and remains incompatible with a two-state solution. But imagine for a moment that Congressional legislation effectively prohibited Israeli forces from operating in the West Bank. The PA would then face two grim alternatives. Most probably, as I just suggested, it would lose power to Hamas, either through an election or an uprising. Hamas, and quite possibly Iranian forces, then would be on the doorstep of major Israeli cities. That almost certainly would lead Israel to reoccupy the West Bank, triggering violence on a scale not seen in the last 55 years. Or, to retain power, PA authorities, like Bashar al-Assad in Syria, would mount a savage repression of their own people that also would make a mockery of American dreams of a peaceful, prosperous region. Either outcome would be far worse than a continuation of the status quo. POTENTIAL OUTCOMES Of course, no one can predict the future with certainty, but such outcomes are far more likely than a scenario in which one-sided American pressure on Israel yields a mutually continued on page 11

JUNE 2 • 2022

PAID ADVERTISEMENT Originally published on Forward.com opinion section, 5/24/22 https://forward.com/opinion/letters/484513/members-of-congress-including-aipac-allied-condemn-comments-rep-andy-levin

Members of Congress, including those AIPAC-allied, condemn group’s comments about Rep. Andy Levin To the editor:

s former and current members of Congress and supporters of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, we are all too familiar with how differing policy approaches to ending the Middle East conflict have been used to divide and polarize us as a community, especially during elections. That’s why at a moment when so much is at stake in not only defending our own democracy, but defending democracy around the world, we are dismayed by the shockingly unhelpful and unfortunate attacks leveled against Congressman Andy Levin that have occurred, questioning his support for Israel. It is fair to disagree on and debate policy approaches. But it is out of bounds to malign the only Jewish candidate in this race by impugning Andy’s love for the State of Israel or his community bona fides, which run strong and run deep. Andy helped organize a trip of Jews, Christians, and Muslims to Israel and the Palestinian territories in 1990. Upon his return he penned an op-ed in the Detroit Jewish News calling for immediate support of a two-state solution to end the conflict. And as Sandy Levin’s son and Carl Levin’s nephew, Andy has grown up sharing the deep and passionate commitment to Israel that was a hallmark of their respective congressional careers. It is that very commitment that animates Andy’s work on these issues. Andy’s vision for a safe, secure and prosperous Israel coexisting in a lasting peace with a Palestinian state has been central to his work. In Congress, Andy has been a strong supporter of Israel, whether it’s voting for security assistance for Israel in annual spending bills or supporting the replenishment of funding for the Iron Dome. It is also true that Andy has been a staunch defender of human rights, which enables him to bridge divides in the Jewish community and exemplify support for Israel in a way that resonates with many younger voters who care deeply about protecting human rights for all peoples. As current and former members, we also understand the tremendous courage it takes to stake out a principled position like this. Even more, we understand the fortitude it takes to stick by it

in the face of outrageous personal attacks for the sole, cynical aim of dividing the Jewish community. They are taking a page right out of the playbook of those who have sought, unsuccessfully, to drive a wedge between Jews and the Democratic Party. We call on others who share Andy’s and our commitment to Israel’s survival and security as a Jewish and democratic country to reject these divisive and counterproductive attacks on Andy. We should welcome and not fear a Jewish member willing to express his support for Israel by taking up policy questions so seriously and thoughtfully and seeking dialogue across the spectrum. Especially as Congress continues to evolve, Levin will continue to play an essential role in advocating for a Jewish and democratic state in a context where Palestinian rights can also be fulfilled through a two-state solution. Finally, we hope this race can focus on priority issues ingrained deeply within the fabrics of American Jewish life, guided by the spirit of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world: supporting workers’ rights, expanding access to health care, promoting equity in public education, protecting the environment and advancing the cause of human rights. Sincerely, Former U.S. Senator Al Franken Former U.S. Representative Barney Frank Former U.S. Representative Sam Gejdenson Former U.S. Representative Paul Hodes Former U.S. Representative Mel Levine U.S. Representative Steve Cohen U.S. Representative Sara Jacobs U.S. Representative Alan Lowenthal U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin U.S. Representative John Yarmuth

PURELY COMMENTARY opinion

The Emergence of Congress’ Progressive Pogrom Caucus

prominent editor of a Jewish publication once pointed out to me that the United States had never seen the emergence of mainstream and institutionalized antisemitic politics. My response was simple: Not yet. A few Benjamin months ago, Kerstein he wrote me JNS.ORG and said that — unhappily — I had been proven right. I take no pleasure in being right, but there is also no sense in denying it. It is clear that antisemitism in the United States has become a social movement that is swiftly metastasizing into mainstream institutional politics. It has captured large sections of the Democratic Party, especially its progressive wing, and essentially taken over America’s institutions of higher learning. It is ubiquitous in the activism that drives left-wing politics in the U.S. And it has now entered Congress, the citadel of American democracy itself. The entrance of systemic antisemitism into mainstream national politics marked a milestone when, on May 16, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) introduced a House resolution demanding official recognition of the nakba — a term used to lament the Arabs’ failure to

JUNE 2 • 2022

commit genocide against the Jewish population of thenPalestine in 1947-48. The resolution is too long for a full accounting here, but suffice it to say that it is an entirely predictable but nonetheless remarkable document. It is predictable in that it parrots almost word-for-word the rhetoric of hardline Palestinian nationalism — it is closer to Hamas than the Palestinian Authority — but also remarkable in its honesty. In particular, it openly advocates the destruction of Israel as a Jewish state via the Palestinian “right of return.” It asserts that international law “recognizes that descendants of refugees retain their rights as refugees;” that “a just and lasting resolution requires respect for and the implementation of Palestine refugee rights;” and demands that the United States “support the implementation of Palestinian refugees’ rights.” What this means, beyond the polite euphemisms and sophistic use of the vocabulary of progressivism, is quite simple: Millions of refugees must be returned to the territory of the State of Israel, rendering its Jewish population a demographic minority and swiftly turning it into a Palestinian supremacist state. It means, in other words, the realization of the Palestinian national movement’s most

treasured ambition: to rid the fatherland of the Jews, or at least reduce them to the second-class status to which Islam has always relegated them. The resolution, in other words, reeks of racism and hate of a type that, if targeted at any other people, would be grounds for censure and expulsion from the House. Indeed, as the PLO’s Charter once said of Zionism, Tlaib’s resolution is “antagonistic to all action for liberation and to progressive movements in the world. It is racist and fanatic in its nature, aggressive, expansionist and colonial in its aims, and fascist in its methods.” SYSTEMIC ANTISEMITISM This is morally horrendous in and of itself. But perhaps more important is what it means for American Jews. It means, one regrets to say, nothing less than the first step toward the institutionalization of systemic antisemitism in the American political establishment. This is proven by the fact that Tlaib was by no means alone in introducing her resolution. It has a host of co-sponsors: Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Marie Newman (D-Ill.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.). They are all progressives in good standing, with substantial influence in the Democratic

Party, and at their core lies “the Squad”—the group of hard-left congresspeople consisting of OcasioCortez, Omar, Pressley, Tlaib, Bowman and Bush. Tlaib’s resolution, in other words, is not the ranting of a lone racist, but the mutual expression of an entire caucus. This caucus is the result of a years-long campaign by antisemitic activists and organizations to burrow deep into the American establishment. Groups like CAIR, IfNotNow, Students for Justice in Palestine, Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslims for Palestine and numerous others have been on a long march of slander, defamation and demonization directed at Israel, its American supporters and indeed all American Jews. It seeks to break their spirits, intimidate them into silence and exile them to the apartheid margins of American life. But it also seeks to break their very bodies. This was conclusively proven last May, when MuslimAmericans across the U.S. committed horrific acts of violence and intimidation against Jews from New York to Los Angeles, largely without condemnation. My own father’s business in a Jewish suburb of Boston was vandalized multiple times because he sells Israeli products. In a display of epic hypocrisy, the long marchers continued on page 11

continued from page 10

— and “the Squad” itself — so quick to accuse anyone and everyone of racism on the slightest pretext, remained all but completely silent throughout. This pogrom did not erupt merely because Israel was involved in a conflict with Hamas at the time. It was the product of years, decades of work by these activists and organizations. The idea that their incitement and defamation did not poison the Muslim-American community against not only Israel but all Jews is absurd. And that it resulted in mob violence — a pogrom — should be no surprise. For this alone, the MuslimAmerican establishment, the

anti-Israel progressive left, the numerous activists who support them and the Squad itself stand condemned. Tlaib’s resolution should not be seen, then, as mere anti-Israel politics, nor as a simple expression of pogromist ideology. It is the pogrom. It seeks to further the pogrom on another level. It attempts to institutionalize the pogrom, to enshrine it in American law and, through it, American society. We have seen, in other words, the emergence of the Congressional Pogrom Caucus. This is all quite monstrous, of course, but it also reveals an important truth: The pogromists know that

they cannot break the State of Israel without also breaking the Jews. Especially American Jews, who they see as the true source of what they genuinely believe to be Israel’s omnipotent power. They are prepared to do almost anything in service of this goal and will not stop unless they are stopped by any and all legal means necessary. This means, above all, that American Jews must wake up. Often sympathetic to progressive politics, they do not want to believe that such a thing could happen among those they view as admirable allies. But denial never works, and now it represents an existential danger.

American Jews may be in sympathy with the ideology of “the Squad,” but they must understand that these people hate you. And however progressive, compassionate, empathetic and idealistic they may seem, when the chips are down, they will eat you alive. So, remember their names: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Betty McCollum, Marie Newman, Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush. They are not finished. They will be back. And you must be ready for them.

opponents, and forbid free speech or civil liberties. The most respected ranking of global democracy, the Britishbased Economist Democracy Index (with No. 1 the best, No. 167 the worst) ranks Israel No. 23, the U.S. No. 26 — and Palestine No. 109. What then is to be done? Rather than declare, “After 75 years our patience is finally exhausted, and we are going to settle this problem now once and for all”; rather than penalize Israel for an impasse rooted chiefly in Palestinian refusal to accept Israel’s right to exist; rather than ask Palestinians to tolerate something they have long regarded as intolerable, America should seek to modify the status quo gradually and quietly.

BIDEN’S APPROACH In fact, this is a rough description of President Joe Biden’s approach. Specifically, the U.S. should build upon the Abraham Accords, promote economic development in Palestinian territories, and do what it can to strengthen the PA in the hope that moderation somehow might ultimately prevail. But blithely to wish away the past, to penalize the party that has been most in favor of compromise while rewarding the party most opposed, can only whet Hamas’ ambition and convert chronic low-level violence into yet another massive explosion. (Space precludes discussion, but any attempt to impose a one-state solution, which even Congressional advocates of sanctioning

Israel deem unrealistic, would almost certainly hasten that explosion.) If history teaches anything, it teaches that America cannot impose solutions on peoples of very different cultural background without risking unforeseen, deeply unwelcome consequences. The Two-State Solution Act, though perhaps wellintentioned, promises to do precisely that. Some problems, history avers all too sadly, can be contained, but are not amenable to rapid solution.

Benjamin Kerstein is a writer and editor living in Tel Aviv.

MIDDLE EAST from page 8

agreed, live-happily-ever-after two-state solution. The rest of the world, we easily forget, is not like the U.S. The assumption that other peoples, in their heart of hearts, really want to be like Americans, that they instinctively favor Western political institutions, underlay the disastrous U.S. nationbuilding exercises in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. In every case, American intervention, rather than promote peace and compromise, dramatically increased violence, extremism and suffering. That the PA, not to mention Hamas, could embrace compromise and democratic norms is very unlikely. Both organizations, military dictatorships, refuse all free elections, routinely torture and/or execute political

Victor Lieberman is the Raoul Wallenberg Distinguished University Professor of History at the University of Michigan, where he teaches a course, the most popular in the department, on the Arab-Israeli conflict. JUNE 2 • 2022

ON THE COVER

Iana Syrotnikova uses the phone in her basement shelter in Kharkiv.

JUNE 2 • 2022

COURTESY OF IANA SYROTNIKOVA

Dispatch from Dnipro

One woman’s story of escaping — and surviving — the bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine. IANA SYROTNIKOVA SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS TRANSLATED BY ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

f you’re born in Ukraine, but you have Jewish roots, most likely your family will have an interweaving of Ukrainian and Jewish traditions. My father is Jewish, and this means that my childhood was full of foods such as forshmak (Jewish herring) and matzah. Every year, we celebrate Passover and Rosh Hashanah. We cherish and honor the memory of our origin and know all of our relatives up to five generations back. For us, family comes first. Six years ago, I took part in the “Book of Generations” project in Israel. As part of the project, my family’s historical narrative was reconstructed. In the process of collecting information about my ancestors, I was given a questionnaire to fill out. It contained a section called “evacuation.” Who from my family was evacuated during World War II? Where were they evacuated? How did they manage to survive in such a difficult financial situation? What were their strongest memories of the war? With my father’s help, we were able to fill out the questionnaire. He told me the story of how the women and children in our family were evacuated from Kharkiv to Uzbekistan and the Ural Mountains in 1941. There, my grandmother worked as a hospital nurse for four years. The most difficult thing for them was to be in a non-native place, to be separated from loved ones, from their husbands, to eat unusual food and live in a different climate. Their strongest memories were of the kindness of people of solidarity. My family’s reason to survive was simple: to guarantee the future of their children. Speaking about these topics filled me with an unexplainable bitterness. How could my family go through this? Yet the words “war,” “evacuation,” “separation from loved ones” and “survival” didn’t sound real to me. The only way to understand the horror of war, to understand how a person feels in an evacuation, is to go through it yourself.

Apartment building and car after March 1 bombing

THE WAR BEGINS The word “war” entered my life on Feb. 24, 2022. At 4:50 in the morning, we were awakened by a sound that I had never heard before in my life: the sound of an exploding shell, followed by the sound of anti-aircraft defense. Two minutes later, my phone rang. My mother was calling me from the other side of the city, shouting into the phone: “Iana! The war has begun!” From that moment, the city of Kharkiv didn’t sleep. As of Feb. 24, we became hostages in our own home. My husband, Igor, recorded a video on his phone. Explosions and rockets were visible from our balcony. The sounds of war grew as the city was increasingly bombed. We filled a suitcase with documents, medicines and valuables, which we kept at the entrance to our apartment. We also filled a small bag with our possessions to keep in our car, in case we had to leave.

It seemed to us that we had thought of a lot, planned accordingly, and that this would help us survive. We equipped our bathroom as a place of refuge, filling it with candles, matches, water, food, blankets and pillows. Every time air raid sirens began, we grabbed our rescue cat, Lady, and ran to the bathroom, leaving only when the sounds subsided. In the evening, we kept the lights off to comply with total blackout orders. Being on the streets was dangerous; a missile could strike anywhere. Yet, we were running out of food and water, so Igor left to search for food. He stood in huge lines and sometimes came home with nothing. There was a food shortage. In Ukraine, March 1 would typically signal the beginning of spring; however, spring never came. Instead, at 5 a.m., a shell hit the property of our apartment building. A deafening blast threw us on the bed, knocked out balconies and continued on page 14

Ruined car after March 1

“ON FEB. 24, MY MOTHER WAS CALLING ME FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CITY, SHOUTING INTO THE PHONE: ‘IANA! THE WAR HAS BEGUN.’” — IANA SYROTNIKOVA

JUNE 2 • 2022

ON THE COVER continued from page 13

TOP: En route from Kharkiv to Dnipro. LEFT: Family history book from Israel project.

“WE EACH CARRIED ONLY ONE BAG PER FAMILY. NOTHING MATERIALISTIC MATTERED. WE SIMPLY HAD TO LEAVE.” — IANA SYROTNIKOVA

JUNE 2 • 2022

windows, and damaged the gas pipeline. Six cars parked outside the building burned down, including ours. Our possessions were lost. We ran outside and saw a mess of debris — broken windows, dents from fences that flew into the air. Yet somehow, everyone who lived in our building was alive. In this moment, we learned a valuable lesson: to forget about material things and appreciate every survivor. That day, many people died in other places that were bombed, including 28 people trapped in the rubble of our regional administration. The hell that had become Kharkiv was no longer just audible; it was visible. As the day went on, more than 10 rockets flew over our home. We spent the remainder of the day and the following night in the basement of our building. For the first time, I truly encountered the kindness of strangers — neighbors with whom we had only said hello offering us a place to sit, which we returned the kindness of by offering them food. In the basement, we didn’t have the ability to go outside, use the restroom or contact relatives. We each wore two jackets, gloves, a hat and a hood. The night seemed endless, and the bombing didn’t stop. To this day, I remember the sounds and shaking walls. We were afraid the basement wasn’t safe enough, calculating by the sounds of the bombings which side of the basement the rockets could potentially strike next. My husband didn’t close his eyes even once, keeping our cat Lady in his arms all night. We didn’t have a carrier, and she was nervous from the sounds of the bombing. The next day,

we learned that almost all residential buildings around us and a school where students lived and studied were destroyed. Our home was no longer our fortress. LEARNING TO SURVIVE We had to make an urgent decision. Many Kharkiv residents, including my friends, were leaving the city. There were massive lines and traffic jams. Our lives were now at risk. The problem was, we have a large family and there was no longer working phone service. Miraculously, with the help of neighbors, we managed to contact my parents. Together, we spent many hours making the most terrible decision of our lives. However, the decision wasn’t unanimous. My husband’s parents refused to leave. When we said goodbye to them and hugged them, I was afraid we’d never see each other again. Because our car burned down, they gave us theirs, leaving them nothing to drive away with, if needed. With my husband and our cat, we left. From the other end of the city, my parents, brother’s family and four more families of our friends also left. We each carried only one bag per family. Nothing materialistic mattered. We simply had to leave. For the first time since the start of the war, I left my home. And for the first time in my life, I saw completely destroyed houses, checkpoints, a large number of people in uniform with machine guns, trenches, barbed obstacles and signs to watch out for mines. It felt like a movie, but it was real and terrifying. Until we left the Kharkiv region, we continued to hear planes and explosions. I wondered if we would die on

LEFT: Menorah in Dnipro, which has a massive Jewish community. RIGHT: Iana gathers supplies for Ukraine troops as part of volunteer efforts.

the road. The path was difficult physically and mentally, but we made it out alive. It was painful to see my parents for the first time since the beginning of the war. In the 10 days I hadn’t seen them, they seemed to grow old. They were deprived of the opportunity to spend their retirement in comfort, in their home, among the items they accumulated all their lives. Their tears and empty looks that day will remain lodged in my memory forever. After many hours of driving, we arrived in the city of Dnipro [about 135 miles southwest of Kharkiv]. Our friends were waiting for us and sheltered us in their country home, alongside four other families. As of today, the home continues to open its doors to people fleeing Kharkiv. In the two months we

have lived with them, two more families have joined us. Yet, at the time, we were afraid Dnipro would have a lack of food like Kharkiv, so the first thing we did was gather food. We were terrified and we needed time to recover, to not be afraid to approach a window. FINDING A PATH FORWARD That day, on March 2, the word “evacuation” entered my life. Just like my family during World War II, we had left our homes behind. We had to run, survive and look for a new shelter over our heads. Our family archive continued their evacuation files, and now it was supplemented with our own personal certificates of displaced persons. Every day, I continued to wake at 5 a.m. like I did in

Kharkiv, the time when bombings began. I slept and still sleep in all of my clothes, with my shoes at the side of the bed, in case we need to run to a bomb shelter in the middle of the night. Even now, two months later, air sirens ring constantly, as the threat of war comes closer to Dnipro. On a few occasions, military infrastructure in the city was actually bombed. It’s still not safe. I now understand that evacuation has two sides. The first is a fear for one’s life, the unbearable pain of parting, the frightened looks, shaking animals and faces filled with tears. The second side is the appreciation for the support of the military, the strangers waiting in Dnipro ready to help, the calls from colleagues and friends. In this moment, every call pushes you to continue moving

Watch Iana’s videos from Ukraine

forward, to continue surviving. It returns you to the ground beneath your feet and stops you from feeling disappointed in the world. During that time six years ago when I took part in the “Book of Generations” project, I compiled a family tree which I posted on a public genealogy platform. Many years later, our Zlatopolsky relatives in Detroit, who we had lost touch with after they immigrated to the continued on page 16 JUNE 2 • 2022

Volunteering at a call center (Iana, Igor and other volunteers). BELOW LEFT: Iana’s nephew, Lev Syrotnikov, age 8, draws a picture for Ukraine troops. Lev’s drawing was delivered with lifesaving supplies to Ukraine troops.

ON THE COVER

continued from page 15

United States, found the tree. In the Soviet Union, it was forbidden to have any contact with relatives in the West, and therefore keeping a relationship wasn’t possible. Before the war began, we reestablished our relationship. Strong roots and traditions allowed our family to pick up right where we left off. Now, our Zlatopolsky family is in touch with us every day. They support us and help us. It’s a connection that goes back many decades — during World War II, our grandparents also helped one another survive. SAVE ONE LIFE, SAVE THE ENTIRE WORLD When we arrived in Dnipro, our family arranged help for us from the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine. We were called by a representative immediately upon reaching Dnipro, offering us any assistance we needed. Now, we’ve joined their cause. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine has created a hotline to provide human-

JUNE 2 • 2022

itarian assistance and evacuate civilians from all parts of Ukraine. Their call center works around the clock to process a huge number of applications. This is where we began to volunteer, answering calls and arranging help for civilians trapped in war. On the other end of the phone calls are frightened people whose emotions are familiar to mine. I remember a call from a woman in Kharkiv who asked for help evacuating. She lived in an area under heavy shelling with her disabled mother, who doesn’t have legs, and with her son, who is ill with cerebral palsy and can’t move on his own. These people can’t run into their basement or leave without outside help. Yet the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine was ready to jump in and organized a special flight for people who can’t move independently. I remember the day the Federation sent this evacuation flight to Kharkiv. The entire call center rejoiced. I also remember the words of Rabbi Meir Zvi Stambler, the

Federation’s director, who said that if at least one person from Mariupol could get through to us, we could send a bus to pick that person up. Getting involved with this cause has allowed me to find strength in myself to help those who need it most. It’s not always possible to help everyone, but if you can help one person, I believe the world becomes a better place. HUMANITY AT ITS GREATEST It’s been two months since I learned what it’s like to leave your home, lose all your goals and dreams, and part with your loved ones and friends. I constantly draw parallels in my head to the stories of my grandparents with renewed vigor. In these stories, I find my present self. Previously, I never understood. Now, when my grandparents are no longer around, I am able to feel their stories inside of me, where they continue to live. If I ever get to tell my story to my children or grandchildren, I will tell them that war is not just a fate in life that a person experiences. It’s a huge loss, especially a human loss. Behind every story told about war is a mass of destinies that are all intertwined and imprinted in history. I will tell them that war is scary and painful, that it is the unknown, but that it is also something in which you begin to appreciate seemingly simple things. In war, you appreciate being able to hear the birds singing, not the sound of artillery or missiles flying by. You enjoy the opportunity to sleep, at home, in bed and in silence. You are thankful for light, heat and water. You appreciate the life of every person that is next to

you, really appreciate it. I will tell my descendants that evacuation is when you gather your essentials in a hurry and run away to the sounds of shelling of your home and city, when you can’t stop the flow of tears. Every day, you dream of your old life. Yet, on the other side of a complex web of emotions, it’s not about losses. Instead, it’s about what you gain. The evacuation, no matter how painful it is, shows the support of people you don’t know. There is solidarity and mutual assistance. This is humanity at its greatest, which in peacetime is often invisible. Now, it shines with great strength. I understand what my grandparents were trying to say when they said that the most powerful memory about evacuation is the kindness of people. It’s not about being alone. Strangers help you find a new home, provide you with food and medicine. You are constantly taken care of. They are ready to support you for as long as you need. I felt this same feeling myself. The kindness of people gave me back my strength. It multiplied my desire to survive in order to become a beacon of strength for other people. However, I hope that my stories will remain that way for my descendants: just stories. That these terrible words will never take on a real form for them. If they’re asked the question, “What is your mother or grandmother’s strongest memory of the war?” I want them to answer, “The kindness of people.” After all, despite the fact that my heart is torn to pieces, it is held together by a large number of hands from different parts of our big world.

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OUR COMMUNITY Elyssa Schmier and her son

lyssa Schmier of Huntington Woods likes to be prepared. Ever since her son was born last August, she liked to have a small stock of formula on hand, at least six or seven cans. Her husband, Stephen, used to tease her, saying, “Do we really need so much?” Back then, Elyssa laughed it off. “Anything could happen … I know it’s an irrational fear.” But no one’s laughing now, and that irrational fear has become a reality. In February, four babies became sick with bacterial infections after consuming formula that was made at a Michigan plant. Some reports say two babies died due to the contaminated formula. This led to an immediate recall on Similac PM 60/40, Similac, Alimentum and EleCare powdered formulas. Schmier headed to the store to return her entire stack of recalled formula and get a refund. When she looked for more formula to purchase, they were all out. She went to a second store, but they didn’t have any either. She’d had similar experiences since the beginning of the pandemic, but as she stared in horror at the empty shelves in the third store, Schmier began to panic. “I thought, ‘something’s going on and no one even knows about it’,” she said. “I wondered was it just Michigan? I went on Twitter and asked if anyone else was having trouble finding formula and moms from all over the country began chiming in.” Schmier, vice president of Moms Rising, an advocacy group for mothers and children, reached out to her colleague National WIC Associations Senior Director Brian Dittmeie, who was also extremely concerned. He told Schmier the entire country was experiencing a formula shortage, but the topic had received no coverage yet. “I completely freaked out,” Schmier said. She posted her struggles to find formula on all social media platforms. On April 12, Schmier and Dittmeie did a Q&A about

JUNE 2 • 2022

The Nightmare Hunt for Baby Formula

A community of mothers offers resources and support for one another. ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

the formula shortage on Instagram Stories … which was viewed by a USA Today reporter. The reporter wrote an article on the topic, and the issue started being discussed widely. Suddenly, parents were rushing to the stores and buying all the formula they could lay their hands on. The panic-buying and hoarding of baby formula had echoes of the toilet paper shortage during the pandemic, only much worse and with much more serious repercussions. Suddenly, like a precarious game of dominoes, everything came crashing down. The three other American manufacturers of baby formula couldn’t provide the supply to match the demand, and there was no formula to be found on store shelves anywhere.

According to Datasembly, in April 2022, 30% of popular baby formula brands were sold out at retailers across the United States and that number had climbed to 40% by the end of the month. Currently, the rate is 43% and as high as 48% in some states. “The whole thing blew up overnight,” Schmier said. So far, Schmier’s personal situation is not too concerning. “We’re in OK shape. We have family and friends looking out for us, people have shipped us formula from other cities,” Schmier said. “It’s exhausting emotionally and physically to have to keep going out and searching, having to worry like this.” Schmier is very concerned for parents who are suffering because of this shortage. “Parents just want to safely feed their

Rachel Moss and her family at baby Jackson’s bris on May 23

babies. Switching formulas abruptly can cause stomach bleeds or other health issues in some kids … It’s really very scary on the ground. Parents are coming out of NICUs without the specialized formulas their babies need. There are others who are in dire situations and have limited options, like if their kids have allergies.” GLOBAL JEWISH COMMUNITY OFFERS ASSISTANCE Nechama S. of Southfield is one such mom: Her 15-month-old son Danny is allergic to dairy and soy, among other things. When Danny was born, Nechama nursed him and eliminated his allergens from her own diet, but it didn’t seem to be helping him. After a few months, the doctor recommended switching him to a hypoallergenic Neocate formula instead. The Neocate formula was not part of the recall, but the entire stock was completely snapped up by parents who didn’t necessarily need the specialty kind but were desperate to feed their babies any formula at all. “Ensuring my son has the necessary nutrients that he needs in order to continue to grow and thrive is obviously top priority for me,” Nechama said.

“I spend a lot of time calling pharmacies to see if they have this formula in stock. When I ask when their next shipment is arriving, no one knows. It’s so worrying, especially when I see I’m down to my last few cans.” Nechama said finding formula has been a serious struggle, but the local and global Jewish communities have been stepping in to help during this crisis. A friend who weaned her baby off formula gave Nechama her entire leftover stock. Complete strangers from Canada and even as far as the U.K. have offered to ship formula to the United States. These donations come at just the right time for Nechama. “It’s so clear to me that God is showing his love and care for me and my family,” said Nechama, who is deeply religious and has been finding her spirituality a source of strength during this challenging time. “I believe everything is in God’s hands, and I find it helpful to remember that ‘this too shall pass.’ “I don’t know why it’s happening, but God must have His reasons and, hopefully, we’ll grow from it. Personally, I’m finding it inspiring to see how everyone’s trying to help each other out.”

KIDS WITH MEDICAL CHALLENGES Shayna Goldner of Oak Park is another mom who’s been struggling. Her daughter, Chava, 2, is in the 0 percentile for growth, has been diagnosed with failure to thrive and other challenging medical issues, including allergies, and was on a specialty hypoallergenic formula almost as a medication. The day Goldner learned of the recall in early February, she put her daughter to bed without any formula at all. Chava’s medical challenges put Goldner in a sticky spot: unlike other babies, she was unable to just switch to a more readily available formula — it could make her dangerously sick. The next day, Goldner spent an entire stressful day on the phone, calling her pediatrician and WIC, trying to figure out what to do. Their gastroenterologist suggested switching to Kate Farms formula. “It was a risk, but it was the only option,” Goldner said and promptly ordered it for overnight shipping. There was still no available formula for Chava again that night, but as she’s older, she was able to eat a little food and had other nutritional options. Still, Goldner felt terrible and helpless as she put her toddler to bed without giving her the nutrition she needed. continued on page 20

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OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 19

“At first, Chava didn’t like the Kate Farms, but I was insistent — there was no choice — and, thankfully, after a few days with a hungry belly, she started to drink it,” Goldner said. Another concern is the financial aspect. Unfortunately, WIC has not been covering the Kate Farms for the Goldners (although they did pay for Chava’s previous formula) and their insurance company denied formula coverage. Goldner is in a few support groups for parents of kids with medical conditions and she related how many parents have struggled with this nightmare for months now. “There are even babies who have had to be hospitalized because there was just no nutrition available that they could tolerate,” Goldner said. “It’s unbelievable. This whole situation is so overwhelming. When a child has medical challenges and has a difficult time with growth and eating, the last thing the parents need is having little to nothing to feed their kid. We worry 24/7 already, we’re already dealing with appointments, tests, diagnoses … and now there’s the fight to find formula on top of everything, the fight to find people to help and finding the financial means to make it all happen.” Despite the major struggles, Goldner said she knows she is fortunate that at Chava’s age, the formula is only supplemental, that she tolerated the switch well and that Kate Farms is more available than other brands. NEW MOMS ARE FEARFUL It’s also heartbreaking to think of new moms who are struggling to find formula to feed their newborns. Rachel Moss of West Bloomfield first heard of the formula shortage a few months ago when she was expecting her second baby and instantly started worrying. “This is so nerve-wracking, an additional stress for new parents about how to feed their children,” Moss said. Every time she went shopping while she was pregnant, she checked the store shelves and bought some cans of formula just in case. “A few weeks ago, there was still some

JUNE 2 • 2022

Shayna Goldner with her daughter Chava

formula on store shelves,” said Moss, who gave birth to her son Tyler on May 16. “Now there’s nothing. I have a supply for a couple of weeks, and my pediatrician has been as helpful as he can, but I don’t know what’s going to happen when this formula is finished. It’s so stressful.” Moss said the Jewish organizations have been helpful, and she heard that some are about to roll out initiatives to help formulastrapped moms. Goldner pinpointed JFS, Detroit Chesed Project and Yad Ezra as having been particularly sympathetic and helpful. Schmier said that another source of support has been the 3.5K member-strong Free Exchange for Jewish Women of Metro Detroit Facebook page, which has essentially become a formula exchange with people posting where they saw formula and if they have any to donate. Schmier said she’s found some through that page and is always running around Metro Detroit, picking up formula donations from random places. “It’s literally a wild goose chase,” Schmier said. “When someone posts that they saw formula on the shelves at CVS, Walgreens, Costco, wherever, I jump in my car and run there. I’m fortunate that I work from home and have that flexibility.” Some moms have also generously offered their breast milk, but that can be somewhat

of a sore point with some formula-feeding moms. Goldner said, “I nursed Chava for her first six months, but she wound up in the hospital. She kept vomiting and was then diagnosed with failure to thrive, so we made the hard decision at that time to switch her to formula.” For Goldner, breast milk is not the answer and she said she feels “mom shamed” when other moms say things like “if you would just breastfeed, you wouldn’t have this issue.” Despite the challenges and the heartache, Goldner said she still feels tremendous gratitude. “It’s the goodness of people that have helped me … The moms in my support groups who have given us free formula … The moms who drove to Cincinnati and back to buy formula and took no reimbursement for gas! Daniella HarPaz at Yad Ezra, Channie Goldstein at Detroit Chesed Project, the nutritionist at WIC who went over recipes and ideas of how to help get us through this … our pediatrician who makes weekly calls to check on us,” Goldner said. “I’m religious, and I took my needs to a Higher Power, but it’s clear to me that my answers came from the goodness and caring of others. I’m so grateful to God and to these kind people.”

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OUR COMMUNITY SYNAGOGUE SPOTLIGHT

Congregation of Moses

Kalamazoo’s Congregation of Moses Continues to Grow The shul strives to “reach people where they are.” DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

udaism is active and thriving at Congregation of Moses (CoM) in Kalamazoo, the more than 130-year-old synagogue that’s occupied its current site on Stadium Drive since 1961. CoM, an egalitarian traditional synagogue, welcomes all interfaith families. According to CoM records, Articles of Incorporation were filed with the city of Kalamazoo in 1891 for the Congregation of the Children of the House of Moses. In June 1902, property was purchased on East South Street for the purpose of building a synagogue. In 1905, the name of the group, composed of some 16 families, was officially changed and shortened to the Congregation of Moses. Cornerstone-laying ceremonies took place in 1906, followed by the dedication ceremony in March 1907. A resident rabbi was hired for the sum of $400 per year. The congregation had come into its own. The end of World War Il caused economic and

JUNE 2 • 2022

population growth in the area, which affected the congregation. It was decided that larger facilities were needed and, in 1946, the building formerly occupied by Temple B’nai Israel, the Reform Jewish congregation in Kalamazoo, was acquired. It was at that point CoM opted to relinquish its ties to Orthodox Judaism and become affiliated with the Conservative movement. As the 1960s arrived, the needs of an everexpanding community once again came into focus, and the property on Stadium Drive was acquired. Early in 1960, the cornerstone was cemented into place. In June 1961, the new synagogue was dedicated and a new spiritual home was born. Rabbi Hannah Estrin has been CoM’s transitional rabbi for nearly a year. CoM is planning to bring in a new full-

time rabbi a year from now. Rabbi Harvey Spivak was CoM’s lead rabbi for 30+ years prior to Estrin. CoM currently has 101 family units. Rabbi Hannah Estrin

A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES Along with offering a wide variety of services, education and programming, CoM takes part in a lot of casual activities. “Every month I ask a member to plan an activity, and it can be whatever they want as long as it’s good for five to 20 people, that’s the sweet point,”

Estrin said. “We’ve gone crosscountry skiing. We’ve done a paint night. We also have a really active gardening group. We really try to get outside of the building.” CoM also works with two churches to help refugees. Members of the community have donated clothes, shoes and toys to CoM, and refugees, including Afghan refugees, can pick up what they need. “There’s a lot of variety, and my goal has always been to reach people where they are,” Estrin said. CoM does two or three

ALEX SHERMAN/JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY

A protester stands outside Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor in 2020.

Denial in D.C.

Supreme Court declines to hear two different attempts to stop longtime Ann Arbor synagogue protesters. ANDREW LAPIN JTA.ORG Members enjoyed a crosscountry skiing activity together.

joint programs per year with Kalamazoo’s Temple B’nai Israel (TBI) and Chabad of Kalamazoo with the help of the Jewish Federation of Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan. CoM also does a lot of programming with TBI itself, bringing the two communities together. CoM makes up one half of the Marvin and Rosalie Okun Kalamazoo Community Jewish School operation, a joint endeavor with TBI launched in 2016 from a desire to have all Jewish children in the community learn together. About 45 children are enrolled in classes ranging from pre-K to high school. Classes are held at both congregations and are led by teachers and rabbis. “I think the location, the fact we’re in Kalamazoo, is part of what makes us special,” Estrin said. “It’s a university town, and you’ve got a lot of independent bookstores and independent coffee houses and that kind of feeling around. “Both the Kalamazoo community and the Kalamazoo Jewish community are incredibly strong and vibrant.

Watch Ask the Rabbi with Rabbi Estrin

They’re not traditional Detroit Jews, so to speak; they live in Kalamazoo — and that choice already says something about them.” CoM is continuing to grow just as it always has over the years and is currently planning two projects. One is to create an outdoor garden/ playground/gathering space; the other is to expand its sukkah to triple the current size. “I think just the way people gather is really beautiful,” Estrin said of the CoM community. “There’s really a friendliness. Everybody’s welcome no matter who you are, what you look like or what you believe. We want to welcome people in wherever they are.”

he U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear two different requests to take up a suit against a group of protesters who have gathered weekly outside an Ann Arbor synagogue for nearly two decades holding anti-Israel and antisemitic signs, seemingly closing off any remaining legal avenues against the long-running display. The court issued orders in March and May denying petitions brought by two different congregants who had argued that the protests targeted Jews at their place of worship, violating their First Amendment right to freely exercise their religion. The plaintiffs belong to two different congregations that both meet in the same synagogue building: Conservative Beth Israel Congregation and the Jewish Renewal-affiliated Pardes Hannah Congregation. Neither congregation was involved in the lawsuits. The two congregants, one of whom is a Holocaust survivor, had first brought a joint lawsuit against the protesters, the city and Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor in 2019. Lower courts dismissed it on First Amendment grounds, and a judge ordered the plaintiffs to pay the protesters’ legal fees. Following a dispute between one of the plaintiffs, Marvin Gerber, and their attorney, Marc Susselman, the suit was broken up and two separate petitions under two separate attorneys were filed to the Supreme Court. Both of those petitions have now

been declined; Gerber’s was rejected most recently, on May 16. Gerber had retained the wellknown Jewish attorney Nathan Lewin, a veteran of the Supreme Court who has argued multiple Jewish-interest cases and who was a close friend of former Justice Antonin Scalia. “I am shocked and dismayed that the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals view antisemitic picketing timed and designed to harass and intimidate Jews only when they come to pray — clearly protected by the First Amendment’s Religion Clause — as free speech that may not be curtailed,” Lewin said. He compared the case to a law that makes it a federal crime to protest or picket near a judge’s residence in order to influence a decision — a law that has been in the news lately as abortion rights protesters upset with a leaked Supreme Court draft appearing to overturn uuu have protested outside the homes of conservative justices. Jewish groups, including Agudath Israel of America, the Rabbinical Council of America and the Orthodox Jewish Chamber of Commerce, filed friend-of-thecourt briefs on the plaintiffs’ behalf. Earlier this year, the Ann Arbor City Council issued a formal resolution condemning the protests as antisemitic. The protesters, who claim they are opposed to Israeli policy, have held signs with messages including “Jewish Power Corrupts.” JUNE 2 • 2022

OUR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK

Giving Back Life Lessons

Henry Moses teaches life skills to students with special needs. RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR

COURTESY OF FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE

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he Friendship Circle of Michigan nominated Henry Moses, 85, of West Bloomfield for recognition because of his dedication to their Lessons for Life program. Moses spends his time with the Lessons for Life Program at the organization’s cityscape known as Weinberg Village, where children with special needs come to experience life skills in a safe, controlled environment. “Various school groups from Southeast Michigan bring their special needs kids to Weinberg Village, which is a mock village where kids are given $12 and learn how to budget their time, money and how to speak up for themselves,” said Moses, who volunteers there two to three times a week. “The kids have various lesson plans and are able to wander around the village and have a good time,” Moses added. “I love seeing these kids open up, learn and enjoy the experience.” He began volunteering 15 years ago, when he first volunteered at Friendship Circle for Federation’s Mitzvah Day. “I just fell in love with the organization,” he said.

The nonprofit organization’s goal is to provide every individual with special needs the support, friendship and inclusion he or she deserves. “A large part of Friendship Circle’s mission is to enrich, inspire and motivate teen and adult volunteers through sharing of themselves with others,” said Friendship Circle Director Bassie Shemtov. “Henry Moses is a perfect example of selfless giving. “ Moses encourages those who are interested in giving back to the community to consider volunteering with the Friendship Circle. “I would encourage anyone who has the time to get involved because it’s just a wonderful way to give back to the community,” he said. Moses says his time with the Friendship Circle has been a fulfilling experience and he volunteers whenever he can. “I love working and seeing the kids learn and grow. It’s very rewarding.” If you are interested in learning more about the Friendship Circle and how you can volunteer, email Shayna at Shayna@friendshipcircle.org or call her at (248) 788-7878, ext. 207. If you would like to nominate someone to be the next volunteer of the week, send a nomination with a short paragraph telling us why to socialmedia@thejewishnews.com.

Heart of Gold Winner

Patti Morris Phillips named winner of the second annual award honoring amazing volunteers in our community. LAUREN GARFIELD-HERRIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

n 2020, after the passing of Sheryl “Sheri” Schiff, one of Metropolitan Detroit’s extraordinary volunteers, it was obvious to the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee (JCRC/AJC) that the organization needed to honor their longtime board member in some way. Later that year, staff from JCRC/AJC joined with her family to create the Sheryl “Sheri” Terebelo Schiff Heart of Gold Award. This accolade, given yearly at the May annual meeting, would go to an unpaid volunteer for any Jewish organization that serves the local community. All recipPatti Morris ients must have contributed to Phillips and for the general good of the Jewish community and demonstrated dedication, knowledge and care in the provision of these services. “This award recognizes individuals who carry on the legacy of Sheri Schiff ’s passionate and devoted commitment to the Jewish community and its values,” said Rabbi Asher Lopatin, executive director of JCRC/AJC. The first award was bestowed in May 2021, posthumously, to the late Micki Grossman, whom Sheri worked closely with on JCRC/AJC’s Mitzvah Day, as well as other community projects such as Bookstock. In March, when the award committee met to determine its second recipient, the group was touched by the many nominations they received from fellow communal organizations. However, one stood out above others — the one for MSU Hillel’s Board President Patrice “Patti” Morris Phillips. In the form, MSU Hillel Executive Director Cindy Hughey noted that Phillips has been an active member of the Detroit

Jewish community for more than 30 years. In that time, she has served on the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Board of Governors, representing her family’s foundation, the Prentis Family Support Foundation, and on the board of Temple Beth El, among others. She also has volunteered and supported Federation’s Annual Campaign, Bookstock, Jewish Family Service, Tamarack Camps, Hadassah, National Council of Jewish Women, Hebrew Free Loan and many more organizations, both in the Jewish and general community. Surprisingly, this past chair of the Jewish Women’s Foundation has never been widely recognized for her commitment to the community. “We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and generous person like Patti in our community, Hughey said. Her commitment to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and agencies like mine is remarkable. MSU Hillel and the Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan would not have become the dynamic and vibrant organizations we are today without her vision and support.” Carly Schiff, one of Sheri’s beloved daughters, presented the award to Phillips. “Patti has worked quietly and tirelessly to make our community a better place,” she said. “She truly deserved to receive this award because she, like my mother, has a heart of gold and gives back to our Jewish community without any expectation of acknowledgement.” Prior to becoming a lifelong volunteer, the daughter of Jewell and Lester Morris, for whom MSU Hillel’s building is named, attended Grosse Pointe University School and Kingswood School/Cranbrook before heading to Michigan State University and Drake University, where she received a degree in journalism. Following graduation, she worked in advertising and public rela-

tions for Barnum and Bailey Circus and at Kenyon Eckhardt Advertising. “I am so honored to have received the Sheryl ‘Sheri’ Terebelo Schiff Heart of Gold Award,” Phillips said. “The work that Sheri and Micki did in the community was the platinum standard. I was fortunate to volunteer alongside both of them in the past.”

“WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE SUCH A DEDICATED AND GENEROUS PERSON LIKE PATTI IN OUR COMMUNITY. HER COMMITMENT TO THE JEWISH FEDERATION OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT AND AGENCIES LIKE MINE IS REMARKABLE.” — CINDY HUGHEY

Phillips is married to Dr. Eric Phillips, with whom she has two daughters, Jennifer Phillips-Weckstein, who is married to Daniel and has two children, Liam and Ellery, and Rachel Bigio, who is married to Joey. The nomination form for the third Sheryl “Sheri” Terebelo Schiff Heart of Gold Award will be made available in January 2023. JUNE 2 • 2022

OUR COMMUNITY The Shul Sisters

Celebrating Female Voices in the Cantorate Congregation Shaarey Zedek welcomes the Shul Sisters on June 9. RUTH KREMER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

ow unlikely is it to find three female cantors on the bimah of the prestigious Orthodox Hampton Synagogue in New York? Surprisingly, it was one of many distinguished appearances for these three cantors — the Shul Sisters — who are coming to Congregation Shaarey Zedek on Thursday, June 9, at 7 p.m. The concert is free, but registration is required. The Shul Sisters are three of the leading female cantors in the country: Cantor Laurie Akers of Congregation Or Shalom in Chicago, Cantor Rachel Brook of Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago and Cantor Rachel Goldman of Congregation Ner Tamid of South Bay in Los Angeles. The three cantors met through separate shared relationships with acclaimed performer Neshama Carlebach. Cantors Akers and Brook were each invited to work with Carlebach on one of her

JUNE 2 • 2022

albums in February 2018. Later, when Brook was being installed at the Park Avenue Synagogue, Akers was commissioned to write a song for the occasion, which cultivated their relationship. The relationship they shared with Carlebach led them to meet at a cantorial convention. It all came together in February 2019, at a song-leading convention in St. Louis called Songleader Bootcamp, the brainchild of Jewish music singer Rick Recht. Cantor Rachel Goldman pulled the other two aside to introduce them to a beautiful song called “Price of a Woman.” At that moment, when they started to sing together, they felt a magical connection. They realized that they had something special, and the Shul Sisters were born. The Shul Sisters have been appearing together since 2019 at venues such as Park Avenue Synagogue

in New York City and the International Lion of Judah Conference, both in 2020, and the Jewish United Fund of Chicago Women’s Gala with Diane von Furstenberg and the Neranenan/Atlanta Jewish Music Festival, both in 2021. ACCOMPLISHED CANTORS These three already-distinguished cantors have individually contributed to liturgical music in their own rights. Akers is a celebrated Jewish Rock Radio artist whose compositions have received national acclaim. She serves as the host of Jewish Rock Radio Chicago Sings, a concert series that brings together cantors and musicians from 20-plus congregations to create and share new Jewish music. In addition, she hosts the monthly Cantors Assembly program, Shir Chadash, and frequently serves as a guest artist and commissioned composer at congregations around the

country. Her compositions can be found in numerous Jewish liturgical anthologies. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Brad, and their three sons, Isaac, Levi and Ashton. Brook, senior cantor of Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago, was the first female cantor in its 150-year history. Previously, she served as cantor at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York. Her first solo album, L’chayim Ul’shalom: Songs of Life and Peace, was released in December 2020, and she is a featured soloist on several Park Avenue Synagogue albums. Brook has served as the conductor of Shir Chadash: The Brooklyn Jewish Community Chorus and the Westchester chapter of HaZamir: the International Jewish High School Choir. She has been a service leader and educator at synagogues throughout New York City and at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where she curated and taught the yeshivah’s first course on building singing communities. She was ordained at the H.L. Miller Cantorial School of Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in May 2016. Goldman currently serves as Cantor at Congregation Ner Tamid of South Bay in Los Angeles. Beginning in

Details: Shul Sisters at Shaarey Zedek On Thursday, June 9, 7 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Road, Southfield. Free, but registration is required at shaareyzedek. org/shulsisters. Call (248) 357-5544 for information.

July 2022, she will become the senior cantor at Congregation Beth Yeshurun in Houston, Texas. As a concert soloist, Goldman has been heard in venues such as the Hollywood Ford Theatre, the Houston Hobby Center and the Hollywood Bowl, with ensembles such as the Houston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony. She was ordained at the Academy of Jewish Religion-California and holds a master’s degree from the same institution. She has spearheaded multiple cantorial collaborative projects on both the national and international levels. Goldman has cofounded two cantorial collaborative groups, Shul Sisters and Guys and Meidels, a Los Angeles-based quartet that infuses classical Jewish and Cantorial music with millennial energy. The Irving and Beverly Laker Concert Series adds important voices to the cultural offerings of CSZ. The series recently brought the musical revue L’Chaim: The Miracle of Fiddler in Yiddish to the shul. Other upcoming events at CSZ include Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of the Park Avenue Synagogue and a leader in contemporary Conservative Jewish thought, on June 23 at 7 p.m. His appearance is part of the Rabbi Irwin Groner Memorial Lecture series, funded in memory of A. Alfred Taubman; also, Dara Horn, acclaimed author of People Love Dead Jews, will be in town Nov. 4-5 for a scholar-in-residence weekend. Her appearance is funded by the Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation.

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OUR COMMUNITY

Let’s Be Civil Talking and listening across the political divide. LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ournalist Stephen Henderson judges that “the political climate has worsened over the last decade or so.” Henderson, along with many other observers of American politics, finds it disturbing that “people have started to come apart” over their disagreements. Friends and relatives do not know how to talk with each other across their venomous partisan divisions. Activists and leaders routinely break the norms of political behavior; ordinary citizens hear and use increasingly violent language; protesters turn violent; we wonder if we can count on impartial elections or peaceful transfers of power. People just cut their ties with former friends who hold opposing political opinions. But Henderson has long enjoyed a close friendship with Nolan Finley, despite their political disagreements. About 15 years ago, when Finley was editorial page editor of the conservative Detroit News and Henderson had the equivalent position at the liberal Detroit Free Press, they often attended the same news events; program planners would invite them to discuss their disagreements in public forums. Finley and Henderson liked to rehash those events at the bar afterwards. In the ensuing years, they have not drawn any closer politically. Both men say, “We

strongly disagree about almost everything.” About that they agree. They also agree that Americans need to find a way to talk with and listen to each other, even about politics. Finley says, “There is too much hate in America today, fueled by our politics.” Henderson agrees: “Confrontation happens when civility breaks down, and we’ve seen things turn increasingly uncivil and violent in the past decade. We’re fighting for our soul as a country, and we need to act now before it’s too late.” So, they started, in Finley’s words, “my conservative friends and acquaintances, his progressive friends and associates, to bring them together in small groups over bourbon, in local bars, just to talk together.” The two friends would model techniques for disagreeing respectfully. Finley and Henderson came to believe that they could help teach civility as an outgrowth of their own political dialogue. In the years of their unusual and unlikely friendship, they figured out how they had built a successful and productive relationship when they hold opposing perspectives on almost everything. As more people angled for invitations, the meetings outgrew that informal structure. In 2020, Finley and Henderson started an organized Great Lakes

Nolan Finley, veteran editorial page editor of the Detroit News, and Stephen Henderson, host of Detroit Today.

Civility Project, to scale their efforts up to reach the general public. With the help of sponsors, Delta Dental Plan and Huntington Bank, the Great Lakes Civility Project has now conducted, in Finley’s description, “54 programs at community groups, classrooms, civic organizations, churches.” (For a list of upcoming events, visit greatlakescivilityproject.com.) Finley identifies the operating assumption that makes civil discussions possible: “That all people, all good people, come to their opinions in the same way. They take the facts, the information, the data; they run it through the filters of their values and experiences; and they come up with their opinion. “If it is different from yours or mine, that doesn’t make them evil. It doesn’t make them stupid. It doesn’t make them sinister in any way. They just have different experiences or whole different values. Those values are just as valid as yours. You may never agree with them.” When we talk with people with other political commitments, he says, “We’re

not asking you to reach consensus, just to develop respect for the other person and their viewpoints. Agree with their right to hold their views.” According to Finley, that mindset reduces suspicion and saves us from assuming that “we know something about people … based on what we think we know about their political views. And once you sit down talking, the more we talk to each other, the more we understand each other.” To have that civil discussion, we have to “check our self-righteousness,” he says. We have to recognize we might learn something. “If you know that you have nothing to learn … you won’t learn anything,” he adds. THE CIVILITY PROJECT IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY In that first year, during the COVID-19 lockdown, the Civility Project did a Zoom program for the JCRC/AJC (the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee). Rabbi Asher Lopatin, executive director of JCRC/AJC, said there were about 40 participants on Zoom, including continued on page 29

JUNE 2 • 2022

The Final Kindness Windsor’s Jewish organizations and synagogues partner to launch indigent Jewish Burial Fund. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

espectful treatment of the recently deceased and a prompt burial is one of the greatest, most selfless acts of the Jewish faith. On occasion, a member of the Jewish community will pass with no means or family to assist in covering these costs. The Windsor Jewish Federation & Community Centre, Chabad of Windsor, Congregation Beth El, Congregation Shaar Hashomayim and the Jewish National Fund of Windsor are partnering to launch a Windsor Indigent Jewish Burial Fund to ensure every member of its community has access to a dignified Jewish burial as costs have continued to rise. In the past, Windsor had

three Jewish religious institutions able to split the bill if a situation occurred — the Shaar, Temple Beth El and the now-defunct Shaaraey Zedek. A situation has not occurred in years, but with a little forethought, it was decided to reinstitute the program. Arnold Blaine, secretary of Shaar Hashomayim, chair of the Jewish Endowment Fund of Windsor and Jewish Federation of Windsor board member, estimates the last time this occurred was anywhere between 20-30 years ago, and a Jewish funeral cost $2,000-$3,000. For each religious institution to collectively cover the cost of a funeral wouldn’t be prohibitive. Now, Blaine estimates the expenses of a funeral are maybe

$10,000 or in that ballpark, a significant increase. Blaine says there was a summit meeting arranged between the organizations, where it was decided to go out to the community and ask for donations for the fund, so it was available in case the issue ever arose. “It’s not anything we anticipate there being a huge demand for, and hopefully it never has to be used, but if it does, the money is there to take care of a funeral and a proper Jewish funeral.” Blaine believes it’s important the community as a whole is working together on a matter such as this. “It’s a real mitzvah as far as this being taken care of because obviously the person can never

To contribute to this appeal, make your donation out to the Windsor Jewish Community Centre and designate your donation to “Windsor Jewish Burial Fund Appeal.” Make a donation online at www.jewishwindsor.org/online-payments or by contacting Michelle Turnbull at michelle@jewishwindsor.org to drop a check off at the WJCC.

“A piece of the history of the Holocaust really applies very directly toward how individuals treat each other and how when that devolves into a process of dehumanization, it allows atrocities to occur, including the Holocaust.” He does not expect us to find exact parallels in modern America to the lead-up to the Holocaust; rather, he cites the saying that “history does not repeat itself, but it rhymes.” Mayerfeld maintains that “knowing the details of how these kinds of events occurred in the past can inform how we ought to behave in the present.” Alisa Peskin-Shepherd serves as principal attorney at Transitions Legal in Bloomfield Hills, a practice

in collaborative divorce. She calls the Civility Project “such a unique opportunity to learn.” Alisa In negotiating PeskinShepherd with a former spouse, as in negotiating with a political opponent, it is unrealistic to expect to win by convincing the other party. “I’m an attorney, so certainly I can argue a point. And not arguing a point is really what Civility Project is all about,” she says. “We can sit down; we can have a conversation; we can respect each other’s perspectives; we can ask questions. “We’re not trying to convince the other person to come to our side of the table.”

repay the mitzvah and kindness that’s extended to them, so as a functioning Jewish community, we felt it was necessary to make sure it’s handled properly when it comes time for an individual to pass on.”

continued from page 28

their board and past presidents. Lopatin says he feels grateful to the sponsors of the Civility Rabbi Project, who Asher Lopatin made the program available without charge to participants. Lopatin sees the work of the Civility Project as congruent to the mission of JCRC/AJC because advocacy for the concerns of the Jewish community depends on relationships. If we can develop some shared affection, some joy, then we can also talk frankly with members of other communities, he says. “This works even when we disagree, and even when we do not have shared values.”

Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO of the Zekelman Holocaust Center

The Civility Project has invited Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO of the Zekelman Holocaust Center in West Bloomfield, to conduct a panel on the process of dehumanization. Mayerfeld sees this discussion for the Civility Project as directly relevant to his work with the HC.

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NEXT DOR

VOICE OF THE NEW JEWISH GENERATION

defense attorney and founding partner of Royal Oak-based Zupac Law initially wanted to become a professional skateboarder and even competed in local skateboarding competitions, but life eventually led him to the legal field “by chance,” he says, where he found his current professional calling. Zupac Law opened in 2019, where Zuppke works alongside his law partner and founding partner Marina Chupac (the name is a combination of their last names). He continues to represent the skateboarding community, among others, handling traffic tickets, license restorations, misdemeanors and felonies, in addition to other legal needs.

A mobile legal advice trailer and mini-Blockbuster are just a few of his projects.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

hile on vacation with his family in Florida, an almost 10-yearold Jordan Zuppke picked up his first skateboard. The “skateboarding lawyer,” as he’s known today in the skateboarding and legal worlds, borrowed a skateboard from his cousin and practiced on a little rail in the street. “I did not want to give back their skateboard,” Zuppke, now 33, recalls. “I fell in

JUNE 2 • 2022

@CAMERAJESUS

Royal Oak’s Skateboarding Lawyer

love with it instantaneously.” Instead, it was almost his 10th birthday at the time, so he asked his parents for a skateboard of his own. “I got a little Santa Cruz [skateboard] that I still have today,” he says of that 10th birthday gift. “When I first stepped on it, I had a very natural ability with it.” Since that moment, Zuppke hasn’t stopped skateboarding. The criminal

A GUIDING FORCE In Zuppke’s office at 12 Mile and Crooks are 40-some skateboards on the wall, with another 100 at home. “It’s truly my first love,” he says, explaining that he likes to restore old skateboards. “It changed my life from the moment that I stepped on a skateboard. “I never really looked at the Jordan world the same way after,” he Zuppke adds with a laugh. With skateboarding as what Zuppke calls his “guiding force,” he continued to build his legal career while simultaneously focusing on his involvement in the skateboarding community. He even launched a free on-the-go legal advice trailer around the time of opening Zupac Law. “We bought the trailer from some guy, and then Marina and I painted it,” he says. “Her dad and I put hardwood floor in it. I bought an electric fireplace and we retrofitted that to the front.” The goal: for people to walk into the trailer and feel like they’re in a real legal office, however mobile. The trailer made its debut at Dally in the Alley, a free annual arts and culture event in Detroit. “I had been doing a free legal advice booth at Dally in the Alley,” Zuppke recalls. “I would invite a bunch of lawyers to come give legal advice and talk to people.” Zuppke and Chupac bought the trailer with the idea of not only taking it to the festival, but to other events around town as well. BUILDING A COMMUNITY Zuppke, who hails himself as a creator, has

other creative projects around Metro Detroit, aside from the legal advice trailer. In 2020, he opened a mini-Blockbuster outside of the Rust Belt Market in Ferndale after being inspired by a Blockbuster documentary he had recently watched. The “skateboarding lawyer,” who grew up regularly visiting the former Blockbuster on Maple and Orchard Lake Road, wanted to bring that same sense of nostalgia back to the community and its younger generations. “I found a woman who was selling blue boxes and I bought all of them,” he recalls. “We [now] have a free little Blockbuster.” At the mini-Blockbuster, people can borrow films and return them, just like with the original Blockbuster idea. A firm believer in building community, Zuppke is also working on a project to open a skateboarding park in

the Royal Oak area, where he recently bought a home with his partner, Rachel Goutman, and their cat, Bowie. Zuppke also serves as vice president of the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan (JBAM) and as a board member of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM). On Tuesdays, he studies Torah at Platform 18 with his friend and rabbi, Leiby Burnham, while continuing his involvement in various creative and professional endeavors. Since Zuppke has been busy working on projects for his new home, he hopes to dive back into skateboarding in the coming weeks and to grow Zupac Law. He also wants to “build an amazing skatepark.” At the end of the day, though, Zuppke has one true goal: “to keep going.”

Jordan Zuppke shows off some moves on his skateboard.

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Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation.

JUNE 2 • 2022

NEXT DOR

VOICE OF THE NEW JEWISH GENERATION

Birthright Trips Resume after COVID Hiatus

Views of the city of Jerusalem after touring Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum

A 4:30 a.m. wake-up call was worth it for the stunning views on the top of Masada, according to Nicki Borovsky, right, with new friend Bella Sakolish of New York.

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR

irthright trips to Israel have picked back up again since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “After a long hiatus, we are excited and honored to bring back so many participants from North America on these important and exciting tours to Israel,” said Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark. An extremely content selfie of Amanda Buchalter on Masada

JUNE 2 • 2022

About 2,000 Birthright Israel participants from 45 states and provinces in North America have made their way to Israel this past February and March. A few of those participants are from Metro Detroit. The JN caught up with Nicki Borovsky of Bloomfield Hills and Amanda Buchalter of Canton who both say they have been waiting to go to Israel for years and jumped at the opportunity as soon as it was available. “I’ve been trying to go on Birthright for three years now,” Borovsky said. “The first time that I was supposed to go was May 2020. But because of COVID, that was obviously canceled. Then I was supposed to go this past December with my older sister. And a week before we left, they canceled the trips, and nobody was allowed into Israel.” In 2020, the COVID outbreak caused cancellations for thousands of young people registered to go. “They are doing

everything they can to make sure that it’s safe, especially right now,” Buchalter added. Birthright participants must be fully vaccinated. Birthright Israel continues to work closely with Israel’s Ministry of Health to ensure a comprehensive and dynamic COVID protocol, taking care of all participants’ needs while in Israel. With these rules in place, Borovsky said she felt more comfortable going on the trip. “Knowing that all the people I went with were vaccinated made it easier to be around people who were in the same situation as me,” Borovsky said. Organizers say they are optimistic about the future and look forward to the summer. “Our summer trips are filling up quickly, and we are excited and optimistic that we will now be able to accommodate the 100,000 North American young adults who signed up for a trip over the last two years and couldn’t travel due to COVID,” Gidi Mark said.

Both Borovsky and Buchalter say they had a successful Birthright experience and would love to go back to Israel. “The biggest takeaway that I got from this trip was a sense of community. Both the American and Israeli participants in my group just meshed immediately. Bonding with people from so many different backgrounds over this exploration of Judaism, an immersion into a place that is majority Jewish, is irreplaceable,” Buchalter said. To find out if you’re eligible for a Birthright experience go to https://www. birthrightisrael.com.

Join us for the first

Coffee House: Learning and Community Program

MONDAY June 13th

10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Congregation Shaarey Zedek The William Saulson Pavilion under the tent

Cost: $5 a person Includes Kosher Lunch Registration Required

Dreaming in Suburbia: Jewish Culture in Postwar America Dr. Julian Levinson is the current Samuel Shetzer Professor of American Jewish Studies at University of Michigan. His publications include Exiles on Main Street: Jewish American Writers and American Literary Culture (Indiana University Press; winner of the National Jewish Book Award for American Jewish Studies, 2008) and articles about topics such as Yiddish modernism, Holocaust representation, and Jewish storytelling. He has translated several works of Yiddish literature, including a novel by Isaiah Spiegel about the Łódź Ghetto. RANKED BY STUDENTS AS 5 OUT OF 5 STARS “My favorite professor at U-M, hands down. A brilliant but humble man, and a truly genuine person. He is really funny but is also a super personable guy. He is a bit quirky, but you can tell how passionate he is about what he is teaching. He truly loves what he is doing.” “Professor Levinson is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic and I could listen to him talk all day. I am grateful that I had him as a professor.” “He's an amazing professor, so funny and passionate about the class and material. Just absolutely amazing, he's clear, concise, and engaging.”

For more information, contact the synagogue office at (248)357-5544. Registration: https://shaareyzedek.shulcloud.com/event/senior-coffee-house

Generously sponsored by Joy and Allan Nachman

Host Committee: David Broner • Richard J. Burstein • Lynda Giles • Barbra Giles • Wendy Handler • Barbara Kratchman Susan Kozik Klein • Joy and Allan Nachman • Rusty Rosman • Dottie and Donald Wagner

27375 Bell Road Southfield, Michigan 48034

https://www.shaareyzedek.org

SPORTS

Six Games, Six Days, One National Championship Zachary Felsenfeld of West Bloomfield finishes his college hockey career with a flourish. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JUNE 2 • 2022

COLLEGE HOCKEY FEDERATION

achary Felsenfeld went to Babson College to study business and finance. The West Bloomfield resident left the private business school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, last month with a bachelor’s degree in finance and entrepreneurship, a job in New York City, and a national championship in college club hockey. Felsenfeld was a member of the Babson club hockey team that won the 32-team College Hockey Federation Cup national tournament in March in Philadelphia. The tournament was a grind. No. 5-ranked Babson won six games on six consecutive days, outscoring its opponents 35-14, to earn the team’s first national title. “Grueling on the body,” is how Felsenfeld described the tournament. “Plus, we had to keep up with our classes while we were there,” he said. Felsenfeld, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound right wing, had four goals and three assists in his team’s six games at the tournament. He certainly saved his best for last this season. His production at the tournament gave him a total of eight goals and seven assists for his senior year. “I knew the games at the tournament were going to be my last competitive hockey games, so I wanted to leave it all on the ice,” he said. “I feel I did that.” After winning three games in pool play to open the tournament, Babson beat Alabama 3-1 in the quarterfinals, South Carolina 2-1 in overtime in the semifinals and Binghamton (New York) 6-2 in the championship game to complete an undefeated season. Felsenfeld played for the Babson club hockey team in his final three years at the school. “I didn’t play hockey at Babson when I was a freshman there because I wanted to focus on academics,” he said. “I didn’t even

What is Zachary Felsenfeld holding? The College Hockey Federation Cup.

bring my hockey gear. But I became friends with guys on the club team. “Hockey wasn’t the major reason why I went to Babson, but I knew they had a club team, and I was interested in playing for it.” While Babson helps with the club hockey team’s travel costs, Felsenfeld said, the players fund most of the expenses. In his case, Felsenfeld said, he used money he earned at summer jobs at Carl’s Golfland in Bloomfield Hills and Rocket Mortgage to pay to play. While playing for Babson, he wore his helmet from his days on the Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood High School hockey team. Those who think college club hockey is not much different than an adult recreation league are wrong, Felsenfeld said. “College club hockey shouldn’t be taken lightly,” he said. “It’s fast-paced, hard-hitting hockey with really good players. It’s nothing

to joke about.” Felsenfeld played for the perennial powerhouse Cranbrook-Kingswood hockey team as a junior and senior. He had 11 goals and 18 assists in the two seasons, and he was the winner of the team’s Hobey Baker Award for all-around outstanding play in the 2017-18 season as a senior, when the Cranes won the program’s first Division 1 regional title and advanced to the state quarterfinals. Felsenfeld played golf for CranbrookKingswood for four years, making it to the state tournament three times. He’s still active in golf, playing in amateur tournaments in Michigan. “Being a good golfer should help me in the business world,” he said. Now, about that job in New York City that Babson helped Felsenfeld land. Felsenfeld set himself up for the job by being a star in the classroom at Babson, graduating magna cum laude. He had a final 3.71 cumulative grade-point average and made the Dean’s List all eight semesters he was there. He’ll start his job at AlphaSights as an associate on Sept. 1. AlphaSights provides private equity and wealth management consulting services for individual and business clients. Family is an important part of Felsenfeld’s life. He credits his family’s support for helping him achieve his career and hockey goals. His parents are Bob and Brenda Felsenfeld. Bob was in Philadelphia for the Babson club hockey team’s national championship game. Zachary, 22, has three older siblings: Josh, 35, of Bethesda, Maryland; Elyssa, 33, of Chicago; and Matt, 30, of Austin, Texas. Send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

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FOOD

FROM THE HOME KITCHEN OF CHEF AARON

Lake Perch Dinner

ake Perch is a delight enjoyed by Michiganders across both peninsulas; prepared simply and served with a classic remoulade, they can be found on many a restaurant’s menu. This method of cooking — floured, then sauteed hot and fast in a well-oiled/buttered pan — works well for all sorts of thin fish, including rainbow trout, smaller whitefish and the like. Skin the pieces if Chef Aaron you like or leave the skin Egan on if you’re that sort of fish eater. Make sure to season the flour well — after all, it’s going to be all over the fish, and you’d hate for that to be bland. This whole dish lives or dies on good seasoning. To be quite honest: The rice and green beans can be either boring or brilliant, and the key is making sure there’s enough salt in the dishes. Taste and season as you go, and never set anything on the table that

JUNE 2 • 2022

you’ve neglected to taste first.

PAN-FRIED LAKE PERCH WITH REMOULADE, WILD RICE AND GREEN BEANS Yield: 4 portions Ingredients 1½ lbs. cleaned lake perch 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup rice flour ½ cup cornstarch ¼ cup paprika 2 Tbs. salt ½ tsp. ground white pepper 8 oz. clarified butter 16 oz. prepared remoulade (recipe below) 12 oz. cooked wild rice (recipe below) 12 oz. cooked green beans (recipe below) Directions 1. Mix the flours, cornstarch and seasonings together in a bowl. Put the perch fillets in the bowl and toss to coat them evenly. Feel free to add more seasonings to the mix.

2. Heat a sauté pan over high heat and add 2 oz. clarified butter. 3. When the butter is hot, remove the fillets from the flour, making sure they’re completely covered. Shake off the excess flour, and place the perch into the hot pan, carefully, one piece at a time, flesh side down. Only add enough pieces to the pan to create one layer with decent space in between fillets. Don’t crowd the pan; work in batches. 4. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and carefully flip the perch pieces over. They should be golden brown — if not, cook a little longer, then flip them. 5. Cook the perch for 2-3 minutes after flipping, then take the pan off the heat and let sit for another 2 minutes. 6. Take the perch out of the pan, clean out any accumulated flour, add more butter, and cook the remaining perch in the same way. 7. Serve with a ramekin of remoulade and a portion of cooked wild rice and green beans.

REMOULADE Yield: 3 cups Remoulade is one of those quick-and-dirty sauces that many people will buy rather than make. Admittedly, there’s a couple more specific ingredients, but fresh herbs can find their way into many dishes and capers are an excellent thing to have on hand for their briny punch in chicken dishes, fish dishes and salads. They’re, of course, also excellent with gravlax. Ingredients 1½ cup mayonnaise ¼ cup Dijon mustard ½ cup dill pickles, gherkins or

bread-and-butter pickles ¼ cup capers 1 Tbs. parsley, chopped 2 tsp. tarragon, chopped 1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce 1 lemon, zest and juice 1 Tbs. salt ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper Directions Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and chop together well. Store in a container, tightly sealed for up to a week. WILD RICE Yield: 1 quart cooked rice Wild rice are the seeds of a wild grass that grows in marshy areas in the

Great Lakes region. It’s a traditional foodstuff of the indigenous Anishinaabeg tribes across the area, and its commercialization has largely left them behind in favor of large conglomerates. Fortunately, we can do something to address this with our purchases, as there are several tribal groups that have turned their harvest into a commercial activity as well, and we can do some kind of tzedakah with our food dollars. Ingredients 1 cup hand-harvested wild rice 4 cups water 1 bay leaf

1 tsp. salt 2-3 grinds black pepper Directions 1. Combine all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover tightly. 2. Cook for 15 minutes, or according to your package’s instructions, and check the consistency of the rice. It should have a slight chew, but no crunch or overly firm bite, and some of the grains will have burst open. 3. Once the rice is cooked, strain off any excess water, then return the rice to the pot, fluff it with a fork and allow it to cool slightly.

PAN-GLAZED GREEN BEANS Yeld: 6 portions This is more or less the restaurant method for cooking green beans — parcooking helps keep the final assembly of the plates faster, and the high heat of the saute pan combined with a splash of water right at the end helps to create an oilsizzle-and-water coating that holds seasonings onto the beans better than blanching them, buttering them and hoping that the seasoning you add doesn’t drip off with the melting butter. Taste as you go! Maybe they need more salt at the end. Maybe they’re great! Maybe you want green beans this way forever now. Ingredients 1 lb. green beans water salt butter or vegetable oil Directions 1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Set up a large ice bath — a big bowl of ice

water. Trim the green beans or snap the stem ends off by hand. 2. Put the cleaned green beans into the boiling water and cook for somewhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes — the green color will set slightly and darken a bit, and that’s your cue to get the green beans out of there. 3. Plunge them into the ice bath and let them cool fully. Drain the green beans and store them in the fridge for up to a week. 4. Heat a couple small knobs of butter (maybe 2 tablespoons) or vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, and place the blanched and cooled green beans into the pan. Toss them to coat well with the oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the green beans are warmed through evenly. Once the green beans begin to brown very slightly, add a splash of water and toss the green beans in the pan (this is the time to pan snap, if you can; otherwise, mix well with tongs.) Serve promptly. JUNE 2 • 2022

MAZEL TOV! MAY 5, 2022 Megan and Evan Pomish of Bloomfield Hills are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Asher Alan (Avraham) Pomish. Proud are grandparents Nancy and Michael Pomish, and Colleen and Michael Wood, big sisters Norah and Maya, as well as great-grandmother Diane Pomish. Asher is also the great-grandson of the late Seymour Pomish, the late LaNore and the late Sol P. Stone. MARCH 7, 2022 Rose (Partrich) and Vadim Garber of Bloomfield Hills 6elatedly announce the birth of their son, Avi Zachary. Avi was welcomed home by his big brother Isaac. Avi is the grandson of Debra and Richard Partrich, and Svetlana and Igor Garber. He is the great-grandson of Svetlana Kovalenko and Svetlana Garber. He is named in loving memory of his paternal great-grandfather Viktor Kovalenko. JAN. 14, 2022 Kate and David Zenlea of Huntington Woods joyfully announce the birth of their daughter, Maya Scarlett. Maya is named in memory of her paternal great-grandfather Seymour Zenlea. She joins her sister, Shoshana Rey. Maternal grandparents are Karen and Robert Weisberg of Bloomfield Hills. Paternal grandparents are Sara and Bruce Zenlea of Boynton Beach, Fla. Maternal great-grandparents are the late Sandra and the late Murray Schwartz, and the late Belle and the late Saul Weisberg. Paternal great-grandparents are the late Lillian and the late Louis Gadon, and the late Rhoda and the late Seymour Zenlea.

Behrman-Bloom

amela and Kenneth Bloom of West Bloomfield and Francine Behrman of Burtonsville, Md., and Scott Behrman of Germantown, Md., are thrilled to announce the engagement of their children Natalie Bloom and Daniel Behrman. Rabbi Paul Yedwab and Cantor Neil Michaels of Temple Israel will officiate the wedding to be held on Oct. 8, 2022, at State Savings Bank in Detroit. The bride works at an education tech startup to provide resources to classrooms across the country. She graduated from the University of Michigan and received her master’s of education at Johns Hopkins University. The groom works as an attorney at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver and Jacobson. He graduated from the University of Michigan and has his juris doctor from Duke University. The couple reside in Washington, D.C.

JUNE 2 • 2022

Matthew Harrison Ben, son of Jaime and Michael Ben, will become a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, June 3, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his sisters Caryn and Hannah. Matthew is the loving grandchild of Barbara and Allan Ben, Sherry Cantor and the late George Cantor. He is the loving great-grandchild of Evelyn Cantor. Matthew is a student at West Hills Middle School in West Bloomfield Township. His most meaningful mitzvah project was planning a fundraiser for SCOPE (Summer Camp Opportunities Promote Education) to help provide summer camp scholarships for kids all over the United States.

Bloomfield, where he helped kids with physical and cognitive challenges play sports and have fun.

Dylan Beck Gedrich (Lev Bentzi) will read from the Torah as he celebrates his bar mitzvah with family and friends on Friday, June 3, 2022, at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. He is the loving son of Melissa and Paul Gedrich and brother of Blake, Adyson and Reese. Dylan is the grandson of Rena and Ron Meyers, Dolly and the late Mike Murley, and the late Hugh Gedrich. Dylan is a student at Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills. His most meaningful mitzvah project was volunteering at Friendship Circle in West

Jaden Logan Lash, son of Samantha and Ryan Lash, will lead the congregation in prayer as he becomes a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, June 3, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his sister Madison. Jaden is the loving grandson of Annie Lash and the loving great-grandson of Jerry Gurwin. Jaden is a student at Berkshire Middle School in Beverly Hills. He created his own special charity to support children in the Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology Department at Beaumont and DMC

Kinsley Rose Kurns, daughter of Gisele and David Kurns, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, June 4, 2022. She will be joined in celebration by her brother Liam. Kinsley is the loving grandchild of Susan and Antoine AbiRaji, and Brenda and Irwin Kurns. She is a student at Bloomfield Hills Middle School. Kinsley’s most meaningful mitzvah project was volunteering to create and deliver care packages to the children at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor.

Children’s Hospital of Michigan, personally contributing in addition to collecting donations to provide the newest and most exciting toys to children receiving treatment. Mitchell Darren Weiss, son of Robyn and Bryan Weiss, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, June 3, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his sister

Hayley. Mitchell is the loving grandchild of Sheri and Jeffrey Weiss, and Marcie and Dale Lebow. A student at West Hills Middle School in West Bloomfield Township, Mitchell took as his most meaningful mitzvah project raising mental health awareness. He is organizing a bike-a-thon to support We Need to Talk, a community-wide youth mental health initiative sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

CAP & GOWN HIGH SCHOOL GRADS

th NELSON LEGACY E 11ththth NELSON LEGACY11EVENT 11 NELSON NELSON LEGACY LEGACYEVENT EVENT 11 KEYNOTE PROGRAM LUNCH SPEAKER: AND LEARN SPEAKER: AND RECEPTION HARRY NELSON, THURSDAY HARRY NELSON, HEALTH CARE ATTORNEY WEDNESDAY KEYNOTE PROGRAM HEALTH CARE ATTORNEY LUNCH AND LEARN SPEAKER: AND of RECEPTION Harry Nelson is the author two books and founding partner THURSDAY HARRY NELSON, OPIOID CRISIS: of Nelson Hardiman, aWEDNESDAY leading healthcare/life science firm THE HEALTH CARE ATTORNEY EXPLORING THE OPIOID CRISIS: A JEWISH RESPONSE

Speaker: Harry Nelson, Health Care Attorney

JUNE 9TH 12:30 P.M.

EXPLORING THE OPIOID CRISIS OVERDOSES, ADDICTION, CHR

OVERDOSES, ADDICTION, CHRONIC PAIN in Los Angeles. HavingJUNE received national for his 8TH 7:30recognition P.M. Nelson will explore Jewish What are the roots of the ov THEHarry OPIOID CRISIS: What are the roots of the overlapping efforts to change the conversation America’s addiction, sources from the Torah to modern crises of untreated depres EXPLORING THE about OPIOID CRISIS: A JEWISH RESPONSE crises of untreated depression and Jewish literature, that are timely anxiety, unaddressed traum ADDICTION, CHRONIC PAIN pain, and mental healthOVERDOSES, crises, he has received the Davis anxiety, unaddressed trauma, and a and can lead towardJewish healthier rising suicide rate? How are w Harry Nelson willus explore rising suicide rate? How arefrom we going to What arethe the Spirit roots of the overlapping deal with them? Direction Foundation Award, Award CLARE communities the future. sources from thein Torah to modern dealof with them? crises untreated depression and Harry Nelson will offer a presc Jewish literature, that are timely Matrix and the Behavioral Health Network’s Award. Harry Nelson will offer a Advocacy prescription anxiety, unaddressed trauma, and a for a nation in pain.

Harry Nelson is the author of two books and founding partner of Nelson Hardiman, a leading healthcare/life science firm in Los Angeles. Having received national efforts to change the founding conversation Harryrecognition Nelson is for the his author of two books and about America’s addiction, pain, and mental health partner of Nelson Hardiman, a leading healthcare/life crises, Davis received Directionnational Foundation science firmheinhas Losreceived Angeles.the Having Award, for the his Spirit Award CLARE Matrix, and the recognition efforts to from change the conversation Behavioral Health Network’s Advocacy Award. health about America’s addiction, pain, and mental crises, he has received the Davis Direction Foundation Award, the Spirit Award from CLARE Matrix, and the Behavioral Health Network’s Advocacy Award.

KEYNOTE PROGRAM AND RECEPTION WEDNESDAY

JUNE 8TH 7:30 P.M. th

by Bloom’s Kosher Catering andLunch can lead us toward healthier a nation pain.How rising suicideinrate? areNelson we going to authorcommunities Harry is the of two books andfuture. founding in the $15 IN ADVANCE, $20 AT DOO deal with them? partner of Nelson Hardiman,$25 a leading healthcare/life INCLUDES PROGRAM $15 IN ADVANCE, $20 ATfirm DOOR Harry Nelson will offer a prescription science in for Los Angeles. Having received national AND Lunch byLUNCH Bloom’s Kosher Catering Zoom link will be provided. a nation in pain. recognition for his efforts to change the conversation Zoom link will beabout provided. Register at www.congbethsha America’s addiction, pain, and mental health $25 INCLUDES PROGRAM at www.congbethshalom.org $15Register IN ADVANCE, $20 AT DOOR crises, he has received the Davis Direction Foundation AND LUNCH Award, the Spirit Award from CLARE Matrix, and the Behavioral Health Network’s Advocacy Award. Zoom link will be provided. EVENTS LOCATED AT: Congregation Beth Sha Register at www.congbethshalom.org Congregation Beth Shalom 14601 West Lincoln, Oak Park, MI 48237

LUNCH AND LEARN THURSDAY

JUNE 9TH 12:30 P.M.

11 NELSON LEGACY EVENT

EVENTS LOCATED AT: THE OPIOID CRISIS: Congregation Beth Shalom 14601 West Lincoln, Oak Park, MI 48237 EXPLORING THE OPIOID CRISIS: A JEWISH RESPONSE OVERDOSES, ADDICTION, CHRONIC PAIN

Harry Nelson will explore Jewish What are the roots of the overlapping KEYNOTE PROGRAM sources from theLUNCH TorahAND to LEARN modern AND RECEPTION crises of untreated SPEAKER: depression and Jewish literature,THURSDAY that are timely HARRY NELSON, anxiety, unaddressed trauma, a HEALTH CARE ATTORNEY andWEDNESDAY JUNE 9TH 12:30 P.M. and can lead us toward healthier P.M. rising suicide rate? How are we goingJUNE to 8TH 7:30 communities in the future. THE OPIOID CRISIS: EXPLORING THE OPIOID CRISIS: A JEWISH RESPONSE deal with them? OVERDOSES, ADDICTION, CHRONIC PAIN Nelson will explore Jewish Harry Nelson will offer a prescription What for are the rootsLunch by Bloom’sHarry Kosher of the overlapping sources from theCatering Torah to modern crises of untreated depression and a nation in pain. Jewish literature, that are timely $15 IN ADVANCE, $20 AT DOOR

Harry Nelson is the author of two books and founding partner of Nelson Hardiman, a leading healthcare/life science firm in Los Angeles. Having received national recognition for his efforts to change the conversation about America’s addiction, pain, and mental health crises, he has received the Davis Direction Foundation Award, the Spirit Award from CLARE Matrix, and the Behavioral Health Network’s Advocacy Award.

anxiety, unaddressed trauma, and a rising suicide rate? How are we going to deal with them? Harry Nelson will offer a prescription for a nation in pain.

and can lead us toward healthier

communities in the future. $25 INCLUDES PROGRAM AND LUNCH Lunch by Bloom’s Kosher Catering

$15 IN ADVANCE, $20 AT DOOR Zoom link will be provided. Register at www.congbethshalom.org Zoom link will be provided.

$25 INCLUDES PROGRAM AND LUNCH

EVENTS LOCATED Congregation AT: Beth Shalom 14601 West Lincoln, Oak Park, MI 48237 Congregation Beth Shalom 14601 West Lincoln, Oak Park, MI 48237

CANTOR SAMUEL

GREENBAUM

MAX GORMAN Walled Lake Western High School Varsity Hockey, Active volunteer. Bowling Green State University

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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ASHLEIGH ADELSON Frankel Jewish Academy Varsity Soccer, Volleyball, Tennis, National Honor Society, Started her own baking business and donated proceeds to Feed America.

ROBERT LAYNE WEIN Bloomfield Hills High School Summa cum laude, Vice President BBYO Michigan Region, Student Ambassador, DECA Representative, Varsity Track & Field, Swim team. University of Michigan

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SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH Pearls represent the many values of Judaism; the knot at the end of the string represents structure and order — what holds it together.

How Structure Can Change Your Life

his week’s parshah starts Bamidbar, the fourth of the five books of the Torah. As its name indicates — Bamidbar means “in the desert” — this book describes the lives of the Jewish people during their 40 years in the desert. The Jews at this point had received the Chief Rabbi Torah but had yet Warren to reach the Land Goldstein of Israel, and they already had strict instructions for how they were meant to behave. This week’s portion sets

JUNE 2 • 2022

out the rules for how the Jews were meant to encamp around the Tabernacle. We are told the camp had three major zones. The holiest was the Machaneh haShechina, the camp of the Divine Presence, on the site of the Tabernacle. Then there was the machaneh leviya, the camp of the priestly Levites, where families from the tribe of Levi encamped. Finally, there was the machaneh Yisrael, the general camp, where the remaining families were arranged according to their tribal affiliation. Each of the 12 tribes had its

own unique flag and designated area, and no one could move beyond their own tribe’s zone. This was how Hashem wanted it. But why was such order necessary? Why could the Jews not simply live wherever they wanted? VALUE OF STRUCTURE The Hebrew name for our prayer book is siddur, from the root seder — order. On the face of it, this seems odd. Isn’t praying to God an emotional and spiritual experience? Isn’t it about feeling a sense of inspiration? What does this have to do

with order and structure? Judaism teaches us that we can only achieve inspiration when we feel rooted in our lives. If our praying was dependent solely on our feelings in the moment, some mornings we would wake up inspired, feeling close to God, and moved to pray; other mornings we would wake up feeling cynical, tired, sick and not in the mood to pray. What the siddur gives us, what seder gives us, is a stable and orderly framework for our emotions, for our spiritual connection. Our feelings of

TORAH PORTION

inspiration may fluctuate, but the time and order of our prayers do not. As a result, we can take comfort in our siddur the way we take comfort in a loyal companion who sticks with us when times are good and steadies us when times get bad. This sense of order helps guide us in all of our endeavors. If we applied ourselves to our marriages or jobs or friendships only when we felt like it, we would surely struggle to maintain them at all. If we only give to charity when we feel flush, few people would give much of anything. Life can be very confusing, and we often feel besieged by conflicting choices and feelings. So, it can be reassuring to follow the rules for proper behavior set out in the Torah. Such structured guidance for how to live and what to do can offer a sense of stability in a world of uncertainty. Reb Yerucham Levovitz, one of the great educators in the Mir Yeshiva, offers the following analogy. When stringing a necklace of pearls, we typically tie a knot at the end to keep the pearls from slipping off. Reb Yerucham says the value of order is like that knot. The individual pearls represent the many values of Judaism — devotion to Hashem, prayer, kindness, charity, Shabbos, learning Torah, etc. What holds these values together is the knot at the end of the string of pearls — structure and order. Most people crave structure in their lives. Because we like to know where we are going and what we are doing, we tend to find comfort in patterns and routines. Physically, we function best when our

days heed a certain order, such as when we go to sleep and wake up around the same time every day, and in the same bed. Spiritually, too, we are nourished by predictability. Because prayer and gratitude are baked into our daily routines — we know to say the Shema when we wake up and to bensch after meals — we are sure to make time for such things. Our sages note that one of the questions we are asked in heaven is kavata itim laTorah — “Did you set aside time to learn Torah?” Notably, we are not asked whether we learned Torah but whether we set aside time for it. This is because the Torah prescribes set times for everything: when a person learns; when a person davens; when, how and how much a person gives charity. All of this goes to the heart of how important the concept of seder is to the philosophy of Judaism. To live as a Jew is to embed righteousness into the routines of ordinary life. This helps us understand the importance of the encampments in the desert. Each tribe had its designated flag and location, its identity and sense of duty. In a period of great change and uncertainty for the Jewish people, as they wandered the desert and wondered which direction was forward, this sense of order must have been a source of comfort, an existential balm of sorts. In these uncertain times, the structure and order outlined in the Torah is no less comforting today. Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein is the chief rabbi of South Africa and the founder of The Shabbat Project. This essay was written for the Shabbat Project in 2017.

For Team Israel

hen my wife, the banner of their ancestral Susan, and house (Numbers 1:52).” I moved to With 12 tribes making Michigan 24 years ago, one their way through the desert, of the first things we were it must have been at least a prompted to do was to pick little bit easier to keep everya college team that we could one together by having them make our own. march alongside their tribal I had what I thought was flag. It also allowed them to a great idea: I would simultaneously take root for both U-M pride in their extended and MSU. Little did familial connections I know, it must have within the larger been written someIsraelite community; where —perhaps in each of the 12 tribal the charter from when Rabbi Joseph groups distinguished Krakoff the state of Michigan themselves with colorformally entered the ful, embroidered flags. Parshat Union on Jan. 26, 1837 Marching each day Bamidbar: — that to root for and then camping each Numbers both the Wolverines night around their 1:1-4:20; and the Spartans was Hosea 2:1-22. respective flags allowed tantamount to treason. the people to feel conAfter all, who would I root for nected both individually to when they played one another their families and collectively each season? to the entire community. I actually didn’t realize the The people all stood proudly serious intensity of it all until beside their tribal banners, Michigan and Michigan State feeling united in their comcompeted for annual bragging mon purpose and shared herrights and the Paul Bunyan itage while never losing track trophy. During that week in that as a larger human comour first fall, I saw more block munity, each person was on M and block S flags flying the same squad: Team Israel. around the region than I had The time has come for ever seen to date. Even the our modern human comlocal bakeries were selling munity to take a page out of both blue and green bagels to the playbook of our desert mark the occasion. ancestors. We must find a So, too, as we begin the pathway for everyone’s voicBook of Numbers this week es and opinions to coexist with Bamidbar, we are given together in a way that makes a glimpse into the age-old room for everyone. Only then power and import of getting will we see the day when we behind team colors as a procan proudly proclaim in one found expression of human voice: “Go blue … Go green!” identity. We read: and mean it. “The Children of Israel shall Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff is the encamp troop by troop, each chief executive officer of the Jewish person within their division, Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. next to their flag and under JUNE 2 • 2022

SPIRIT

Synagogue Directory METRO DETROIT CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.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 Shaarey Zedek Southfield (248) 357-5544 shaareyzedek.org

ORTHODOX Agudas Israel Mogen Abraham Southfield (248) 552-5711 aymadetroit.org Ahavas Olam Southfield (248) 569-1821 Ahavasolam.com Ahavas Yisroel Oak Park (248) 298-2896 Learntorah.info Aish Hatorah in the Woods Oak Park (248) 327-3579 Aishdetroit.com Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills (248) 855-2910 chabad.org Bais Chabad of North Oak Park (248) 872-8878 chabad.org Bais Haknesses Hagrah Oak Park (248) 542-8737 Balfour Shul – K’Hal Rina U’Tefila Oak Park (732) 693-8457 Beth Tefilo Emanuel Tikvah Southfield (248) 559-5022

INDEPENDENT

Birmingham-Bloomfield Shul Birmingham (248) 996-5818 bbchai.org

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

B’nai Israel-Beth Yehudah Oak Park (248) 967-3969 bi-by.org

JUNE 2 • 2022

B’nai Zion Oak Park (248) 968-2414 Chabad Jewish Center of Commerce-Walled Lake Commerce Township (248) 363-3644 jewishcommerce.org Chabad Jewish Center of Novi-Northville (248) 790-6075 novijewishcenter.com Chabad Jewish Center of Troy Troy/Rochester Hills (248) 873-5851 jewishtroy.com Chabad-Lubavitch of Bingham Farms Bloomfield Hills (248) 688-6796 chabadbinghamfarms.com Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh Oak Park (313) 320-9400 dbndetroit.org Kehillat Etz Chayim Huntington Woods etzchayim-detroit.org Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit Oak Park (248) 968-1891 kollel@kolleldetroit.org

Sara & Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center of West Bloomfield (248) 855-6170 baischabad.com Shomer Israel Oak Park (248) 542-4014 godaven.com Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomreyemunah-105705.square.site The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation T’chiyah Ferndale (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org

Mishkan Israel, Nusach H’ari, Lubavitch Center Oak Park (248) 542-4844 theyeshiva.org

Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit (313) 567-0306 reconstructingjudiasm.org

Ohel Moed Shomrey Emunah West Bloomfield (248) 737-2626 ohelmoed.org

REFORM

Or Chadash Oak Park (248) 819-1721 or-chadash.org

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

Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org Temple Israel West Bloomfield (248) 661-5700 temple-israel.org Temple Kol Ami West Bloomfield (248) 661-0040 tkolami.org Temple Shir Shalom West Bloomfield (248) 737-8700 shirshalom.org REFORM/RENEWAL Congregation Shir Tikvah Troy (248) 649-4418 shirtikvah.org SECULAR/HUMANISTIC Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit Farmington Hills (248) 477-1410 chj-detroit.org Sholem Aleichem Institute West Bloomfield (248) 865-0117 secularsaimichigan.org SEPHARDIC Keter Torah Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 681-3665 rabbisasson.wixsite.com/ keter Ohr Hatorah Oak Park (248) 294-0613 Ohrhatorah.us TRADITIONAL Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net

MINYANS Fleischman Residence West Bloomfield (248) 661-2999

OUTSTATE Battle Creek (Reform) Temple Beth El (269) 963-4921

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

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

ANN ARBOR

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

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

WINDSOR Shaar Hashomayim (Orthodox) Windsor (519) 256-3123 Congregation Beth El (Reform) Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca

East Lansing (Reform) Congregation Shaarey Zedek (517) 351-3570 shaareyzedek.com Flint (Orthodox) Chabad House-Lubavitch of Eastern Michigan (810) 230-0770 chabad.org

Kalamazoo (Conservative) Congregation of Moses congregationofmoses.org Kalamazoo (Reform) Temple B’nai Israel (269) 342-9170 Templebnaiisrael.com Lansing (Reconstructionist) Congregation Kehillat Israel (517) 882-0049 kehillatisrael.net Mackinac Island (Independent) Kehillat Hatzhav Hagadol (906) 202-9959 mackinacsynagogue.org Marquette (Reform) Temple Beth Sholom tbsmqt.org Midland (Reform) Temple Beth E (989) 496-3720 tbe_midland@yahoo.com

Flint (Conservative) Congregation Beth Israel (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.org

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

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

Muskegon (Reform) Congregation B’nai Israel (231) 722-2702 cbimkg@gmail.com

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

Petoskey (Reform) Temple B’nai Israel (231) 489-8269 templebnaiisraelofpetoskey.org

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

South Haven (Orthodox) First Hebrew Congregation (269) 637-1603 firsthebrewcongregation.org

Grand Rapids (Reform) Temple Emanuel (616) 459-5976 grtemple.org

Traverse City (Reform) Congregation Beth Shalom 231-946-1913 beth-shalom-tc.org

Hancock (Reform) Temple Jacob templejacobhancock.org

OHIO

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

Toledo (Orthodox) Etz Chayim of Toledo (419) 473-2401 Etzchayimtoledo.org Email factual corrections or additional synagogues to list to: smanello@thejewishnews.com. JUNE 2 • 2022

ARTS&LIFE

The bimah at Shaarey Zedek

VIDEO REVIEW

A Culturally Important Ukraine-Jewish Music Connection

CSZ Hazzan David Propis’ Eighth Day of Passover Hallel should not be missed.

make a point of listening to archived Livestream or YouTube Festival services from some of my favorite congregations around the country. Particularly moving and relevant to world affairs is the recording of the Eighth Day of Passover Hallel (the Psalms 113-118 recited on festivals) from Rabbi Elliot Congregation Shaarey B. Gertel Zedek in Southfield. With impeccable taste and winsome vocal talent, Hazzan David

JUNE 2 • 2022

Propis, accompanied by a fine pianist and impressive octet choir, seamlessly offers traditional, longtime popular, classical and contemporary renditions of these psalms and the liturgical blessings that introduce and conclude them. Besides the wonderful musical settings, this video offers an impressive glimpse into Shaarey Zedek’s soaring and arresting bimah (1962), adorned by strikingly crafted marble, wood and glass, designed by masterful synagogue architect Percival Goodman.

It highlights the triangular motifs throughout the sanctuary and the large halls that open into it. The expansive interior is most conducive to social distancing for everyone, including the choir. I would be remiss if I did not mention the fine sermons available by the rabbis of the congregation, especially a Pesach Yizkor service by Senior Rabbi Aaron Starr, who discusses memory and blessing, the themes of a particular psalm that is our focus here. Particularly stunning is Hazzan

Watch Hazzan Propis’ Eighth Day of Passover Hallel

Propis’s introduction, at the 3:08 point in the Hallel video, to Hashem Zechoronu (“God has been mindful of us and will bless us,” Psalm 115:12-18), is a rousing 19th-century composition with a deep Ukraine connection. That composition, which ends with a stirring “Hallelujah,” was the work of David Nowakowsky (1848-1921). UKRAINIAN BACKGROUND Born in Kiev, Nowakowsky became choir director of the Brody Synagogue in Odessa, Ukraine, in 1869, at the age of 21, and remained there until his death in 1921. The story of the Brody (Brodsky) Synagogue is itself fascinating. On the shore of the Black Sea, Brody was a center of shipping and culture. Its merchants frequently traveled to Berlin and experienced Jewish enlightenment in cultural tastes and religious thought. When Brody merchants moved to nearby Odessa because of its vast harbor, they established their own synagogue in Odessa and named it after Brody. The Brody synagogue was led by a prominent German rabbi and by the legendary cantor Nissim Blumenthal. After Nowakowsky became choir director, the combination of magnificent music, the cantor’s voice and the modern sermons of the rabbi attracted

Watch Rabbi Starr’s “To Remember for a Blessing: A Yizkor” sermon.

Hazzan David Propis

visitors from all over the world, Jews and gentiles alike. Cantor David Lefkowitz has written: “More than any other synagogue composer before him, Nowakowsky was able to enhance the ancient melodies in a modern European harmonic and contrapuntal framework without obscuring the traditional character of these chants … The whole atmosphere, which created a cultural Zionism, is vividly alive in the music of Nowakowsky; and that skillful blending of two worlds to build and enhance Jewish tradition is representative of what we consider the modern ideal today.” In his introduction, Hazzan Propis points out this is “one of the few Jewish choral settings that has a prelude and a fugue.” For many decades, Soviet and Ukrainian governments let the Brody Synagogue deteriorate into ruins

Rabbi Aaron Starr

before it was turned back to the Jewish community. For too long, the cultural achievements of the Ukrainian Jewish community were ignored, as were efforts to memorialize that community, whose neighbors all too willingly aided and abetted the Nazis in their murderous plans. But as Ukraine began its journey to truth and democracy, still a relatively new enterprise, and even elected a Jewish president, there have been remarkable efforts to right old wrongs and to build a unified and just and cosmopolitan nation. These efforts have, of course, been threatened by vicious Russian bombings and invasions, and prayers and psalms are being recited for Ukraine throughout the world, including, of course, in every Jewish community. Jews in Israel and all over the globe have joined Christians and others in efforts to aid Ukrainians in their noble struggle. Recalling Jewry’s cultural ties to Ukraine is particularly important at this time, and Hazzan Propis did so with grace and with effectiveness. Elliot B. Gertel is the Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Rodfei Zedek in Chicago. He has been film and television reviewer for the “National Jewish Post and Opinion” since 1979. His books include What Jews Know About Salvation and Over the Top Judaism: Precedents and Trends in the Depiction of Jewish Beliefs and Observances in Film and Television.

JUNE 2 • 2022

ARTS&LIFE FILM

Michael B. Chait

Wolf Hound

COURTESY OF MICHAEL CHAIT

New release by Metro Detroit filmmaker tells untold story of World War II. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

t the age of 12, Jewish filmmaker Michael Chait, who grew up in the West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills area, wanted to be an actor. Other days, he wanted to be a pilot like his father. “I grew up with movies and I always liked aviation,” Chait, 37, says. Yet everything changed when Chait saw The Rock, a 1996 film directed by Michael Bay. “Something just snapped in my head,” recalls Chait, who to this day is impressed by the film’s camera work and directing style. “I was like, ‘Oh, this is what you want to do.’” Now set to release World War II action film Wolf Hound, his directorial feature debut, on June 3 through Lionsgate’s Grindstone Entertainment, Chait, who currently lives in West Bloomfield after 11 years living in Chicago, is still inspired by the films of his childhood. “I realized how much directing really tells the story even more than the script sometimes,” he says of watching The Rock. “It totally changes how an audience experiences a film.” Having poured his blood, sweat and tears into Wolf Hound — his self-described process — Chait wants viewers to have that same experience as he had watching The Rock. A CHANCE EXPERIENCE As a 2006 graduate of Columbia College

JUNE 2 • 2022

Chicago, where he met his best friends (and later crew members for Wolf Hound), Chait is no stranger to the filmmaking world. He worked on films all through high school and was later selected by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett as one of the final top 50 directors out of 12,000 filmmakers for the premiere episode of Fox’s On The Lot (2007). Prior to embarking on Wolf Hound, Chait was directing commercials and music videos for 15 years. In 2010 and 2012, he tried to get two other feature films going, but neither worked out. Then, in 2013, inspiration struck at an unlikely place. He was directing a commercial for the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti, which advertised taking rides in a restored B-17 bomber. Chait was familiar with the plane, but never spent much time with it. “When I stepped onto it, it was like a movie moment,” he recalls. “I put my foot in the door and a rush of emotion hit me.” On the same plane many decades back, Chait envisioned 18- and 19-year-old kids standing in the exact spot during World War II, fighting the Nazis and fighting for freedom. “I thought, ‘I have to do this justice,’” he remembers. Doing justice, however, was for a commercial only, but Chait knew deep down that the

90-second creation could be an entire movie. With only nine B-17 bombers left in the entire world, Chait had a unique slice of history to work with that had been seldom told. BUILDING A STORYLINE Yet Chait didn’t know how unique that history truly was until his writing partner, Timothy Ritchey, discovered a story on Wikipedia about a German Luftwaffe squadron called KG 200 that neither had heard of. “They were a special forces group that forced down American and British planes and captured their crews,” Chait explains. “They were very mysterious and there was hardly any information on them.” Pursuing the story further, Chait wondered if they could create a fictional version inspired by the truth. While the German squadron was ultimately unsuccessful, what if their success had changed the course of the war? And what if the hero was a JewishAmerican fighter pilot? It seemed to work perfectly. “All the dots were connecting,” Chait says of Wolf Hound. “This is the movie we had to make.” It was the ultimate story, and one that Chait and Ritchey began to bring to life and film in 2018. “It was fighting the greatest evil, the Nazis,” Chait explains. “I was passionate

about having a prominent Jewish-American hero at the center of the movie because, to me, it’s like David and Goliath.” Filmed over the course of two years, Chait shot several scenes at Yankee Air Museum in the same B-17 bomber that inspired it all. He also shot scenes at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, using real World War II aircraft. OVERCOMING CHALLENGES Working with such old planes was a delicate process — and Chait says they all broke down at some point during filming — but the end result was worth it. “We were flying them really hard, and the dog fights were intense,” he explains. “But these planes are priceless, so we treated them like gold the whole time.” With filming wrapping up

just two weeks before COVID19 shut everything down, Chait was faced with a new challenge. “The pandemic ground things to a halt and we had to figure out how to finish editing the movie across the country,” he says. Working entirely remotely, even up to this day, the film was edited by laptop on Chait’s kitchen table. It was a miracle, and one that he’s proud to finally share with the world. “It’s important to keep telling the stories of World War II,” he says, “so the next generations don’t forget it.”

DETAILS

Wolf Hound, starring James Maslow (Big Time Rush) and Trevor Donovan (Hallmark), premieres in theaters on June 3 with several showings throughout Metro Detroit.

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ARTS&LIFE BOOK REVIEW

BRENDAN SCHULMAN, WIKIPEDIA

Shocking Title, Great Read

A review of People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present by Dara Horn Dara Horn

LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

rnest Hemingway claimed that “a writer’s job is to tell the truth.” The thought goes back a long way. About 25 centuries earlier, Confucius wrote that “Wisdom depends on calling things by their proper names.” That sounds easy, but somehow, people get distracted. We do not see an event that happens in front of our eyes until a sharp-eyed writer names it truly. A sharp-eyed writer means someone like Dara Horn. Horn, a celebrated novelist (who also earned a Ph.D. at Harvard in Yiddish, Hebrew and English literature), in these essays focuses on the evasions we use to avoid recognizing antisemitism. The collection earns its shocking title, People Love Dead Jews. Each essay focuses on different circumstances, but in all the circumstances, we have trouble noticing hatred against Jews and find

JUNE 2 • 2022

uplifting lessons we can learn from the murder of Jews. Hate crimes happen with disheartening frequency all around the world, and journalists routinely write stories about the latest violence against Blacks, gays, Muslims, Asians, Jews and other stigmatized groups. When reporting about hate crimes against Chasidic Jews, Horn notes, journalists often include a paragraph putting the crime in context: They report that ethnic tensions have grown in this changing neighborhood in reaction to an influx of Jews … or words to that effect. Horn notes that this contextualizing happens even when the perpetrator of the crime does not come from the neighborhood, and even when the neighborhood has shown no other signs of ethnic tension. Horn acidly translates the terminology of “changing neighborhood” and “influx of

Jews” as: “In other words, the cause of bloodthirsty antisemitic violence … Jews, living in a place! Sometimes the Jews who live in a place buy land on which to live” (page 211. Italics are Horn’s). Of course, journalists do not typically provide contextualizing paragraphs about attacks against Blacks, gays, Muslims or Asians. That would be blaming the victim and gaslighting. Contextualizing what Jews have done to provoke hate crimes deserves the name of antisemitism. In the 20th century, thousands of Jews turned to American courts to petition to have their names changed. They explained they wanted names that would not sound foreign, that other Americans could spell and pronounce. With these more Americansounding names, people could more easily fit in to America.

The courts generally allowed Epstein to become Evans, Levi to become Lewis, Finkelman to become Fields and so on. The petitioners avoided mentioning antisemitism, but Horn names antisemitism as the driving force that compelled name changes. She notes with ironic precision that some Americans did not change their hard-tospell foreign-sounding names and still achieved some measure of success with names like Eisenhower and Roosevelt. Horn notes that many of the people who felt they had to change their recognizably Jewish names did not intend to abandon their Jewish commitments. They remained active in the Jewish community. Name changing was often not a rejection of Judaism, but rather a recognition of the power of America’s antagonism toward Jews. Rather than admit that ugliness about

America, families then told their children the soothing falsehood that their names were inadvertently changed at Ellis Island. Horn records, though, that Ellis Island had a staff of multilingual experts who checked travelers’ names against the names on ships’ manifests. Names did not get changed at Ellis Island. The soothing story preserves America’s good name as a haven for Jewish immigrants and covers the shame of those who feel embarrassed at having abandoned their family names. Horn calls things by their proper names, but she, perhaps uncharacteristically, sympathizes with those who distorted the story of how they got their Americansounding last names. She notes that Jewish communities around the world preserve wishful legends about how their friendly non-Jewish neighbors welcomed the Jews who first came to this place. Sites around the world that once had Jewish communities now make expensive efforts to reconstruct their now-empty synagogues and study-halls, and even to build new museums of local Jewish culture. Leaders hope to attract tourists — primarily Jewish tourists — to view these memorials with nostalgia and affection. Horn herself travels to these venues, but they leave her feeling queasy. The memorials to a once-thriving Jewish community do not feature exhibits about what happened to make the Jews disappear. Somehow, these venues have warm nostalgia for the Jews who used to live here, but only after those Jews have been murdered or at least driven away. One example of a memorial to a departed Jewish community: In 1896, when the Czarist regime built the Trans-Siberian Railway, the planners needed a hub in Manchuria, a frozen land adjoining Siberia. Industrialists could build a town where none existed, but which wealthy industrialists would want to live there? The czar’s minister of finance had a brilliant idea: Jews who needed to flee the Russian’s own

pogroms and antisemitic laws. Wealthy Jews did build the hub, the city of Harbin, and poor Jews joined them, especially after the Russian Revolution; so, Harbin became a home to thousands of Jews, until it wasn’t. Japan conquered Manchuria in 1931, and, with help from anti-Communist White Russians, claimed Jewish-owned businesses. The Soviets took over in 1945 and sent Jewish leaders to the gulag. When the Chinese conquered Manchuria in 1949, they allowed the remaining Jews to leave for

Israel, if they would abandon all their property. Now Harbin, with its one returned Jew, works at building an affectionate memorial to its long-departed Jewish community. Visiting Harbin leaves Horn uncomfortable. Horn asks, how did the diary of Anne Frank become the best-known account of the genocidal war against the Jews? How did one sentence become the most-often quoted, the “lesson” of Anne Frank’s work? Anne Frank wrote, “I still believe, in spite

of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” Horn notes that these words “flatter us. They make us feel forgiven.” Horn writes, “Frank wrote about people being ‘truly good at heart’ before meeting people who weren’t. Three weeks after writing these words, she met people who weren’t.” Holocaust museums around the world also make Horn feel uncomfortable, though she passionately believes we do need to learn and remember the facts. Whenever she detects a lesson to be learned, though, Horn gets that queasy feeling. If we learn the details of how Jews were killed, without devoting much attention to how Jews lived and live, we can come to know those Jews as “people whose sole attribute was that they had been murdered and whose murders served a clear purpose, which was to teach us something” (xiv). Other essays in People Love Dead Jews focus on Varian Fry, the American diplomat who heroically saved dozens of the greatest musicians, writers and thinkers of Europe. An American heiress named Mary Jane Gold (not Jewish) provided funding the American government would not for the effort to save people whose “art had put them in danger.” Fry’s life went downhill after the war and, as Horn demonstrates, the artists he had saved did little to help him. Horn notes that “it is easy to forget there are other values a culture might maintain, other people whom one could consider the guardians of civilization instead of artists and intellectuals — and that a large proportion of the people who were actually murdered in the Holocaust adhered to one of these alternatives.” She continues: “No rescue committee was convened on behalf of the many people who devoted their lives and careers … to the actual study of righteousness” (164-65). Read Dara Horn’s essay collection People Love Dead Jews. The book can help us learn to call things by their proper names. JUNE 2 • 2022

IMBD.COM

ARTS&LIFE CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

Adam Sandler

While in Spain, he discovers Bo Cruz, a great streetball player with a troubled and impoverished past. Cruz is played by Juancho Hernangomez, a Spaniard who has played for several NBA teams since 2016. He is currently a member of the Utah Jazz. Well, I figure that most of you know where the film is going. It’s a double “Cinderella” story — for Stanley and for Bo. I haven’t seen the film, but I am quite sure they will face obstacles and sometimes will stumble, but in the end their dreams will be realized.

JUNE 2 • 2022

Netflix hasn’t given much of a synopsis, so most of the available information is from the film’s trailers. I know that Queen Latifah plays Stanley’s wife, Teresa, and that Ben Foster, 41, plays Stanley’s boss (I’m guessing he is the ’76ers general manager). The credits say that the great Robert Duvall, 91, is in Hustle. My gut says that he has a brief scene playing the team’s owner. The film was directed by Philadelphia native Jeremiah Zagar, 50ish. Zagar made a series of well-received documentaries starting in 2008. In 2018, he made We Are the Animals, his first fictional narrative film. This movie about an interracial family got good reviews. Zagar’s first film, In a Dream (2008), is a documentary about his unusual family. His father, Isaiah Zagar, 83, is very famous in Philadelphia for his many quite interesting street (wall) murals (the murals are mostly made up of bits of glass and tile). Jeremiah’s mother, Julia, 82, is also an artist. Isaiah Zagar was profiled by the Philadelphia Jewish paper in 2016. He grew up in an Orthodox Brooklyn Jewish family. While Isaiah said Judaism greatly influenced his work, my sense is that he is not, now, a practicing Jew. The profile didn’t say whether Julia is Jewish or not. Hollywood Stargirl is an original Disney+ film that premieres on June 3. It is a sequel to Star Girl, a 2020 high school musical that got pretty good reviews. Grace Avery VanderWaal, a teen singer with a distinctive voice, plays Susan, the “stargirl” in both films’ titles. In the sequel, Susan moves to

Judd Hirsch

L.A. and makes new friends. Jordan Horowitz, 42, (La La Land) co-wrote both films. Judd Hirsch, 87, has a supporting role as Susan’s neighbor. It’s nice to see “super-veteran” excellent actors, like Hirsch and Robert Duvall, still working. The 40th anniversary of the American release of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (E.T.) is June 11. This truly beloved film was made for $10.5 million and grossed almost $800 million. No one expected that. The box office returns and the outpouring of plaudits from critics and audiences put director Steven Spielberg, now 75, into the rarefied universe of “tippy” top filmmakers. Here are three Spielberg E.T. “factoids”: While Spielberg didn’t write the film, he got the screenwriter, Melissa Mathison, “going.” He told her he long thought about making a film about his childhood — a lonely childhood in which he had an imaginary friend. In some ways, Spielberg has said, E.T. is a combination of that imaginary friend and his own beloved father. Another story: Some writers said E.T. was a Jesus-like figure. Spielberg replied that this came as a surprise to him and to his mother, who he pointed out was the owner of a kosher restaurant. The script originally had

E.T. being lured to come out with M&M candies. Mars Candy wouldn’t give permission to use M&M’s unless they saw the final script. Spielberg didn’t have a sure “money in the bank” reputation then and Mars didn’t want their candy associated with a possibly monstrous space alien. The film company wouldn’t agree to share the final script. The Hershey candy company took a chance and agreed to do a joint publicity campaign with the filmmakers without seeing the final script. Reese’s Pieces, a Hershey candy, was used in E.T. as the “lure” candy. Hershey was allowed to show the film to their executives and their families the day it was generally released. The Hershey Company audience laughed and cried — and they all knew that Hershey had made a great decision. Sales of Reese’s Pieces went through the roof. GAGE SKIDMORE, WIKIPEDIA

GEORGES BIARD, WIKIPEDIA

SANDLER HUSTLES, HIRSCH STAYS IN THE GAME, E.T.’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY Adam Sandler, 56, stars in the original Netflix film Hustle. It begins streaming on June 8. Sandler, a reallife basketball super fan, plays Stanley Sugarman, a much-travelled basketball coach for the (NBA) Philadelphia ’76ers. He dreams of being a basketball coach, but he is stuck on the road, year-after-year, looking for an undiscovered great talent who will turn his life around.

Steven Spielberg

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

ALS AUCTION 8 AM-10 PM, THROUGH JUNE 17 ALS Auction Mania is an online auction where you can bid on over 125 items all from the comfort of home to support people in Michigan who have Lou Gehrig’s disease. Visit the auction site to view all the great items at great prices, including a luxurious Mexican vacation, golf packages, wine tastings, overnight stays, restaurant and entertainment certificates, collectibles, household items. Visit alsofmichigan.org for information. SHABBAT ROCKS 5-7 PM, JUNE 2 At Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. Join an evening filled with friends, food and Adat Shalom’s Shabbat Rocks band. Doors open at 5 pm for dinner/ kiddo activities, followed by a Kabbalat Shabbat service at 6. Cost: $18/ family includes hot dogs (vegetarian option available), salad, sides and a special treat. If you’d like to bring your own picnic basket for your family because BBQ isn’t your thing, that’s totally cool, too; kindly make sure that all food you bring is pareve and nut-free. Also bring a blanket for you and your family to sit on. Registration: adatshalom.org/ picnic. Questions contact: Sammi Shapiro at sshapiro@ adatshalom.org or 248-6262153. GLOBAL VOICES 5: 30 PM, JUNE 3 At Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. The free in-person event will

GLOBAL VOICES JUNE 3, 5:30 PM Nefesh Mountain

feature a BBQ dinner by Platinum Dish Catering, Cool Jacks handcrafted cookies + ice cream, lawn games and more. At 7 pm (in-person and virtual) hear Global Voices Shabbat featuring Nefesh Mountain, an eclectic mix of American Bluegrass, old-time music and Jewish tradition. Info: jlive.app/events/2303. TIKKUN LEIL SHAVUOT 7 PM, JUNE 4 At B’nai Israel in West Bloomfield. Its first in-person all-night Tikkun Leil Shavuot since 2019 will be focused on community. Learn from rabbis, physicians, lawyers and university professors. See the debut of the Bnai Israel Actors Guild, directed by Udi Kapen. Most sessions will be live-streamed. Please RSVP to info@bnaiisraelwb. org to attend in person. SHAVUOT SHAKE UP 10:30 AM-NOON, JUNE 5 At Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. Everyone loves ice cream so why not make it yourself for Shavuot at this free event. Families with kids ages 0-11 will sing songs and hear a story with clergy, while teens ages 12

and up will learn with Dr. Melissa Ser. Info: jlive.app/ events/2293. BRASS BAND 3 PM, JUNE 5 Motor City Brass Band is hard at work on its season finale “The Music of John Williams” in the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center (Dearborn). Tickets are available from the box office, MCBB musicians, via MCBB.org or by calling the MCBB Hotline at 248-788-6618. John Williams has composed music for 110 films, 30 TV shows, four Olympic Games and 46 other special occasions, including music

from Stars Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Harry Potter. Emcee for the concert will be Jack Goggin, host of WRCJ’s Film Classics. NELSON LEGACY EVENT 7:30 PM, JUNE 8 At Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park. Speaker: Harry Nelson, health care attorney. Subject: “Exploring the Opioid Crisis — Overdoses, Addiction, Chronic Pain;” also during a lunch and learn, Thursday, June 9, 12:30 p.m. Drawing from the research for his book, The United States of Opioids, Nelson will address the roots of the overlapping crises continued on page 52

SHAVUOT SHAKE UP JUNE 5, 10:30AM-NOON JUNE 2 • 2022

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

VAN GOGH’S ART ONGOING continued from page 51

and how Jewish sources guide us to healthier communities. Register at congbethshalom.org. SHUL SISTERS CONCERT 7 PM, JUNE 9 At Congregation Shaarey Zedek; free admission. The group is the brainchild of three nationally acclaimed cantors, Laurie Akers, Rachel Brook and Rachel Goldman. This special concert is sponsored by the Irving and Beverly Laker Concert Series. Patron seating with dessert reception $100. For information and to RSVP, contact the synagogue office at 248-357-5544. VAN GOGH’S ART ONGOING This focused installation at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit presents a selection of 12 paintings and works on paper from the DIA’s collection by Dutch and French realist artists, all of whom were contemporaries of Vincent van Gogh, while several of them significantly impacted his early artistic development. Free with general admission to the museum. Info: dia.org. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@ thejewishnews.com.

JUNE 2 • 2022

Ride for the Living 2022

ederation’s Israel & Overseas Department recently announced that Ride for the Living 2022 registration is now open. This round-trip ride on Sunday, July 24, at 8 a.m., from Ferndale to the Detroit Riverfront is for riders of all ages and skill levels — everyone from Slow Rollers (avg. 11-12 mph), Cruisers (avg. 13-15 mph) to Chasers (avg. 16-18 mph). Ebike rental is available, too. Why ride for the living? The Krakow JCC’s Annual Ride for the Living is a 34.5-mile bike ride from Auschwitz to the JCC Krakow that commemorates Jewish history and celebrates the miraculous rebirth of Jewish life in Poland today. Detroit’s satellite ride (approximately 30 miles) is a way to

commemorate and celebrate the living. Plus, proceeds from the ride will benefit the Krakow JCC. Riders will meet up and start at Ferndale High School and finish (at their own pace) at Ferndale Project for food and drinks. Federation has worked out a special deal with American Cycle & Fitness for ebike rental. They’ll deliver and pick up for you at the start/ finish so all you have to do is be pedal-ready (an ebike is still a pedal bike but with electric motor assistance to go farther with less people power). Registration fee of $36 includes a fanny pack and one drink voucher. Register at https://jlive. app/events/2308.

Older Adults Needed! Would you like to earn a $25 gift card to Target and help the community? Jewish Family Service, the New England Cognitive Center and Minnesota State University Mankato need your help. They are looking for older adults to participate in a fun and interactive research study on aging and cognition. Participants must agree to be available for two one-hour private sessions. The second session will take place three months after the first session, when participants will receive a $25 gift card to Target. All results of the research will be kept confidential. To sign up, contact Joely Lyons at (248) 392-0767 or jlyons@jfsdetroit.org.

BUSINESS

Trade Mission to Tel Aviv MIBA leads delegation to Israel’s EcoMotion conference, laying the groundwork for Michigan-Israeli collaboration in smart mobility.

ast month, the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA) led a trade mission to Tel Aviv, Israel, to attend EcoMotion, the 10th annual conference dedicated to smart mobility and transportation high-tech. EcoMotion, a cooperative initiative of the Transportation Ministry and the Israel Innovation Authority, brings together startups, investors, government and academia to push forward Israeli smart mobility and transportation high-tech companies and technologies. MIBA led the Michigan delegation, along with Paul Ajegba, Department of Transportation director for the state of Michigan, and Trevor Pawl, the state of Michigan’s chief mobility officer. “We had a lot of business leaders that represent both the automotive and mobility infrastructure along with us,” said Scott Hiipakka, MIBA CEO. “It was a great week of Scott meeting various Hiipakka infrastructure leaders in Israel and automotive and mobility partners in Israel, including General Motors in Israel and the organizations that run the city of Tel Aviv’s

infrastructure networks as well as folks that run the Israeli highway systems and other startups.” The MIBA works to build connections between Israeli and Michigan partners in hopes that they will then build some form of a collaboration or agreement to help create economic prosperity in Michigan by bringing Israeli innovation into our ecosystem, Hiipakka added. He said the weeklong conference was a success. “Thanks to our partners at Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the combined MEDC and MIBA Michigan Pavilion, that included an ice cream trailer, was a huge hit at the conference,” he said, adding that Trevor Pawl and Paul Ajegba led a fabulous Main Event presentation. Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed the audience as well, expressing his pride in the development of Israel’s hightech industry. “We wrapped up a great week of Israeli innovation, culture and opportunities to build international partnerships,” Hiipakka said. “Michigan’s mobility and infrastructure leaders made this delegation special. It was an honor to travel with each delegation participant.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIBA

JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL

Snapshots of the MIBA delegation at the EcoMotion Conference in Tel Aviv the week of May 15 JUNE 2 • 2022

COURTESY OF FEDERATION

faces&places

Lisa Rothberger, Andrea Belen, Emily Meitzner Korotkin and Stacy Meitzner Korotkin

Stacey Goodman and Amye Goldhaber

Not Your Bubbie’s Manischewitz

he Jewish Federation’s Young Women’s Philanthropy group gathered on the rooftop at Social in Birmingham May 11 for “Not Your Bubbie’s Manischewitz,” a mixology workshop with a historic twist. The group, chaired by Stacey Goodman and Michele Rosenblum, was honored to partner with the Center for Michigan

Jewish Heritage as the ladies mixed and stirred vintage cocktail recipes while socializing and enjoying a gorgeous spring evening. JScreen, an initiative of JFamily at the JCC, was also on hand to educate the women about how they help save lives by providing highly subsidized detection for preventable hereditary

cancers and genetic diseases that people of Jewish heritage are at higher risk of developing. In addition to learning some new cocktail making skills, each participant went home with her own mixology kit to recreate the recipes at home. Young Women’s Philanthropy’s next event will take place this fall.

LEFT: Elizabeth Mally, Rachel Lasser, Lauren Miller and Marianne Bloomberg. CENTER: Stacie Niskar. Right: L’chaim!

JUNE 2 • 2022

the exchange community bulletin board | professional services

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OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

JOSEPH BITTKER, 90, of New York City and Del Mar, Calif., died on May 19, 2022, after a year-long illness. He was born in Ann Arbor May 10, 1932. He graduated from Detroit College of Law, but never practiced. Instead, he joined the family business and, with his brother, grew it into a multi-national corporation. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Joseph was a devoted family man. Joseph and Deanna traveled the world and lived in Japan and St. Barth. They made the decision to leave Michigan and permanently reside in New York and California in 2014. But his heart always stayed with Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. His father had been a founding member of the congregation, and Joseph continued to generously support the temple throughout his life. He further supported other causes dear to his heart including, UNICEF and the United Negro College Fund. Mr. Bittker is survived by his wife of 40 years, Deanna; son and daughter-in law, Brian and Janice Bittker; son, Stuart Bittker; granddaughter, Candace, and her husband, Michael Parker. There will be a private burial at sea in San Diego with military honors followed by a welcoming of friends to their home. There will also be a memorial celebration of life in New York City at a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be sent to the Morris and Esther Bittker Cam Scholarship Fund at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.

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Some days seem to last forever…

We’re offering one that actually will.

You can honor the memory of a loved one in a most meaningful way by sponsoring a day of Torah learning at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah.

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.

6 Sivan June 5 Max Borkin Menia Gershman Asher Gershman Bezalel Gershman Zelda Gershman Babel Gershman Malka Gershman Sarah Leah Kaplowitz Wolf Lakritz Hyman Mervis Ellen Ruth Rabinowitz Jacob Stein Samuel H. Weingarden Abraham Zweig Rochel Zweig 7 Sivan June 6 Sarah Averbuch Rebecca Butensky Rebecca Greenberg Ida Kohn Jenni Lazarovitch Sarah Levin Morris Ommerman Shema Leah Orechkin Bertha Schaap Ralph Soble Sima Leah Stern

Samuel Stern Abraham Wachtenheim Wolfe Wrotslavsky 8 Sivan June 7 Miriam Elias Joseph Fantich Jenny Pinsker Jonathan Simkovitz Hyman Weinman 9 Sivan June 8 Mildred Bloomberg Arthur Edros Frederick Endelman Louis Finkelstein Bessie Glieberman Irving Katz Juda Lachar Dorothy Lane Max Lefkowitz Mary Member Edith Norber William Schulman Celia Sher Bertha Torgow Julius H Wainer 10 Sivan June 9 Minnie Cohen

David Fishman Lawrence R. Gechter Morris Shindler Harry Shriman Rachel Steinbock Rebecca Temchin 11 Sivan June 10 Daniel Greenblatt Sara Kravitz Jacob Mandell Arnold Manko Dorothy Meckler Bence Mermelstein Libby Rosenberg Helen Amhowitz Rosenfeldt Eva SInger Fanny Stolarsky Anna Weisberger 12 Sivan June 11 Steven Glenn Bektashi Samuel A. Borak Lillian Feuerman Sidney Fischer Joseph Gittelman Joseph Jaffa Abe Meisner Nettie Newman

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

JUNE 2 • 2022

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 57

MILLIE CHARMER, 105, of Bloomfield Hills, died May 22, 2022. She is survived by her son and daughterin-law, Stephen and Nancy Solomon; daughter and sonin-law, Debbie and Dennis Silber; grandchildren, Sheri (David) Whiteman, Jodi (Kenneth) Korotkin, Tony (Kati) Silber; six adoring great-grandchildren, many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Mrs. Charmer was the beloved wife of the late Bert Solomon and the late Morey Charmer; the mother of the late Esther Solomon; grandmother of the late Melanie Solomon; sister of the late Sophie Auslander and the late Martin Shugerman. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice, Hospice of Michigan or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. PHILIP B. FISCHER, 86, of Boca Raton, Fla., died May 23, 2022. He is survived c. 2010 by his wife of 64 years, Myrna Fischer; daughters and sons-in-law, Andrea Fischer Newman and Frank Newman, Jill Fischer Rachesky and Mark Rachesky; grandchildren, Lauren and David Seidman, David Newman, Allison Rachesky, Samantha Rachesky, Steven Rachesky and Kate Rachesky;

great-grandson, Benjamin Seidman. Mr. Fischer was the cherished father of the late Loren Beth Fischer. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to University of Michigan, the Philip B. and Myrna R. Fischer Fund for Alzheimer’s Research, Michigan Medicine Office of Development, 777 E. Eisenhower Pkwy., Suite 650, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, victors.us/philipbfischer (make checks payable to University of Michigan). Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. SUSAN “SUE” JANE GANS, 78, of Bloomfield Hills, died peacefully in her home on Sunday, May 22, 2022, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Detroit, she was a resident of Bloomfield Hills since 1944. Susan was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and aunt, a faithful friend and a successful businesswoman. She attended Ferris State University and started her career as an airline stewardess for Pan Am. She then ventured into the retail world as a handbag buyer for the J.L. Hudson Company. Susan spent many years as a successful commercial real estate broker in the Birmingham-Bloomfield Hills area. She finally found her passion when she embarked on a new career in 1996 in the health and beauty world when Geologix was born.

She will be best remembered for her infectious laugh, determination, strength and her kind and caring heart. Mrs. Gans is survived by David Gans and his wife, Janet (Jonna) of Birmingham, Lisa Gans Goldberg of Bloomfield Hills; grandchildren, Jamie (Brandon Lefkowitz) Gans, Chad (Randell) Gans, Perry Goldberg, Ian Goldberg and Jolie Goldberg; sisterin-law, Gail Horwitz; niece, Julie Risdon Fiedor and her husband, Jack Fiedor of Wellington, Fla.; nephew, Craig Risdon and his wife, Kelly (Kern) Risdon of Jacksonville, Fla.; great-nieces and great-nephews, Amanda Larson, Christian Fiedor, Chad Fiedor, Emily Risdon and Kate Risdon; a host of treasured friends; her loving friend and caregiver, Lisa Saylor.

She was predeceased by her adoring husband of 43 years, Dr. Robert I. Gans; her parents, Margaret and Norman Richards; sister, Betty Richards Risdon; brothers-in-law, Charles Roland Risdon III, Ted M. Gans, Marvin Horwitz; sister-in-law, Dottie Gans. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Michigan Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033. The funeral will be broadcast at cccathome.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. BARBARA KORT GORDON, of Tampa, Fla., died May 22, 2022. She is survived by her children, Rochelle, Robert and Bryan. She was the daughter of the late Arthur and

Annabelle. Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice. Services were held at Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor. RICHARD A. “DICK” GOTTLIEB, 92, died May 13, 2022. He was born in Detroit, the son of Sadie (Hayman) and Sam Gottlieb. He graduated from Central High School class of 1947, attended Wayne State University and served in the U.S. Coast Guard. Richard married Arlene June Kollenberg of Detroit on Dec. 6, 1956. She passed on Nov. 10, 1991. He was later married to Ruthie Rodensky Gottlieb of Hollywood, Fla., until her passing on April 20, 2022. Richard was as avid tennis

and bridge player and was very active in philanthropy. He pioneered the American Friends of Magen David Adom chapter in South Florida along with years of involvement in many other organizations. Later in life, Richard became a novelist and devoted his life to writing. He was loved by all for his caring and kindness. Mr. Gottlieb is survived by his children, Adam Gottlieb, Jill Horowitz (Andrew Horowitz); their children, Lauren, Erica and Brett, Debra Rodensky (John Gonzalez), Karen Rodensky Rassler (Scott Rassler); and their children, Brielle and Shelbie; two brothers, Jerald (Veronique) Gottlieb and Alan (Arlene) Gottlieb; many nieces, nephews, cousins and lifelong friends. continued on page 60

We understand that grief is a part of love. Let us assist your family during this difficult period.

JUNE 2 • 2022

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 59

He was predeceased by his sister, Julie Gottlieb. A memorial service was held on May 15, 2022, and interment was at Temple Beth El Memorial Park in Hollywood, Fla. To honor Richard’s memory, contributions may be made to afmda. org and sent to jill.horowitzemail@gmail or adam@ jendetroit.com.

Mrs. Hocking was the daughter of the late Dr. Malcolm and the late Louise Cone; the sister of the late Eric Cone. Interment took place at B’nai Israel Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Novi. Contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

DEBBY JILL HOCKING, 68, of West Bloomfield, died May 20, 2022. She is survived by her son, Jared Hocking; niece, Rochelle Cohen; cousin, Rita Geiringer; many other loving family members and friends.

JENNIE INFELD, 97, of Farmington Hills, died May 23, 2022. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Ilene and Martin Kuretzky, Carol Mangen and Gayle (Donald Phillips) Infeld; grandchildren, Kevin (Patrick

JUNE 2 • 2022

Spadinger) Kuretzky, Sarah (Don) Kuretzky-Rossington, A.J. Mangen, Carly (Michael) Weinstock and Harry Leipsitz; great-grandchildren, Jacob, Jonah, Laila, Joshua and Marlee; many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Infeld was the beloved wife of the late Leo Infeld; mother-in-law of the late Dr. Larry Mangen. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to Camp Tamarack or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

RUDOLPH KELLER, 91, of Bloomfield Hills, died May 22, 2022. He was a pharmacist for more than 60 years. Mr. Keller is survived by his wife of 67 years, Julia Keller; daughter, Gail Wiener; son and daughter-in-law, James and Elizabeth Keller; grandchildren, Marisa and Herb Wiener, Joshua Keller and Clara Yom, and Jonathan Keller; great-grandson, Junho. Mr. Keller is also survived by Jeffrey Wiener and many loving cousins, other relatives and friends. He was the dear brother of the late Robert and the late Ann Keller. Interment was at Oakview

Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a Jewish charity; the Salvation Army, 16310 Northland Drive, Southfield, MI 48075, salvationarmyusa. org; or Gleaners Community Food Bank, Oakland Distribution Center, P.O. Box 33321, Detroit, Michigan, MI 48232-5321, gcfb.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ALVIN S. NODLER, 81, of Oak Park, died May 23, 2022. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Adele Nodler; sons and daughters-in-law, Harold and Leslie Nodler of Huntington Woods, Michael and Dana Nodler of Oak Park; grandchildren, Joshua, Rebecca, Rachel, Danielle; brothersin-law and sisters-in-law, Marvin Gurecki, Larry and Shoshanna Levin, Nancy and Harry Topper, Jacki and Steve Silvergleit; many loving nieces and nephews. Mr. Nodler was the treasured son of the late Esther and the late Harry Nodler; cherished son-in-law of the late Molly and the late Morris Levin; dear brother-in-law of the late Arlene Gurecki. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or Lakewood Cheder School, 725 Vassar Ave., Lakewood, N.J. 08701. A funeral service took place at Hebrew Memorial Chapel. Interment was held at Workmen’s Circle Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

ALVIRA ROGERS SCHECTER, 85, of West Bloomfield, died May 20, 2022. She is survived by her sons and daughters-inlaw, Mark and Stacey Rogers, Keith and Linda Rogers; daughters and sons-in-law, Cheryl and Patrick Flynn, Laura and Joe Touchton; grandchildren, John (Nina), Jeff, Amanda, Brendan (Brytt), Austin (Morgan), Courtney, Conor, Meghan; three great-grandchildren and many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Schechter was the beloved wife of the late Allan Schechter. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the Friendship Circle. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. HAROLD STROM, 100, of Southfield, died May 21, 2022. He was devoted to his family and his faith throughout his life. He never missed a family function. Family, friends and others knew they could count on Harold for aid in time of need. He was a Stoliner and supported them in the United States, Israel and Russia. He was also a Zionist who supported Israel. He was an ardent supporter of many other causes. Harold joined the Navy as soon as World War II began. He graduated from the University of Illinois while in the Navy and went on to become an officer in the Naval Reserve. It was during this time he married the

foundation of his future life, Shirley Marks. He founded and established Crystal Auto Parts in Dearborn in the early 1950s. He believed in the value of hard work and worked at Crystal Auto Parts until he was 95. Harold loved to tell jokes, laugh and share his laughter with others. Music and singing were central to his family life. He will be sorely missed by those who knew him. Mr. Strom is survived by his wife of 75 years, Shirley Strom; son, Isidor Strom of Southfield; daughter and sonin-law, Elana Strom and David Sklar of Virginia; grandchildren, Jeffrey and Amber Strom, Stephanie Strom, Elissa Kaufman; great-grandchildren, Eliot Elizabeth Strom, Sylvie Grace Strom, Jonah Seager Strom. He was the loving father of the late Elliott Strom; dear brother and brother-in-law of the late Gertrude and the late Sidney Kosowsky, the late Mickey and the late Mary Strom, the late Margaret and the late Manny Berman, the late Esther Pollack, the late David Strom. Contributions may be made to Elliott Dov Strom Memorial Scholarship Fund at Wayne State University, Account 060457, giving. wayne.edu; or to a charity of one’s choice. A funeral service was held at Hebrew Memorial Chapel. Interment was held at Hebrew Memorial Gardens in Roseville. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. CORRECTION The obituary for Allen Kaminsky (April 21) should have indicated that he is also survived by his granddaughter, Ruby Freed.

Co-Inventor of a Revolutionary Defibrillator Dies At 89 The implantable defibrillator, a small device that can be installed under a patient’s skin and immediately send a shock to correct any irregular heart rhythms, is implanted in more than 300,000 people every year. Dr. Morton Mower, a Jewish cardiologist and renowned inventor who died April 25 in Denver of cancer at the age of 89, was one of the device’s two inventors. His contributions to medical science were rivaled only by his devotion to the Jewish National Fund, to which he and his wife, Dr. Tobia Mower, were significant donors. Along with his Jewish co-inventor, Dr. Michel Mirowski, Mower began development in 1969 on a pint-sized defibrillator that could be surgically implanted underneath the abdomen to allow for quicker, more precise electric jolts. He taught himself electrical engineering in his basement to create prototypes for the instrument, which the pair believed could be a significant improvement on the over-theskin defibrillator. The Baltimore-born Mower would later joke that the two had essentially invented “a time bomb in people’s chests.” But after it was first implanted into humans in 1980 and approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1985, the device — now commonly placed in the upper chest — became a revolutionary tool for cardiologists. The duo followed up that hit by inventing cardiac resynchronization therapy, an electric device that sends jolts to the left and right ventricles of the heart simultaneously in order to get them to beat in a more organized (Source: JTA) pattern. JUNE 2 • 2022

Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

The All-American Hot Dog

read about a new exhibit by a Jewish artist at the Museum at Eldridge Street in New York City: “Steve Marcus: Top Dog of Kosher Pop Art.” Its theme is Jewish connections to that all-American food, the hot dog. I thought that the hot dog seemed liked a fine topic for a “Looking Back.” Kosher hot dogs, of course. Memorial Day has become the unofficial beginning of summer in Michigan (summer actually begins on June 21). First and foremost, we should not forget that Memorial Day is the time each year when we honor all Mike Smith those men and women who Alene and Graham Landau have sacrificed while serving Archivist Chair in the American military. May God give them peace. Beginning on Memorial Day, however, it is prime time for backyard grills, picnics and BBQs … and hot dogs! Although, one can eat these delicacies at any time during the year, at sports arenas or at home, hot dogs grilled outside are especially tasty. In fact, beginning in 1920, I found 2,690 pages in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History citing this essential food. The bulk of the mentions are about events held by Jewish organizations and synagogues that served hot dogs as part of their refreshment menus. In addition, how many thousands of Jewish youngsters have roasted a hot dog on a stick (and marshmallows) at Camps Tamarack, Tanuga, Ramah or Willoway? Or, if you really want to “put on the dog” for your backyard gathering, you can rent a New York-Style Hot Dog cart from Uptown Catering. As you might imagine, there are also hundreds of advertisements from local markets selling hot dogs. In the 1950s, for example, Liberman’s ads urged shoppers to “Visit Our Kosher Kounter,” where you could buy hot dogs, including Hungarian Hot Dogs (April 6, 1956, JN). All the major supermarkets

JUNE 2 • 2022

advertised hot dogs at one time or another in the JN. In Detroit, one cannot write about hot dogs without mentioning the famous Coney Island Hot Dog, perhaps the city’s most iconic restaurant food. This means a hot dog with chili, onions and mustard — no ketchup, please! In Metro Detroit, you just say, “I’d like a coney,” and everyone will know precisely what you mean. Coneys were mentioned in nearly 40 columns from the late JN writer Danny Raskin’s columns. He also answered questions about hot dogs such as those at Costco and Sam’s Club — Sinai Kosher dogs at Costco are steamed; at Sam’s Club, Best’s Kosher are grilled. (May 12, 2005). And don’t forget corn dogs, bagel dogs or local “Floogie Dogs.” And there are the hot dogs mom cut up for you when you were a tyke. The variations are endless. It is an all-purpose food. Most of all, I love the hot dog success stories in the JN. Rabbi Joseph Krupnik and Tzvi Ungar handled a kosher hot dog cart at Ford Field (Nov. 3, 2011). “Hot Diggity Dog” is about Israeli immigrant Alex and his wife, Debra, opening their hot dog restaurant in Waterford (June 14, 2018). In Ann Arbor, “Kosher Red Hots Hit Campus” at U-M (March 7, 2003). A cautionary note. To really celebrate the all-American meal, you will have to wait until July when it is National Hot Dog month. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

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JEWISH NEWS 200 Feb. 11-17, 2021 / 29 Shevat-5 Adar 5781

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

THE DETROIT

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200 Feb. 18-24, 2021 / 6-12 Adar 5781

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

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JEWISH NEWS 200 Feb. 25-March 3, 2021 / 13-19 Adar 5781

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

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

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DJN June 2, 2022

Articles inside

Obits

Not Your Bubbie’s Manischewitz

Community Calendar

Celebrity News

Shocking Title, Great Read

Wolf Hound

A Culturally Important Ukraine Jewish Music Connection

From the Home Kitchen of Chef Aaron: Lake Perch Dinner

How Structure Can Change Your Life

Moments

Torah Portion

Birthright Trips Resume after COVID Hiatus

Dispatch from Dnipro

The Final Kindness

Heart of Gold Winner

Kalamazoo’s Congregation of Moses Continues to Grow

Giving Back Life Lessons

Essays and viewpoints

Denial in D.C

The Nightmare Hunt for Baby Formula