DJN September 23, 2021 by The Detroit Jewish News

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS 200 Sept. 23-29, 2021 / 17-23 Tishri 5782

thejewishnews.com

Big Tent Event Ten distinct young adult groups unite to show Jews share more in common than that which separates them.

See page 10

REAL ESTATE

contents Sept. 23-29, 2021 / 17-23 Tishri 5782 | VOLUME CLX, ISSUE 7

PURELY COMMENTARY 4-9

Essays and Viewpoints.

OUR COMMUNITY 10

Big Tent Event

A Community Mitzvah

20 21 22

Ten distinct young adult groups unite to show Jews share more in common than that which separates them. Bais Chabad communal project helping Sderot, Israel family with bar mitzvah expenses.

From Israel with Love

New Exhibit Celebrates Albert Kahn’s Life and Accomplishments Sukkah Builders for Hire A New Year’s Lunch

Keeping Congregations Excellent

Holocaust survivors welcomed in 5782 with a virtual concert.

The Hermelin Davidson Center makes a difference throughout the community.

Farber seniors build sukkahs for senior trip fundraiser.

They’re here! Meet Detroit’s 2021-22 shinshinim.

Exploring Close to Home

Michigan man has taken 38,000 photos of nearly every town in the state.

18 39

SPORTS 41

ARTS&LIFE 42

Million-Dollar ‘Coming Out’ Fund Spectrum Center’s largest gift ever helps celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Friends, Power Outages and a Championship-Winning Layup

It was a memorable inaugural season for the Detroit Shul Basketball League.

Keeping Memories Alive

New website will share Grand Rapids Holocaust survivor testimonies for the first time.

Synagogue Directory

Sci-Fi with a Purpose

Native Detroiter creates fantasy serie to spur young women into STEM.

Book Review: The Angel and the Cholent

Celebrity News

ERETZ

Community Calendar

MAZEL TOV!

APPLE TREE SPECIAL 32

Celebrating Sukkot and Simchat Torah

Abraham Accords: A Year Later Moments

SPIRIT 36

Torah portion

Simchat Torah: The Antidote for Despair

EVENTS FOOD

From the Home Kitchen of Chef Aaron

A Classic Dip.

ETC.

The Exchange 46 Obituaries 48 Looking Back 54

26 Shabbat and Holiday Lights

Shabbat Chol HaMoed begins: Friday, Sept. 24, 7:08 p.m. Shabbat Chol HaMoed ends: Saturday, Sept. 25, 8:06 p.m. Shemini Atzeret begins: Monday, Sept. 27, 7:02 p.m. Simchat Torah begins: Tuesday, Sept. 28, 8:01 p.m. Simchat Torah ends: Wednesday, Sept. 29, 7:59 p.m.

*Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

ON THE COVER: Cover graphic: The Achdut Detroit Council Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY guest column

Reflections on 9-11: A Letter to Remember

t was an incredible series of moments that were filled with sadness and with prayer. Two Dominican Sisters of the Roman Catholic Church, Sister Mary Magdalen and Sister Anna Marie, of the Order Rabbi Herbert A. of Preachers Yoskowitz (O.P.) and I had arranged to meet at Adat Shalom Synagogue at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001. The nuns had learned of the recently published book The Kaddish Minyan that I edited and wanted to learn how Judaism helps to heal the souls of the recently bereaved. One of the sisters lived in Farmington Hills, while the other was visiting from Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies. My two visitors that morning were part of a religious order dedicated to healing the world through prayer and action. As we sat together in my office, the sisters and I spoke about the commitment to healing to which our respective religious

faiths are dedicated. We talked about the importance of our Covenant with God and to join with Him “l’taken olam b’malchoot Shaddai” — to repair the world in God’s kingdom. We were in the midst of a deep theological discussion when the calm was interrupted by the terrible events of that day as our country was attacked. “Sisters,” I asked my guests, “would you join me in our chapel to pray for the safety of our people now under attack?” They immediately agreed, and we silently walked together to the Shiffman Chapel to join in prayer. Irrespective of our mode of prayer — they were on their knees praying as I stood silently in prayer before the Holy Ark — we were at one praying for the lives and well-being of the American people facing imminent danger. Who knows what effect our prayers a score of years ago will have on people of today or on some distant tomorrow? In his essay “Expiration, Suffering and Redemption,” Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik taught, “Somehow the small,

modest unseen act, the seemingly insignificant deed, unnoticed and hardly discernible, is precisely the one which fills a higher place than great renowned heroism.” Did our action of unity in the face of national trauma have a positive effect? Surely it did on us. As the sisters wrote in a letter to me on Sept. 15, 2001: “Your teaching about the holiness of life to which your people are called (and wholeness of life!) and the integration of the progressive stages of life … into the dynamic of an ever-present relationship with the Lord, was an experience in itself. To pray with you was another.” What an unspeakable horror was Sept.11, 2001! About that there is no doubt. As we remember and honor the memories of the firefighters and others who made the ultimate sacrifice to try to rescue as many lives as

anticipated event when my cousin, Judi Tann, pounded on my door and shouted, “Turn on your TV!” I was bewildered at the sight. Planes crashing into New York towers! Confusion and disbelief! Still, I left for the luncheon. NPR’s Nina Totenberg was our guest speaker. It was surreal.

The luncheon was unforgettable. So many members had family in New York. Everyone was trying to get through. Were the phones as efficient 20 years ago? I don’t recall, but there were stunned, tense faces at every table. Did Nina Totenberg speak that afternoon? I believe

possible, I remember two nuns, Sister Mary Magdalen O.P. and Sister Anna Marie O.P., one geographically close and one from very far away who were with me in prayer and in action to try to shape a world in which our covenant with God will make an even greater positive difference in leading us to a unity of sacred life-affirming values of our Torah. Herbert A. Yoskowitz is rabbi emeritus of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills and lecturer at the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester Hills. He served as the Jewish chaplain at the John Dingell VA Medical Center for 25 years. He is the editor of The Kaddish Minyan: The Impact on Ten Lives (Eakin Press, 2001) and The Kaddish Minyan: From Pain to Healing: Twenty Personal Stories (Eakin Press, 2003).

letters

Thoughts on 9-11

Who doesn’t remember where they were on that fateful morning of 9-11? I, for one, shared this horrific morning with fellow members of the National Council of Jewish Women who had gathered at Shaarey Zedek for our annual fall luncheon. I was dressing for this always

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

so. I also recall that she was marooned here for several days. It was impossible to return to New York. The days that followed brought fear and sorrow. Our beloved country would never be the same. Are we not still in mourning? — Edie Broida West Bloomfield

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SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY guest column

Tamarack Camps Changes Campers and Staff ‘For Good’

TAMARACK

t our annual fundraiser, Send a Kid to Tamarack, we raised critical funds that supported camper scholarship; and, throughout the evening, we highlighted the idea that a Tamarack Lee Trepeck experience so often changes campers and staff “for good.” Now, reflecting upon the journey of an atypical summer, and my first in a new role as CEO, I continue to be motivated and inspired by the positive changes that occurred in every program at Tamarack Camps — and, most importantly, in the lives

of those connected to our camp community. As each program concluded, we received an outpouring of messages from families expressing the emotion of this unique time. One Camp Kennedy parent shared: “My child’s

experience was very impactful” … “There is certainly special magic in the outpost and part of the magic is the staff. This year, after being cooped up for a year-and-a-half, camp provided that first opportunity of normalcy,

while at the same time balancing safety. Everyone was all-in.” A Camp Maas parent expressed: “Our boys had ‘the best summer ever’ at a time when the best summer was needed more than ever. As parents we are so grateful that they were able to have a summer of independence, experience and joy after 18 months of COVID and with an uncertain fall ahead of them. As Tamarack donors, we know our investment in this community resource is a good one. As community members, we are confident that Tamarack Camps is helping us to strengthen Jewish identity and strengthen Jewish Detroit.” Summers at camp help continued on page 9

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SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

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SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY essay

Protecting Reproductive Rights

hough I was born before Roe v. Wade was the law of the land, I grew up only knowing abortion to be legal. But from its inception, abortion has been a right in name only for so many people — mostly individuals with low incomes, LGBTQ folks and people of color. Because the reality is that access to abortion has been under attack since the Jody Rabhan Supreme Court’s 1973 decision. Take the discriminatory Hyde Amendment, first passed in 1976, which denies abortion coverage through Medicaid, Medicare and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Added to annual appropriations bills every year, Hyde also extends to federal employees and dependents, military personnel and dependents, Peace Corps volunteers, Native Americans receiving care from federal or tribal programs, pregnant individuals in federal prisons and detention centers, pregnant individuals receiving care from community health centers, survivors of human trafficking and low-income Washington, D.C., residents. Look also at Planned Parenthood v. Casey, a 1992 case, in which the basic framework of Roe was altered to allow restrictions that did not place an “undue burden” on a woman’s ability to exercise her right to obtain an abortion. From this decision (and to be sure even before), states made it their business to get in other people’s business to regulate what we can and cannot do with our bodies. Despite the constitutional right to abortion — regardless of who you are, how much money you make or where you live — efforts to chip away at access, like what just happened in Texas, have been the focus of conservative lawmakers across the county. States employ a variety of tactics to limit abortion access, including outright bans tied to gestational age, mandatory biased counseling, waiting periods, parental consent, restrictions on public funding and

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

private insurance coverage, physician and hospital requirements (targeted restrictions on abortion providers or “TRAP” laws), and refusals of care based on moral and religious objections. The right wing won’t stop until people who can get pregnant do not have the right to make their own decisions about their body, health and futures. It is no surprise that in states like Texas, where their leadership is hell-bent on restricting abortion access, they are also doing everything they can to suppress the vote. SB1, which would decrease vote-bymail options, roll back expanded voting options making it easier to vote, and boost protections for partisan poll watchers and set new rules — and possible criminal penalties — for those who assist voters in casting their ballots, just passed in the lone star state. It surpasses Georgia’s more well-known sweeping voter suppression law in its extent, impact and cruelty. These restrictions primarily target the same populations as abortion bans: women, people with low income, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ individuals and young people. Without federal legislation to protect our rights, we are at the mercy of the courts, remade under the former president, packed with mostly white, young men who oppose voting rights, abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, and more. As we

are all too aware, three of the justices on the U.S. Supreme Court were nominated by Trump. And what many may not know is that six Trump judges sit on the Fifth Circuit, where the Texas law, SB8, has been returned thanks to the Supreme Court’s inaction. The systems of white supremacy and white supremacists in power only care about just that: keeping the power to white, Christian males. Reproductive oppression is one way of holding on to their power, despite widespread support of reproductive freedom in the U.S. In a recent survey, close to 60% of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, a result mostly unchanged over the last few years. It is long past time to change this power dynamic. Though there are more Democratic-leaning voters in this country, we are in the process of redistricting without the protections of the federal government for the first time in decades, all but assuring the dilution of minority and Democratic voters in Republican-led states. With a Democratic president and a Democratic majority in Congress, we can and must enshrine our rights in statute. Now is the time for strong federal legislation to protect and advance our rights, including the right to abortion. Tell your lawmakers to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) to guarantee federal abortion protections. WHPA would safeguard access to high-quality care and secure our constitutional rights by protecting patients and providers from the dangerous political interference we’re seeing in states like Texas no matter where you live. Everyone deserves the abortion care they need to thrive in their communities and live their lives with economic security and dignity. Connect the dots. The urgency is real. We cannot miss the moment. Jody Rabhan is a progressive social justice advocate at the National Council of Jewish Women fighting for health care, abortion rights, gun safety and everything in between.

continued from page 6

our participants grow into future leaders — and now, with campers and staff “home from home,” they are “changed for good” and driven to further solidify the foundation of our camp. This is why we have launched the CAMPaign for Change. Within the spirit of interactive camp programming, campers and staff learned about tzedakah and the value of giving back. They built their own tzedakah bus boxes and have begun collecting change for collective change. As activists, they are giving tzedakah themselves — and, simultaneously, asking friends, family and neighbors to help fulfill the mission. I am so grateful to our president, Geoff Kretchmer, who conceived the idea of CAMPaign for Change, and our committee members,

who are implementing its vision. And I am beyond appreciative to those participants who are investing in immeasurable opportunity. Through the generosity of individual action, we are collectively supporting scholarships to help ensure that every child, regardless of financial ability, can enjoy life-changing experiences at “The Greatest Place on Earth!” That’s leadership. That’s “change for good.” To learn more about supporting our campers and staff as they CAMPaign for Change or to help by making a gift toward camper scholarship, please visit www.tamarackcamps. com/change.

Lee Trepeck is chief executive officer at Tamarack Camps. This essay first appeared at myjewishdetroit.org.

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Yiddish Limerick Sukkot Undzer sukkah, it is shain It is zayer zayer klein. It seats not drei nor fier Nisht a fentzter, nisht a tier Oy vay iz mir, it’s going to rain.

Undzer: Our shain: beautiful zayer: very klein: little drei or fier: three or four Nisht a fentzter: Not a window tier: door Oy vay iz mir: A call of distress By Rachel Kapen

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SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Big Tent Event

n a first-of-its-kind event, 10 diverse Jewish groups joined forces last month to throw the ultimate young adult end-of-summer send-off. The “commUNITY” get-together — an evening of live music, kosher food and drinks at a beautiful back yard in West Bloomfield — attracted close to 300 young people. It took place on Aug. 25 — but the concept, in reality, was years in the making. The invited partygoers included members of Federation’s NEXTGen Detroit, Chabad Young Professionals Detroit, Detroit City Moishe House, EmergingGen Windsor, Hillel of Metro Detroit, Jewish Young Professionals of Ann Arbor, Moishe House Royal Oak, Partners Detroit, Platform 18 and The Well. The Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC also sponsored the event. The outdoor party had a beautiful, yet rustic feel. “It felt like you had showed up for something special,” said

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Ten distinct young adult groups unite to show Jews share more in common than that which separates them. JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL

Erin Stiebel, an educator at Partners Detroit. “Everyone was so excited to have an in-person event. There were reunions everywhere you looked with people who hadn’t seen each other in years. It was a crossroads of everyone coming together.” For Lauren Soifer, NEXTGen Detroit associate director, a native Detroiter who recently returned home from several years in Atlanta, it Lauren was the first big event she Soifer went to since she came home. “It was just so amazing to see all the organizations together with the same goal in mind,” she said. “I don’t think a lot of other cities would be able to replicate it. Detroit is unique, based upon our history and that so many people from here have been here for generations.

TOP ROW, FROM LEFT: George Roberts, Melissa Mertz, Lauren Soifer, Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh, Tomer Moked, Leah Langnas, Devorah Pinson, Rabbi Yisrael Pinson, Rabbi Shmuli Wolf. BOTTOM ROW, FROM LEFT: Alyssa Katz, Hannah Goodman, Mimi Marcus, Marisa Meyerson, Joshua Goldberg, Rabbi Noam Gross, Olivia Berlin, Hilary Greenberg, Joelle Abramowitz, Erin Stiebel.

“It’s like a family — very tight-knit community. A lot of other Jewish communities, like Atlanta, don’t have that — they are more transitory. Here, there’s a sense of ownership that makes an event like this possible.” Of the 250-300 people who attended, more than 25 from Jewish Young Professionals of Ann Arbor joined the fun. Due to the border situation, unfortunately, no one from EmergingGen Windsor could attend. The event brought out many new faces, including the leader of the musical band, who was Jewish, too, and

PHOTOS BY ROBERT BRUCE PHOTOGRAPHY

OUR COMMUNITY

PHOTOS BY ROBERT BRUCE PHOTOGRAPHY

lived in Ann Arbor, hoping to see some friends from Birthright Israel. A LONG-HELD DREAM Joshua Goldberg, involved throughout the community, was the president of NEXTGen Detroit until his term ended on Sept. 2. It was his idea to create a council that would unite diverse organizations that focused on engaging Jewish young adults. The dream had been simmering in his mind for years. Goldberg serves professionally as director of expansion for Moishe House, a global role not focused on the organization’s Detroit-area houses. He also hosts the Jewish News’ video series Bubbie’s Kitchen Detroit. As part of his NEXTGen Detroit presidency, he envisioned “five points of connection,” all with the aim of increasing connections internally and externally. One of his points was to create a council that would strengthen ties within the community. “In September 2020, I announced my five points in my speech at NEXTGen Detroit’s Annual Meeting,” he said. “My exact words were: ‘We’ll organize a council to forge connections with other Jewish groups in our community who work with our demographic.’” And that’s what he did. While NEXTGen Detroit itself had relationships with various groups, no forum existed to ensure that relationships exist between all the similarly-focused groups in the area. That fall, he developed the parameters of which groups would be invited to join the then-unnamed council. The keys would be groups that “focus exclusively on Jewish community-building for young adults” and to consider Metro Detroit in a regional way. “My thought was to keep the council small to facilitate discussion, and I’ve sometimes referred to it as a ‘core council,’” he said. “In contrast, I imagined there being a much broader group that could be open to any interested party. I wasn’t yet sure what the function of that larger group would be, though.” In December 2020, he emailed the designated groups. “Prior to this email,

Joshua Goldberg

the council existed only in my mind and in the one-on-one conversations I’d been having with leaders from each group,” Goldberg said. “With the email, the council became real.” Aside from NEXTGen Detroit, the invited groups were Chabad Young Professionals Detroit, Detroit City Moishe House, EmergingGen Windsor, Hillel of Metro Detroit, Jewish Young Professionals of Ann Arbor, Moishe House Royal Oak, Partners Detroit Young Jewish Professionals and The Well. Stiebel of Partners Detroit was thrilled to be invited to sit on the council. “Joshua’s vision was for a unified Metro Detroit Jewish community; often we find ourselves fragmented. I was so excited when he reached out to me to be a face for Partners on this community council.” Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh, executive director of The Well, said, “Part of the mandate of The Well is to help when there are opportunities to do so. Rabbi Jeff I was personally and Stombaugh professionally drawn to the council as I’m in favor of working together as a community. I think it was a natural evolution

that groups working with a similar demographic coalesced into this council.” THE COUNCIL GETS TO WORK Each organization was invited to bring two members to the initial virtual meeting in January. A few months later, the council met for a second time, again on Zoom. Prior to that second meeting, Rabbi Noam Gross, director of Partners Detroit Young Jewish Professionals, discussed with Goldberg the idea of a Rabbi Noam community-wide event. Gross “I thought we could try to do something historic with all the organizations together,” Gross said. “It had probably never been done anywhere, but it’s a testament to the strength of Detroit’s Jewish community that we could make it happen here.” Gross pitched the idea at the meeting, where it was met with a nice but brief reception. “The other council members reacted positively, but I don’t think everyone thought it would necessarily really happen,” Goldberg said. continued on page 12 SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

The crowd enjoyed live music.

continued from page 11

Between April and July, Goldberg and Gross strategized about the best way to get all the groups to buy into the idea. “In general, there was openness toward doing it, even between groups that hadn’t previously partnered together. But actually bringing it to reality involved the various group’s internal politics and scheduling needs,” Goldberg said. “And, ultimately, we needed each group to commit to being all-in on the idea, which was even more tricky given the continuing uncertainty around COVID19.” In July, the council met for the first time in person at Platform 18 in Royal Oak, hosted by Partners. “That first in-person meeting where we finally sat down face-to-face gave me the opportunity to

strengthen relationships and create new ones,” Gross said. Stiebel added, “It was powerful sitting in that first in-person meeting and seeing faces of every facet of this Metro Detroit community, including Ann Arbor and Windsor, all fostering a stronger Jewish Detroit.” During the meeting, potential names for the council, which hadn’t yet been named, were discussed. Goldberg said, “One particular word had been in my mind for the prior few weeks — achdut — which means ‘unity’ in Hebrew, and I thought it would be an apt name. George Roberts, then NEXTGen Detroit presidentelect and now president, suggested pairing it with the word ‘Detroit.’” After considering name options for the council, its

members then discussed preliminary plans for the event, which became called “the commUNITY soirée,” or just “commUNITY.” Stiebel of Partners stepped up to chair the event. “I worked with every organization on the council so they could all feel a part of it. We all felt ownership of this event,” she said. Stombaugh said that The Well was part of the logistical team and helped with some creative elements. “We got to lend our expertise. Every organization was able to be showcased in a way at the event.” He added that The Well is already using the council’s collaborative model for its “Sukkot Sounds” event, a series of live musical events in back yards, with an “open invitation for other organizations to help sponsor

an event.” Rabbi Yisrael Pinson of Chabad Young Professionals said, at the core, his organization is an “engagement organization, not an event planning organization. A lot of the efforts go into event Rabbi planning. If we Yisrael pool our efforts, Pinson it’s much more efficient.” Goldberg watched as his vision became a reality. “In the weeks that followed, leaders from different groups worked with each other in ways that simply hadn’t previously happened,” he said. ENLARGING THE TENT Registration for the event went live in early August, with registrants able to select continued on page 14

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH

M A RY

BA R R A

chair & ceo, general motors ou t s ta ndin g le a de r s hip awa r d e e dinner chair

event chair

general chair

honorary chair

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steve steinour jim & nancy grosfeld

jerry norcia ambassador d av i d t. f i s c h e r

m a rk dav id off sandra pierce

JOIN US IN PERSON FOR THE PREMIER EVENT OF THE YEAR

OCTOBER 24, 2021 • 4:30 PM DETROIT MARRIOTT RENAISSANCE CENTER

T H E Y E S HI VA IS CO MMIT T E D TO E N SU RIN G T HE S A FE T Y A ND CO MFO RT O F O U R G U E S T S . This year’s strolling dinner and post event dessert buffet will be dispersed throughout multiple ballrooms to allow for distancing, with theater style seating in the main event space.

F O R S P O N S O R S H I P S , A D V E R T I S I N G A N D R E S E R VAT I O N S V I S I T

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SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY Erin Stiebel

continued from page 12

which groups, even multiple groups, they were affiliated with since many young adults are involved with more than one. Most people remained unaware at this point of the existence of the Achdut Detroit Council, as the groups were listed as holding the event without any mention of the council. “But as community members inquired, I started to explain the bigger picture,” Goldberg said. “This led to other groups wanting to be part of the event, if not the council.” “The result was perfect, since that was always part of the plan,” he said. Goldberg reminded the council of the idea to have a broader group that would be

an extension of the council and include others as well, now calling the extension the “Achdut Detroit Chaverim” (chaverim meaning “friends”). While the council could remain small, comprised of groups that focus exclusively on Jewish communitybuilding, any other community organization or synagogue that has investment in Jewish young adult outreach in the area would be welcome to join the Chaverim. The Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC was the first group to do so and helped sponsor the event. Repair the World Detroit was the second. “In the Jewish young professionals’ community, where so much is going on

and so many people are involved, I think the council will have a huge impact,” Gross said. “People like to see different organizations working together and getting along. It acts to strengthen the community and provides more opportunities for everyone involved.” AN EVENING TO REMEMBER The Aug. 25 festivity proved to be a rousing success. The different sponsoring groups were highlighted in various ways, including on a drink menu that offered a speciality drink from each group, complete with a tagline to showcase itself and its drink. Examples included the “NEXTGin Detroit and Tonic,” a gin and tonic that’s “Classy, but came to party” and the “Tree Town Toast,” a mojito that’s “Green, leafy, fresh, and sweet … everything to love about Jewish Young Professionals of Ann Arbor.” “Erin Stiebel did an amazing job organizing each groups’ efforts and overseeing this event,” Goldberg said. “I think that the event showed the council what it was capable of,” Stiebel said. “I hope it leads to further partnerships and opportunities for groups to work together and bring our own unique strengths to the table. This is just the beginning.” Rabbi Bentzy Schechter of Partners Detroit said, “The turnout showed us that there was Rabbi an interest and Bentzy thirst for this Schechter kind of event.

I hope it will unify young professionals and spur more engagement. “As Jews, we tend to highlight the differences between each other,” he added. “This event showed us that we share so much more in common than what might divide us. As leaders, we need to create that sense going forward — that we see the best of each other and of each organization.” Pinson of Chabad Young Professionals was pleased by the execution. “Never before have we worked with so many organizations,” he said. “In this case, we had one organization [Partners Detroit] take the lead with all the others there to support it. It allowed us to have a magnificent event. It felt like we all did it together, but nothing fell through the cracks. “This is a new perspective for collaboration among Jewish organizations. We get more done for fewer dollars — and more engagement. It’s better to be team players than competitors.” Addressing the crowd at the event, its originator Joshua Goldberg said, “There is such beauty here — being able to include so many different groups — groups that had never partnered together before. “Achdut means ‘unity.’ and the groups in the Achdut Detroit Council focus exclusively on building Jewish community. That’s the commonality. But they’re also diverse — in size, in religious orientation and in specific geography. “This is incredibly special, and it doesn’t happen in other communities.” view more photos on page 16

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

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OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 14

TOP TO BOTTOM: Michael and Fallon Levin. • Sarah Timlin, Lily Barash, Joely Reznik. • Each organization had a signature cocktail. • Rachel Fine, Olivia Berlin, Alyah Al-Azem, Arielle Inwald, Tomer Moked, Abby Rubin, Becca Fishman.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Zachary and Emily Slabotsky, Erica Dovitz, Zachary Wettenstein. • Kayla Mandel, Mallory Genauer, Joelle Abramowitz, all from Jewish Young Professionals of Ann Arbor. • Hart Watnick, Hannah Goodman, David Sable, Nikki Baron. • Nearly 300 people attended the community event. Reunions were common as this was the first big event most people had attended since the start of the pandemic. • Brad Otis, Nikki Baron, Sam Dubin.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

A Community Mitzvah Bais Chabad project helps Israeli family from Sderot with bar mitzvah expenses. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

he Bais Chabad been a big success. community has taken part “We were able to purchase in a unique communal a new set of tefillin, which is mitzvah around the High about $600-$700, as well as Holidays — helping a family, pull together another several and a community, across the thousand dollars to significantly globe. help cover the costs of the bar Of all Jewish communities mitzvah,” Silberberg said. in the world, few have been as In addition to helping challenged in recent history as the family, the Bais Chabad the city of Sderot, Israel. Sitting community is sending a message one kilometer from the Gaza to the Sderot community, Strip, Sderot has been the target expressing their support as they of thousands of rocket attacks stand on the front lines. over the last 15 years, including “The message we would like hundreds during this past to send them is we support summer’s attack on southern them in their sacrifice in living Israel. where they do, that they’re not Of the many families living alone in facing the challenges with post-traumatic stress of bombardment and terror, disorder (PTSD) from the and we stand in solidarity with years of bombardment, there is them,” Silberberg said. one that will be making a bar Silberberg sees significance mitzvah for their son, Yehudah, that the day of the bar mitzvah this coming Simchat Torah on lands on Simchat Torah, Sept. 28. which is often considered the As the family is dealing most festive day in the Jewish with financial hardship, the calendar. Bais Chabad West Bloomfield “The fact it’s exactly that community is assisting with day we’re linking arms with a the expenses to help cover the community across the world cost of a new set of and joining in celebration with TOP TO BOTTOM: A bomb shelter at a Sderot playground. The bar mitzvah boy and his family. tefillin and a bar them, I find it to be particularly mitzvah celebration. meaningful,” Silberberg said. This summer, Rabbi of the family, the PTSD of the children “Because the message is that we rejoice Shneur Silberberg saw growing up, having to run to shelters at together, we cry together and even if we different communities any given moment, other reasons why are across the world from one another, Rabbi finding ways to show this family in particular has struggled and in fact never met each other, we Shneur solidarity with certain Israeli and that a nice way for the community still feel deeply connected to you and to Silberberg communities. Silberberg to show support would be to assist in whatever you’re going through.” reached out to a rabbi in bringing joy to that family and city,” You can still join in on this mitzvah. Sderot and asked what they could do as Silberberg said. Donate online at baischabad.com/ a community to show support. Silberberg reached out to his own donate and add “Sderot Bar Mitzvah” in “I was told of the various struggles community and got to work. So far, it’s the notes.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

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OUR COMMUNITY

From Israel with Love

They’re here! Meet Detroit’s 2021-22 shinshinim. MYJEWISHDETROIT.ORG

hinshin (‫)ש”ש‬. It’s the Hebrew acronym for Shenat Sherut which means “year of service.” Kind of like our gap year, Shenat Sherut is a program some Israeli high school graduates take part in before starting their military service. Recently, four such young Israelis (collectively known as shinshinim) touched down in Metro Detroit. For the next year, Noa Levi, Itay Schwartz, Ron Harel and Amit Bellin will make Michigan their home away from home … with home being the Central Galilee, famous for its kibbutzim, moshavim, dance and music festivals. It’s also Metro Detroit’s Partnership2Gether region where programs like the Israeli Camper Program and Detroit Community Teen Mission give families in Israel and Michigan the chance to connect. “Americans often hear and read about life in Israel,” says Dona Stillman, associate director of the Israel and Overseas Department at the Jewish

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, “but the shinshinim help them understand what it’s really like to be Israeli. “Synagogues, schools, camp, the JCC … We hope they’ll be everywhere and meet everyone!” she adds. “Their role is to bring Israel here in a very tangible way.” “Welcome to Detroit” to our newest shinshinim. We’re so happy you’re here!

Noa Levi

NOA LEVI Hometown: Kibbbutz Yifat School Majors: Chemistry and Biology Interests: Dance,

technology What is your favorite food, and where is the best place in Israel to get it? “There are two very clear groups. First, everything my mom makes, obviously the best place to get it is our kitchen. Second, ice cream and yogurt, there’s an amazing place in Ramat Yishay called Aglida. Best ever.”

AMIT BELLIN Hometown: Ahuzat Barak School Majors: Art & Music Amit Bellin Interests: Playing piano, drawing What is your favorite Jewish holiday? Why? How does your family celebrate it? “Sukkot, for many reasons — especially because I love decorating the sukkah with my brother. The weather is the absolute best, and we love spending a night outside in the sukkah that we build with our father. I also love the fact that Sukkot calls you to host as many people, family, friends or complete strangers. True, Sukkot does not have any special foods, but it just means you can eat whatever!”

Itay Schwartz

ITAY SCHWARTZ Hometown: Shimshit School Majors: Economics/ Business and Theater Interests: Sports,

JOHN HARDWICK/FEDERATION

Noa Levi, Itay Schwartz, Ron Harel, Amit Bellin

theater, photography What is one special place for you in your area? Why is it special? Is there a story of a particular memory you have from that place? “In Shimshit, there is a special place called ‘Hamitzpe’ (The Lookout). First of all, there is an amazing view of the fields which represent the Jezreel valley. Secondly, this is our ‘meeting spot’ to sit down and hang together with friends. Therefore, a lot of my memories with my friends happened there, and that is why it is so unique.” RON HAREL Hometown: Tzippori School Majors: Chemistry and Theater Ron Harel Interests: Foreign languages, crafts, sports and cooking What is one thing most people don’t know about you? “I am very interested in learning and exploring new languages. Before COVID times, I did it through traveling. I fell in love with Spain around a year and a half ago when I first traveled there and decided to learn the language and the culture from A to Z, which I’ve done every day since then surrounding myself with the language 24/7. Plus, in parallel, I began to delve into more languages, places and cultures, and the great majority of the people around me, other than my family and close friends don’t know this side of me. (Fun fact: I started the sortings for the Shnat Sherut in Spanish as well.)”

New Exhibit Celebrates Albert Kahn’s Life and Accomplishments

Temple Bet h El, Detroit, 1903

KAHN LEGACY THE ALBERT IC KELLER DESIGNER: ER FOUNDATION.

OUR COMMUNITY

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

he Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation has created its initial exhibit celebrating the work of Albert Kahn, the world’s foremost industrial architect of the first half of the 20th century. Titled “Albert Kahn: Creating the Modern World,” it is on public display at the Fisher Building in Detroit through Sept. 30. While the Fisher Building is probably his most admired local structure, Kahn’s firm designed and engineered approximately 20,000 projects throughout his lifetime. These included hundreds of projects for the Ford Motor Company including the Ford Plant in Highland Park and the Rouge Complex. Kahn and his brother, Julius, an engineer, created open, lightfilled factories that were more comfortable for workers and more efficient than other manufacturing facilities of the early 20th century. But the scope of his work

extended beyond industrial buildings. Locally, many of Kahn’s building are well known: Temple Beth El, built on Woodward near Mack in 1905; Hill Auditorium and other buildings on the University of Michigan campus; the Detroit Athletic Club; and the Edsel Ford House. Kahn was a first-generation German Jew whose formal education ended at the seventh grade. He was a selftaught artist and draftsman who apprenticed at a Detroit architectural firm where he quickly mastered the field. Kahn, who lived from 1869-1942, has several descendants in the Detroit area. His oldest child, the late Lydia Winston Malbin, was an internationally recognized collector of contemporary art. According to one local relative, Kahn often took Malbin’s daughter, Sarah (Sally) Robinson, for Sunday drives around Detroit

Detroit Athlet

ic Club, 1915

while listening to the opera. Robinson, 96, who lives in Vermont and Florida, is an artist and her late husband was an architect. There are no Kahn descendants currently working at Albert Kahn Associates Inc., which has its headquarters in the Fisher Building. However, one great-grandson is on the board of the Albert Kahn Legacy Foundation, which was established last year to honor Kahn for his innovations and global impact. The current exhibit is part of the Detroit Month of Design program — a citywide event that celebrates Detroit’s role as a UNESCO City of Design. The Kahn Legacy Foundation is developing a larger exhibit for the Detroit Historical Museum next year. For more information, visit AlbertKahnLegacy.org.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Albert Kahn’s legacy includes such innovative buildings as the Ford River Rouge Glass Plant, 1923. (From The Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of the Ford Motor Company). Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan 1913. (Courtesy of Michael G. Smith). Chrysler Corporation’s Dodge Half-Ton Truck Plant Export Building, 1938. (Albert Kahn Associates).

Benzinga Founder Wins Award

Jason Raznick

Ernst & Young LLP named CEO Jason Raznick of Benzinga an Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 Michigan and Northwest Ohio Award winner. The award recognizes entrepreneurial leaders excelling in talent management; degree of difficulty; financial performance; societal impact and building a values-based company; and originality, innovation and future plans. Raznick was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was announced during the program’s virtual awards gala on Aug. 5. “Benzinga was founded with the mission to democratize financial news,” Raznick said. “For too long, Wall Street has had an unfair advantage over main street by accessing data and information before smaller investors. Benzinga’s core mission is to bring easier-to-consume news to retail traders, in order to even the playing field between main street and Wall Street. While it is a great honor to be announced as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year winner, this is not an individual award, but a team award and a testament to all of the hard work by our team members.” Benzinga, a financial media and technology company that empowers individual investors, was recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States in the Inc. 5000, a list of 5,000 emerging private companies in the U.S. This marks the first time that Benzinga, one of just 80 Michigan-based companies to appear on the list, has been featured. SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

start planning the trip before we got thrown into the fundraiser,” Klausner said. “It’s like the first week of school we’re already working on fundraising, but it’s really great, and we’re happy to help people build their sukkahs.” Beyond raising money for their senior trip, Klausner believes the effort is a good way to engage with the community. “We had some people who emailed us saying they usually build their own sukkahs, but they got injured or they need help this year,” she said. “We even got our firstand second-grade teacher wanting us to build her sukkah, which we were very obviously happy to do for her. It’s just a great way to get involved in the community.” Klausner says the community has been really grateful, and while coordinating and building has been a learning curve, it’s been a rewarding experience. “Through doing this, we’re really more involved in everybody’s Sukkot experience,” Klausner said. “We’re not just building our own sukkah, and the sukkah is like the most important part, so we’re really building people’s holidays for them.”

Sukkah Builders for Hire

he senior class at Farber Hebrew Day School is taking part in a sukkah-building fundraiser with all proceeds funding their senior trip at the end of the year. The fundraiser advertisement went up at the end of August letting the community know that they were ready to hire, and in less than 48 hours, the seniors had a full schedule of sukkah building. The senior class was blown away by the support. Farber senior class representatives Yaffa Klausner and Jonny Kornblum have been in charge of coordinating the sukkah building, Farber seniors although the entire senior class is helping build sukkahs involved in building. throughout the “We sent out a flyer and we community. got many emails, but we could only accept so many with only so believes the total will be a couple thousand much time because all the holidays are early dollars. this year,” Kornblum said. “I believe we Some Farber senior classes in the past accepted 25 or 26.” have gone to Upper Michigan for their With sukkah takedowns still to come senior trip, but Klausner said they could once the holiday is over, Klausner said they change it if they wanted to. haven’t finished fundraising, though she “We actually didn’t have much time to

Farber seniors build sukkahs for senior trip fundraiser.

Holocaust Memorial Center to Rebroadcast MSU Concert Remembering the 80th Anniversary of the Babi Yar Massacre This month marks the 80th anniversary of the Babi Yar massacre, which occurred Sept. 29-30, 1941. On the evening of Sept. 29 in 1941, almost 34,000 Jews were forcibly rounded up and shot over two days at Babi Yar, a ravine that was then located on the outskirts of the city of Kiev, Ukraine. This horrific massacre became a symbol of Jewish suffering during the Holocaust with the mass shootings carried out in Eastern Europe by the Nazis. To observe this anniversary, the Holocaust Memorial Center will rebroadcast the 2019 concert of Shostakovich’s Babi Yar: Remembering the Holocaust performed by the MSU

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Symphony Orchestra and Choral Ensembles. The performance features Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 13 (Babi Yar) and selections from Charles Davidson’s song cycle, I Never Saw Another Butterfly. The concert is available to watch from Sept. 23-27 at www.holocaustcenter.org. For more information call (248) 553-2400. The program is presented by the Michigan State University College of Music and the Michael and Elaine Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel at MSU, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus, the Jewish Community

Center of Metro Detroit and the Detroit Jewish News. The concert rebroadcast is sponsored by Gretchen and Ethan Davidson, Margie Dunn and Mark Davidoff, Howard J. Gourwitz, Belle and Julius Harris Visiting Artist Fund established by Lauren Julius Harris, Stanley and Selma Hollander Endowed Fund in Jewish Arts & Music, Sue and Alan Kaufman, Iris and Stephen Linder, Rebecca and Alan Ross, Elaine and Michael Serling/The Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel, Drs. Lou A. and Roy J. Simon, Linn Van Dyne and Mike Knox, Jeff D. Williams, and Andrea L. Wulf.

OUR COMMUNITY

A New Year’s Lunch

n Sept. 2, 275 Holocaust survivors welcomed the Jewish New Year a few days early with a delicious kosher lunch catered by Fleischman Residence and a virtual concert with Cantor Zachary Mondrow that more than 40 participants joined via Uber Conference, Uniper and Zoom. This joint program of Jewish Family Service and the Program for Holocaust Survivors and Families of Jewish Senior Life was made possible thanks to the time and generosity of the 41volunteers and two JFS transportation drivers who delivered the boxed meals, as well as the generosity of the Jewish Federations of North America for funding the program. “We want our survivor community to know that they are not alone,” says Dr. Charles Silow, director of the Program for Holocaust Survivors and Families of Jewish Senior Life. “We care about them, and we are there for them during these difficult and stressful times.” Missy Lewin, director of Holocaust Survivor and Supportive Services at Jewish Family Service, said, “It is truly an honor to bring programming and joy to the survivor community. “There’s nothing more heart-warming than getting a call from a survivor and hearing that we put a smile on their face.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JFS

Holocaust survivors welcomed in 5782 with a virtual concert.

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TOP TO BOTTOM: Volunteer Sandra Silver is ready to make her deliveries. Program organizers Missy Lewin and Charles Silow are all smiles. Edith Birnholtz receives her boxed lunch prior to the virtual concert. SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

Keeping Congregations Excellent

The Hermelin Davidson Center makes an impact throughout the community. JN STAFF

ongregations and Jewish education are critical to the vibrancy of the Detroit Jewish community. They provide the community with religious, spiritual and moral building blocks that keep us connected to one another. In 1999, the Hermelin and Davidson families established and endowed the Hermelin Davidson Center for Congregation Excellence. Housed at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, the Hermelin Davidson Center is dedicated to supporting innovative and collaborative Jewish educational programming. Since its inception, the center has committed more than $5 million toward this goal. The challenges and opportunities of this year are remarkable, and accordingly, the volunteer lay leaders of the Hermelin Davidson Center committee (chaired by Dr. Lynda Giles) were honored to partner with congregations, congregational schools and other supporting community institutions on a variety of grants.

TOP: YFTI teens participate in a leadership retreat. Rachel Kestenberg, center, is one of the congregational teen directors supported by the Hermelin Davidson Center. ABOVE: A Temple Israel student participates in Sunday School from home. The Hermelin Davidson Center provided funds to enable synagogues to offer remote learning through the pandemic, such as purchasing Zoom licenses.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE Last year, the Hermelin Davidson Center committee designated $100,000 to support congregational schools’ virtual learning at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 100 classrooms across 13 congregational schools benefitted from technology grants of $500 per classroom. These grants helped

schools cover a variety of expenses such as Zoom subscriptions, online education platforms and hardware such as laptops and video equipment so that teachers could connect with their students virtually. These grants not only helped schools adapt to virtual and socially distant education, but they also represent an investment in future technology integration. In addition, the COVID fund also supported congregational school educators’ enrollment in the virtual NewCAJE (newcaje.org) professional development conference, enabling local educators to prepare for a year of innovation amid uncertainty. RACIAL INCLUSION FUND The Hermelin Davidson Center committee designated $45,000 to promote racial inclusion education in congregational life. A grant of $15,000 supported a Diversity Fellow at Detroit Jews for Justice (detroitjewsforjustice.org) who partners with several local congregations. Additionally, a $30,000 fund was established to provide programming grants of up to $4,000 to support congregations’’ racial inclusion education and initiatives that uplift Jews of Color in the community. CONGREGATIONAL TEEN DIRECTORS Strengthening Jewish identity among youth is critical to the long-term success of the Detroit Jewish community. In partnership

with the Jewish Community Center’s Jteen initiative (jfamily. jccdet.org/teens), the Hermelin Davidson Center established a three-year salary match program to support teen director staff positions in congregations. These directors, working in Conservative, Orthodox and Reform spaces, will work to build relationships with teens through enriching programs. The Hermelin Davidson Center designated a grant of $155,000 for teen director salaries this year across 12 participating congregations. THOUGHTFUL JUDAISM JLEARN COURSE The Shalom Hartman Institute of North America (hartman. org.il) has developed a new Jewish studies curriculum titled Thoughtful Judaism, which is offered this fall through the Jewish Community Center’s JLearn program (jccdet.org/

jfmd/jlearn) in coordination with local congregations. The Hermelin Davidson Center awarded $80,000 over two years to support this program. SUMMER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, congregational school directors and educators have limited opportunities to engage in in-person professional development. However, there are an array of virtual professional development experiences available for educators online. The Hermelin Davidson Center designated $28,000 for matching scholarships to enable congregational school educators and directors to participate in meaningful learning opportunities over the summer as they prepare for the new school year, including Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and NewCAJE courses.

THE WELL’S SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM The Hermelin Davidson Center awarded a grant of $25,000 to The Well to subsidize a yearlong cohort program for young adults in their 20s and 30s who are looking for a deeper way to engage their spiritual awareness, professional and personal development. The Well (meetyouatthewell.org) is an inclusive Jewish community-building, education and spirituality outreach initiative. MUSICAL & PROGRAMMATIC ENRICHMENT AT THE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE To expand its reach and engage Jews that work and live in the city of Detroit, the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue (downtownsynagogue.org) is enhancing its musical programmatic offerings. The Hermelin Davidson Center awarded

a grant of $10,000 to the Downtown Synagogue to offer opportunities for young Jews and families for spiritual singing and a musical worship program. The program is led by the synagogue’s newly hired musician in residence, Gavri Yares, a multi-instrumental music educator and performer. UPCOMING GRANT CYCLE The Hermelin Davidson Center for Congregation Excellence is proud to support these programs. A new Hermelin Davidson Center grant cycle will begin this fall for the 2022-23 grant year. For information and to join the email distribution list, congregations and other organizations are encouraged to email grants@jfmd.org. The next Request for Proposals (RFP), planned for November, will include details about eligibility and how to apply.

Facing financial difficulty?

☐ Call jhelp at 1-833-445-4357 ☐ Visit jhelp.org ☐ Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org

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

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

A view of the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula.

Exploring Close to Home

Michigan man has taken 38,000 photos of nearly every town in the state. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT KRASNICK

xplorer Scott Krasnick has taken more than 38,000 photos of towns across Michigan. While living in Downtown Detroit, Krasnick, 50, decided to see where Van Dyke Road ended. “I didn’t look at a map,” the Hillel Day School employee says. “I just drove it.” Throughout the drive, Krasnick saw what he calls “tons of wonderful towns.” Since he lived in a Detroit home at the time that was built in 1877, he was fascinated by old buildings and architecture. Krasnick, who now lives in Roseville, decided right there and then that he wanted to explore every town in Michigan. He strived to find more charming places and hidden gems like he was seeing on his drive up Van Dyke Road. The journey began in 2014. Today, Krasnick estimates that he’s seen 100% of all towns in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

A windmill in Bridgeville

and 75% of all towns in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. In the summer and good weather, he spends nearly every weekend making road trips across the state. Since driving is his preferred method of traveling, Krasnick, who doubles as an amateur photographer, says being on the road helps him discover surprising places he might not see traveling by other means, like train or plane. He especially likes to drive down back roads. “I’ve been everywhere on the official state map that they give out at rest stops,” Krasnick says. “I’ve been to every city, and then some that aren’t on the map, like ghost towns in the Lower Peninsula.” At each location, Krasnick takes hundreds of photographs. His goal: to preserve what towns look like in their current states, particularly towns that have remained unchanged for decades or in some cases, centuries. “You see postcards of different old

towns across Michigan,” Krasnick explains. “A lot of them were taken in the 1870s to the 1930s. I thought it would be cool to do the same.” By next year, Krasnick hopes to complete his travels of the Upper Peninsula. Then, he plans to swim in all five Great Lakes in one summer. He also wants to visit all Michigan islands that are publicly owned. In his collection of 38,000 photos that document a vast array of people, places and things across the state, Krasnick has a specific process that he adheres to. The very first picture he takes in a new town is through the window of his truck. This is to both create a marker, so he knows where that batch of photos begin and to give a nod to his signature style of photography. DOCUMENTING THE JOURNEY Krasnick shares his travels and photographs on his Facebook page, Scott’s Michigan Adventures on Facebook (facebook.com/Scotts-Michigan adventures-2332696790353129/). He believes he has one of the largest collections of old post office photographs in the state, if not the largest. Yet it’s not just architecture that Krasnick photographs. He also enjoys documenting roadside attractions and community cultural events, like small car shows. So far, Krasnick’s trusty 21-year-old truck, which has taken him all across Michigan and back countless times, has clocked more than 300,000 miles. After he finishes visiting every town in the Upper Peninsula, he plans to retire it so he can say it’s been everywhere in the state. “You have to remember that you have to drive up, then you’re only there for three days,” Krasnick laughs. “Then you have to drive all the way back down

and back up again the following weekend.” Krasnick’s favorite towns in Michigan include Three Rivers, Albion and Allegan. “In Three Rivers, I like that the original downtown is almost 100% intact,” he explains. “They have a beautiful movie theater called the Riviera.” In fact, one of Krasnick’s winter projects includes visiting old movie theaters across the state to catch movies and other showings. In the immediate area, Krasnick recommends a visit to Cook’s Dairy Farm in Brandon Township, not far from Tamarack Camps, for farm-fresh

Inside the Octagon barn in Gagetown

Dinosaur Gardens in Ossineke

ice cream. He also suggests taking a short road trip to check out the amusement park Dinosaur Gardens in Ossineke, which is in Alpena County. “That’s the ultimate hidden gem in Michigan, as far as I’m concerned,” Krasnick says. Once Krasnick wraps up his Great Lakes, islands and movie theater projects, he plans to continue traveling locally, even if he’s seen it all. “There’s always things to do in Michigan,” he says. “When I’m traveling, I just fly by the seat of my pants.”

A sculpture in Onaway

Scott Krasnick on the roof of the old Packard Plant in Detroit

“THERE’S ALWAYS THINGS TO DO IN MICHIGAN. WHEN I’M TRAVELING, I JUST FLY BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS.” — SCOTT KRASNICK SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

What the Holocaust Memorial Sculpture will look like at Meijer Gardens.

Keeping Memories Alive

New website will share Grand Rapids Holocaust survivor testimonies for the first time.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

The idea began during an informal Zoom group held during COVID-19, Franciosi says, where Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids and its partners met to discuss a soon-to-be-installed Holocaust Memorial Sculpture at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. “We were trying to figure out ways to supplement the educational component,” Franciosi says. “We were talking about local connections in particular, so as a BELOW: Survivor and Grand Rapids resident Joseph Stevens and two Polish boys who were part of his underground cell during the war. RIGHT: Here he is in the early 2000s.

GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY

new project created in partnership with Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids aims to preserve the stories of Holocaust survivors who settled in the Grand Rapids area. Launching before the end of the year, a special website dedicated to the survivors will feature personal interviews, photos, archives and more, capturing their journeys both during and after World War II. “Right now, we have about 10 stories that we’re going to be doing,” says Nicole Katzman, executive director of Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids. “As we complete them, we’re going to share these with the community and with community partners, and then continue to add more stories of survivors.” With a small, yet close-knit Jewish community on the west side of the state, the website hopes to spotlight a group of people who are sometimes overshadowed by Metro Detroit’s larger Jewish community. Once the website is complete, which currently has three stories finished, the individuals behind the effort want their project to be a template or model that other communities in Michigan can replicate and use for their own purposes. “There are people who settled in Benton Harbor and all over the state who have similar stories,” explains Rob Franciosi, a professor at Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids who is helping spearhead the project and its research. “We thought by creating a model, that might be instructive for other people to take and run with as well.”

group we decided that some kind of a website to honor Holocaust survivors who settled in Grand Rapids would be our unique contribution there.” While there are many websites devoted to the history of the Holocaust, Franciosi says that few, if any, spotlight the west Michigan perspective. To help tell the stories of survivors, the up-and-coming website will use a geospatial software program that shows how people traveled from Europe to places like Shanghai, the Dominican Republic and, ultimately, Grand Rapids. Peg Finkelstein, who has led many archival efforts for the website, spent the last year scanning and documenting the history of the Jewish Federation

Grand Rapids Holocaust survivor Henry Pestka

“WE’RE GOING TO REALLY MAKE AN IMPACT IN GRAND RAPIDS,”

PESTKA FAMILY

— PEG FINKELSTEIN

of Grand Rapids. Various programs that she has helped put on led her to connect with local Holocaust survivors, in particular a man named David Mandel. “He lived in Grand Rapids for many years and never talked about the Holocaust,” Finkelstein explains. His story will be showcased on the website. Mandel, encouraged by Grand Valley State University, began to slowly share his story and eventually ended up

speaking at Jewish day schools for Holocaust Remembrance Day. Mandel is one of several Grand Rapids-based Holocaust survivors who volunteered to share their journey for the website. “I think with the Holocaust website project and the memorial project at Meijer Gardens, we’re going to really make an impact in Grand Rapids,” Finkelstein says. By capturing the incredi-

ble stories of local survivors, Finkelstein adds that a project like this one can help ensure these journeys and moments in time are never forgotten, particularly for families and descendants. Plus, an increase in online content makes securing archival data and photos easier now than in the past. “We’re living in a time where if you have internet access, you can get onto some amazing genealogical resources that are out there,” Franciosi says. “I got into an online conversation with a local historian in a Polish town who was able to send pictures of what the

town [where a survivor was originally from] looked like in the 1930s and 1940s.” For the small Jewish community in west Michigan — approximately 2,000 individuals, Katzman estimates — the website will mark the first time many of these stories are told. They’re also encouraging people to reach out with their own stories to further contribute to the effort. “They’ve never been processed; they’ve never been presented,” Finkelstein says of many Grand Rapids survivor testimonies. “That makes it even more important.”

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Million-Dollar ‘Coming Out’ Fund U-M Spectrum Center’s largest gift ever helps celebrate its 50th anniversary.

ANN MARIE ALIOTTA SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

hen Howard Bragman was growing up in Flint, the city had a small but vibrant Jewish community, and he had a lot of family nearby. His family belonged to the old Beth Israel, a Conservative congregation. Still, growing up in the Midwest in the 1960s, without a lot of peers or role models to look to, Bragman said he never quite fit in. “As a fat, Jewish, gay kid in Flint, I always felt like a Martian,” he said, That all changed when he got to the University of Michigan. “This campus allows you to be yourself. It allows you to spread your wings in the way you want to spread your wings,” he said. Now a public relations expert and crisis manager, Bragman has gone on to a career of helping people — some quite famous — do just that, his approach to work and life formed in large part by his time on campus. These days, Bragman is a member of Kol Ami, an LGBTQ temple in Los Angeles. He’s an activist and a philanthropist who said he’s doing what he learned growing up Jewish in Flint. “I saw what my parents did,” he said. “I remember when Israel was under attack and them giving money at the shul. That’s what Jewish people have done. We have helped each other. I’ve always tried to help others, too.” He’s often called upon by rabbis he knows to help people coming out in the Los Angeles community where he’s lived for the last 35 years. COMING OUT Bragman knows that even in a place as progressive as Ann Arbor, coming out as gay is a challenging journey. “I tell people, ‘Stay strong, even when it hurts.’ And, I promise, it hurts sometimes. But, there are places that will help you ease the pain sometimes. That’s what the

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Spectrum Center did,” he said. The Spectrum Center, the nation’s first LGBTQIA+ support center to be formed on a college campus, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. “When I needed help trying to understand my own sexuality, it was there for me,” he said. “I left accepting who I was.” To make sure the center will continue providing support and guidance to U-M’s LGBTQIA+ community, Bragman has made a $1 million bequest to establish the Howard Bragman Coming Out Fund. The fund will be used to provide emergency financial assistance to students through the Spectrum Center, including help for mental and physical health services, short-term housing, long-term housing, transportation and tuition.

Howard Bragman

in public relations and crisis management. After serving as a vice president in the Chicago and Los Angeles offices of BursonMarsteller Public Relations, he founded the media strategy and public relations firms Bragman Nyman Cafarelli and Fifteen Minutes, was a vice chairman of Reputation. com, and currently runs La Brea Media in Los Angeles. A dynamic activist for LGBTQIA+ rights, he has earned acclaim for helping dozens of actors, athletes and executives come out as gay in the past 30 years. He said he hopes his gift inspires other alumni to give, but also hopes to raise awareness of what the Spectrum Center is. “The Spectrum Center is certainly one area where Michigan is the leader and best,” he said. “I hope this will let the students

“I TELL PEOPLE, ‘STAY STRONG, EVEN WHEN IT HURTS.’ AND, I PROMISE, IT HURTS SOMETIMES. BUT, THERE ARE PLACES THAT WILL HELP YOU EASE THE PAIN SOMETIMES. THAT’S WHAT THE SPECTRUM CENTER DID.” — HOWARD BRAGMAN

“I don’t care how liberal the school is. I don’t care how accepting and loving your parents are. I don’t care how ‘woke’ the times are. Coming out is this most personal of journeys, and it’s a challenging journey,” he said. “It’s so important for students to know they are not alone and that the Spectrum Center is there for them. I want to assure that other people get that same access that I had: life-changing, life-saving access.” After graduating from U-M in 1978, Bragman went on to a prominent career

know that they have this extraordinary resource available to them.” Bragman is excited about the 50th anniversary celebration, which kicks off this fall and will culminate in a gala May 20, 2022. Bragman hopes to return to Michigan for the event. Ann Marie Aliotta works at the University of Michigan’s Office of University Development, where this story first appeared. Reprinted with permission. Additional reporting by Jackie Headapohl, JN Director of Editorial.

OUR COMMUNITY ORT Michigan Participants Represent Region in National Program ORT America welcomed 14 participants to its new National Leadership CohORT Program, an exclusive 18-month leadership development, learning and mentoring opportunity for the organization’s future leaders. The ORT Michigan Region is well represented by Emily Korotkin, Matt Ran, Lisa Rothberger and Dan Serlin. Upon completion, participants will have a deeper understanding and connection to ORT and the Jewish community, with the tools needed to be strong advocates and supporters. Emphasis will be placed on strengthening skills and understanding of the crucial role of American Jewish philanthropy to prepare and excite them about their future roles in their local communities as well as

Emily Korotkin

nationally and internationally. “The new CohORT is our way of investing in the future of the organization and doing our part to build up Jewish communal leadership more broadly,” said Barbara Birch, ORT America president and CEO. “We believe this program and these leaders are essential to our growth and success, and that they will make their mark on

LINDSEY ROSSMAN, DO PHYSICAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION

Eric Kovan, DO

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The 2020 JHSM Bulletin, the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan’s annual report, won this year’s Outstanding Published Periodical Award from the Historical Society of Michigan. Kudos and mazel tov are due to editor Tracy Weissman and her team! The Zoom awards ceremony will be held on Friday, Sept. 24, during the Michigan History Conference. To read the Bulletin, visit michjewishhistory.org/ publications/past-issues/ #michjewishhistory.

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Jewish life in the years to come.” Participants will learn from field experts about philanthropy and nonprofit management and engage with ORT board members and leaders from across the spectrum of American Jewish life. They will also be invited to travel on a mission to an international location to visit an ORT program and engage directly with students and educators. “I feel a great sense of responsibility and commitment to ORT and am looking forward to taking an active role while continuing my family legacy,” said Emily Korotkin, cohORT participant from Bloomfield Hills. “I am also fortunate to have the chance to meet like-minded people from across the country and form new professional and personal relationships.”

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APPLE TREE EXTRA

Celebrating Sukkot and

Simchat Torah

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

t Daria Gutmann’s house, the whole family helps get ready for the holidays. “I usually help my dad build the sukkah, and that’s really special to me,” says the 10-year-old. “My favorite part is decorating it.” Along with her dad, Rabbi Brent Gutmann, mom, Jill, and sisters, Tzipora, 7, Lyla, 4, and Vered, 2, the family fills their 16x12 sukkah with ribbons, paper chains, bead necklaces and homemade pictures. They put tables out with pumpkins and squash from their garden and invite guests for meals. Families around the world are spending this month immersed in the traditions

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

of the Jewish holidays. Now, they’re turning their attention to Sukkot and Simchat Torah and taking part in celebrations at home and beyond. The big picture? According to Daria’s dad, the rabbi at Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield, it’s that there are different times in the year that evoke different symbols and lessons, and that they help us understand who we are, and the best people we get to be. There’s definitely lots to learn. Daria’s dad talks to her about the sukkahs, the temporary dwellings where they spend time during Sukkot, and the cadence of the holidays. He talks about the

notion of impermanence and experiencing moments of joy. When Daria gets sad that her sukkah has to come down for the season, her dad can cheer her up. “He tells me, ‘It’ll be back next year,’” she says. Then it’s on to Simchat Torah, where Daria loves the music and dancing that come with the holiday. “We usually dance around in a circle and do these Israeli dances — they’re really fun!” Daria’s sister Tzipora, 7, is looking forward to being in the sukkah, too. She’s excited to eat and visit with friends. Her favorite food to eat during the holiday is warm soup “because usually it’s cold in the sukkah and it

Sukkot

The holiday began Sept 20 and is followed by Shemini Atzeret on Monday evening, Sept 27. Many Jewish families put up sukkahs (temporary huts with branches for roofs that let you see the sky) in their yards and spend time eating and sometimes sleeping, outside. Sukkahs are open on one side to welcome guests, and lots of fun to decorate. They remind us of the huts the Jewish people lived in while wandering in the desert after liberation from slavery in Egypt.

Shemini Atzeret

MORGAN DIEHL, JCC ART DIRECTOR

Don’t forget about Shemini Atzeret! The holiday starts Monday evening, Sept. 27. During this holiday, it’s customary to recite a prayer asking for rain. It makes sense — it coincides with the start of Israel’s rainy season. Here’s an activity from JCC’s JFamily Detroit, and some things to think about over the holiday:

How to: Create a Rain Stick! Riley Foon and her mom, Samantha, of Bloomfield Hills, make an edible sukkah.

feels nice.” Meanwhile, one way 4-year-old twins Riley and Easton Foon of Bloomfield Hills will be sharing in the holiday is by putting together JFamily Detroit’s edible sukkah craft project, which gives kids the chance to use tea biscuits, cereal and pretzels to make their own sukkah. They’ll also be attending services with parents Samantha and Michael for the holidays. “Simchat Torah, as a kid, I remember going to the service and marching around with the little Torahs,” says Samantha Foon. “It’s really one of my favorite things I did as a kid at Temple Israel.” It’s also part of her

family’s goal of giving the kids an understanding and feeling of community, togetherness and shared traditions, she says. “I want them to have a wellrounded Jewish education, not just from school but from family members, from their congregation and from Jewish organizations within the community.” Lacey Foon of Bloomfield Hills, her husband Elliot, and 2-year-old twins Phoebe and Eloise will be making edible sukkahs and have additionally arranged to receive a visit this Sukkot from Royal Oak Chabad’s mobile sukkah, which will feature activities geared for kids, music, prizes and more.

You’ll need: · A cardboard tube with plastic end caps · Aluminum foil sheets · Popcorn kernels · Yarn and stickers to decorate the tube Here’s what to do: 1. Use yarn, stickers, glue stick, markers and other art supplies to decorate the outside of the tube.

4. With one end cap secured, insert the coils into the cardboard tube. Add the popcorn kernels (or dry rice or beans). Secure the other end cap to seal the tube. *Optional: Tape or glue end caps to make the tube more secure. 5. Now close your eyes, tip the rain stick back and forth, and imagine the rain falling over the Land of Israel.

Talk about it!

Shemini Atzeret is a great time of year to think about rain and conserving water. Start a conversation in your family: • How do you feel when it rains and why? • Sometimes we feel sad when it rains because it spoils our fun. What are some of the good things rain does? • Rain nourishes the earth and helps plants to grow. What things do you need to help you grow big and strong? • What are things we can do to save water?

3. Pro tip! If you make one foil coil thinner and insert the smaller coil into the larger coil, this will really make it sound like rain!

2. Take the large pieces of aluminum foil and roll each piece into long “snakelike” shapes. Form them into coils by wrapping around a stick (like the dowel rod from your honey dipper or a pencil).

Need additional help making your rain stick project? Check out the JFamily Detroit Facebook page and JFamily Detroit Community Facebook group for a brief instructional video (@Jfamilydetroit). Need rain stick materials? Contact jrosenbaum@jccdet. org for more information.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

RON KAMPEAS/JTA

ERETZ

Jared Kushner, fourth from the right, poses with the ambassadors from Israel and the UAE and others at an event marking the Abraham Accords anniversary.

Abraham Accords: One Year Later RON KAMPEAS JTA

ared Kushner had plenty of folks to praise at an event in Washington Sept. 14 marking the first anniversary of the Abraham Accords, the deals he brokered normalizing relations between Israel and four Arab countries. There were the ambassadors from Israel and two of the Arab lands, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. There were his Trump administration colleagues who worked through the agreement. There were even some Democrats. Together, it was a remarkable show of comity over Middle East policy at a time when Republicans and Democrats seem further apart than ever. For Kushner, the priority was to uphold bipartisan backing for the accords as a means of expanding them. The accords have “achieved a bipartisan consensus, and this is very, very important,” he said. Rep. Deutch (D-Fla.), the chairman of the House Middle East subcommittee, gave Kushner’s claim credence. “It’s impossible not to be optimistic one year in,” he told reporters afterward. “The Biden administration is committed to strengthening and building upon the Abraham Accords and that, of course, means bringing more countries to the table.”

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Here’s an update on the Accords so far: THE UAE The United Arab Emirates deal is the biggest success of the four, and Israel and the UAE have already exchanged official ambassadors. The UAE has rolled out the red carpet for top Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. Commercial ties are also thriving. A massive UAE investment in Israel’s offshore natural gas extraction is going ahead. Tens of thousands of Israelis visited the UAE in the months after the signing. A kosher food industry is blossoming in Dubai. There is still one important point of tension: Israel’s military actions against the Palestinians. BAHRAIN Bahrain, which houses a Jewish community that’s more than a century old and which has had quiet relations with Israel and the pro-Israel community since the 2000s at least, did not need a lot of convincing to buy into the accords. Two months after the signing, Bahrain’s commerce minister was in Jerusalem formalizing already existing commercial ties. Bahrain has named an ambassador to

Israel, but has not yet established an embassy in Israel. Houda Nonoo, who in the 2000s made history as the first Jewish ambassador from an Arab country to Washington, said, “I believe that the growing partnerships between Bahrain and Israel will lead to sustainable peace in the region.” MOROCCO There’s a huge Moroccan Jewish community in Israel that has since the 1990s traveled back to the country on pilgrimages. And it has a large remnant Jewish community. A number of Moroccan Jews are advisers to King Mohammed VI. Morocco and Israel have existing commercial and, reportedly, security ties. The countries have so far exchanged envoys and have launched for the first time ever direct commercial flights. But the overwhelmingly pro-Palestine Moroccan citizens are not thrilled about the relationship. Israeli violence in Jerusalem and Gaza in May 2021 did not help the matter and led to numerous protests across the country. SUDAN Sudan is another country that has long had sub rosa ties with Israel; it played a critical role in the 1980s in the wave of Ethiopian Jewish immigration. Right now, its deal with Israel is stuck, not because any of the parties are having second thoughts. Sudan’s government is contending with internal tensions as it transitions to democracy that have frustrated its overall efforts to engage with the international community. WHO’S NEXT? The big domino that could lead to a cascade of mutual recognition in the Arab and Muslim worlds is Saudi Arabia. But that’s not likely to happen soon: Lawmakers in Congress, mostly Democrats but a number of Republicans as well, see the country as toxic because of its human rights abuses, including its murder of a U.S.-based journalist in 2018, and because of its Yemen war interventions. That said, there are a number of countries that already have informal ties with Israel that could easily transition to full-blown ties, among them Oman, Mauritania, Indonesia and Qatar.

MAZEL TOV! JULY 7, 2021 Rebecca Blinder Mets and Erik Mets of Seattle, Wash., are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Asher Isaac Mets. Asher was welcomed home by big sister Theodora Sage and grandparents Laurie and Mark Blinder of West Bloomfield. Grandparents Peter Mets of Ann Arbor and Sandy Mets of Dexter cannot wait to meet him. Asher is named in loving memory of his great-great-grandfather Isak Blinder. FEB. 22, 2021 Steven Baer and Merritt Olson Baer of Portland, Ore., are delighted to announce the birth of their son, Reed Andrew Baer (Shmuel), the beloved brother of Sylvia and Louise. He is the cherished grandson of Robert and Patricia Baer, now of Sarasota, Fla., Richard Olson and Barbara Mueller of Chicago, Ill., and Betsy Olson of Portland, Ore.

Matthew Jared Bloch, surrounded by family and friends, will become a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. He will be joined in celebration by his proud parents, Stacey and Dr. Michael Bloch, and siblings Samantha and Alexander. Matthew is the loving grandchild of Barbara and Dr. Arnold Goldman, and Flo and Louis Bloch. He is a student at Clifford H. Smart Middle School in Commerce Township. Among his many mitzvah projects, Matthew’s most meaningful project was creating care packages and raising funds for the Heroes Circle at Kids Kicking Cancer.

Rebecca Brooke Mills, daughter of Jodi and the late Robert Mills, will chant from the Torah as she becomes a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. She will be joined in celebration by her brother Jacob. Rebecca is the loving grandchild of Annie Weiss and the late Gary Weiss, and Sharon and Stuart Mills. She is a student at West Bloomfield High School. As part of her most meaningful mitzvah project, Rebecca made blankets for patients at Children’s Hospital.

Jonathan Kukes Schwartz, son of Dr. Rachel Kukes Schwartz and Dr. Mark Schwartz, will lead the congregation in prayer as he becomes a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. He will be joined in celebration by his siblings Benjamin and Julia. Jonathan is the loving grandchild of the late Esther and Lawrence Schwartz, Lynne and Michael Kukes, and Nancy and James Grosfeld. He is a student at Detroit Country Day School in Beverly Hills. As part of his mitzvah project, Jonathan volunteered at Team GUTS camp by working with children, teens and adults with special needs. It is a camp that focuses on physical fitness, exercise and sports activities. He also raised funds for this special organization. Talia Yve Spielmann became a bat mitzvah at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. She was joined in celebration by her proud parents, Katie and Benny Spielmann, and brother Noam. Her loving grandparents are Hannah and Gordon Moss and Miriam and Shaul Spielmann.

Talia is a student at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. For her mitzvah project, she will be working to raise funds to help kids go to summer camp. Ethan Isaac Tigay, son of Julie and David Tigay, will lead the congregation in prayer as he becomes a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. Ethan will be joined in celebration by his brother Jonah and proud grandparents Renee and Barry Bean, and Judy Tigay and Barry Tigay. Ethan is the loving great-grandchild of the late Margaret and Irving Siporin, the late Shirley and Herbert Bean, the late Zelda and Harry Kay, and the late Ethel and Leonard Tigay. Ethan is a student at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. His meaningful mitzvah project was adopting a family with five boys through Soul Detroit, and he was able to provide them with clothing, new shoes and sports equipment for the new school year.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

SPIRIT

TORAH PORTION

Finding Simple Joys

n the times of the Temple, one of the highlights of the holiday of Sukkot was the dancing and rejoicing. Each night there would be celebrations that would last throughout the night and into the early hours of the morning. The joy was so great that the Talmud goes so far as to say that one that never saw a Simchat Beit HaSho’evah at the Temple, never saw true joy. What is it that they were celebrating to such a great degree of unmatched intensity? What was the impetus, the motivation for such an unleashing of positive emotion and energy? It was water. Usually, wine was used in the service of the Temple, but on Sukkot water was used. The drawing of the water to be used in the service was the

source of their great happiness. times find myself losing sight For me, this is a very integral of life’s simple beauties. From and vital lesson. The simplicity pausing to appreciate a sunset to of water. enjoying the fall breeze, to The difference between pausing to ask a neighbor wine and water is that how their mother is doing, wine is taking someto complimenting the thing separate from the cashier for their professioninherent experience and alism and customer service, adding to it to make that Rabbi Yarden there is beauty in it all. Blumstein experience better. Water Thinking about the concept of simplicity and does not add anything Parshat the joy it can unlock, I am separate to the actual Sukkot Chol reminded to show gratitude experience at hand; in HaMoed: for the simple things in other words, it doesn’t Exodus add any “taste” of its own. 33:12-34:26; my life that are right. I’m Numbers simplifying my relationWater is the highlighting 29:23-28; ships by focusing on what’s of simplicity within the experience itself. And that Ezekiel 38:18- important. From my rela39:11. tionships with coworkers brings about a different type of fulfillment and inner joy. and friends, to family and to my Higher Power, focusing on what’s In the complexity, busyness important will create beautiful and noise of the world, I some-

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simplicity. Just like on the days that I drink a good amount of water I feel healthier, the days that I keep it simple and focus on the positive in my life I feel fuller. This, to me, is the message of the dancing at the Temple. The simple acts of singing and dancing remind us that everyone is truly equal and we all belong. This leads to a happiness that, to quote the Talmud, if you never saw it then you never saw true joy. Hopefully, this Sukkot, we can celebrate the abundance of water that is all around us as we unlock the hidden depths of simplistic joy. Rabbi Yarden Blumstein is the teen director at Friendship Circle in West Bloomfield.

Stolen Voices with Author Zlata Filipovic

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SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

Simchat Torah: The Antidote for Despair Simchat Torah begins Tuesday evening, Sept. 28.

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imchat Torah, celebrated the day after Shemini Atzeret in the diaspora (and combined into one day in Israel), is unique among festivals. It is not mentioned in the Torah, nor in the Talmud. Unlike Purim and Chanukah, it was not formalized Rabbi Jonathan by any decision Sachs on the part of the religious authorities, nor does it commemorate any historical deliverance. It grew from the grassroots, slowly developing over time. It was born in Babylon, probably at the end of the period of the Amora’im, the rabbis of the Talmud, in the fifth or sixth century. The Babylonian custom — now universal — was to divide the Torah into 54 portions to be read in the course of a year (in Israel there was a three or three-and-a-half-year cycle). On the second day of Shemini Atzeret in Babylon (there was no second day in Israel), the custom was to read the last portion of the Torah, in which Moshe blessed the nation at the end of his life. It had long been the custom to make a celebration on completing a section of study, a Talmudic tractate, or an order of the Mishnah (Shabbat 118b). Thus, the custom evolved to make a celebration at the

Israelis celebrate Simchat Torah by dancing with the scrolls at a synagogue in Sderot, the town that has been a frequent target of Hamas rocket attacks from nearby Gaza.

completion of the Mosaic books, and it was considered a great honor to be called to the Torah for this last portion. The celebration became known as Simchat Torah. The emergence of Simchat Torah signals something remarkable. You may have noticed that Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret are both described as zeman simchateinu, the season of our joy. The nature of that joy was clear and signaled in different ways both by the sukkah and by the Four Species. The sukkah reminded the people how blessed they were to be living in Israel when they recalled how their ancestors had to live for 40 years without a land or a permanent home. The lulav, etrog, hadassim and aravot were a vivid demonstration of the fruitfulness of the land

under the divine blessing of rain. EXILE IN BABYLON The joy of Sukkot was the joy of living in the Promised Land. But by the time Simchat Torah had spread throughout the Jewish world, Jews had lost virtually everything: their land, their home, their freedom and independence, the Temple, the priesthood, the sacrificial order — all that had once been their source of joy. A single devastating sentence in one of the piyutim of Ne’ilah (at the close of Yom Kippur), summed up their situation: Ein shiur rak haTorah hazot, “Nothing remains but this Torah.” All that remained was a book. How could we find joy if we had lost everything as a people? Sa’adia Gaon, writing in the 10th

century, asked a simple question. In virtue of what were the Jewish people still a nation? It had none of the normal preconditions of a nation. Jews were scattered throughout the world. They did not live in the same territory. They were not part of a single economic or political order. They did not share the same culture. They did not speak the same language. Rashi spoke French, Rambam Arabic. Yet they were, and were seen to be, one nation, bound by a bond of collective destiny and responsibility. Hence, Sa’adia concluded: Our people are a people only in virtue of our Torah (Beliefs and Opinions, 3). In the lovely rabbinic phrase about the Ark which contained the tablets, “It carried those who carried it” (Sotah 35a). More than the continued on page 38

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shadow of death and still rejoice is a people that cannot be defeated by any force or fear. Rambam writes (Laws of Shofar 8:15) that to experience joy in the fulfillment of a mitzvah out of the love of God is to touch the spiritual heights. Whoever stands on their dignity and regards such things as beneath them is, he says, a sinner and a fool — and whoever abandons their dignity for the sake of joy is thereby elevated “because there is no greatness or honor higher than celebrating before God.” Simchat Torah was born when Jews had lost everything else, but they never lost their capacity to rejoice. Nechemiah was right when he said to the people weeping as they listened to the Torah, realizing how far they had drifted from it: “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nechemiah 8:10). A people whose capacity for joy cannot be destroyed is, itself, indestructible. Reflect: How will you continue to find joy this Simchat Torah when the usual celebrations will likely be curtailed due to the pandemic? The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks served as the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, 1991-2013. His teachings have been made available to all. This essay was first published in October 2018.

SPIRIT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shomer Israel Oak Park (248) 542-4014 godaven.com continued on page 40 SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

continued from page 39

Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomreyemunah-105705.square.site The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net

Congregation Beth El Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca

Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org

Temple Beth El Battle Creek (269) 963-4921

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

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

Temple Jacob Hancock templejacobhancock.org

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

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

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

Ohr Hatorah Oak Park (248) 294-0613 Ohrhatorah.us MINYANS Fleischman Residence West Bloomfield (248) 661-2999 Yeshivat Akivah Southfield (248) 386-1625 farberhds.org

ANN ARBOR

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

SPORTS

Friends, Power Outages and a Championship-Winning Layup It was a memorable inaugural season for the Detroit Shul Basketball League. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

here couldn’t have been a more exciting finish to the first season of an improbable league. Young Israel of Oak Park and a team headed by Dylan Bressler locked up in a close battle in the playoff championship game of the new Detroit Shul Basketball League last month at Farber Hebrew Day School in Southfield. Down by eight points with about two minutes left, Young Israel of Oak Park called a timeout. “We were nervous. We needed to do something,” said player Avi Katz. What Young Israel of Oak Park did was go back to what made it a successful team all season long. “Play good defense. Get good shots. Play unselfish basketball,” Katz said. Ruslan Shamayev sank a layup with less than 10 seconds to go put Young Israel of Oak Park in front 70-69. A Bressler player missed two free throws just before the buzzer, and Young Israel of Oak Park was the league champion. Competition was a big part of the weekly league, of course. So was the

camaraderie among the players on the five teams. “It was a friendly league. There were no issues among the players,” Katz said. “It seemed like everyone in the league knew each other and it was fun to hang out together each week.” The league was put together over a few frantic days in early July by 20-year-old basketball fan Daniel Shamayev, who used social media and other Daniel communication Shamayev tools to get the word out about the league. Mother Nature didn’t help much after the league schedule was set. Opening night and a playoff night were canceled and had to be rescheduled because of power outages caused by storms. About 40 men from Orthodox shuls played in the league. Many of them are Farber grads, like Daniel Shamayev. Referees were paid to officiate games, with the money coming from team fees. “Daniel Shamayev did a great job organizing the league,” Katz said. “I was very impressed with his

enthusiasm. It was so good to have something like this to do after COVID shut things down for such a long time.” Katz and his brother Yoni Katz were joined on the Young Israel of Oak Park team by Ruslan Shamayev (no relation to Daniel Shamayev), Josh Sabes, Alex Gross, Yitsy Sternheim, Yossi Gottfried and Yosef Klein. The players range in age from their 20s to about 40. “Josh Sabes helped me put the team together. He’s a great guy,” Avi Katz said. Ruslin Avi Katz Shamayev played basketball for Berkley High School. Gross played basketball for Farber and Berkley. The Katz brothers both were Farber basketball players. “Even though we’d never been on the same basketball team together, we all know each other and a lot of us have played basketball together,” Avi Katz said. “It was a group effort for us all season long. We all helped the team, from making sure we knew when our games were scheduled to making sure we stayed connected.” Young Israel of Oak Park and Bressler’s team

were dominant during the season, finishing 7-1 and 6-2, respectively, during the regular season and playoffs. No other team had a better than .500 record. Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh from Oak Park (3-4), Keter Torah Synagogue from West Bloomfield (2-5) and Young Israel of Southfield (1-6) were the other teams in the league. Bressler was the league’s leading scorer with 124 points during the regular season and his team’s two playoff games. Katz was No. 2 on the league scoring list with 103 points, also in eight games. Daniel Shamayev hoped to have an expanded league, called the Detroit Synagogue Basketball League, play this fall, but it didn’t happen because of COVID-19 concerns caused by the Delta variant. “Hopefully, we’ll have a spring season,” he said. “I have eight teams confirmed and there may be a few more from Temple Israel. “I’d like to have two venues for league play next spring, one in West Bloomfield and one in Southfield.” Please send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE BOOKS

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

CAROL ALLEN

arol Bendix Allen, as a University of Michigan graduating senior in the 1970s, found her first dream job writing marketing materials for Vogue magazine. Before marrying and raising two sons, she focused on fashion. Allen, now a grandmother of four and a real estate marketing consultant in New York state and Massachusetts, wants to help young women find their dream jobs but with a different and more timely focus — opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Using her writing-marketing skill set, Allen is writing a threebook science fiction series for teens with the goal of giving readers a can-do attitude about addressing environmental problems. Three recurring characters, in a time warp, get whisked away to another planet and together use their brain power to help establish solutions. “I’m working on the third book, and I hope it will be out in the spring,” said Allen, living in upstate New York with husband Michael Allen. “The first two books — One If: A Virago Fantasy and If Then: A Virago Fantasy — are available on Amazon and have won bestseller awards.” Motivation for the series came from family and professional experiences — a granddaughter losing enthusiasm for STEM fields and business outreach associates introduced through the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health in Manhasset, N.Y. “I was shocked that professional women I was meeting, researchers and doctors, struggled with the same things I did — the imbalance that happens with gender,” said Allen, whose Northwell connections led to

Carol Allen

Sci-Fi with a Purpose

Native Detroit author creates fantasy series to spur young women into science and technology careers. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

her service on the Advisory Board for Advancing Women in Science and Medicine (AWSM). “I wanted to reach teens in a way that would get them excited about sciences, and I thought a fun way to do that would be through fantasy novels. It is clear that STEM is going to be the future bedrock of jobs and careers. At this point, women make up half of the college-educated workforce, but only 28 percent of women are in STEM. “We have to engage young women, get them excited about the opportunities and make them aware they are capable of contributing to making the world a better place. That was the key to the direction I chose for the books.” Allen, who enjoys the outdoors and holds environmental concerns, is a disciplined morning writer. Her first book was recognized as a Kindle Daily Nation Young Adult Book of the Week in 2020. The second book won a gold medal in the

Global Book Awards for Teen & Young Adult Fantasy in 2021. The first book sets the stage for the problems of climate change and puts the three characters in a new world where they can stay as Earth time freezes until their return. The second book develops the characters as they solve problems amid political drama and romantic attention. “I put ‘Virago Fantasy’ into title extensions because virago has to do with women having strength and spirit equal to men,” she said. Allen, who grew up in the metro area, saluted her hometown by including a Detroiter as a main character. With longtime family membership ties to Temple Israel, recently attended digitally, the author is recognizing religious attachment through a Jewish character in the third book. “If I can engage one person to follow a path to STEM to help make the world a better place

— whether in climate, virology, infrastructure engineering or anything else — I’ve reached a goal,” said Allen, whose books are being marketed through Metropolitan Publishing. Allen, who has served as an adviser for STEM programming encouraged by local Girl Scout groups, has been disappointed that the pandemic interfered with projected speaking engagements. She offers to travel for programs that will promote STEM and her books, which are being sold with promises for partial proceeds donated to STEM initiatives. “I love my characters and developed them to be inspirational and diverse in ethnicity,” said Allen. “Each has a different personality and struggles. Although they get off to a rocky start, they learn to collaborate. They lean on each other to show people can come together and solve problems no matter what background each brings.”

ARTS&LIFE BOOK REVIEW

The Angel and the Cholent LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

eople who like food (and we all do eat!), people who like folktales (don’t we all like a good story?) and people who like scholarship (a smaller group) will enjoy The Angel and the Cholent, the latest collection of folktales from the Israel Folktale Archives published by Wayne State University Press. The Angel and the Cholent: Food Representations in the Israel Folktale Archives presents stories about food told by 29 storytellers representing 17 different locales or communities around the world. With each story, author Idit PintelGinsberg provides information about where and how the story was collected, and from whom. She also provides a scholarly discussion of the significance of each story in relation to Jewish traditions and in the context of the Aarne-Thompson index of motifs of world folktales. The Israel Folktale Archives collection in Haifa now holds more than 24,000 narratives gathered from Jewish communities around the world, and from Israeli non-Jews, Muslim and Christian Arabs, Bedouins, Druze and Circassians. Pintel-Ginsburg groups the stories according to five themes (though she admits that many stories could belong to more than one classification): • Worldly Pleasures • Food and Gender • Food and Class • Food and Kashrut • Food and Sacred Time If you think of folktales as simple, entertaining advocacy for the expected old-fashioned values, each ending with a neat moral, this anthology will surprise you. Some of these stories seem simple and sweet, some come across as light humor, but other stories come across as subversive, and some seem as complex as any work of famous authors.

A few examples: A story that might seem sweet: A king asks his guests at a banquet, “What is the best kind of music?” He finds their answers dissatisfying. When the waiters bring out the food, the serving vessels clang, and the guest begin to rejoice. The king observes, “This is the best music!” A story that might seem like a mere joke: “The Angel in Charge of the Shofar Blasts”: God assigns an angel the task of overseeing the sounding of the shofar. The angel, though, has nothing to do during the rest of the year, which seems a waste of angelic talent, so the angel also makes sure that the cholent comes out good every Shabbat. Though other foods need human attention, cholent has been cooking away on the stove or in the oven, ignored since right before Shabbat, and still comes out delicious, because of the angel assigned to cholent. On Rosh Hashanah, the same angel makes sure that the shofar sounds correctly. But when Rosh Hashanah comes out on Shabbat, the poor angel has a conflict. He cannot do both. That explains why we do not blow the shofar when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat. A subversive and complex story, “The Way to Become Rich”: Discouraged by his years of poverty, a man finally listens to his wife and demands that the rebbe teach him to become rich. The rebbe tells him to go home, to earn a little money, to spend what he has on a sumptuous Shabbat meal, and then eat it all by himself, without sharing it with anyone. He follows the advice. When his wife and sons beg for a bit of the food, he refuses, though it hurts him to do so. When his littlest child, his daughter, begs for food, he relents. He yells, “God, just

give me clothes to wear and bread to eat. I don’t want to be rich. Do you hear me, Rebbe? I don’t want to be rich!” He then shares the meal with his family. What does this story, “The Way to Become Rich,” want us to think about the rebbe? How does it evaluate wealth? The story seems enigmatic, paradoxical, reminiscent of the celebrated stories of I.L. Peretz, Franz Kafka and S.Y. Agnon. The collection includes “If Only You Knew the Taste,” a version of a familiar tale in which a priest at a banquet offers the rabbi delicious, but not kosher, food, When the rabbi refuses, the priest says, “If only you knew the taste.” Later, the rabbi thanks the priest for inviting him to the beautiful meal, though he did not eat, and he asks the priest to convey the rabbi’s thanks to the priest’s wife. The priest replies that “his Torah forbids him to marry.” The rabbi replies, “If only you knew the taste.” In the scholarly notes on this story, oddly enough, Pintel-Ginsberg attributes the rabbi’s attempt to thank the priest’s wife to the rabbi’s “ignorance and naivete.” The rabbi, in her analysis, simply does not know that priests must remain celibate. Possibly she believes that the priest does not know that rabbis refrain from eating non-kosher food. The scholar, PintelGinsberg, overlooks the possibility that the priest intends to mock the rabbi, and the rabbi returns the mockery. SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

JEOPARDY JEW? JEWS OF SEX-ED (THE SERIES), SCI-FI SCRIBES As I write this, a week of already-filmed Jeopardy episodes, hosted by nowousted host Mike Richards, are being aired. Alreadyfilmed episodes, hosted by Mayim Bialik, will start being aired on Sept. 20. Also, as I write this, contestant Matt Amodio is still winning Jeopardy games. He has the thirdlongest winning-streak in Jeopardy history (won more than $775K). Amodio, about 23, is a Yale computer science grad student. The news: I was just reliably informed that his mother is Jewish. No info on his father or how he was raised. So, tell a friend about Amodio (but probably not in the form of a question.) The original Netflix series Sex Education began its third season on Sept. 17. This British series has been one of the most popular and most-viewed of Netflix series. Reviews have been quite good. I am just starting to “bingewatch” it because there are now three Jewish actors in the series. Two just joined. The main character of the series is Otis, an older teen whose mother is a sex therapist. Most of the other characters fall into two groups: other students at Moordale, the school that Otis attends (equivalent to an American high school), or the Moordale faculty/ administrative staff. You will definitely

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Mayim Bialik

remember Jemima Kirke, 36, if you watched the hit HBO series, Girls, starring Lena Dunham. She appeared in all six seasons as Dunham’s great friend, Jessa Johnson (who spoke with a British accent). Kirke co-stars in Sex Education as Hope, the new headmistress of Moordale. Hope, a former Moordale student, plans to crack down on the school’s reputation as a “sex school.” Kirke’s parents are both English and she was raised in England. Her father, who isn’t Jewish, was a drummer for the 1980s band Bad Company. Her Jewish mother comes from a prominent and wealthy Jewish family. Jemina’s ex-husband, Michael Mosberg, an American lawyer, is the father of her two children. Appearing in a (new) recurring role is Brit actor Jason Isaacs, 58. He has been steadily appearing (sometimes starring) in films and TV shows for decades. But he’s still probably best known for playing Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies. Issacs plays Peter Groff, the

brother of (star character) Michael Groff, the headmaster of Moordale. Peter is described as Michael’s cockier and more successful brother, and he’s come to visit his brother to comfort him following Michael’s separation from his wife, Maureen. Maureen is a recurring character who is played by Samantha Spiro, 53. Spiro is another British Jewish thespian. Her film and TV credits are limited.

Matt Amodio

However, she is a really acclaimed stage actress, winning many awards, including two Olivier awards, the equivalent of a Tony. She has played several Jewish parts on the British stage, including Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (yes, Spiro can sing, too). I was surprised to learn that she was in Game of Thrones. She made one memorable appearance as the beleaguered mother of star character Samwell Tarly. Foundation, an original Apple+ 10-episode series, premieres on Friday, Sept. 24. The first three episodes will be released on the 24th. The last seven will be released each week following. The series is based upon

JEOPARDY SCREENSHOT

CELEBRITY NEWS

MARK NEYMAN / GOVERNMENT PRESS OFFICE (ISRAEL), VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

ARTS&LIFE

science fiction books written by Isaac Asimov (1920-1992). Three Foundation books were published in the 1950s, and that trilogy has often been called the best sci-fi series of all time. Asimov was prevailed upon to write three more Foundation novels in the 1980s. Asimov was a professor of biochemistry as well as being a novelist. Back in the ’80s, Asimov was almost a household name, frequently appearing on major talk shows. He often talked about science and the history of science, and he wrote many books about science for a popular audience. Asimov’s daughter, Robyn Asimov, 66, is a producer of the Apple series. The premise of the novels is complex — in short, the hero character (correctly) predicts a looming dark age. This dark age cannot be avoided, he says, but it can be shortened from 30,000 years to 1,000 years. The Foundation trilogy largely takes place during this thousand-year dark age. The series was created by David S. Goyer, 55, and Josh Friedman, 53. Goyer was born and raised in Ann Arbor. His mother was Jewish, and he was raised Jewish. Goyer has directed and/or written scores of TV shows and films since 1990, including the Blade trilogy and the Dark Knight Batman films. It’s unclear if Goyer co-wrote the whole Foundation series. Available credits say he and Friedman co-wrote the first two episodes.

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS 4-5 PM, SEPT. 23 The American Friends of Rabin Medical Center will present “Who Is an American Jew in 2021: Insights from the Pew Study.” Robert Siegel (former senior host of NPR’s All Things Considered) interviews Prof. Shuli Rubin Schwartz, Rabbi Elka Abrahamson and Prof. Jonathan Sarna. Free. Register at: gcsept. splashthat.com. Learn more at afrmc.org. MSU CONCERT SEPT. 23-27 80th Anniversary of Babi Yar. MSU Shostakovich Concert will be available to watch free on demand. Info: holocaustcenter.org.

SHABBA-TONE SEPT. 24-26 The Well is heading up north to celebrate Sukkot. Connect with nature on waterfront property near downtown Charlevoix, courtesy of the Lester Family Farm. Build a sukkah, enjoy Shabbat dinner, visit a lavender festival, float down the Jordan River and host a

Sukkot Sounds concert. For young adult (20s and 30s) Metro Detroiters only. Info: meetyouatthewell. org. STUDY WITH SOAR 10 AM-2 PM, SEPT. 24 SOAR has moved to the Hawk Community Building (the former Harrison High School) at 29995 12 Mile, Farmington Hills. Enjoy afterschool snacks, minilectures, prizes and tours. Register for fall classes on the spot. SOAR is offering more than 45 classes on a variety of topics. Some classes are in-person and almost all on Zoom.

FAMILY SUKKAH TROT 8-10 AM, SEPT. 26 Hop on a pony and walk from one sukkah to the next. Includes game show, crafts and lunch. Shake the world’s largest etrog. At Bais Chabad Torah Center in West Bloomfield. Tickets: baischabad.com/ trot. SUKKAH & CHILL 9-11 AM, SEPT. 26 Chill in the sukkah with music, brunch food, open bar and fun people with Chabad of Greater Downtown Detroit. BYOW. Tickets: chabadinthed.org/ events/sukkah-and-chill.

ISRAELI EMISSARIES 11 AM, SEPT. 26 Welcome the new, young Israeli emissaries. Hosted by Federation at a private residence sukkah. Free. Register: jlive.app/ events/823. Info: Bracha Katz, bkatz@jfmd.org.

YAPPY HOUR 6:30-9 PM, SEPT. 29 At Meadow Brook Hall. The Michigan Animal Rescue League will hold only cocktail party in Metro Detroit where your dog is invited. Enjoy an evening of cocktails, tasty treats, a silent auction, red carpet photography more. All proceeds benefit the animals of the Michigan Animal Rescue League. Info: marleague.org.

Michael Twitty

CULINARY HISTORY 7 PM, SEPT. 30 Join a Zoom event of the Windsor Jewish Federation & Community Centre featuring culinary historian and author Michael Twitty and Dr. Benjamin Wright. They will explore the intersections of the African American and Jewish food of Black Jews and Southerners who converted to Judaism. Register: jewishfood. eventbrite.com. JAZZ GREATS MUSICAL 8-11 PM, SEPT. 30 Unlimited Sky Production presents the Satin Doll Revue at the Aretha’s Jazz Cafe in Detroit. Hear the songs of Dinah Washington, Etta James and others. Tickets: $35. Info: 248-383-3385. SOCIAL JUSTICE COURSE OCT. 5-NOV, 18 The Jewish Theological Seminary of America will present this six-week course. The course examines how community organizing can be used to build a more just world and strengthen our communities. Participants will delve deeply into the fundamentals of social justice and community organizing and grapple with how they relate to Jewish traditions and values. Cost: $100. Info: struskay@jtsa.edu. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@ thejewishnews.com.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

FOOD

FROM THE HOME KITCHEN OF CHEF AARON

A Classic Dip

his classic oven-baked hot dip is a perennial favorite at restaurants and household parties alike. It will disappear before you even realize it, so make sure to reserve a little dish for yourself off to the side when you’re preparing Chef Aaron to serve. This dip Egan is perfect with pita chips, crusty sourdough bread slices or a selection of your favorite crackers. It is even better if made in advance, as it benefits from a chance to set up in the fridge overnight and achieve maximum gooey cheesy consistency. SPINACH-ARTICHOKE DIP 6-8 servings, about 1-½ quarts of dip when finished Ingredients 1 12-oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2-4 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup onion, diced 10 oz. baby spinach (a larger bag from the supermarket, usually) 3 cups whole milk 1 4-oz log of plain goat cheese 2 Tbsp. corn starch + 2 Tbsp water Salt + Pepper ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated (times 2) ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded Directions Heat a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and saute the onions and garlic until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the spinach wilts and releases all its liquid, and the pan dries back out.

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

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Add the milk, first portion of parmesan and goat cheese, and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Stir in the artichoke hearts and return the pot to a simmer. After 5-10 minutes, thicken the dip slightly by adding a slurry of the cornstarch and water, mixing well to incorporate it. Cook another 2-3 minutes after you add the starch. Let the dip cool slightly and transfer it to an oven/ broiler-safe shallow serving dish; at this point, you may let the dip cool completely in the serving dish, or, if you’re putting it out for people shortly, simply let it cool on the counter until you’re ready to serve. If serving from the refrigerator, warm the dip in a 375-degree oven until just bubbling, then top with the mozzarella and second portion of parmesan; place under a broiler until the cheese melts and begins to brown. If serving shortly after preparation, simply top the dip with the cheeses and broil to doneness. Enjoy!

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OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

Refusenik Ida Nudel

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ost knew him as a prominent bankruptcy attorney, but Martin L. Fried once toured with the Beatles in a rock band. Marty played the drums ex Insolvency Problems and sang with the Cyrkle, a band with a uptcies quirky spelling tions John Lennon ptcy created for the nts group. The uts Cyrkle had ons MARTY FRIED Marty Fried One of only 11 attorneys in Michigan two major hit certified by the American Board of Certification as a records in 1966, Business Bankruptcy Specialist. “Red Rubber Ball” and “Turn Down Day.” ce representing While Rebecca Fried knew ers of our firm “my whole life my dad was n Detroit area. in the Cyrkle,” her dad typi00 cally didn’t dwell on the past. AARON SCHEINFIELD Frequent lecturer to professional groups News of Marty’s rock-n-roll 4 (fax) on topics related to real estate and bankruptcy. glory days came as a surprise .NET to many people after he died of pancreatic cancer on Sept. 1, 2021. The Bingham Farms resident was 77. Marty’s longstanding wish was honored to donate his body to Wayne State University Medical School in Detroit. A memorial celebration was held on Sept. 10. Hailing from Neptune, N.J., he was the oldest of three children of Frances (Schnitzer) and Emanuel Fried. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1966 at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. Marty joined the Rhondells band on campus in 1963 when a new drummer was needed. Bandmate Don Dannemann recalled that at the Interfraternity

Fried, PC

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Weekend in 1964 the Marty Fried is in the crowd “went wild for us.” That success got the upper left. band to Atlantic City and got them discovered by only a handful of attorneys in Nat Weiss, a business partner the state who were certified of Beatles’ manager Brian business bankruptcy specialEpstein. Weiss brought the ists. “His other role at our band to Epstein’s attention. firm was to teach attorneys to Epstein signed the band to become great researchers and a management contract that writers,” said law partner Stan “got us to Columbia Records,” Bershad. Dannemann said. “That got Rebecca said her dad us to hear ‘Red Rubber Ball’ “made the world possible” and got us to play on the for her and her sister. “Dad entire Beatles tour. taught me to program a comRebecca said her dad puter, how to fix things.” He recalled when the Cyrkle was also “a loving grandfather opened for the Fab Four, it who brought the best toys.” was “a solid wall of screamFriend John Hertzberg ing, even for the opening act, noted, “Marty was the kindso we couldn’t hear anything.” est, nicest person I ever met. The band eventually broke He was there for you because up in 1968. he didn’t know any other way The Cyrkle was part of a to be.” lawsuit filed against Columbia Martin Fried was the Records. “It resulted in a father of Jessica (Sonmez) change in the structure of how Sahutoglu and Rebecca recording artists get paid,” (Benjamin Mullins) Fried; Rebecca said. Marty received grandfather of Defne royalties all his life for his Sahutoglu, and Howard work in the band, she said. Martin Mullins-Fried; She believes the lawsuit brother and brother-in-law inspired him to become of Stephen (Judith) Fried an attorney, in addition to and Sandra Goldstein; uncle having a father-in-law and of Michael, Benjamin and brother-in-law who were Samuel Fried; and compansuccessful attorneys in Metro ion of Susan Dodd. He also is Detroit. Marty graduated survived by his former wife, from Wayne State University Suzanne Fried and several Law School in 1972 and was cousins. admitted to the Michigan Bar Donations may be made to the following year. Michigan Humane Society, Marty spent the last 35 30300 Telegraph Road, Suite years of his career with 220, Bingham Farms, MI Goldstein Bershad & Fried 48025; (866)-mhumane; in Southfield. He was one of michiganhumane.org.

Ida Nudel, the diminutive Prisoner of Zion who made aliyah after winning her battle against the Soviet Union, died on Ida Nudel Sept. 14, 2021, at age 90. Known as the “Guardian Angel” for the campaign she led to provide humanitarian items for Prisoners of Zion in Soviet jails, Nudel — who was just 4’11” tall — was the best-known female refusenik. She famously won the support of actress Jane Fonda, who visited her during her four years of exile in Siberia, and Liv Ullmann, who played her in a film based on her autobiography. Calling her “a symbol of the struggle for aliyah from the Soviet Union,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said, “Ida Nudel was an exemplar of Jewish heroism for us all.” Born in 1931 in the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, Nudel was refused an exit visa by the Soviet authorities on the grounds that she was privy to state secrets in her job as an accountant for the Moscow Institute of Hydrology and Microbiological Synthesis. For 16 years, she worked on behalf of imprisoned Soviet Jews, sending them gifts, smuggling vitamins into their prisons, submitting court appeal applications and offering their families support. She organized a hunger strike to protest the arrest of another refusenik, Vladimir Markman. She lost her job, and after placing a protest poster in 1978 in her apartment which read, “KGB, Give Me My Visa,” was banished to Siberia for four years. After being released in 1982, she was banned from returning to Moscow, suffering hardships in the Moldavian town of Bendery for five years. Nudel received a hero’s welcome in Israel on Oct. 15, 1987. Holding her new Israeli ID card close to her heart and wiping away tears, she declared: “The moment came. I am on the soil of my people: at home.”

BRIAN HENDLER/JTA

Lawyer Was a Rock Star

STEVE LINDE JERUSALEM POST

PHILLIP BENESON, 86, of West Bloomfield, died Sept. 14, 2021. He is survived by his children, Ilene (Steven) Bez, Warren (Karen) Beneson and Steven (Karen) Beneson; grandchildren, Benjamin, Alexandria, Adam, Ryan and Zachary Beneson, Shayna (Andrew) Vanuden; greatgrandchild, Austin; brother and sister-in-law, Stewart (Barbara) Beneson; sister-inlaw, Esther Beneson; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Mr. Beneson was the beloved husband of the late Elaine Beneson; brother of the late Dennis Beneson. Interment was held at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to Temple Israel, to the Friendship Circle, to Gilda’s Club or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. DAVID SANFORD BERMAN, 80, of Solvang, Calif., formerly of Detroit, passed away on Aug. 23, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Janet Shayna Billet Berman; his children, Jeffrey Berman of Sacramento, Calif., and Stacey (Bill) Peters of Buellton, Calif. The family was blessed with five grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren. David is also survived by his brother, Yehuda (Shulamith) Berman of Israel; and his sister, Sally Berman Bergman of Michigan; his brothers-in-

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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.

Kate Gormezano 20 Tishrei Sept. 26 John Sidney Ketchen Jack Beckwith Louis H. Levine Sam Bielewitch Hilda Lezell Harry A. Davidson Goldie Mendelsohn Benjamin Eizelman Abraham Oakman Charles Rubel Gertrude Rosenberg Harry Wexler Harry Shulman 21 Tishrei Sept. 27 Edward Simon Meyer Beigler Fred Spindel Charles Binder 23 Tishrei Sept. 29 Edward Borray Myrtle Desow Leah Budnick Irving Elson Bernice Cole Joseph Gelberman Herbert H. Freedland Alexander Glaser Mary Guterman Rochel Hoffman Harry Jaffin Mery Klepfish Pearl Kind Viola Newman Kopp Morris Lubkin David Pitt Martin Miller Aaron Pollack Elka Rutzimring Elka Rohlik Shiah Rutzimring Rose Ryback Morris Saham Adam Unrot Rose Schwartz Irene Weiss Fanny Unrot 24 Tishrei Sept. 30 22 Tishrei Sept. 28 Dora Baruch Sollie Antman Dr. Harold Mark Dana Sam Bernstein Sandra Maxine Davis Michael Berris Norman Folbe William Bordelove Mary Rose Jacobs Betty Cohen Aaron David Levin Louis Julius Cohen Howard Robert Cornfield Abraham Levitin

Aaron B. Margolis Bessie Moerman Harry Wetstein 25 Tishrei Oct. 1 Wolfe Willliam Atlas Jeanette Berkowitz A. Howard Bloch Edith Burk Louis Dann Rose T. Deitch Burt Duchin Bertha Fagenson Gornbein Helen G. Klein Eva Lesser Rose Marks Yetta Rucker Nathan Sachs Nathan Samet Sadie Whiteman Nathan Zack 26 Tishrei Oct. 2 Ida Bailey Samuel Cohen Freda Fox Bernard Greenbaum Rachel Kratzenstein Gertrude Lubetsky Anna Maxman Samuel Rosenberg Minnie Ruzumna Dr. Rose Malach Sexton Hilda Shoob Shana Yalowitz

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

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 49

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OBITUARIES

law, Marvin (Doreen) Billet of Michigan and Dr. Herbert Greenberg of Florida; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. David was preceded in death by his parents, Louis Berman and Zena Achtman Berman; his brother, Jerry Berman; his sister-in-law, Lola Billet Greenberg; brother-in-law, David Bergman. The private burial was attended by Janet, Jeff, Stacey and Bill as well as their five grandchildren, their granddaughter-in-law and three of the greatgrandchildren. LAURA COLE, 95, of Delray Beach, Fla., died Sept 6, 2021. She is survived by her daughter and son-inlaw, Lynn and Alex Kelin; son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Rebecca Cole; grandchildren, Douglas and Alexandra Kelin, Marissa and Alexander Murphy, Kevin and Chen Cole, Dr. Adam and Samantha Cole, Jaclyn Cole, and Dr. Daniel and Dr. Renee Cole; greatgrandchildren, Georgia, Beau and Clementine Murphy, Teddi and Zoe Kelin, Carla Cole and Charlotte Cole. Mrs. Cole was the beloved wife of the late Arthur Cole. Interment was at Great Lakes National Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

MARCY KLEIFF DICKINSON, 57, of Bloomfield Hills, died Sept. 8, 2021. She was the beloved wife of the late William Dickinson. She is survived by her parents, Gilbert (Norma) Kleiff and Faye Ullman (Austin) Kanter; brother and sister-in-law, Steven Kleiff and Suzanne Daniel; niece, Emma Kleiff. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. LAYAH WEINGUST EMMA (née Feingersh), 99, passed away on Sept. 10, 2021. She was born in Montreal, Quebec, and was the star center fielder of Windsor, Ontario’s Patterson Collegiate softball team in the 1930s. When the young man who was to play Tevye in a Windsor production of Sholem Aleichem’s Tevye der Milkhiker was called to service in World War II, Layah stepped in to play the part. A master of Yiddish language, she instructed children at Workmen’s Circle Peretz schules in Toronto and Windsor. A member for several years of the choir at Temple Emanuel in Tucson, Ariz., she reveled in leading the Shabbat prayer before

dinner at Meer Apartments in West Bloomfield, where she resided from 2010. Everyone with whom Layah came in contact seemed to love her, from her many longtime friends to fellow residents and staff members where she lived, and even her caregivers in the last chapter of her wonderful life. She will be deeply missed. She is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law, Dean and Michele Weingust, Don Weingust; daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Jim Buckner; stepchildren: Larry (Ellie) Emma, JoAnne Emma and Jeffrey Emma; grandchildren, Kimberly, Jason, Brad, Lisa, Kori, Lara and Sarah; great-

grandchildren and one greatgreat-grandchild. Layah was the beloved wife of the late William Weingust and the late Alex Emma; sister of the late Sara (the late Barnie) Axelrod, the late Riva (the late Eddie) Gordon, the late Ruth (the late Harry) Cohen; daughter of the late Morris (Menachem Maya) and the late Susie (Sossie) Feingersh; stepmother of the late Bobbie Emma. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

AUDRIE FRIEDMAN, 88, of West Bloomfield, died Sept. 10, 2021. She is survived by her son and daughter-inlaw, Michael Friedman and Sue Vintilla; daughters and son-in-law, Lesley Chudnow, and Julie and Billy Carmen; grandchildren, Aliza Chudnow and her fiance, Allan Sheyman, Stephanie Friedman, Samantha Mandell and Kevin Crawford, Cary Mandell, and John Carmen; sister, Suzanne Schatz; sister-in-law, Shirley Friedman; former son-in-law, David Chudnow; niece and nephew, Lisa Gans Goldberg and David Gans; many other loving nieces, nephews,

cousins, friends and colleagues from her 38 years as a real estate broker. The family is forever grateful for the loving care from her devoted caregivers, Lucy Gonzalez, Denise Abbott and Denise Reid. Mrs. Friedman was the beloved wife of the late Richard Friedman; the proud grandmother of the late Marley Chudnow; the devoted daughter of the late Albert and the late Ida Winnick; the loving sister-in-law of the late Harvey Schatz and the late Wally Friedman; the dear daughter-in-law of the late Alex and the late Regina Friedman. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions continued on page 52

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

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 51

may be made to Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice.org; Kadima, 15999 W. 12 Mile, Southfield, MI 48076, kadimacenter. org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. SHIRLEY ANN GILL, 93, of Bingham Farms, died Sept. 10, 2021. She is survived by her nephew, Stan Gill; nieces, Sharon (Ron) Herman and Sandee (Howard) Penn; great-nephew, Matt (Lori) Herman; great-niece, Amy (Kurtis Hessler) Herman; great-great-nieces and greatgreat-nephew, Dylan, Alice and Jamie; many other loving

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

family members and friends. Shirley was the sister of the late Jackie Gill. Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. BENOIT GORGE, 94, of West Bloomfield, died Sept. 14, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Evelyn Gorge; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Wendy Gorge; grandchildren, Matthew Gorge, Brandon and Emily Gorge, and Gillian Gorge and Daniel Carr; greatgrandchildren, Charlotte Carr, Jackson Carr, Benjamin Gorge

and Maxwell Gorge; brother and sister-in-law, Sol and Nancy Gorge. Mr. Gorge was the cherished father of the late Karen and the late Marshal Gorge. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2265 Livernois, Suite 410, Troy, MI 48083, detroit@cff. org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. TERRY LIFTON, 83, of West Bloomfield, died Sept. 11, 2021. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Lifton; son and

daughter-in-law, Allen Lifton and Cindi Gruber; daughter, Sheryl Neville; grandson, Steven Neville; sister and brother-in-law, Maxine “Mickey” and Calvin Mackey; sisters-in-law and brothersin-law, Janice Gitlin, Iris and Jimmy Fuller, and Howard Lifton. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Temple Israel, Donna & Allan Apple Fund for Children with Special Needs, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, temple-israel.org/tributes; Temple Israel, the David and Stacy Gordon Family “Do Good Fund”, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, temple-israel.org/

tributes; or Project Healthy Community, P.O. Box 252433, West Bloomfield, MI 48325, projecthealthycommunity.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. LAWRENCE ROSENBERG, 81, of Detroit, died Sept. 12. 2021. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Rhonda and Morris Brown of Bloomfield Hills; loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Mr. Rosenberg was the beloved husband of the late Janet Rosenberg. Contributions may be made to the Sylvia and Hyman Rosenberg Memorial at JARC, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301; Jewish Family Service, 6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or to a charity of one’s choice. A graveside service was held at Beth Abraham Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

c. 1949

MARILYN PEARL SEGAL, 92, of West Bloomfield, died Sept. 15, 2021. She is survived by her beloved

husband, Robert Segal; sons and daughter-in-law, Steven “Rusty” (Jill) Segal and Donald Segal; grandchildren, Stuart (Antu) Segal, Jeffrey (Kayleigh Watson) Segal, Andrew Segal and Lizzy (Michael) Atkinson; greatgrandchild, Charlie; many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Segal was the dear sister of the late Judith (the late Irving) Zeidman. Interment was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. DANIEL ELIOT SHINDLER, 46, of Royal Oak, died Sept. 12, 2021. He is survived by his parents, Sherry and Arnold Shindler; brother and sisterin-law, Eric and Ashley Shindler; nephews, Max Shindler and Benjamin Shindler; many other loving family members and friends. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer

Society, the American Heart Association or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. FLORENCE STEINBERG, 70, of Huntington Woods, died Sept. 14, 2021. A child of c. 1975 Holocaust survivors, Florence was a reading specialist and elementary school teacher for many years. She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Dr. Joel Steinberg; son and daughterin-law, Jonathan and Jamie Steinberg of Seattle, Wash.; daughters and sons-in-law, Diana and Keith Goldberg of Mt. Kisco, N.Y., Danielle and Adam Broza of Marlboro, N.Y.; sister and brother-inlaw, Susan and Barry Gross of Ann Arbor; grandchildren, Alexander Goldberg, Jeremy Goldberg, Rita Steinberg, Frances Steinberg. Contributions may be made to Walk to End Alzheimer’s. A graveside service was held at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

HANS WEINMANN, 95, of West Bloomfield, died Sept. 13, 2021. An Army veteran, Mr. Weinmann received several Bronze Stars and assisted with the liberation of the Philippines. He was active with the Jewish War Veterans and was a former Department of Michigan Chaplain. Mr. Weinmann is survived by his wife, Sylvia Weinmann; he is also survived by Thomas and Patricia Levine and many other close and dear friends. Mr. Weinmann was the dear brother and brother-inlaw of the late Ernest O. and the late Phyllis Weinmann. Contributions may be made to Jewish War Veterans, P.O. Box 725066, Berkley, MI 48072; Betty and Samuel Lehrman Scholarship Fund at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, MI 48034; Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. A graveside service was held at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

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thejewishnews.com/newsletter SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Looking Back

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

Goodbye to a ‘Stand-Up’ Guy

his column was inspired by a sandwich. That’s right, a sandwich. But not just any sandwich. This one has a backstory. It is really an ode to a person who some consider one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Jewish comedians in American history: Jackie Mason. Jackie Mason passed away on July 24, 2021, at the age of 93 after more than 70 years Mike Smith of making us laugh. The son Alene and Graham Landau of a rabbi, he was born Yacov Archivist Chair Moshe Maza in Sheboygan, Wis. Mason also became an ordained rabbi, but he turned to comedy in his 20s. Like Mel Brooks, George Burns, Lenny Bruce, Milton Berle and many other famous Jewish comedians, Mason first worked the Borscht Belt in upstate New York. He was at times ribald and irreverent, often using Yiddish in his act, and he was funny. Mason was always hilarious but not without controversy. The JN editorial “Jackie Mason: Shhh!” on Oct. 13, 1989, noted how Mason apologized and said he “learned his lesson” over racially insensitive remarks about thenNew York mayoral candidate David Dinkins. In his latter years, Mason switched his support from the Democratic to the Republican party. He once stated that there were three things one could count on in life: “Death, taxes and antisemitism.” A search for Jackie Mason in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History revealed 242 pages from 1950s to the present that mention his name. There are also several feature stories about and interviews with Mason. In short, he had a large presence in the JN and in Jewish Detroit. Many pages hold advertisements for his appearances in the Catskills, such as the Stevensville Hotel in Swan Lake and Grossinger’s, and for his performances in

SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021

Detroit at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, Pine Knob Music Theatre, the Roostertail and Andiamo’s. Mason also performed at local benefits for Young Israel in 1962 and Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in 1960, to name two. He had no fear of defending Jews and Israel. There are many articles in the JN that cite Mason. In some, contemporary comedians speak about his influence upon their careers. Mason was even quoted by Rabbi Craig Allen in a Torah portion (Dec. 20, 1996, JN): “Timing is everything.” Of course, Mason was mentioned in several Danny Raskin columns. Now, for my favorite Mason story and the sandwich that inspired this column. In May 1989, shortly after the Palace of Auburn Hills opened, Mason was a headliner at the new arena. In his honor, the JN and the Plaza Deli sponsored a contest to create a “Jackie Mason Sandwich.” There were tons of entries, but Ida Olsen of Oak Park created the winner. Olsen personally presented the sandwich to Mason at the Palace on May 24. Judges for contest were Danny Raskin (who else?), chefs Peter Loren and Remy Berdy, and deli food wholesaler Larry Snider. The Jackie Mason? Rye and pumpernickel with lettuce, corned beef and a scrambled egg with black olives, then more corned beef and lettuce with pickled tongue and tomato. Wow! In a JN interview before he opened his one-man show on Broadway, Jackie Mason: Politically Incorrect, he said, “I want to offend people. I want to offend the sick people who are preposterous in their beliefs” (May 6, 1994). Mason was, indeed, politically un-correct at times, but he also made us think and laugh like few others. He left quite a legacy. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

THE DETROIT

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

thejewishnews.com

36 36

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

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS

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

thejewishnews.com

Sense of

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

THE DETROIT

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

thejewishnews.com thejewishnews

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS

200 March 4-10, 2021 / 20-26 Adar 5781

thejewishnews.com

Floating Cloud ON A

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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People are at the heart of what we do. People are at the heart of what we do. At its heart, a business is about people. A group of people coming together to

Atcreate its heart, a business is about people. A group of people coming toan something bigger than themselves. To create a solution or atogether product or create something themselves. ToHuntington, create a solution a product or an experience in the bigger servicethan of other people. At it’s our or belief that running experience service other people. At Huntington, it’s ourpeople’s belief that a businessinisthe about moreof than making money, it’s about making livesrunning a better. business about making money, it’s about making people’s lives Soislet’s roll more up ourthan sleeves and get to work, together. better. So let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work, together.

DJN September 23, 2021

Articles inside

Obituaries

Community Calendar

Simchat Torah: The Antidote for Despair

Book Review: The Angel and the Cholent

Sci-Fi with a Purpose

Moments

Celebrity News

Torah portion

Abraham Accords: A Year Later

Essays and Viewpoints

Million-Dollar ‘Coming Out’ Fund

Exploring Close to Home

Sukkah Builders for Hire

Keeping Congregations Excellent

From Israel with Love

Keeping Memories Alive

New Exhibit Celebrates Albert Kahn’s Life and Accomplishments