DJN December 30, 2021

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS 200 Dec. 30, 2021- Jan. 5, 2022 / 26 Tevet - 3 Shevat 5782

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2021

Jewish Detroit: Year in Review See page 10

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contents Dec. 30, 2021 – Jan. 5, 2022 / 26 Tevet – 3 Shevat 5782 | VOLUME CLX, ISSUE 21

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PURELY COMMENTARY

SPORTS

EVENTS

OUR COMMUNITY

Ex-Michigan star is the coach for founder

Mark Schwartz’s travel basketball organization.

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY

ERETZ

ETC.

4-9

Essays and viewpoints.

10

Jewish Detroit: Year in Review — 2021

24

In Memoria

31

Help for Caregivers

32

House Hunters

JFS/JSL offers joint caregiver series beginning in January.

Local twin sisters are featured on HGTV.

FACES & PLACES 33

Eighth Crazy Night of Chanukah

34

Wine and Cheese in Windsor

35

JCRC/AJC Hosts Media

BUSINESS 36 West Bloomfield’s Gramercy Ridge Now Open

Families began moving in this month.

37

Ready to Shop?

Xhibition opensin Downtown Detroit.

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39

Bulls Charge Through the Pandemic

The Sigd Holiday

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52

Community Calendar Guide to local businesses, nonprofits and synagogues.

40 Moments

Spotlight The Exchange Obituaries Looking Back

SPIRIT

Shabbat Lights

Learn about this Ethiopian Jewish holiday.

MAZEL TOV

62 62 64 70

41

Torah portion

42

Overcoming Setbacks

Shabbat begins: Friday, Dec. 31: 4:51 p.m.

44

Synagogue Directory

Shabbat ends: Saturday, Jan. 1: 5:58 p.m.

ARTS & LIFE 46

Not So Far Away

48

A Visit to Yesteryear

Art exhibit at Prentis showcases 1950s-60s Detroit.

50

Celebrity News

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical comes to the Fisher Theatre.

*Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

ON THE COVER: Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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PURELY COMMENTARY column

When Will We Become an Exemplary Society?

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very year at the beginning of December comes “International Day of Persons with Disabilities” (Dec. 3), an awareness day created by the United Nations to promote the rights and enhance the Doron Almog well-being of people with disabilities.

While I applaud this important initiative, I am troubled by the implication that just one day a year suffices to effectively raise awareness and promote real change for the disability community.

So, why do we settle for just one awareness day? Don’t we all experience the impact of disabilities on our lives each and every day? Whether due to injury, illness, accident or aging, disability touches us and the ones we love; it engulfs us from all sides. In truth, life is a nonstop battle with disability and human frailty.

While these are the facts on the ground, most of us are not at all comfortable with this image of our reality. We would much prefer to focus on human successes and heroics, and on how much we have achieved as a society.

During my service in the Israel Defense Forces, my unit inundated us with slogans like “Nothing is impossible” and “We can accomplish anything.” Many of those

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

who died or were wounded in battle immediately became heroes and legends. Similarly, my parents — both of whom were born in Israel during the British Mandate period — were part of a generation that never wept. They suppressed and hid any signs of weakness. I never saw them cry, not even when my brother, Eran, was killed in 1973 during the Yom Kippur War. They always bit their lips and stood straight, no matter how hard it got.

I grew up and was schooled in a society that lauded and valued healthy, strong and heroic people. Dealing with loss at home was heroic. “Of course, Doron has to continue his combat service,” my parents would say, “There is no other option.”

The first person to truly teach me about the world of disability was my son, Eran.

Though he passed away nearly 15 years ago, Eran still remains the greatest teacher of my life. Born with high-level autism and severe developmental disabilities, he never spoke or made eye contact. He never even called me “Abba.” But Eran opened our eyes to the true nature of humanity by taking the veil that hid society’s shame of the weak, the helpless and those struck by fate — the same veil that often hides abuse, discrimination, racism, cruelty, neglect and hypocrisy — and tearing it to pieces.

When we echo the mantra “Never leave a man behind,”

are we only referring to those wounded on the battlefield, or do we also understand our obligation to provide ongoing love and support to those who require assistance every day of their lives? Do we understand the importance of helping them bathe, eat, get dressed and deal with bureaucracy?

When we encourage each other to “Show deference to the elderly,” do we mean that their care should be handed over to foreign aides while the healthiest and most creative among us continue to fuel the engine of this Startup Nation? How long will we chase excellence while running away from our societal responsibilities? How long will we let our arrogance and pride shelter us from the realities of disability?

While it’s important to build, create and strive for excellence, we must also place the appropriate emphasis on mutual responsibility and highlight its centrality in our growth as a society. The way in which we relate to the most vulnerable among us — those with disabilities and multiple challenges — constitutes our greatest test. It is our communal responsibility to provide them with appropriate care, representation and opportunities for advancement every day of the year.

Our societal transformation will begin when we launch mass volunteering

initiatives in every school; bringing students into senior residences, hospitals and centers for individuals with disabilities to spread joy; lending a hand and learning about the realities of disability; fostering empathy and promoting true inclusion.

At the same time, we must open our schools, community centers, houses of prayer and businesses to people with disabilities, reassessing our facilities and retooling our programming and offerings to be more inclusive and ensure that everyone has access to education, enrichment and gainful employment.

When we set these critical changes into motion, we will be on our way to becoming an exemplary society, though it will require constant work to maintain it.

In this new world, there will be no need to set aside a single day for people with disabilities because their care, development and inclusion will be part and parcel of our daily lives. When we reach that point, we will value our healthy morals and strong convictions for good above all else, and our heroism will be found in our humanity. Only then can we call ourselves an exemplary society.

Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog is a decorated IDF soldier, Israel Prize Laureate, and the founder and chairman of ADI Negev-Nahalat Eran (www.adi-israel.org), an expansive residential and rehabilitation village in Israel’s south that is world-renowned as a symbol of true inclusion.

essay

Praying in a Holy Place

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round two weeks ago, the Heavens blessed us with our first grandchild. Our grandson surprised his parents by coming seven weeks early. Thank God, he is strong and getting stronger by the day. He remains in the NICU at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, until such time that the medical staff deems him healthy enough to go to his new home.

Rabbi Todd I spent this Shabbat in my Berman yeshivah with our gap-year yeshivah students. Staying in yeshivah enabled me to spend the morning in the hospital, only 20 minutes away. I walked through the light rain to the hospital just as the rays of the sun were beginning to pierce the early morning clouds and rain. The quickest way into the hospital is through the covered parking lot. The entrance granted me the chance to lower my hood and escape the rain, exposing my ears to the sounds around me.

I quickly slipped past the red-eyed people in the parking lot, hearing them crying or speaking on their phones. One can only imagine the terrible news they received about loved ones who passed away during the night.

Leaving the Shabbat-mode elevator on the eighth floor, I met a few fellow travelers on their way to the synagogue. The space was already filled with those who arrived for the sunrise service. With the others attending the 7 a.m. minyan, we went outside until the first service could finish reading Torah. At that point, we could “switch sides” like an elaborate religious baseball game.

Inside the crowded shul, we prayed. And what prayers they were.

I have lived in Israel for almost 30 years and, in the time, had wonderous prayer experiences. I have worshiped at sunrise on Masada in the shadow of the last-ditch defense against the Roman legions during the Great Revolt. I have recited penitential prayers in front of the Western Wall with tens of thousands during the period of the Jewish High Holidays. Looking out at the Old City of Jerusalem, I have sat on the ground on the Haas Promenade,

Rabbi Todd Berman and his grandson.

crying in lament with hundreds of others.

I have rejoiced with throngs reciting the Hallel prayers on Israel Independence Day and prayed with thousands who stayed up all night both on Shavuot and Yom Yerushalayim. But nothing was as holy for me as praying in that crowded room in the hospital.

Every type of traditional Jew was present.

Chasidim and Misnagdim, Zionists who stood for the prayer for the State of Israel while many more looked sheepishly around while remaining seated. Knitted Kippot, shtreimels and every other type of head covering were present. All were praying together. All were hoping together and, in a way, embracing one another.

During the Torah service, a baby naming for a newborn girl or prayer for the newborn boy followed each aliyah. As the Torah service concluded, others lined up bearing the name of a loved one for the leader to include in the prayer for the sick.

Each name represents someone fighting for their life. The air filled with tears. One could feel the prayers cutting through the clouds reaching upwards — prayers of joy, of fear, and of sadness. Holy prayers shook the heavens. One can almost imagine the angles stitching the various words together into a giant quilt to bring before the Holy One blessed be He. “Here, O Lord, are the hopes and fears and heartbreak of your people. Take them with care. Be enrobed in the glory of their holy words.”

As we finished, a lavish kiddush with hot Yerushalmi kugel was waiting. The person handing out the steaming hot

pieces declared that someone donated the meal in the name of an ill person. May the patient merit a speedy recovery with the blessings uttered over the cakes and pastries that filled separate tables for men and women, as is the custom of some Orthodox Jews.

When grandparents’ visiting hours arrived in the NICU, I held my grandson, who quietly slept on my lap under a warm blanket. I thought of the words of Victor Hugo as I gazed into his tiny, premature face, “To love another person is to see the face of God.” In the halls of that hospital and that small synagogue and the faces of the hospital staff and patients — Jew and Arab, Chasid and secular, Zionist and non, I could feel the presence of the Almighty.

Two of the Middle Ages’ greatest sages debated the origin of the obligation to pray.

For Maimonides, the Torah commands daily worship. Like the Tamid sacrifices of old offered twice each day, the Jew must offer worship as a sacrifice to God. A generation later, Nahmanides argued that God demands prayer only when the Jew needs it most, at times of great sorrow or perhaps emotional difficulty. Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik suggested that at times the two combine. During the daily prayer service, when the Jew finds him or herself in times of suffering and travail, both sages would say, we fulfill the Torah command to pray. In Shaare Zedek hospital, during the Shabbat morning service, it was clear both interpretations of the obligation applied.

As my grandson and I rocked for the two hours of allowed visitation, I prayed His people’s prayers should also move God above. The halls of that hospital felt as holy as standing on the Temple Mount.

May God grant a speedy recovery to the sick, comfort the mourners, and rejoice in the hopes and dreams of the new parents.

Rabbi Todd Berman is the associate director at Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi. In addition, he has held numerous posts in education from the high school level through adult education. He founded the Jewish Learning Initiative (JLI) at Brandeis University and served as rabbinic advisor to the Orthodox community there for several years. This essay first appeared in the Times of Israel.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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PURELY COMMENTARY opinion

We’re in a Shmita Year. So Why Aren’t American Jews Talking More About Student Debt Relief?

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PAUL MORIGI/GETTY IMAGES FOR WE, THE 45 MILLION

hen I finished rabbinical school in 2018, I entered the “real world” with $40,000 in student loans. I acted fast, prioritizing repayment over everything else. Within six months, I paid nearly $10,000 to eliminate interest, and I conRabbi Emily tinued allocating Cohen three times my JTA.org expected monthly payment. Interest didn’t get much chance to build, and when we hit the pandemic pause, I was on track to clear my loans in two years.

Activists hold signs calling on President Joe Biden to cancel student debt and not resume student loan payments outside the White House, Dec. 15, 2021.

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from many Jews being coded as white after World War II). I had a scholarship covering half of rabbinical school, and my

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I am unbelievably lucky.

My parents were able to help me with undergrad (due to generational wealth resulting

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

financial education set me up to make the decision to throw as much as I could at my loans as soon as I finished school.

One of my closest friends?

Not so lucky. To pay the loans he took for his advanced degree, he would need to pay twice his rent each month just to scrape the top off the principal. His best hope (and current plan) is Public Student Loan Forgiveness, but the problems with that program have been well documented, and it’s nerve-wracking to watch his balance go up each month as interest continues to build.

When our current president campaigned, he acknowledged the burden of student loans and promised to forgive $10,000 per borrower. Some are also calling for student loans to be forgiven entirely due to predatory loan practices coupled with the often false promise made to my gen-

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eration that it was through school (and the “good debt” of student loans) that we would reach financial stability. Yet the White House announced that a pandemic-induced moratorium on loan repayment will end in February.

While it’s never a good idea to claim that Jewish text has a single opinion on any topic, debt is a subject with clear limitations. In the book of Leviticus, our ancestors are instructed about shmita, which literally means release.

One year of every seven, Jews were to let the land rest and its volunteer produce be eaten by all. The instruction deepened in Deuteronomy, with the call to: “… release, every possessor of a loan of his hand, what he has lent to his neighbor. He is not to oppress his neighbor or his brother, for the shmita [release] of God has been proclaimed!”

(Deut. 15:2) As you might imagine, the practicalities of shmita were difficult to enforce and, over time, the practice of shmita largely disappeared from Jewish life. It’s only in the last few decades that it’s returned to public consciousness.

Which brings us to 5782.

This year is a shmita year.

Jewish organizations across the denominational and political spectrum are addressing this with intentional slimming down of programming and with fundraisers to alleviate medical debt (another shame of this county). But I haven’t heard many Jewish organizations calling for student loan forgiveness.

I don’t blame Jewish organizations for having other priorities. We’re going into year three of a public health crisis while reproductive justice, fair housing, voting access and the right of minorities simply to

live safely are all in jeopardy.

And yet? We’re a quarter of a way through a tailor-made opportunity to bring Judaism to bear on this pressing public policy issue that deserves attention.

What if we were to apply this one-in-every-seven-year debt release to student loans?

What if, every seven years, loan servicing providers had to forgive debt? You go to school, you pay a reasonable amount for a maximum of six years after graduation, and then you’re free?

Maybe that’s wishful thinking considering the priorities of our current society. Here’s a more realistic thought: Cancel interest. Make student loan borrowers pay back their principal if you must; but make it possible for their balance to go down each month instead of up. After all, we have that instruction in the Torah, too: “If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them.” (Exodus 22:24) Student debt affects people of all ages but particularly impacts millennials. I’ve spoken to friends about what they would do without the weight of their student loans. They would be able to save to buy homes or pay their rent without fear. They would quit the higher-paying, corporate jobs they took to afford to pay their loans and work for nonprofits. They would support their aging parents and their young kids properly. They would be able to think beyond their next paycheck, perhaps for the first time.

What a worthy release that would be.

Rabbi Emily Cohen is the spiritual leader of West End Synagogue in New York City, a podcast producer and an artist.

She tweets @ThatRabbiCohen.

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PURELY COMMENTARY essay

2021: Past, Present and Future

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ooking back at 2021 in the hope of having something sensible to say about the past year, I found myself musing on a perennial question: Is history a story of progress, in which greater numbers of human beings become healthier, happier, more Ben Cohen affluent, more JNS.org tolerant and more educated with each year? Is it a story in which we learn from our past errors and those of our predecessors in order to not repeat them?

Or is history a series of random cycles, in which health, happiness and wealth are at best fleeting experiences in a world where the same ills return to overcome us, regardless of the era we live in?

One’s perspective on this to a great extent is determined by

one’s context. The experience of a citizen of Norway, say, lends itself well to the view that history is about the unfolding of progress, whereas the life of someone in Afghanistan contrastingly suggests that history is a matter of enduring the same tribulations at different times. In this latter rubric, all solutions are temporary and all problems return.

Regardless of where you live, however, both interpretations of history can make sense. At the end of the Cold War 30 years ago, the view of history as progress — sometimes called the “Whig” view so as to accent that progressive element — was everywhere, to the point that some analysts concluded that history was essentially over. Western democratic capitalism — with its complex of economic and political rights, and its emphasis

on maximizing individual freedoms — was the destination where much of humanity had already disembarked, with the remainder certain to arrive there sooner or later.

That was, in crude terms, the theory. And it turned out to be little more than a theory, or less charitably, wishful thinking.

In these present years defined by a pandemic, by the marked souring of democratic politics, and by alarming economic and environmental signals, the notion that history is a story of eternal recurrence with little progress makes far more sense.

“There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after,” observes the book of Koheleth (Ecclesiastes).

I have lost count of the number of times that events during the course of this year have reminded me of that haunting verse.

A LOOK BACK In May, to take the most obvious example, we witnessed renewed conflict in the Gaza

Strip provoked by Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel. The triggers for the 2021 conflict were much the same as during the conflicts of 2008-09 and 2014. The goal of Hamas — the elimination of Israel — was also the same. Unchanged as well was the strategy of the Israel Defense Forces — to defend Israel’s civilian population and territorial integrity without invading and occupying Gaza.

Then, over the summer, we witnessed the ignominious withdrawal of the U.S. military from Afghanistan and the return of Taliban rule. For anyone with living memories of Al-Qaeda’s terrorist atrocities of 20 years ago, the realization that their Taliban backers hadn’t moderated one jot in the intervening period didn’t come as a shock, but it was brutal nonetheless. In the weeks that followed the Taliban reconquest, global outrage at their brazen abuses of human rights was so pronounced that it briefly diverted our attention from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

But empathy for those outside our borders only lasts so long.

Yiddish Limerick New Year’s Day

Dos iz nit Rosh Hashanah, mir rufn dos New Year, a naye 2022 is almost here.

So lomir zogn hob a gut yohr Hob gezunt un sholem and much, much more Un make a l’chaim mit a glezale of beer.

Dos iz nit: this is not Mir rufn dos: we call it A naye: a new Lomir zogn: let us say Hob a gut yohr: have a good year Hob gezunt un sholem: have health and peace Mit a glezale: with a little glass

By Rachel Kapen

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

In his new documentary The Will to See, the French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy observes that the pandemic has made the human race more insular and parochial. That is sobering news for those, like Lévy himself, who treasure the idea of solidarity across borders in the service of opening up closed societies and securing freedom for those weighed down by tyrants. It is also sobering for those who believe — or want to believe — that history is a march toward a better, more just world.

At the same time, other developments indicate profound changes to come in how we live our lives.

The growing adoption of cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum was the big economic story of 2021, in part because of the now legendary volatility of these assets but also because the blockchain technology underlying them has revolutionized the way in which financial transactions are verified.

Their deeper significance will become clearer as the internet evolves into its next iteration — an environment where the user’s experience is enclosed within a virtual universe of private homes, online shopping malls, gaming centers and similar offerings with commercial potential. This new economy is already being driven by cryptocurrencies. It will grow because as a society we are going to be spending increasing portions of our time living online.

I have no doubt that even in this brave new world, there will be ample room to grapple with the problems that rear their heads once more. Another war in Gaza 10 years from now will doubtless replay the tired and bitter justifications for the

continued rejection of Israel’s presence by the Islamists and their allies, but its media and messaging dimension will be fought on different and likely much more dangerous terrain in what’s currently called the metaverse.

That is why I want to end these reflections with a recommendation. We cannot prevent the cycles of history from returning to batter us with the same discredited tropes, but we can prepare ourselves more astutely. Jewish organizations and institutions need to focus their intellectual resources on understanding how the next stage of the internet — a parallel world we inhabit rather like the physical one — will impact us as a people.

On an immediate level, that means anticipating as best as possible how antisemitism, which has continued to plague social-media platforms this year, will manifest in a threedimensional virtual space.

It also means grabbing the longer-term opportunities that this environment will offer — from raising funds to conducting educational outreach to reaching entirely new audiences.

During the past year, we were afforded the clearest sense yet of what this digital future holds, which is the most positive thing I can say about 2021. Some people will question whether that future is desirable to begin with, while others will fret that the virtual universe will make us more selfish, more insular, more impulsive and less intelligent than we are now. Over the next decade, we are sure to find out.

Ben Cohen is a New York City-based journalist and author who writes a weekly column on Jewish and international affairs for JNS.

Our STORY

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wo social meetings with friends brought Merle and Ron Schwartz to focus on Hebrew Free Loan as a place to establish a fund to honor the memory of Merle’s parents. Over drinks and again at a lunch, HFL came up in conversation.

Merle and Ron looked into it further, and found an area of need that spoke to them.

“My father was the head of OB/GYN at Sinai Hospital,” Merle said. “He trained many doctors in the city, was very pro women’s health, and did a great deal to advance surrogacy, infertility and in-vitro fertilization. My mother also worked at Sinai, and was active in prenatal care and diabetic education. They both would have loved to know that we established the Sandra and Alfred Sherman Family IVF/Fertility/Adoption Loan Fund at Hebrew Free Loan to help grow Jewish families. The cost of testing, treatments and adoption fees can sometimes be a barrier for many Jewish couples.

“What a satisfying thing, knowing that we could offer help in a real and substantive way, make a difference in people’s lives, and give them the happiness of family, just as we’ve had,” Merle said.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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YEAR IN REVIEW

JEWISH DETROIT:

Year in Review

2021 A

s the clock ticks toward 2022, we look back at the year that was. 2021 might be remembered for an attempted coup on our government, the continuing COVID pandemic and the challenges it presents, or the year one of Jewish Detroit’s own was taken prisoner halfway across the world.

It might also be remembered for the way the community came together to meet every challenge and support each other in times of tragedy and triumph.

As with every year, although we faced difficult challenges, we also found a lot to celebrate.

ROBERTO SCHMIDT AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

JANUARY

RIGHT: Rabbi Rachel Shere.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

COURTESY OF RACHEL SHERE

TOP: Riot police push back a crowd of supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump after they stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.

JAN. 6 – U.S. CAPITAL STORMED Jewish groups spoke out on an extraordinary day that resulted in what once was unthinkable: police spiriting hundreds of lawmakers to safety while marauders roamed and looted the Capitol.

JAN. 22 – RABBI RACHEL SHERE ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION Rachel Rachel Lawson Shere resigned as rabbi at Adat Shalom Synagogue after serving more than 16 years to spend more time with her family.

COURTESY OF THE DETROIT JEWISH LIBRARY

FEBRUARY FEB. 4. YAD EZRA’S LEA LUGER ANNOUNCES HER RETIREMENT Lea Luger announced her retirement from Yad Ezra after 28 years as executive director. Her last day was in September.

FEB. 13 – NEW JEWISH LIBRARY OPENS IN OAK PARK The 900-square-foot Detroit Jewish Library, begun by Rabbi Ari Kostelitz of Congregation Dovid ben Nuchim, opens in Oak Park.

Lea Luger

The Detroit Jewish Library DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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YEAR IN REVIEW

MARCH

ABOVE: Jodee Raines is New Detroit’s first COO.

RIGHT: Dr. Ed Hirsch, Commander of the Jewish War Veterans, Department of Michigan, proudly displays proclamations honoring the JWV on its 125th anniversary.

Editorial Assistant Sy Manello installs a mezuzah at the JN’s new office.

MARCH 15 – JEWISH WAR VETERANS MARK 125TH ANNIVERSARY Founded on March 15, 1896, the JWV is proud to be recognized as the oldest veterans’ service organization in our nation.

AL MUSKOVITZ

ABOVE: Annual poppy sales support JWV.

MARCH 8 – JODEE RAINES NEW LEADER OF NEW DETROIT INC. Jodee Fishman Raines, after 25 years in philathropy, joins New Detroit Inc. as the organization’s first COO.

JERRY ZOLYNSKY).

NATHAN VICAR/THE JEWISH NEWS

MARCH 1 – JN MOVES TO NEW OFFICES The JN moved from Southfield to its new offices at 32255 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 205 Farmington Hills, MI 48334 in the Tri-Atria Building.

MARCH 25 – DAN GILBERT ANNOUNCE $500 MILLION COMMITMENT TO DETROIT The Gilbert Family Foundation will contribute $350 million, and the Rocket Community Fund will invest $150 million over the next 10 years to aid Detroit citizens, including low-income homeowners who have property tax debt.

Volunteers from Rocket Companies went door-to-door to canvas for homeowners delinquent on their taxes.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

JERRY ZOLYNSKY).

Danny Fenster, flanked by childhood friend Matthew Jaffe and brother Bryan

Newsmaker of the Year: Huntington Woods journalist Danny Fenster was — without a doubt — this year’s Newsmaker of the Year. From the time he was detained on May 24 at Yangon International Airport in Myanmar until his return home on Nov. 16, Detroit’s Jewish community was galvanized to do all they could to support his family and see that he came home safely.

Fenster, 37, managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, was one of many journalists who have been detained or imprisoned during the course of their work. According to an annual report compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists, the number of journalists around the world imprisoned by governments seeking to stifle critical reporting reached its highest level ever in 2021.

For weeks after his arrest, no one heard from Fenster or was able to see him. His family launched a media cam-

Danny Fenster paign, going on national networks, determined to keep Danny in the forefront of everyone’s thoughts. A website and Facebook group, “Bring Danny Home,” soon had thousands of members. Hundreds of people bought #BringDannyHome T-shirts and wrote letters to urge government officials to secure Danny’s release.

Authorities refused to disclose the reason behind his arrest.

It was 38 days before his family was finally able to speak to him on the phone as they awaited a hearing in front of the judge while he awaited charges.

During his fourth month in pretrial detainment, at his ninth hearing, he was hit with charges by Myanmar’s junta government under the Unlawful Associations Act, in addition to previous incitement charges. On day 164 of his detainment, Fenster was denied bail. On Nov. 12, he was sentenced

to 11 years in prison as well as a $100,000 fine. Detroit’s Jewish community was horrified by the news.

A few days later, on Nov. 15, came the miraculous news from former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, who had been visiting the country on a humanitarian mission regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Danny was on his way home. The next day, he returned to his family in Huntington Woods.

“Welcome Home, Danny” signs could be seen everywhere around town.

One of the first things Danny said upon his return home was that he will work on keeping the focus on the thousands of Burmese who remain imprisoned on false charges.

According to the United Nations, at least 126 journalists, media officials or publishers have been detained by the military since the takeover and 47 remain in custody, though not all of them have been charged.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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YEAR IN REVIEW

APRIL

PHOTO COURTESY OF FLORINE MARK

JSL

APRIL 1 – JN PARTNERS WITH JSL TO PROVIDE JEWISH NEWS TO SENIORS The staff of the Jewish News began dropping off issues each week at the JSL residences for JSL staff to distribute.

Residents can enjoy the JN and keep up with the latest news about the Jewish community at no cost to them.

APRIL 8 – FLORINE MARK SELLS WEIGHT WATCHERS GROUP Florine Mark, pioneering Michigan businesswoman, civic volunteer and philanthropist, sold the WW Group, her Weight Watchers franchise in Michigan and Ontario, to parent company WW International.

APRIL 29 – MOUNT MERON TRAGEDY IN ISRAEL Donny Morris, the nephew of Rabbi Yechiel Morris of Young Israel of Southfield, was among those lost in the stampede on Lag b’Omer that killed 45 people.

A photo of Nachman Doniel Morris, a student who died in the stampede at Mount Meron in Israel on Lag b’Omer, was shared on social media.

TOP: Meer residents Esther Liwazer and Rita Sills enjoy their free copies of the Jewish News.

TWITTER VIA JTA

ABOVE: On her “Ask Florine” TV news segment.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

MAY

Susie Citrin, Peggy Frank, Anita Naftaly

MAY – JN PUBLISHER EMERITUS ARTHUR HORWITZ ENTERS JOURNALISM HALL OF FAME Arthur Horwitz, publisher emeritus and former executive editor of the Detroit Jewish News, has officially been inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. Horwitz was supposed to be inducted in 2020, but the ceremony was canceled due to COVID. This year, the ceremony was virtual.

Arthur Horwitz

MAY 11 – JCC’S “OPENING THE DOOR” PROGRAM CELEBRATES 25 YEARS JCC Detroit’s Opening the Doors (OTD) program enables children with diverse learning differences and abilities to participate in inclusive Jewish education with their peers as well as provides disability awareness and resources for families, educators and professionals through development programs, community conferences and a teen leadership program.

Bryan and Danny Fenster, September 2019, at a friend’s wedding in Krakow, Poland.

It was the last time the brothers saw each other.

ASHRAF AMRA/ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

Over 125 years, HFL’s processes have changed, but not its core values.

Hamas militia members patrol a street in Gaza City, April 23, 2021.

Steven Ingber

MAY — HEBREW FREE LOAN CELEBRATES 125 YEARS A humble organization, historically not highly visible in the Detroit Jewish community, Hebrew Free Loan marked its 125th anniversary — a year late, thanks to COVID. MAY 6 – CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS Israel was engaged in a fierce battle with Hamas, the militant Islamist terror group that controls the Gaza Strip, for 11 days before a ceasefire was announced.

MAY 7 – JEWISH FEDERATION ANNOUNCES STEVEN INGBER AS CEO Ingber served as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer since 2016. He succeeds former CEO Scott Kaufman, who stepped down from the role at the end of 2019 after nine years. Over the past 18 months, Ingber had been Federation’s lead professional, guiding the organization throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most challenging times in the history of the century-old organization.

MAY 24 – DETROIT-BORN JOURNALIST DANNY FENSTER DETAINED IN MYANMAR On his way home for a surprise visit to see family and friends, native Detroiter Danny Fenster, managing editor for Frontier Myanmar, was detained at Yangon International Airport and then imprisoned.

MAY 25 – DANA NESSEL AND JUDGE AVERN COHN HONORED BY JBAM Jewish Bar Association of Michigan honors Dana Nessel and Judge Avern Cohn with respectively, the first Ruth Bader Ginsberg Champion of Justice Award and the first Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dana Nessel, left, and Avern Cohn

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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YEAR IN REVIEW YONATAN SINDEL/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES AND AMIR LEVY/GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

JUNE

Sandi Matz at the Council resale, fall 2020

JUNE – NCJW CELEBRATES 130TH ANNIVERSARY Beginning in 1891, Rabbi Louis Grossman of Temple Beth El called on the women of the community to form a Jewish Women’s Club to “better the conditions of girls, and women, to promote friendly fellowship and mutual helpfulness among Jewish Women of Detroit, to elevate their mental, moral and social status, and to foster cultivating influences of Jewish women.”

NCJW|MI has been working to achieve these goals ever since.

JUNE – FEDERATION RAISES $38 MILLION The Annual Campaign is Federation’s central fundraising vehicle, and it provides for the majority of resources Federation distributes to its partner agencies across the local and international Jewish community. The 2021 Annual Campaign raised a total of $34.2 million. The Andi and Larry Wolfe Challenge Fund raised an additional $3.8 million, for both general and dedicated funding to the community.

Naftali Bennett, right, to be succeeded by Yair Lapid, left.

JUNE 2 – ISRAEL FORMS COALITION GOVERNMENT Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett announced they formed a rotation coalition government.

Bennett became Israeli prime minister replacing Israel’s longest-serving prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

JULY

JOHN HARDWICK

JULY 8 – IADS ANNOUNCES RENOVATION PLANS The Isaac Agee Downtown Synagogue marks 100 years with $4.5 million renovation plan.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

JULY — TECHNION NAMES PROGRAM FOR BILL DAVIDSON Technion University in Israel announced that its MBA program will be renamed the William Davidson Master of Business Administration Program for Davidson, who died in 2009.

ANDREA SARCOS/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

DAVID SACHS

PHOTO BY YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90 VIA JNS.ORG

At a June community-wide rally against antisemitism: ZOA-MI President Sheldon Freilich expresses his Jewish pride. JCRC/ AJC President Seth Gould joins in singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Amy Cutler, president of NCJW|MI, thanks the attendees.

JUNE 2 — ISAAC “BOUGIE” HERZOG BECOMES ISRAEL’S 11TH PRESIDENT Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Herzog, saying he’s continuing in the “glorious tradition” of his father, the late President Chaim Herzog.

JUNE 6 – LOCAL RALLY AGAINST ANTISEMITISM About 200 people united on a very hot Sunday afternoon to show solidarity against a rising tide of antisemitism.

Representatives of a broad spectrum of the Jewish community led a united front against anti-Jewish bigotry and violence that is on the rise as tensions increase in the Middle East.

JUNE 24 – JN LAUNCHES “APPLE TREE” SECTION FOR KIDS For the first time in its history, the JN launched a pull-out section just for kids.

JUNE 24 – TOWER COLLAPSES IN SURFSIDE, FLORIDA The Champlain Towers South building collapse in Miami claimed dozens of lives, many of them members of Surfside’s Orthodox Jewish community.

FAR LEFT: Rendering of the proposed IADS facade.

LEFT: A bird’seye view of the rooftop.

BOTTOM LEFT: Second floor sanctuary and event space.

The late William Davidson IADS

Israeli President-elect Isaac Herzog at the Knesset in Jerusalem on the day of the election, June 2, 2021.

Images of Andres Levine, Ilan Naibryf and Deborah Berezdivin, three of the Jewish victims of the Surfside building collapse, in center, among other photographs of those missing posted at a makeshift memorial on the building site in Surfside, Fla., June 26, 2021.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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YEAR IN REVIEW

SEPTEMBER

AUG. 12 – BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE CHANGES ITS NAME After nearly 60 years, the Birmingham Temple becomes the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

SEPT. 11 – 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11 For 81 Metro Detroiters, the memory of Sept. 11, 2001, includes a stop for ice cream in a mall at Alonim Junction in the Jezreel Valley, en route to Migdal HaEmek in the Detroit Partnership region in Israel. They shared their memories with the JN.

TOP: 9/11 Memorial shines brightly.

BELOW: Larry Jackier speaks to the Detroit Group in the lobby of the hotel in Israel in 2001.

DEBBIE HILL

AUG. 2 – JVS HUMAN SERVICES AND KADIMA ANNOUNCE MERGER JVS Human Services and Kadima, both nonprofits that serve vulnerable communities in Metro Detroit, announced they will move forward with a merger expected to be operational in 2022.

ISTOCK

AUGUST

LEFT: Yoav Raban on the World Trade Center observation deck, Sept. 10, 2001, the day before he came to Detroit.

TAMARACK

WAISTOCK

TAMARACK

BELOW: The Israeli staff at Tamrack were welcomed with a buffet.

Washtenaw JFS to aid refugees.

Israeli staff at Camp Tamarack

Alexander Kahn on CNN, Aug. 27, 2021.

DELTA

SCREEN SHOT FROM TWITTER VIA JTA

SEPT. 14 – ANNIVERSARY OF ABRAHAM ACCORDS One year has passed since the United States, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed the historic Abraham Accords, later to be joined by Morocco and Sudan. This last year has seen a blossoming of bilateral initiatives within the private sector and civil society. The geopolitical and economic benefits will have spillover effects across the region and possibly the world.

SEPT. 16 – 35 ISRAELI STAFF MEMBERS AT CAMP TAMARACK After Tamarack’s summer 2020 programming was canceled due to COVID-19, Tamarack returned this summer with calculated safety measures in place. While Israeli campers were not able to make it to camp, 35 Israeli staff members, the most ever, brought Israel to life this summer.

SEPT. 16 – JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF WASHTENAW CO. PREPARES TO SUPPORT AFGHAN REFUGEES As chaos and violence washed over Taliban-controlled Afghanistan after the U.S. withdrawal, Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County was getting ready to resettle their first Afghan refugees.

SEPT. 16 – LOCAL PILOT FLIES EVACUEES OUT OF AFGHANISTAN Captain Alexander Kahn of Southfied, son of Holocaust survivors, flew a plane full of Afghan refugees escaping the violence and chaos of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to the U.S. for freedom.

VIA RON KAMPEAS/JTA

LEFT: Jared Kushner, fourth from right, poses for a group photo with the ambassadors from Israel and the UAE and others at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, Sept. 14, 2021.

Touching down in the U.S. DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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19

YEAR IN REVIEW

OCTOBER TOP: The christening of the USS Carl M. Levin, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

GILBERT FAMILY FOUNDATION

Dan and Jennifer Gilbert

Ora Hirsch Pescovitz

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

OCT. 14 – OU PRESIDENT ORA HIRSCH PESCOVITZ DONATES $1 MILLION Oakland University received a $1 million gift from President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz to support scholarships for academically exceptional high school graduates.

Mark Davidoff accepts the Yeshiva’s prestigious Guardian Award.

ROBERT BRUCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Dan Brotman seeks stronger links between the Detroit and Windsor Jewish communities.

LEFT: First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah Annual Dinner.

ROBERT BRUCE PHOTOGRAPHY

FACEBOOK

AC Hotel and Bonstelle Theatre

OCT. 7 – FORMER TEMPLE BETH EL BUILDING GETS A MAKEOVER Midtown Detroit’s Bonstelle Theatre — a performing arts center that was originally the Temple Beth El synagogue — will be restored to its original glory as a home for arts that continues to celebrate Jewish culture.

OCT. 7 – WINDSOR, ONTARIO FEDERATION/ JCC GETS NEW LEADER New Windsor Federation/JCC Executive Director Dan Brotman brings international experience and optimism to the position.

OCT. 12 – GILBERT FAMILY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES PLAN TO RESTORE DETROIT HBCU The Gilbert Family Foundation, Target and the city of Detroit announced a new Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and higher education program, resurrecting Detroit’s formerly closed Lewis College of Business.

ROBERT BRUCE PHOTOGRAPHY

OCT. 1 — USS CARL LEVIN IS CHRISTENED The naval destroyer named for the late Sen. Carl Levin was christened Oct. 2 in Maine.

Awardee Mary Barra.

OCT. 24 — YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH ANNUAL DINNER More than 2,000 people came to the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center for an inspiring and heartwarming evening highlighting the special place the children of the Yeshiva occupy in the hearts and minds of our community. GM CEO Mary Barra was honored for Outstanding Leadership; Mark Davidoff received the Guardian Award. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden was the guest speaker.

OCT. 24 — NEW ISRAELI CONSUL GENERAL VISITS DETROIT Yinam Cohen, the New Israeli Consul General, attended the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah dinner and sat down for an interview with the JN. Yinam Cohen and Mark Davidoff at The Fisher Group office in Southfield.

JACKIE HEADAPOHL

SOME WAYNE STATE STUDENTS HAVE A HARD TIME GOING TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. Not because they’re not tired. It’s because they don’t have a place to sleep.

When President M. Roy Wilson and his wife, Jacqueline, arrived at Wayne State University, the first lady had a chance encounter with a medical student who was living out of her car. It was then that she decided something had to be done.

Mrs. Wilson founded the Helping Individuals Go Higher (HIGH) Program to combat homelessness among Wayne State University students. “Students shouldn’t feel trapped into making a choice of survival or success,” she said.

“The HIGH Program was established to provide resources that assist students facing challenges as they pursue their education.”

Today, the HIGH Program provides resources like housing support, transportation, child care assistance, textbooks and school supplies, which help students stay on track to graduate.

The HIGH Program’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed. It was just recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for its efforts. Thanks to this program, earning a degree is within any student’s grasp. Sometimes, all we need is a little help.

To learn more about the HIGH Program and to make a contribution — of any size — visit highprogram.wayne.edu.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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NATHAN VICAR/THE JEWISH NEWS

YEAR IN REVIEW

NOVEMBER

NOV. 11 — RABBI MICHAEL MOSKOWITZ CELEBRATES SILVER ANNIVERSARY Rabbi Michael Moskowitz celebrated 25 years at Temple Shir Shalom, which he helped grow from 500 families when he arrived to more than 900 families today.

Judge Avern Cohn’s book

JOHN HARDWICK

NOV. 14 – NANCY GROSFELD HONORED

BY HMC Nancy Grosfeld was honored by the Holocaust Memorial Center for her committment to advancing Holocaust education in Michigan.

Nancy Grosfeld

TEMPLE SHIR SHALOM

NOV. 5 – JUDGE COHN RELEASES NEW BOOK Retired U.S. Judge Avern Cohn releases his book, Thinking About ‘the Other Fella,’ part biography and part anthology, co-written by Jack Lessenberry and Elizabeth Zerwekh.

Rabbi Moskowitz is known as a “community connector” who is able to walk into a room and build relationships immediately.

Rabbi Moskowitz, known for his sense of humor, dresses up for Purim.

FENSTER FAMILY

NOV. 16 — DANNY FENSTER RETURNS HOME Just days after the military junta of Myanmar sentenced him to 11 years of hard labor for visa breaches, unlawful association with an illegal group and spreading false news, the managing editor of the independent online publication Frontier Myanmar and Huntington Woods native was back on American soil.

An emotional reunion: Danny Fenster with parents Rose and Buddy and brother Bryan.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

FACEBOOK/SHNEUR SILBERBERG

NATHAN VICAR/THE JEWISH NEWS

Gary Torgow and Danny Fenster helped mark the first night of Chanukah by lighting the first candle of the menorah at the annual “Menorah in the D” event in Downtown Detroit.

Oxford shooting memorial

Emily Miller wins JN’s 2021 Chanukah Art Contest.

NOV. 28 – IN-PERSON “MENORAH IN THE D” RETURNS TO DETROIT Danny Fenster lights the first candle.

NOV. 28 – JN CHANUKAH ART CONTEST Emily Miller wins the JN’s annual contest.

NOV. 30 – SHOOTING AT OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL The Detroit Jewish community lends prayers and support to the Oxford community after a disturbed teenaged boy opened fire at Oxford High School in Oakland County, killing four teenagers and wounding seven others, including one teacher.

NOVEMBER – WDIV-TV GENERAL MANAGER MARLA DRUTZ RETIRES WDIV-TV General Manager Marla Drutz retired after 40 years in television where she was at the epicenter of fastpaced, high-intensity TV news operations at stations in Cleveland and Detroit.

Marla was featured on the cover of the JN in January 2002.

Marla Drutz

DECEMBER

Compiled by Detroit Jewish News Archivist Mike Smith, Digital Editor Nathan Vicar and Director of Editorial Jackie Headapohl.

IADS celebrates 100 years.

COURTESY OF IADS

Gilda Jacobs

DECEMBER – GILDA JACOBS RETIRES FROM THE MICHIGAN LEAGUE FOR PUBLIC POLICY The Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Gilda Z. Jacobs retired after 11 years with the organization and four decades of public service

DECEMBER – ISAAC AGREE DOWNTOWN SYNAGOGUE CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL An anticipated grand reopening of the renovated building by Chanukah 2022 will conclude the year-long centennial celebration.

Rabbi Ariana Silverman talks with young people.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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OUR COMMUNITY

In Memoria W

e said good-bye to so many wonderful people in 2021. Here are some of the noteworthy names who left the Earth this past year.

May their memories be for a blessing.

FEBRUARY

MANDEL NGAN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

JANUARY

Sheldon Adelson listens to President Donald Trump address the Israeli American Council National Summit 2019 at the Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Fla., Dec. 7, 2019.

Bob Matthews

DR. ROBERT E. “BOB” MATTHEWS, of Farmington Hills, famous for his sports memorabilia collection, died Feb. 2, 2021, at age 85.

MARCH

SHELDON ADELSON, casino magnate who became a Republican kingmaker, died at age 87.

Micki Grossman

Quintessential volunteer MICKI GROSSMAN died while packing boxes of food at Temple Shir Shalom at age 86.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

Frank Kelly

Longtime Michigan Attorney General and friend to Michigan Jews, FRANK KELLY died at age 96.

BY SETT95 VIA WIKIPEDIA

APRIL

Matt Prentice

Ruth Miller Marcus

Longtime executive director of Hebrew Free Loan and community volunteer RUTH MILLER MARCUS died at age 72.

JEREMIAH GARCIA VIA WIKIMEDIA

MATT PRENTICE, renowned local chef and restaurant entrepreneur who catered extensively to the Jewish community, died at age 62.

Eli Broad in 2008

Walter Mondale, circa 1982

Dorothy Gerson

Art aficionado and Michigan State University supporter ELI BROAD died at age 87.

Former Vice President WALTER MONDALE died at age 93.

DOROTHY GERSON, a community activist and sister to the late Bill Davidson, died just shy of her 100th birthday.

Thomas Fox

Holocaust survivor and artist THOMAS FOX died at age 89.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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Michigan theater pioneer JOSEPH Z. NEDERLANDER died at age 93.

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Stay in the know with all things Jewish...

Beloved doctor and Jewish Federation William Davidson Lifetime Achievement Award winner DR. DAN G. GUYER passed away at age 74.

Dr. Dan Guyer

Educator and formerJCC director ALLAN “GELI” GELFOND died at age 85.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

Allan “Geli” Gelfond

Happy ! s y a d i Hol

JUNE

A Maple Gift Card is always a wonderful gift!

Call a manager at 248-855-9091 and they can assist you.

Local community leader and philanthropist ALENE LANDAU passed away at age 92.

Alene Landau and her late husband, Graham (left), greet the late author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel at Congregation Shaarey Zedek.

Continue your holiday with CONTINUE YOUR tradition HOLIDAY DINNER and a MOVIE at The Maple.

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Philanthropist MARCIA APPLEBAUM died at age 81.

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Prominent lawyer A. ROBERT ZEFF died at age 87.

Israeli space pioneer and hero ABY HAR-EVEN passed at age 84.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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27

OUR COMMUNITY

JULY AUGUST Longtime Michigan SEN. CARL LEVIN passed away at age 87.

Marvin Tamaroff

Locally renowned auto dealership owner MARVIN TAMAROFF died at age 95.

Carl Levin speaking with President Barack Obama at the White House

Bernie Moray

Local noted businessman BERNIE MORAY passed away on his 100th birthday.

Graham Orley

COURTESY OF WSU PRESS

Community leader GRAHAM ORLEY died at age 96.

Etka Goldenberg

Survivor and Holocaust Memorial Center docent ETKA GOLDENBERG passed away at age 95.

Danny Raskin

Jackie Mason

Comedian JACKIE MASON passed away at age 93.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

CARL LENDER VIA WIKIPEDIA

Beloved JN columnist DANNY RASKIN died at age 103.

Douglas Bloom

Community leader DOUGLAS BLOOM passed away at age 82.

SEPTEMBER Martin L. Fried

OCTOBER

MARTIN L. FRIED, musician who toured with the Beatles as well as a Detroit bankruptcy lawyer, died at age 77.

Richard Maskin

Local motorsports legend RICHARD MASKIN died at age 74.

Phil Horowitz, Howard Waxer and Mark Voight at a 2017 event Dr. Allen Silbergleit

Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame bowler PHIL HOROWITZ died at age 82.

Prominent physician and WSU professor DR. ALLEN SILBERGLEIT died at age 92.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Supreme Court Justice RUTH BADER GINSBURG died at age 87.

Pinhas Barak

Prominent University of Michigan professor of engineering PINHAS BARAK passed away at age 86.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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OUR COMMUNITY

NOVEMBER

PHOTO BY OLIVER MORRIS/GETTY IMAGES

DECEMBER

Stephen Sondheim, songwriter/lyricist, listening to music in the recording control room during the original cast recording of the Broadway musical Into The Woods, New York, 1987

Zoltan Rubin

Holocaust survivor and local businessman ZOLTAN “ZOLI” RUBIN died at age 103½.

Theater legend STEVEN SONDHEIM died at age 91.

Mynie Milgrom

Michael Greenspan

MICHAEL GREENSPAN, who popularized indoor tennis in Detroit, died at age 89.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

Local businessman and Jewish community supporter MYRON L. “MYNIE” MILGROM died at age 94.

David Magidson

DAVID MAGIDSON, artistic director of the Jewish Ensemble Theater and the founder/creator of the Lenore Marwil JCC Jewish Film Festival, died at age 80.

are here to offer family caregivers support, comfo

Join us for our four-part series held virtua

Caregiving Panel Help for Moderated time

by Lynn Breuer, (Care)giving and Taking: Making forJFSyou featuring Becky Eizen, JFS

A four-part series to educate, empower, and connect caregivers Barbra Giles,family JSL Norman E. Richards, Esq. JFS/JSL offers joint caregiver Robin Hamilton-Morris, Taking care of abeginning loved one caninbeJanuary. difficult. So can ensuring that your own needs areAAA being1-Bmet during series January 13 this challenging time. It’s easy to feel isolated but Jewish Family Service and Jewish Senior Life DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER are here to offer family caregivers support, comfort and a sense of community.

J

ewish Family Service (JFS) of Metro Detroit and Jewish Senior Life (JSL) are teaming up for a new four-part family caregiver series.

The name of the program is (Care)giving and Taking: Making Time for You, a fourpart series to educate, empower and connect family caregivers.

Taking place over Zoom, the series will run the second Thursday of every month at 2 p.m. Jan. 13, Feb. 10, March 10 and April 14.

The kickoff event on Jan. 13 is a panel with five speakers, Lynn Breuer and Becky Eizen from JFS, Barbara Giles from JSL, estate planning attorney Norman E. Richards and caregiver resource specialist Robin Hamilton-Morris, touching on their areas of expertise including caregiving, senior housing options, connecting with resources and estate planning.

The guest on Feb. 10 is Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg from Kids Kicking Cancer, focusing on self-care tactics with a program called Breath Brake, leading the group through an exercise.

On March 10, the guest is Rabbi Laura Geller, author of Getting Good at Getting Older, who will be focusing on the caregiving aspect.

The guest on April 14 is Dr. Micky Golden Moore for “It’s

Okay Not to Be Okay,” focusing

Join us for ouron the four-part uniqueness ofseries how we held virtually on Thursdays at 2pm: experience grief and loss.

After those four months, program organizers Missy Lewin of JFS and Tracey Proghovnick of JSL will conduct a follow-up survey to assess what else the population might need.

“As sister agencies, we partner regularly, and we thought working together we could really reach a large audience,” Proghovnick says. “Having this support, knowing there are resources out there and having really great speakers lined up to encourage, support, validate and connect is something we’re thrilled to be able to do.”

Even while being exacerbated by COVID, Lewin believes the need for support for family caregivers has always been there.

“I think some of us become caregivers and have never been a caregiver before,” Lewin says.

“And we don’t have those tools in our back pocket to be able to manage the caregiving piece and to be able to manage ourselves as well and make sure we can balance both lives.”

There will also be a focus on those who have experienced trauma, how to care for those who may have experienced it and for the family caregiver who may have experienced it.

Caregiving Panel

Moderated by Lynn Breuer, JFS featuring Becky Eizen, JFS Barbra Giles, JSL Norman E. Richards, Esq. Robin Hamilton-Morris, AAA 1-B

January 13

Taking Care of the Caregivers Author Rabbi Laura Geller

March 10

Take a of Taking Care Breath Brake the Caregivers

with Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg Author Rabbi Laura Geller

February 10 March 10

“We know, during COVID, everyone’s experienced some type of trauma, so that’s not just specific populations anymore; it’s everyone,” Lewin says.

Those attending the series don’t have to be Jewish, everyone is welcome, and it’s free.

Lewin and Proghovnick hope the series provides tools and resources to help people move forward in their family caregiver roles, and to let them know they’re not alone.

“There’s something about when you know you’re not

alone, there’s comfort in that,”

To learn more or register visit jf Lewin to says. “So it’s about how we can make sure we’re bringing that to people because being a family caregiver is one of the hardest places to be in, and sometimes we don’t sign up for that.”

The program was made possible through grant funds from the Jewish Federations of North America Center on Aging and Trauma.

Questions? Contact 248.592.2313

It’s Okay Not to Be Okay Dr. Micky Golden Moore

AprilTo 14 sign up and/or learn more, visit www.jfsdetroit.org/caregiver.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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OUR COMMUNITY

Laurie Glass, Nikki and Lindsay Ishiba, and Dana Cooper

COURTESY OF THE ISHBIAS

House Hunters

Local twin sisters are featured on HGTV. STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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indsay and Nikki Ishbia, 24-yearold twins, have lived together since their childhood home in West Bloomfield and shared dorm and apartment space together all through their college years and beyond. So, when the lease on their last rental apartment was up, the sisters decided buying a home together was the next logical step.

Though they are identical, the sisters have very different views on what they want in a home. While Lindsay, a marketing analyst, wants new modern construction and close proximity to downtown Royal Oak where she can walk to restaurants, shops and nightclubs, Nikki is more of a homebody who prefers nights in surrounded by the charming features of an older home, such as arched doorways and

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fireplaces.

One thing they have in common is their love for HGTV’s House Hunters.

“If there are over 2,000 episodes of House Hunters, we joke that we’ve probably watched half of them,” Nikki said.

“So, when we were starting to look for a house, we said, how can we go through this process without being on House Hunters? We’d be letting ourselves down if we didn’t.”

So, after filling out an application, it was not long before they began their house hunt last May in the Royal Oak/ Berkley area with a film crew in pursuit.

The Ishbias, together with their realtor Dana Cooper of Max Broock, hosted a watch episode when the episode first aired on Dec. 2. The episode is now

available on demand. You can watch the Ishbias check out listings in Royal Oak and Berkeley, shown by Cooper, as they lovingly tease each other and squabble over who gets the biggest bedroom as only sisters can do.

“We’ve always been very responsible with our money and finances,” said Nikki, who is an accountant. “When our lease was up, we decided that buying a home would just be a really good investment for both of us. When we decided to buy together, the first question people would ask was, ‘What if one of you moves away, or what if one of you gets married someday, who keeps the house?’”

Lindsay, a social media and marketing analyst. was quick to explain.

“Obviously, we are still young, and eventually we are going to get married and move on. We want to live here for a few years and then eventually rent it out. It’s not like we are planning to live here for the next 70 years. When the time comes and one of us marries or wants to move, we’ll figure it out.”

Lindsay said when they conducted their house search in May, there was a tight inventory. But she added that they “lucked out” and had the winning bid on the first house they tried to purchase at a competitive price point.

They both agreed that it was a bit strange having a camera crew follow them around on their house hunt. But the experience and the direction they got from the producers helped them focus on what they were looking for in a home, how their tastes were similar and where they contrasted.

Nikki didn’t mind being further off the beaten path and was drawn to the charm of older homes that may need some TLC after move-in day. Lindsay wanted to find a modern, open layout as close to new construction as possible within walking distance to Royal Oak’s shops, restaurants and bars. They did manage to compromise on a Royal Oak home they’ve lived in since July. Since then, they’ve enjoyed decorating and hosting friends for backyard barbecues and most recently, a “Friendsgiving” feast.

faces&places

Eighth Crazy Night of Chanukah

Brandon Epstein, Joan Chernoff Epstein, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Joyce Weingarten

Rabbi Aaron Bergman of Adat Shalom Synagogue led the crowd in song.

RON LIEBERMAN

Tamarack Camps, a community partner in the event, provided the hot chocolate.

The Monson family of Novi

SUSIE STEINBERG

JODI GROSS

RON LIEBERMAN

Jordan Tepman of West Bloomfield and Savannah Sommers of Farmington Hills

RON LIEBERMAN

One of two big menorahs lit in celebration of Chanukah JODI GROSS

Dancing to the music of DJ Phreddy

RON LIEBERMAN

on hand to meet, greet and take pictures. Toys were collected by Bottomless Toy Chest, a nonprofit organization devoted to delivering empowering toys, craft projects and interactive activities to hospitalized pediatric oncology patients.

It was a great event, the first of what we plan to be an annual tradition. We hope to see you next year!

Partners: Adat Shalom Synagogue, Adat Shalom Men’s Club, Sisterhood of Adat Shalom, Tamarack Camps, Camp Ramah, Congregation Beth Ahm, Congregation Beth Shalom, Congregation B’nai Moshe, Congregation B’nai Israel, Camp Young Judaea Midwest, Hillel Day School of Metro Detroit, Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, JCC Day Camp, MCUSY, Willoway Day Camp, Frankel Jewish Academy and other community organizations.

RON LIEBERMAN

The community came together at Adat Shalom Synagogue on Sunday, Dec. 5, for an outdoor Chanukah celebration. Despite the cold, pouring rain, more than 110 cars enthusiastically pulled into the parking lot. Pizzas and donuts were delivered to cars while an exciting fire performance by Detroit Circus and the music of DJ Phreddy were enjoyed by all. Everyone then gathered to dance and sing as Hazzan Daniel Gross, Rabbi Dan Horwitz, Howie Lupovitch, Rebecca Tron and Gavri Yares entertained with festive Chanukah songs. Event chair Jaron Friedman shared, “This event was the perfect thing that people needed coming together as a Jewish community to shine light in a time of darkness and uncertainty.”

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined representatives from each of the partner synagogues in lighting the big menorah and then was

Hazzan Dan Gross and Rabbi Aaron Bergman of Adat Shalom Synagogue is Farmington Hills on stage, in the rain, having a great time.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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faces&places

Wine and Cheese in Windsor On Dec. 9, the Windsor Jewish Community Center held a wine and cheese event co-hosted by Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh, executive director of The Well, and Rabbi Mike Nasielski, the Windsor JCC’s senior Jewish educator. Local sommelier Michelle Turnbull guided

attendees through a sensory journey of wines produced

by Tzafona Cellars, Ontario’s only kosher winery, which were paired with gourmet kosher cheeses. The evening was very well attended, with many enthusiastically asking, “When are we doing this again?”

Guests listening attentively during speeches by Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh and Michelle Turnbull.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WINDSOR JCC

Rabbi Mike Nasielski, Michelle Turnbull and Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh share a laugh during their presentation.

Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh speaking at Windsor JCC wine and cheese event.

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Local sommelier and WJCC staff member Michelle Turnbull, center, discusses Tzafona Cellars unique wines while Rabbi Mike Nasielski, left, pours some for the guests.

Windsor JCC members enjoy wine tastings with cheese pairings.

JCRC/AJC Hosts Media In mid-November, the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee (JCRC/AJC) had the opportunity to host its annual Media Luncheon after one year off due to the pandemic. During the program, which took place at the Detroit Athletic Club, several dozen members of Metro Detroit’s print, broadcast and online news outlets heard from the executive directors of Michigan’s Hillels as they

described Jewish life on their campuses, as well as what the students are experiencing.

University of Michigan Hillel’s Tilly Shemer, Metro Detroit Hillel’s Miriam Starkman and Michigan State University and Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan’s Cindy Hughey each discussed their different perspectives, making local media aware of both the successes and difficulties students have been faced with over the last several years.

COURTESY OF JCRC/AJC

From WDIV-TV: Devin Scillian, Ro Coppola, Kim Voet-Potter, Bob Ellis and Jason Laverty.

Attendees hear from panelists.

JCRC/AJC President Seth Gould, Cindy Hughey, Miriam Starkman, Tilly Shemer and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit CEO Steven Ingber

Hillel to Honor Bobby and Nancy Schostak

H

illel Day School announced its 2022 Dream Maker and Rabbi Jacob E. Segal(z’l) Honorees, Nancy and Robert “Bobby” Schostak, in celebration of their more than 50 years of commitment to the school.

Bobby, an alum and past president of Hillel, and Nancy, a past Hillel student-teacher and avid volunteer, are the parents of three Hillel alumni, Michael, Jodi and Jeffrey, and the grandparents of five current Hillel students (soon to be six) and four grandchildren who attend Jewish day school in Minneapolis.

The Schostak Hillel legacy dates back to 1965, when a young Bobby began third grade, and has continued for every decade since Bobby’s graduation in 1971.

The school has Bobby to thank for its central location that attracts families from almost every corner of Oakland County; families from Detroit, Ann Arbor and Windsor even make the commute. Bobby, an astute strategic thinker and masterful fundraiser, brought these skills to the table when he was president of the Hillel Board of Trustees.

During his leadership, Bobby led a historic $13 million capital campaign to expand and renovate Hillel’s current facility, all within the Shostak Family Campus.

The couple, along with the entire Schostak fam-

Bobby and Nancy Schostak

ily, are exemplary role models for their enthusiastic support of Hillel, the larger community, education, Israel and Oakland University, where Bobby is currently the chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The Schostak Family Foundation Endowed Fund supports Judaic Studies at OU and its medical school with scholarships. Together, the couple’s impact can also be felt at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

The Gala will take place on Monday, May 2, 2022, at the school. For more information and sponsorship opportunities, contact Amy Schlussel at (248) 539-1484. To inquire about gala tickets and journal opportunities, contact Marni Cherrin at (248) 539-2920.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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COURTESY OF HUNTER PASTEUR

BUSINESS

West Bloomfield’s Gramercy Ridge Now Open Families began moving in this month.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

G

ramercy Ridge, a multifamily housing development composed of 52 ranch-style condominiums, spanning roughly 11 acres in the heart of West Bloomfield, is open for business with its first homeowners moving in the week of Dec. 13.

The development is located at the corner of 14 Mile Road and Middlebelt Road at the location of the former Eagle Elementary School, which was vacant for years.

Development for the project began in Spring 2020 and vertical construction began Fall 2020.

The project is actively under construction with 25 residences currently being built, with more in the queue.

Project completion is set for 2023.

The condos at Gramercy Ridge are available in two, three and four-bedroom models, as well as loft-style plans and customizable options for ranch-styles,

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second floors and finished basements.

Floor plans offer the option of a firstfloor owner’s suite.

The square footage of the condos ranges from 1,455-2,375 square feet.

Condo units are attached. Pricing ranges from $508K to $622K. Farmington Hills-based Hunter Pasteur is the master developer. Founded in 1999, Hunter Pasteur is one of the largest home builders and residential developers in Southeast Michigan, developing more than 1,500 homes, condos and properties across Metro Detroit.

The interior design of the model was completed by Jackie Schwartz of Home Interior Warehouse.

The three principal owners, Seth Herkowitz, Randy Wertheimer and Howard Gitler, are all Jewish and grew up in the West Bloomfield area.

What sets Gramercy Ridge apart, according to Herkowitz, is how it caters to a large cross-section of the population,

from move-down buyers looking to move on from their single-family home that they raised their family in, all the way to younger buyers, with this possibly being their first home purchase.

“We really run an entire spectrum in terms of those interested in being at Gramercy Ridge,” Herkowitz says.

“Because we know we have a diversity in our buyer base, we wanted to create flexibility in terms of the structural design of the units. Whatever your living needs are, we can tailor a design of our unit to meet how you want to live your life.”

Amenities and features include highend interior finishes, customizable fixtures, stepped ceilings in foyers and great rooms, ceramic tile in full bathrooms and laundry room, wide plank hardwood flooring in foyer, hallway, kitchen, dining, great and powder rooms, granite or quartz countertops in all bathrooms, two-car garage (front or side per plan), oversized kitchen island with overhang and stainless-steel appliances.

Hunter Pasteur provides a sales representative to personally walk buyers through the process of finding their dream home. The Gramercy Ridge sales center includes a design center, where buyers can visualize and select custom finishes and fixtures for a personalized touch.

Those interested in tours and related enquiries can call (248) 305-7100 or email info@hunterpasteurhomes.com.

For more information on Gramercy Ridge, visit: www. livegramercyridge.com.

BUSINESS

Ready to Shop?

Luxury retailer Xhibition opens location in Downtown Detroit.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

The interior of the Xhibition luxury retail store featuring apparel for men and women in Downtown Detroit

L

uxury retailer Xhibition has expanded its business to Downtown Detroit’s Capital Park neighborhood in the historic Farwell Building, 1251 Griswold St. The 4,000-square-foot store will feature women’s and men’s apparel, footwear and home goods.

This is Xhibition’s third brick-and-mortar location, with its first in Cleveland and second in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

Since the first store opened in 2014, Xhibition has made a concerted effort to be at the front of the latest trends with the most culturally relevant brands, cult labels and premier designers as a go-to destination for fashion.

“Xhibition was a concept born to address the elevated street market that was emerging, to create a more intimate, boutique-y environment for our consumers and to offer them product that was really hard to find,” says Robert Rosenthal, Xhibition co-founder and owner. “It’s a very tight curated assortment of products from vendors all over the world.”

The brand selection uniquely showcases the intersection between streetwear, sportswear and luxury and includes notable brands such as Adidas, Air Jordan, Eckhaus Latta, Ganni, Nike, Human Made, Off-White, Rhude, Stone Island, Stüssy, Visvim and more.

Rosenthal believes businesses that build relationships and support community initiatives will thrive in the future.

Xhibition engages with its community through its philanthropic initiative, X COMMUNITY WORKS. This platform entails the curation of in-store events, business partnerships, educational workshops, association with local institutions and selected charitable causes.

Plans are already underway to launch X COMMUNITY WORKS in Detroit, where the hope is to contribute to the success and prosperity of the city.

“The community aspect of our business is really important to us,” Rosenthal says.

“And X COMMUNITY WORKS is the arm of our business that really supports the underserved in the community.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF XHIBITION

Rosenthal says choosing Detroit as Xhibition’s new location was easy.

“Detroit felt very familiar to us. We’re Midwesterners, and I think Detroit and Cleveland share a lot of very similar attributes,” Rosenthal says. “We’ve wanted to have a store in Detroit, and I can tell you that Detroit to me is the happiest city I’ve ever been in. We’ve been so warmly received by the community; it really feels like there’s an incredible energy and a spirit that people want to see Downtown be successful.

“I travel a lot, and I feel an energy in Downtown Detroit that I don’t feel in other cities right now,” he added. “It feels comfortable for us. We are thrilled to be here, and we really plan on digging deep roots in the Detroit marketplace. We couldn’t be more excited.”

Rosenthal, who is Jewish, takes pride in bringing his brand to Detroit.

“I’m very proud of my Jewish heritage,” he says. “I think a lot of the things I’ve learned, Jewish values, we try to bring into our business on a daily basis.”

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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SPORTS

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Bulls Charge Through the Pandemic Ex-Michigan star is the coach for founder Mark Schwartz’s travel basketball organization.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER MARK SCHWARTZ

ark Schwartz spotted a need in the Oakland County youth sports scene, and he did something about it.

He’s continued to do it, powering through a pandemic that shut down his idea for several months and continues to cause headaches.

Schwartz is the founder and general manager of the 2-yearold Bloomfield Bulls boys basketball travel program.

The Bloomfield Hills resident is proud of what the Bulls have done in their infancy.

“I’m very happy with how everything has gone so far,” he said. “I feel we’re one of the bestkept secrets around here in travel basketball.”

Schwartz has been a travel baseball coach for several years.

He decided to put his expertise in that area to work and form a travel basketball organization.

“There aren’t a lot of options for young guys in the Oakland County area to play high-level, competitive basketball,” he said.

“My goal in forming the Bulls was to put together a travel basketball organization that had good coaching and good communication with the families.”

The Bulls have two sixth-grade teams and hope to have two eighth-grade teams playing this winter in the Big Cat Basketball of Michigan league, and in tournaments.

It’s the most teams they’ve put on the floor in a season.

Schwartz feels one of the Bulls’ biggest assets is their coach. He’s 36-year-old former University of Michigan basketball star and ex-professional basketball player Dion Harris.

“I wanted to put a team in the Big Cat league in fall 2019, so I conducted a national search for a coach,” Schwartz said.

Job interviews were done in the late summer. Schwartz said he knew he had his guy when he spoke with Harris.

From left are Bloomfield Bulls founder and general manager Mark Schwartz, coach Dion Harris and assistant coach Tony Davis.

“Hiring Dion as our coach was a slam dunk,” Schwartz said. “It’s funny ... I didn’t realize it was THAT Dion Harris I was interviewing, the guy I watched play at U-M, until I was doing my interview with him.

“Dion is one of the kindest, most humble people I’ve met through sports. He’s been great with the kids. Besides being a very knowledgeable coach, he’s had countless conversations with the kids about what it’s like to be a student-athlete.”

A 6-foot-3 guard, Harris was the 2003 Mr. Basketball in the state when he was a senior at Detroit Redford High School.

He was the first Public School League player to win the prestigious award since 1995.

He also made the Parade AllAmerica second team in 2003.

His four-year U-M career was

equally as outstanding.

He played in 131 career games for the Wolverines (No. 6 alltime), starting 97, and he scored 1,599 career points (No. 13 alltime). His 398 career assists are No. 8 all-time and 135 steals are No. 9 all-time.

The Bulls started modestly, with a 13U team in spring 2019 that won its division championship in the Kenny Goldman Basketball League at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield.

The team was coached by then-Birmingham Groves High School basketball player Grant Blau.

“That team in the Kenny Goldman league gave us our footing. Then we took the summer off,” Schwartz said.

The Bulls had an eighth-grade team in the Big Cat league in fall

2019 and winter 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 and shut down the league “when our team was showing great improvement,” Schwartz said.

A year later, when league play resumed, the Bulls had a seventh-grade team in a short Big Cat winter season and the spring season. Each team tied for its division title.

This past summer, the Bulls offered basketball training for grades 5-10 at the Beverly Hills Academy, the Bulls’ home base.

Schwartz hired assistant coaches before the fall season: Tony Davis and Fred WrightJones.

Wright-Jones has taken a high school coaching job, Schwartz said, so another assistant coach is being sought for the Bulls.

The Bulls had two eighthgrade teams and a grades 9-10 junior varsity team in the Big Cat fall league.

Big Cat league games are played at South Lyon and South Lyon East high schools, and Novi High School and Novi Middle School.

So who is Mark Schwartz outside of basketball?

He’s a clinical psychologist who works with pre-teens through senior citizens but mainly with patients ages 10-25 on an outpatient basis at his office in downtown Birmingham.

His sons Benjamin, 15, and Jonathan, 13, each has played for the Bulls.

Benjamin, a sophomore at Frankel Jewish Academy, is on the boys basketball team there.

Jonathan, an eighth-grader at Detroit Country Day, also is on his school team.

Schwartz and his wife, Rachel Kukes Schwartz, also have a daughter Julia, 11, a fifth-grader at Country Day. Interested in more information about the Bulls? Send an email to info@bloomfieldbulls.com or go to the organization’s website, www.bloomfieldbulls.com.

ERETZ Esther Asia wth her husband, Mesganaw, and three children, Matan, Yehunatan and daughter Shirel

The Sigd Holiday ESTHER ASIA SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

S

igd is an important holiday within the Ethiopian Jewish community.

It celebrates the dedication of renewing the alliance between God and the people. Back in Ethiopia, it was a fasting day where the Jews would climb the highest mountain, pray all day long, then come down and celebrate with lots of food, dancing and joy.

In Israel, the main Sigd celebration takes place in the Armon Hanatziv

neighborhood in Jerusalem. All Ethiopian-Israelis (called the Beta Israel community) go to Jerusalem to pray together with the Kessim (religious leaders). In recent years, the holiday has become more widely celebrated, introducing the holiday and the entire culture of Ethiopian Jewry to the community at large. This helps Ethiopian children relate more to their traditions and empowers them to connect with their

roots and their identity.

For several years now, my family and I have been participating in celebrating the holiday in schools. My children help me to prepare traditional foods, which we bring to the school, and then I tell my personal aliyah story.

My kids tell me how empowered they feel during this time, and how introducing their culture and tradition to their friends makes them feel part of the group and not different from everyone else.

In addition, our house is always open, enabling contact with people from the broader community. My older sons take part in the Partnership2Gether Teen Leadership Program, where they get to meet peers from various places and communities and broaden their horizons; from here, the sky is the limit. As a mother, I am happy to see my children being exposed to other traditions and enjoy cultural diversity, into which they can bring their own tradition while connecting with others.

Sigd, also known as Mehlella and Amata Saww, is one of the unique holidays of the Beta Israel community and is celebrated on the 29th of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan (Nov. 4, 2021). Since 2008, it has been an official Israeli state holiday. The author, Esther Asia, lives in Federation’s Partnership2Gether region in Israel’s Central Galilee. Her sons are alumni of the Partnership’s Israeli Camper and Teen Leadership Programs. From myjewishdetroit.com.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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MAZEL TOV! Jewish Women’s Foundation Announces Grants

Stettner 50th

S

ue and Dan Stettner of Huntington Woods, were married 50 years on Dec, 26, 2021. This monumental anniversary and marriage are filled with many blessings. They will postpone their celebration until summer of 2022 on a very special family vacation with their children, their spouses and grandchildren.

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

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

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

N. PETER ANTONE

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

CANTOR SAMUEL

GREENBAUM — Certified Mohel —

Skill, Sensitivity and Tradition come together to create your special Bris.

JUSTIN D. CASAGRANDE

31555 W. 14 Mile Rd., Ste 100 • Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Ph: 248-406-4100 Fax: 248-406-4101

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Associate Chair.

Since 2000, the JWF has awarded more than $4 million in grants and special allocations for projects in Michigan and Israel. The JWF empowers women as leaders, advocates and philanthropists.

Those receiving grants were: • Ahavas Chessed Bikur Cholim: $15,000 for a maternal wellness initiative to support Orthodox women through the peripartum period.

• Flint Jewish Federation: $11,800 to address the traumatic impact of COVID-19 on isolated older adults.

• Hebrew Free Loan Association: $5,000 for 2021-2022 HFL In-VitroFertility-Adoption Loan marketing and outreach.

• Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue: $20,000 to create an inclusive space focused on Jewish children and families in the city of Detroit.

• Jewish Family Service: $20,000 to address eating disorders within the Jewish community.

Answering all of your anesthetic & aftercare needs.

www.antone.com or email at law@antone.com

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The Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metro Detroit has completed funding for 2021, awarding more than $70,000 in new grants.

The grants were designed to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women, with special consideration given to programs that increased women’s economic security, improved mental well-being, or specifically addressed the needs of underserved and/or vulnerable communities.

“Women in all stages of life have been impacted by the pandemic, and our 2021 grants address that directly,” said Debra Singer, JWF Chair.

Through collective philanthropy, JWF Trustees work together to manage their endowment and provide funding that enhances the lives of Jewish women and girls.

“Our trustees are actively engaged in all stages of the grantmaking process, from reviewing proposals to leading site visits to voting on the grant awards and allocations,” said Mara Moss, JWF

(248) 417-5632 855ABoy@gmail.com Office: (248) 547-7970

SPIRIT

TORAH PORTION

Overcoming Shortness Of Spirit

I

n the words of Thomas Edison, “I haven’t failed; I have found 10,000 ways it will not work.”

Failure is often a necessary outcome toward success, not something that should be feared. Sometimes a leap of faith and action is required, and that is something that is beyond the Israelites in this week’s parsha.

When Moshe presents God’s message to the Israelites, they do not listen to him because they are being kotzer ruach, or “short-spirited” due to their reality of cruel, daily bondange.

Moshe and God are unproven quantities to the Israelites, who in their despair are incapable of mustering the basic level of fortitude required to have hope.

Their shortness of spirit also infects Moshe even though

choices have a tremendous and he has seen evidence of God’s meaningful influence on our power with his own eyes. He own experiences of reality. questions God regarding not In some cases, this is a delibeven having the buy-in of his erate behavior to avoid own people; why should disappointment when Pharaoh listen to him? someone feels that their The people’s lives do not work will not be “good meaningfully improve, enough;” they choose and it is telling that we to effectively sabotage see evidence of members Rabbi their own work rather of Pharaoh’s court showJeremy than face the potential ing respect and fear of Yoskowitz for disappointment from God before the plague Parshat their work not earning the of hail before we see Vayera: praise they feel entitled evidence of the Israelites Exodus 6:2- to. The reasoning of “if I being able to accept 9:35; Ezekiel haven’t really tried, then I Moshe and God. 28:25-29:21. haven’t really failed” can Self-defeating be compelling. behaviors are not new.

Failure is a learning experiWhether it’s a student waiting ence in which we can grow in until the last minute to begin ways that are meaningful and a major project or a profesnecessary, if not necessarily the sional waiting until the day of way we want or had hoped. Not a presentation to prepare, our

trying does not guarantee failure, but rather stagnation and paralysis.

Let us meet exhaustion with compassionate care and kindness, so that it doesn’t reach the place our ancestors were in of being kotzer ruach.

Let us always reach out with compassion to meet people where they are, accepting that even if they’re not in a place to fully partner with us, we will continue to do the work that needs to be done. Let us never fear failure, but embrace the learning and growth that come from always putting in our best work.

Rabbi Jeremy Yoskowitz is a Jewish Studies instructor at Frankel Jewish Academy as well as a chaplain and ethics consultant for Beaumont Health.

A Happier New Year.

This year, resolve to live your best retirement life by treating yourself or your loved ones to all-inclusive independent retirement living!

Information Seminars Discover the benefits of all-inclusive living. Attend a brief presentation and be our guest for a fabulous meal at:

Zerbo’s Market & Bistro

3000 E West Maple Rd.  Commerce Township, MI 48390

Tuesday, January 11 Lunch & Learn: 11:30 a.m.

Dine & Discover: 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, January 12 Lunch & Learn: 11:30 a.m.

Rolling Hills Seating is limited. RSVP today:

248-716-1887

3300 Crumb Road  Commerce Township, MI 48390 RollingHillsRetirement.com DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

A

t first, Moses’ mission seemed to be successful. He had feared the people would not believe in him, but God had given him signs to perform and his brother Aaron to speak on his behalf. Moses “performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.” (Ex. 4:30-31) But then things start to go wrong and continue Rabbi Lord Jonathan going wrong. Moses’ first Sacks appearance before Pharaoh is disastrous. Pharaoh refuses to recognize God and he rejects Moses’ request to let the people travel into the wilderness. Then he makes life worse for the Israelites. They must still make the same quota of bricks, but now they must also gather their own straw. The people turn against Moses and Aaron: “May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us obnoxious to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” (Ex. 5:21) Moses and Aaron return to Pharaoh to renew their request. They perform a miraculous act — they turn a staff into a snake — but Pharaoh is unimpressed.

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

Overcoming Setbacks

His own magicians can do likewise. Next they bring the first of the 10 Plagues, but again Pharaoh is unmoved. He will not let the Israelites go. And so it goes on, nine times. Moses does everything in his power to make Pharaoh relent and finds that nothing makes a difference. The Israelites are still slaves.

We sense the pressure Moses is under.

After his first setback at the end of last week’s parshah, he had turned to God and bitterly asked: “Why, Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Is this why You sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all.” (Ex. 5:22-23) In this week’s parshah of Vaera, even when God reassures him that he will eventually succeed, he replies, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?” (Ex. 6:12).

DEALING WITH FAILURE There is an enduring message here.

Leadership, even of the very highest order, is often marked by failure. The first Impressionists had to arrange their own art exhibition because their work was rejected by the established Paris salons.

The first performance of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring caused a riot, with the audience booing throughout. Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime, despite the fact that his brother, Theo, was an art dealer.

So it is with leaders. Lincoln faced countless setbacks during the Civil War. He was a deeply divisive figure, hated by many in his lifetime. Gandhi failed in his dream of uniting Muslims and Hindus together in a single nation.

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison, accused of treason and regarded as a violent agitator. Winston Churchill was regarded as a spent force in politics by the 1930s and, even after his heroic leadership during the Second World War, he was voted out of office at the first general election once the war was over.

Only in retrospect do heroes seem heroic and the many setbacks they faced reveal themselves as stepping stones on the road to victory.

In our discussion of parshah Vayetse, we saw that in every field — high or low, sacred or secular — leaders are tested not by their successes but by their failures.

It can sometimes be easy to succeed.

The conditions may be favorable. The economic, political or personal climate is good. When there is an economic

boom, most businesses flourish. In the first months after a general election, the successful leader carries with him or her the charisma of victory. In the first year, most marriages are happy. It takes no special skill to succeed in good times.

But then the climate changes.

Eventually it always does. That is when many businesses, and politicians, and marriages fail. There are times when even the greatest people stumble. At such moments, character is tested. The great human beings are not those who never fail. They are those who survive failure, who keep on going, who refuse to be defeated, who never give up or give in.

They keep trying. They learn from every mistake. They treat failure as a learning experience. And from every refusal to be defeated, they become stronger, wiser and more determined. That is the story of Moses’ life in both parshah Shemot and parshah Vaera.

GREAT LEADERS Jim Collins, one of the great writers on leadership, puts it well: “The signature of the truly great versus the merely successful is not the absence of difficulty, but the ability to come back from setbacks, even cataclysmic catastrophes, stronger than before … The path out of darkness begins with those exasperatingly persistent individuals who are constitutionally incapable of capitulation.

It’s one thing to suffer a staggering defeat … and entirely another to give up on the values and aspirations that make the protracted struggle worthwhile. Failure is not so much a physical state as a state of mind; success is falling down and getting up one more time, without end.”

Rabbi Yitzhak Hutner once wrote a powerful letter to a disciple who had become discouraged by his repeated failure to master Talmudic learning: “A failing many of us suffer is that when we focus on the high attainments of great people, we discuss how they are complete in this or that area, while omitting mention of the inner struggles that had previously raged within them.

A listener would get the impression that these individuals sprang from the hand

DEFEATS, DELAYS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS HURT. THEY HURT EVEN FOR MOSES. SO IF THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE, TOO, FEEL DISCOURAGED AND DEMORALIZED, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT EVEN THE GREATEST PEOPLE FAILED. WHAT MADE THEM GREAT IS THAT THEY KEPT GOING. THE ROAD TO SUCCESS PASSES THROUGH MANY VALLEYS OF FAILURE. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY. — RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS

of their creator in a state of perfection … The result of this feeling is that when an ambitious young man of spirit and enthusiasm meets obstacles, falls and slumps, he imagines himself as unworthy of being ‘planted in the house of God’ (Ps. 92:13) … Know, however, my dear friend, that your soul is rooted not in the tranquility of the good inclination, but in the battle of the good inclination … The English expression, ‘Lose a battle and win the war,’ applies. Certainly you have stumbled and will stumble again, and in many battles you will fall lame. I promise you, though, that after those losing campaigns you will emerge from the war with laurels of victory on your head … The wisest of men said, ‘A righteous man falls seven times, but rises again.’ (Proverbs 24:16) Fools believe the intent of the verse is to teach us that the righteous man falls seven times and, despite this, he rises. But the knowledgeable are aware that the essence of the righteous man’s rising again is because of his seven falls.”

Rabbi Hutner’s point is that greatness cannot be achieved without failure. There are heights you cannot climb without first having fallen.

For many years, I kept on my desk a quote from Calvin Coolidge, sent by a friend who knew how easy it is to be discouraged. It said: “Nothing in this

world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not: Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.

Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: The world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

I would only add, “And seyata diShmaya, the help of Heaven.” God never loses faith in us, even if we sometimes lose faith in ourselves.

The supreme role model is Moses, who, despite all the setbacks chronicled in last week’s parshah and this week’s, eventually became the man of whom it was said that he was “120 years old when he died, yet his eyes were undimmed and his energy unabated.” (Deut. 34:7) Defeats, delays and disappointments hurt. They hurt even for Moses. So if there are times when we, too, feel discouraged and demoralized, it is important to remember that even the greatest people failed. What made them great is that they kept going. The road to success passes through many valleys of failure. There is no other way.

The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks was chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, 1991-2013. His teachings are available at rabbisacks.org. This essay was written on Jan. 11, 2021.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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SPIRIT

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

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

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

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

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

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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ARTS&LIFE

Actors Sara Sheperd, Sara King, Ryan Farnsworth and James D. Gish.

THEATER

Not So Far Away JOAN MARCUS

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical comes to the Fisher Theatre.

JULIE SMITH YOLLES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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showbiz Jew,” Blake laughed.

A ‘JEWISH SUCCESS STORY’ That was more than 60 years ago. Since then, Blake was the executive producer of the St. Louis Muny for 22 seasons where he produced and/or directed more than 150 shows. He left the Muny in 2011 to begin development of the new musical, Beautiful, based on the early life and career of singer/songwriter Carole King. King changed her name from Carol Joan Klein in high school. She’s written more than 118 pop hits on Billboard’s Hot 100.

“Carole grew up in Queens at the same time that I was growing continued on page 49

The Drifters: Torrey Linder, Edwin Bates, Isaiah Bailey and Ben Toomer.

JOAN MARCUS

G

rowing up in the Bronx, Paul Blake had never experienced antisemitism. His classmates in high school and City College of New York were all Jewish.

“I never thought about it,” said Blake, who started out as an actor and is now a prolific Broadway producer bringing Beautiful — The Carole King Musical to the Fisher Theatre Jan. 4-9, 2022.

Like all struggling actors, he’d go on countless auditions and look for ways to make supplemental income.

“I was a character actor with a very heavy New York accent, so there were lots of roles that I couldn’t play,” he said.

As an ironic twist, the self-professed “skinny, short kid” got cast as Santa at a local bank.

“Three days into the job, I got fired because ‘Santa Claus isn’t Jewish,’ the manager told me. I was shocked. I called up the human resources person and said, ‘There’s a woman who is antisemitic working at the bank.’”

Blake worked as an actor for seven years until his girlfriend’s mother encouraged him to take a directing job at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, a Reform synagogue in New York City’s Upper West Side.

“And that was the turning point of my life when I found my real career,” Blake said. “My acting teacher who came to the show said that I could be a director for a living. And the rabbi who saw the show told me, ‘You need to go work at the Catskills and be with our people.’

“Working with all of those people, I became very cognizant of my Jewish background and heritage. I picked up Yiddish and became a

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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ARTS&LIFE

A Visit to Yesteryear

Art exhibit at Prentis showcases 1950s-60s Detroit.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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thought historical pictures decorating the lobby would offer welcoming sights to both occupants and visitors.

Adams provided 17 prints, and Singer paid for the framing through a fund in memory of his son, David Aaron Singer, administered by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Among the images are 1950s-60s renderings of Hudson’s Department Store, Campus Martius Park and the Michigan Central Railroad Depot, where another Adams print, capturing the back of the structure, went up about two months ago.

“I’ve started lots of activities at Prentis, including a weekly movie night, and I thought this display would bring lots of pleasure to our residents who grew up in the city,” said Singer, 80.

“We’re living in a community where youngsters here are in their 60s so when they go into the lobby they can look at the prints and take a nostalgic trip into yesterday. One picture even moves viewers into the suburbs to remember the early cruisers along Woodward.”

Singer, who had his bar mitzvah at what

became Adat Shalom Synagogue, brands his favorite image as showing buildings that had filled the border separating JERRY ZOLYNSKY

P

aul Adams and Harvey Singer were business associates before they became friends. An interest in art has remained at the core of their relationship although that interest has been expressed in different ways.

Adams, drawing since childhood, was hired as a graphic artist while still a senior at Cass Technical High School and went on to create watercolor and print images of Harry legendary spots in the Motor Singer City. Singer, appreciating art and demonstrating sales skills, opened a firm, The Art Department, to market the signature works of diverse artists he admired.

Singer took notice of Adams’ urban renderings displayed at art fairs around the state and accepted responsibility for pitching them to gallery presenters.

After years of work projects, the two have collaborated on a donor project — Singer’s idea. A resident of the Anna and Meyer Prentis Apartments in Oak Park, administered by Jewish Senior Life, Singer

Artist Paul Adams with his print of the old Vernors plant in 1950.

JERRY ZOLYNSKY

Paul Adams with his print of the old J.L. Hudson building in Detroit.

ART

JOAN MARCUS

THEATER

Sara Sheperd as Carole King Print of Downtown Detroit 1951.

Highland Park from Detroit.

“I lived a half-mile from there,” recalled the Prentis resident of almost five years. “It’s nice to look back.”

WORKING TOGETHER Adams and Singer worked together professionally for about 15 years, a time after the digital approach to drawing cars took over the responsibilities that Adams had long enjoyed.

“I’m 81, and I wanted to bring back my childhood through these images,” Adams said. “My parents didn’t have a car when I was a kid, but we went all over the city on buses and streetcars. It was fun bringing back the places we saw.”

When Adams started work, he defined Detroit as the art center for advertising.

“I did brochures and newspaper ads when it was all flat art, but that died in the early ’90s,” Adams said.

“That’s when I started going to outdoor fairs, including the Michigan State Fair and a couple in Birmingham.

“I can’t do art fairs now because it’s too hard. I loved doing them from each May to

late September, meeting the people almost every weekend.

I think I did well because people like reminiscing.”

Adams’ favorite print shows the Vernors’ plant, which was by the waterfront. He recalls stopping there to get a Boston Cooler (ginger ale and vanilla ice cream) when his family was on the way to Boblo Island Amusement Park.

“I put the cars of the times in my pictures,” said Adams, whose work also can be seen in hospitals and Buddy’s Pizza locales as his current renderings focus on railroad projects.

“I always loved trains, and they have a lot of train shows,” he said. “I work according to the mood I’m in — from two hours a day to all day.”

In November, Prentis Apartments had a reception honoring Adams and Singer.

“Everybody here seems thrilled with the display, and I hear a lot of stories from those who used to go cruising down Woodward,” Singer said. “A lot of the buildings that are shown along Woodward are gone, but the White Castle is still there. I like being reminded of those other buildings.”

continued from page 46

up in the Bronx,” said Blake who, at age 80, is one year older than King. “The entire world of Beautiful — The Carole King Musical is all about Jewish kids growing up and making their careers in New York City. It’s a Jewish success story.”

And successful it is. The Tony and Grammy Awardwinning Beautiful — The Carole King Musical was the 27th longest-running musical in Broadway history when it closed after nearly six years in October 2019 just before the pandemic.

The touring production was originally scheduled to play at the Fisher Theatre in May 2020 and was rescheduled to Jan. 4-9, 2022. It resumed touring last month in Chicago. Blake said that he’s in talks to bring the show back to Broadway as well as make a film adaptation with Sony Pictures and Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman as co-producers.

“We are thrilled to be com-

ing back to Detroit,” Blake said.

“This is a total Equity production because we insist on the highest standards and want to give the audience the best show that we can.”

The Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) is the performers and stage managers union that protects actors’ rights, provides fair pay, benefits and work environments including strict adherence to safety and COVID protocols.

This North American tour of Beautiful — The Carole King Musical features many of the cast members from the Broadway production. Sara Sheperd, who is Jewish, understudied the role of Carole King on Broadway and takes on the title character in this production.

“Beautiful is filled with music that you grew up with — the soundtrack of your youth, if you’re over 45,” Blake said.

“The audience is going to have a wonderful time.”

Details Beautiful — The Carole King Musical runs Jan. 4-9, 2022, at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. Tickets start at $39 (including facility and parking fees) and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787 or in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office.

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ARTS&LIFE CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

Aaron Sorkin

BY DOMINICK D VIA WIKIPEDIA

I DON’T LOVE AARON SORKIN; ‘HOME GIRL’ HELMS HORROR SERIES; OSCAR BUZZ In 1951, I Love Lucy was the highest-rated show on TV. It co-starred Lucille Ball and her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz, as her TV husband.

On Dec. 22, Amazon Prime began streaming a biopic about the couple, titled Being the Ricardos (the couple’s characters’ last name). It was written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, 60.

The film “crammed” three major crises the real Lucy and Desi faced into one dramatic week in 1951 (Desi’s infidelity; allegations that Lucy was a Communist; and how they would handle Lucy’s reallife pregnancy on TV.) The latter two crises actually happened over three years, and Desi’s infidelity only ended when the couple split in 1960.

Yes, this time frame takes liberties. But it ain’t nothing compared with the way Sorkin depicts Jess Oppenheimer (1913-88), the only real-life Jewish character who is a big character in the film. You would think, from the film, that Oppenheimer was “only” the producer of I Love Lucy. You would never know that he was a top comedy writer before he (1948) was hired by a radio show starring Lucille Ball. Oppenheimer’s funny scripts and character development turned the show into a hit. That radio show led CBS to offer Ball a TV show.

Again, you’d never know, from the film, that Oppenheimer created the premise of I Love Lucy (band leader married to a funny housewife) and he gave the show its name.

Oppenheimer never says anything funny in the film, so you never really “get-it” that he was not “just” the show’s head producer — he was the show’s head comedy writer, and he co-wrote all the scripts for years (with Bob Carroll Jr. and Madelyn Pugh. These two writers are in the film, but they never say anything funny either).

Years ago, I talked to Oppenheimer’s son, Gregg, now 70, after reading a detailed and funny autobiography started by Jess and finished, after his death, by Gregg. The father Gregg loved and admired was not the dour Jess Oppenheimer that Sorkin created to fit his dramatic purposes.

Also made up is Ball’s dislike of Judy Holliday (1921-65) based, supposedly, on jealously.

There’s a flashback scene in which Ball says that

Holliday can play only one role (a dumb blonde). Ball says this as she is being fired (1942) by the RKO movie studio. However, Holliday’s first dumb blonde roles were in two backto-back hit movies made much later (Adam’s Rib, 1949, and Born Yesterday.

The latter earned Holliday the 1950 Best Actress Oscar).

Holliday and Ball were probably secretly sympathetic toward one other. Ball saved her career by playing a “ditz.” She lied about why she briefly joined the Communist party — said it was a clerical accident. (Ball knew what she was doing. See the film. It’s accurate about why Ball really joined.).

Holliday, who had strong leftist ties, played a “ditzy dumb blonde” in front of Congress (1951) and they “cleared” her. She wasn’t blacklisted. Holliday’s tested IQ was genius level — 172.

The Ricardos cast includes Linda Lavin, 84, as the “older” Madelyn Pugh and John Rubenstein, 75, the son of the great pianist Arthur Rubenstein, as the older Oppenheimer.

CATCHING UP I just caught up with the (still-streaming) Amazon Prime series I Know What You Did Last Summer. Its first, eight-episode series began on Oct. 15 and concluded on Nov. 12. Of course, the series is based on the horror movie series of the same name. Reviews

are mixed.

One of the co-stars is Ezekiel Goodman, 25.

His mother, Sara Nemeth Goodman, 54, is the series’ head producer and she wrote three of the show’s episodes. Sara grew up in the Detroit area. She had her bat mitzvah at Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield.

More catch-up: In October, a Western called Old Henry opened in about 30 theaters. It got good reviews and it really took off as a video-ondemand offering. There is real Oscar buzz about the performance of the film’s star, veteran character actor Tim Blake Nelson, 57. The National Board of Review just named Old Henry one of the top 10 indie films of 2021.

Earlier this year, Nelson talked about the 20th anniversary of the release of The Grey Zone, a Holocaust film that he wrote, directed and acted in. Many have called it the most accurate Holocaust drama ever made.

Nelson grew up in Oklahoma, the son of Jewish parents. His mother’s parents settled in Tulsa after fleeing Nazi Germany. Nelson’s maternal grandfather went to work for an oil-drilling company founded by a relative. Nelson’s uncle, George Kaiser, now 79, took over the company in 1969 and made it supersuccessful. Kaiser, a multibillionaire, is Oklahoma’s biggest giver to general and Jewish charities.

ON THE GO

Free “Women to Work” Course

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

VIRTUAL SHABBAT 7-8 PM, DEC. 31 Celebrate a Champagne Shabbat with Temple Beth El online. Grab a glass of champagne or another festive beverage and join us for virtual Shabbat services (tbelive.org or Facebook Live) with Temple Beth El’s clergy.

is free. Dietary laws observed.

HOCKEY TIME 7:30 PM, JAN. 4 At Little Caesar’s Arena, 2645 Woodward, Detroit.

Red Wings v. San Jose Sharks. Cost $39-$209.

Tickets: littlecaesarstickets. com.

STAND UP COMEDY 7 PM, JAN. 1 At the Garden Theater, 3929 Woodward, Detroit.

Comedian Stavros Halkias.

Cost $25.

Stavros Halkias

NIGHT OF WILD LIGHTS 7-10 PM, JAN. 4 NEXTGen Detroit bought a zoo. Well, actually they just rented out the zoo, but it’s all yours for one night only. Come see the Detroit Zoo in a whole new light with fellow Ben-Gurion Society (BGS) members as a thank you for supporting Federation’s Annual Campaign at the BGS level of $1,000 or more. Bundle up and enjoy warming refreshments, the winter lights and an exclusive opportunity to have the zoo all to ourselves after dark. BGS members are welcome to bring a plus one to this event. Parking

MEADOWBROOK THEATRE Jan. 5-30 Nana is back and is bringing a Michigan premiere comedy with her. In Nana Does Vegas by Katherine DiSavino, Nana has taken a gamble and moved to Las Vegas, where she and her sidekick, Vera, are working as seamstresses for a show. What could possibly go wrong? Everything.

Tickets range from $36 to $46 for individual plays.

For additional information, visit mbtheatre.com.

FIRESIDE CHANTS 7:30-8:340 PM, JAN. 5 Hosted by Congregation Shaarey Zedek. During the cold winter months, Hazzan David Propis warms and enlightens us as we journey with him on musical tours. Traversing through holidays, family experiences and Jewish

identity through a musical lens, Hazzan Propis uses the power of music to bring joy, calm, nostalgia and Yiddishkeit into our homes.

After registering ( jlive.app/ events/1360), check your email for your registration email, which contains the link to join the Livestream.

CAMPUS CHALLENGE 7-8 PM, JAN. 6 At Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake, West Bloomfield. Rabbi Bennett will lead a learning session dedicated to understanding and combating antisemitism and antiZionism on the college campus. This free session is designed for high school and college students and their parents. Info: jlive. app/events/1274.

Ian Bagg

COMEDY NIGHT 7:30 & 9 PM, JAN. 6 At Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle, 310 S. Troy, Royal Oak. Ian Bagg with Marcus Olind and Genevive Clinton. Cost $20. Tickets: etix.com/tickets/1022133.

Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews. com.

JVS Human Services will kick off the new year by offering its life-changing “Women to Work” course, which has been providing Metro Detroit women vital skills to help them get immediate employment since 1980. The free, four-week course will be held at JVS Human Services (29699 Southfield Road, Southfield) and starts with an informational meeting Jan. 6, with the course proper beginning Jan. 11.

Women To Work Coordinator and Employment Specialist Judy Richmond says that recent program participants have frequently had substantial employment, but those jobs have disappeared, sometimes because of the pandemic.

“For many, their jobs no longer exist, or they were unable to do them anymore because of childcare or eldercare,” she explained. “Parttime and remote jobs are now often preferable, and many may need assistance in how to present themselves or gain skills necessary for potential employers.”

The new classes will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, every Tuesday and Thursday for eight sessions. Topics to be covered include in-depth vocational assessment, employment-related group counseling and emotional support, information and referrals to support services, help with networking, resume writing and interviewing, financial management advice and stress management tips.

For more information and to register, contact Judy Richmond at (248) 233-4232 or jrichmond@jvshumanservices.org.

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ART PARK WEST GALLERY 29469 Northwestern Highway Southfield, MI 48034 www.parkwestgallery.com (248) 354-2343 Park West Gallery is the world’s largest art dealer, bringing the experience of collecting fine art to more than 3 million customers since 1969. Our Park West Museum is free to the public, open seven days a week. Come visit.

ATTORNEYS COUZENS LANSKY FEALK ELLIS REODER 39395 W. 12 Mile Road, Suite 200 Farmington Hills, MI 48331 (248) 489-8600 www.couzens.com Couzens Lansky provides legal counsel in matters concerning: • Trusts & Estates • Probate & Trust Administration • Taxation • Business & Corporate • Real Estate • Employment & Labor • Litigation & Dispute Resolution • Banking & Finance • Construction Law THAV RYKE & ASSOCIATES 24725 W. 12 Mile Road, Suite 110 Southfield, MI 48034 www.michprobate.com Jryke@michprobate.com (248) 945-1111 Fax: (248) 945-4844 We are here to assist you in all areas of wills and trusts estate planning and probate law in the state of Michigan. Our lawyers are experienced in meeting

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our clients’ needs whether in drafting wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, comprehensive estate plans, and the legal process of transferring property upon a person’s death otherwise known as “probate.” It is important to note that not all probate attorneys handle contested proceedings.

AUTO TAMAROFF MOTORS 28585 Telegraph Road Southfield, MI 48034 (248) 353-1300 www.tamaroff.com Tamaroff Motors has been proudly serving all your automotive needs since 1969: Factory-authorized Honda and Nissan dealer for new/used car sales, service, finance/lease, parts and collision shop. No. 1 new and certified pre-owned Honda dealer in Michigan.

Free oil change, car wash, loaners and up to $500 deductible reimbursements on any new or used vehicle purchased. You’re better off at Tamaroff.

VARSITY LINCOLN 49251 Grand River Ave. Novi, MI 48376 (248) 305-5300 www.varsitylincoln.com Shop Varsity Lincoln for all your new and certified preowned Lincoln needs, and you’ll save thousands! Plus, Varsity services all makes and models and focuses on your complete satisfaction.

We have a state-of-the-art collision center that offers local concierge pickup and delivery. Varsity Lincoln — your #1 Lincoln Dealer. Find out why.

CONSIGNMENT LE SHOPPE TOO 3325 Orchard Lake Road Keego Harbor, MI 48320 (248) 481-8884 leshopperetail@gmail.com www.leshoppetoo.com We are an upscale consignment shop specializing in iconic 20th-century furniture and art with estate sale auction and appraisal services all under one roof.

EDUCATION ANN ARBOR ACADEMY 1153 Oak Valley Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 747-6641 www.annarboracademy.org Ann Arbor Academy is a nationally ranked, genderinclusive independent day school for students in grades 4-13 who learn differently. We are … innovative, inclusive, independent.

• 4:1 student/teacher ratio • Structured literacy reading program • Multisensory teaching and learning • Strengths-based approach • Strong program in the fine and performing arts • Engaging curriculum emphasizes real-world connections • Committed to diversity, equity and inclusion

FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL 21100 W. 12 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48076 (248) 386-1625 www.Farberhds.org Farber Hebrew Day School-Yeshivat Akiva is the only Modern Orthodox Zionist day school serving the Metropolitan Detroit area. From the early childhood center through the high school, Farber provides students with a comprehensive college preparatory education permeated with Jewish values. Farber students are imbued with a solid Jewish identity, intense commitment to the Torah way of life, a love of learning and devotion to the state of Israel.

FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY 6600 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 592-5263 www.frankelja.org Frankel Jewish Academy is a rigorous college preparatory high school pursuing academic excellence and Jewish literacy. We inspire students to think critically, creatively and compassionately; to dedicate themselves to Jewish tradition, peoplehood and the State of Israel; and to become lifelong learners and leaders.

Retirement Planning

HILLEL DAY SCHOOL 32200 Middlebelt Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 851-3220 www.hillelday.org Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit delivers an outstanding general and Jewish education to Jewish children from preschool through eighth grade.

We inspire a passion for learning responsibility to self and community and devotion to Jewish living in a warm innovative and engaging environment. At Hillel, students develop their creativity, learn to think critically in two languages, collaborate effectively and communicate successfully — the essential skills they need to succeed in high school and the world they will inherit.

Our newly renovated Early Childhood Center nurtures children ages 18 months-5 years as they play, think, question and learn. Whether on campus or in a remote or flexible learning environment due to the coronavirus pandemic, everyday our dedicated teachers inspire a passion for learning in our students and instill in them the perseverance necessary to learn deeply and to navigate challenges through a Jewish lens, ultimately guiding students toward living a meaningful and purposeful Jewish life.

To learn more about joining the Hillel family, contact Amy Schlussel, Director of Advancement, at (248) 539-1484 or aschlussel@ hillelday.org.

YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH P.O. Box 2044 Southfield, MI 48037 (248) 557-6750 info@yby.org Yeshiva Beth Yehudah is the largest Jewish school system in Michigan providing quality Torahbased and secular educational programs.

More than 1,100 students in pre-nursery though grade 12 receive an excellent foundation to become future leaders of our community.

EMERGENCY & CLEANING SERVICES BRIGHTER CLEANING SERVICES 40110 Hayes Road Clinton Township, MI 48038 OR 3032 E. Walton Blvd.

Auburn Hills, MI 48326 (586) 630-5311 www.brightercleaningservice. com We strive to provide a spotless cleaning experience and foster lasting relationships with each of our clients. If you’re not 100% satisfied, we will re-clean for free. Whether it’s your household or commercial space, we’ll always leave it a “Brighter” place.

ZOLMAN RESTORATION 3285 Martin Road, Suite N-106 Walled Lake, MI 48390 (800) 799-8560 zolmanrestoration.com Zolman Restoration, a Sachse Construction Company, specializes in fire, smoke, water and storm emergency services.

Retirement Planning Investment Retirement Planning Investment Management Management Investment Management Financial Counseling Financial Counseling Financial Counseling

KennethM. M. Bernard, Bernard, CFA, President Kenneth CFA, President

Kenneth Bernard, President Your trustedM. partner for allCFA, financial issues.

Your trusted partner for all financial issues.

Your trusted partner for all financial issues.

360 N. Main St • Suite 430 • Royal Oak, MI 48067 360 430• •Royal RoyalOak, Oak, MI 48067 Office: 248-556-2900 360N.N.Main MainStSt •• Suite Suite• www.bernard-wealth.com 430 MI 48067 Office: www.bernard-wealth.com Office:248-556-2900 248-556-2900 •• www.bernard-wealth.com

S t . An n e ’ s M e a d

Assisted living, memory care & extended care in a vibrant, interfaith environment.

16106 W. Twelve Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48076 stannesmead.org | 248.557.1221 |

Our purpose is simple: Nobody should have to go hungry.

We thank the community for your continued support, which has helped Yad Ezra work to alleviate hunger in our community for 31 years.

If you or someone you know needs a helping hand, please contact us.

www.yadezra.org 248.548.3663

There’s no place like home.

Connecting older adults and their families to the support they need to stay in the home of their choice: government-funded in-home care programs, Meals on Wheels, transportation and more.

800-852-7795 aaa1b.org The Area Agency on Aging 1-B is a nonprofit serving Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair and Washtenaw counties.

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The Z-Team’s expertise and passion for helping others make them well-equipped to restore your home or business when disaster strikes. They are available to help 24/7/365 at (800) 7998560.

ENTERTAINMENT/ PARTY PLANNING ANDREA SOLOMON 6405 Tamerlane Drive West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 535-0402 andreasolomon2554@gmail. com As far back as can be remembered, people around the world have gathered to celebrate life’s special moments. Whether you expect 20 or 2,000 guests at your next event, let me, event planner Andrea Solomon, make your planning and party run smoothly. My knowledge and experience mean your wedding, mitzvah, bridal/ baby shower, birthday, anniversary or corporate party will be a huge success. Working with me will allow you to enjoy your party as much as your guests do. Packages are custom-designed to meet

BETTER THAN ASSISTED LIVING, IT’S PROVISION LIVING • Private apartments • Chef-prepared meals • Customized health & wellness plans

Schedule a tour today!

5475 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 243-8024 ProvisionLiving.com

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your needs. Call for an appointment today.

AVY SCHREIBER ORCHESTRA Oak Park, MI (248) 376-0407 avy@avyschreiber.com www.avyschreiber.com Avy provides music for all types of events, including weddings, bar/bat mitzvahs, cocktail parties, corporate functions and philanthropic dinners. He performs both as a solo musician and with a specialized musical ensemble to create the experience you need. Let Avy “set the tone” for your upcoming event and the memories will last a lifetime.

INTRIGUE Stella Actis Aldo www.intrigue-online.com (248) 839-1625 INTRIGUE is regarded as one of the most sought-after bands in the Midwest. Their versatility is featured in their awesome playlist performed by outstanding vocalists and musicians who will rock your party. Led by Stella Actis Aldo, INTRIGUE with their energy and excitement will guarantee an amazing celebration.

QUALITY KOSHER CATERING 27375 Bell Road Southfield, MI 48034 (248) 352-7758 www.qualitykosher.com Quality Kosher Catering is a kosher cuisine catering company that strives to provide the best food, experience and personal service that this universe has to offer.

Providing anything from a personalized birthday cake to a gourmet homedelivered dinner to the wedding of your dreams, the excellence we offer with our food, service and dedication to our clients allows us to truly turn moments into memories.

FINANCIAL BERNARD WEALTH MANAGEMENT 360 N. Main St., Suite 430 Royal Oak, MI 48067 (248) 556-2900 www.bernard-wealth.com Bernard Wealth Management, founded by Ken Bernard, is a fiduciary, fee-based independent investment advisory firm. We strive to achieve our clients’ financial goals through personalized retirement

planning, investment management and ongoing financial counseling.

CAPITAL MORTGAGE FUNDING 17170 W. 12 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48076 1-800-LOW-RATE www.CapitalMortgageFunding. com Servicing the client is the golden rule at Capital Mortgage Funding, co-founded by Harry Glanz and Dan Burke. We are a full-service mortgage banker who processes, underwrites and funds all transactions.

Conventional FHA/VA and Jumbo financing available.

Capital Mortgage Funding is powered by Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. NMLS #2289.

Equal Housing Lender.

HEBREW FREE LOAN ASSOC. 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 (248) 723-8184 www.hfldetroit.org HFL provides interest-free loans to Michigan’s Jewish individuals, families and businesses to support education, job training, summer camp, home

Congregation Beth Shalom The egalitarian Conservative Jewish presence in the Woodward Corridor Chanu-Con! • Greenbaum Concert • Trivia Night Cafe Shalom • Prime Time Players • Nelson Legacy Event Yachad Religious School • Social Action Projects

Consider Yourself Home at Beth Shalom 1 4 6 0 1 W. L I N C O L N R OA D • OA K PA R K , M I 4 8 2 3 7

www.congbethshalom.org | 248.547.7970

improvements and so much more. Visit www. hfldetroit.org or www. jewishcollegeloansmi.org.

FUNERAL HOMES/ CHAPELS HEBREW MEMORIAL CHAPEL 26640 Greenfield Road Oak Park, MI 48237 (248) 543-1622 (800) 736-5033 www.hebrewmemorial.org Entering our second century as your community-owned funeral chapel, we are here for you 24 hours a day.

Anyone can acknowledge that your loved one died.

We understand that your loved one lived.

IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL 18325 W. Nine Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075 (248) 559-0020 www.irakaufman.com Bringing together family, faith and community the Ira Kaufman Chapel blends tradition and progress.

When you call us, you’ll talk to a member of our staff not an answering service. We stream funerals online for loved ones unable to attend — even from graveside.

THE DORFMAN CHAPEL 30440 W. 12 Mile Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 406-6000 thedorfmanchapel.com thedorfmanchapel@aol.com Trusted professionals

serving the Jewish community with dignity, sanctity and compassion.

Committed to providing the complete, personal service that families deserve and expect in a state-of-the- art facility, conveniently located in Farmington Hills.

HEALTH & WELLNESS

BRIGHTER PERFORMANCE RECOVERY 2230 Star Court Rochester Hills, MI 48309 (248) 564-2847 OR 40120 Hayes Road Clinton Twp, MI 48038 (586) 329-4490 www.brighterperformance.com Our state-of-the-art facility provides you with

exceptional physical recovery, allowing you to train harder and be more active. We provide numerous services, including cryotherapy, an oxygen bar and compression therapy to help you recover from exerciserelated body fatigue.

DE VINNEY CZARNECKI PHYSICAL THERAPY Maple Park Office Complex 6020 W. Maple, Suite 500 West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 851-6999 www.dcptonline.com Private treatment rooms, a large, well-equipped gym and a highly experienced staff make our therapistowned clinic the first choice continued on page 56

EXPERIENCE ART Explore the new look and new collections at Southfield’s free-to-the-public Park West Museum.

Over 20 salons featuring masterworks by art icons like Picasso, Chagall, Dali, Rembrandt, and more.

Open seven days a week. Visit us today.

29469 Northwestern, Southfield Monday-Saturday: 10am-6pm, Sunday: 11am-5pm parkwestmuseum.org Reminder: Park West Gallery holds weekly livestreaming art auctions that anyone can attend.

Sign up for our next event at parkwestgallery.com/ online or email sales@parkwestgallery.com

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for effective, compassionate physical therapy for the families in this community since 1995.

KADIMA 15999 W. 12 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48067 (248) 559-8235 www.Kadimacenter.org Kadima provides comprehensive residential, therapeutic and social services to all people with mental health needs as they move forward in their lives.

Inspired by Jewish values, Kadima delivers these services while providing education and outreach to the broader community to ensure positive mental health outcomes for all.

KAUFMAN CHILDREN’S CENTER FOR SPEECH, LANGUAGE, SENSORYMOTOR & AUTISM TREATMENT 6625 Daly Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 737-3430 www.kidspeech.com The Kaufman Children’s Center is an awardwinning special-needs clinic that provides speech and language therapy, occupational and sensory integration therapy, social skills instruction, and both home and center-based ABA autism programs. We offer bright family-friendly facilities and a highly trained staff known for enthusiasm, expertise and outstanding clinical skills.

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KIDS IN MOTION PEDIATRIC THERAPY SERVICES Commerce, Highland, Clarkston, Brighton (248) 684-9610 www.KidsInMotionMI.com Specialists in infant and child development for over 27 years. Providing quality pediatric physical, occupational, speech and language therapy to children and families from birth to young adult. Nurturing team environment focusing on a functional approach, helping children of all abilities to improve fine and gross motor skills, enhance life and social skills, communicate more effectively, enhance cognition, and address sensory, feeding, swallowing and coordination issues.

Specialized groups, summer day camps, free monthly workshops, webinars. Try our free Online Interactive Developmental Screener at www.KidsInMotionMI.com MIDWEST CENTER FOR DERMATOLOGY & COSMETIC SURGERY 31275 Northwestern Highway Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 538-0109 www.mwdermatology.com Midwest Center for Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery practices general dermatology and dermatological surgery with special interests in cosmetic treatments like Botox, Juvederm and Restylane.

Dr. D’Anne Kleinsmith, MD, has been part of the group since 2020; and Madeline Schaeffer, DO, joined the practice this July after graduating from St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Both physicians are affiliated with

the Michigan Dermatological Society and the American Academy of Dermatology.

Kaydi Lentz, the office PA-C, is affiliated with SDPA and MiDPA. NEMETH & KATRANJI PERIODONTICS 29829 Telegraph Road, Suite 111 Southfield, MI 48034 (248) 357-3100 www.drnemeth.com info@drnemeth.com Dr. Nemeth’s procedures include the pinhole gum rejuvenation technique for gum recession, minimally invasive laser treatment for gum disease, gum reshaping procedures for smile makeovers and dental implants for missing teeth.

THE PILATES METHOD 266 Elm St. Birmingham, MI 48009 (248) 790-0779 www.pilatesmethodmi.com A Classical Pilates studio located in downtown Birmingham, Michigan. We specialize in private, duet and semi-private classes.

Our experienced teachers have completed extensive classical Pilates training and certification. Their personalized instruction is tailored to support each individual client.

JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM Wendy Strip, Development Executive, Greater Detroit Area (248) 522-0420 wstrip@afmda.org afmda.org Magen David Adom is Israel’s ambulance disaster-relief and blood-

services agency serving as emergency medical first responders for its 9.2 million people. It’s not a government agency so it depends on Americans like you for funding.

FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE 6892 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 788-7878 Fax: (248) 788-7854 friend@friendshipcircle.org www.friendshipcircle.org Friendship Circle provides assistance and support to the families of individuals with special needs by providing recreational, social and educational programming that aims to support community inclusion.

The work of Friendship Circle also extends into the lives of people struggling with addiction, isolation and other family-related crises through the Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House — a Jewish recovery community that offers friendship, support and a variety of programs that facilitate lasting success.

HADASSAH GREATER DETROIT 5030 Orchard Lake Road West Bloomfield, MI 48323 (248) 683-5030 www.hadassah.org/region/ greater-detroit Mandy Garver, President Hadassah Greater Detroit is a vibrant community, including members in Michigan, Ohio and Western Pennsylvania, who are engaged in Hadassah’s mission of healing the world.

Our work supports the worldrenowned Hadassah Medical Organization, Zionism, youth aliyah and advocacy,

advancing health equity and fighting antisemitism globally.

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CENTER (248) 592-2313 resourcecenter@jfsdetroit.org www.jfsdetroit.org The heart of a stronger community, we provide older adult services such as case management; doorthrough-door transportation; Kosher Meals on Wheels and Holocaust survivor assistance; mental health and wellness services such as counseling, suicide prevention trainings and youth/ school-based services; safety net services such as basic needs assistance, public benefits enrollment and health care navigation.

We also provide outreach to the Orthodox and Russianspeaking communities.

JEWISH FEDERATION OF METRO DETROIT 6735 Telegraph Road P.O. Box 2030 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303 (248) 642-4260 www.jewishdetroit.org The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit is the central communal organization of the Detroit Jewish community.

Federation is committed to taking care of the needs of the Jewish people and building a vibrant Jewish future in Metropolitan Detroit, in Israel and around the world.

JEWISH SENIOR LIFE OF METRO DETROIT Residences-Programs-Services Administrative Offices: A. Alfred Taubman Jewish Community Campus 15000 W. 10 Mile Road Oak Park, MI 48237 Foundation Office Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus 6710 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 661-1836 TTY #711 www.jslmi.org We nurture a sense of community and enrich the lives of older adults while embracing Jewish values and celebrating life. People of all faiths and beliefs are welcome.

JHELP c/o The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit 6735 Telegraph Road P.O. Box 2030 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303 (833) 445-4357 www.jhelp.org For those needing support, JHELP offers a simple connection point to our community’s Jewish social service agencies. With one call or visit to our site, community members will be guided to whatever assistance is necessary.

JHELP serves older adults, families, teens and children, individuals with special needs, job seekers and others.

KOSHER MEALS ON WHEELS (248) 592-2313 www.ncjwmi.org National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW| MI), in conjunction with Jewish Family Service, can continued on page 58

Commercial and Residential Restoration Services WATER & flood mold

wind & storm

Fire & smoke

personal property

c al l us a t 800 .7 99 . 8560 | a v ail ab l e 24 / 7/ 365 zolmanrestoration.com | 3285 Martin Road | Suite N-106 | Walled Lake, MI 48390

JFS is here to help!

For information about our services: 248.592.2313 or resourcecenter@jfsdetroit.org jfsdetroit.org

Schedule A No Obligation Quote with Justin Bright Today!

586.630.5311 BrighterCleaningServices23@gmail.com

Whether it’s your household or commercial space, we’ll always leave it a “Brighter” space DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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deliver meals to your home daily, Monday-Friday. Meals are for those homebound, 60 and older, who are unable to provide for themselves or who have no one to assist them with meal preparation on a temporary or ongoing basis. Meals are packaged and delivered from the kitchen at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield by volunteers of NCJW | MI. NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN, MICHIGAN (NCJW | MI) 26400 Lahser Road, Suite 306 Southfield, MI 48033 (248) 355-3300, ext. 0 ncjwmi.org The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired

by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children and families, and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

Community members can volunteer or participate in community service projects, advocate on issues, and attend programs and speakers.

ORT AMERICA MICHIGAN REGION 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 350 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 (248) 723-8860 www.ortmichigan.org ORT Michigan supports World ORT’s global network of schools and programs, providing education and

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training opportunities to students in nearly 40 countries, including the David B. Hermelin ORT Resource Centers located in Southfield and Detroit SHOLEM ALEICHEM INSTITUTE P.O. Box 251564 West Bloomfield, MI 48325 (248) 865-0117 www.secularsaimichigan.org Your home for yiddishkayt!

Sholem Aleichem Institute is a nonprofit cultural Jewish institute “without walls.” For more than 95 years, SAI has provided the Metro Detroit community with meaningful educational, cultural and social activities on varied topics of Jewish, Yiddish and cultural interest.

YAD EZRA 2850 W. 11 Mile Road Berkley, MI 48072 (248) 548-3663 info@yadezra.org www.yadezra.org Yad Ezra, Michigan’s only kosher food pantry, is an independent organization that provides free groceries and household items to lowincome families in Southeast Michigan.

REAL ESTATE COOPER GLASS HOMES DANA COOPER & LAURIE GLASS Max Broock Realtors 275 S. Old Woodward Birmingham, MI 48009 (248) 658-8030 www.cooperglasshomes.com With more than $150 million in sales, Dana Cooper and Laurie Glass work passionately to protect your interests to get you the best results. “We love the

long-term relationships that we develop and believe in providing superior concierge service — every client, every time.”

Fashion resale at its best.

Women’s and men’s clothing: casual, career attire, eveningwear, vintage and designer; accessories,

DAN GUTFREUND REALTY GROUP AT SIGNATURE SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY 415 S. Old Woodward Birmingham, MI 48009 (248) 978-5774 dan@signaturesothebys.com Buy or sell with the Dan Gutfreund Realty Group at Signature Sotheby’s International Realty. Ranked No. 5 of all Michigan Realtors by Real Trends, Top 4 Agent by Newsweek and Top 5 by WSJ. Known for our best-in-class service, marketing power, reach, resources and results.

jewelry and home décor. All the best you can find at your neighborhood resale shop with great prices. Donors and shoppers always welcome. Proceeds benefit National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW | MI) community service projects. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

JEFF & MATT BARKER Max Broock Realtors 275 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009 Jeff: (248) 425-6000 jeff@jeffbarkerhomes.com www.jeffbarkerhomes.com Matt: (248) 807-2232 matt@mattbarkerhomes.com www.mattbarkerhomes.com As full-time Realtors, our objective has always been to maintain the reputation as two of the most ethical and professional Realtors.

Our 30+ years of experience and over half a billion dollars in sales are your greatest advantage. If interested in buying or selling your home, please give us a call.

RESALE COUNCIL RE|SALE 3297 W. 12 Mile Road Berkley, MI 48072 (248) 548-6664 www.councilresale.net

RESTAURANTS ANTONIO’S CUCINA ITALIANA Canton: (734) 981-9800 Dearborn Heights: (313) 278-6000 Farmington Hills: (248) 994-4000 Dearborn: (313) 842-2100 Livonia: (734) 513-8000 (No Banquets) www.antoniosrestaurants.com Antonio’s Cucina Italiana, the Rugiero family and its staff have impressed their guests since 1964 with their traditional and authentic Italian cuisine. Signature dishes include Gnocchi Rita, Chicken Antonio, mouthwatering veal dishes, our famous bread and awesome pizzas. A banquet facility, full bar and extensive wine list are available at Dearborn Heights, Canton, Farmington Hills and Roman Village in Dearborn.

THE LAW FIRM WITH KRAVINGS 25270 Greenfield Road Oak Park, MI 48237 (248) 967-1161 www.kravingsdetroit.com Our mission is to provide a quality and memorable experience for all of our customers and team members that raises the bar of service and food in the kosher dining and event industry.

STAR DELI 24555 W. 12 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48034 (248) 352-7377 www.stardeli.net The Star Deli is a take-outonly restaurant that also provides personal catering deli trays, using only the highest-quality products.

Serving the Metro Detroit community for over 40 years, everyone is warmly welcomed, whether you are a life-long customer or just coming in for the first time.

SENIOR LIVING AREA AGENCY ON AGING 1B 29100 Northwestern Highway, Suite 400 Southfield, MI 48034.

Information and Assistance: 1-800-852-7795 www.aaa1b.org We are a local nonprofit that serves older adults and family caregivers in southeast Michigan.

Our mission is to provide programs, services and resources that help seniors age safely and independently in their homes.

PROVISION LIVING AT WEST BLOOMFIELD 5475 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 243-8024 www.provisionliving.com/ location/west-bloomfield A radiant, upscale senior living community where residents can thrive. Our team of professionally trained associates are onsite 24/7 and passionate about resident care. Spacious private apartments, chefprepared meals and housekeeping allow residents to enjoy the worryfree lifestyle they deserve.

Better than assisted living, it’s Provision Living!

ROLLING HILLS RETIREMENT COMMUNITY 3300 Crumb Lake Commerce Township, MI 48390 (248) 716-1887 www.RollingHillsRetirement. com Surrounded by the peaceful seclusion of Oakland County’s rolling hills and inland lakes, Rolling Hills Retirement Community is a prime location for spending retirement in neverending vacation mode and the preferred choice for ultimate senior living.

Our all-inclusive, 55-plus retirement community is home to those who relish living a luxurious lifestyle, complete with 24/7 service, resortstyle dining and lavish accommodations. continued on page 60

SOLUTIONS Expert Service Superior Value

VISIT US @ WWW.COUZENS.COM • 248.489.8600

39395 West 12 Mile Road Suite 200 Farmington Hills, MI 48331

Warm. Spiritual. Totally Welcoming.

Our Rabbis, Board of Trustees and synagogue community invite you to join us for Shabbat services.

Friday evenings: 6:15 p.m. or 7:15 p.m.

Occasional Saturday mornings Please check shirtikvah.org for exact service dates/times & to view our live-stream.

3900 Northfield Parkway • Troy, MI 48084 | shirtikvah.org | (248) 649-4418 @CongregationShirTikvah

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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COMMUNITY DIRECTORY

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ST. ANNE’S MEAD 16106 W. 12 Mile Southfield, MI 48076 (248) 557-1221 www.stannesmead.org With a 55-year legacy of offering the highest quality care, St. Anne’s Mead is a leader in senior living. From our award-winning kitchen to our professional and loving staff and life enrichment activities, St. Anne’s Mead remains steadfast in its mission: To provide quality care in assisted living, memory care and extended care in a vibrant, interfaith environment.

SYNAGOGUES/TEMPLES ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE 29901 Middlebelt Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 851-5100 www.adatshalom.org Rabbis: Aaron Bergman, Dan Horwitz, Herbert Yoskowitz, Emeritus; Hazzan Daniel Gross; Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch, Director of Spiritual Care; Michael Wolf, Director of Spirituality & Outreach. A Conservative synagogue steeped in tradition, with a vibrant adult learning community, a religious school known for its personal touch and embrace of differentiated instruction, robust programmatic offerings, and a dynamic clergy, staff and volunteer leadership team, Adat Shalom brings intention to co-creating spiritual, educational and social action opportunities that

speak to the souls of our diverse (and growing!) membership. Services are in-person at the synagogue and on Zoom: Sunday through Friday 8 a.m.; Shabbat 9 a.m.; evening services daily — times vary throughout the year; Minchah-Maariv on Shabbat. Consult our schedule at www. adatshalom.org/calendar.

CONGREGATION BETH AHM 5075 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 851-6880 www.cbahm.org Congregation Beth Ahm was established to provide opportunities to explore and practice Judaism in a warm and approachable environment. We believe in the value of promoting an inviting, caring and welcoming environment where we demonstrate compassion toward others through derech eretz, tzedakah and tikkun olam.

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM 14601 W. Lincoln Road Oak Park, MI 48237 (248) 547-7970 www.congbethshalom.org Congregation Beth Shalom, an egalitarian and innovative Conservative synagogue, has been serving the Jewish community since the 1950s. We are a diverse congregation, proud of our warm, open and welcoming environment. Visitors are welcome to experience

our services and numerous programs held throughout the year.

CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK 27375 Bell Road Southfield, MI 48034-2079 (248) 357-5544 csz.info@shaareyzedek.org www.shaareyzedek.org Congregation Shaarey Zedek is a warm, welcoming, inclusive and egalitarian Conservative Jewish community. We provide innovative, stimulating and diverse spiritual and educational leadership and social opportunities that nurture our love and commitment to Jewish life.

of Jewish life. We are affiliated with both the Reform and Renewal movements. As a bridge between our membership community and the State of Israel, Shir Tikvah embraces our heritage, provides continuity and encourages the evolution of Judaism into the future.

We offer Friday-evening Shabbat services (times vary) and some Saturdays at 10 a.m. Our outstanding Sam and Jean Frankel Family Education Program provides a preK-12thgrade religious school as well as a variety of enrichment opportunities for adults. Rabbi Alicia Harris.

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TEMPLE SHIR SHALOM 3999 Walnut Lake Road West Bloomfield, MI 48323 (248) 737-8700 www.Shirshalom.org A Reform synagogue serving the Metropolitan Detroit area, we are inclusive, welcoming and just the place for anyone with questions they want to ask, a willingness to learn and the desire to be part of a caring community.

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SPOTLIGHT

David Kramer Joins OU Board of Trustees

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has announced the appointment of David Kramer to the Oakland University Board of Trustees.

Kramer said of the appointment, “I am thrilled to join the Board of Trustees of a world-class university situated on a beautiful campus with tremendous students who are supported by best-in-class faculty and staff. I believe that OU’s best days are ahead, and I look forward to helping to move the university forward.”

Kramer, 48, of Bloomfield Hills, is the founding principal of Gemini Risk Partners, an insurance brokerage firm. He previously served as a senior vice president of Oswald Companies and a vice president of Alliant. Prior to entering the insurance industry over 18 years ago, he practiced law at prominent law firms in Washington, D.C., and Detroit.

In addition, Kramer is the president of Hebrew Free Loan of Metropolitan Detroit and a board member with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and the Detroit Jewish News Foundation.

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He is also a past recipient of several civic and professional honors, including Crain’s 40 under 40, the Frank A. Wetsman Young Leadership Award from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and the Champion for Children Award from Orchards Children’s Services.

Kramer holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University.

Kramer is appointed for a term that began Dec. 6 and expires Aug. 11, 2024. He succeeds Tonya Allen, who resigned last August to take a job out of state.

Detroit Project Understanding Summit Applications are open for JCRC/ AJC Detroit ACCESS and the Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity’s inaugural Detroit Project Understanding for Emerging Leaders, which takes place May 1, 2022.

Detroit Project Understanding is a unique opportunity for young leaders in the Black and/or Jewish communities to continue the legacy of our historical relationship through meaningful exercises, thoughtful conversation and professional networking opportunities.

Participants are encouraged to have open and honest discussion about issues that affect

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the exchange

each of their respective communities, as well as those that affect both. Together, they will explore how shared understanding, friendship and allyship, and advocacy between the Black and Jewish communities can create valuable progress in Detroit and beyond.

Black and/or Jewish professionals residing in the Detroit Metropolitan area, who are between the ages of 25-39, are eligible to apply.

Learn more about Detroit Project Understanding, meet the co-chairs and submit your application at https://jcrcajc.org/ take-action/young-leadership.

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thejewishnews.com/newsletter DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

Generous, Kind, Whip-Smart, Beautiful and Funny DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

J

udy Fertel Layne, 58, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 7, 2021, surrounded by family.

Her beloved husband of more than 26 years, Michael Layne, says, “Judy lived with ALS for nearly eight years with love, empathy for others, purpose and dignity.”

Born Jan. 14, 1963, Layne was the beloved daughter of Max and Elaine Fertel. She was the baby sister to Sandi, Howard and David and loved them dearly. She grew up in Oak Park and attended Oak Park High School.

Judy cherished her time at the University of Michigan, where she graduated with a degree in psychology.

She earned her J.D. from Wayne State University and then found tremendous meaning in the practice of law.

Judy took great satisfaction in her work at the Troybased law firm of Dickinson Wright where she served as a partner for more than 25 years, specializing in tax and estate law. Judy, being both whip-smart and deeply empathetic, formed lasting and valued relationships with colleagues and clients. She was grateful for the culture at Dickinson Wright, which facilitated her work, even in illness.

She was a loving mother to Joshua and took pleasure in their conversations about his daily life and their shared focus on social responsibility. She had tremendous pride in Joshua, his accomplishments, and the mensch he’s become.

She greatly admired Joshua’s wife, Yui, for her strength,

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Judy Fertel Layne

intelligence, and the love she shared with Josh and their baby daughter, Beni. One of Judy’s final joys in life was holding and being a softa (grandmother) to Beni.

Throughout Josh’s school years, it was important to Judy and Michael that Josh and his many friends saw their home as a place where they could always enjoy good food and laughter.

Judy enjoyed a good (off-color) joke and recollections of her brothers’ escapades while growing up on Oak Park Boulevard.

She was known to laugh in hysterics — even when telling her own jokes and stories. Judy enjoyed long-lasting and deep bonds with her friends from childhood and college years, as well as colleagues from work.

All were present during the challenging progression of ALS. “She cared much more about the well-being of others than herself,” Michael says. “A big, giving heart. Generous and kind, wickedly smart, and beautiful. And so funny.”

Prior to her ALS diagnosis, Layne was very athletic. When

not working, she could be found at the gym or running miles on end. She was a veracious reader and enjoyed intellectual discourse over wine and dinner. Together, Judy and Michael traveled extensively, both in the United States and internationally.

Judy Layne was a fighter for social justice. She was an early, vocal and visible proponent of LGBTQ+ rights and legislation. While dependent on a power chair, she insisted upon participating in Black Lives Matter marches.

She cared deeply about equal rights for minorities and the well-being of the underprivileged. She was a proponent for women’s rights.

Active in the community, Judy served on the boards of Gleaners Food Bank, Juvenile Diabetes Association and the Chamber Music Society of Detroit.

“In terms of ALS, Judy was the female Lou Gehrig, who said he was the luckiest man in the world,” says Michael.

“Judy never said, ‘Why me?’

She would state that she led a

fortunate and full life – referring to her beloved niece, Rachel, who died at age 14 from dysautonomia and to children worldwide who are unloved and hungry.”

There were many wonderful caregivers who helped make Judy’s life manageable in the later stages of ALS. “Judy had such a big heart that she cared for her caregivers, offering them both personal and business advice and support,” says Michael.

“She managed the progression of ALS with dignity, purpose, grace and compassion,” Michael says. “While she was going through this horrendous disease, her empathy for others never ceased.”

Michael, who loved Judy deeply, sums up her legacy: “Strength, generosity, intelligence, beauty, and deep empathy for all sentient beings.”

Judy Fertel Layne was the beloved wife of Michael Layne; dear mother of Joshua (Yui) Layne; loving grandmother of Beni Layne; adoring daughter of Max and Elaine Fertel; sister of Sandi (Dr. Keith) Reich, Dr. Howard (Natalie) Fertel and Dr. David (Jill) Fertel. She’s survived by her father-in-law, Phillip Layne (the late Norma Layne); and sisters-in-law, Renee (Dr. Joel) Stillman, Heidi (Jeffrey) Baill and Mindy (Dr. Joel) Young.

Judy is also survived by many adoring nieces, nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews. She leaves behind a world of loving family, friends and colleagues who all miss her deeply.

Interment was at Oakview Cemetery.

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

BETTY BRESOFF, 89, of Florida and Michigan, died Dec. 18, 2021.

A graduate of Central High School, Mrs. Bresoff was active with Hadassah and had lived in Florida for approximately 30 years.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Bill Turkish of Bloomfield Hills; grandchildren, Jessica Turkish and Jason Turkish; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Sally Becker, Harriett Freedman, and Barbara and Erwin Gutenberg; many treasured nieces, nephews, other relatives and many good friends in Florida and Michigan.

Mrs. Bresoff was the beloved wife for 56 years of the late Marvin Bresoff; devoted mother of the late Deborah Hope BresoffLeach; cherished sister and sister-in-law of the late Julius Becker, the late Sylvia and the late Philip Schonberger, and the late Morton Freedman.

Interment was at Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

MILTON CONWAY, 87, of Bloomfield Hills, died Dec. 20, 2021.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Elisa and Stuart Stoller; son and daughterin-law, Andrew and Dr. Barbara Conway; grandchildren, Taryn and Michael

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continued on page 66 DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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Some days seem to last forever…

We’re offering one that actually will.

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

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

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OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 65

Cannarsa, Ryan and Jennifer Stoller, Matthew and Ryan Conway, and Alexander Conway and Hugo Garcia; great-grandchildren, Sloane Cannarsa, Enzo Cannarsa, Harrison Stoller, Evie Stoller, Charlie Stoller and Lennox Conway; brother and sisterin-law, Sherwin and Elaine Conway.

Mr. Conway was the beloved husband of the late Elaine Hechtman Conway.

Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to Hospice of Michigan, 43097 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302, hom.org/donations. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

SHELDON R. DAVIS, 86, of Southfield, died Dec. 17, 2021.

He was born May 14, 1935, in Detroit to Robert and Edith Davis. His family was his number one priority. He was a great role model and supporter, never missing a sporting event for any of his children or grandchildren.

He was also an avid fisherman and sports enthusiast.

Sheldon taught all his children the values of a strong work ethic; he worked up until his last day.

Mr. Davis is survived by his wife of 65 years Anne Davis; children, Alan and Pam Davis, Neil and Jeri Davis, Lisa Davis, and Jeff Davis and Susie Gottlieb; grandchildren, Matt and Molly Davis, Nathan and Delany Davis, Jason and Emily Davis, Eric Davis, Stephanie and Michael Poe,

Chad Davis, Trevor Davis, Rachel Ferguson, Josh Davis and Sophie Davis; great-grandchildren, AJ, Brooke, Riley, Finnegan, Scarlett, Penny, Lennon, and Banks.

Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

NORMA ELCONIN, 85, of New Jersey, died Dec. 20, 2021.

She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She treasured and devoted her life to her family.

Norma attended Patterson High School in Windsor, Ontario, and then Harry E. Guppy School of Commerce in Windsor, where she earned a degree in secretarial services. She worked as a secretary for an insurance company in the Penobscot building in Detroit, where she met her husband of 42 years, Richard Elconin, who preceded her in death in 2010.

Mrs. Elconin is survived by her daughters and son-inlaw, Elise and Steven Olgin, Alexandra and Andrew Lane, Danielle and Sabrina, Dayna and Garet Zatz, Emily Elconin; son and daughterin-law, Joel and Lisa Elconin; brother and sister-in-law, Marc and Debbie Levin Fogel; sister and brother-inlaw, Sarah Fogel and John Proano; brother, Neil Fogel.

Interment took place at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia.

Contributions may be made to the Dementia Society of America or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of America. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

SUSAN HERKOWITZ, 93, of Birmingham, died Dec. 20, 2021.

She is survived c. 1994 by her grandchildren, Seth and Laura Herkowitz, and Rachael Herkowitz and Michael O’Toole; great-grandchildren, Samarah Harlow Herkowitz, Schoen Harrison Herkowitz, and Jack Harry O’Toole.

Mrs. Herkowitz was the beloved wife of the late Irving Herkowitz; the cherished mother of the late Harry and the late Janis Herkowitz.

Interment was at Clover Hill

Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Harry N. Herkowitz Endowed Chair in Orthopaedics, c/o Beaumont Health Foundation, 26901 Beaumont Blvd. 5D, Southfield, MI 48033, beaumont.org/giving; or Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, holocaustcenter.org.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

KALMAN “JAY” IGOL, 75, of Farmington Hills, died Dec. 16, 2021.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Frieda Igol; daughter and son-in-law, Nikki Igol and Nelson Harst; many loving cousins, nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

Interment took place at Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery in Clinton Township. Contributions may be made to the Diabetes Association or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

MADELINE DIANE JACOBS (née Nisenbaum), 82, of Ñovi, passed away on Dec. 13, 2021.

She was born in Detroit on March 17, 1939. She was a graduate of Central High School and Wayne State University.

Madeline was an artist, elementary school teacher and, later, a management recruiter who started her own business.

She leaves behind her loving husband, James Jacobs; her son and daughter-in-law,

Terrence and Tina Shulman; her son, Jordan Shulman; his son, Devan Shulman; her stepson, Martin Jacobs; her stepdaughter, Barbara Spellman; Barbara’s four children, Phoenix Spencer, Sierra Hagerman, Jalen Spellman and Sabrina Spellman; sisters, Nikki Van Dine and Michele Stevenson; many dear nieces and nephews Mrs. Jacobs was the sister of the late Ruth Leventyn, the late Jack Nisenbaum, the late Sally Eder.

A memorial service will be held at the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit (formerly Birmingham Temple) in Farmington Hills on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2021, at 11 a.m. with a luncheon to follow on site. Attendees are required to show proof of Covid vaccination and to wear face masks. continued on page 68

We understand that grief is a part of love.

Let us assist your family during this difficult period.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 67

Contributions may be made in Madeline Jacobs’ name to the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit and/or the National or Michigan Alzheimer’s Association.

GERALD LAX, 84, of Hamtramck, died Dec. 14, 2021.

He is survived by dear friends and relatives.

Mr. Lax was the dear brother of the late Pamela Lax; beloved son of the late Andrew and the late Esther Lax. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice.

A graveside service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements by

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

SHELDON LUBLIN, 86, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 19, 2021.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Phyllis Lublin; daughters and sonsin-law, Elizabeth and Jeff Ribera, and Marcie and Carl Howard; son and daughterin-law, Kevin and Christina Lublin; grandson, Jordan Howard; brother and sisterin-law, Daniel and Helene Lublin; many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Mr. Lublin was the dear brother of the late Dorothy and the late Abe Gichtin.

Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

SUZANNE ARLENE MANSFIELD, 84, of Commerce Township, died Dec. 14, 2021.

She was the devoted daughter of the late Max and the late Mary Mansfield; the cherished sister of the late Marjorie Greenberg.

Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park.

Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

CARLA L. MOSS, 82, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 16, 2021.

A voracious reader, she loved the library, so much so, that she began volunteering at the Southfield library during the early 1970s while busily raising her three children. It didn’t take long for Carla to turn her passion for books into a career; she moved up the ranks quickly from volunteer to part-time clerk and eventually head of circulation.

After a long illness, Carla died peacefully at home, her loving husband of 62 years, Howard, and her caregivers, were by her side. Carla’s daughter Lisa Cohen said her mother’s biggest professional accomplishment was comput-

erizing the checkout system at the library during the 1980s.

Perhaps even more meaningful, she also passed her love of reading onto her children and grandchildren.

“She read novels everything and just about anything that came into the library,” Lisa said. “One of the perks of the job was she got to read all the new books before they made their way to the shelves. She liked to know what the latest releases were and felt it was important to be able to share her knowledge about the books with library patrons.”

She loved seeing her children’s friends when they hung out at the library, daughter Rhonda Moss said.

“My friends would go the library to study and end up talking to my mom the whole time they were there,” Rhonda said. “They loved her.”

Moss grew up in Detroit and graduated from Mumford High School. In addition to reading, she liked to go for long walks and played mahjong and canasta.

Mrs. Moss is survived by her husband; two daughters, Lisa and Rhonda; her son and daughter-in-law, Eric Moss and Brenda Rosenthal; grandchildren, Danny and Max Cohen, and Josh and Noah; sister-in-law, Zeda Nathan; son-in-law, David Cohen; her long-time caregiver, Daisy Lawson; and caregiving team, Cecile, Daisy, Alma and Veronica.

She was the daughter of the late Leslie and Minnie Joseph; sister of the late Judith Shorr.

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

DONALD NITZKIN, 88, of Boca Raton, Fla., died Dec. 22, 2021.

He is survived by his wife, Florence Nitzkin; daughter and son-in-law, Shelley and Marc Shindler; sons and daughters-in-law, Jay and Andi Nitzkin, and Gary and Julie Nitzkin; grandchildren, Jennie and Adam Gnesin, Julie and Mark Cohen, Adam and Jessica Shindler, Jacob Nitzkin, Ari Nitzkin, Rachel and Jon Silverberg, and Jonah Nitzkin; great-grandchildren, Ellery, Parker, Dean, Anna, Grace and Nealie; brother, Joel Nitzkin; brothers-in-law and sisterin-law, Morty Tobin, Al Tobin, and Marshall and Rhoda Tobin.

Mr. Nitzkin was the devoted son of the late Meyer and the late Martha Tobin; and the dear brother-in-law of the late Phyllis Nitzkin, the late Diane Tobin, the late Virginia Tobin, and the late Harold and the late Ruthy Tobin.

Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to a Jewish charity. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

HARVEY THOMAS STALBURG, 81, of Southfield, died Dec. 18, 2021.

He is survived by his daughters and their spouses, Barbi Stalburg and Ben Kasoff of Beverly Hills, Dr. Caren M. Stalburg and Quinta Vreede of Ann Arbor; sister, Sheryl Uday; grandchildren, Brooke Bell, Drew Bell; loving partner, Elaine Baker; brothers-in-law and

sisters-in-law, Harold and Carolyn Kane, Dr. William and Marilyn Kohen, Paula Marquart; nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and many good friends.

Mr. Stalburg was the beloved husband of the late Diana J. Stalburg; cherished brother of the late Stanley Stalburg; dear brother-in-law of the late Robert Marquart.

Contributions may be made to American Heart Association, Memorial & Tribute Lockbox, 3816 Paysphere Circle, Chicago, IL. 60674; or to a charity of one’s choice. A graveside service was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park in Livonia.

Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

COLEMAN VERONA, 88, of Farmington Hills, died Dec. 15, 2021.

A natural giver and people connector, Coleman loved life and sharing his passions with people.

He was present and genuine, always interested in learning about others and imparting his wisdom or finding a way to help better their lives. He received great joy seeing others achieve their dreams and was always front and center, cheerleading all the way.

Laughter and fun were a huge part of Coleman’s life. He was always sharing stories and telling jokes. Coleman never met a stranger; and one thing for sure, if he knew you, he was always in your corner.

As a lifelong horseback rider, Coleman spearheaded his first official City Slicker trip out West. This trip became an annual adventure spanning 15 years often to dif-

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ferent destinations. He would round up 20 city slickers from near and far, ages 17 to 90, including many fathers and sons.

He loved his family and was loved in return. He will be missed by surviving family members, including his beloved wife; Judy Trivax Verona; cherished son, Paul Verona (Julie); daughter, Rhonda Verona; adored grandchildren, Bradley, Brandon and Jessica Verona; sister-in-law, Paula Polan (the late John Polan); adored nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; wonderful lifelong friends.

Mr. Verona was the cherished son of the late Florence Verona and the late Abe Verona; son-in-law of the late Ruth Trivax Waxer; brother of the late Eleanor Heyman (the late Dr. Louis Heyman).

To honor his memory, please donate to a charity of your choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

DECEMBER 30 • 2021

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Looking Back

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

A Holiday Tradition

L

ast weekend was the 25th Annual Mitzvah Day in Metro Detroit.

Sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee (JCRC/AJC), in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, Mitzvah Day is usually held on Dec. 25. Because Christmas was on Shabbat this year, the JCRC/AJC declared a “Mitzvah Weekend.”

Mitzvah Day was established by the JCRC in 1996 to assist Christian service organizations on Christmas to allow their staffs Mike Smith to celebrate the holiday with Alene and Graham Landau family and friends. Over the Archivist Chair years, Mitzvah Day has grown to include hundreds of volunteers, including those from other faiths such as Muslims and Hindus. It is a very nice gift for Cass Community Social Services, COTS, Haven, Jimmy’s Kids and Western Oakland Meals on Wheels, to name just a few.

I decided to research Mitzvah Day in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. It was a heartwarming experience. I highly recommend taking this online cruise. You’ll find reassurance that there is indeed a lot of goodness in the world.

Mitzvah Day in Metro Detroit has a very interesting history. There are 381 entries for the term “Mitzvah Day” in the Archive.

Most citations date from the 1990s. Before the concept of a Mitzvah Day, there are a few entries regarding bar or bat mitzvah days for Jewish youth.

“In Tears and Triumph,” a story about survivor David Bergman’s life, he relates that his bar mitzvah day was held on a train to the Plaszow Concentration Camp in 1944 (May 7, 1998, JN).

The history of the Mitzvah Day in Detroit is complicated. The first mitzvah day story that I could find was a JN report that teens from Temple Israel held a mitzvah day in fall 1957 to help seniors and others with

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DECEMBER 30 • 2021

household chores and fall yard clean-up. I soon discovered that many synagogues and congregations held and/or still hold mitzvah days: Temple Beth El, Temple Israel, Temple Kol Ami, Temple Emanu-El and Adat Shalom, and Congregations B’nai Moshe, Shir Tikvah, T’Chiyah and Beth Ahm. And I am certain this is not a complete list of all “mitzvah days” in the Jewish community.

I like the stories of mitzvah day families.

For example, see “One Family’s Mitzvah Day” (Jan. 1, 1999) about the Sakwas — Stuart, Randi and daughter, Hayley, Uncle Mike, Papa Dave and Grandma Joyce. It also has photos of volunteers Shari Goldstein and her son, Michael. Gabriella Ring wrote about helping Alzheimer’s patients with her family (Jan. 1, 2009), and the Nadis family served lunch at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries (Dec. 30, 2010).

Who created the concept of a Mitzvah Day? It’s hard to say. A JN editorial (Jan. 3, 2003) reported that Mitzvah Day began “years ago” at Temple Beth El and then the men’s club at Shaarey Zedek held one. In a story about the retirement of Temple Kol Ami Rabbi Norman T. Roman in the April 28, 2011, JN, he claimed: “We were the first local congregation to sponsor a Mitzvah Day.” The JCRC/AJC first held what is now the largest, most recognized Mitzvah Day in 1996. However, it should not be confused with “Itsa Mitzvah Day” sponsored by the Jewish Federation.

Regardless of origins, Mitzvah Day is a great invention. To all the volunteers — mazel tov!

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

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Todah Morim!

Thank you, teachers!

An appreciation of our day school educators during this pandemic.

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