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First Amendment Champion Herschel Fink honored for his lifetime’s work protecting free speech. See page 28.
contents 12
ANTHONY LANZILOTE
Jan. 9-15, 2020 / 12-18 Tevet | VOLUME CLVI, ISSUE 23
24
Views
Spirit
5-10
Torah portion
Jews in the D
26
A Public Presence
Arts&Life
12 Orthodox individuals discuss if they feel like targets for anti-Semites.
True Blue
False Report? 16 Temple Kol Ami cantorial soloist allegedly stages stabbing to get out of his contract.
35 Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year takes a step back to move forward.
The Banjo Beat 38 Instrumentalist pays tribute to banjo music.
Young Jews Making Moves: Jacob Blumenstein 20
35 Shabbat Lights
On the cover:
Shabbat starts: Friday, Jan. 10, 5:01 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, Jan. 11, 6: 07 p.m.
Cover photo/credit: Herschel Fink in the Detroit Free Press newsroom/ Anthony Lanzilote Cover design: Michelle Sheridan
* Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.
Online Exclusives • Movie Review: Uncut Gems with Adam Sandler • Schmoozing with Zak Rosen
40
English Translation of Davidson Talmud Available on Sefaria
On the Go
21
41
NYC’s Vanished Cafeterias 22 Marcia Bricker Halperin Exhibit and Lecture at U-M.
Jocelyn Benson 24
Moments 25
First Amendment Champion
thejewishnews.com
Celebrity Jews
28 Herschel Fink honored for his lifetime’s work protecting free speech.
Events/Editor’s Picks
Business Schmoozing with Elliot Darvick 42
Here’s To 42
Distribution Guru 43
Etc. The Exchange Soul Danny Raskin Looking Back
45 47 53 54
OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to reflect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible, responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life, in Southeast Michigan. JANUARY 9 • 2020
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The Weinberg Family Library & Temple Israel Sisterhood >Ă€i iĂ?VÂˆĂŒi` ĂŒÂœ ÂŤĂ€iĂƒiÂ˜ĂŒ ĂŒÂ…ÂˆĂƒ wÂ?“ `ÂˆĂƒVĂ•ĂƒĂƒÂˆÂœÂ˜ ĂƒiĂ€ÂˆiĂƒÂ°
Temple Israel is pleased to invite families with children 8 years & under to join us for
œˆ˜ ÂœĂ•Ă€ VÂ?iĂ€}Ăž vÂœĂ€\
THURSDAYS 5pm showing followed by dinner & discussion at 6:45pm
JANUARY 16: History of the World, Part I facilitated by Cantor Neil Michaels
JANUARY 30: Blazing Saddles facilitated by Rabbi Jennifer Kaluzny
FEBRUARY 6: When Do We Eat? facilitated by Rabbi Marla Hornsten
FEBRUARY 20: Raiders of the Lost Ark facilitated by Rabbi Josh Bennett
MARCH 5: Jewtopia facilitated by Rabbi Arianna Gordon
MARCH 19: The Frisco Kid facilitated by Lauren Marcus Johnson
Register at temple-israel.org/dinnermovie Temple Members, $16 per session or register for the whole series for $85. Non-members, $18 per session or register for the whole series for $95. ,iĂƒiÀÛ>ĂŒÂˆÂœÂ˜Ăƒ >Ă€i Ă€iÂľĂ•ÂˆĂ€i` ˜œ Â?>ĂŒiĂ€ ĂŒÂ…>˜ ĂŒÂ…i œ˜`>Ăž LivÂœĂ€i i>VÂ… `>ĂŒi° For questions, contact Lauren Marcus Johnson at 248-661-5700 or e-mail ljohnson@temple-israel.org.
Saturday, February 1st 5–7 PM at Temple Israel
Join our Temple Israel clergy for a fun-ďŹ lled evening! Together we’ll create unique bedtime crafts, enjoy a delicious pancake dinner in our pajamas, celebrate the end of Shabbat with a special Havdalah service, and learn about Jewish bedtime rituals. Bring your favorite bedtime buddy! Open to the community. Per family - $36 (members) / $45 (non-members)
Register online at temple-israel.org/PJs Registration required by Monday, January 27. Questions? Contact Alicia at 248.661.5725 or email alicia@temple-israel.org This program is supported by the Les & Bob Iwrey Children’s Bedtime Ritual Fund Of Temple Israel
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Views for openers
Peters Joins AntiSemitism Task Force
I’ll Eat My Words
T
wo of my favorite things are food and words. To that end, I should like to present examples of how we include edible items into our daily talk. If you are in a career, it is your bread and butter. When you get Sy Manello a promotion, Editorial Assistant milk it for all it’s worth. Pay raises may ensue if your boss, the big cheese, recognizes your value and is brimming with the milk of human kindness. You both know you won’t work for peanuts. Mess with a bully (someone who would take candy from a baby) and you are toast. If you have insulted him, you may have to eat humble pie. letters
The Days are Getting Longer I don’t like living in a world where people don’t have what they need. I do like living in a world where people help others to get what they need. Over the last couple of weeks, the community has filled Jewish Family Service up with its generosity. JFS’ role is to spread this generosity throughout the community to the Chanukah and Christmas celebrators who don’t have what they need. This season, 850 people received that generosity from more than 500 generous donors. Generous individuals.
Whatever you do, do not egg him on. If you are not a couch potato, you may find a task performed is easy as pie. You may even observe that doing it was “a piece of cake.” Working with ease is your cup of tea. If you know someone who is fond of only the basic food items, you’ll know you are dealing with a “meat and potatoes man” — er, I meant person. Do not go bananas in having to cook for him; just remain as cool as a cucumber. If a suggested plan seems to be questionable, you may think it sounds fishy. If you invest poorly, you may find
that the scheme was a “fine kettle of fish” and has left you in a pickle. Well, do not stew about it; realize you have bought a lemon and you will have little to show as the fruit of your labors. To argue successfully, make sure you are not comparing apple to oranges. To avoid arguing, do not be one to spill the beans if you have been told of a secret enterprise. Once you become aware of your propensity for food expressions, you are on the gravy train as a conversationalist. B’tay avon — good appetite.
Generous families. Generous congregations. Generous workplaces. All “adopting” families. Scooters and balls and games and jackets, and so many other familiar gift items. Wrapped beautifully. Walking around JFS’ Adopt-A-Family “workshop,” I noticed some paper towels. Then some kitty litter. Then some dishwashing liquid. More paper towels. This made me feel so sad and also so happy. Whether we know it or not, acknowledge it or not, there are lots of families, right here in the Jewish community, not so far from our homes, that need paper towels and soap. And they don’t just need help during these dark and cold months. Families need help in
April and July, too. Jewish Family Service, our sister institutions and the Jewish community provide this light to help brighten others’ darkness. All of us, if we are lucky enough to provide for ourselves, need to continue to bring this light to everyone. As the days imperceptibly get longer, let us all commit to help our neighbors in the most dignified and respectful way we can. In December and April and July and every day. I don’t like living in a world where people don’t have what they need. I do like living in a world where people help others to get what they need.
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) joined the U.S. Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating AntiSemitism. Last year, Sen. James Lankford Se. Gary (R-OK) and Sen. Peters Jacky Rosen (D-NV) launched the task force. The collaboration is the first of its kind in the U.S. Senate, serving as a corollary to the House of Representative’s Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism. “With evidence showing that anti-Semitism is on the rise, we are taking a stand against this disturbing ideology and violent acts of hatred,” said Senators Rosen and Lankford. “We are proud to be joined by colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are committed to working together to prevent anti-Semitism before it starts, and to educate, explain and empower our communities to combat anti-Semitism.” Noah Arbit, founder and chair of the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, said, “The establishment of the Senate’s anti-Semitism task force is incredibly important, and I am thrilled to see Sen. Peters continuing his long-standing record championing the issues and concerns of Michigan Jews.” The task force has 32 members, spilt evenly between Democrats and Republicans.
— Perry Ohren, CEO Jewish Family Service
JANUARY 9 • 2020
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Views essay
A New Year’s Resolution This year let’s rededicate ourselves to political engagement.
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here is a story in the Talmud about a young man who had fallen into a coma. When suddenly he awakened, his father was sitting by his side. Startled and grateful, the man asked his son what he experienced during that brief journey to the next world and back. The Daniel son answered, Cherrin “I saw an upside-down world.” From this brief journey we learn that a world upside down affects everyone. We cannot carry on as we once did before. We get distracted; making decisions becomes difficult. We lose our sense of who we can trust. This is a lesson to help mourners through a difficult time, such as the one I experienced following the recent passing of my father. After the passing of a loved one, our world is turned upsidedown. We get disoriented and lose our way. Slowly, we find our way back. This is also a lesson for all of us to better understand our world today and the opportunities in the months ahead. Not only are we in a new year, we are also in a new decade. This is our chance for a do-over, to start from scratch and reconnect to the very place we got distracted from. It also is our time to fix our world — together. It is time we find purpose in what we do, at work and at home, with our families and in our community. The Hebrew
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
word for purpose is kavanah. It is a term commonly used in prayer, but the concept has a much broader application. In prayer, it is about being present and fulling the mitzvot. I recently attended a lecture by Robert E. Quinn, a professor with the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. In his latest book, The Economics of Higher Purpose, Quinn tells us that the purpose of a leader is to recognize the common good and sacrifice for it so that others will follow. There is no better time for us to take this opportunity to reflect on the past several years to help each of us prepare for the months and years ahead and to be present in the world around us. The past decade was a difficult one. We emerged from a recession and saw a political tidal wave of changes, not just in the United States, but all over the world. With these changes, we witnessed an increase in anti-Semitism and violent acts of terrorism targeting schools, shuls and shops. Anti-Semitism is on the rise again as Jews are being targeted by terrorists in New York, New Jersey, Germany, California, Italy and the United Kingdom. Anti-Semitism is hard to stop, and it is hard to educate the ignorant. But what if we elected more Jews to positions where they can prevent it or quash misinformation by other influencers? If we elected more Jewish people to office in America and abroad, while investing our time in building relation-
ships and fighting against all forms of hate, then perhaps we can minimize the impact. While more than 6 percent of the U.S. Congress is Jewish, with 34 Jews among the 535 lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, in Michigan, there are just two Jewish legislators, one of whom will be term-limited next year. In 2020, we will not only elect the next president of the United States, we will elect or re-elect a U.S. senator, members of the U.S. House of Representatives, members of the Michigan House of Representatives, county-wide seats, township supervisors and trustees, state supreme court justices, university regents and judges. It takes courage, commitment and heroism to run for office. These people are putting their reputations on the line to stand up and speak out against injustice, to help their communities overcome challenges and to improve our quality of life. Many of us are involved in the community. We sit on boards, volunteer for nonprofits and make financial contributions to organizations that make a meaningful impact. As we sit on these boards or volunteer, we grow frustrated as to how these organizations are filling a void left by the government. A void left in part due to a lack of understanding of where the real needs are. We can no longer hide behind the veil of tikkun olam; we need to take additional steps and become more engaged politically and
with our elected officials. Philanthropy is vital to our community but so, too, is political engagement. As a community, we do a great job of building relationships. Some of us may even travel to Washington to lobby Congress. But how often are we leading caravans to Lansing, to Pontiac or Detroit? Why aren’t we in Lansing or in our city halls more often supporting legislation or policies that benefit or protect our community? Why aren’t we part of coalitions to support a broader agenda or advancing our own? And why aren’t we out in the community working diligently to encourage people to run for political office? The time is now to recruit more people from our community to run for office. April is the filing deadline. There is plenty of time to find more bold leaders who are willing to stand up and speak out, not just around the dinner table but to take the next step and run for office. Then we need to educate the candidates on what issues matter to us and how they can help support our community. As we enter a new decade, I challenge you to think about your purpose and rededicate yourself in becoming a part of a network of advocates who will not only support our community philanthropically but also get involved politically, even run for office. Daniel Cherrin is the founder of North Coast Strategies, a public relations firm. He recently announced his intention to run for elected office.
FedRadioDetroit is Live! FedRadioDetroit is Federation’s podcast series hosted by Sam Dubin and Beverly Liss and featuring big personalities from Jewish Detroit’s diverse cast of characters.
FedRadioDetroit recently welcomed Professor Howard Lupovitch to discuss the alarming rise of anti-Semitism as well as the history of hatred toward Jews in the United States. Tune in to this fascinating conversation. Hosts Sam Dubin and Beverly Liss with Professor Howard Lupovitch
Episode #2 is available at
jewishdetroit.org/fedradio Have a listen and look out for our next interview in February! JANUARY 9 • 2020
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Views essay
Turning 65 and Still Searching for Wisdom
A
ge is just a state of mind, at least that’s what Hallmark likes to tell us. I’ve always hated that expression but have been willing to go along with it for the past 20 years or so. At 40, it kind of worked. At 50, it was clearly a fiction, but I clung to it, nonetheless. At 65, however, it’s a mythical pep talk, a silly saying that resembles reality about as much as the tooth fairy. Sorry, but turning 65 is different. It doesn’t just feel old; it’s officially, government-sanctioned old. It’s Medicare-eligible old, Mark Jacobs the time to finally figure out the difference between Medicare Plan A and Plan B or to decide when to start collecting Social Security or what medical directives to give in the event of your mental incapacitation. You know, fun stuff like that. When you’re in your mid-60s, the reminders of your senior status are everywhere. I was watching the American Music Awards and saw Taylor Swift being given the “Musician of the Decade” award. Of course, I know who Taylor Swift is, but I realized that I couldn’t name a single one of her songs. Here she’s
supposedly the most influential musician of the whole decade and I don’t even know her music. I used to be the guy who owned hundreds of albums, studied the pop charts and subscribed to Rolling Stone magazine. Now I’m apparently so old that I missed an entire decade of popular music. Admittedly, my music tastes aren’t exactly contemporary. I’m hopelessly stuck in the bygone era of the ’60s and ’70s. If I’m being honest, I’m just starting to emerge from the ’60s and into the ’70s. (Led Zepplin and Queen, it turns out, were really good! I think they’re going to be big). At this rate, I figure I’ll discover Kelly Clarkston and Britney Spears when I turn about 100, which is fine by me. I’m learning just how tempting it is to lose our patience as we age. We finally give ourselves a license to do and say what we want, and that can be wonderfully liberating. But it’s also easy — too easy — to become a grumpy old person. I know I have to tolerate people who annoy me, but sometimes I really have to fight the urge to be unkind. I recently ordered an Uber and the comment section noted that the driver was “a good conversationalist.” That
instantly depressed me since I was in no mood for a conversation with anyone. But I didn’t want to be the unfriendly older guy, so when I met the chatty driver I smiled and, sure enough, within minutes I started hearing all about his recent dental surgery. I was captive to his agonizing tale of Novocain and bleeding gums. There was nothing good about the conversation, and I seriously considered quietly opening the rear door and rolling out onto the freeway. But I did learn to be more careful about who I smile at, which, of course, is the first step at full-blown old man grumpiness. One thing I’ve already learned about turning 65 is the amount of attention you suddenly get from people trying to sell you things. Each year, the 60 million people who are eligible for Medicare can purchase or modify their supplemental coverage, so be prepared to be inundated with salespeople who seem to come out of the woodwork. Their phone calls are constant, with all kinds of clever ways to scare you and grab their share of your wallet. I’ve taken to avoiding all unrecognizable incoming phone calls, something I should’ve started doing years ago. The AARP emails are also constant, continued on page 10
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Views TURNING 65 continued from page 8
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
but they don’t bother me. The truth is I’m starting to find them relevant and even oddly interesting. I’m even starting to develop a bit of camaraderie toward those graying, happy AARP folks in the photos. They’re no longer abstract strangers to me, and they’re far more relatable than the silly young celebrities I see on TV or on the Grammy’s. Those AARP folks are becoming my new peeps. We want to believe that wisdom comes with age, but I know too many older people who disprove that theory. I’m no exception to that although I am starting to accept who I’m not and what I no longer wish to try. It’s my “process of elimination” approach to living. I’m no longer doing lots of things I used to do but no longer enjoy. The list is quickly getting longer and involves everything from snorkeling to sit-ups to going to Detroit Lions games. I look forward to adding many more items to the list in the future. I recently heard a few Ted Talks that turn the notion of age and wisdom on its head. There are a number of talks from brilliant children with
topics ranging from pancreatic cancer to nuclear fusion to advanced programming. One of them, from a 12-yearold child prodigy named Adora Svitzak, is titled “What Adults Can Learn From Children” and has been viewed by 5.5 million people. These videos remind us that wisdom comes in all ages, and there is much that adults can learn from the big, bold and creative dreams of children. So as much as I want to make conclusions about wisdom and aging, the only thing I know for sure is that the search never ends, no matter how old one gets. The writer Percy Seitland once wrote, “A man of 97, unless he’s a fool, has no message.” I’m not sure if that’s a depressing message about ignorance or a positive one about acceptance. My plan is to make that assessment for myself on my 97th birthday. Preparing for that day is the gift I’m giving myself on this momentous birthday. Mark Jacobs is the AIPAC Michigan chair for African American Outreach and co-director of the Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity.
S
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Jews in the D
A Public Presence Orthodox individuals discuss if they feel like targets for anti-Semites. JN STAFF REPORT
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ABOVE: Melissa and Aaron Schon with their children a few years ago: Hadassah, Adina, Shmuel and Moshe. FACING PAGE: “Friday Boys” Moshe Weiss and Levi Uminer from the Lubavitch Cheder & YeshivaInternational School for Chabad Leadership in Oak Park (in a photo from 2018) look out on Northwestern Highway, the busy road where they visit businesses with Jewish employees each Friday.
hen an attacker burst into a rabbi’s home Dec. 29, 2019, and began stabbing people at a Chanukah celebration in Monsey, N.Y., there was no misidentifying this as a Jewish house. Monsey, a small town about 30 miles northwest of New York City, is known for its large ultra-Orthodox community, easily identifiable by their dress — yarmulkes or black hats and black suits or coats for men; wigs, scarves or hats and modest dresses or skirts for women. Detroit’s observant community members dress similarly, also making them easy to spot as Jewish in public by those who might want to single them out. For the most part, local individuals the JN spoke with have not experienced anti-Semitic behavior directed at them, except for one. Here are their comments. MELISSA SCHON Melissa Schon, who dresses modestly in skirts and long sleeves and covers her hair, said, “For most of my co-workers, I’m the only Orthodox Jew they have ever met.” Schon of Oak Park, who works as research administrator at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, is open
when questioned about her dress or her sheitel (wig worn by some Orthodox married women) or about religious beliefs like Shabbos. “I tell them how dressing modestly allows my intelligence and inner self to shine. I really feel that from exposure and sharing, many misconceptions and stereotypes are erased,” she said. “I think it can be a real kiddush HaShem (sanctification of God) to have an Orthodox person in a secular workplace. “Unfortunately, now all you hear about is anti-Semitism,” she said. “But I’ve been so fortunate to work somewhere so respectful and open to diversity, and I feel not every Orthodox person should feel so scared to work in secular places.” When Schon was recently honored at a work-related celebration, she said planners, whose guests included a medical school dean, “went to great lengths to be respectful of my religious practices, making it kosher and not having it on a Friday, when they normally have this awards ceremony.” Being so accepted has, at times, come with determination. While living in New York many years ago, she filed a lawsuit claiming religious discrimination after a job offer was receded when she requested time off for Jewish holidays and accommodations for shorter workdays on the Fridays when Shabbos began early. When the suit was dropped and she was hired, she created a “wonderful relationship” with her new boss that continues to this day. “I felt it was my responsibility to be brave and show her how hardworking a frum (observant) Jew is. I think many negative reactions are mostly due to non-exposure. “Having only worked in secular environments I am always cognizant of how I treat my coworkers and pride myself on always working hard and with integrity. When I was younger, if I heard or experienced anything anti-Semitic, I was much more fearful to speak up. Now if I hear something negative, such as a co-worker continued on page 14
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
ANTHONY LANZILOTE
“The idea of anti-Semitism is to instill fear, but we respond with more Jewish pride and wanting to increase our Jewish identity even more.” — RABBI MENDEL STEIN
JANUARY 9 • 2020
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“I think the chance of being injured in a terrorist attack is small compared to slipping on the ice and getting hurt, so I’m not worried about it.” — RABBI ELI FINKELMAN
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
say something like, ‘He Jewed me,’ I stop them and explain in a kind manner why that comment is anti-Semitic. “Often in my experience people haven’t been called out or educated on anti-Semitism and my hope is that by having a discussion in a calm manner it opens people’s eyes and changes some of their stereotypes.” RABBI MENDEL STEIN “In recent years, we have increased our training of staff and students, and taken advantage of Federation security assistance, including visits by Gary Sikorski (Federation’s community security director),” said Rabbi Mendel Stein, development director of the Lubavitch Cheder &
Yeshiva-International School for Chabad Leadership in Oak Park. In the wake of the Monsey attack, Stein sent an email letter last week from the yeshivah seeking donations to upgrade security at the school, including hiring a security guard. Close to 90 teens attending the school are “Friday Boys,” taking to suburban streets each week to bring the Shabbat Torah portion and “Yiddishkeit” to Jewish workers in businesses along their routes. They dress in black suits, tzitzit (a fringed undergarment) and wear black hats; some are even old enough to have beards. They are easily identifiable as observant Jews. “We are not fearful on a practical level — thank God, ours is a safe community,” Stein said. “We upped our training to be better and smarter, but this
makes us stronger, too. It is not at all about hiding our identities. The idea of anti-Semitism is to instill fear, but we respond with more Jewish pride and wanting to increase our Jewish identity even more.” LOUIS FINKELMAN Louis “Eli” Finkelman, a professor at Lawrence Tech University and a rabbi at Congregation Or Chadash in Oak Park, looks visibly Jewish, but says he has a fatalist approach to the recent spate of violent anti-Semitic attacks in New York and New Jersey. “I think the chance of being injured in a terrorist attack is small compared to slipping on the ice and getting hurt, so I’m not worried about it.” Finkelman said he general-
ly wears a beret when traveling in public rather than a kippah. He’s been doing that for decades. “I guess I would have to psychoanalyze myself, but it’s probably a bit of camouflage.” He does wears a kippah when teaching at LTU or working out in the gym but has never felt uncomfortable. He’ll get an occasional question from a curious bystander, but nothing offensive. The only time he has considered concealing his Jewish identity is when he is traveling and putting on tallit for prayers in an airport. “It gives me an uncomfortable feeling, but I do it anyway,” he said. “Once I did it and a stranger came up to me. He was Muslim and told me about his father who taught Hebrew in Egypt and got in trouble for it. He said he was hopeful to see good relations between Islam and Judaism. That was nice.” YEHUDAH (RYAN) HERTZ Yehudah (Ryan) Hertz, 39, has experienced his fair share of curious questions and ignorant comments about his Jewish faith. As a Chasidic Jew, he has felt “othered” in many situations, but only recently did he feel endangered in his own neighborhood. A few weeks ago, Hertz and his wife, Batyah (Katharina), were walking home from shul with their two sleeping children in their Huntington Woods neighborhood when a car pulled up slowly alongside them.
Hertz recalls seeing a teenage boy roll down his backseat window and begin swearing and yelling at them. “We look like the Chasidic family that we are — I’m walking down the street wearing a black hat and my wife is wearing a sheitel,” Hertz said. “There’s no other reason why somebody would have done that. “It was very strange and surreal to be two blocks from your house where you feel completely comfortable and safe. I have never experienced thinking that living here in the United States in my own neighborhood where I’m walking home from shul that I’m not necessarily safe to be who I am.” Hertz says he generally feels accepted in Metro Detroit but is now questioning how serious anti-Semitism is and how it’s going to evolve. The machete attack in Monsey occurred on the seventh night of Chanukah, prompting a discussion between Hertz and his wife on hiding one’s Jewish identity when fear is detected. “The Talmud says people should light the menorah in the doorway where it’s visible from the outside, except for in times of danger,” Hertz said. “It led us to this conversation about the menorah as a metaphor for how we do or don’t appear Jewish. Our conclusion in the conversation, inspired by my wife, is that we should double-down and be even more proud.” JN staffers Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Jackie Headapohl, Allison Jacobs and Keri Guten Cohen contributed to this report.
JANUARY 9 • 2020
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Jews in the D
“Very early in the investigation, it was becoming increasingly clear there were a number of inconsistencies that did not add up. We believed he had made a false report and that there was no threat to the community.” — CHIEF MICHAEL PATTON, WBPD
Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield
False W Report? Temple Kol Ami cantorial soloist allegedly stages stabbing to get out of his contract.
hen police officers arrived at Temple Kol Ami to investigate a reported anti-Semitic stabbing, it did not take long for them to believe the story had been fabricated by the supposed victim. Sean Sammit, the synagogue’s cantorial soloist and music teacher, initially told police he had been stabbed in the parking lot on Dec. 15 by a man who expressed anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant epithets. However, detectives soon believed the evidence did not support Sammit’s story. “Early in the investigation, it was becoming increasingly clear there were a number of inconsistencies that did not add up. We believed he had made a false report and that there was no threat to the community,” said West Bloomfield Police Chief Michael Patton. According to the police report obtained by the JN, Samitt did not call 911 after his alleged attack. Instead, he drove himself to the emergency department of Henry Ford Hospital, where a security staff member called police. There, he told detectives a detailed story that included specifics about the alleged perpetrator’s appearance and clothing and the blows they exchanged during the alleged attack.
Meanwhile, officers on the scene said they did not find any evidence of a stabbing in the synagogue parking lot. Once inside, they said they discovered bloody tissues in Samitt’s office and in the men’s bathroom and a bloody knife in the kitchen area. When police confronted Samitt about the inconsistencies in his story, he claimed he lost consciousness while washing dishes at the synagogue and accidentally stabbed himself, the report said. He told police he made up the story about being stabbed due to having been teased by other employees about his medical condition. Officers later told Samitt they had examined the health data on Samitt’s Apple watch and found he did not lose consciousness. The report said officers also informed him surveillance footage from a nearby camera did not display any signs of the attack he had described. According to the police report, Samitt then admitted he had decided to stage his own stabbing because he wanted to get out of his contract with Temple Kol Ami. Once Samitt confirmed he had fabricated the attack, West Bloomfield police reported the incident to the Oakland County continued on page 18
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
Congratulations to the 2019 Hazon Seal of Sustainability Recipients! The following institutions have taken incredible steps towards creating a healthier and more sustainable Metro-Detroit Jewish community. From improved lighting and recycling policies to composting and garden education and so much more! We are thrilled to provide support and guidance to the following 20 Jewish institutions in their sustainability efforts: Adat Shalom Synagogue Congregation Beth Ahm Congregation B’nai Moshe Congregation Shaarey Zedek Congregation Shir Tikvah Detroit Jews for Justice Farber Hebrew Day School – Yeshivat Akiva
Hillel Day School Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit Jewish Family Service Jewish Ferndale Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
Kibbutz Detropia Repair the World Detroit Tamarack Camps Temple Beth El Temple Israel Temple Kol Ami Young Israel of Southfield
We’re delighted to welcome our 6 newest sites to the 2020 cohort: Beth Israel Congregation • Clover Hill Park Cemetery • Frankel Jewish Academy Hillel of Metro Detroit • Jewish Senior Life • Michigan Hillel The Hazon Seal of Sustainability is a nationwide program for Jewish institutions to become healthier and more sustainable. Learn more at hazon.org/seal or email brittany.feldman@hazon.org.
hazon.org/detroit
Jews in the D continued from page 16
arrested and charged with one count of falsely reporting a felony. He was arraigned the same day at 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills and appeared in court Jan. 2 for a probable cause hearing. Kol Ami is located on Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield, a virtual “synagogue row” that includes three other synagogues on the same road and the Jewish Community Center not far away. “When we learned there was an alleged crime of violence connected to a possible hate crime, it was a source of immediate and urgent concern to our department,” said Patton, adding that Samitt, like any defendant, should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. “We called in off-duty detectives and brought in a lot of resources, including tracking dogs.”
Gary Sikorski, the Jewish Federation’s community-wide security director, spoke to members of the West Bloomfield Police Department prior to the news becoming public. “We have a great relationship with all of our law enforcement and had there been something that the community needed to be aware of, I’m sure we would have been notified immediately and information would have been relayed to the community,” Sikorski said. Carolyn Normandin, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in Michigan, credits the West Bloomfield Police Department for acting “swiftly and very professionally” but stresses the severe impact this false police report has on the community. “It is very destructive to file a
false police report,” Normandin said. “Not only is it illegal, but it doesn’t help anyone. At a time like this, when there is an uptick in anti-Semitism, filing a false police report harms everyone.” Patton agreed. “We already have an elevated concern about these things,” Patton said. “For someone to fabricate this kind of incident wastes our resources and puts a bad light on the community.” According to information found in Jewish News stories in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History, Samitt came to Temple Kol Ami in August of 2018 as cantorial soloist and also worked as the school’s music teacher. He resigned Dec. 16, a Kol Ami spokesperson confirmed. “Sean resigned for personal
health reasons,” the spokesperson said. “We wish him well in the future. Sean’s musical talents were appreciated during his time here, and we’re very sad for him that he faces these challenges.” Other online sources showed that Samitt relocated from Arizona, where he was the musical director at Temple Beth Sholom of the East Valley. He is originally from New York and attended Arizona State University, where he assisted in leading services at the Hillel. Samitt will return to court Jan. 14 for a preliminary examination in front of 48th District Court Judge Diane D’Agostini. If convicted, he could face up to four years imprisonment. JN staffers Ronelle Grier, Corrie Colf and Keri Guten Cohen contributed to this report.
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David Broner
Charles Domstein, PhD
Ruthe Goldstein
Doreen Hermelin
Drs. Phoebe & Harris Mainster
Irene Miller
Joyce Sherman
Warren Tessler, DDS
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
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JACOB BLUMENSTEIN
Jews in the D
Young Jews Making Moves: Jacob Blumenstein CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER Jacob Blumenstein, center, with the help of his siblings, Reuben and Alana, started KidsRead2Kids.
J
acob Blumenstein’s educational path hasn’t always been the easiest. “Growing up, I struggled heavily in school because I couldn’t read,” Blumenstein says. “My teachers didn’t understand dyslexia and I didn’t even know Jacob Blumenstein I had dyslexia until I was diagnosed in fifth grade.” With the help of his parents, Carol and Richard, and resources provided by his school, Blumenstein was able to realize his full potential. “In the beginning, I felt humiliated and stupid,” Blumenstein says. “But as I grew up and learned how to take control of my dyslexia, I realized I could excel at many things besides reading.”
Blumenstein discovered many students were unaware of their learning disabilities or didn’t have the same support system. In 2017 with the help of his siblings, Alana and Reuben, Blumenstein launched a free educational nonprofit, KidsRead2Kids, designed to help children with learning disabilities learn to read. “We use YouTube videos where we read abridged classic novels and decodable books chapter by chapter so anyone can follow along at their own pace,” Blumenstein says. “Because I was ashamed for being different, I wanted to be very open about my dyslexia on our website because I wanted our readers and listeners to know they are not alone.” Blumenstein attended the International Dyslexia
Association (IDA) conference in Portland, Ore., this year where he had applied for the Remy Johnson Certificate of Merit. He felt the award description represented him because he does not make excuses due to his dyslexia and doesn’t let it define who he is. Blumenstein unfortunately lost by one point but received a call from the CEO of the IDA, Sonja Banks, who had a different position in mind. “She read my application and was upset that I didn’t win the award,” Blumenstein says. “She was inspired by my story and wanted to offer me the position as president for the Youth and Young Adult Advocate Program that she was creating.” Blumenstein accepted the role as president at the IDA Annual Conference in November. In this role, he
is responsible for program development and educating students, parents and teachers about dyslexia. “I have two goals for this position: My first goal is to spread my message of empowerment and to change the narrative of dyslexia,” he says. “The second part revolves around us acting as a consultant group to different businesses to help make technology easier for dyslexics.” Blumenstein also gave a speech at the IDA annual conference where he shared his story. “I may always have to work harder, but that’s not such a bad thing,” Blumenstein says. “In fact, working harder has pushed me to be better and become a more compassionate person.”
Detroit JCC Selected for Major Study on Jewish Education The Detroit Jewish Community Center is among eight communities and local organizations selected to participate in the first strand of a three-part research project addressing the recruitment, retention and development of educators working in Jewish settings in North America.
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
The research is led by CASJE (Consortium for Applied Studies in Jewish Education) and conducted by Rosov Consulting. “Through our partnership with these eight communities we will gain deeper insight into the lived experiences of Jewish educators in the
United States,” says Arielle Levites, managing director of CASJE. The local partner organizations in each community will play a critical role in the study’s first phase, known as On the Journey (OTJ), helping researchers connect with Jewish educators from a
variety of sectors — including day schools, supplemental schools, youth groups, camps, adult education and more. The partner organizations also will assist researchers in getting as accurate a count as possible of the total number of Jewish educators in each community.
Jews in the D
English Translation of Davidson Talmud Available on Sefaria
T
he William Davidson Talmud on Sefaria now includes the complete English and modern Hebrew translations from Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz. To date, more than 800,000 people around the globe have spent 26 million minutes (or more than 49 years) learning Talmud on Sefaria — the world’s largest free and open source digital library of Jewish texts. With the start of the 14th Daf Yomi cycle that began Jan. 5 (with people learning a page of Talmud a day for 7.5 years), individuals can access the William Davidson Talmud, including interlinked commentaries and connections to Torah, Midrash, Halakhah and an ever-growing library of Jewish texts on Sefaria. Users can easily learn a page of Talmud a day on-thego with Sefaria’s mobile apps for iOS and Android or from their desktop. Calendar links make it easy to stay on track. Participants can access a built-in Jastrow dictionary, take notes without leaving the page while on the desktop and more. The Steinsaltz translations were made available with a Creative Commons non-commercial license, making them free for use and re-use — even beyond Sefaria — through the generous support of the William Davidson Foundation. “My father dedicated his life to Jewish peoplehood,” Ethan Davidson said. “A big part of
his vision was ensuring that our treasures were open and accessible to all Jews. This is why he got involved with the Davidson Archaeological Park at the Western Wall. And this is why we at the William Davidson Foundation felt that attaching his name to the world’s first free and open access translation of the complete Talmud was in keeping with his commitment. “We are honored to be associated with Rabbi Steinsaltz, a giant of this generation. We further felt that the entrepreneurial approach of Sefaria was something my father would have strongly resonated with.” Written in Aramaic, the Talmud — consisting of 37 tractates covering 2,700 pages — includes Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, history and legend. Studied by religious and nonreligious Jews alike, the Talmud is the essential text of Jewish culture, peoplehood and religion. Yet, for centuries, the Talmud has remained largely inaccessible to all but trained scholars. The William Davidson Talmud — a free digital edition, with parallel English and modern Hebrew translations, interlinked with every major commentary — opens this seminal work of the Jewish people to the world. In 1965, Steinsaltz began his effort to democratize access to the Talmud. Read more about learning Daf Yomi on Sefaria at sefaria.org/daf-yomi.
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Jews in the D
NYC’s Vanished Cafeterias Marcia Bricker Halperin Exhibit and Lecture at U-M.
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n exhibit of photographs presenting the cafeterias that fed New Yorkers in the early to mid20th century will be featured in the Institute for Research on Women and Gender’s Gallery in Lane Hall during the 2020 winter semester at the University of Michigan. Marcia Bricker Halperin will kick off the exhibit of her photographs with a lecture titled “Kibitz & Nosh: NYC’s Vanished Cafeterias” at the University of Michigan’s Frankel Center 1 p.m. Jan. 16, followed by a reception at the Lane Hall gallery at 4 p.m. As a young art student, Halperin found that cafeterias gave her a window into the lives of people she wouldn’t usually come across in her everyday life. “One February day, while photographing reflections in store windows, my fingers froze solid onto my Honeywell Pentax camera,” Halperin noted. “That’s when I headed through the revolving doors into Dubrow’s Cafeteria. I took a ticket from the man at the door and found myself looking out at a tableau of amazing faces. There were light, reflections, patterns, textures, sweeping architectural features and remarkable subjects all for the price of a cup of coffee, then 25 cents.” Her lecture will focus on the part cafeterias played in 20th century Jewish American his-
tory and in assimilating Jewish culture into the mainstream and vice versa. Cafeterias like Dubrow’s served popular Jewish-style dishes, like blintzes, as well as less traditional dishes, like shrimp salad. “It became a place to experience the world outside of what you’d have at home,” Halperin said. “I look forward to having people learn about the golden era of cafeterias, a time when self-serve restaurants were in every city and contributed to vibrant civic life.” Halperin first discovered her passion for photography while studying art at Brooklyn College. After graduating with a master of fine arts, she was selected to be a part of the CETA Artists Project. CETA was a federally funded program for artists that operated in New York City from 1978 to 1980. The program connected unemployed artists with community sponsors to develop public artworks, give performances, and teach classes. One of her projects was working with tenant organizers at Housing Conservation Coordinators. She documented the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, taking pictures of apartments that were neglected by landlords to help the tenants win lawsuits and advocate for homesteaders. Later, she worked for the New York City Department of Education, teaching art and special education for more than 35 years.
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Jews in the D
Jocelyn Benson on Her Recent Trip To Israel ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER
S STATE OF MICHIGAN
ecretary of State Jocelyn Benson spoke with the JN about the recent trip she took to Israel Dec. 15-20 as a part of a bipartisan delegation of Secretary of State participants. The Israel trip was organized by Project Interchange, a Benson program of the American Jewish Committee, in partnership with the local JCRC/AJC. She said Project Interchange ensured they saw and understood different perspectives. “Those are relationships that will bear lots of fruit for years to come,” she said. “I felt like I learned a new language while I was there by gaining an in-depth understanding of the history with economic leaders, military leaders, political leaders and thought leaders. It was truly a wonderful, life-changing experience. “It’s certainly undeniable that being over there gives you a sense of exactly why the U.S. role in this region is so historic and necessary,” she said. JN: Were there any Detroitor Michigan-based angles to your trip? Benson: Yes, the number of people I met who have a connection to Michigan, were from Michigan and who have family in Michigan, from both the Palestinian and Israeli communities, was astounding. Our tour guide from the Peres Center for Innovation was from Ludington.
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The relationship Michigan has with Israel and the history there is parallel and very analogous to what our country has with Israel. It’s no coincidence I’m not the only Michigan political leader who has visited Israel in the past few months. That’s reflective of the ties within Michigan. Michigan’s presence is known there. The relationship is very clear. I would not be surprised if there was a direct flight from Detroit to Tel Aviv with all the travel and connections between the two areas and regions. JN: How did Israeli innovation play into the trip? Benson: What I saw in Israel is the power of forward-thinking. We went to the Peres Center and I was really astounded by how the government investment, attention and focus on innovation, as was led by Peres, has really and can really [further innovation]. And frankly, [innovation] is really necessary to position any city, state, region and country as an economic influence — if not global superpower. That focus on innovation, that focus on creating jobs through empowering others to be innovative and create businesses supporting small business … all of that is something we need from our state leaders and we need from our federal leaders to position our country to have the influence it has had throughout its history.
Moments
JUNE 12, 2019 Laura and Joshua Bobrow of Franklin are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Sophia Gloria (Lavi Deborah). Proud grandparents are Eileen and Richard Polk of Huntington Woods, and Patricia and Kenneth Bobrow of New Hartford, N.Y. Excited greatgrandmothers are Marcia Klain of West Bloomfield and Shirley Bobrow of Hollywood, Fla. Sophia is named in loving memory of her great-great-grandmother Dora Klain.
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– Nelson Hersh, DDS, MS Noah Drew Kanner, son of Adina and Gregg Kanner, will lead the congregation in prayer on the occasion of his bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. He will be joined in celebration by his sister Madalyn and proud grandparents Leslie and Jeffrey London, and Marcia and Rick Kanner. Noah attends James R. Geisler Middle School in Commerce Township. He completed many mitzvah projects but found it most meaningful to raise funds for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation as this disease impacts his family directly.
Lonni Eryn Reich, daughter of Lauren Reich and Steven Reich, will become a bat mitzvah at Adat Shalom Synagogue on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020. She will be joined in celebration by her sisters Charlyt and Sydni and proud grandparents Joni and Alan Feldman, and Judy Reich. Lonni is a student at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. For her most meaningful mitzvah project, Lonni handpainted gym shoes for the children of Frisch Beit Hayeled in Israel.
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
I
n the 49th of Genesis’ 50 the men in the car are going chapters, our patriarch Jacob to Dallas to kill the president assembles his 12 sons and two days later. She correctly declares: “Agidah lakhem et describes the future, but no one asher yikra etchem b’achabelieves her. rit hayamim� — “I will tell #2 – Predicting the you that which shall befall future might negatively you in the end of days.� impact the way we live. What Jacob proceeds to What if Jacob had cleartell them, though, includly identified the events Rabbi Elliott ing a few generalizations that would occupy his Pachter about the future, is mostly children’s destiny? These a series of strange poems include slavery, exile, Parshat Vayechi: and animal imagery. Crusades, pogroms, Genesis Anyone anticipating a Holocaust, in addition to 47:28-50:26; vivid description of the personal pain, illness and I Kings future is certainly disaploss. 2:1-12. pointed. Would knowing the Parashat Vayechi is the future alter the path of only weekly portion of the year Jacob’s children away from that does not begin following a Judaism? Would we, too, change blank space in the text. It is not our life’s decisions if we knew unusual for the Torah reader to our future? Would an artist still have a bit of difficulty finding embark on a new creation, if he/ the opening word, vayechi. she knew for sure that it would Commenting on its strange not be well received? placement in the Torah scroll, #3 – Even “guaranteed� future Rashi, quoting Bereishit Rabbah, might not come true. Look how explains that just as this Torah many individual futures did not section is “closed� (i.e. hard to follow logic. Abram, the son of locate), so, too, the details of the an idol maker, grew up to be the future are closed to Jacob. first Jew. Joseph, sold into slavThough Jacob wanted to ery at age 17, later became the explain the future, God prevents second most powerful person him from doing so explicitly. in Egypt. Moses, barely survivWhich leads to the question: ing drowning as an infant, was Why would God not want a par- raised in Egyptian royalty then ent to let his/her children know gave it all up to be the leader of what lies ahead? his people. #1 – They won’t believe us While some might find it anyway. Try telling your children interesting to “see into the what to do and what will happen future,� we have learned that if they don’t listen. Enough said. doing so is neither realistic nor There’s a memorable scene in helpful. Instead of predicting Oliver Stone’s JFK, in which a the future, our goal should be to woman is tossed from a car in make the future happen. Louisiana by two men on Nov. Rabbi Elliot Pachter is the rabbin20, 1963. She tells the police officers who pick her up and the ic adviser at the Frankel Jewish Academy, and rabbi emeritus at doctors at the hospital where Congregation B’nai Moshe, both in she is treated for bruises that West Bloomfield.
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First Amendment Champion Herschel Fink honored for his lifetime’s work protecting free speech. JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
Jews in the D on the cover
L
awyer Herschel Fink has built his career as a crusader for the First Amendment. His client list is a virtual Who’s Who: Rapper Dr. Dre, filmmaker Michael Moore, author Stephen King, Jay Leno and the Temptations, in addition to longtime clients the Detroit Free Press and Fox 2 Detroit. Throughout his career, Fink has specialized in representing newspapers, TV stations, networks, motion picture studios and media personalities in a broad range of First Amendment, intellectual property and entertainment issues. Fink was recently honored by the State Bar of Michigan with its John Hensel Award, presented annually to a member who has significantly enhanced arts, communications, entertainment or sports. The Hensel Award joins numerous other awards Fink has received, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit Chapter in 2005 and the SPJ national First Amendment Award in 2010. “I sometimes think that Herschel has on him some place tattooed the full text of the First Amendment as that is what he’s most devoted to,” said senior U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn in a video tribute at the November event. continued on page 30 JANUARY 9 • 2020
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Jews in the D
Fink said he’s concerned with the media bias in national newspapers in today’s hyper-partisan political climate. “Opinion polls taken by a number of polling organizations show the public has a remarkably low opinion of the press, as low as or similar to its low opinion of Congress,” he said. “I’ve always believed that credibility is the most important thing that we as journalists can have,” he added. “And that derives from being accurate, acknowledging errors, being fair and unbiased, separating opinion from news and factual news gathering … I think what was reflected in the low opinion of the public is that the media has lost credibility.” Fink said he was heartened by a recent poll that showed local news media was still highly regarded in terms of its credibility and accuracy. “The kind of watchdog journalism that local news organizations do is what is important to the public,” he said. “I’m talking about newspapers and the kind of watchdog journalism the Free Press has been doing and continues to do despite diminishing resources.” What disturbs Fink the most, he said, is intolerance for differing opinions. “It’s endemic at universities and college campuses around the country. There are demonstrations that shut down the ability of students to hear both sides of an issue or political debate. For all intents and purposes, there is no longer any free speech on many college campuses. That, to me, is the most disturbing thing because the basis of the First Amendment, as was said by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes: ‘Freedom of speech means a free marketplace of ideas.’ This free marketplace of ideas, the whole basis of the First Amendment, has been lost on many college campuses. That disturbs me greatly.”
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PHOTOS BY ANTHONY LANZILOTE
FIRST AMENDMENT CONCERNS
continued from page 29
Fink, a native of Metro Detroit, always aspired to be a journalist. During college, his first paying journalism job was with the Jewish News. “Part of its attraction was talking history with Jewish News founder and publisher Philip Slomovitz. His stories were better than history class. He actually knew Israel’s founders as well as America’s leaders. He delighted in telling stories, and I was eager to hear them,” he said. “My passion for journalism and the First Amendment began at the Jewish News.” He was also a writer and editor for his student newspaper, then the Daily Collegian at Wayne State University. After graduation in 1963, he applied and was accepted to law school, but deferred the option for a reporting job at the Flint Journal. A few years later, he returned to his hometown as a reporter for the Detroit News. A nine-month newspaper strike in 1967 left Fink with extra time to re-evaluate his career. Shortly after the strike, he started night school at Detroit College of Law. During those years, he worked the graveyard shift and eventually was promoted to
night city editor at the News while studying law and starting a family with his late wife, Annette. Armed with his law degree, he left journalism to practice law with Detroit’s Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn law firm, specializing in representing local and national media companies. He represented the JN on First Amendment matters while an attorney with Honigman Miller. After 35 years as a partner, he began his “encore career” as legal counsel for his longtime client, the Detroit Free Press, and five sister Michigan news properties. He is also of counsel at the business law firm Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss P.C. He lives in Orchard Lake with his wife, Adrienne. They are members of the Zionist Organization of America and are heavily involved with the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills. Fink was also a founding member of the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival and is involved with the Chamber Music Society of Detroit. They attend services at Adat Shalom Synagogue. His daughter, Sheri Fink, is a physician who left medicine to become a New York
Herschel Fink speaks to Senior News Director Mark Rochester and Reporter Joe Guillen in the Detroit Free Press newsroom.
“I think every news organization needs someone like Herschel … If we don’t have people like Herschel fighting for us, ultimately our freedoms are at risk.” — DETROIT FREE PRESS EDITOR PETER BHATIA
Times correspondent, now with two Pulitzer Prizes to her credit, as well as a best-selling nonfiction book, Five Days at Memorial. His son, Marc Fink, a lawyer and the chief editor of the Middle East Policy Forum, lives in Cherry Hill, N.J., with his children Levi and Leah. Adriennne’s son, Erick Ruby, is a property manager in Chicago. His entire family was on hand to see him honored. Fink said he has no plans on retiring soon. “Choose the job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life,” he said. “That’s me. I love what I do after more than four decades. It’s a privilege and honor
to defend the First Amendment. I consider it a sacred calling and I feel blessed to do it.” CONSEQUENTIAL CASES Fink represented the Detroit Free Press in the unearthing of public records in the text message scandal that led to the conviction of then-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick for perjury and the eventual federal bribery and corruption charges that ended in Kilpatrick’s conviction and 28-year prison sentence. The Free Press won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the scandal and reporters called Fink “a member of their team.” This was the case that earned him
the SPJ First Amendment Award. Fink said, “I’ve had a lot of big cases and fun cases, but that was the most consequential.” Retired Wayne County Circuit Judge Robert J. Colombo heard the case. “One of the most important cases in my career was the case of a whistleblower suit in the case of Brown v Kilpatrick,” he said in a video tribute. “This is a fine example of how the media and an attorney representing the media can expose corruption and protect the public.” Another of Fink’s big cases involved suing the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the Detroit Free Press over post-9/11 secret closed courtroom immigration removal proceedings against mostly Middle Eastern men. “The public was barred, no information was allowed, and I filed a lawsuit,” he said. He won in federal court, but the government appealed. Judge Damon Keith, the U.S. Court of Appeals judge in this opinion who ruled in Fink’s favor, wrote some words in the case that the Washington Post immortalized: “Democracy dies behind closed doors.” In another big case, Fink defended filmmaker Michael Moore in a libel suit filed by the brother of one of the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombers over his movie Bowling for Columbine. “The party who was suing us was perhaps … unhinged,” Fink said. “I didn’t want him coming to my office so I took his deposition in the federal courthouse where the person suing him, James Nichols, would have to go through metal detectors and be searched.” When it was Moore’s turn to be deposed, Fink hired security and metal detectors at an attorney’s office in New York City, but Nichols never showed up. Fink won the case. A 10-YEAR BATTLE Fink successfully defended rap music icon Dr. Dre in a 10-year long First Amendment fight. The dispute goes back to Dre’s infamous “Up in Smoke” concert with Eminem and Snoop Dog in July 2000 at Joe Louis Arena. The show featured a racy video deemed “inappropriate” by the continued on page 32 JANUARY 9 • 2020
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COURTESY OF HERSCHEL FINK
Jews in the D
“Once you start censoring speech, where do you stop? That’s a difficult national debate, but I think it comes back to the core, a free marketplace of ideas and that dissenting voices should be allowed to be heard.” — HERSCHEL FINK
TOP: Herschel Fink and his family pose with one of his early press passes at the Hensel Award event.
FINK ON HATE SPEECH “My problem with shutting down hate speech is how do you define it? Do you define it as anything? Any speech that disturbs your sensibilities?” he asked. “If so, then you are throwing out the First Amendment.” According to the Supreme Court, he said, unless speech is going to inspire imminent violence, it has to be allowed. “A recent Pew Research Center survey found 49 percent of college students do not support free speech if it’s designated as ‘hate speech.’ That basically translates to a desire to censor speech they don’t agree with or that disturbs their sensibilities or their wrongheaded idea that universities must be ‘safe places’ free from disturbing ideas. “Of course, the opposite should be the rule at colleges and universities,” he continued. “In other words, they have no understanding of nor tolerance for the very concept of freedom of speech, the concept that underlies the First Amendment. “Once you start censoring speech, where do you stop? That’s a difficult national debate, but I think it comes back to the core, a free marketplace of ideas and that dissenting voices should be allowed to be heard. “These are issues that are going to have to be hashed out over a period of time and we’ll see how that turns out. But I’m very bothered by the lack of tolerance for dissenting opinion, principally conservative opinion, which is being taken as hate speech.”
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continued from page 31
Detroit Police Department, led by thenChief Police Commander (and later City Council President) Gary Brown, who told Dre’s concert promoters backstage that power to the show would be cut if the explicit video was shown. The tour, not wanting to disappoint the thousands in the audience, agreed to pull the video. The exchanges were openly recorded by a tour film crew. “The video didn’t show anything you wouldn’t see on a Sunday night on the Sopranos,” said Fink, who was called in to defend Dr. Dre. The next day, the tour was scheduled to go to the Palace of Auburn Hills. Fink went to federal court that day and obtained an injunction from U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Edmunds to prevent any interference with the show by police. The show at the Palace featured the explicit video introduction. When the tour left Michigan, the promoters sued Detroit and settled for their attorney fees. Former Mayor Dennis Archer issued a public statement that conceded the possibility of an unconstitutional “prior restraint” on behalf of the Detroit Police officers. Six months later, Dre and his producers released a DVD of the tour with some bonus tracks that included a 10-minute segment titled “Detroit Controversy,” depicting the heated exchanges between the police and promoters at the Joe Louis show. The officers in the video sued on eavesdropping and other tort theories. At first their case was tossed out, but on appeal the court said dismissal of the claim was premature. “The wheels of justice turn slowly,” Fink said. The case bounced between courts for nearly a decade before finally
reaching the Michigan Supreme Court, which ruled in Dre’s favor. RESPECT OF JOURNALISTS At the Hensel Award event, former reporter David Ashenfelter said in a video tribute, “I’m one of many reporters Herschel has bailed out of trouble over the years.” During the 1990s, Ashenfelter wrote a series of stories about a Wayne County judge accused of using racial and ethnic slurs in phone conversations with her ex-husband. She was trying to use her position to convince police he was at fault in their child custody dispute. Ashenfelter got the tapes from the estranged husband. “We ran a story in the Free Press that was hugely controversial. She sued us both for $100 million in federal court. Here’s what happened: She got booted off the bench. With Herschel’s help, I got removed from the lawsuit.” Fox 2 News reporter Ron Wolcheck, well-known for his “Hall of Shame” segments, called Fink a “real bulldog” in a video tribute. “Herschel Fink really likes me because, quite frankly, I get sued a lot and he gets to defend me and make a lot of money. But because of my great reporting and Herschel’s great lawyering, we always win.” In his trademark gravelly voice, he added, “Herschel Fink, you’re in the Hall of Fame!” According to Detroit Free Press Editor Peter Bhatia, “(Fink) has a way of telling lawyers and city officials that the law is on our side, and he does it with humor and incredible effectiveness. I think every news organization needs someone like Herschel … If we don’t have people like Herschel fighting for us, ultimately our freedoms are at risk.”
Arts&Life
True Blue Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year takes a step back to move forward. A client’s den designed by Amy Miller Weinstein
LYNNE KONSTANTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
W
hat’s lighter than navy and more muted than cobalt? Classic Blue — aka Pantone’s new Color of the Year 2020. The Pantone Color Institute has provided color reports and forecasts since 1962 (that year was painted Cerulean Blue). From its palate curation, interior designers, fashion designers, beauty companies — basically any business having to do with
color — take their cue for products for the following year; in this case, ushering in a new decade. This year, Pantone’s Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman describes its color as a “dependable and stable foundation to move forward to a new era. It brings calmness, confidence and connection. It is a timeless and enduring hue, elegant in its simplicity. “We are living in a time that requires
trust and faith,” Eiseman continues. “It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by Pantone Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on.” Though the color may seem staid, even ubiquitous, Pantone packs a punch of emotion in its dissection of Classic Blue’s range — and the color unites classic design genres from chinoiserie to Americana, says continued on page 36 JANUARY 9 • 2020
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PHOTO BY BETH SINGER/COURTESY OF AMY MILLER WEINSTEIN
at home
Arts&Life at home
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
also in Troy. For another client’s indoor pool, Fields surrounded the top third of the entire room and trimmed the pool deck with custom-colored Bisazza glass mosaic tile from Ciot. “We like to weave a thematic color throughout a project by applying it to different materials like lacquered cabinetry, tile, fabrics and artwork,” Fields says. An upholstery with a pop of blue woven through by Pollack Associates from Tennant & Associates in Troy and a collection of geometric pillows by Marimekko are favorites. “And don’t forget,” Fields says, “blue suits up beautifully for a night on the town.” TOP: A den by Amy Miller Weinstein uses Classic Blue as a neutral across from boldstriped chairs. RIGHT: Shiny blue lacquer coating a bathroom vanity is picked up by custom-colored cement tiles, designed by Elizabeth Fields.
PHOTO BY BETH SINGER/COURTESY OF ELIZABETH FIELDS
Architectural Digest. From blue-andwhite china to lustrous taffeta and velvet to shimmering pool tiles, Pantone predicts we’ll be seeing traditional Classic Blue in new twists. Meaning, it’s all in the details. In a local client’s den, Amy Miller Weinstein, owner of AMW Design Studio in Birmingham, uses a Classic Blue sofa as an emotional anchor opposite a pair of boldly striped armchairs. “In a word, it’s classic!” Weinstein says. “I believe in creating timeless spaces, rooted in classic choices, but always incorporating a bit of something edgy and current. The painted velvet striped upholstery is an example, and has some beautiful tones of blue that really sparkle in this den.” In another den, Weinstein utilizes a vibrant studded blue sectional for a blast of color and as a neutral against a patterned blue wall and textural carpet at the same time. “It’s about the ‘layering’ and selecting finishes with varying degrees of color saturation so there is depth and contrast,” she explains. “The dark blue velvet sectional sofa is dramatic against the softer blue flannel wallcovering. Tweedy pillows with blue undertones add wonderful texture. “Classic Blue is one of those colors that does not overwhelm. It feels like more of a neutral — easy to live with, but somehow, regal,” Weinstein says. Designer Elizabeth Fields, owner of Elizabeth Fields Design in Franklin, has a similar approach for clients in that she creates an easy mix of comfort, color, quality and function — she likes to make stylish, welcoming spaces. So, Classic Blue is a go-to. “Classic Blue is a foundational color in many of my projects,” Fields says. “Everyone loves blue and it works in every room.” For a local client’s bath, Fields worked with Perspectives Custom Cabinetry in Troy to create a blue-lacquered vanity with custom-colored cement tile flooring from Ciot,
PHOTO BY BETH SINGER/COURTESY OF AMY MILLER WEINSTEIN
continued from page 35
“I like to combine compatible mixes from a variety of styles to create homes that are tailored, unique and timeless.” — AMY MILLER WEINSTEIN
PHOTO BY ALEX EISENBERG
ABOVE: A mix of customcolored tiles line the indoor pool of Elizabeth Fields’ client. FAR LEFT: Marimekko geometric pillows. LEFT: A fabric sample by Pollack Fabrics in Venetian Canal from Tennant & Associates in Troy. PHOTO BY ELIZABETH FIELDS
PHOTO BY ELIZABETH FIELDS
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Arts&Life
The Banjo
Beat
Instrumentalist pays tribute to banjo music.
Aaron Jonah Lewis BRADLEY LOHMAN
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JANUARY 9 • 2019
SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
mostly banjo and piano. There’s one piece that’s banjo and banjo. One aron Jonah Lewis has rotated piece has double bass and ukulele his recording and stage attenbecause it has a Hawaiian theme.” tion among different string Other instrumentalists on the instruments, including fiddle, manalbum include Ben Belcher (secdolin and guitar. As 2020 begins, the ond banjo), Tessa Hartle and Kevin instrumentalist is filling considerable Allswede (piano), Rachel Pearson work time in tribute to the banjo and (bass) and van’t Hof (ukulele). Belcher a long-revered banjo player. interested Lewis in the possibilities of With the release of a new album, banjo when using it to play bluegrass Mozart of the Banjo: The Joe Morley and gave Lewis an old banjo to get Project, Lewis is celebrating Morley him started. The two later formed a compositions that have engaged the band. public beginning at the turn of the “The banjo has nylon strings rather 20th century. than wire strings so it’s more mellow,” “Morley was a very prolific child Lewis says. “It’s like a classical guitar.” prodigy; and, in some ways, he repLewis, 38, who is based in southresents a style that overlaps with west Detroit and teaches instrumental ragtime just like Mozart represents students, was a violin performance classical music,” Lewis says. “He wrote major at Interlochen before being pieces that stood the test of time, are introduced to folk styles by a friend frequently played and fun to listen to. met through a Habonim Dror pro“Morley was British, and his style gram in Israel. of banjo music has been a little more A full-time entertainer, Lewis can popular there than here. My dad is be heard as a soloist and band memBritish so I felt I was able to explore ber whose affiliations have included a connection between America and the Corn Potato String Band and England that I hadn’t made before.” Lovestruck Balladeers. He has won The album, all instrutop awards at country mental, will not be music festivals and conofficially released until details ducted workshops in Jan. 24, when it will be Aaron Jonah Lewis will Europe. available on all the digi“I want people to have hold a record release tal platforms, but pre-rea chance to be exposed to concert at 8 p.m. lease copies of the CD this kind of banjo music,” Thursday, Jan. 16, at are available from the says Lewis, at the helm record label, Old-Time The Ark in Ann Arbor, of a local square dance Tiki Parlour. A record $20, (734) 761-1818, group. “I want them to release party will be held come with me back to theark.org. Jan. 16 at The Ark in a time before recorded Ann Arbor to provide music. concert renditions of the “Back then, if you sounds. wanted to hear music, you The concerts include had to learn how to play additional musicians an instrument yourself or and poetic readings for persuade someone to play text-based entertainmusic for you. These days, ment. Instrumentalists it’s kind of hard to imagine include Kevin Celestia a world like that because Album cover on piano, Grace van’t music is everywhere, from Hof on banjo and ukulele and Keaton the car to the drugstore. Butler on cello. Dad Joe Lewis and “I also associate the banjo with all musician-puppeteer Lindsay McCaw the wonderful people I’ve met through will do the readings. my pursuit of music. Whenever I play “Half the album is pieces that have or even hold the instrument, I think not been recorded before,” says Lewis, of those people, and there’s a lot of who has released dozens of recordings happy memories.” in various styles. “The other half is
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AT THE MOVIES Opening everywhere on Friday, Jan. 10, are Just Mercy, Like a Boss and 1917. Mercy tells the true story of Walter McMillian (1941-2001), a black man who lived in a small Alabama town. He was accused of the 1986 murder of a white store clerk during a robbery. He was convicted though he had no criminal record and many alibi witnesses, including a police officer. McMillian (Jamie Foxx) was sent to death row where he remained until 1993. His appeals were handled by Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), a famous African American civil rights lawyer. Tim Blake Nelson, 55, has a large supporting role as Ralph Myers, a real-life (white) career criminal who claimed he and McMillian were partners in the store robbery. Like a Boss is a comedy about Mel (Rose Byrne) and Mia (Tiffany Haddish, 40), two friends who start a beauty company together. They do well for a time but run into financial trouble. Salma Hayek plays Claire, a rich woman who appears to be a “white knight investor� who will bail the company out. Claire demands that Mel and Mia be tougher in the way they run the company — that they “act like a boss.� Ari Graynor, 36, has a largish supporting role. 1917, as I have written before, is an acclaimed film about British soldiers during WWI. Here’s an interesting post-script: on Dec. 27, it was announced that Sam Mendes, 54, who directed and co-wrote 1917, would receive a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth later this year.
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Rose Byrne and Tiffany Haddish in Like A Boss
TV CATCH-UP FBI: Most Wanted (CBS, 10 p.m., started Jan. 7) is a spin-off of the CBS series, FBI, which began in 2018. The five co-stars include Roxy Sternberg, 30. In 2016, she was profiled in the London Jewish Chronicle after being cast in Emerald City, a short-lived NBC series. Sternberg is the daughter of a black and Jewish Ugandan mother and an English Jewish father. The Chronicle noted that when in London, she teaches Hebrew school classes at her synagogue (she’s fluent in Hebrew). JEWISH OLDEST MAN On Dec. 20, Irving Piken celebrated his 111th birthday. He is now the oldest living man in the United States and, yes, he’s still quite mentally sharp. Census records show he was born in Brooklyn in 1908, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. Brooklyn Law School just congratulated him on his birthday, noting he’s their oldest living grad (class of 1930). He has been a lifelong Dodgers fan and has been honored by the team at Dodger Stadium. Piken, a retired bank president, moved to Southern California in 1977.
JAZZ IN JANUARY
8 pm, Jan. 10. (Also Jan. 11) JET Theatre will present the Alvin Waddles Trio. At 1124 W. Maple, Walled Lake. Cost: $47; seniors $44; series $180. Info: 248-788-2900.
SUNDAY, JAN. 12 JAZZ IN JANUARY
8 pm, Jan. 12. At the JET Theatre, 1124 W. Maple, Walled Lake. Ursula Walker and Buddy Budson. Cost: $47; seniors $44. Info: 248-7882900.
RAISING KIDS IN A COMPLEX WORLD 9:30 am, Jan. 12. At Adat Shalom. Navigating parenting through a Jewish lens with Rabbi Rachel Share and Jackie Issner, PhD, LP. This is a monthly series for anyone with a role in raising children ages 7 to 12. Each session is self-contained. This program is supported by We Need to Talk, a community-wide youth mental health initiative provided in collaboration with Jewish Detroit’s social service agencies, schools, congregations and Jewish identity-building organizations. Free for Adat Shalom members; non-members, $5 per session. RSVP to 248626-2153.
TUESDAY, JAN. 14
TUESDAY WITH JANET 1:30 pm, Jan. 14. Get together in the Shaarey Zedek Library with host Janet Pont. A docent from the DIA will show slides and talk about them. Cake and coffee will be served. Info: jpont@shaareyzedek.org.
FRANKEL CENTER EVENT 4-5:30 pm, Jan. 14. At the Thayer Building – Room 2022, 202 S. Thayer St., Ann Arbor. “How Yiddish Tales Are Told” with David Roskies of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
JEWS IN ARAB LANDS 7-8:30 pm, Jan 14. “The Forgotten
Jews of Arab Lands.” At the Max M. Fisher Federation Building. (Also Jan. 21 & 28) Prof. Howard Lupovitch will present the story of the Jews in Arab lands forming a major gap in most of the world’s knowledge of the history of the Middle East. Learn about the history and culture of this important segment of world Jewry. Tuition: $55. To register: 248-205-2557.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15
JAN. 9
DROP IN & LEARN
1 pm, Jan. 15. “Remembering Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel” at Congregation Beth Ahm. Discuss a short video featuring Prof. Susannah Heschel sharing memories of her father, followed by a screening of Rabbi Heschel’s final interview (with Carl Stern of NBC News), recorded a few weeks before he passed away in December 1972. No charge; no reservations needed. Info: Nancy Kaplan (248) 737-1931 or nancyellen879@ att.net.
FRIDAY, JAN. 17 JAZZ IN JANUARY
8 pm, Jan. 17. At the JET Theatre, 1124 W. Maple, Walled Lake. Steve Wood Quartet. Cost: $47; seniors $44. Info: 248-788-2900.
SATURDAY, JAN. 18 JAZZ IN JANUARY
8 pm, Jan. 18. At the JET Theatre, 1124 W. Maple, Walled Lake. Pam Jaslove Trio. Cost $47; seniors $44. Info: 248-788-2900.
DSO AT CSZ Join the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as they perform at Congregation Shaarey Zedek at 7:30 p.m., featuring conductor Mei-Ann Chen (music director of the Chicago Sinfonietta) and cellist Sterling Elliot (National Sphinx Competition winner). Music to include “Bizet Suite No. 1” from Carmen, “Lalo Cello Concerto” and “Franck Symphony in D Minor.” For tickets ($25), go to dso.org/events-and-tickets/events/bizets-carmen/ or call (313) 576-5111.
JAN. 10 OWL PROWL Experience a guided night hike from 6 to 7:30 p.m. through the trails of Heritage Park in search of owls and other nocturnal animals. Listen for owl calls and find out what makes these nocturnal creatures such expert hunters and survivalists. Meet inside the Nature Center at Heritage Park. All ages are welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Dress for the weather and wear sturdy boots or shoes. No flashlights. The cost is $5 per person. Pre-registration is required at the Costick Center or online at recreg.fhgov.com.
SUNDAY, JAN. 19 JAZZ IN JANUARY
JAN. 13 KOSHERSOUL -
8 pm, Jan. 19. At the JET Theatre, 1124 W. Maple, Walled Lake. Klezundheit with Alan Posner. Cost $47; seniors $44. Info: 248-7882900. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews. com.
COURTESY OF JCC
FRIDAY, JAN. 10
Editor’s Picks
COURTESY OF DSO
people | places | events
COURTESY OF HERITAGE PARK
On The Go
James Beard award-winning culinary historian Michael Twitty explores the intersections of his identity as an African American and an American Jew using food as a lens from 7-9 p.m. at the JCC. Co-sponsors are the Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity, Hazon and the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. Free. JANUARY 9 • 2020
| 41
business SPOTlight
brought to you in partnership with
BIRMIN GH A M
Schmoozing with Elliot Darvick CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
1. How and when did you get involved with Lyft? I joined the company in 2016 to start our Detroit office.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ELLIOT DARVICK
T
he JN sat down with Elliot Darvick to learn about his new position as Lyft’s regional director for the Midwest. Darvick is a native of Metro Detroit, where he attended Hillel Day School and graduated from CranbrookKingswood. He has spent the past 15 years of his career at the intersection of technology, automotive and media — with the last three years spent building local operations for Lyft across Michigan, Ohio and now the broader Midwest. He lives with his wife and toddler in Chicago, where they recently moved after spending three years living in Huntington Woods.
Elliot Darvick
General Motors had just made a significant investment in Lyft, and there was an eagerness to establish and grow a team in the Motor City. 2. What is your new job title for Lyft? What do you do? I am regional director for the Midwest, which is a territory comprising eight states. I sit
within the Global Operations group, which is responsible for things like ensuring smooth airport operations, delivering in-person support to drivers and building local partnerships to solve transportation barriers. My day-to-day is focused primarily on team leadership and management, long- and medium-term strategic planning, and problem-solving alongside my team in pursuit of a better customer experience for our drivers, riders and communities. 3. What are some of the challenging aspects you face in your career? At best, a career is punctuated with moments where you realize that “what got me here, will not get me there.” I’ve doubled my team size at least five times in the last three years. Each time, I’ve had to learn something different to be the leader my team deserves and, with that, comes admitting you don’t have all the answers you
need to succeed. It requires reinvention, humility and a continuous commitment to learning. I love the challenges that growth creates, and I’ve found it humbling. 4. What is your favorite part about working for Lyft? It is a company deeply grounded in a mission to remove transportation barriers and reshape cities around people, not cars. That means fewer medical appointments missed by senior citizens, fewer jobs out-of-reach due to the high cost of car ownership and less pollution as we reduce the amount of single-occupancy car trips. I find this mission incredibly motivating and, with more than 30 million active riders on the platform, Lyft has the scale to be a meaningful part of driving the change we seek. 5. How does Lyft differentiate itself from Uber? I honestly think it’s most important for us to focus on continued on page 44
here’s to Rabbi Herschel Finman of Jewish Ferndale gave the invocation to open the Michigan Senate on Dec. 5, 2019. Rabbi Finman was the guest of State Sen. Jeremy Moss. The American Technion Society announced that Joey Selesny of Southfield has been promoted to the position of senior director of development. Selesny has been recognized for his fundraising capabilities in service to the Jewish community through several awards and fellowships.
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
Paul Blatt has been appointed to the position of president and chief executive officer of JVS Human Services, effective March 1, 2020. Blatt has been with the Southfield-based agency since 2008, serving as executive vice president and chief operating officer of the nonprofit for the last five years. He also works with the board of trustees and staff serving as an ambassador for JVS for prospective board and committee members, funding sources and community leaders.
The Association of Public Treasurers of the United States & Canada recently announced that Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner and his investment team have earned its highest professional certification, the Association’s Investment Policy Certificate of Excellence Award. The certification demonstrates that the Oakland County Treasurer’s Office’s investment policy and strategy are best practices in municipal government, Meisner said. The Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan announced its 2019 Industry Leadership Award honorees, which include Hall of Fame — Norm Finkelstein, Norwood Homes, Ltd.; and Young Builder of the Year — Justin Friedman, HM Homes. The Home association and its Sales & Marketing and Remodelers councils announced the 2019 Sales & Design Achievement Competition Winners. One winner was for Single-Family Whole House Remodel over 2,000 square feet — Uniland Corporation (Rex Rosenhaus and Aaron Rosenhaus).
Distribution Guru
JERRY ZOLYNSKY
Daryl Ziegelman
JASON RUBENFIRE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Daryl Ziegelman, chief technology officer (CTO) at Central Data in Farmington Hills, has worked in the field of software development and distribution since its infancy. Ziegelman grew up in Farmington Hills and harbored an interest in computers since childhood. He recalls receiving an Apple II computer for his bar mitzvah, one of the first on the market, which helped ignite his passion for
computers and software. After attending Farmington schools and later Cranbrook, Daryl went to the University of Redlands, a small college on the West Coast, but, in time, he found that he missed the Midwest, longing for something “different” from what he could find in California. He returned home, where he reconnected with his former friend Cindy, the woman who would later
become his wife. They were married at Temple Kol Ami in 1996 and had their children attend Adat Shalom preschool before eventually joining Temple Shir Shalom. They sing in the choir at Temple Shir Shalom, and the two look forward to going to Israel in 2021 once their kids have all graduated high school. After returning home from California, Ziegelman worked as an information technology manager at a wholesale distributor of office supplies. He found new software to replace an old crashing system — and then went to work for the company that distributed the software. Ziegelman worked in the distribution marketplace for a few years and owned various consulting companies before he found Central Data to be a great fit. He began in sales and worked his way through various roles before becoming Central Data’s CTO in 2018. Central Data sells distribution and inventory management soft-
ware to wholesale distributors. It is a full-service provider, helping companies with both training and long term-implementation of software like Cloudsuite Distribution, designed to help businesses run more of their own product distribution services through “the cloud” rather than traditional hardware. Ziegelman has called the cloud “a wonderful thing” and credits Central Data’s work with the cloud for driving much of its recent success. The company expanded from 17 people to nearly 45 since he joined. Ziegelman is also involved with the nonprofit community theater Stagecrafters in Royal Oak. “My mother saw an article that said that they were doing West Side Story at the JCC,” Ziegelman recalls. This propelled him to explore acting and various theaters in the area. He “ultimately found a home” at Stagecrafters, where he serves on the board and is co-chair of the planning committee.
BIRMINGHAM
How can we help you? Woodward north of 14 Mile 248.723.7200 boaa.com
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| 43
business SPOTlight continued from page 42
FEBRUARY 14-16 MUSIC HALL BroadwayInDetroit.com | ticketmaster.com Charge by phone: 800-982-2787 | Info: 313.872.1000 Groups (10+): Groups@BroadwayInDetroit.com (subject: The New Colossus)
FINE C HINESE DINING
how we differentiate ourselves from car ownership. Our true competition is behavior — changing the way we think about integrating multimodal transportation into our lives. For example, shifting the instinct to drive downtown into taking a bus there and a Lyft ride home. Beyond that, we’re going to continue leaning into our unique set of values, which brings to market programs like Round Up & Donate, where every ride in Metro Detroit can be rounded up and donated to the Detroit Public School Foundation. 6. How has your Jewish identity followed you through your business success? My Jewish identity is inextricably linked to my personal values. Deeply believing in concepts like tikkun olam has led me to companies like Lyft, which has built a business on the idea that we can improve lives through transportation. My values also guide how I interact with our communities and my team members; for example,
to embrace the idea of b’tzelem elohim (in God’s image) means you naturally seek out equality and act with compassion. 7. What do you miss most about living in Michigan? Most obvious is the community of friends we left behind. The love of Detroit, the Midwestern sensibilities, the closeness of the Jewish community — all of these things added up to quality friendships I know are rare in life, especially when you consider my wife and I had only lived there as a family for three years. From a career standpoint, I can’t speak highly enough about how open people are to collaboration, both in the business community and within local government. Because of the lows Metro Detroit has experienced over the years, my sense is there is a genuine enthusiasm to experiment and try new things that might not have been present in the past. That’s powerful, and I’m very bullish on what happens from here. One way or the other, it will always be home for me.
“A wonderful adventure in fine dining” ~ Danny Raskin
here’s to
Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner Catering and carryout available Gift certificates
The Community House, a nonprofit resource and destination in Birmingham for personal, professional, recreational and philanthropic pursuits, will hold its annual Bates Street Society dinner in February. Individuals are inducted into the society based on their significant charitable contributions that align with the work and mission of the Community House. Among this year’s inductees are Dr. Brian Berman, chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and pediatrician-in-chief of Beaumont’s Children’s; Dr. Ora Peskovitz, Oakland University president; Hannan Lis, principal, the WW Group Inc.; Keith Pomeroy, owner of Pomeroy Financial Services and founding board member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit; and Linda Solomon, photojournalist and author.
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44 |
JANUARY 9 • 2020
Dr. Ora Peskovitz
Hannan Lis
Keith Pomeroy
Linda Solomon
the exchange community bulletin board | professional services
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of blessed memory
SUSAN AVERBUCH, 61, of Commerce Township, died Dec. 31, 2019. She is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Sharon and Jeffrey Diskin of Southfield; nephews and nieces, Daniel Evan Diskin, Rachel Lauren Diskin, Jared and Ilana Averbuch, Aaron and Joelle Averbuch, Elana and Rabbi Daniel Schwartz; boyfriend, Michael Shechter; many loving great-nieces and great-nephews. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Interment was held at Workmen’s Circle Cemetery in Clinton Township. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. EUNICE BEAL, 97, of Farmington Hills, died Dec. 27, 2019. She is survived by her daughters, Charlene Beal and Nancy Beal; grandchildren, Michele Green, Sheri LaBo, Stuart Wainstock, Michael Wainstock, Barry Wainstock, Matthew Beal and Jessica Beal; great-grandchildren, Alyssa Cohen, Lexie LaBo, Cailey Cohen and Milo Wainstock; nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Mrs. Beal was the beloved wife for 64 years of the late Dr. Irving Beal; the loving mother of the late Kathie Wainstock. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Detroit Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033 alz.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
RICHARD D. BLEZNAK, 93, of Birmingham, died Dec. 28, 2019. He is survived by his daughter, Ellen Bleznak-Wiss; son, Mitchell (Michelle) Bleznak; grandchildren, Elise (Adam) Kaplan, Bradley (Melissa) Wiss, Adam (Meryl) Bleznak, David (Sonya) Bleznak and Julia Bleznak; great-grandchildren, Blake Kaplan, Brooks Kaplan, Sienna Kaplan and Frankie Bleznak. Mr. Bleznak was the beloved husband of the late Phyllis Bleznak; the loving father of the late Steven Marc Bleznak. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Richard and Phyllis Bleznak Education Fund at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Road, Southfield, MI 48034, shaareyzedek.org; or Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322 jewish hospice.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. NORMAN COHN, 81, of Farmington Hills, passed away Jan. 2, 2020. He was a global leader in the scrap metal industry, founding his company, Norco Alloys, in 1981. After 2001, he consulted in the industry until his passing. A graduate of Michigan State University and Mumford High School, Norman was a member of Temple Israel. He played hockey until his early 70s and was a lifelong fan of the Red Wings, holding season tickets at Olympia, Joe Louis
David Stern, Longtime NBA Commissioner, Dies at 77 (JTA) — David Stern, who in three decades as NBA commissioner guided the league from financial distress to become a multibillion-dollar global enterprise, died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. He was 77. Stern had undergone emergency surgery for a brain hemorrhage in mid-December after collapsing at a New York City restaurant. He served as commissioner of the National Basketball Association from David Stern 1984 to 2014, increasing its popularity by pushing the individual talents of such all-time greats as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. During his tenure, the league expanded by seven teams and six teams relocated. Stern also contributed to the founding of the WNBA, which had its inaugural season in 1997. “David took over the NBA in 1984 with the league at a crossroads,” Adam Silver, his successor and also Jewish, said in a statement, according to ESPN. “But over the course of 30 years as commissioner, he ushered in the modern global NBA. He launched groundbreaking media and marketing partnerships, digital assets and social responsibility programs that have brought the game to billions of people around the world. Because of David, the NBA is a truly global brand — making him
not only one of the greatest sports commissioners of all time but also one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.” His foundation, the Dianne and David Stern Foundation, was worth about $135 million and gave away about $2.1 million over the past year, according to Inside Philanthropy. Jewish causes include the UJAFederation of New York, Scarsdale Synagogue, Westchester Jewish Community Center and AntiDefamation League. Stern is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Stern was a friend and colleague of the late former Pistons owner Bill Davidson. “David Stern was a giant of a man — never one to shrink from a challenge or back away from the job required of him,” said Bill’s wife, Karen, and son, Ethan Davidson, in a statement. “The international reach of the NBA and basketball today was fueled by David’s indomitable spirit and entrepreneurial talents. We were also fortunate to see him for the mensch he was: one who showed up, always had your back and gave all he could. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Dianne, their children and their whole family.” NOAM GALAI/GETTY IMAGES
Soul
continued on page 48 JANUARY 9 • 2020
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Soul
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and Little Caesars arenas. He began his career as a teacher and swim coach in Detroit, and he swam competitively in high school. He was a ham radio enthusiast and had friends around the world. He inspired everyone who crossed his path. During his career, Norman served as chapter and national president for the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and the Detroit Metal Dealers Association, authored articles for American Metal Market and spoke at national and international conferences. Mr. Cohn was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, who loved to read and travel. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Sonny (Schussler); his three devoted children, Lynne (Dan) Golodner, Jody (Ari) Charlip, and Randy (Darcie) Cohn; he will be missed greatly by his 10 grandchildren, Hannah Charlip, Asher Schreiber, Eliana Schreiber, Grace Golodner, Max Charlip, Aidan Charlip, Shaya Schreiber, Zach Cohn, Dylan Cohn, and Edyn Cohn. Mr. Cohn was the son of the late Sarah and Sidney Cohn. Contributions may be made to the Leukemia Lymphoma Society or a charity of one’s choice. DR. ZENA WAX SULKES FREEMAN, 80, of Winter Park, Fla., died Dec. 22, 2019. She was born in Detroit and was a graduate of Central High and the University of Michigan.
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She earned her doctoral degree in education from the University of South Florida. Dr. Freeman was an educator and taught Jewish and secular studies at all levels from preschool through college. Notably, she served as the head of school of the Jewish Academy of Orlando, director of education at Temple B’nai Israel in Clearwater, Fla., and was a beloved leader within Congregation of Reform Judaism in Orlando. She loved to travel, knit, play mahj and enjoy the company of family and friends. Dr. Freeman is survived by her husband, Daniel Freeman; devoted sons, Scott (Marc Ginsberg) and Neil; Dan’s daughter, Wendy (Gerard) Bradford; and son, Scott Freeman; four loving grandchildren. BARBARA GARRETT, 73, of Oak Park, died Dec. 29, 2019. She is survived by her children, Tori (Olan) Noe, Rami Garrett and Darren Garrett; grandchildren, Quincy (Nikki) Field, Macy Field and Jeremy Garrett; great-granddaughter, Kaya Field; sisters, Lesley (Barry) Feldman and Melissa (Gary) Porter; brother-in-law, Mark (Linda) Garrett; many nieces, nephews and friends. Mrs. Garrett was the beloved wife for 43 years of the late Joel Garrett; the devoted daughter of the late Sophie and the late Harry Komisar; the dear daughterin-law of the late Lilyan and the late David Garrett. Contributions may
be made to JARC, the Komisar/Feldman Fund, 6735 Telegraph, Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 jarc.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ESTHER HAMMER, 87, of Oak Park, died Dec. 28, 2019. She is survived by her husband, Bernard Hammer; sons, Ronald Hammer and Richard Hammer, both of Oak Park; brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Irving and Ruth Foon of Birmingham; grandchildren, Jonathan Hammer, Benjamin Hammer, Julie Hammer; sister-in-law, Regina Foon; many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. Mrs. Hammer was the loving mother of the late Edward Paul Hammer; dear sister of the late Dr. Herman Foon. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Services and interment were held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. HELYN PERSHIN KOHLMAN, 87, passed away peacefully at her home in West Bloomfield surrounded by her loved ones on Dec. 31, 2019. She was born Sept. 19, 1932, in Detroit to Esther and William Gross. While she was married to Bernard
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(248) 406-6000 TOLL FREE 1-866-406-6003 Licensed Funeral Directors: Alan Dorfman, Jonathan Dorfman
continued on page 50 JANUARY 9 • 2020
| 49
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You can honor the memory of a loved one in a most meaningful way by sponsoring a day of Torah learning at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah.
During the coming week, Kaddish will be said for these departed souls during the daily minyan at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. Your support of the Torah learning of our children and our Kollel’s Torah Scholars brings immeasurable heavenly merit. Please call us at 248-557-6750 for more information.
Moshe Budnick Abraham Fuchs Max Goldstein Fannie Harris Bertha Katz Joseph Levine Adolph Mehler Sarah Lea Sacher Bernard Shapiro Morton Steinhart Aaron Tilchin Irwin Treitel Max Wasserman Hyman Weisberg Boruch Yagoda 7HYHV -DQ
Simon Axelrod Casper Brown Rose Kadans Shirley Kaplan Rebecca Levitt Arthur Mandell Reuben Miller Dora W. Milling Samuel Schugar
Zivya Alte Boyarsky Goldie Brudner Joseph Martin Furman Molly Jacobs Lillian Kaner Irving Lyons Evelyn Woolman 18 Teves Jan. 15, 2020
Eva Adelson Norman Allan Rosslyn L Berman Michael Blum Mary Coscarelly Isadore Danto Morris Diem Jacob Goldis Irving Kozuch M. Manuel Merzon Sylvia Moorawnick George Must Kopel Rosen Morris Sax Ida Wassermann Harry Wolin 19 Teves Jan. 16, 2020
17 Teves Jan. 14, 2020
Morris Bello Betty Violet Benenson Esther Berlin
Joseph Cossman Sarah Dubin Sol Feinberg Abraham Goldin Ida Gutterman
Joseph Langer Leo Isadore Langer Barbara Mittelman Esther D. Pearlman Allen J. Peralman Elizabeth Salzer Rose Schulman Nathan Silow Paul Yolles 20 Teves Jan. 17, 2020
Max Delin Edis Dorfman Harry Goldman Solomon Grevnin Percy A. Maslowe Norma Jean Meer Pearl Pelavin Abraham David Sachs Ethel Scherr Carl Singer 21 Teves Jan. 18, 2020
Jack Bookstein Leo Finkelstein Anne Harris Simon Lefkowitz Meriam Mayer Mildred Palter Bessie Rappaport Herman Shorr Harry C. Wolfe
School for Boys v Beth Jacob School for Girls v Bais Yehudah Preschool Weiss Family Partners Detroit v Kollel Bais Yehudah v Maalot Detroit P.O. Box 2044 v 6RXWKoHOG 0, v 248-557-6750 v www.YBY.org
50 |
of blessed memory continued from page 49
AND UP CUSTOM PREMADE TRAYS
15 Teves Jan. 12, 2020
Soul
JANUARY 9 • 2020
Pershin, they were blessed with three children, Rona, Michael and Lisa. Helyn graduated from Wayne State University in 1968 with a master’s in education and history. She went on to have a long career as a high school English teacher. She was an avid life master bridge player and director and even conducted classes on cruises. Mrs. Kohlman was loved by so many and could always be counted on for counsel and life advice to many people. She was predeceased by her sister, Lillian Harris. She is survived by her sister, Reva Moss; brother, David Gross; children, Rona Pershin Sheridan, Michael Pershin and Lisa Pershin Piepsney; grandchildren, Stacey Sheridan, David and Rachel Pershin, Kevin and Michael Piepsney; great-grandchildren, Jaden and Jordan Sheridan, Emily and Elliott Pershin, and Jackson Piepsney. Funeral services will be private. SALLY FRIEDMAN MAYER, 87, a wife, mother and grandmother, passed away in her sleep Dec. 24, 2019, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She led a fulfilled and happy life, enjoying time with her family on Walloon Lake in Michigan, skiing, traveling, golfing and spending time with her grandchildren. Sally was a lifelong volunteer with numerous organizations throughout
the Metro Detroit area, first and foremost, the National Council of Jewish Women. She was also an active patron of the arts. Mrs. Mayer is survived by her husband, Martin Mayer; her children, Michael, Ruthie (John Murphy) and Carrie; her two grandchildren, Calissa Mayer and Jacob Murphy; dear friend, Kim Waples, and her two children. A celebration of her life will be held in Michigan and announced at a future date. Contributions may be made to National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Detroit Section, 26400 Lahser Road, Suite 306, Southfield, Michigan 48033, (248) 355-3300, ncjwmi.org. ROBERT MICHLIN, 70, of Van Nuys, Calif., passed away Dec. 26, 2019. He was born and raised in Detroit and lived in California for the past 40 years. Mr. Michlin is survived by his loving, caring wife of 28 years, Melinda Wood. He was the dear brother of Jeffrey Michlin and Margie (Ellis Feigenbaum) Michelin; uncle to Dylan (Jane) and Jenna Michlin; nephew to Stuart (Susan) Goldberg, Ava (the late Mordechai) Goldberg, Martha (the late Norman) Zausmer and the late Arnold and Florence Michlin; devoted son of the late Norman and Bernice Michlin; brother-in-law to Sue Michlin, and John and Wyetha Wood. He is also survived by many loving
cousins and friends. Contributions may be made to Doctors without Borders, ACLU, Southern Poverty Law Center, or a charity of one’s choice LORETHA “LOU� NELKIN, 95, of Bloomfield Hills, died Dec. 21, 2019. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Allan and Melanie Nelkin; daughters and sons-in-law, Marla and Murray Feldman, and Judy and Nick Dunwoodie; grandchildren, Matthew and Heather Nelkin, David Nelkin, Katie and Andrew Feldman, Rob Feldman and
his fiancee, Mallory Sofastaii, Evan Dunwoodie, Rachel Dunwoodie, Erin and Megan Mazursky, and Eli Mazursky; great-grandchildren, Ariella Feldman, Sydney Feldman and Hunter Nelkin; sisters, Mary and Doris. Mrs. Nelkin was the beloved wife of the late Leonard R. Nelkin; the proud grandmother of the late Michael Nelkin. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s AssociationGreater Michigan Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033, alz.org/gmc; Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation, 3011 W. Grand
Blvd., Suite 218, Detroit, MI 48202, chmfoundation. org/ways-to-help/donatenow; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ANNA PLATNER, 92, of Oak Park, died Dec. 31, 2019. She is survived by her daughter, c. 2013 Maya Kuchersky of Commerce Township; grandchildren, Roman and Lidia Kuchersky, Daniel and Yvonne Kuchersky; great-grandchildren, Adrian, Gabriel, Mikayla, Mischa. Mrs. Platner was the beloved wife of the late
Monya Platner; dear mother-in-law of the late Michael Kuchersky. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Interment was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. IDA WARGON, 97, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 24, 2019. She was active with the Temple Beth El Braille Bindery, Women’s Auxiliary Jewish War Veterans and she helped organize the Hebrew School at Mishkan Israel. Mrs. Wargon is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey (Robin Winograd) Wargon, Kenneth Wargon; continued on page 52
WE ARE THE COMMUNITY OWNED FUNERAL HOME
Our only motive is you and the KPNUPĂ„ LK JHYL ^L WYV]PKL `V\Y MHTPS`
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
| 51
Soul
of blessed memory continued from page 52
sisters-in-law, Barbara Mandelbaum, Dolly Mandell; many loving nieces and nephews. She was the beloved wife for 49 years of the late Milton Wargon; loving daughter of the late Jennie and the late Hyman Mandelbaum; dear sister of the late Morris Mandelbaum, the late Sam Mandelbaum, the late Myer Mandelbaum, the late Sol Mandelbaum, the late Ben Mandell and the late Dora Kaner. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Interment was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
DOROTHY “DOLLY” WOLF, 95, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 30, 2019. She is survived by her son, Dr. David (Marlene) Wolf; daughters, Judi Wolf (Alden Toevs) and Janet Wolf; grandchildren, Adam Wolf and Dr. Erin (Kyle) Warren; great-grandchildren, Madison and Olivia; sister-in-law, Thelma Wolf; nephew, Edward (Dr. Michelle) Ross; many nieces and nephews. Mrs. Wolf was the beloved wife of the late Stanford Wolf; loving sister of the late Irving (the late Sylvia) Gross and the late Sally Ann (the late Morrie) Love; the dear sister-
in-law of the late Marvin Wolf. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, Great Detroit Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033, alz.org; Jewish National Fund, 42 E. 69th Street, New York, NY 10021; Weizmann Institute, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 365, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, weizmann-usa.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
OBITUARY CHARGES Beginning Jan. 16, the processing fee for obituaries is $125 for the first 100 words and $1 for each additional word. A photo counts as 15 words. There is no charge for a Holocaust survivor icon. The JN reserves the right to edit wording to conform to its style considerations. For information, have your funeral director call the JN or you may call Sy Manello, editorial assistant, at (248) 351-5147 or email him at smanello@
Raskin
A Greek Treasure Big Tommy’s Parthenon celebrates eight years.
A
BIG TOMMY’S
local dining legend many people remember and continue to enjoy not only has the restaurant named for him but also helps carry on his highly respected name. This is the years-ago owner of the Parthenon and New Parthenon Danny Raskin Greek eateries Senior Columnist in Greektown, Detroit, and co-owner of former Big Daddy’s Parthenon, West Bloomfield, that closed because of internal problems. When his son, Andrew (Andy) Stylianou, who grew up in the restaurants with his dad, was only 18 years old, he
Andy and Elena Stylianou and Tom Peristeris
BIG TOMMY’S
the best of everything
worked as chef at Dimitri’s in Trenton … and around age 20 when working for his future father-in-law, Tom Peristeris, waiting tables … Then he opened his own restaurants. When Andy’s wife, Elena, who worked with her dad Tom since she was 12, and Andy came across an opportunity to buy and open a Greek restaurant in 2012, both immediately decided to name it Big Tommy’s Parthenon … on Grand River, near 12 Mile, between Haggerty and Meadowbrook, Novi. Along with Tom’s influence, guidance and recipes, they brought in a highly skilled chef from Greektown to head the kitchen … and to also journey daily in the early morning to Eastern Market to hand-pick the vegetables, meats, etc. Now going into its eighth anniversary, Big Tommy’s Parthenon has become highly noted for its authentic Greek dishes, many from old family recipes, and its American-style seafood selections. Best sellers include lamb chops, Lamb Riganato, grape leaves, grilled octopus, stuffed
chicken, etc. Big Tommy’s makes its own Parthenon Cake, (pineapple custard) baklava, Greek custard, Greek yogurt and chocolate mousse. Hours are seven days … Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.10 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday. 8 a.m.- 11 p.m., Sunday, 8 a.m.- 9 p.m. … Seating is 200 in the restaurant and another 200 in its lower level Comedy Club and Banquet Room … A bar has 15 stools … The Comedy Club, with live performers on Friday and Saturday evenings, is $15 per person, depending on the performer … and a limited menu show package is $27. Big Tommy’s Parthenon is a Greek dining winner … named after a very well-liked person, whose many times proud presence with his son-in-law and daughter is a wonderful delight … So is the food! ADVICE TO restaurant owners … If sport banners are displayed, do not favor one or the other team … Put up those of both squads or suffer the loss of customers … regardless of how
2020
THE WHITNEY
Afternoon Tea
good your food may be. QUESTION & ANSWER DEPT. … “I have a dinner bet with Alvin Selegman. He says he remembers when Sonny Eliot was in the restaurant business. When Al loses, he will take me and my wife, Joyce, for a good steak dinner. Where should we go?” … Sam Tuchman. (You’re taking him, Sam. Former weathercaster Sonny (Marvin Schlossberg) Eliot used to have Sonny’s Weather Station Lounge & Restaurant at the Detroit City Airport. Plenty of good places to have a fine steak.) OLDIE BUT GOODIE … The man moaned about the doctor’s fee. “I can’t pay that much,” he said. So the doctor set a lower fee. The fellow said it still was too much, and the doctor asked why he was there to see him when he couldn’t afford his price. “Listen, Doc,” said the man, “when it comes to my health, money is no object.” CONGRATS … To Jerry Parr on his birthday … To Ethel Komer on her birthday. Email dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.
Elegant Four Course Tea Luncheon Everyday at 2:00pm
Reservations at www.thewhitney.com (313) 832-5700
JANUARY 9 • 2020
| 53
Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org
mitzvah
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JANUARY 9 • 2020
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about bout Temple Kol Ami’s first mitzvah day the previous November when women from the temple contributed to the ABC Quilt Project to raise awareness of children born with birth defects due to AIDS or a mother’s drug use or alcoholism. It is hard to say just when Mitzvah Day began to be held on Dec. 25. I can tell you that, by the 2000s, Mitzvah Day was a generally recognized day of volunteering for Detroit Jews. It has long been under the auspices of the Jewish Community Relations Council (now JCRC/AJC). By the way, International Mitzvah Day, a day of “faith-based” social action based in London, England, was on Nov 17. It was inspired by Mitzvah Days in the United d States. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.
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be the William Davidson Digital Archives of Jewish Detroit History. Well, I could not find a definitive answer, so what follows is not a comprehensive history of Mitzvah Day, just some highlights or fodder for future research. A search for “Mitzvah Day” found the term was cited 381 times in the historic pages of the Detroit Jewish Chronicle and Jewish News. However, one has to be careful when searching this term because, prior to the 1950s, a citation for “mitzvah day” was usually preceded by a “bar” or “bat” — that is, the items were usually an announcement of a boy or girl celebrating his/ her personal bar/bat mitzvah day. One of the earliest citations of a mitzvah day was in the Oct. 10, 1958, issue of the JN declaring that Temple Israel’s Youth Group would hold its second annual Mitzvah Day or “Take It Easy Sunday” on Oct. 17. The group would clean windows, rake leaves and do other odd jobs for whatever charitable donation someone wished to give to the youth group. This was a big assist to the elderly, as you can imagine. I found another interesting story from April 22, 1994,
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or Christians of all varieties, Dec. 25 was Christmas, the holy day that celebrates the birth of Jesus. For a large number of Jews in Detroit, along with some Muslims, Hindus and participants from other non-Christian faiths, this was M ke Sm h “Mitzvah Day.” A n nd G h m nd u According to A h Ch Lauren Herrin, assistant director of the JCRC/ AJC, current sponsor of Mitzvah Day with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, more than 600 volunteers fulfilled the duties of workers at about 45 social service agencies in Metro Detroit, allowing those folks to celebrate Christmas Day with their families. Some say Mitzvah Day began in Michigan in 1993, when a synagogue in West Bloomfield first urged members to devote a day (back then, it was in March) to a day of volunteering. Just the name of the day tells you that its origins are Jewish, but I was intrigued by the notion that Mitzvah Day was a Michigan creation. So, I thought if any source could tell me about the birth of this day of good deeds, it would
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