DJN February 6, 2020

THE THE FOR FOR

PAM STOLER SELLS PAM STOLER SELLS

BROKER OF CHOICE BROKER OF CHOICE THOSE IN THE KNOW. THOSE IN THE KNOW.

248.840.0044 PAMSTOLER.COM 248.840.0044 PAMSTOLER.COM PAMSTOLER@HALLANDHUNTER.COM PAMSTOLER@HALLANDHUNTER.COM

442 S OLD WOODWARD AVE, BIRMINGHAM 442 S OLD WOODWARD AVE, BIRMINGHAM

200 Feb. 6-12, 2020 / 11-17 Shevat 5780

$

thejewishnews.com

Camp Guide 2020

• Camp Young Judaea Midwest Marks 50 Years • The Reach of Camp Tamarack’s Farber Farm See page 28

WE VALUE DEEP THOUGHT

“Before FJA, I didn’t know that I was a leader. However, a deeply supportive staff and an ample number of leadership opportunities led me to reconsider my timid tendencies. With the guidance of invested teachers and mentors, I have delved into music, the humanities, sports, and the natural world. In truth, I would not be on my current track if it were not for FJA.” - Sam Gawel, FJA Class of 2019

AND DEEPER RELATIONSHIPS OWN YOUR JOURNEY. DISCOVER YOUR TOMORROW.

FRANKELJA.ORG/APPLY $20,000 PER YEAR MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY

Arielle Endelman, Director of Admissions | 248-671-3248 | aendelman@frankelja.org

contents Feb. 6-12, 2020 / 11-17 Shevat 5780| VOLUME CLVII, ISSUE 1

Views 5-10

Jews in the D Much Ado About U-M Activists 12 Campus Jews had mixed reactions about the Youth for Palestine conference.

Survivor Remembers Auschwitz 13 Local talk timed to 75th anniversary of liberation.

Stained-Glass Beauty 16 Windows from former Saginaw shul need a new home.

16

Southfield Orthodox Family Sues American Airlines for Discrimination

50

18

The Farber Farm’s Reach Shabbat Lights

On the cover:

Shabbat starts: Friday, Feb. 7, 5:35 p.m.

Shabbat ends: Saturday, Feb. 8, 6:39 p.m.

Tu b’Shevat: Monday, Feb. 10

Cover photo/credit: Photos provided

by Camp Ramah, Camp Walden, Camp Young Judaea, Camp Tamarack and Willoway Day Camp.

* Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

30 Produce from the farm makes it to the Camp Maas dining hall and beyond.

Camp Listings 32

Arts&Life A Voice of the Oscars 40 Oak Park native Randy Thomas opened doors for other announcers.

design: Cover desi Sheridan Michelle Sh

28 The Well Earns Spot on Slingshot’s ‘10 to Watch List’ 22

Online Exclusives • A Bronx Tale Fills the Stage with Humor, Song and Heart • Partners Detroit’s Platform 18 Launches in Royal Oak

A Disturbing ‘Thrill’ 46 Fans of fringe theater will enjoy Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story.

News Analysis: Trump’s Peace Plan 23 Local professor shares his views on what’s

On the Go

inside.

Events/Editor’s Picks

25

thejewishnews.com

42

World

Moments

40

The Most Complete Oscar Guide for the Tribe

Spirit Torah portion 27

Camp Guide Marking 50 years 28 Camp Young Judaea Midwest director creates Jewish connections for generations.

47

Nosh Dining Around the D: Lao Pot 50

Nosh News 51

Etc. The Exchange Soul Danny Raskin Looking Back

52 54 61 62

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.

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

|3

YOUR CHILD

deserves the

BEST

Education

Help Our Children Get The Best Education And Complete The 2020 Census.

To make sure your school gets money for school lunches and education programs, you must complete the 2020 CENSUS this spring.

The 2020 CENSUS is quick and EASY to fill out. Use it to count EVERYONE in your home. And by law, it is 100% CONFIDENTIAL For more information go to www.mivoicecounts.org

4 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

Views for openers

Finding The Good

I

often reserve this space for a lighthearted look at some aspect of life. But the tragic helicopter accident that killed Kobe Bryant, his daugher and seven others, impeachment trial and a deadly virus are just some of the recent stories impeding my ability to find the humor in just about anything.

Throw into the mix the three funerals I’ve attended in the last three weeks and there I was, sitting with my laptop Alan in a booth at Panera Bread, a Muskovitz blank slate void of anything remotely gratifying to write about. Oh, woe is me. But then …

My pity party was interrupted by a spirited conversation I overheard from an adjacent table that included — upon meeting them later — a psychologist, a police officer and several of their breakfast buddies.

It was an eclectic demographic group of white, black, middle-aged and senior citizens. I would learn later they gather Monday through Thursday mornings for an informal meeting of the minds. A roundtable discussion, if you will, made up of two little tables pushed together.

The group was discussing the current state of (gulp) American politics. But it wasn’t what they were talking about that intrigued me; it was how they were talking about it. Opposing points of view weren’t being argued but respectfully discussed.

A woman who overheard the topic

stopped to engage the gentlemen on her way out, sharing her opinion in a friendly tone. I stared and listened. These folks were actually … communicating!

At that moment, one of the guys caught me observing their forum and with a chuckle said: “Oh, oh, better watch out; I think that guy over there wants to join the discussion!” Well, I kinda did.

I sauntered over to the group and was immediately asked what I did. I told them I’m a writer who once enjoyed penning equal-opportunity political humor but, because of the divisiveness in our country, I was avoiding the topic as if it were the coronavirus.

I joined the conversation but didn’t go so far as taking a side. Wait, what? How, in this seemingly irretrievable polarizing atmosphere we live in, could I possibly have avoided taking a position? It’s not that I didn’t have one, but at that moment I didn’t want to.

On this day, I was just happy to witness people with opposing points of view push two tables together and reasonably discuss them like real people, not politicians. And from what I can tell, all the participants will reunite tomorrow morning at the same two tables to discuss something entirely different. I intend to find out.

It turns out on this particular day, this Panera location had a second act in store for helping rehabilitate my faith in humanity. Two hours later, I was back in line order-

ing lunch, a very long line. I commented to the woman in front of me that I was going to bail out because I was on a tight schedule. Without missing a beat, she not only invited me to move ahead of her in line but also offered to hold my place while I went to save a table for myself.

I mean, really?

I thanked her profusely but couldn’t in good conscious improve my standing over the several people lined up behind me. Instead, I exhibited some new found patience, kept my place in line and had a lovely chat with her until both of us ended up at side-by-side registers … at which point I clandestinely slipped my credit card into her register’s machine and paid for her carryout.

I wanted her to know how much her selfless act meant to me. Her random act of kindness led to mine. See how that works?

The cherry on top? She was so taken by my gesture that she informed me she was heading to her Bible study, where she would include me in her prayers. The woman operating the register followed suit and proclaimed she, too, would say a prayer for me.

How do you like that? Who knew that when I ordered my Panera Baja Bowl with chicken that I would end up with two free sides of prayers? I left full and fulfilled.

life.) That, along with the garbage created, has led to rat infestation, and people passing through have contracted typhoid while walking to work. Now doctors warn about the bubonic plague returning.

Yet, California’s government does not act to solve this crisis, due primarily to drug addiction and treatable mental illness. Instead, it plans to spend tens of millions more annually on welfare benefits for persons there illegally. But doesn’t Torah tell us our first priority is to help our needy fellow citizens?

(Devarim 15:7-11)

More benefits for the undocumented will, of course, draw more of them north with transit purchased from the cartels — criminal organizations that make millions from human and drug trafficking and which sow chaos in Central America.

Cutting the cartels of income by strengthening the border would improve lives for people on both sides. Why isn’t that being done?

Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/acting talent, speaker, and emcee. Visit his website at laughwithbigal.com,“Like” Al on Facebook and reach him at amuskovitz@renmedia.us.

letters

What’s Our First Priority?

If the clergy who went to the Mexican border (“Remember the Stranger,” Jan.16, page 15) had been in California and merely turned around, they would have seen a different human crisis. There, more than 130,000 people are homeless.

In Los Angeles County, about 59,000 (the population of Royal Oak) live on the streets. Lacking toilets, many defecate on the sidewalk. (City workers then wash it into storm sewers, so it flows untreated to the ocean, killing fish and other aquatic

— Kerry Greenhut West Bloomfield continued on page 6 FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

|5

LETTERS continued from page 5

Views

Appeasement Doesn’t Work

editor’s letter

An Editor’s Welcome

W

ow. I still can’t believe I’m here speaking to you as the new editor of the Jewish News.

This is the first issue I’m overseeing in my new position, but I remember reading these pages as a child in Huntington Woods. The JN was one of the first print magazines I can recall seeing in Andrew Lapin the homes of Editor my family and friends, and it played a big role in my own decision to enter journalism as a profession. Since I’ve been fortunate enough to work for organizations like NPR and The Atlantic over the years, I owe JN a tremendous amount of gratitude.

If you’re reading this, I imagine that, like me, you care about Detroit’s Jewish community. I remember the warm feelings of support I felt growing up. I remember my pride when I became a bar mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park. When I graduated from the University of Michigan and moved from Ann Arbor to Washington, D.C., to Chicago to Paris, I would try to seek out a new Jewish community wherever I went. I must have attended services at more than a dozen different congregations, across many denominations. But I was never able to replicate the closeness and companionship of Detroit’s Jewish population.

So when JN Publisher Arthur Horwitz and Renaissance Media CEO Kevin Browett first approached me about this position, I recognized what an incredible opportunity it represented. That’s why I’m so excited to now play a role in fostering that invaluable sense of community for the next generation of JN readers.

Yes, I said “next generation,” and yes, I’m a Millennial. (Coming soon: Passover recipes for avocado-matzah toast!) I know the idea of change can be scary, but it’s no secret that the JN is in a difficult financial position. That’s kind of why I’m here in the first place.

The modern media industry is struggling. But the truth is, the JN is too valuable an asset to the Detroit Jewish community — and to Jews the world over who care about what happens here — to be allowed to fade away.

So I’m committed to broadening JN’s reach and appeal. In the coming months we aim to expand our footprint with increased digital-first content at TheJewishNews.com; live events to encourage dialogue across the Metro Detroit area; new multimedia projects; new local voices reflecting diverse Jewish opinions and experiences; and more.

And I want to hear from you, too. In the grand tradition of Jews everywhere, the JN must argue with itself. What does it mean to be Jewish in Detroit in 2020, and are we reflecting that in our stories? We need

the support of our readers to survive, but are we truly earning it? Are we present in the spaces where we can have the most impact on the conversation? Are we being inclusive in our framing of the key issues affecting our community?

These are tough questions.

But they’re also the kinds of challenges I live for. I’m a critic by trade, and I love to think critically about problems that need a mix of insight and chutzpah. I’ve also spent years researching the challenges facing local, mission-driven media in the digital age. My Judaism is important to me, as are my Detroit roots. Put them all together, and the task of figuring out the future of JN starts to look … well, kind of fun.

I’m overwhelmed by the support I’ve already received from the community. Seeing so many friends and colleagues kvelling over your new job is a great ego boost. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for believing in me, and in the importance of this publication. I hope I won’t let you down.

If you would like to show your support to JN, please consider purchasing a subscription for yourself or a relative. Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter and follow us on social media.

Watch this space for future announcements that will allow you to lend your support in different ways. I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us.

Regarding Jonathan Tobin’s “It Was Time for an Administration to Break Foreign-Policy ‘Rules’” (Jan. 16, page 8) — it concludes, “… it’s also time for the chattering classes to stop pretending that Trump is the problem. It was high time that someone had the nerve to break the wheel that perpetuated Iran’s power and violence.”

Appeasement has never worked to the Free World’s benefit. We are grateful the president of the United States is challenging tyranny, supporting Israel and opposing anti-Semitism.

— Ronna Ross, Secretary Michigan Jewish Action Council

Immigrants or Settlers?

Louis Finkelman ends his article “Local Reactions” (Jan. 16) about immigration with “Differing Views,” but perhaps there’s more to it.

Generally speaking, an immigrant is someone seeking to become one of us. A settler is someone seeking better pastures but bringing along their culture.

The two contrasting attitudes depend on which group you focus on. I’m pro-immigrant and anti-settler. If you don’t respect the American culture, you are not welcome. It’s not what you are running from but what you are running to.

Much of the chaos migrants are running from is due to genocidal hatred and over-population driven by religion-dominated cultures, and I don’t want those self-destructive cultures to settle in this country.

The problem I have with both sides is that neither is putting adequate emphasis on sorting out the arrivals. Where they arrive from and how much money is in their pocket are not valid measures of their ability to assimilate. I do hope that the next election gives us a choice other than between open borders or our version of the Berlin Wall.

— Dennis L. Green Farmington Hills continued on page 10

6 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

|7

Views essay

On Our Doorposts MADDY GUN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

I

COURTESY OF STANDWITHUS

am the granddaughter of I was most excited to do was to a Holocaust survivor. At 8 hang a mezuzah, a blessing of years old, my grandfather the home, on my doorpost. was hiding in the woods for Growing up, I was taught more than two years about the importance with his brother, of Judaism and how who was 18. The I should feel proud rest of their family to be a Jew, so hangperished. To this ing up a mezuzah day, my grandfather was natural for me. speaks about his However, a couple story of survival in weeks later, I came order to educate back to my apartment others. Through his to find my mezuzah story, I’ve learned ripped off my doorthe value of standpost and stolen.

Maddy Gun displays her ing up for my beliefs new mezuzah.

At first, I was as well as the imporunsure of how to tance of education. react. Was I supposed to be My grandfather always ends scared? Maybe this was a joke? his speech by saying, “You But then I realized that this was cannot be a bystander.” These intentional, and I had to act. words have resonated with me, The first thing I did was ask and after experiencing blatant the apartment manager to check anti-Semitism on campus, the video footage to identify I knew I could not just be a the perpetrator. Then I filed a bystander. police report, a draining process This past semester, as I that took many weeks of follow moved into my apartment at up to keep the investigation Michigan State University in moving forward. The apartment East Lansing, one of the things manager eventually located Arthur M. Horwitz Publisher ahorwitz@renmedia.us F. Kevin Browett Chief Operating Officer kbrowett@renmedia.us | Editorial Editor: Andrew Lapin (248) 351 5135 Associate Editor: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@renmedia.us Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen kcohen@renmedia.us Digital Editor: Allison Jacobs ajacobs@renmedia.us Multimedia Reporter: Corrie Colf ccolf@renmedia.us

Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@renmedia.us Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin2132@gmail.com Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar rsklar@renmedia.us Contributing Editor: David Sachs Contributing Arts Editor: Gail Zimmerman gzimmerman@renmedia.us Contributing Writers: Nate Bloom, Suzanne Chessler, Maya Goldman, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Alan Muskovitz, Stacy Gittleman, Mike Smith

Advertising Sales Vice President of Sales and Business Development: Carol Kruemmer ckruemmer@renmedia.us Sales Manager: Keith Farber kfarber@renmedia.us

The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is published every Thursday at 29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Hwy., #110, Southfield, MI 48034.

8 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

the footage, which required reviewing multiple cameras over the course of more weeks.

After quite some time and well into the middle of the semester, the case was finally delivered to the detective bureau, which reviewed the footage, conducted interviews within my apartment complex and identified a male student at Michigan State University as the suspect. The semester drew to a close, and I had to decide whether to pursue criminal charges against the suspect.

I felt similarly to my grandfather about the power of education and decided to pursue a rehabilitative route instead of the criminal justice system. I set up a meeting with MSU’s Hillel director, the Chabad rabbi, the suspect and me. Meeting faceto-face with the perpetrator, I told him how his actions had not only impacted me but also the greater Jewish community at MSU, as someone else in my apartment building took their mezuzah down out of fear.

I then asked if he would be willing to take a guided tour of the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills and, upon Account Executives: Kelsey Cocke, Catherine Grace, Annette Kizy, Kathy Harvey-Mitton

| Business Office Operations Manager: Andrea Gusho agusho@renmedia.us Operations Assistant / Event Coordinator: Ashlee Szabo Circulation: Danielle Smith Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner

his return, write a reflection about what he learned. He immediately agreed to take the educational route and toured the museum a few weeks later.

He also compensated me for the cost of my vandalized and stolen mezuzah. While he never sent me his written reflections, my hope is that through this process, he understands the impact and hurt his actions caused.

This experience also taught me the importance of community. I am grateful to the East Lansing Police Department, MSU Hillel and MSU Chabad Student Center as well as to the team at StandWithUs. I am also delighted to share that I have since hung a new mezuzah on my doorpost and am prouder than ever to showcase my Judaism to the world. I hope that my story can inspire others to stand up and speak out.

Maddy Gun is the StandWithUs Emerson Fellow at Michigan State University. She shared her story in front of 550 student and community attendees at the StandWithUs “Israel in Focus” International Conference Jan. 17-19 in Los Angeles.

Detroit Jewish News Partner: Arthur M. Horwitz ahorwitz@renmedia.us Partner: F. Kevin Browett kbrowett@renmedia.us Partner: Michael H. Steinhardt

How to reach us see page 10

| Production By Farago & Associates Manager: Scott Drzewiecki Designers: Jessica Joannides, Kelly Kosek, Michelle Sheridan

jn

1942 - 2020 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week

|

To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.djnfoundation.org

Views

Leslie (Goldman) Maaser, Milt Goldman, Kenny Goldman, Rochelle Goldman and Arnie Goldman at Kenny’s bar mitzvah party in 1982.

Contact Us LETTERS continued from page 6

Todah Rabah

Visit the JN website

www.thejewishnews.com NEWS UPDATES Watch videos and read the latest news about Metro Detroit’s Jewish community. thejewishnews.com

MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION Renew your subscription, change your postal or email address, forward for your vacation, report a missed delivery. thejewishnews. com/my-account

LIFE-CYCLE ANNOUNCEMENTS Submit your life-cycle announcement, as well as obituaries — and learn about deadlines and fees. thejewishnews.com/lifecycleannouncements

COMMUNITY EVENTS Submit your community events for the JN calendar and find deadline information. thejewishnews.com/calendar

SUBMIT STORY IDEAS/ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Share your news or ideas. thejewishnews.com/contact

READ THE ONLINE EDITION Read the weekly online version of the JN print edition with a subscription. thejewishnews.com/ web-edition

SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER Sign up for our daily or weekly email newsletter. thejewishnews.com/newsletter

LOCATIONS SELLING COPIES OF THE JN Visit thejewishnews.com/whereto-buy for a list of stores and boxes.

BACK ISSUES OF THE JN The Detroit Jewish News Foundation’s William Davidson Archive of Jewish Detroit History contains more than 330,000 pages of content — spanning more than 100 years — from the Jewish News and its predecessor publication. It is fast, free and accessible via djnfoundation.org

ADVERTISE

Connect with the JN sales team. thejewishnews.com/advertise

DEPARTMENTS

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

General Offices: 248-354-6060 Advertising: 248-351-5129 Circulation: subscriptions@renmedia.us Classified Ads: 248-351-5116 / 248-234-9057 Advertising Deadline: Friday, 11am Editorial Fax: 248-304-8885

1 year $85 2 years $153 3 years $204 1 year out-of-state $125 2 years out-of-state $225 Online only $36

Detroit Jewish News | 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110 | Southfield, MI 48034 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.

10 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

Thank you to Steve Stein and the Jewish News for the wonderful article, “The Kenny Goldman Basketball League Honors Young Man’s Love of Basketball” (Jan. 16, page 40).

My sister Leslie and I are thrilled that the league modestly started 36 years ago by our parents, Milt and Rochelle, in memory of our brother, Kenny, is still going strong. Much of its success can be credited to the leadership of Bruce Wineman, Leah Worthy and the JCC and to the great coaches, such as Paul Katz, who have helped kids learn basketball and the true meaning of sportsmanship.

We thank all our friends, family and others who have contributed to the league and especially all the parents who took their kids through rain and heavy snow (as we just had on Jan. 18) to practices and league play. And of course, we thank all the kids like Ari Katz who have played in the league.

My wife, Judy, and I have met many who signed up their own kids in later years to participate as they had. In fact, we have met so many in the last three-anda-half decades and have heard countless inspirational stories that have made us feel proud and thankful. It is gratifying to know that so many have taken part, from those just starting to learn basketball all the way to gifted athletes like Miles Bridges and Cassius Winston.

My sister Leslie worked at

the JCC in the early 1980s and remembers working there while Kenny and his friends came to the JCC to shoot hoops. When Kenny died six-and-a-half months after his bar mitzvah in 1982, his death felt sudden and meaningless. But the Kenny Goldman League has changed all of that, knowing how many kids and parents have been positively affected by the Kenny Goldman League.

I just celebrated the 50th anniversary of my bar mitzvah on Jan. 18, reading haftorah at Congregation B’nai Moshe, partly in honor and memory of my brother, whose bar mitzvah was the last lifecycle event of his life. On the next day, my sister, wife and I visited the first day of the winter session of the Kenny Goldman League and met with Bruce, Leah and some coaches and parents. We are still moved and honored today by the passion of the people involved in the league.

Nothing can bring Kenny, who would now be 51, back to life, but it is so rewarding to see a league named in his memory help transform so many young lives.

To the JCC, Bruce, Leah, coaches, parents, supporters, and to all the thousands of kids who have participated, we feel blessed to say, todah rabah (thank you).

— Arnie and Judy Goldman Leslie (Goldman) and Bruce Maaser and the Extended Goldman Family Farmington Hills

n,

t

A Safe Place I to Learn Friendship Circle Lessons for Life offers real-world experience in state-of-the-art village.

Each year, Lessons for Life serves more than 2,500 students from across Michigan and the region.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS

magine a place where children of all abilities and backgrounds could learn essential life skills in a safe and accepting environment.

Imagine if that place was developed with experts to help children with special needs feel safe venturing into new experiences. Now imagine all these experiences and life lessons were happening in a state-of-the-art facility designed as a “mini-town” to mirror the real world.

In 2005, Friendship Circle opened the doors to Weinberg Village in the Ferber Kaufman Lifetown Facility on the Meer Family Friendship Center.

Weinberg Village brought to life the vision of Bassie and Rabbi Levi Shemtov: to see children with special needs safely navigating the skills essential to succeed in life. Research continues to prove that students have a higher rate of success in comprehension skills when taught in a true-to-life setting. Weinberg Village is that setting.

Weinberg Village is now home to Lessons for Life, Pathways and Lessons for Life 2.0, ground-breaking life skills programs that simulate a day in the “real world”’ for children ages pre-K through high school.

“When we developed Lessons for Life and Weinberg Village, we gathered a professional committee of therapists, social workers and educators who worked together weekly on planning the center,” Bassie says.

The Lessons for Life curriculum was developed in partnership with Nancy Sinelli and Lori Blumenstein of the human services agency MORC, and is now overseen by Director Shelby Lonnerstater, LLMSW. “Each aspect of the building is designed around the requests of the hundreds of families Friendship Circle was serving,” Levi continues.

“We knew we needed to serve the children we had met and the thousands who needed these skills in a tangible and safe way. Offering a program that could work with the schools was the only way to reach all students.”

Now in its 15th school year, Lessons for Life bridges the gap between the skills students with special needs are learning in the classroom and a real-world setting. Every day, Weinberg Village becomes a fully

functioning town run by Friendship Circle volunteers for hundreds of students. Each year, Lessons for Life serves more than 2,500 students from across Michigan and the region.

And, Lessons for Life isn’t just for students with special needs. The program is for everyone.

“While all of our other programs are open to and enjoyed by people of all faiths, Lessons for Life, because of the geographic area that the students come from, helps us bring our friendship to thousands of students, which represents the full diversity of southeast Michigan.”

Through Pathways, Friendship Circle is now working with more than 100 schools to bring students with and without special needs to Weinberg Village for field trips and other learning experience visits.

Learning alongside each other, students can see what life may be like for those with different abilities.

“Lessons for Life began to help teach students with special needs about the real world,” Lonnerstater says. “Pathways allows schools to bring students of all abilities to Weinberg Village together, so they have the chance to work together, live together and do life together.”

Working in collaboration with Lessons for Life and Pathways, Lessons for Life 2.0 offers individualized plans for students with special needs. Educators work directly with Friendship Circle professionals to identify specific goals for a student and help to guide that student during a visit to Weinberg Village.

“We are able to see the success students have when they come through Lessons for Life a few times and are truly learning how to navigate town,” Lonnerstater says. “Our volunteers get to know them. They learn and try new things each time they come.

Most importantly, they are feeling confident and more ready to try these things in the real world.”

Lessons for Life has become a critical extension of the work done at Friendship Circle. Offering a space for schools to give real-world experience to students, a curriculum designed to expand students’ abilities and caring individuals dedicated to volunteering their time to help these students succeed in safe and fulfilling ways.

Get involved, go to friendshipcircle.org/foreverfriendship FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 11

Much Ado About U-M Activists The rally at the Youth for Palestine conference was sparsely attended.

MAYA GOLDMAN

Jews in the D

Campus Jews had mixed reactons about the Youth for Palestine conference.

MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

P

ro-Israel organizations condemned a conference held on the University of Michigan campus aimed at connecting young pro-Palestinian students across the Midwest. But on campus, the University of Michigan’s Jewish community had mixed feelings about the event.

Palestinian Youth Movement and Midwest Students for Justice for Palestine held their second annual Youth for Palestine conference in Ann Arbor Jan. 25-26. The conference was hosted by the University of Michigan chapter of SJP, known on campus as Students Allied for Freedom and Equality.

The conference aimed to connect young people interested in Palestinian rights from various universities and schools across the Midwest through “two days of powerful talks,” according to a page on the conference website.

A schedule of events for the weekend was not made public, but the website advertised workshops on community organizing and a culture night featuring an Arab folk-dance competition. The conference also included a rally Sunday afternoon on the University of Michigan central campus Diag, attended by about 20 people, to protest imperialism worldwide. One chant at the rally called Israel a “terrorist state.”

Representatives from Palestinian Youth Movement, Midwest Students for Justice for Palestine, and Students Allied for Freedom and Equality didn’t respond to interview requests from the Detroit Jewish News. The JN could not confirm how many people attended the conference or a list of speakers.

12 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

Several international pro-Israel organizations including StandWithUs and Students Supporting Israel condemned the conference prior to this weekend.

Ilan Sinelnikov, president and founder of Students Supporting Israel, told the Jewish News Sydnicate SSI “expects the University of Michigan to condemn and cancel such a hateful conference.”

In a statement on its Facebook page Saturday morning, Midwest SJP wrote they believe in the right to use higher education spaces as “mediums for social and political change.”

“We release this statement in the midst of an era characterized by the systemic censorship of campus activism in order to uplift the important work we do and reaffirm our fundamental right to free speech,” the post reads.

CAMPUS REACTION On campus, U-M’s Jewish community viewed the event differently. Meghann Norden-Bright, a senior at the university and a member of J Street UMich — which advocates for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — said she was happy to see students supporting self-determination.

“I think I’m pleased that there are people advocating for this because it feels like an important cause,” Norden-Bright said.

But “I am aware that campus politics tend to get really nasty around this issue, and I was definitely a little wary of that happening and sort of bringing out strong voices on both sides of the issue that like can be less than [productive].”

Tilly Shames, executive director of

Michigan Hillel, said she worried about the content being taught at the conference, but hadn’t heard students expressing their concerns.

“They recognize this conference would not be stopped as others were calling for, so our leadership students and staff focus their attention on bringing positive Israel programming to campus, building relationships with other campus groups, and focusing on the needs and interests of our Jewish students,” Shames wrote in an email to the Jewish News.

For his part, David Zwick, U-M sophomore and president of the campus group Wolverines for Israel, said the conference highlighted the need for pro-Israel students on campus to organize and work together to make their voices heard.

“Regarding the recent Youth for Palestine conference, I feel that everyone, student and non-student alike, should inform himself on the proper methods for reacting to such a gathering.

It goes without saying that such events should not be taken lightly,” Zwick wrote in a statement.

“I believe it is appropriate we encourage greater communication within our camp and better coordinate our collective response. This commands both detailed education regarding the event itself as well as a deep familiarity with the resources at our disposal.”

The university’s Jewish community felt the reactions of off-campus organizations, as portrayed in news reports leading up to the conference, were disproportionate.

“I was deeply disappointed to see how our campus was depicted in the press,” Shames wrote. “We wish the news of all of our positive Israel and bridge-building programming would spread as wide as the news reporting about one anti-Israel program so that our Jewish community could feel the same sense of pride that we do about our campus.”

Norden-Bright agreed, saying she felt uncomfortable with these international groups’ interest in the University of Michigan.

“That’s not how we are and that’s not who we are. That’s not what we align with,” she said. “I wouldn’t want somebody to look at the StandWithUs viewpoint and think that speaks for all Jews on campus.”

CORRIE COLF

Survivor Remembers Auschwitz

My STORY

Local talk timed to 75th anniversary of liberation.

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER Paula Marks-Bolton

P

aula Marks-Bolton spent only four days at the Auschwitz concentration camp as a teenager in Nazi-occupied Poland. But that time still echoed heavily in her head on the 75th anniversary of the camp’s liberation. “After many days and nights of riding in these cramped cattle trains, the Nazis had finally stopped for good,� Marks-Bolton said. “They opened up the doors and announced, ‘We have arrived at Auschwitz.’�

Jan. 27 marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and Marks-Bolton, 93, took the occasion to detail her story of survival to a crowd of around 50 people at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills. “It is so important that we must continue to teach love and kindness,� the West Bloomfield resident told the attendees. “This is what I have been teaching for almost 30 years. It should never make a difference what nationality, religion or what color skin

a person has — we are all brothers and sisters. We are all connected and are all God’s children.�

Among the attendees were a group from Schoolcraft College in Livonia and a group of employees from a new marketing firm in Detroit.

Throughout Marks-Bolton’s story, many in the audience were overcome with emotion, with some fighting back tears.

In 1939, when the Nazis invaded her home country of Poland, Marks-Bolton was just 13 years old. Her family was torn apart by the Nazis: While her middle brother, Schmeral, escaped to Russia, her two younger brothers were taken to the Poznan concentration camp, the first in the territory of Poland, and Paula was separated from her parents and taken to the Lodz Ghetto, the second-largest ghetto in German-occupied Europe.

From Lodz, Marks-Bolton spent three grueling days traveling by a cattle train car to Auschwitz. As she climbed out of her compartment, she was met by

Linda Kovan has spent her life making things happen. “I’m a problem solver, and I believe in action,� Linda said. “I see things, or I hear things, and I want to help.

It’s my way of making a difference in the world, in a way that’s meaningful, not just lip service.� For instance, when Linda and her brothers were going through the process of moving their mother from her home and into senior living, the process was so daunting, Linda created a business out of it, Peace of Mind Life Solutions.

Linda said she and her siblings felt like they covered so much new ground, they wanted to save other people the journey they had to make. “That’s one of the reasons why I feel I ďŹ t right into Hebrew Free Loan,â€? Linda said. “The HFL Board is so participatory, and I can actively make a difference, whether it’s helping an older person making a move, or a younger person making a start. It gets my creative juices going, ďŹ nding that I’m one of a group of people dedicated to give someone a jump start on a dream, or make their future a little brighter.â€?

Professionally, Linda spent 30 years in sales, so she also counts networking among her skills. “I like to think I’m a resource person, a person who can connect what people need with where to go to ďŹ ll that need,â€? Linda said. “It’s part of what makes me who I am, I guess. I have always known that something I can do well is share my knowledge and experience to make things easier for others. HFL plays right into that. I want to share my life, my community work and my experiences with others, so people don’t have to walk the path of their lives alone.â€?

Click. Call. Give Now. www.hfldetroit.org 248.723.8184

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 ( Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301 Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

@HFLDetroit

continued on page 14

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 13

Jews in the D continued from page 13

LET US DESIGN YOUR DREAM KITCHEN FREE In-Home Estimates )XOO 5HPRGHOLQJ 6HU YLFHV $YDLODEOH 6KHOE\ 7RZQVKLS ‡ :HVW %ORRPILHOG ZZZ ODIDWD FRP ‡

14 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

Dr. Josef Mengele as he sorted arrivals into lines leading to the left or right.

Marks-Bolton was instructed to go right and headed into the bathrooms, where she was forced to strip naked to be sanitized and shaven. If the prisoners had any belongings, they were mandated to hand them over to the guards.

The only item in her possession was a small, wallet-sized picture of her mother that she refused to give up. The guards questioned her and beat her until she was forced to release the photo. “Losing that picture of my mother still bothers me to this day,� Marks-Bolton said. “They beat me all over my body, my back and my head. It fell to the floor with my mother’s face up, and I saw my mother’s eyes staring back at me, telling me, ‘Paula, walk away, you’re going to be OK.’�

The other group arriving in Auschwitz, the ones told to go to the left, were not as lucky. They were taken to either the crematoriums or used for experimentation by the Nazis. “At Auschwitz, they experimented on our lives — no matter if they were old, disabled, a baby or a pregnant woman — they all suffered experimentation at the hands of the Nazis,�

Marks-Bolton said. “The crematoriums there were burning our people day and night. You could even smell the flesh of our people burning.�

After four days at Auschwitz, Marks-Bolton

was later was transferred to Ravensbruck, a women’s-only German camp, by another cramped cattle car.

After two weeks, she found herself at Muhlhausen — a newer and cleaner facility in Germany where she spent a total of eight months.

Marks-Bolton’s last stop before her liberation was Bergen-Belsen in northern Germany. At 17, she was rescued by British soldiers and was taken to mini-clinics to regain her strength.

Once she was back to health, she married Martin Marks, whom she had met on Yom Kippur the year of her liberation. She also reunited with her brother, Schmeral, and would later give birth to two daughters. Marks-Bolton and her family moved to Detroit in 1949, where she met her aunt, Jane Meisner, and uncle, Alan Zeiger.

Marks-Bolton used to speak on her time in the Holocaust three to four times a week but has lately cut back her engagements. The memories are often becoming too much to bear, she said. Yet the great-grandmother persists on sharing her story with younger generations. “A lot of our people go to their graves and never tell the whole story,� MarksBolton said. “But the people who can have an obligation. We must teach others about our stories because although we can’t change what happened to our lives or bring back our loved ones, we must prevent it from happening again to any other human being.�

COURTESY OF JCRC/AJC

Left: Howard Lupovitch. Right: Saeed Khan.

A Shared Future LAUREN GARFIELD-HERRIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

F

or many years, members of Metropolitan Detroit’s Jewish and Muslim communities have been working together to create closer bonds.

In 2013, two organizations, the Detroit regional office of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Michigan Muslim Community Council (MMCC), decided to examine the attitudes and experiences of members of both communities through a survey formulated and conducted by the University of Michigan-Dearborn i-Labs.

The study reported similarities between the two communities, with responders indicating their respective degrees of willingness to interact.

To publicize the results, AJC and MMCC hosted a public program where each organization provided commentary on the survey. Among the presenters then were Wayne State University professors Howard Lupovitch and Saeed Khan.

“They were so similar and their level of intelligence, respectful disagreement and ability to have really challenging conversations framed in history was astounding,” said Kari Alterman, regional director of AJC Detroit at that time.

“Recognizing potential in the present and the future, their narratives were remarkable, leaving everyone inspired and informed.”

Following the inaugural event, the three-part lecture series, “A Shared Future,” was created.

The annual program continues to explore topics of importance to the local Jewish and Muslim communities.

Each year, the lectures take place at three different venues: a Muslim-affiliated location, a synagogue and Wayne State University. Attendance at each venue includes Jews and Muslims.

This year, the series is titled “Are We Religiously Free in America?” On Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Muslim Unity Center will host the first installment, which will explore the navigation and implementation of Halachah and Sharia in the United States. On Wednesday, Feb. 19, at Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield, professors Khan and Lupovitch will discuss attitudes and applications of separation of religion and state. Finally, Wayne State University will host Wednesday, Feb. 26, with a look at attitudes toward the First Amendment as they pertain to constructive debate and civil discourse.

All three programs begin at 7 p.m. and are followed by a dessert reception. The lectures are free but register at sharedfuturereligiousfreedom. eventbrite.com.

What Is Your Plan?.....

Call Us. We focus on Probate Litigation and Administration. Administering estates where everyone is on the same page. Protecting you from self-dealing parties appointed by will, trust or the court. Protecting you from family members who always want more.

michprobate.com 24725 West 12 Mile – Ste. 110 Southfield, MI 48034

1-248-945-1111

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 15

DS N E REAR ER WINT A Z N A G A V A R EXT

INDOOR SIDEWALK SALE

Jews in the D

Stained-Glass Beauty Windows from former Saginaw shul need a new home.

STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

H From

$10-$75

Designer Jeans & Casual Clothes at Huge Discount

Now-February 14th

50-75% OFF

On the Boardwalk 2UFKDUG /DNH 5G :HVW %ORRPÀHOG 248-626-4333

%ORRPÀHOG 3ODFH Maple & Telegraph 248-480-0460

on merchandise originally up to $400.

Mom gave you her best - now she deserves the best!

Care for Everyone Call Jeanne Atkinson and Colleen McDonald for the best home care in Oakland County!

Discreet, light housekeeping, grocery shopping, meal preparation, running errands, transportation, companionship and personal care.

Call Today! 248.919.1244 synergyhomecare.com/oaklandcounty

16 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

ANDREW ROGERS

DON’T MISS IT!

adassah Hospital and designed the 16 windows in Jerusalem has its as a gift to the congregation. famed Chagall glass According to French windows depicting the 12 antiques dealer Marc Maison’s Tribes of Israel. A lesser-known website, Jean Barillet followed series of stainedin the footsteps of his glass windows more father Louis Barillet, than 50 years old who created stained depicting the tribes glass for religious and once adorned the old civic and commercial building of B’nai Israel commissions.

Synagogue in Saginaw, Meretsky said he has created by the French received only tentative stained-glass artist Jean calls of inquiry, but he Barillet. hopes the windows can In 2005, B’nai Israel someday be installed shuttered its doors, in a synagogue or sold the building displayed in a musefor professional and um dedicated to the medical office space history of Jewish life in and used the funds to Michigan. warehouse 13 of the “There is a rich 16 windows. Because enough of a Jewish hisof their historical sigtory in Michigan that it nificance, the windows warrants a museum all A window from the former B’nai its own,” said Meretsky, are registered with the Michigan Stained Glass Israel Synagogue in who has also served Saginaw Census. on the archives comBut time is running mittee of the Jewish out. The storage lease ends in Federation of Metropolitan December 2020.

Detroit. There are 80 regional Stanley Meretsky of West Jewish history museums in the Bloomfield, former president United States. of the Jewish Historical Society Meretsky, who is spearheadof Michigan, is hoping a donor, ing efforts to raise money for museum, congregation or their continued storage and Jewish school will come to the the search for a new location rescue and claim this piece of to install and display the winMichigan Jewish history. dows, said, “I will do whatever Meretsky remembers the I can to preserve these winbeauty of the windows when dows and make sure nothing they graced the synagogue happens to them.” during the wedding ceremony to his first wife, Rae, in the late For information, contact Meretsky at 1960s. His ex-father-in-law, stan@mcculloughcorp.net.

Dave Ruskin, commissioned

The Very Last Green Thing Cary John Franklin, composer Dianna Hochella, conductor Sarah Hawkins Rusk, director

Performed entirely by the Michigan Opera Theatre Children’s Chorus Saturday, April 25, 2020 at 2:30 p.m.

At Detroit’s Fisher Theatre

An opera for young people… by young people.

The year is 2492 where students are taught and raised by an android with rare opportunities to go “outside.” After encountering a time capsule from the early 21st century, the children find a withered plant and the secrets unlocked from the planet’s past.

A timeless environmental message of hope makes “The Very Last Green Thing” a must-see for all audiences!

Family-friendly activities include our friends from the Michigan Science Center, Arts and Scraps, and Treat Dreams!

Tickets: $40 adults / $15 children / Premium seats $55 Parking in the Fisher surface lot and garage are included in the ticket price.

GO G WITH MREEN O EARTH TCC’S CELEBR DAY BEGINN ATION ING 1:30 P.M AT .

FOR TICKETS: 313.237.7464 or MichiganOpera.org

Things you use every day.

Created for a new way of living.

NX1 Toilet

TOTOUSA.COM | 800-350-TOTO

Celebrating Our 100-Year Anniversary

www.advanceplumbing.com

100 YEARS 1920 - 2020

Come Visit Detroit’s Award-Winning Decorative Plumbing Showroom

NEW SHOWROOM

DETROIT 150 Parsons Street Detroit, MI 48201 313-831-7770

WALLED LAKE 1977 E. West Maple Road Walled Lake, MI 48390 248-669-7474

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 17

PHOTO CREDIT JERRY ZOLYNSKY

PIXABAY

Jews in the D

SEEKING TERRIFIC TEENS! To shine the public spotlight on young people in our community, the JN, Jfamily and the Youth Professionals Network created Rising Stars: Teens Making a Difference, a showcase that will highlight 18 remarkable Jewish teens in the Metro Detroit area. Those selected will be featured in the April 30 issue of the JN and will also be recognized on the JN, JCC and Jfamily social media pages.

Nominees must live in Michigan, identify as Jewish and be students in grades 9-12; they can be self-nominated or may be nominated by others today through March 8.

Nominees should be recognized for impact, contribution and/ or achievement in areas including (but not limited) to:

XǍ *,,/1Ǎ% 0 Ǎ4% /12..$*'0 Ǎ'%&* Ǎ &2*%1 Ǎ !4%& &5 Ǎ")* 12)$%"5 XǍ & !.0*&'].!/& 2*%1 XǍ 2) .2*&' XǍ /'*&ǍTǍ $2' XǍ /'*1.''ǍTǍ.12$."$.1./$')*" XǍ 4.$&%0*1-Ǎ% '2 & .'Ǎ 1!Ǎ&) .1-.'

XǍ .6*')Ǎ-$%62)Ǎ 1!Ǎ . $1*1XǍ . !.$')*" To nominate yourself or a teen you know, go to thejewishnews.com and click on the Rising Stars button or to https://jfamily.jccdet.org/rising-stars. The deadline is March 8.

Southfield Orthodox Family Sues American Airlines for Discrimination CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER

S

outhfield residents Yehuda Yosef Adler and Jennie Adler filed a lawsuit on Jan. 28 against American Airlines for discrimination on the basis of race, religion and nationality.

The couple, who identify as Orthodox Jews, stated they were asked by a pilot to exit the aircraft just over a year ago due to their “extremely offensive body odor.”

The Adlers and their 19-month-old daughter were passengers on a flight from Miami to Detroit on Jan. 23, 2019. In their lawsuit, the Adlers stated that an American Airlines gate agent approached them shortly after being seated, stating, “Sir, there’s an emergency and you must deplane.”

According to the lawsuit filed by the Adler’s representative, Nwadi Nwogu of the Odunze Nwogu Law Group of Houston, the gate agent further stated that “the pilot was booting the family off the plane because of [their] body odor.”

The Adlers said no one had mentioned they had offensive odor prior to their flight or during previous flights. They also stated they had showered that morning.

The lawsuit further states that the American Airlines agent “made disparaging and derogatory statements, telling the Adlers that he knew that Orthodox Jews take baths once a week.”

After being forced to exit the plane, the Adlers approached people near their boarding gate and asked if they could detect unpleasant body odor coming from any member of the family.

The lawsuit states that more than 20 people “responded in the negative.”

Despite the family’s request to board again, they were not permitted on the flight. The Adlers requested that their luggage be returned to them, but the agent said the plane was already closed and ready for takeoff.

The plane left with the Adlers’ luggage, leaving the family without a change of clothes, their child’s car seat, stroller and diapers.

Although American Airlines gave them hotel accommodations and a flight back to Detroit the following day, the Adlers said they were embarrassed and traumatized by the incident.

The lawsuit further states that the pilot “distributed this humilcontinued on page 20

18 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

BLOOMFIELD HILLS CUSTOM ESTATE!

NEW PRICE!

GORGEOUS CUSTOM CAPE COD!

1310 Orchard Ridge Road Bloomfield Hills $2,995,000 Linda Deutsch 248-705-0494

5665 Kolly Road Bloomfield Twp $ $465,500 Jennifer Shapiro 248-990-6700

47624 Lindenhurst Boulevard Canton Twp N $425,000 Janet Graham 248-672-4966

UNDER CONTRACT!

3 BEDROOM CONDO!

ALMOST 1/2 ACRE OF LAND!

44669 Kerri Court Novi $389,000 Janet Graham 248-672-4966

30825 Timberbrook Lane Bingham Farms $340,000 Karen Cresap 248-644-3163

28238 E Kalong Circle Southfield M $259,900 Cindy Juliano 248-550-2598

OPEN SATURDAY 1-3!

COLONIAL ON DOUBLE LOT!

JUST LISTED/OPEN SUNDAY 1-3!

1575 Carthage Commerce Twp H $234,900 Joanna Drukker 248-770-6857 Host: Josh Lord 269-924-8800

8415 La Salle Detroit $229,900 Janet Graham 248-672-4966

1227 Connie Avenue Madison Heights $135,000 Craig Joeright 248-535-4750

ADRIAN . ANN ARBOR . BIRMINGHAM . CHELSEA . CLARKSTON . FRANKLIN . JACKSON . MONROE . TECUMSEH

Birmingham

$: New Price

555 S. Old Woodward Ave, Ste 22-U Birmingham, MI 48009 | 248-283-8700

M: Money Back Guarantee

Franklin 32440 Franklin Rd Franklin, MI 48025 | 248-626-8700

N: New Listing H: Home Warranty

HowardHanna.com

Jews in the D continued from page 18

NEW LUXURY RANCH HOMES IN BLOOMFIELD HILLS

iating yet disturbing false report of the Adlers’ body odor to the press and public.”

The Adlers asserted that American Airlines “intentionally discriminated” against their family which resulted in the family “being pressured to see their race and religion as inferior to that of whites, dirty and unwelcome.”

The lawsuit further states that American Airlines acted negligently by lying to the Adlers about an emergency to deplane, failing to provide a safe travel environment and failing to “treat a Jew, Orthodox Jew, the same way as [the] white speaking pilot and other passengers.”

Nwogu, the Adlers’ attorney, could not be reached for comment.

In a statement to the Jewish News, American Airlines said: “The Adler family was asked to deplane after multiple passengers and our crew members complained about Mr. Adler’s body odor. The decision was made out of concern for the comfort of our other passengers.

Our team members took care of the family and provided hotel accommodations and meals and rebooked them on a flight to Detroit the next morning. None of the decisions made by our team in handling this sensitive situation were based on the Adlers’ religion.”

The Adlers are seeking compensatory damages including damages for emotional distress, punitive damages and attorney fees.

FURNISHED MODEL OPEN DAILY GVSU Offensive Coordinator Resigns Following Hitler Comment CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER

(248) 963-8913 Lahser Rd, South of Square Lake

ROBERTSONHOMES.COM 20 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

Grand Valley State University’s football Offensive Coordinator Morris Berger resigned Jan. 30 following an interview with the student newspaper where he referenced Adolf Hitler as “a great leader.”

Berger was hired by the football team Jan. 20 and immediately came under fire after his Q & A session was published in the Lanthorn Jan. 23. He was suspended Jan. 27.

He was asked to pick three historical figures, outside of sports, with whom he would like to have dinner with, and answered with Adolf Hitler, John F. Kennedy and Christopher Columbus.

“It was obviously very sad, and he [Hitler] had bad motives, but the way he was able to lead was second-tonone,” Berger told the student

paper at the time as explanation for his choice.

A statement released by GVSU said Berger and the university “reached a mutual agreement regarding his position, and his resignation is effective immediately.”

“Over the last 11 years I have taken great pride in the responsibility and privilege of being a teacher, coach, mentor and a valued member of the community,” Berger said.

“However, I do not want to be a distraction to these kids, this great university or Coach [Matt] Mitchell as they begin preparations for the upcoming season.”

GVSU’s head coach Matt Mitchell agreed that Berger’s resignation is in the best interests of the team and the university.

ARE YOU WONDERING WHAT LIFE IS LIKE AT ALL SEASONS OF WEST BLOOMFIELD?

HAVE YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY THE ALL SEASONS RESIDENT EXPERTS YOU’RE INVITED TO JOIN RESIDENTS OF ALL SEASONS FOR LUNCH AND DISCUSSION...

Thursday, February 20, 2020 at 11:30 AM 5600 Drake Road | West Bloomfield, MI 48322 Kindly RSVP by February 17th to 248.237.6948 or by email ASWBDirectorOfSales@beztak.com.

Complimentary valet parking provided.

Limited seating available.

FOR THE JOYS OF INDEPENDENT SENIOR LIVING | ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM

COURTESY OF THE WELL

Possible is everything

Jews in the D

“

The small class sizes allowed me to build really close relationships with professors and tailor my own education in ways I never thought possible.

”

–Mike Brege, Interaction Design, BFA’19

The Well team: Matt Weiner, Zac Berlin, Katie Wallace, Rachel Matz, Avery Drongowski, Renee Liberman and Rabbi Dan Horwitz.

The Well Earns Spot on Slingshot’s ‘10 to Watch List’

11:1

student/faculty ratio

92%

students employed or registered for graduate school at commencement

ALLISON JACOBS DIGITAL EDITOR

O

100+

career events on campus each year

Architecture and Design | Arts and Sciences Business and Information Technology | Engineering

ltu.edu/applyfree

Escape from ISIS Sunday, February 16 2:30 pm Featuring Dunya Mikhail, author of The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq

RSVP to 248.556.3178 HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS

holocaustcenter.org

22 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

n Jan. 29, The Well of Metro Detroit’s Jewish community-building initiatives gained national attention from Slingshot, an organization that engages young Jewish philanthropists to make positive changes in their community.

The Well was selected among a pool of applicants from North America to be featured on Slingshot’s 2020 “10 to Watch” list, which hones in on organizations making an impact in the Jewish communal sector.

“It’s an honor for The Well to be included on Slingshot’s inaugural ’10 To Watch list,’” said The Well CEO and founder Rabbi Dan Horwitz.

“We’re incredibly proud of the community-building work we’ve been doing in Metro Detroit, and it feels great knowing that the models we’re piloting and implementing locally are garnering national attention and replication.

“In particular, knowing that the judging panel was comprised of young adult philanthropists as well as foundation professionals makes the recognition that much more meaningful and indicates the embrace of our model by the

emerging generation of communal leaders.”

The Well has served the young adult community in Metro Detroit since 2015.

Horwitz has led the way for young adults to connect with Judaism, regardless of their level of observance or background.

The recognition comes at a pivotal time for The Well. With mixed emotions, Horwitz announced on social media Jan. 17 that he will be leaving his post as he takes on a new venture as CEO of the Alper JCC in Miami.

Currently, he is seeking a new executive director to take his place, in addition to a program director and family educator.

“As I prepare to transition to my next professional adventure this summer, I’m excited to have the opportunity to hand over the reins to whomever the next executive director might be, bringing intention to creating as smooth of a facilitated handoff as possible and encouraging all those who have invested and/or might consider investing in the work of The Well to double down on an organization that, simply put, is a great bet,” Horwitz said.

GABE FRIEDMAN (JTA)

World news analysis

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump at the unveiling of the peace plan, Jan. 28, 2020

Trump’s Peace Plan Local professor shares his view on what’s inside.

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER

insight into the plan. He said he has little faith the plan will achieve its stated goals.

One of your research and teaching areas is the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.

Can you provide some background on recent peace initiatives?

Stockton: I have followed all these various plans over the decades and have watched how they evolved. The great breakthrough was the [1993] Oslo Accords, when Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) recognized and acknowledged each other’s right to exist. Then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat signed this agreement with President Bill Clinton as their witness. This was a huge deal because before this agreement, the PLO was considered a terror organization.

Q&A Ron Stockton COURTESY OF RON STOCKTON

O

n Jan. 28, President Donald Trump announced his long-awaited Middle East peace plan with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by his side.

The Jewish News asked Ron Stockton, a professor of political science at the University of Michigan-Dearborn who teaches classes on the conflict, for some

When Rabin issued Oslo 2, which included a map of all the territories that would be included in the future Palestinian state, it was turned over to the Palestinians. And that is when he was assassinated because the whole idea that he was conceding any territory was too much for the [Israeli] extremists and they killed him.

In 2000, the last effort of this peace plan was called the Taba Summit, and it took place in Taba, Egypt, where Israelis and Palestinians negotiated without any role from the Americans. The two leaders in charge were Arafat of the PLO and former Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. From these meetings, the negotiators were very creative and came up with a draft of principles, but then Ariel Sharon was elected as Israeli prime minister, and all plans were then called off. Since then, it has all gone downhill.

You had a chance to look over the new plan. What are some of the biggest takeaways from it?

Stockton: I would say that this so-called “peace plan” is not truly a peace plan, but rather a bunch of Bibi talking points. As I look at what they have written down here, these are just the arguments of the Likud mindset. This whole continued on page 24 FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 23

SCREENSHOTS FROM WHITEHOUSE.GOV VIA JTA

Jews in the D continued from page 23

idea that they are going to create a Palestinian state is kind of a joke. It’s not a “Palestinian state,” but rather a subject entity with all controls designated to the Israelis. The Palestinian state will be severely fragmented.

“The Triangle,” which are a group of Arab towns [located] in Israel, are now going to be transferred to the Palestinians.

The Israelis will also have the power of the veto for any refugees who try and enter the Palestinian state, which will never work because the Palestinians will never accept that clause.

The Palestinian textbooks now must be changed because they cannot contain antiIsraeli statements — which, to be honest, “anti-Israeli” is defined very loosely. Hamas will also have to be eliminated, and that’s something that is never going to happen. Also, Israel is not obligated to fulfill any of its agreements until the Palestinians complete all their agreements, which is just an excuse to do nothing. This is a position that Netanyahu has taken in the past. These are not sincere efforts.

What have previous administrations focused on that this peace plan is lacking?

Stockton: The main difference between this plan and previous administrations is that previous administrations actually dealt with and focused on fundamental issues.

They understood that both Palestinians and Israelis had legitimate concerns and wanted to attempt to find a solution to these concerns. In previous administrations, both Israelis and Palestinians had agreed to mutual modifications and

24 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

Two detailed maps of what a two-state solution could look like.

land swaps to the drawn-out Palestinian state. Even Ehud Olmert [Israeli Prime Minister from 2006-09], who was a Likudist, took that position.

You also need to have someone making sure that the holy sites and the Old City [are] protected from extremists, because [they’re] often a target for violence. The topic surrounding refugees must also have some revisions because right now Israel can veto who returns to the country. They can simply say “no” to someone because they hold an “anti-Israeli” view, which, in turn, is any Palestinian.

However, the most important takeaway — and the real issue at hand — is whether we can prevent another war. The last time there was an IsraeliPalestinian conflict, a resistance to the occupation, the Second Intifada began and left 4,000 people dead. There is no doubt that another uprising is going to occur. I believe that this proposal is making the next war inevitable.

Do you think this plan can bring peace to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict?

Stockton: It’s not a peace talk or a peace proposal, because it’s never going to produce anything. You had President

Trump, Netanyahu and Benny Gantz all there, but who wasn’t included? Palestinians. There are no Arab partners, no Palestinian partners, and it’s totally just unrealistic. And now, the Palestinians have stopped cooperating altogether and have already come out against the peace plan.

This is similar to the May 17 Agreement. When the Israelis invaded Lebanon in 1982, they were trying to work out an agreement with right-wing Lebanese leaders.

Abba Eban, the famous Israeli Diplomat, was the negotiator.

[The agreement] provided that Lebanon would be a security ally, and that the Syrian army there at the time would be pushed out. Abba Eban later said they sat in a room, spoke in French, drank white wine and signed an agreement that had no support outside of that room. That right there is pretty much what you’re seeing here.

You have an agreement that only people at that press conference support. There’s no effort to bring the Palestinians to this agreement.

What’s your reaction to the timing of the plan’s unveiling?

Stockton: The timing of this is highly ironic. President Trump is amid his impeach-

ment trial, Netanyahu has been charged in court with corruption and they are hanging on to one another in desperation.

The normal rule is you don’t do anything that is going to affect political outcomes. Trump is really tied to Netanyahu and really wants him to be re-elected and wants to throw him a bone.

This plan gives Netanyahu the Jordan Valley and big chunks of the West Bank. There is no doubt that this is an effort to help Netanyahu.

What are your methods to teaching your students about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Stockton: I’ve been teaching at the University of MichiganDearborn since 1973. I started this course in 1978, when the Israelis first invaded Lebanon, with one of my colleagues who was a specialist in Lebanon.

There was nothing in our whole university’s curriculum that discussed this matter.

I developed some rules that I give to my students when they begin my course. I tell students that they have to assume that they don’t understand this conflict. They must assume that all the things they’ve picked up from their parents or their neighborhood are incomplete or wrong.

I begin by telling them [the] things that Israelis believe in their hearts are true, and then tell them what Palestinians think in their hearts are true.

You must humanize everything.

I focus on documents and tell them their job is not to argue with someone but to understand their position so well that they can explain it to their satisfaction. Until you can do that, they won’t know if they disagree with them or not.

Moments Seth David Cohen, son of Dana and Andrew Cohen, will read from the Torah as he becomes a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. He will be joined in celebration by his brother Jonah and proud grandparents Rita and Robert England, and Norman Rosen. Seth is also the loving grandson of the late Sheila and Sidney Cohen. He is a student at Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills. As part of his mitzvah project, Seth volunteered at the Friendship Circle in West Bloomfield for the summer camp and weekly for the open gym sessions throughout the school year. He found these experiences to be very rewarding.

Ariella Ramona Hernandez, daughter of Marisa and Hector Hernandez, will lead the congregation in prayer as she becomes a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday,

Feb. 8, 2020. She will be joined in celebration by her siblings Alexa and Ethan.

Ariella is the loving grandchild of Michele and David Kaplan, and the late Ramona Ortiz, and the great-grandchild of Faye and the late Louis Damraur, the late Goldie “Alice� and the late Philip Kaplan.

She attends Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. For her most meaningful mitzvah project, Ariella volunteered with her peers at Temple Israel for the Labor Day picnic.

www.hershbeattieortho.com

LOV E Y OUR

³ 2XU RI¿FH ZDV GHVLJQHG ZLWK D IXQ DQG IULHQGO\ DWPRVSKHUH VR WKDW \RX ORRN IRUZDUG WR YLVLWLQJ ´

– Nelson Hersh, DDS, MS

³ $V PHPEHUV RI WKH ORFDO FRPPXQLW\ ZH IHHO SULYLOHJHG WR GHYHORS UHODWLRQVKLSV ZLWK RXU SDWLHQWV ERWK LQVLGH DQG RXWVLGH RI WKH RI¿FH ´

– Marsha Beattie, DDS, MS

³ 7KH SUDFWLFH RI RUWKRGRQWLFV DOORZV XV WR PHOG DUWLVWU\ ZLWK VFLHQFH WR FUHDWH D EHDXWLIXO DQG IXQFWLRQDO VPLOH ´

– Amy Isenberg, DDS, MS

Licensed Specialists for Children & Adults

Daniel Kadien Luis Richmond (Doniel Chai Lutz) of Berkley will become a bar mitzvah at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020. His proud parents are Steve and Jody Richmond.

Grandparents are Gene and Claire Richmond, Betty Greene and the late Donald Greene.

Daniel attends Anderson Middle School in Berkley.

His mitzvah project involved volunteering at Yad Ezra in Berkley.

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

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

Dr. Nelson Hersh Dr. Marsha Beattie Dr. Amy Isenberg

BUDAPEST FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA Ivån Fischer, conductor Renaud Capuçon, violin

Feb 20 7:30 pm Hill Auditorium

½ ČV

Legends, Op. 59, No. 10 *SYV 'LSVYWIW 3T 2S Ţ1¯WXS OPIO£RMţ Slavonic Dance in c minor, Op. 46, No. 7 Violin Concerto in a minor, Op. 53 Symphony No. 8, Op. 88

4EXVSR 7TSRWSV UMS Ambassadors TICKETS: 734.764.2538 ——— U M S . O R G

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 25

Moments

MEL DRYMAN

Satovsky-Hersh

Your Professional & Dedicated ARIZONA REALTOR

S

Raised in Detroit, Experienced in Arizona

Mobile: (480) 239-8686 mel.dryman@azmoves.com

Each Office Independently Owned & Operated

Keyes Real Estate Throughout South Florida, Including Boca, Boynton, Delray, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties

Let Old Friends be your Michigan-Florida Connection Nina Spinner-Sands

Rita Morse

(954) 290-8293

(305) 609-7559

NinaSpinner-Sands@keyes.com RitaMorse@keyes.com

BUY • SELL • INVEST

Estate Property Sales from Listing to Clean-Out!

@] pfl Xi\ efk n\Xi`e^ `k¿ j\cc `k %%% fi 9FIIFN fe `k Pfl can’t enjoy jewelry if it’s sitting in your safe deposit box. Sell or borrow on it for immediate cash.

We deal in jewelry, watches, diamonds and coins.

A Service to Private Owners, Banks & Estates

Coins & Jewelry

Contact Larry Allan

**.'' Nff[nXi[ 8m\% › 9\kn\\e (+ D`c\ 8[Xdj › 9`id`e^_Xd# D@

248-644-8565

COME TO FLORIDA IN THE NEW YEAR Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Beyond!

Now selling Valencia Sound and Avalon Trails

Buying or Selling? We Specialize in Active Adult Country Club and Beachside Communities Advantage Plus 4 'FEFSBM )XZ t #PDB 3BUPO '- ÂŽ

26 |

Elly & Ed Lepselter (561) 302-9374 t Visit us at www.edandellyhometeam.com

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

ue and Nick Hersh of Orchard Lake are thrilled to announce the engagement of their daughter Jessica Nicole Hersh to Matthew Eric Satovsky, son of Steven and Rhonda Satovsky of West Bloomfield.

Jessica earned her bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Michigan State University. She continued her studies at Michigan State and earned her master’s degree in clinical social work with a specialization in school social work. She works as a school social worker through VocoVision Teleservices along with teaching cardio dance fitness classes.

Matthew received his bachelor of arts degree in business administration from Michigan State University. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy and his L.L.M. in taxation from the University of Miami. He works as general counsel at Employee Health Insurance Management (EHIM) and is also the co-founder of the traffic law firm ElimiTix. A May wedding is planned at Knollwood Country Club in West Bloomfield.

Adat Shalom Receives 2020 Best of Farmington Hills Award Adat Shalom Synagogue has been selected for the 2020 Best of Farmington Hills Award in the Local Business category by the Farmington Hills Award Program.

The award is given to local companies and organizations that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and the community. “This award acknowledges what I have always felt to be true about Adat Shalom,� said Rabbi Aaron Bergman. “We are a warm and downto-Earth congregation that partners in the larger Jewish and general community. We are always happy to host events of other great organi-

Bergman

zations and look forward to being an essential part of life in Farmington Hills, a wonderful city, for many years to come.â€?Â

Spirit torah portion

The Sounds Of Faith

T

he miracle at the Moses is a master of words Re(e)d Sea was and speech, not of music and expressed through song. At the Red Sea, Moses song: the song sung by Moses speak-sings; as the teacher, he and the children of speaks alone after which Israel and the song everyone repeats the lessung by Miriam with son in unison. all of the women, Miriam sings with the amid drumming and beat of the drums. She dancing. responds to the miracle Rabbi Shlomo together with all the The miracle of the Riskin revelation at Sinai was other women as the unitexpressed through ed group experiences Parshat words: “And Moses Beshallach: ecstatic joy. Song and Exodus descended to the nation music lead to moveand he said unto them, 13:17-17:16; ment, dance and human Judges ‘And God spoke all embrace. Words and 4:4-5:31. these words, saying …’” speech lead to medita(Exodus 19:25, 20:1). tion, books and authorSong and music enter itative judgments. Song the heart and soul, whereas and music lead to the drum speech and words speak to of the rhythmic heartbeat. the mind, the brain. Song and Words and speech lead to music create emotions, feelings; the staff of the ruler and judge. speech/words create underMoses left a legacy of a book of standing and cognition. Song books and a code of laws and and music develop spirituality commandments; Miriam left and faith; speech and words a legacy of a well from which develop intellect and knowlpoured living spring waters of edge. Song and music lead regeneration and rebirth. to the wisdom of the heart; The entire nation saw the speech and words lead to the sounds of Sinai; they saw the wisdom of the mind. words; they saw the cantillaSong and music produce tions and the musical notes; religious prophets; speech and they heard the music within words produce learned sages. the commandments; and they Song and music can touch felt the love within the laws. every individual deeply and We must join the staff of profoundly. Speech and words Moses to the drums of Miriam, can only move those with an the song-speech of the sea to intellectual background and the speech-song of the mouninnate ability. tain, the “lovingkindness” of Song and music reach out to Miriam’s well to the laws of all as a group experience, inclu- Moses. Moses’ commandsive, with everyone joining in. ments, the wisdom of the heart, Speech and words, meant for must be joined to the interone who understands, are a pretations of the mind. Then teaching experience, an exclueveryone will understand sive experience in which the everything. most learned dominate.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Moses sings at the Red Ohr Torah Stone and chief rabbi of Sea, but it is a song-speech;

Join Us in Jerusalem!

SUMMER COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

Early Bird pricing ends February 29!

June 24 – July 1, 2020

Integrity and Pluralism in a World of Partisanship and #Fakenews In an era of virtual realities and social media echo chambers, how can we maintain both integrity and open-mindedness to multifaceted truths?

Join diverse Jewish community leaders for an inspiring and thought-provoking intensive week-long seminar exploring one of the core values that has sustained diverse Jewish communities over millennia: that no one has a monopoly on truth.

Text study

Encounters with public figures

Small group seminars

Field trips

Cultural experiences

Learn more and register at shalomhartman.org/CLP Questions? Contact Rebecca Starr rebecca.starr@shalomhartman.org shalomhartman.org #hartmansummer

Efrat, Israel.

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 27

Marking

COURTESY OF CAMP YYOUNG JUDAEA

Camp Guide

The waterfront at Camp Young Judaea in Waupaca, Wisc.

50 Years

Camp Young Judaea Midwest director creates Jewish connections for generations.

ROBIN ANDERSON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

“F

rom the moment I set foot on camp, I have been supported by a learning environment that meets me where I am and challenges me to grow,” says Aaron Levine as he enters the Camp Young Judaea (CYJ) Midwest office for his first day as an assistant director.

CYJ Midwest’s community, Levine says, “played a central role in the development of my Jewish identity and has surrounded me with role models who moonlight as lifelong friends.”

Levine grew up in West Bloomfield and was first connected to CYJ in high school; however, his most prominent experiences were spending many summers in staff roles as a counselor, unit head and program director. His time working at camp, along with a gap year in Israel on Young Judaea’s Year Course, solidified his connection to Judaism and a personal relationship to the land of Israel.

Summer 2020 marks a special time for Camp Young Judaea Midwest, which will be celebrating 50 years of fantastic memories this spring. Many of those memories have their roots in Michigan, as CYJ “lived” in Chelsea, South Haven and Ortonville before finding its permanent home in Waupaca, Wisc., in 1989.

Camp Young Judaea Midwest is located on an 80-acre lakefront property in Central

Avital and Shai Ohana enjoy their Camp Young Judaea experience. Avital’s mom surprised her with a visit from her counselor when the family was in Israel.

28 |

Wisconsin. In addition to Jewish connection, CYJ offers a wide variety of activities including waterskiing and tubing, archery, arts and crafts, horseback riding, camping trips, mountain biking, dance, a makers’ lab, sailing and boating, a high and low ropes course and much more.

Throughout CYJ’s 50 summers, thousands of campers and staff like Levine, have built a family with their CYJ friends. Much like the campers, who come from all over the Midwest, throughout the United States, from France, Israel and Mexico, you can find the CYJ Midwest legacy all over the world. From the Israeli you worked with 25 years ago whose family now lives in the United States, to a bunkmate from your first summer whom you reconnected with at your local synagogue, all these connections will be rekindled on Sunday, May 24, at the 50th Anniversary Celebration in Chicago.

Being part of CYJ’s Jewish community is an eye-opening experience for many campers and staff. Its pluralistic approach to Judaism allows for participants to meet others from all kinds of backgrounds. CYJ’s families range from those who are the only Jewish person in their grade at school to students at Jewish day schools. CYJ has campers who come from small, medium and large Jewish communities, all different types of temples, synagogues and shuls, and who celebrate Shabbat and Jewish holidays completely differently.

CYJ has created a safe space for campers and staff to learn from each other. It facilitates the opportunities to ask questions, try new traditions and build friendships with other Jewish campers from all walks of life.

CYJ can create a large impact on each person that, in turn, creates the potential for each person to make a small impact on the larger Jewish community.

As one parent shared, “Our son loved his experience at camp. We were glad for him to experience Jewish life outside of school and home and to experience more of a [traditional] Shabbat experience as we do

not consistently celebrate in our interfaith home.”

Creating a personal connection to Israel is a strong aspect of Camp Young Judaea Midwest’s values. When Julie Ruskin Ohana of West Bloomfield, board member, CYJ alum and director of community engagement at Frankel Jewish Academy, began planning her trip to Israel with her family, she contacted the CYJ office. Without telling her daughter Avital, she connected with Avital’s 2018 Israeli counselor, Neta, and set up a special meeting. Watching Avital’s smile spread across her entire face when she saw Neta was exactly the reaction Ruskin Ohana was seeking. She saw in that moment that the community that had welcomed her had proven just as powerful for her own child.

When CYJ asks current and former campers to describe camp in one sentence, it is often a variation of “CYJ is a family.”

The intimate nature of 120 campers per session offers each person the chance to grow as an individual while learning to be part of a group and larger community. A first-time parent from 2019 shared this story with us: “The camp made [our daughter] feel like she fit in, something she does not feel at school, and really developed her self-confidence … she built strong, nurturing relationships with the counselors. Her sense of empathy flourished at camp. She wrote us a letter where she described how great one staff person was and how she excelled in her role as moderator of the talent show.

She was worried the staff member did not know ‘how awesome’ she is. It was a beautiful display of caring, and I tribute the camp with that.”

CYJ is a place for each person to grow and learn as an individual, as a Jew and as part of a larger community that’s like family.

For more about Camp Young Judaea Midwest or the May 24 reunion, contact Robin Anderson, director, at (224) 235-4665, robin@cyjmid.org or cyjmid.org.

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

TI F

SESSION 1

SESSION 3

June 22 – July 10

August 3 – August 21

SESSION 2 July 13 – July 31

REGISTRATION OPEN!

TEMPLE-ISRAEL.ORG/SHEMESH Register early as space is limited Contact Natalie for questions: 248-661-5750

5725 WALNUT LAKE ROAD, WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48323 | TEMPLE-ISRAEL.ORG

TI FULL PG JN 2/6/20 CAMP.indd 1

1/27/20 11:07 AM

Sunshine and laughter.

Music and art.

Sports and water play.

Exploration and discovery.

Some things are simply

better together.

COURTESY OF TAMARACK CAMPS

Camp Guide

Chefs prep in the House Chef Challenge event at the Ronald McDonald House

The Farber Farm’s Reach Produce from the farm makes it beyond the dining hall.

RACHEL FINE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

A CAMP FUNTABULOUS Like sunshine and laughter, come experience why Summer Camp and Hillel are better together. For campers 2-5 years old.

For more information, contact Robin Pappas, Director of Early Education, at 248-539-1489 or rpappas@hillelday.org.

30 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

t Camp Maas of Tamarack Camps, the Farber Farm has been growing and blossoming since opening its barn doors in June 2018. During the farm’s second summer of programming, campers had the opportunity to plant, harvest and snack on fresh veggies while learning about sustainable agriculture and its connection to Judaism.

One may wonder where the endless rows of fruits, veggies and herbs go after campers, staff and volunteers harvest them.

In the summer, Farber Farm Manager Alex Rosenberg works closely with the Head of Dining Services at Camp Maas Regina Helsinki to determine which fresh foods can make it into the chadar ochel (dining hall).

To maintain accordance with kosher law, some produce cannot be served in the chadar ochel. While one may think that all vegetables follow the laws of kashrut, the possible contamination from insects, stringent washing and supervision requirements make things complicated.

In the summer, donations are delivered weekly to Yad Ezra by volunteers. Some produce has been enjoyed at Hazon Detroit events, as well as displayed at the Hazon Michigan Jewish Food Festival. Tamarack Camps also

donates excess produce to the Ortonville Food Bank, Jewish Ferndale, and congregations and food banks throughout the year.

In November, the Farber Farm was a donating sponsor at the Ronald McDonald House Charities for its “House Chef Challenge” event. The Farber Farm delivered a produce pantry (complete with mystery ingredients) for a fundraising program held at the Ronald McDonald House Detroit, which mirrored popular TV show cooking competitions.

Talented chefs, including Tamarack Camps’ own Sammy Vieder (a past contestant on NBC’s MasterChef Junior), formed two teams and competed in a cook-off using surprise challenge ingredients from the Farber Farm.

Tamarack Camps is thankful to Farber Farm Task Force members Sheri Mark and Elizabeth Sollish, as well as Rosenberg’s mother, Lisa Rosenberg, for connecting Tamarack Camps to this delicious, heartwarming event.

It is clear that the reach of the Farber Farm extends outside of Ortonville. It reaches into our Jewish community … and beyond!

Rachel Fine is a development and marketing associate at Camp Tamarack.

E

SUM

UR

R ADVENT E M

oM

Ls

BL

Camp O fie l

Ho c S d Hil l s

o

Mix different summer camp

opportunities and spend your summer exploring with us.

Bowers Farm campers experience caring for animals and learning about agriculture on our 96 acre farm.

Recreation programs include sports, trips to the beach, JDPHV FUDIWV ZHHNO\ ȨHOG WULSV FDQRHLQJ DQG PRUH Campers navigate trails, learn about wildlife, visit the log FDELQ ȨVK FUDIW DQG PRUH DW WKH -RKQVRQ 1DWXUH &HQWHU

www.bloomfield.org/summer 1HHG D IXOO GD\ experience for your child?

Add Before and/or After Care options to extend their summer fun to cover the work day.

"We're a Family Here"

CAMP PROGRAMS FOR ENTERING 2nd – 9th GRADERS Check out our website to learn about our different sessions for all ages!

For more information: info@cyjmid.org, 224-235-4665

www.cyjmid.org

advertise here!

Call 248-351-5129 Or email sales@thejewishnews.com

listings BLOOMFIELD HILLS SCHOOLS SUMMER CAMPS 7273 Wing Lake Road Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 (248) 433-0885 www.bloomfield.org/schools/ summer-experiences Mix different summer camp opportunities and spend your summer exploring with us. Bloomfield Hills Schools offers amazing summer adventure opportunities at our farm, nature center and waterfront.

CAMP RAMAH IN CANADA 3845 Bathurst St., Suite 310 Toronto, ON M3H 3N2 Canada Located in the beautiful Muskoka region of southern Ontario, Camp Ramah in Canada features outstanding programs on the waterfront, in sports and outdoor adventure, and in the arts — all within the context of a vibrant, fun and caring Jewish community. We offer a number of different sessions and specialty tracks for children in grades 1-10. For more information, contact Sami at (416) 789-2193 or info@campramah.com.

CAMP TANUGA Winter Address: 139 W. Maple Road-Suite E Birmingham, MI 48009 (248) 258-9150 camptanuga.com Summer Address: 6874 Camp Tanuga Road N.E. Kalkaska, MI 49646 (231)258-9150 Camp Tanuga is uniquely suited to provide children with an enriching experience they’ll never forget.

Friendships formed, confidence gained and the skills learned keep campers returning year after year.

An electronics-free environment featuring a full waterfront, flying trapeze, horseback riding, moun-

tain-biking and overnight camping help make Tanuga the place to be.

Programs available for boys and girls age 6-15. Come experience the magic.

CAMP WALDEN 5607 South River Cheboygan, MI 49721 summer@campwaldenmi.com (817) 923-WLDN (9536) Fax: (817) 923-7992 Celebrating our 61st summer, Walden provides an inspiring environment that challenges campers to step outside their comfort zones.

Our program combines elements of individual choice and group dynamics, building confidence, character and resilience. At Walden, college-age counselors raise the bar when it comes to staff maturity and commitment. Nationally accredited by the American Camp Association.

CAMP YOUNG JUDAEA E989 Stratton Lake Road Waupaca, WI 54981 info@cyjmid.org (224) 235-4665 Camp Young Judaea is a residential Jewish summer camp serving campers aged 7-14 from around the world. Our pluralistic approach allows for campers and staff to learn together to make informed choices about their connections to Judaism and Israel. We focus on an individualized approach while teaching campers to work in a group setting that fosters mutual respect, leadership development and friendship.

FRANKLIN RACQUET CLUB 29350 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield, MI 48034 (248) 352-8000 www.franklinclub.com Franklin Athletic Club Summer Camps in Southfield hosts sports, fitness and themed summer continued on page 34

32 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

6ZLPPLQJ %(67 &$03 (9(5 6RFFHU 6,1&( 7HQQLV 0LQLDWXUH *ROI 5RFN &OLPELQJ *D *D %DVNHWEDOO &KHHUOHDGLQJ 'UDPD $JHV WR &KDOOHQJH &RXUVH 2YHUQLJKWV )LHOG 7ULSV 3KRWRJUDSK\ $UFDGH *DPHV $UWV &UDIWV 6FLHQFH 1DWXUH 6DIHW\ &LW\ 9LVLWRUV (YHQWV 3HUIRUPHUV 6XPPHU 6WRFN 7KHDWUH DQG 6R 0XFK 0RUH

‡ &RXQWU\ &DPS LQ WKH &LW\ RI :HVW %ORRPILHOG

(5 minutes from Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Hills and Commerce)

Â&#x2021; (;7(1'(' '$< $7 12 $'',7,21$/ )(( $ 0 $ 0 $1' 25 3 0 3 0 Â&#x2021; )OH[LEOH 6FKHGXOLQJ 2, 3, 4 or 5 days a week

Â&#x2021; 7ZHOYH :HHNV RI 6XPPHU )XQ June 15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; September 3, 2020 Â&#x2021; / , 7 ·V (11 to 14)

23(1 +286( 681'$< -81( S P ZZZ VXPPHULPSUHVVLRQV FRP 'RZQORDG $SSOLFDWLRQ DQG 5HJLVWHU 1RZ

&DOO IRU DGGLWLRQDO LQIR

&RQQHFW

ZLWK XV RQ

0LGGOHEHOW Â&#x2021; :HVW %ORRPILHOG (between Lone Pine and Long Lake Roads)

INCENTIVE SAVINGS PROGRAM EXTENDED THROUGH FEBRUARY 29, 2020

Girls & Boys

5-14

( 3 3 6 8 3 ( 3 3 6 8 6 % 2 7 4 3 6 8 %8 - 3 2

& $$$ $ $ % % !

AWESOME STAFF & AMAZING ACTIVITIES, 4SRXSSRMRK Â&#x2030; *MWLMRK Â&#x2030; +SPJ Â&#x2030; (VEQE Â&#x2030; &EWOIXFEPP Â&#x2030; 2EXYVI Â&#x2030; *IRGMRK Â&#x2030; ,SGOI] 4EHHPIFSEXMRK Â&#x2030; 7[MQQMRK Â&#x2030; 7SGGIV Â&#x2030; ;EXIV 7OMMRK Â&#x2030; /E]EOMRK Â&#x2030; 'ERSIMRK 4SR] 6MHIW Â&#x2030; +S /EVXW Â&#x2030; %RMQEP *EVQ Â&#x2030; %VGLIV] Â&#x2030; :MHIS 4LSXSKVETL] Â&#x2030; (ERGI +E KE KE Â&#x2030; 8IRRMW Â&#x2030; 3ZIVRMKLXW Â&#x2030; 2MRNE 'SYVWI THE BEST SUMMER EVER!!!

& $$$ $ $ % % !

Since 1969

FEBRUARY 6 â&#x20AC;¢ 2020

| 33

listings

continued from page 32

camps to keep kids active and having fun the entire summer.

Our summer programs provide a wide variety of camp options for kids age 2 through 18. Franklin Athletic Club offers Summer Day Camps, Tennis Camp, Basketball Camp, Specialty Camps and Aquatics camps for kids of all age.

HABONIM DROR CAMP TAVOR Summer Address: 59884 Arthur L. Jones Road Three Rivers, MI 49093 Winter Address: 444 Second Ave. Detroit, Mi 48201 www.camptavor.org info@camptavor.org Spend your summer swimming, boating, crafting, camping and having fun while learning to be a leader. Camp Tavor is an inclusive and nurturing community where you will cultivate a strong sense of social justice, environmental responsibility, a connection with Israel and a positive personal Jewish identity. Programs vary from 1-7 weeks for 3rd-12th graders. First-time campers eligible for $1,000 off tuition.

HEBREW FREE LOAN

Get

The Detroit Jewish News Delivered to Your Door! thejewishnews.com/subscribe

6735 Telegraph Road, # 300, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 (248) 723-8184 hfldetroit.org If you want great experiences for your children but you aren’t quite sure how you can stretch your budget, an interest-free loan from Hebrew Free Loan could help you say yes to their summer adventures.

HILLEL DAY SCHOOL 32200 Middlebelt Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 851-3220 www.hillelday.org Join us for a fabulous summer.

Camp Funtabulous is for children ages 2-5 beginning June 17 and runs eight weeks. Weekly themes involve hands-on learning, exploration in our outdoor nature center, gardening in our greenhouse and garden, creative play on our playground, water play, and indoor fun. Fun in-camp field trips or visitors each session. Activities foster social and emotional growth, and lifelong friendships begin. Our trained staff encourages, nurtures, teaches, and supports campers every day. Registration is now open, for more information, contact rpappas@hillelday.org.

LAWRENCE TECH SUMMER CAMPS 21000 W. 10 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075 (800) 225-5588 summercamps@ltu.edu www.ltu.edu/summercamps Academic summer camps for high school students interested in engineering, design, technology and science are taught by professors in modern labs and studios on LTU’s 107-acre Southfield campus, June 26-30, July 10-14, 17-21 and 24-28.

ROEPER SUMMER CAMPS 41190 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield, MI 48304 (248) 203-7370 www.roeper.org From lacrosse to coding to theater, Roeper Summer Programs offers a variety of enriching and rewarding camp experiences to children throughout Metro Detroit. Diversity and respect for everyone’s potential are central characteristics of the community. continued on page 36

34 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

NOT SURE THE CAMP OF YOUR CHOICE IS AN AFFORDABLE OPTION?

HEBREW FREE LOAN CAN HELP PUT

S

WITHIN YOUR REACH

ADVENTURE • FRIENDSHIP • INDEPENDENCE MEMORIES • CONFIDENCE A camp experience can bring so many rewards. If you want those great moments for your children, but you aren’t quite sure how you can stretch your budget, call or click to see if an interestfree loan from Hebrew Free Loan can help you say yes to your children’s summer plans.

www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301

CHEBOYGAN MI

Camp Walden Join us in in 2020!

Since 1959, Walden has been providing campers with extraordinary summers. Kids learn, grow and thrive in a supportive camp atmosphere, where the directors account for individual interests and needs. With a mature camp staff, an awesome array of activities, and a beautiful Northern Michigan setting, Walden continues to raise the bar for traditional overnight camping.

248-225-1256 summer@campwaldenmi.com N

WALDE

CHEBOYGA

N

www.campwaldenmi.com Family-owned since 1959

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 35

Franklin athletic club 29350 northwestern hwy southfield, mi 48034 248.352.8000 ext. 314

listings continued from page 34

SIMPLY THE

BEST sUMMER fun & games tennis robotics pistons basketball gymnastics nike basketball flag football DROP-INS LEGO WELCOME! minecraft drama OPEN HOUSE April 19th toddler 1-3pm nerf featuring special camp discounts racquetball swim laser tag NINJA warrior

FOR THE FULL SUMMER CAMP SCHEDULE AND TO REGISTER, VISIT

FRANKLINCLUB.COM/CAMPS 36 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

AGEs 2+ N O p ot t y t r ai n i n g requireD

Camp Young Judea

SUMMER IMPRESSIONS DAY CAMP 4150 Middlebelt Road West Bloomfield, MI 48323 (248) 661-3630 www.summerimpressions.com Looking for an active, non-competitive, fun-filled and safe environment with beautiful playgrounds, miniature golf, Ga-Ga courts, tennis and basketball courts, table tennis, two in-ground heated swimming pools, an arcade games room plus more? Come join the fun at Summer Impressions Day Camp, accredited by the American Camp Association. We offer flexible scheduling and extended hours at no extra charge for campers ages 3-14 while providing a caring and positive atmosphere supervised by our experienced and nurturing staff.

Come see what all the fun is about where lasting memories and friendships abound.

TAMARACK CAMPS 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 380 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 (248) 924-1249 bfishman@tamarackcamps.com Tamarack Camps, Michigan’s premier Jewish summer camp, is home to 1,100 acres of woods, private lakes, and nature trails.

But more than that, it’s home to your next adventure.

WILLOWAY DAY CAMP INC. P.O. Box 250933 West Bloomfield, MI 48325 (248) 932-2123 www.willowaydaycamp.com Willoway Day Camp has been offering the best summer ever for generations of campers. Our mature staff of teachers and leaders and acres of outstanding facilities combine to create lasting memories. The fun starts the moment the campers board the Willoway bus (or van). Whether it’s making a splash or learning to swim in our two pools or enjoying our varied athletic fields, pond and lake programs, animal farm, nature trails and fishing or drama, dance, kayaking, go-karting, archery, tennis, golf and ga ga ga — at Willoway, it’s summer fun for everyone. American Camp Association-accredited.

DAY C A M P & S P E C I A LT Y C A M P S F OR K- 9 T H G R A DE 250 wooded acres | Instructional swim | Free bus service within Oakland County

camp.jccdet.org | 248.432.5578

BEST

EVER

Welcome Home!

38 |

FEBRUARY 6 â&#x20AC;¢ 2020

START THINKING ABOUT WATER SPORTS CAMP FOR THIS SUMMER

AT

PINE LAKE MARINA Pine Lake Water Sports Academy – West Bloomfield Township, MI –

WE SPECIALIZE IN WAKE BOARDING, WAKE SURFING, AND WATER SKI LESSONS FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS! • Week-long sessions: either morning or afternoon sessions (2 hours each) or full day sessions (4 hours each) • Daily group or private lessons in wake/surf and ski sports, along with other water activities including tube rides

SESSIONS START MID-JUNE THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST! FOR MORE INFORMATION: CALL 248-682-2180 OR EMAIL PINELAKEMARINA@AOL.COM

Come experience the

Tanuga Magic!

Offering memories, new friendships, activities, great nurturing staff, and quality traditions.

Private in-home camp presentations are available.

248-258-9150

camptanuga.com

6MÄJL (KTPUPZ[YH[VY )VVRRLLWLY Job Opportunity: Full time position available at Oak Park business for Office Administrator/Bookkeeper.

Job Description: - Day to day bookkeeping - Oversee AP/AR - Answer phone calls and emails - Follow up with vendors/customers - Take care of business forms, applications and administrative tasks - Track business data

Job Requirements: - Past bookkeeping and office experience - Knowledge in QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel - Excellent communication skills - Strong ability to multi task - Precise attention to detail

This financially rewarding and mentally stimulating job is ideal for an experienced and capable multi tasker who can efficiently see through many administrative aspects of a fast paced, growing business Please send resume including experience, past jobs, and references to Office@tcfaw.com

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 39

PHOTOS COURTESY RANDY THOMAS

Arts&Life the oscars

A Voice of the Oscars Oak Park native Randy Thomas opened doors for other female announcers.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Thomas’ love for making making presentations before large audiences dates back to the Jewish Community Center of Metro Detroit, where her mentor was Rube Weiss, a multi-character actor on the locally produced Soupy Sales programs.

Thomas’ voice has been heard as film megastars approached the microphone to name Oscar nominees and as winning awardees walked the aisle to claim their statuettes.

“Generally, I did not have direct contact with anyone

appearing on the Oscars show,” Thomas said. “I usually was able to attend the Oscar Ball after the show. When I first started doing the Oscars, I got new gowns. Then I started borrowing gowns from friends who have amazing closets.”

After graduating Oak Park High School, Thomas went to New Jersey and tried her talents on summer stock stages. Her experiences prompted her to study acting at Herbert Berkoff Studios in New York.

While working as a waitress to pay tuition, Thomas listened continued on page 44

B

reaking gender sound barriers gave former Oak Parker Randy Thomas a showbiz niche.

Besides being the first woman to announce the annual Academy Awards presentations, she also has been the first woman to announce the Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Kennedy Center Honors, Super Bowl and much more.

She also is the first female announcer for ABC’s Nightline.

“I love it all and take it in stride,” said Thomas, now a Californian and voiceover artist who worked as a radio disc jockey before being invited to audition for television. “It seems to be my brand, but I’m kicking the door open for other women. I even coach women so they can be really great at this, and I coach men, too.”

On the occasion of this year’s Oscars, Feb. 9 on ABC, Thomas looks back on her 10 earlier Oscar presentations, dating back to the 1990s.

40 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

details The 92nd Oscars ceremony, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, can be seen at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, on ABC. TOP: Randy Thomas has added her voice to many award shows.

LEFT: Thomas at the 2016 Tony Awards. RIGHT: Thomas at the 2018 Oscars.

FACING PAGE TOP: After attending Oakland Community College, Thomas, 18, got her start as a radio DJ at WWWW in Detroit. BOTTOM: Randy Thomas during an Oscars rehearsal in an earlier year.

FEBRUARY 6 â&#x20AC;¢ 2020

| 41

Arts&Life the oscars

The Most Complete Oscar Guide for the Tribe NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

T

he Academy Awards ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9, on ABC — with no host again. This is an unusual year in that there are more Jewish nominees than usual in the “marquee” categories (acting, directing) and no Jewish nominees in some less prominent categories (documentaries, short films and animation).

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

42 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

non-Jewish Danish father who settled in Manhattan, where Johansson was born and raised. In a 2008 interview, she said she grew up with basic ACTING: Lead actor: Joaquin observance of Shabbat and knowing Phoenix, 45, Joker; lead actress: about Jewish holidays.

Scarlett Johansson, 36, Marriage In 2017, Johnson appeared on Story; supporting actress: Scarlett Finding Your Roots, the PBS ancestry Johansson, Jojo Rabbit. show. She was in tears when she was This is the first time Johansson informed her great-grandfather’s has been nominated for an Oscar, brother and his family died in the and the betting is she will win at Warsaw Ghetto. In December, she least one. She gave a tour de force told the Daily Mail she has expeperformance in Marriage Story as rienced anti-Semitism and that an actress going through a difficult anti-Semitism is now more prevadivorce. She was equally powerful lent and causing a lot of fear in the playing a non-Jewish woman in Jewish community.

Nazi Germany who shelters a young Phoenix has been OscarJewish woman in her home. She has nominated three times before (supbeen nominated for five Golden porting actor for Gladiator and best Globes and she won a British Oscar actor nominations for the lead role (called Bafta) for Lost in Translation (2004). She’s also won a Tony award. in I Walk the Line and The Master).

He won a Golden Globe for I Walk Johansson is the daughter of an the Line and last month for Joker.

American Jewish mother and a Here are the Jewish nominees in the top categories.

FOX SEARCHLIGHT

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

NETFLIX

FACING PAGE: A scene from 1917, up for Best Film and Best Director. BOTTOM: Best Actor nominee Joaquin Phoenix in Joker, a Best Film nominee.

LEFT: Adam Driver and Lead Actress nominee Scarlett Johansson in Marriage Story. BELOW: A scene from Best Film nominee Jojo Rabbit. Taika Waititi (depicting Hitler) was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

His incredible performance in Joker, a huge box office hit, may propel him to that super-star status Johansson has long enjoyed.

Phoenix, who has twice played Jewish film characters, made it clear in an interview just a year ago that he is a secular Jew who doesn’t affiliate with any organized religion. His Jewish-born mother joined a Christian cult group in 1969 not long after marrying his non-Jewish father. Phoenix was just 3 when his disillusioned parents left the cult in 1977. He said, in part: “My parents believed in God. I’m Jewish; my mom’s Jewish, but she believes in Jesus; she felt a connection to that. But they were never religious [after leaving the cult] … we were absolutely encouraged to have whatever belief we wanted.”

DIRECTORS/WRITERS: Sam Mendes (1917) and Todd Phillips, 49, (Joker) vie for the Best Director

Oscar. Mendes is also nominated (Best Original Screenplay) for co-writing 1917 and he is nominated as a producer of 1917, a Best Picture nominee.

Phillips is also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for co-writing Joker with Steve Silver, 55. [Their nomination notes that the Joker screenplay is based on work by three late Batman comic book writers — Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson.] Phillips is also nominated as a producer of Joker, a Best Picture nominee.

Mendes, who is British, is the son of a non-Jewish British father of Portuguese ancestry and an English Jewish mother.

He has always been secular. He was an acclaimed theater director in his 20s, and he won the best director Oscar for American Beauty (1999), his directorial debut. 1917, a WWI epic, was inspired by his paternal grandfather’s battlefield experiences.

Phillips was born Todd Bunzl in

Brooklyn. He was long associated with co-writing and directing comedies (he co-wrote Borat and directed and co-wrote the hit Hangover films). Joker is his darkest film to date.

Taika Waititi, 44, (Jojo Rabbit) is also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Jojo is an anti-Nazi film that I found much more poignant and well-written than some advance reviews led me to believe. While Waititi is, in common terms, only one-eighth Jewish, he identifies as a “Polynesian Jew” and I think he merits inclusion in this article.

Noah Baumbach, 50, who wrote and directed Marriage Story, is nominated for best original screenplay. He also is nominated as a producer of Marriage Story, a Best Picture nominee.

Baumbach burst into prominence in 2005 with his critically acclaimed film The Squid and The Whale, which was based on the real-life tense relations between his parents, both writers (his continued on page 44 FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 43

Arts&Life the oscars OSCAR GUIDE continued from page 43

father is Jewish; his mother, Protestant.

Baumbach is secular but identifies as Jewish culturally). A series of mostly well-received movies followed Squid, but in some sense, all the pieces came together in Marriage Story, an acute look at a failing marriage without a false note. Baumbach says details are based on truth but the larger story is not autobiographical . His current partner is Greta Gerwig, a best adapted screenplay nominee (Little Women).

MUSIC and CINEMATOGRAPHY: Randy Newman, 76, is nominated for best score (Marriage Story) and best song (“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4). He has won two Oscars for his songs and has been

nominated 20 times for a song or score.

Three of Newman’s uncles were successful Hollywood composers (Emil, Lionel and Alfred Newman). Randy’s father was a doctor and the only Newman brother to marry a Jewish woman. He competes for best score with his first cousin Thomas Newman, who is nominated for 1917.

Randy Newman competes with Diane Warren, 63, for best song. She wrote “I’m Standing with You” from Breakthrough. She has won a slew of Grammys and has written many pop hits, but she can’t seem to win an Oscar.

She’s been Oscar-nominated 11 times since 1988 and hasn’t won yet.

Lawrence Sher, 49, is nominated for best cinematography for Joker. There’s no doubt that his work was critical to

the way the film artfully conveyed the mental anguish of the title character.

Sher has long worked with Phillips, and he shot the Hangover movies. In 2017, he directed his first feature, Father Figures.

BUILDING HER CAREER Thomas credits many things with helping her rise to the top of her field.

“I think vocal tone tends to determine the kind of work I do,” Thomas said.

“Because my voice is big, I can project with control so my voice doesn’t waver. I can put gravitas into a read as well as a big, warm smile.”

Diet and exercise keep Thomas’ voice healthy and strong. Eighty-five percent of her diet is plant-based, and 30 days before a major show, she avoids sugar, dairy and orange juice.

Thomas, whose stepfather (Max Thomas) owned the Michigan Glove Company in Oak Park, has been married for 35 years to Arnie Wohl, a former record promoter who is exploring business opportunities with CBD oil. Their daughter, Rachel, a voiceover artist since childhood, recently graduated from the University of Southern California and does technical consulting.

“I wasn’t raised with a Jewish background; I was just raised by Jews and became the most observant of my family,” Thomas said, adding that her daughter became a bat mitzvah with Chabad.

Thomas appreciates producers like

Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, of the Tony and Emmy Awards, who have employed her over many years.

“A lot of times, producers are incredibly loyal to a production team,” she said. “If you do your best job and help them have a great show, they will bring you back, and that has been a huge blessing in my life.”

Thomas recently shared her story firsthand in a TED Talk, “Voice Lessons: How I Talked My Way to the Top,” available on YouTube. She hopes her experiences inspire young women to break other gender career barriers, and she repeats her grandmother’s encouragement to show chutzpah.

“If you would have told me that I would be the first woman to announce a global live television broadcast, I would have been shocked,” she said. “I think the opportunities that came my way happened because I was ready, and it also had to do with reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers, which discusses success. I wasn’t the first woman on the air in Detroit, but I was one of the first.”

And she’s not done with aspirations.

“I feel I want to be a branding voice for an entire network,” she said. “That would be amazing.”

BEST PICTURE: The Best Picture Oscar goes to the film’s principal producers. Oscar rules limit the number of nominees to three. All the nominated films have a Jewish producer: 1917, Sam Mendes; Ford v. Ferrari, James Mangold, 56; The Irishman, Jane Rosenthal, 63; Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi; Joker, Todd Phillips; Little Women, Amy Pascal, 61; Marriage Story, Noah Baumbach and David Heyman, 58; Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, David Heyman.

RANDY THOMAS continued from page 40

to Alison Steele (“The Nightbird”) on the radio and was inspired to try being a DJ. She went back to Michigan and attended Oakland Community College, which led to local work before moving on to various stations in New York, Florida and Los Angeles.

While Thomas was DJing a Los Angeles morning show in 1993, she was offered an audition for the Academy Awards job, a role she said “changed my life.” She quickly moved from radio into TV, supplementing awards shows with promotion assignments.

“Live award shows are fantastic, but they only happen X amount of times a year,” she said. “I have to work every week, and I have radio and TV stations that I’m now the voice of.”

The most dramatic Oscar moment that Thomas recalls happened in 2017, when La La Land was called as Best Picture instead of the real winner, Moonlight. A third accountant was later added along with security procedures to prevent any similar mistake.

Coincidentally, La La Land producer Gary Gilbert also grew up in Michigan, where he worked for his brother, businessman and developer Dan Gilbert.

44 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

Meet Aaron Mazor.

Made in the Motor City, breaking records in the Big Apple.

Aaron Mazor Lic. Real Estate Salesperson 91Â&#x161;.696.8772 amazor@compass.com

Bespoke Brokerage in the 5 Boroughs

FREE Y DELIVER

IMMUNIZ A AND SH TIONS IN SHOTS A GLES VAILABLE

10%

SENIOR CITIZ EN DISCOUNT

MAPLE PHARMACY MAKE MAPLE PHARMACYâ&#x20AC;¦ YOUR PHARMACY! Maple Pharmacy offers: t -PX 1SJDF .FEJDBUJPOT t %BZ 4VQQMJFT t %VSBCMF .FEJDBM &RVJQNFOU t %JBCFUJD 4VQQMJFT

t /BUVSBM 4VQQMFNFOUT 7JUBNJOT BOE /VUSBDFVUJDBMT t $PNQPVOEJOH CJP JEFOUJDBM IPSNPOFT QBJO DSFBNT PUIFS NFEJDBUJPOT t #MJTUFS 1BDLBHJOH "WBJMBCMF

5829 Maple Rd. Ste. 129 West Bloomfield, MI 48322

248.757.2503

Sam Francis, Untitled (SF84-223) SOLD FOR $152,500

Complimentary Auction Estimates February 11â&#x20AC;&#x201C;12

Hindman specialists will be in the Greater Detroit area on February 11â&#x20AC;&#x201C;12 providing complimentary auction estimates for upcoming Jewelry, Fine Art and Modern Design auctions.

CONTACT US TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT Vaughn Smith vaughnsmith@hindmanauctions.com 312.334.4238

www.maplepharmacyrx.com OUR MISSION IS TO BRING SERVICE BACK TO PHARMACY FOR A HAPPIER, HEALTHIER YOU!!

HindmanAuctions.com

FEBRUARY 6 â&#x20AC;¢ 2020

| 45

theater

N

athan Freudenthal Leopold Jr. and Richard Albert Loeb were bright yet troubled young Jewish men from prominent Chicago families. On a spring afternoon in 1924, they lured 14-year-old Bobby Franks into their rented car and beat him to death with a chisel.

The seemingly motiveless crime captured headlines around the world, as did the trial, where renowned lawyer Clarence Darrow defended the alleged killers. Both men, who came to be known as the “thrill killers,” were convicted and sentenced to life in prison as a result of Darrow’s passionate arguments against the death penalty.

COURTESY OF WHARTON CENTER

Arts&Life

details Thrill Me is playing from Wed., Feb. 12 through Sun., Feb. 16 at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, 750 E. Shaw LN, East Lansing.

Ticket prices begin at $35, with group and student discounts available.

A Disturbing ‘Thrill’ Fans of fringe theater will enjoy Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story.

RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

While this gruesome tale may seem an unlikely subject for a musical, it’s the basis of playwright and composer Stephen Dolginoff ’s Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story, playing at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts in East Lansing Feb. 12-16.

The show is directed by Bert Goldstein, director of the Wharton Center Institute for Arts & Creativity at Michigan State University. He saw the musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017 and knew it would be an excellent fit for the Wharton Center’s Illuminate series, which offers audiences a fringe theater experience through smaller productions based on edgy and thought-provoking material.

“Our goal is to create discussion and tackle subjects that may not always be comfortable,” Goldstein said. “This story of two privileged young men with their entire lives mapped out for them and how they ‘blew it’ because of their toxic relationship still intrigues people. And Dolginoff did a great job capturing the psychology of their relationship.”

First produced in New York in 2003, the two-actor show has been performed throughout the world and translated into 12 languages. It has received several award

46 |

JANURY 16 • 2019

nominations, including the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical and Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical and Best Musical Score.

Starring New York-based actors Mark Ryan Anderson and Wayne Shuker, the story is told in a series of flashbacks beginning at Leopold’s 1958 parole hearing. According to Goldstein, the production has a film noir feel, capturing the mood of an early Alfred Hitchcock movie. The design of the entire play is in “black and white,” including the sets, furniture, costumes and lighting. The only splotch of color is Loeb’s blood-red tie.

“That’s one of the things that makes it really interesting for me,” said Goldstein, who has been a theater professional for 40 years, working as an actor, director, producer and arts educator.

A piano player, seated on the stage, provides the musical accompaniment. In the opening number, “Why,” Leopold tells his parole officer how he came to throw his life away despite his many advantages.

“The music is intriguing; it’s fraught with tension, at times beautiful and haunting and mysterious,” Goldstein said.

Thrill Me is performed in the Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre, which seats 585

Actors Mark Ryan Anderson and Wayne Shuker star in Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story.

people. For this production, the stage will be converted to an arena style, with audience members seated on three sides. A limited number of on-stage seats are available for those who want a more intimate viewing experience.

“The intimacy is part of the thrill, to be close to the actors,” Goldstein said. “If you’re going on this thrill ride, being close will enhance the ride.”

While the subject matter is grim, Goldstein says there is some “gallows humor” to lighten things up. The end of the musical features an ironically humorous twist, which Goldstein would not reveal.

“It’s a great show for fans of true crime or people who want to see a non-traditional musical,” he said.

The crime has been the subject of numerous articles, books and films, including Hitchcock’s Rope and Meyer Levin’s book Compulsion, which was also adapted into a film. Goldstein added an interesting piece of lore, explaining that the murder did not provoke the expected anti-Semitic response because Bobby Franks was Jewish.

“There was not a rise in anti-Semitism as there would have been if two Jews had killed a Christian,” he said.

On The Go people | places | events

5:45 pm, Feb. 7. The community is welcome to join the Shaarey Zedek clergy, the T.G.I.S. Players, and special guest Hazzan Dr. Ramon Tasat for Minchah, a lively musical Kabbalat Shabbat service and Ma’ariv.

COMEDY ON STAGE 8 pm, Feb. 7. At the Farmington Players Barn in Farmington Hills.

Unnecessary Farce runs through Feb. 22. A tale of two inept cops on a mission to trap a town mayor suspected of embezzling.

Show is more suited to adults and older teens. Ticket info: boxoffice@farmingtonplayers.org or 248-553-2955.

SATURDAY, FEB. 8 SHABBAT SHIRAH

9 am, Feb. 8. At Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Hazzan Ramon Tasat, Hazzan David Propis and the CSZ Choir will offer the “Sermon in Song,” as part of the Jewish Music Weekend sponsored by the Irving and Beverly Laker Concert Fund.

TOT SHABBAT 11 am, Feb. 8. Tot Shabbat for Tu b’Shevat at B’nai Israel/Temple Kol Ami lower level, followed by kiddush lunch with the whole congregation.

ACTOR SPEAKS 5 pm, Feb. 8. The Crofoot presents “Sixteen Candles: A Conversation with Anthony Michael Hall” at the Crofoot Ballroom, 1 Saginaw St., Pontiac.

Tickets for this film screening and live Q&A are $30. Visit thecrofootpresents.com.

NIGHT OF COMEDY 6 pm, Feb. 8. Nikki Glaser, who hosts Comedy Central’s first live daily morning show You Up With Nikki Glaser for SiriusXM, will be at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, 315 W. 4th. Tickets: $35. Info: 248-399-2980.

MUSIC CAFÉ

QUICKEN LOANS

IT’S SHABBAT

7 pm, Feb. 8. At Temple EmanuEl in Oak Park. Havdalah, dinner and show, featuring the music of Rodgers and Hart. Cost: $18 per person; sponsorships available: $50 (2 tickets), $100 (4 tickets), $250 (6 tickets). RSVP.

By Thursday, Feb. 6, to 248-9674020 or TempleFamily@ emanuel-mich.org.

WINTER BLAST The Quicken Loans Winter Blast Weekend is presented by Soaring Eagle.

The free event returns to Campus Martius Park. It will feature winterthemed attractions and seasonal family-friendly entertainment. Hours: Friday 5-11 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

FEB. 9

SUNDAY, FEB. 9

CSZ CONCERT

PARENTING SERIES 9:30-10:45 a.m., Feb. 9.

Navigate parenting through a Jewish lens with Jackie Issner, PhD, LP and Rabbi Rachel Shere at Adat Shalom Synagogue.

The series, intended for anyone with a role caring for children ages 7-12, is co-sponsored by the Adat Shalom-Beth Achim Learning Community, Adult Learning Department & Sisterhood. Additional dates for the program are 3/15 and 4/26.

Each class is self-contained.

No charge for Adat Shalom members, non-members $5 per session. RSVP appreciated by the Thursday before each session: 248-626-2153, sshapiro@ adatshalom.org.

KNITTING CIRCLE 9:30 am, Feb. 9. Join the Adat Shalom Synagogue Sisterhood as they make scarves, hats and afghans for charity. No experience necessary. Info: 248-8515100. continued on page 48

PROLOGUE DETROIT

FRIDAY, FEB. 7

Feb. 7-9

Editor’s Picks

FEB. 12-MARCH 8 WORKING Based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers, Working paints a vivid portrait of the men and women the world so often takes for granted: the schoolteacher, the phone operator, the waitress, the mill-worker, the mason and the housewife, just to name a few. Nominated for six Tony Awards, this classic has been updated for a modern age. Music from Stephen Schwartz and Mary Rogers and others. At Meadowbrook Theatre, 207 S. Wilson Blvd. Rochester. Tickets: Boxofficetickets, 800-440-8551.

From 4-5 p.m. at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield.

This year’s Irving and Beverly Laker Concert Series features “Music for the Jewish Wedding (with Strings Attached)” featuring Hazzan David Propis. He will be accompanied by a professional string quartet with musicians from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Abraham Feder, Mingzhao Zhou, Jiamin Wang and Caroline Coade. Premier seating is $54 per person and includes dessert reception with the musicians following the show.

Preferred seating is $36 per person. General admission is no charge. RSVP at shaareyzedek.org.

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 47

On The Go people | places | events continued from page 47

FINE C HINESE DINING “A wonderful adventure in fine dining” ~ Danny Raskin

Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner Catering and carryout available Gift certificates 27925 Orchard Lake Rd., North of 12 Mile, Farmington Hills

248-489-2280 www.honghuafinedining.com

WINTER WARM UP 10 am, Feb. 9. NEXTGen Detroit and JFamily will host a morning of crafts, cocoa, coffee and connecting with other young Jewish families in Metro Detroit at Farber Hebrew Day School. Create a snow globe, mix up a customized cup of coffee or cocoa, pack a snowball at the indoor snow sensory table, taste dried fruits to celebrate Tu b’Shevat and “warm up” with a mini dance party. This program is geared toward children under 5. Cost: $25 per family. Info: Emily at wedes@ jfmd.org.

SUNDAY SPEAKER 10 am, Feb. 9. At Temple EmanuEl in Oak Park. John Gallagher, business columnist of the Detroit Free Press, will talk on “Looking at the Future of Detroit.” Bagels and beverages included. Free and open to the public.

PRINCESS PARTY

Dine at Steve and Rocky’s in the New Year!

4 pm, Feb. 9. At the Berman Theatre for Performing Arts in West Bloomfield, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield. An iconic trio of Broadway originals/animation stars host an evening of festivities with their own fairy godfairy and special guests. Ticket info: 248-661-1900.

TU B’SHEVAT SEDER

STEVE & ROCKY’S 43150 Grand River Avenue Novi, MI 48375 248.374.0688

steveandrockys.com

48 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

6-8 pm, Feb. 9. At the Jewish Community Center, 6600 W. Maple, West Bloomfield. Join with Hazon Detroit, the JCC of Metro Detroit, and 16 synagogues to celebrate the trees, learn about the climate, and envision a healthier and more sustainable world for all. There will be a light, kosher, holiday-themed dinner in addition to the ritual foods and wine traditionally enjoyed at the seder. All food and wine will be vegetarian and kosher. There will be dairy-free and gluten-free options available. Tickets: $15. RSVP: hannah.fine@hazon.org..

TUESDAY, FEB. 11

EXAMINING RELIGIONS 10-11:30 am, Feb. 11. JLearn, the Adult Learning Department of the JCC will present for four weeks “Have Some Faith: A Comparison of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.”

Taught by Rabbi Mitch Parker at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center. Tuition: $70. Call 248-2052557 to register.

SIMPLY DANCE 11 am, Feb. 11. An Active Life program at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. Christine Stewart will lead; no partner needed. Cost: $7.

NOSH & KNOWLEDGE Noon-2 pm, Feb. 11. NCJW/MI will present Linda Shears, residential designer. Topic: “Psychology of Color.” A dairy lunch will be provided. At the NCJW office, 26400 Lahser, #306, Southfield. Cost: $10 for members; $15 for non-members. Info: 248-355-3300, ext. 0 or NCJWMI.org.

TUESDAY WITH JANET 1:30 pm, Feb. 11. Get together with host Janet Pont in the Shaarey Zedek library for “Picturing the Music.” A DIA docent will explore the presence of music in visual art.

Cake and coffee will be served. Info: jpont@shaareyzedek.org.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT 1:30-3:30 pm, Feb. 11. The Dorothy & Peter Brown Adult Day Program holds free monthly family caregiver support group meetings. Respite care may be available during the daytime meetings; if interested, inquire when you RSVP. At JVS, 29699 Southfield Road, Southfield.

Alzheimer’s Association meeting for family caregivers of older adults living with dementia. For information or to RSVP: Dorothy Moon, 248233-4392 or dmoon@jvsdet.org.

Malandain Ballet Biarritz ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY! Sat., Feb. 15 at 7:30 PM at the Detroit Opera House

FRANKEL CENTER EVENT

THRILLING THURSDAYS

4-5:30 pm, Feb. 11. What Ifs of Jewish History at the Thayer Building, Room 2022, 202 S. Thayer St., Ann Arbor. Gavriel Rosenfeld of Fairfield University in conversation with Devi Mays and Jeff Veidlinger will discuss what if the Jews of Spain had not been expelled in 1492? What if Adolf Hitler had been assassinated in 1939? What if a Jewish state had been established in Uganda instead of Palestine?

10-11:30 am, Feb. 13. At Cong.

Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Open play group for children up to age 5 and their favorite adults. Lindsay Mall, alongside clergy, songs, stories, games, crafts, snacks, some special guests, and bubble time.

Free, but donations are appreciated to help keep the fun coming.

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12 MOVIE MATINEE

1 pm, Feb. 12. An Active Life program at the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center. Funny Face (1 hr. 43 min.) Free.

AMERICAN JEWS FOCUS 1 pm, Feb. 12. American Jews and Their Politics: Origins, Agendas, and Debates. Drop In & Learn group at Beth Ahm invites lifelong learners to watch a video and discuss Prof. Howard Lupovitchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jewish Immigrants and the Romance of the Left.â&#x20AC;? No charge; no reservations needed.

Info: Nancy Kaplan, 248-7371931, or email nancyellen879@ att.net.

THURSDAY, FEB. 13 OPEN HOUSE

9:15 am, Feb. 13. A preview of Hillelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kindergarten program.

Parents of prospective students are invited to join the director of early education, Robin Pappas, for scones and coffee. She will guide parents through kindergarten classes in action and an overview of Hillelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kindergarten curriculum, followed by Q&A. RSVP: hillelday. org/visithillel.

2020 MOT Spring Dance Season Sponsor:

GAME DAY 11 am, Feb. 13. Bring your games and your players to Shaarey Zedek for sisterhoodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day of tabletop play, delicious lunch included. Cost: $6 per player if RSVPs are received no later than noon on Monday, Feb. 10. After the deadline or at the door, the cost is $8 per player.

RSVP to shaareyzedek.org or 248357-5544.

TICK STA ETS AT JURT $30 ST

THE PERFECT DATE FOR VALENTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S WEEKEND!

MichiganOpera.org or 313.237.7464

CAREGIVER SUPPORT 1:30-3 pm, Feb. 13. At Jewish Senior Life, Fleischman Residence, 6710 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield. Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association meeting for family caregivers of older adults living with dementia For information or to RSVP: Joely Lyons, 248-592-5032, jlyons@ jslmi.org.

28990 Orchard Lake Rd. Farmington Hills, MI 248-702-0558

1304 E. 11 Mile Rd. Royal Oak, MI 248-544-8900

Let Us Cater Your Next Event

Book Your Holiday Party In Our Beautiful Fiesta Room

Check out our new BAKERY! BERMAN NIGHT OF LEARNING 7 pm. Feb. 13. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Are You as Green as You Think You Are?â&#x20AC;? Shaarey Zedekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Green Team partners with Hazon to teach tips on composting farming and sustainability, and enjoy some tastings. Come early for sips, sweets and schmoozing before the learning begins.

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

www.ca m e lia sm e x ica n g r ill. n et

Buy 1, Get ½ Off Pastries.

Exclusions may apply.

Exp 12/31/19

15% OFF

TOTAL FOOD BILL UP TO $30.00 Expires 1/31/20

$SPPLT 3E /PSUI PG -POH -BLF 3E 5SPZ .* t 0QFO EBZT B XFFL GPS MVODI BOE EJOOFS 4BU BOE 4VO EJOOFS POMZ t Private room available for up to 85 people

FEBRUARY 6 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020

| 49

Nosh

PHOTOS VIA YELP

LAO POT FACEBOOK

dining around the d

Lao Pot

W

ith its eye-catching murals and hanging colored lights, Lao Pot is a decidedly prettier Asian food restaurant than others concentrated along John R Road in Madison Heights. The area is noted for offering this healthy style Esther of cuisine at Allweiss affordable pricIngber Contributing es.

Writer Located just south of 14 Mile Road, Lao Pot is unique locally for its concept as a hot pot restaurant. Hot Pot Chen in Ann Arbor is one of the few others I’m aware of.

So, what exactly are “hot pot” restaurants? They’re similar and yet different from Mongolian barbecue-style restaurants, where grilling chefs make stir-fries from the diners’ choices of meat, seafood, vegetables, sauces and seasonings. Hot pot restaurants put diners in the driver’s seat, letting them choose the ingredients for a soup they will cook themselves.

At Lao Pot, a small burner lies beneath each place-setting at the table. The controls are under the table — choose “5” to start cooking. The first choice to make is the soup

50 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

base. One or two (in a divided bowl) may be selected from a group of eight soups, including Tomato Ox Bone, Signature Spicy, Tom Yum and a vegetarian mushroom.

I went with the latter two on my visits at dinner and lunch.

Other headings on the paper menu, with item boxes to check off, include meat balls, meat, vegetables, seafood, live seafood (stored in tanks), staple food (noodles and rice) and soy products.

The meat selections include items not typically desired by Western diners, such as boneless chicken feet.

I played it safe and ordered certified Angus beef slices at both of my visits.

The vegetables list, also with some unusual varieties, is highlighted by a vegetarian platter that includes any five vegetables and soy products, and a mushroom platter. I went for spinach, sweet corn, Chinese white cabbage and a few more. Everything arrived in huge quantities in pails or on platters. Here’s my suggestion: Share your stuff. You don’t need two orders of the same things, just order two soups. Also, visit the bar with myriad dipping sauces, cilantro and garlic to make your soup even more individual and delicious.

I preferred the lunch special with its set menu: one soup base, pre-selected veggies, limited meat and seafood choices and a starch. The categories are Vegetarian, 1 Meat, 2 Meat, Surf & Turf and Seafood Combo. Prices increase a bit for the Regular Combo, from 3-9 p.m. You’ll likely bring soup home.

Egg dumplings are among the specialty items.

Appetizers range from Sesame Ball to Tempura Green Tea Ice Cream.

Seven varieties of raw Hot Pot skewers are available.

Besides offering a full bar, non-alcoholic drinks include bubble tea and smoothies.

Open since Dec. 6, Lao Pot has seating for 250. Ricky Dong, co-owner of 168 Asian Mart on John R, designed the contemporary restaurant, incorporating traditional and modern elements.

Lao Pot 32707 John R Road Madison Heights, MI 48071 (248) 689-9888 laopot.com $$½ out of $$$$

Nosh eats | drinks | sweets

STAR DELI

â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Śone of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest carryout-only delicatessens!

Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reputation has never wavered!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Danny Raskin

COMPARE OUR LOW PRICES WITH ANY DELICATESSEN IN TOWN! SALAD TRAY W/ LOX & CREAM CHEESE

MEAT TRAY

DAIRY TRAY

SALAD TRAY

$13.99 per person

person $23.99 per

$14.99 per person

$18.99

per person

Get Ready the Big Ga for me!

February Food Events

Order Your Tray

Today!

CURATED BY JN STAFF

Saturday, Feb. 8 BRUNCH FEST From 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre, Garden Bowl and The Magic Stick, 4140 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. Enjoy brunch tastings from the best spots in Detroit in one spot. Bloody Marys, mimosas, boozy brunch drinks, beer and champagne are on the menu â&#x20AC;&#x201D; plus bowling at the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest bowling alley and live entertainment. Unlimited brunch tastings and six drink tickets, $55 at the door/$40 in advance at mtbrunch.com.

Wednesday, Feb. 12 VALENTINEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHOCOLATES & CHEESE TASTING From 7- 9 p.m. at Zingermanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greyline, 100 N. Ashley St., Ann Arbor. A celebration of chocolates, cheese, wine and cocktails. Share a boozy cocktail and wines and taste a spread of carefully selected chocolates, confections and artisan cheeses. Bread and additional accompaniments will be provided. All attendees will receive a 20percent off coupon to use after the tasting. Tickets are $45 and available at events.zingermanscommunity.com.

Thursday, Feb. 13 GREATER DETROIT VEGBASH This plant-based food fest features food from Brittanyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bitchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;n Kitchen, Dunnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trap Kitchen, Eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Co Vegan, The Kitchen by Cooking with Que, Le Crepe Royal Oak, Ms. Kâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kitchen, Nosh Pit Detroit, Oak House Deli, Pierogi Palace of Cleveland, SpaceCat V-stro, Unburger, Urban Soul Grille and Veg-O-Rama. Enjoy music from acclaimed DJ Davey Wonder, food product exhibits, cruelty-free shopping vendors, kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; activities and more. Lots of gift certificates/gift cards from local restaurants will be given away as door prizes. At the Royal Oak Farmers Market, 316 E. 11 Mile Road, from 5-9:30 p.m. Admission is $10-$13.

Saturday, Feb. 15 DETROIT COCKTAIL CAMP: SALUTE TO THE TROOPS Take part in a fun salute to the troops starting at 1 p.m. at Republic Tavern, 1942 Grand River Ave. in Downtown Detroit, inside the historic Grand Army Republic building â&#x20AC;&#x201D; once a gathering place for Civil War veterans. Campers will learn five drinks, featuring craft spirits from Hotel Tango Distillery (first in America owned and operated by veterans). Each drink is inspired by a branch of service.

You must be 21 years old with valid ID to participate. $10 from each ticket purchased will be donated to Humble Design Detroit. Tickets are $59 and available at Eventbrite.com.

Best Deli Trays In Town!

5 OFF

$

)0634 .0/ 4"5 ". 1. t 46/ ". 1.

24555 W. 12 MILE ROAD

On Starâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful already low-priced trays Expires 2/29/20. One Per Order.

Not Good Holidays. 10 Person Minimum. With this coupon.

+VTU XFTU PG 5FMFHSBQI 3PBE t 4PVUIGJFME

248-352-7377 www.stardeli.net

DELIVERY AVAILABLE

Prices subject to change

Fine Italian Dining in a Casual Atmosphere

SPOSITAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RISTORANTE

OUR PETITE FILET DINNER IS HAPPENING AGAIN! Monday Thru Thursday For The Whole Month Of February (Excluding Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day)

$24.95

(248) 538-8954 33210 W. 14 Mile Rd, in Simsbury Plaza, just east of Farmington Rd., West Bloomfield

Includes Petite Filet, antipasto plate, side of pasta, salad, soup, potato and vegetable.

Dine-in only, not valid with any other offer.

Mon-Thurs: 4pm-10pm t Fri: 11am-11pm Sat: 4pm-11pm t Sun: 4pm-9pm

15% Off food bill

10% Off food bill

Offer Good Monday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Thursday. Dine-in only and entrees only. Not valid with any other offer. With coupon only.

Not valid on holidays. Expires 2/29/20

Offer Good Friday â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Sunday. Dine in and entrees only.

Not valid with other offers. With coupon only.

Not valid on holidays. Expires 2/29/20

Lunch Special A Personal Calzoni, Pizza or Panini

$7.95 plus tax Includes Choice of Soup or Salad.

Dining Room Only. Monday - Friday 11 am - 3 pm.

Limited time only.

FEBRUARY 6 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020

| 51

ELECTRONICS UNLIMITED

Pet resort • Daycare Training • Grooming Web Cameras

Sales

248-230-PAWS (7297) 2244 Franklin Road Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 www.4pawscc.com

•

Ser vice

Audio • Video • Telephones Paging • Intercom • Computers Signal Systems & more Warren Mendelsohn 248-470-7715

“Let us love your pet while you are away”

Junk-B-Gone We Haul It All!

Still the Lowest Prices in Town!

SAME DAY SERVICE! Proudly Serving the Jewish Community for over 25 Years Owner Present on EVERY job!

Call Debbie! (248) 514-8349 On Site Apple Training and Support

248-760-4450 FREE

ESTIMATE

BOB MENDELSON Commercial - Residential Exterior - Interior

Service Call

Nothing per hour, plus parts.

248-855-0437

Cell: (248) 224-3053 Office: (248) 541-7804

Custom Closets,Inc. HGTV

Designs in Decorator Wood & Laminates It doesn’t have to cost a fortune, only look like it.

Lois Haron

Interior Designer Allied ASID

(248) 851-6989

loisharondesigns@gmail.com www.loisharondesigns.com

52 |

FEBRUARY 6  2020

Free Estimates

248-521-8818 248-489-5955

LACOURE’S

Leading the industry with over 30 years experience in the Metro Detroit Area.

Now also organizing the Metro Denver Area with our 2nd location Custom Closets, West, Inc.

Lois Haron Designs

Removal of ALL unwanted items from garages, attics, basements, offices, warehouses, etc.

Seasonal Rates Licensed and Insured Emergency Services Commercial Free Estimates Residential

as featured on

Call today for your free in-home consultation

Serving Wayne and Oakland Counties.

SENIOR AND MILITARY DISCOUNTS

SNOWPLOWING AND SALTING

WHERE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

248.855.8747

HAUL AWAY

AND

Michael Goldenberg Painting, Inc.

$65

Mention the Jewish News and get 10% Discount

CLEAN UP

& SON

Heating • Air Conditioning • Installation and Repair

Caren Bass

JF Green Renovations FORMER MARINE

Take a bite out of learning!

STATE LICENSED #3984

Gutter Installation, Repairs and Cleaning Roofing Installation, Repairs/Cedar Roofs Decks and Refinish Rotted Wood Replacement Mold/Flood Restoration Chimney/Brick/Paver, Seamless Gutters

CALL JOHN: 248-770-8772

Apple a Day

Serving the metropolitan area for over 40 years!

ROOFING & SIDING INSTALLATION & REPAIR

LANDSCAPING

Email: jrcmycomputerguy@gmail.com

248-521-8818 248-489-5955

CHIMNEY RESTORATION

All Brick/Stone Concrete / All Masonry Porches, Patios, Retainer Walls, etc.

CHANGING HANDS Decks and Refinish - Rotted Wood Replacement CHANGING HANDS ESTATE SALES Seamless Gutters ESTATE SALES Mold/Flood Restoration Letexperienced our experienced teamhandle handle all your estate needs: Let our team allofof your estate needs:

JF Green Renovations

CALL JOHN: 248-770-8772 FORMER MARINE

• Hands free-hassle free sales • Hands free-hassle freeestate estate sales Visit our Leshoppe showroom in Keego Harbor

Visit our Leshoppe showroom in Keego Harbor Call Leslie Weisberg today for a free consultation

Call Leslie Weisberg today for a free consultation

248-709-9648

248-709-9648

BOOKS

Bought & Sold

LIBRARY BOOKSTORE Open 7 Days M. Sempliner

248.545.4300

ROBERT SMITH Handyman

revingrob@comcast.net

PHONE: 248 787 6786 Fax: 248 681 0157

Repairs, Home Improvement Electrical, Plumbing, Carpentry etc.

LET BOB DO IT

Books Bought In Your Home

letbobdoit.com

MAX THE HANDYMAN Director of Early Childhood Center

You Name It – I’ll Do It! Toilets • Disposals • Electrical • Door & Lock Repair • Shower Grab Bars • ETC

248-356-0114

Temple Beth El (TBE) in Bloomfield Hills, MI is looking for a caring and talented leader with a passion for working with young children and their families to direct our Early Childhood Center.

TBE is a large Reform congregation with a growing and thriving preschool.

The Director will be responsible for the administration of the congregation’s preschool program, ensuring a healthy, safe, warm, and developmentally appropriate environment for children up to 5 years of age. The Director is responsible for the daily management of the early childhood program, including recruiting, hiring and supervising staff, budget, curriculum, and family programming. This is a full time position.

25

ketubahs and Other Wedding Stuff

Alicia R. Nelson

tradition! tradition!

(248) 557- 0109

www.traditiontradition.com

TRADIT TRADIT

The successful candidate will possess the following: • 5 years experience in the field of early childhood education • A proven record of working effectively with children and families

Heating, Air Conditioning Service and New Installations

24 Hour Emergency Service RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Serving the Community for Over 55 Years WHATEVER IT TAKES:

HEALTHCARE Facility/ in home care CNA cert. Caregiver since 1996.

Grooming, feeding, meds, blood sugar & vitals. Selena 248.747.1083 Caregiver - 24 hr. complete care. Fabulous references,15 years experience. Ready to take care of your loved ones.

Josie 313-544-3515.

A1A CAREGIVER/COMPANION. Experienced, excellent references. 248-991-4944 Care Giver Mon-Fri. References available, 20+ yrs exp. Call 248-752-1782 Affordable home care. Driving & daily living. Special needs care also available. Nancy 248.420.0368

• Experience in planning and implementing Jewish and secular programming • Excellent administrative skills, including finance, scheduling, and licensing • Strong leadership and supervisory skills • Excellent verbal and written communications skills • Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree preferred

For consideration kindly email a cover letter and resume to:

dmorosohk@tbeonline.org

248-352-4656

Exp Caregiver avl 24/7.First 24 hours FREE.CPR Certified & Insured.11+ yrs exp.Amy 248277-5993.

Always Show’ guarantee.

Experienced, mature and caring individual available for hourly or live-in position.

Contact Amy 248-444-3353.

TRANSPORTATION Luxury Airport Transportation friendly-reliable Howard 248-345-8709 Reliable Driver-Best Rates Airport, appts., errands.

Call David 248-690-6090 AIRPORT CHERI 15 yrs of exc service, to and from all airports 248.242.2426 NORMAN. 1 Airport or other transportation. Reliable. 248737-8847, 248-408-7660.

A1A DRIVER for Drs appts,shopping, errands,airports and more.

Renee (248) 991-4944 Friendly Transportation Dr’s,Airports, Shopping, Wheelchair access. Etc.Call Denise 248-890-9908/248991-0108.

SERVICES AAA Cleaning Service.15 yrs. in business.Natalie 248-8540775 PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Cleaning 911 European Cleaning Service. It's in your town. We can clean your home or office to perfection! Call 248.802.6947

HOME/ LAWN SERVICES SDM PAINTING, LLC 734-686-0737-Interior Painting -Home improvement -Installation Assembly -Free Estimates STUDENTS Exp. math teacher available for tutoring. All levels, elementarycollege.248-219-3180 AUTOS- DOMESTIC/ IMPORTS CASH FOR VEHICLES any make or model Call Barry 248-865-2886 SITUATIONS WANTED Male Caregiver CNA Certified. PT weekends.

Call Ram 248.662.8714

FRESH

Daily Headlines Delivered to Your Inbox. thejewishnews.com/newsletter

Caregiver seeking live in position for elderly care. 15 yrs. exp. Call Melinda 248550-5637 Transportation to appts/ shopping.Companionship & caregiving also available.Call Carol 248.355.4875 Jewish woman available for companionship, caregiving and driving. Call Lorraine 248-891-8174 Exceptional Caregiver.

Excellent references. Over 20 years experience. Latrice (313)739-8267.

Choose Exceptional Care For Your Loved Ones Compassionate Caregivers W/ 27 Yr Exp W/ Stroke, Dimentia, Altzheimers,Hospice Care & More. Offering Respite Care, Help w/ Joint Replacement, Personal Hygeine, Housekpng, Appts/Errands. Semi-Live In, On Call 24hrs. Alicia 248-850-6807

CHILD CARE Experienced European Baby Sitter Available 7 Days a Week.

Call Gordana 586.489.9905 MISCELLANEOUS 1 Plot near front for sale at Adat Shalom. $1175 Call Alan 248.808.0738 AFFORDABLE CAREGIVER part/full-time 24hrs of loving care Exc ref.248-890-9908 or 259-5888 Experienced RN, bilingual (French and English) compassionate, patient & kind will care for your loved one.

Seeking live in position. Anne Marie 734.340.7095

FEBRUARY 6  2020

| 53

Soul

of blessed memory

Celebrated Artist Gone Too Soon RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

54 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

heartbeat,” said his mother, Jane.

His father remembers fun-filled excursions to flea markets, sports card, toy and comic book shows, and Tiger games. Cherished family vacations included visiting national parks, touring Thailand and Spain, and watching the Tigers’ spring training in Jason Polan Lakeland, Fla. “He took his pad and Uni-ball pen everywhere he went and drew and drew and drew,” Jesse said.

Jason attended the University of Michigan, where he received two bachelor’s degrees, in anthropology and art and design. During his student years, he left his mark in various places throughout Ann Arbor, most notably in an alley off Maynard Street on the back wall of the former Borders bookstore. There, he and Brege painted a mural featuring gigantic black ants against a contrasting white background, which still evokes smiles from passersby.

“When it came to seeing the fun in life, Jason was a master. He was a disciple of fun,” Brege said.

After college, Jason traveled to the Northwest and Alaska as a volunteer for COURTESY OF THE POLAN FAMILY

B

y the time he started college, Jason Daniel Polan knew he would become a successful artist.

At 37, the Michigan native was a valued and prolific contributor to the New York art scene with drawings in the New Yorker, the New York Times and on the cover of a Spider-Man comic book.

As an artist, son, brother, uncle and fiercely loyal friend, he touched numerous lives all over the world.

Jason, who lived in New York City, died of colon cancer on Jan. 27, 2020, surrounded by those he loved most.

In addition to his exceptional artistic talent, his greatest qualities were his sense of humor, dedication to hard work and a passionate commitment to be a nice person.

According to his father, Jesse Polan, his goal was to make people happy through his art and through everyday interactions with friends, colleagues and strangers.

“Every encounter was an opportunity to brighten someone’s day,” said longtime friend and former University of Michigan classmate Jake Brege, who spoke at the funeral service.

Jason was born in Ann Arbor and grew up in Franklin, where he graduated from Groves High School. His innate aptitude and love for drawing began at a young age and continued to grow.

“His drawing was as much a part of him as his

Artrain, a nonprofit organization that brings art to under-resourced communities. Once in New York, his career flourished, largely due to his unique ability to take ordinary people and objects and turn them into something special and relatable. His drawings of items in the Museum of Modern Art culminated in The Every Piece of Art in the Museum of Modern Art Book, sold in the museum gift shop. His drawings were featured on clothing by Nike, Levi’s, Soludos, Kate Spade, UNIQLO and many others, in addition to galleries, newspapers, magazines, books and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Despite his success, spending time with family and friends remained a priority.

Creating a birth announcement or an invitation to a child’s birthday party meant as much to him as any large commercial project.

He founded the “Taco Bell Drawing Club,” which started with a weekly gathering of artists at a Manhattan Taco Bell and expanded to locations all over the country.

“He found meaning and connection in the flotsam of daily life,” said close friend Peter Meehan, speaking at the funeral service. “As

a friend, he was loyal and present, and he would show up for you regardless of the ask.”

In 2008, Jason embarked on a mission to draw everyone in New York. The result was the 2015 book Every Person in New York, which depicted 30,000 people in a diversity of places and situations — subway stations, city streets, restaurants and park benches. He continued the project as a blog, which he kept up until weeks before his death, never losing his spirit or his sense of humor.

“That was his gift in life and in art — a keen eye and a relentless drive to make your day a little better, with discipline and dedication and humble curiosity,” Brege said.

Jason is survived by his parents, Jesse and Jane Polan; sister, Jamie (Kyle) MacDonald and nephew Jacob MacDonald. He was the brother of the late Jennifer Polan and the grandson of the late Florence and the late Bernard Polan, and the late Saul J. and the late Renee G. Turell.

Interment was at Franklin Cemetery. In lieu of a donation, the Polans ask those who wish to honor Jason’s memory to consult their doctors about colon cancer screening for themselves and their family members.

Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman Chapel.

ROBERT BIEDERMAN, 73, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 24, 2020.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Carmen Biederman; daughter and son-in-law, Debbie and Dr. Albert Klemptner; grandchildren, Ryan and Emily Klemptner; brother, Dr. Jason Biederman; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Fred and Lea Arredondo; nephews and nieces, Charles Biederman, Chris Arredondo, Jayme Arredondo, and Manina and Kao Phan.

Mr. Biederman was cherished father of the late David Aaron Biederman; the devoted son of the late William and the late Edna Biederman; the loving son-in-law of the late Ralph and the late Peggy Arredondo; the dear brother-in-law of the late Bryna Biederman.

Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Yad Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072, yadezra.org; or to a charity of one’s choice.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

CONSTANCE “CONNIE” BORKIN, 86, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 26, 2020.

She is survived by her daughter and son-inlaw, Gail Borkin-Jones and Daniel Jones; son, Michael Borkin; brother and sisterin-law, Dr. Harvey and Lois Hershey; sister, Dr. Barbara Hershey Handler; grandchildren, Robert Jones, Sydney Jones and Kendall Jones; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

Mrs. Borkin was the beloved wife of the late Morris Borkin; the sister-in-law of the late Dr. Leonard Handler.

Interment took place at

Fred Silverman, TV Executive, Dies at 82

J

ewish entertainment mogul Fred Silverman, who led CBS, ABC and NBC at different times in his 30-year career, died Jan. 23, 2020. He was 82.

As ABC’s entertainment chief, Silverman had turned the network’s fortunes around with shows including Roots, Rich Man, Poor Man and Charlie’s Angels.

Raised in New York, Silverman was the son of a Jewish father and Roman Catholic mother.

He graduated from Syracuse University in 1958 and received a master’s degree in television and theater arts from Ohio State University a year later, writing his thesis on programming practices at ABC. He worked at TV stations in Chicago and New York before joining CBS in 1963.

He became vice president for programming at CBS in 1970, building a schedule that eventually included All in the Family, M-A-S-H, Kojak and The Waltons.

He also became adept at the spin-off at CBS: Maude and The Jeffersons were spun off from All in the Family.

Good Times was spun off from Maude, and Rhoda was spun off from The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

As ABC Entertainment president in the mid-1970s, Silverman introduced the Happy Days spin-off Laverne & Shirley and the Six Million Dollar Man spinoff The Bionic Woman. His original hits ranged from the groundbreaking miniseries Roots to Charlie’s Angels.

WIKIMEDIA

HOWARD B. ABRAMS, 79, a longtime resident of Huntington Woods, passed away Jan. 27, 2020.

Howard was born April 26, 1940, in Chicago to Hyman and Fay Abrams. While he grew up in Chicago, his love for Michigan was solidified when he became a student at the University of Michigan in 1959.

After his undergraduate studies, Howard attended University of Chicago Law School. He began his career as an assistant public defender in Cook County, Ill., but eventually transitioned to a lifetime career as a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. As a world-renowned copyright and entertainment law expert, he was passionate about educating, not just his students, but also local musicians. He helped many build successful careers. His loss will be felt strongly throughout the legal community, the Detroit music scene and by his many friends and family members around the world.

Howard is survived by his beloved wife, Nina Abrams; his sister, Sharon (John Lewis) Abrams; and brother, Robert (Helene) Abrams. He is also survived by in-laws, Roberta (Fred Fechheimer) Patt, Susan (Richard) Roth; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Contributions in loving memory of Howard can be made to the following: Access to Justice Fund, Access to Justice Campaign, Michigan State Bar Foundation, 306 Townsend St., Lansing, MI 48933-2012; Copyright Society of the USA, 1 E. 53rd St., Floor 8, New York, NY 10022; or to Temple Emanu-El, 14450 W. 10 Mile Road, Oak Park, MI 48237.

Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

Fred Silverman

He gave the green light to shows like The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Three’s Company. He also launched such differing shows as Good Morning America and Soap, which featured one of the first openly gay characters on a scripted network show.

Thanks to his success at picking popular shows, Silverman was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1977 as “TV’s Master Showman.”

Silverman was less successful at NBC in the late 1970s. There, he had a mix of flops (Pink Lady, Hello, Larry) and successes (Hill Street Blues and The Facts of Life).

After being dismissed from NBC in 1981 with 18 months left on his contract, Silverman formed his own company whose productions and co-productions included the Perry Mason TV movies, Matlock and Diagnosis: Murder.

Compiled from wire service reports.

continued on page 56 FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 55

Soul

Orchestra, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48201-2444, dso.org/donate; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements

by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

of blessed memory continued from page 55

Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the Comfort Salon Foundation.

Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

GERALD BRIGHT, 96, of Beverly Hills, died Jan. 25, 2020.

During his career, Mr. Bright served as general counsel and secretary of Masco Corporation.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Marcy Bright; sons and daughter-in-law, Russell Bright, Ethan Bright and Susan Guindi; grandchildren, Samuel J. Bright, Graeham Guindi-Bright, Caleb GuindiBright, Jeremy Guindi-Bright and Elena Guindi-Bright; sisters-in-law and brother-inlaw, Carol Bright, Elaine and Lee Friedell.

Mr. Bright was the loving brother of the late Ernie Bright; the devoted son of the late Jessie and the late Harry Bright.

Contributions may be made to University of Michigan Law School, 721 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104, giving.law. umich.edu; Detroit Symphony

DOLORES DISNER, 94, of Southfield, died Jan. 26, 2020.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan Disner; grandson, Bradley Semma and his partner, Dawn Newell; sister-in-law, Sondra Nathan; many loving nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Disner was the beloved wife of the late Arthur Disner; the cherished mother of the late Ronald Disner; the loving sister of the late Benny Nathan and the late Madeleine Berman.

Interment was at Oakview Cemetery. Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI 48076, cancer.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

JUDITH ANN ERLICH, 84, of Madison Hts., died Jan. 29, 2020.

She is survived by her son, Les Erlich; daughters and sonin-law, Lisa Bowie, Howard and Kathy Erlich; grandchildren, Jessie Schneider, Brandon Bowie and Nick Erlich; great-grandchildren, Mikey, Gianna and Sonny; many other loving family members and friends.

Mrs. Erlich was the beloved wife of the late Sydney Erlich; the sister of the late Mary Lou Dodge.

Interment took place at B’nai Israel Memorial Gardens in Novi. Contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Michigan Humane Society.

Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

LAURIE GRAFF FIGG, 92, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 23, 2020.

She is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey I. Graff, and David B. and Carol Graff; daughter and son-inlaw, Carol Graff Segel and Mark Segel; grandchildren, Jason J. Graff, Alec Stuart Segel and Blake M. Segel; great-grandchildren, Riley and Brady Graff. She is also survived by Carol Graff ’s children, Dawn and Robert Murillo and their four children; Sterling and Jen Donally and their two children.

Mrs. Figg was the beloved wife of the late Stuart A. Graff and the late Chester F. Figg; dear mother-in-law of the late Karen Graff; the loving sister of the late Morton (the late Dorothy) Knopper, and the late Daniel (the late Sonia and the late Judy) Knopper; the devoted daughter of the late

Newman Harry Knopper and the late Minnie Knopper.

Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice.org; or Michigan Humane Society, 30300 Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, michiganhumane.org/ tributes. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

JOAN FREEMAN, 82, former Detroiter of West Hills, Calif., died Dec. 8, 2019.

She was a longtime activist and volunteer with the Valley Village Organization for the Developmentally Disabled.

She is survived by her son, Eddie Freeman; brother Jules Rosenthal; numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

Mrs. Freeman was the devoted wife of the late Joseph Freeman; daughter of the late Rose Rosenthal Benesh and Louis Rosenthal; daughterin-law of the late Miriam and the late Eli Freeman; sister of the late Frank Rosenthal; sister-in-law of the late Eileen Rosenthal, the late Dorothy Rosenthal, the late Shirley Steinhardt, the late Adell White, the late Al Steinhardt and the late Stanley White.

Interment was at Eden

IN MEMORIAM

The sooner you call, the more we can help.

Zachor

Regine Rosenbaum July 29, 1933 - - December 29, 2019 Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother A Woman of Valor Holocaust Survivor

56 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

Husband: Manuel Children: Michael/Janet, Harold, Andrew/Sue Grandchildren: Sarah, Joseph

Our State. Our Town.

Our Hospice.

888-247-5701 www.hom.org Caring for Detroit's Jewish community since 1980

PROUD TO PARTNER WITH THE JEWISH HOSPICE & CHAPLAINCY NETWORK

Memorial Park, Mission Hills, Calif. Contributions may be made to Valley Village, 20836 Sherman Way, Winnetka, CA 91306, valleyvillage.org; or to a charity of one’s choice.

ROGER HONET, 56, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 24, 2020.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Lauren Honet; daughters, Emily Honet, Allison Honet and Annabelle Honet; son, Daniel Honet; mother, Diana Honet; brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Linda Honet; sister and brother-in-law, Jenny and Steve Wiener; brother-in-law, Eric Silberg; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

Mr. Honet was the son of the late Joseph Honet; brother-in-law of the late Leslye Indenbaum and the late Stacey Feig Jacobson.

Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to a charity of one’s choice.

Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

LOUIS LANDGARTEN, 97, of Commerce Township, died Jan. 24, 2020.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Shelley and Ed Kohl of West Bloomfield; son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Carol Moses Landgarten of California; grandchildren, Barbara (Jim) Sugarman, Jodi Niskar, Jeffrey (Juli) Bennett; great-grandchildren, Leah, Aaron, Gabe, Aidan, Noah, Chloe, Cate and Olivia.

Mr. Landgarten was the beloved husband of the late Hilda Kay Landgarten; dear

A funeral isn’t an ordinary circumstance.

That’s why we have an extraordinary website.

t Preplanning t Grief Resources t Send Condolences t Chapel Tour t Much More

Familiarize yourself with all of our offerings from the comfort of your home computer. Explore our website today. Get to know our extraordinary facilities, staff and our preplanning selections.

Whether you simply need directions or want to send condolences to someone suffering a loss, everything you need is in one easy-to-use location.

www.thedorfmanchapel.com

www.thedorfmanchapel.com 30440 Twelve Mile Road Farmington Hills t MI 48334

(248) 406-6000 TOLL FREE 1-866-406-6003 Licensed Funeral Directors: Alan Dorfman, Jonathan Dorfman

continued on page 58 FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 57

Nibbles

Nuts

$30 AND UP

Same Day Local Delivery Nation Wide Delivery

248.737.8088 NIBBLESandNUTS.com Come Visit Our Store at 32550 Northwestern Hwy., Farmington Hills

Monument Center Inc.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Same Location Over 80 Yearsâ&#x20AC;?

Monuments and Markers Bronze Markers Memorial Duplicating Cemetery Lettering & Cleaning

www.MonumentCenterMichigan.com

Some days seem to last foreverâ&#x20AC;Ś

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re offering one that actually will.

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

During the coming week, Kaddish will be said for these departed souls during the daily minyan at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. Your support of the Torah learning of our children and our Kollelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Torah Scholars brings immeasurable heavenly merit. Please call us at 248-557-6750 for more information.

Agi Alpert Max Barth Esther Waldman Ellis Lori Epstein Fannie Faber Morris Goodman Fae Hellen Bessie Holtzman Shlomo Karbal Meyer Minkin Harry Schneider Charles Weiss Elias Milton Weiss William Wilner 15 Shevat Feb. 10, 2020

Bernard Amhowitz Edwin Block Stepha Pitt Molly Plotkin Harold Wade Lila Wagmann 16 Shevat Feb. 11, 2020

Moshe Goldfarb Morris Kallush Esther Lisabeth Milton Mermell Bella Schulman

Nathan Stahl Fannie Zalenko Weinerman Sam Zingeser 17 Shevat Feb. 12, 2020

Samuel Sherman Milton M Shiffman Fannie Smith Bella Band

Craig Evan Blecher Rose Burstein Solomon Cohen Sylvia Coleman Nathan Fine Noach Mendel Gamze Joel Goodman Yossel Halpert Philip Helfman Fannie Ruth Kreitman Lillian Lux David H. Lynn Ben Stein Mina Wolman

19 Shevat Feb. 14, 2020

6KHYDW )HE

20 Shevat Feb. 15, 2020

Rachel Berkowitz Herbert B. Bunin Israel Glicklin Morris Goldberg Leo Kaufman Molly Kobrin Arthur E. Plotnick Frank Sears Morris Sherman

George X. Cobitz Dora P Corman Jennie Eisenshtadt Paul Fenton William Greenstein Esther Hecker David Kaufman Jacob Levin Sadie Lichtenberg Getta Malach Morie Nelson Rose Langwald Tomarin Rose Anna (Matz) Zeifman Charles Drescher Becky Efros Morris Franovitz Max Friedman Sandra Karmazin Ann Magid Sarah Revzin Max C. Shiovitz Harry Sklar

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

58 |

of blessed memory continued from page 57

CUSTOM PREMADE TRAYS

14 Shevat Feb. 9, 2020

Soul

FEBRUARY 6 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020

brother and brother-in-law of the late Nathan and the late Helen, the late Max, the late Ann, the late Sylvia and the late Martin, the late Marian and the late Howard, the late Rose.

Contributions may be made to a charity of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice. Interment was held at Beth Abraham Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

MAXWELL LAPIDES, 92, died peacefully in his home on Jan. 23, 2020.

Born and raised in Detroit, Max had deep roots in the community. He graduated from Cranbrook in 1946 and then attended the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in business.

He also graduated from the Laundry Institute of America and applied his learning to the family laundry business. Most of Maxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional life was spent in the debt collection industry, where he served as executive vice president for two major agencies.

In retirement, Max was adored as a substitute teacher by West Bloomfield High School students and staff.

He also spent many hours as a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and with the NCJW Literacy Outreach program.

He was also vice president of a local chapter of SCORE, where he counseled small business owners.

He maintained close friendships and was a proud member of the Romeos lunch group, which gathered every week for more than 20 years. Max

golfed regularly, traveled often with his beloved wife and was very active in the Jewish community, attending classes and cultural events on a regular basis.

Max and the Detroit Tigers were practically synonymous.

By the age of 6, he was attending most Tigers games with his father, which began his lifelong love of the team. He met Hank Greenberg when Max was just a young boy and shared endless stories about his experiences. Although work took the family to Chicago for 22 years, he never missed seeing his beloved Tigers when they played the White Sox or Milwaukee Brewers. His love of the Tigers was so great that he often arranged business trips around their away schedule and brought clients to the games.

With extensive knowledge of and longtime dedication to the team, Max was often a trusted source in the media. His story was told in a 1973 New Yorker piece titled, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Three for the Tigers,â&#x20AC;? written by Roger Angel (the other two of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Threeâ&#x20AC;? were Bert Gordon and Don Shapiro). He also played a significant role in the 1998 feature documentary film The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg. His memories were incorporated in a book published in 2013 titled Hank Greenberg: The Hero of Heroes.

Locally his stories are told in the Matthews sports exhibit â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jewish Heroes and Other Legendsâ&#x20AC;? at the Jewish community Center.

Max was president and co-founder (with Joe Falls) of the Eddie Lake Society, a group of local fans who gathered once a month to

talk all things Tigers. He also discussed baseball on air as the host of his own radio program and served as a panelist for the Jewish Historical Society in the 2016 program, Old Jews Talking Baseball. He was a close friend of Ernie Harwell.

While Max will be greatly remembered for his love of the Tigers, he was also a man of incredibly quick wit, an ardent supporter of Israel, a compassionate family member and a trusted friend who could always be counted on to do the right thing.

Mr. Lapides is survived by Sissi, his loving wife of 62 years.

He was a wonderful father to Leah and Laura (Denise); kind grandfather to Jesica; proud great-grandfather to Thomas.

His family is grateful to Mo, Breonia, Teri, Vanessa and Tonya, who cared for Max with great compassion.

He was preceded in death

by his sister, Helene Hyman (Charles).

Interment was held at Clover Hill Park Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to the Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or Hospice of Michigan, 989 Spaulding SE, Ada, MI 49301. Arrangements

by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

SYLVIA MAISELOFF, 102, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 28, 2020.

She is survived by her daughter, Debra Levey; son and daughter-in-law, David and Ellen Maiseloff; son-in-law, Ronald Klein; grandchildren, Dr. Daniel and Jessica Klein, Lisa and Ken Feinstein, Rebecca Levey and Corey Podolsky, Jessie P. Levey and Josh Strauss,

Jennifer Maiseloff, Stephen Maiseloff, and Alyssa and Sam Yashinsky; great-grandchildren, Andrew and Abigail Klein, Maddie, Olivia and Emily Feinstein, Isabel and Sophia Podolsky, Silan Strauss and Rubin Yashinsky.

Mrs. Maiseloff was the beloved wife of the late Philip Maiseloff; the cherished mother of the late Judie Maiseloff Klein; the loving sister of the late Sara Barris.

Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Meals on Wheels, NCJW, 26400 Lahser Road, Suite 306, Southfield, MI 48033, ncjwgds.org; Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice.org; or Send a Kid to Tamarack, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 301, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, tamarackcamps.com/giving/

send-a-kid-to-tamarack.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

BETTY SHEAR, 95, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 28, 2020.

As one of the original Rosie the Riveters, who built parts for planes that her husband-tobe flew as a decorated pilot in WWII, Betty spent her life dedicated to educating herself and others.

She earned her bachelor’s in education and her master’s in library science, both from Wayne State University; she then taught elementary in the Oak Park school system for 35 years.

Mrs. Shear was a lover of books, art, custom-made blown glass and continuing education. She spent winters on Maui. continued on page 60

WE ARE THE COMMUNITY FUNERAL HOME We combine tradition and personal service in a modern world

ENTERING OUR SECOND CENTURY OF CARING AND RESPECTFUL SERVICE HebrewMemorial.org | 248.543.1622 | 800.736.5033 | 26640 Greenfield Rd, Oak Park, MI 48237

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

| 59

Soul

of blessed memory continued from page 59

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Diana and Richard Tolin; son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Linda Shear; grandchildren, Maximillian (Alyssa) Shear, Peter (Katherine) Shear, Sophia Orbach and Rachel Orbach; great-grandchildren, Clara and Lincoln; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

Mrs. Shear was the beloved wife of the late Meyer “Mike” Shear.

Interment took place at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly.

Contributions may be made to SOAR, the Society of Active Retirees. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

60 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

DOROTHY SHERMAN, 97, of Southfield, died Jan. 29, 2020.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Gary Sherman and Marlene Lafer; daughters, Loraine Raymer and Janice List; grandchildren, Jackson Sherman, Daniel Malach and Jaclyn Malach; many other loving family members and friends.

Mrs. Sherman was the beloved wife of the late Reuben Sherman; the mother of the late Mitchell Sherman; the mother-in-law of the late Gene Raymer and the late Larry List.

Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in

Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or to the National Parkinson Foundation. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

JEROME “JERRY” SOLOMON, 68, of West Bloomfield, died Jan. 24, 2020.

He is survived by his wife, Julie Solomon; sons and daughter-in-law, Daniel Barry and Biana Solomon of Brooklyn, N. Y., David Elliot Solomon of West Bloomfield; daughter and son-in-law, Deborah and Joshua Newhouse of Tampa, Fla.; brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Susan Solomon of Mercer Island, Wash.; sister

and brother-in-law, Carol and Allan Weiss of Farmington Hills; grandchildren, Brodie, Ariel, Kara and Meira.

Contributions may be made to Kollel Institute, 15230 W. Lincoln, Oak Park, MI 48237; Frankel Jewish Academy, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or JARC, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. Interment was held at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

CORRECTION The obituary for Susan Averbuch (Jan. 9) should have indicated that she was the cherished sister of the late Steven (Maralyn) Averbuch.

Raskin

5th Year for 5th Tavern Standout menu continues to bring back customers.

T

he recently passed 5th anniversary of the 5th Tavern restaurant marked one of the biggest dreams an eatery can attain.

The beginning of 2020 tells the owners and employees what is thrillingly in store for them in the new year.

It helps to Danny Raskin have so many Senior Columnist customers who love it with extreme passion.

Operated by partners Jerry and Louis Sanchez â&#x20AC;Ś and largest in the small chain owned by George Lukaj, 5th

Jerry and Louis Sanchez

FOOD PHOTOS VIA 5TH TAVERN FACEBOOK

the best of everything

Tavern has presented them with diners continuously crowding the eatery from wall to wall with come-back regularity.

Of course, being across the street from Costco on Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, and the huge shopping mall next to it may have something to do with the crowds, but dining at 5th Tavern itself has much to do with the reason â&#x20AC;Ś Case in point, a former restaurant at the very same location had to close.

Another reason could be the relaxation that comes with such dining spaciousness â&#x20AC;Ś and the seemingly constant additions of wanted items to its menu that already has new selections like American Kobe Burgers made with Wagyu meat chargrilled on a brioche bun, black bean chipotle veggie burger, zip burger with Havarti cheese, quinoa and kale salad, also with apples, mandarin oranges, grapes, chickpeas, sunflower seeds,

scallions and feta, with or without chicken â&#x20AC;Ś Tuna tartar, chicken marsala, mango mahi, 20-oz. bone-in ribeye with caramelized onions and mushrooms, steak au poivre and others â&#x20AC;Ś Eight steaks and chops that include chef â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vegetable and choice of potato, eight sea farinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dishes with potato or rice and vegetable, 12 entrees with soup or salad, etc. â&#x20AC;Ś The stone-cooking sensation by the customer is still a much-wanted choice.

Seating is for 360 indoors with 10 surrounding television sets â&#x20AC;Ś another 120 people fit in the banquet room â&#x20AC;Ś Seven-day hours are Monday-Thursday, 11-11, Friday, 11-midnight, Saturday, 10-midnight and Sunday, 10-10 â&#x20AC;Ś Its sumptuous brunch is two days, Saturday, 10-2 and Sunday, 10-3.

The front doors at 5th Tavern are opening and closing many times more than ever before â&#x20AC;Ś Going into its sixth year, the odds are that future will surpass even the

record amount it is having these days.

OLDIE BUT GOODIE â&#x20AC;Ś Two Jewish women were speaking about their sons, each of whom was in the state prison.

The first woman says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oy, my son has it so hard. He is locked away in maximum security. He never even speaks to anyone or sees the light of day. He has no exercise, and he lives a horrible life.â&#x20AC;?

The second lady says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, my son is in minimum security. He exercises every day. He spends time in the prison library, takes some classes and writes home each week.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Oy,â&#x20AC;? says the first woman. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You must get such wonderful nachas (pleasure) from your son.â&#x20AC;?

CONGRATS â&#x20AC;Ś To Jeff Sharpe on his birthday â&#x20AC;Ś To Selma Steinhardt on her 40th birthday.

Email dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;For 40 years, Gallery Restaurant has served up masterpiecesâ&#x20AC;? ~ Danny Raskin Please see our menu at

www.johnnypomodoros.com

32906 Middlebelt Rd (at 14 Mile)

(248) 855- 0007

Johnny Pomodoroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is your ONE STOP SHOP for all of your needs!

Shiva Trays, Deli Nosh Dairy and Deli Trays, Martyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cookie Trays, Johnnyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Signature Fruit & Veggie Trays

Delivery Available CALL JOHNNYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOR TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL SHIVA TRAYS.

DAIRY TRAY

MEAT TRAY

FRUIT TRAY

CANDY & NUT TRAY

MARTY'S COOKIES

THE GALLERY RESTAURANT Senior Citizen Appreciation Mondays!

All Senior Citizens get 10% of their check after 3:00 PM on Mondays!

(Beverages not included). Just mention Jewish News Coupon.

Now Serving Beer & Wine

OPEN 7 DAYS: .0/ 4"5 B N Q N 46/ B N Q N

#MPPNGJFME 1MB[B t 5FMFHSBQI 3PBE BOE .BQMF t www.galleryrestaurant2.com FEBRUARY 6 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020

| 61

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

detroit s pan sh 98 9 8

ssttil tilill ti illll

Ben Shiffman, Michigan’s Oldest Spanish-American War Veteran

s

hav h ha avin a av ving vviin iing ng ng

ilil w wa war vet vete vve ar p ete e eter pass pa tter tera te a as asse eran e era sse ss sssed ra rran sse sed a ed a ed awa aw way wa w ayy n a ame me mer me eric er ric rican rica iicca an n

vete ve vveter eteran etera ete tte eran eran ra an ans nss n

ame am a me mer m errica e eric rriic iica ican alth alt a can cca ltho ltthou a an war tho hou h oug ough ou wa ug a arr gh h nw ha has h ass a

allssso also o re rrece ecen e eccent ccen ce e en

ntt n thinn thin th h hin hi det d de detr inned inn inne in etttrrroit etro e the th her her he here ne ne erre ro ed oi o oit d in je je e sti ews it jew it in sstil still w wss tthere ttill tiilillll are arre ar e

part par p ar a art rrtt d du duri urin u rriin ing ng ng

dav davi d avid a vid vi vid

ca ccalif alifo alif alifor al llif ifo iifor forn ffo orn orrni o rrnia rn nia n niiia

a

wa war w a ar

a fe fe few ew w

r brrow br brow ro ow o wn w n mu mu muc uch ch ch

we we in in ssink si inki iin main m ma nk nkin n aine aiine kiiing kin k in n ne in ffol fo n ng e o oll g am a ame mer me m meri in in erica e rica rrican iica ic ccan ca an b an battl attle a at harb ha h ttttlesh ttles tle arb arbo a les eshi e esh rbo rrbor rb ca ccalls bo ship ssh alls alllllls a hip hip orr the ip llss for there there ffo he o orr ere re

se sserv erv erve e rv rved rve vve ed e dw with wit iittth ith h

wa wa wave wav avvve e

detr d det de etro etr e et ttroit o oiiit 28 rroit 28

w

two ttw wo wo

firs first irrst rsst joini oin oi oinin inin iin ning nin n iing ng ng fi 189 1 18 1898 898 8 89 98 9 8 on on swo sw wo w worn o n in com co com omp o mpa m in into pa pany p nttto nto a any an regim regim reg re ny ny rrn o eg e gim gime g iimen me m ent e en n ntt on 32 32nd 32 2nd nd on

u

ccom

omp om omp mpa m pan pa pany any an ny dres d dr re rress essss for es for fo or a

g

rem rem re em eme mem me em e emb mb m mbr bran bra br brra ran ranc anc an a ance nc nce ncce e

joi join jo jjoini oinin oin oi o inin iin nin n ning ing ng als also a lsso lso ls o iin n fir first firs fi iirst rrst sstt same sam sa am me rregi egim eg egime e re gim gi g iimen m me men serve sse errved erv erve e en ent rve ved ved ve nt nt ed iin n a a sselli se elli ellin ellling e lllillin later la later ling attter a ate iing ng n te er was er g wa w de detr de as as etro etr et tro ttroit tr rro oit oit mo m mon it ont on o nt nt ma marr ma mar m arrie arr rried rried rrie ary ary rot rro roth ry ied ie ied oth o ot oths ed a tthsc th hsc hsch hs h schi ssch sccch chi child hild hiilild h ld navy n nav na avy a vy vy with wiiith w wit bro b brow sserv ser serve ittth e erve errv rro rown row h a de o ow own rrved vved ve wn w ed in n sa detr sai s said in etro etr e et aid a troi ttroit trroi rro id i d oit oit it mes mes essr e ess sssr ss ssrs srs ssr rs pass pa p asse a as ssse ssed sse sed ed e d aw awa a wa w way ayy a h have hav ha ffor fo ave a orr q o quit quite qu ve v uite u e ite it i tte e at at has ha h a ass vet vete vve ettera eter et pati pa p a patie te atien a e errans eran tie tien tti ien iie ran ra ent ent ans a nt ns ns la late la lates ate at ates tes cal cca es alif al ali a lif lilif if bbraw n bra raw rra aw a wn wn iin in in batc batc ba atch at a tcch ttch kn kn know now no own ow o wn w jjew je n wa w was a ass

ewi ew e wis wish w iish is ssh h

have hav h avvve ave a e

red rre e ed d

th tther he h e er

e em m

rthe rthel rthele rt rth tthel th hele h heles ele e eless le less e es ess ssss

de detr det etro ttroit tr

wa w war arr u a

c

efft eft e ft

62 |

FEBRUARY 6 • 2020

i

get gets ge g ets e ttss

in in ve vete etttera ete ter te er era eran ra ra an ns

pvt p pv vt vt

ph p phil hiilip hilip h iilliliip p

drr d

irro iro ir iron ron youn you yyo ou oung ou un n ng g on grat g rate rra rat a ate at te te

longe llon lo ong on onge o nged ng n ge g ged e ed d

f.& ff.&a .&a .& &a & a.m a .m in .m in

was wa as awa aw war wa arrrd ard a d

sse serv erv ervic er e rvice rrv vic viic ice cce e wa w was a ass a

vve vete etter e eter ttera eran e ra rrans ran an a n nss he h e has ha h ass a

perfe per pe p erfec er erfec rfect rfectio ffe e ectio ecti cction ct ctio ttion tio ion io ion on he w he will wi iilll

fo for fo orr brow bro 19 1 956 9 rro own ow o 56 5 ion io 6 wn wn inn 1956 on otice ot otice ttiic ice ices biiir birth wiiill will ess b irth irthd rrthd rttthd rth illlll hda hd h da day d late la later ay ay w atter a ater ma m man an a n s sti still st ttill iilllll cros cross ro osssing ssin sss ssi sing sin ssi ing in grea gre gr g ng on ill on rre g ea e a att ffr frien rriiie rie rien iend end e nd dss jewi jje ew ewi e ewis he h wish wiiish wis w e issh sh w a wa de d detr arr ve a etro e etr ttro vete vete rro roit etter e etera o oi oit tte du duri it i du e era eran urin urrring ra rans rran ans ns jew jje in iing ng n ews ew e g ws ws in ea ear earl e in arly a rlly rrly ly

ap a pa pa an ne nes e ese sse e

the Temple Beth El archives.

According to a report in the ue of the March 17, 1967, issue ne of the JN, Shiffman was one last “Hebrew Veterans of the War with Spain.” The same d article also noted that he and his wife, another immigrant ng from Austria, were celebrating ary their 60th wedding anniversary ans (although Ben or the Shiffmans are cited on 77 pages in the o on n Mrss Archive, I could not find Mrs. Shiffman’s first name).

The Shiffmans moved to Ionia, Mich., from San Francisco, and then to Detroit, where Ben owned several Super Auto Service gas stations. He was a longn time member of Detroit Jewish War Veterans Post 135. Moreover, mentshes that they were, the Shiffmans spent a lot of time taking wounded vets to dinners and ballgames.

Ben died in 1969, be emem Michigan’s oldest veteran of w the Spanish American War. I really appreciate Douglas Shiffman leading me to thiss great story. up u p

shiff sh shif hif h hiffm iffm if iiff fffffma ffm fm mar arri

rretir re etire e et ttirem tire iirrrem ire irem eme em emen m me e en ent n ntt allt alt altho a lthou lthou th th houg see see se oug ou ugh ugh gh h he says sa e ssay ayyyss a organ orga or eac e ea each rrg ach ac a gan g ch ch aniz an ani a niza nizati iizat iz zzatio ati attio a ttion ti no n notic

m ma

arcu arc a rrc rcu cu us fe feat fe eat eatu atture at atur urrre ure u e s je jew ew a je w

a ccit ciitiz it iti ttiize tiz iizze zen en

atten at a atte tten ttt ttend ten tte en e nd n d ser se serv erv ervic rvvice rrvice vices vvi iices ice cess on ce in cconf in co onf o onfo on nfo nfor n nf on fform o orm e or

rrm rmit mit mi mit mity a ttra iity tyy w trad radi rad ra adi adit a ditio dit dit an ank a wiith with wit ition tio tion tiio nko nk n on ko k o fi fi itio j it

20th 2 20 0tth 0t 0th h

sab sabb ssa abb a ab bba b bb bat ba b ath atth th je e a

tur turn tur tu urn urn

the tthey th hey hey ey desir d des agai ag a e esire g gai ga gain sir ssi aiin ain ains a ir iire re fo re inst nssst desi n ffor orr inde o nd ndep n de dep depe d epe e inan iin na nan n pen pe p an any a en en ny t eve e ev even ve vven en e phil n hiilipp hilip ililip llipp ip iippi ipp ppin p pp p pino pin iin n inos inos in no n os os aga again ag a gains ga ains inst iins am nst ns mer m st s spa ame sp spai eric er e

u

pain pa pai p ric rrican riica rica iccan aiiin a ain an a n t,ech tt, n ,,ech echn ech ec e ch cchni hni hnic hnica hn nicall ni ic iica call cally cca all a allly ly tu tua ttuall tual ually ual ua u ally a p llly lyy was wa w as a sseeo se eeo e eo eon eond e on o n nd d ame am a me m mer er erica e eri rican rica rican ri iica can ca an war war wa ar accctio acti a actio ction cttio tio ti on n ame a am meric erri er eri erica rica rican in in cca an war war vete wa pvt pv pvt vtiica ve vvet ettera eter e te era eran er

ellm elm e lm mir mi ira irra a

kin ki k kind ind in ind nd

at at

age ag age ge

iill

m

rra ran rans a ans an ns ns

ag age a ge ge

21 in or 21 orrd orde ord ttra train raini ra rrain de de ainin in a

ini ini in ining ning ning in n ng g g co com com omp o mpa m mp pan pa p

a any an ny ny

wa wa was ass

m

t

A

ttrav tr rave rra avel ave avvve a velin elin eling eli lin lliiing ng n g

eav ea e eavi avin avi avin av ving vviin ing in ng g

prior prio rio rio iior or or

cclea llear ear e ea a arr

iin n

figh arou aro a iigh a fi ght gh g rroun ro rou oun o htt h un u nd n geor ge g eorg e eo orrge o rge rg ge d wo wor w or orld o orl rrlld gpan g gp ld pa p pani pan anis anish an a nish nis nish is issh h n ha harb na navy arbo arb avy a rrb vy vy in bo bo orr end endin en n ndi nd in man d din ding iing in ng n manill rrul rule g ulle u an a le nilla ni n illa ilill illla a le lleav how h ho o owe ow wev w weve we eve ever e ev ve vver er

g

wa was w a ass a fic ficer ffi ice iic icer ccer err e a sec sse ecc orga e organ rrg rga ga gani g fo for fo aniz a or niza ni nizati iza izati zzat ation atio ati attio a ttion tiio o on r ho hono h o on onor ono no nora n o orrary ora orar was was wa rra ar ary a as ryy depa de d epar e me mee m part p pa ee e eet art artm a gen fou ffo four e ett g our ou o rrtme rt rtm e en ttmen tm tme ur othe ur men men me nm en oth o ot ntt ther er mar ma arsh a ar in ad in esc esco e es rssh rsh rrsha sha sshal scor sc ssco add a hal h ccor co ort ddi d ddit al a allllll at rt hi ditio d iitt itio ition it at w hirn h tio ion io wor wo iirn ir on rrn n n o orrrk k

c

hav hav ha ave a ve ve inc nccl nclu n cclud lude lude lu ud u ded de ded ed l iinclu le lef left

up u p

cco o

wo wor wo orrld orld rlld ld cggrea marsh mar ma arrsha ssha sh hall alllll a rreat re rea ea rs ea t

ain a aiinin ilit ilitar ililit ilita in in litar litary niiing nin itta itar ta in arrryy iinsti ary ng at com co com om inst nstit nstitu at vir vir vi virg sstit st irg irgin rg rg tiit ttitu gini gi itute itu ttut tu tute inia iin ini ut u ute nia ni tte ia e

g

am mu ucch itttss 50 iits hm mo mor 50t 50th 5 0tth 0t 0th orre h e ffam fa a ami am mili miiliar m ilia ililia liar lia ia arr g geo ge e eo eorg eor o org orge rg rg rge ge e

mus m uste u st sstere ster ttere tered erre ered red e ed d

ro ro oite ite iittte err up iine up n iin n1 190 19 1901 901 9 90 0 01 1

du d duri urin u r

iing ng ng qu quic q uic u ui uick ickly ickly ic kl kllyy

on pu pue puer p u uert erto e rrtto to on rico rric i ico

e

he jo he joine oine o ine ined in ne ed d in a me men m i ent enth e en nth n nttthe th h he e

esspec espe e ssp pecia pec p ecia ecial e cially ci ccia ciall cial iia ial a allly ally lllly ly work w wo wor o orrk ork rk ha has ha ass iin n he h joi joine oine oiine o e jjo ined ined a ne ed tw he h e was wa w amer ame am ass appo a tw two meri me wo ap a e erica ppoi p pp ppo o ric rrican rica poin p poi ic ican ica ca ca arre are oiiin oint o an inted inte e nw nted nte nt nted te wa war ed vet vvete such suc ssu et e eter uccch u uch ar vo ar vvolu ttera ter te olu o olun e eran era h incid lun lu lunt rans rra ran untar un unta a an ans nttary n shot ssho sh ns ns a ncid n ho h ttar ccide ciide ar a ary o ott of iiden ryy sserv den de d adm ad dmin dmini dm e ents ent en off off m min nt nts n ff a ts ts inist in in niistra se ser erv ervic e ist stra sstrat in in rvvice rrvice trati ttr vic vic ratio rrati ice attio ation cce ttion e co iion io on o co com n om omm mmit mm in in wit with w mitt m mi iith it tth it iitt itte itter h tte tter cam cca te amp am a err mp m p cchai ccom ompa om omp he h ch hairm ha h mpany e a ai airm p pan iirrrman irma pri pris priso p rm any a an m man ma ris rison rriso ny ny was issso iso son an an on on wa w ass a for fo for or thr thre th hre h rre ree mak m ma e ee ake ak ake e ke abl a ab able ble b lle e for fo fo orr mo m more or o ore rre ge get-t ge e et-to et inclu iinc nclud ncl nclu nc ttt-tog -ttoge -toge ccllude oget o og lu lu ude uded geth get ded d de et eth e ethe ed ed in tth ther the h he hers her e er ers outin ou out o rrss uting u uti utin in gen ge g ve vete v tiing tting tin en gge ings i in ete eter et e n ng ye y yea year t tera te ter gs g e earl ear eran e s a arl arly r ran ra an a r rly geo geor geo n ly ly a e eorg o orrge rge rg in 1 in ge ssuch air u uch ir ir 195 1952 19 cch 95 95 952 h 52 2 arre ar are ma ma mar mars holid ho holid hol e ol o olida arsh arsha rsh rshal rs rsha lilid llida iid ssh vet vete day da hall hal h ha e etera ay alllll a tera tte teran era er e ffiirs fir first irst iir rrans ra ran rsst rrst ans a st assig ass as a ns hosp ho hos h ssign ssssig ssign si ospit osp ospi ignm iig gnm g sspita sp pit pi pit nme nm nm base b itals iita ital men me tals ttal ta as aseb a ase mar m a alls e ent se seba se en ls in in ebal eb eba nt nt after arsha ars arsh ar ba ball ba bal rsha rs alllll ssh hall afte allll fttte ffter er er tra train ttrai milit m ra rrain rai afte

rre t e mee ma m man mee me an a you an ett wa wa yo yyoun oun o ou ass ung un un ng g was na n natio atio a at ati ation tion tiona ttio io iona ion on on na nal all a late late la later ate ater tter er serve in w in no not n se serv o ot w wiis wish erv er erve wo rrve rved ishi iishin vved shing shin sh or orld o orl ed hin hiing h rld rld sto sstor st in in ld war ng to to tory orrryy t wis ory g wor wa wa arr ed we we de del de delve elve elv lv lve lve ve iinto int a few ntto n ffe to ne n neve ew ew evvverth e ever ert e er erthe erth nto a at

gc

fre fres ffresh re rresh essh e esh sh

viiir vvirg he h irg irgin rrg ew gin g giinia in iniia was wa as b as a mi mililit mili m bett be ette e ilitar iillitar llita ttttte itary it ta tarryy ma m mar err kn e arsh a rsha rrsh rs kno k sha ssh now no n ha o own ow ame a am iinst alllll at ns nsti n nst wn wn me m sst stitu tiit ttitu eric eri er e at iitu itut ric rica rican ttute tu ica ic uttte u ge g geo can an e eo eorg e in orrrge o in rg ge tut g

he he weig we w e eig eigh ei ig ighed igh ig gh ghed he hed h ed e d 1 14 45 45 at ssiege sieg iege ie iieg ege eg e ge at

du duri d urri uri u urin rring ing iin ng ng ever eve e ve verryy very shif shiff sh hiff hiffn h iffffnia iffni iff iffnia ffffnian nia n nian niia ian an ha has h as as co ccom om omp o mpa mpa pan p pany a an nyy n

rre e

frrb frbm fr rbm bm b las last la m assstt mo a ast mom mom ome o yor york yyo me m ork rk tto en ent en ntt too took oo ook o ok o 79tth 79t 79 79th k its ittss p it plac llac la ace ac a cce e 9

cco com omp om mpan p pa a any an nyy n

wa w ar

miililita mili m illitar ilit lit iitary it ttar ta tary arryy wa wa was ass

llong lo ongo ng-t ng n g-t g -ti -tim --tttiiim ime me me wa wa was ass fa fa fam ami de det de mili mililie m ettroi etro etr troit tr ili ililies ilies lliie rro ess o oit oi it it also als a llso sso o was bro brow br wa w rown row same ssam sa own am a ass a a m me wn regim regim e re eg e giiime gim gime g im men m me ent en e nt nt tthre th hree hre h rregim re ree rre egim egime eg ee e gime gim e imen me me men ent en fig ffigh nt nt nev in cl in ight iig ghti gh ght g htin hti h cle cclea ting ti tin ting lear lle iin ne n neve ear e ea ng ng brow e ever ev ar vve ver er bro b mar ma rrown ro row ow arrrs ars arsh a int iinto wn nttto n rsh rsha ssay sa n says figh fi fig ffight sh ssha ays ay a iig ighti o m ha ha gh g ghti ght ghtin ys in htting h htin all ttiin llll th ing ing ng we third thi thir hir h hiiir ird rd rd we di diid did mo mos m d wa amon amo osssq osq o was w mo m squ quit qu q ong on on wa w was uit u uiito uito ng wit with w wi iitoe g tth as prep as tto prrepa p oe o oes iith rrep tth e epar epa e essas h pare p pa them are ared ar a he h hem wa was wa ass

u.ss u.s

ccom ga gath g omp o athe a ath mpa m tthe ther th h he in in pan pa p e er ers any a an rrss in n nyy w in iin n det detr de d was wa etro e as s as trro ttroi rroit roi oit o oi oite stat st ittte iter ite ttatio ta atti a atio e err ttio ione iio ion on one o ne n ned e ed d it it a iin n ton tto on row on ro ow w in in show sho sh hown how ow ow wn fro ffron fr ront rro n on on ntt row ro ro ow w

dyysse d dyss yyssssen ssen se sent e en enta nt nta n ntar tta tary a ar ary rryy

kiliill ki k kill illlll att a

The Spanish-American War itself was a very limited 10-week affair in 1898. It was most notable for its catalyst, a spectacular explosion that destroyed the battleship U.S. Maine in Havana Harbor, Cuba. Historians now believe the sinking of the Maine was due to an internal explosion, but newspapers at the time cried “Remember the Maine,” blaming Spain for sabotage.

An eager Congress led the U.S. into war. Today, the war is most notable for Admiral Dewey’s victory over an outmatched Spanish fleet in the Philippines and future president Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders charging up San Juan Hill in Cuba (point of interest: although the Rough Riders were cavalry, the charge was made on foot).

The war also resulted in Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Guam and other Spanish territories being transferred to U.S. control. The U.S. then continued the fight against guerillas in the Philippines.

Born in Austria, Shiffman enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1901 and was stationed in the Philippines for two and half years. There he served under Lt. George C. Marshall, who would become the Army’s leading general during World War II. Shiffman’s photos and memorabilia are now preserved by

ans

frra ffra ra ran ank nk nk si ssim iimo mons mo ons on n

icca iica ccan an a n

jew jje ew e ewi wish w wis wiis iish sh sh am a me me err 300 3 30 00t 00 00t 0tth jew ewi ew e wis wi w iish sttate stat ssta ssh ta h ate at in in tes tte e ess w we un uni nited nite e je iit ite te tted jew ew ew ed wssu grea gr ag rre rea reat eat e ea at d at have ha hav ave ve dea de ea e all a we we iin n cou cco ou oun unt un n ntr ntry ttry trrryy grea gre gr g ffor fo o orr reat rrea re e ea eat att rreco a serv sser se errrvice ervic e rvvvi eccord eco vicem co iice icem ic cce orrrd o eme e em me m men d e en n in jewi ewis ew e wis w wiis wish in a ish sh allllll amjje al m me erric e eric lasst je last la riica rrica hav have h jew ave a ew ewi vve gon gone wish w wiis wis eg on o ish ne n ssh civ civi civil cci e ca h ha ivi ivil iv ivvi vil t e

iin n late lat lat la a ate tte e

rthur Horwitz, president of the Detroit Jewish News Foundation, characterizes the historic pages of the Detroit Jewish News and the Detroit Jewish Chronicle in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History M ke Sm h as the “DNA of A n nd G h m nd u the community.”

A h Ch Indeed, more than 100 years of the history of Jews in Michigan, Detroit and America can be found in the Archive.

On Jan. 13, I gave a presentation to the Adults Seeking Knowledge (ASK) group at Temple Israel. I discussed the Davidson Digital Archive and presented a few stories I found interesting. The audience was great, and I enjoyed the event.

And, it resulted in an unexpected story — today’s column.

When demonstrating how to navigate the Archive, I asked the audience for a name for a search. A fellow shouted out: “Ben Shiffman.” It was Douglas Shiffman, grandson of Ben Shiffman. It seems Ben was a notable war veteran, 1898-1902, from Detroit with an amazing story to tell. He was one of only a few Jews to serve in the Spanish-American War.

war ve ter

u.ss gi

old o lld lde de de essstt

n

w

d y bon

ou

e w h ma o ng e why d

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

w

m