DJN March 2, 2020 by The Detroit Jewish News

200 April 2-8, 2020 / 8-14 Nissan Adar 5780

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Happy, Healthy Passover 5780 See page 28

More Passover Coverage: • • • •

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Coronavirus forces intimate seders Soft matzah? How to make your own Passover crafts to do with your kids Customize your own Haggadah

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contents April 2-8, 2020 /8-14 Nissan 5780| VOLUME CLVII, ISSUE 9

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Jews in the D This Too Shall Pass? 12 They saw the coronavirus coming, but no business was prepared for its high-speed impact here.

Making a Difference 15 Temple Shir Shalom raises thousands of dollars for COVID-19 food packages.

Pray It, Don’t Spray It 16 “Kippah mask” can be easily made at home.

Enduring Magic

15 On the cover: Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

18 Joe Cornell’s death evokes teenage memories for generations.

Make Your Own (Soft?) Matzah 34 It doesn’t have to be hard and square.

Eretz

Shabbat & Holiday Lights

A Personal History of Jerusalem’s Only Official Gay Bar

Shabbat starts: Friday, April 3, 7:43 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, April 4, 8:46 p.m. Erev Passover: Wednesday, April 8

36 The Video Pub is a valuable queer space in the holy city, and it may not survive COVID-19.

Zionism is Not a Spectator Sport 36 Even if you’re not Israeli, your Jewish voice counts in determining the Jewish values of the Jewish State.

* Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

18 We’ll A Always Have Casablanca: Temple Israel Trip to Morocco Short Over COVID-19 Cut Sh 24 A gr group of Jewish Metro Detroiters scrambled scrambl to get home from afar.

Passover Passo Next Y Year in Person; This Year on Zoom

44 thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews

26 COV COVID-19 changes Passover plans for many families.

Spirit Torah portion 39

Arts&Life JET in Phoenix 40 Theater troupe takes its Anne Frank play and educational component on the road.

Escaping Memories 42 Docudrama traces young survivors’ return to life.

Nosh A New Game Plan

Making Passover Personal 28 Local families create their own Haggadot to celebrate the holiday.

Get Crafty for Passover 32 Lots of time to pass these days? Fill them up with fun, enriching (and delicious) activities for the holiday.

44 Three Cats’ Chef Matt Prentice wants to get his people back to work.

Etc. The Exchange Soul Danny Raskin Looking Back

45 47 53 54

OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to reflect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible, responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life, in Southeast Michigan. APRIL 2 • 2020

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Q: Why is this night different from all other nights? A: Tonight we dine virtually.

Join us for a virtual Passover Seder! Videos and materials will be available on our website, YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Wishing you and your family a Happy Passover! Your Temple Israel Family 5725 LAKE ROAD, WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48323 248-661-5700 TEMPLE-ISRAEL.ORG 4 | WALNUT APRIL 2 â&#x20AC;¢ 2020

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It’s Still OK to Laugh

hen Passover arrives next week, we’ll have to edit our Hagaddahs to read, “Why is this night, day, next several weeks and months different than from all other nights, days, next several weeks and…” — you get the point. Alan Coronavirus, Muskovitz please, just pass over already. As I’m writing this, Michigan Gov. Whitmer is officially announcing our state’s “Stay at Home” order. Had she announced this prior to Feb. 2, would that have prohibited groundhogs from emerging from their burrows to see their shadows? An “attempt” at some levity. Too soon? This leads me to my “State of Humor” address. There’s absolutely nothing funny about people who’ve contracted the coronavirus and, in worst-case scenarios, are fighting for their lives. There’s nothing funny about the economic pain it has inflicted, the lost jobs, the educational disruption or a senior who languishes alone in a care facility. Usually we abide by the old adage, “Tragedy plus time equals comedy.” After traumatic events like 9-11, we build in, albeit subjectively, an adequate amount of time before infusing humor back into our daily lives. But today we are in unprecedented territory for comedy. The sheer number of jokes, YouTube videos, memes, etc.,

relating to the coronavirus I’ve received on my computer and smart phone is proof that the normal unwritten rule of “too soon” for jokes edict has been lifted. And within reason, that’s OK. Of course, there’ll always be some who take it too far. The virus has created a void in many of our usual day-to-day go-to sources for comedy. Production on Saturday Night Live is on hold. Every late-night talk show has shut down. So naturally we are turning to other forms of comic relief. I have two groups of breakfast buddies, who, now that we are self-quarantining, are reduced to texting each other rather than eating with each other. The chain of communications has included interesting, humorous and even irreverent discussions about how you can turn bras and yarmulkes into face masks. Then there’s a new genre of humor that has taken the country by storm … toilet paper jokes! Perhaps you’ve seen the photo of a toilet paper holder that has been resupplied with an infamously long CVS receipt. A YouTube video is making the rounds of a guy pulling up in his car to a shady “drug dealer” type character looking to score a toilet paper deal. I saw that and couldn’t wipe the smile off my … face. (See what I did there?) A Facebook post suggested replacing a word in your favorite movie titles with

Future Diarists

the words “toilet paper.” I don’t believe I’ll be able to find any of the following On Demand…Dances with Toilet Paper, ET: The Extra TP, Gone with the Toilet Paper, The Toilet Paper Chase, The Silence of the Toilet Paper, The Wizard of Toilet Paper and Yankee Doo Doo Toilet Paper — Doodle, sorry. The coronavirus is no laughing matter, but it matters that we keep laughing. While your Passover table and finding the afikomen will no doubt be reduced to a virtual FaceTime experience, please take the time to add a funny bone next to the shank bone. From there, just take it dayenu by dayenu. In the meantime, I’m preparing to watch one of my favorite Passover-time movies — The 10 Commandments. The question is, this time when the Lord says unto Moses: “Go to Pharaoh and tell him thus saith the Lord, God of the Hebrews, let my people go,” will they have enough toilet paper? Hey, that happened, give or take around 1400 BCE, so that joke is not too soon! Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voiceover/acting talent, speaker, and emcee. Visit his website at laughwithbigal.com,“Like” Al on Facebook and reach him at amuskovitz@renmedia.us.

Children need to know that they are making history and their stories must be remembered by future generations. All kids ought to keep a diary — digital or analogue using pen and paper. Keep a record of conversations, activities, how they organized their days. Include video clips from the news, personal reflections, how they managed over Pesach. What they did to keep up with school. In the future, these diaries will be used by future generations as examples of resilience. Anne Frank’s diary was created when she was in isolation, where for two years she was unable to leave her attic. Her diary has become a beacon of survival. Our kids should emulate her example. — Laurie Rosenberg Woodford Green, UK

COVID Hard on Seniors Living in a senior residence, we are now mainly in our apartments. The dining room is closed, so meals are delivered and eaten alone. Visitors are restricted and all activities have been canceled. That being said, [we are] staying in contact with friends via phone and Facebook and catching up on chores. — Flora Miskin Castleman Via Facebook

CORRECTIONS In the March 26, 2020 obituary of Rita Haddow, Avern Cohn’s wife, Lois, was omitted as a survivor and Karen Daitch should have been listed as a grandchild. The article “One Day At A Time” (March 26, 2020) misquoted a Yiddish phrase from Temple Israel Rabbi Jen Lader. The correct phrase is Pikuach nefesh (to save a life). APRIL 2 • 2020

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Views editor’s note

An All-Elijah Pesach

think I’m getting a bit loopy as I shelter in place. This week I realized that the prophet Elijah is the GOAT social distancer. (Here’s a bit of youth slang for you to annoy your Andrew Lapin homeschooled kids with today: “GOAT” is an acronym meaning “Greatest Of All Time.” Not an actual goat. Although the real Elijah probably knew some great goats in his time, too.) Anyway, think about it. Every year at Passover, we invite Elijah into our homes. And every year he stays safely away. Instead of potential-

ly serving as a vector for a contaminant that could have spread across the entire global Jewish community, he shelters in place and sends his blessings to us virtually instead. This year, sadly, we are all Elijahs. When the government issues its guidelines for the kinds of social gatherings we should be avoiding to curb the spread of COVID-19, it might as well be flying a giant banner that reads, “NO PASSOVER SEDERS.” The timing is terrible — cases are exploding just as we gear up for what’s supposed to be a festive holiday, a time when we can sit around a table with family and friends and enjoy a nice, leisurely, lovingly cooked meal. But for our own

health and safety, we can’t share our seders this year. So now, instead of commemorating the Jews’ exodus from slavery, we must pray for an eventual exodus from our own homes. Clearly, this night is indeed different from all other nights. We must try, as much as we can, to keep our hopes up during these uncertain times. Check out this issue and our website, TheJewishNews.com, for information on local “virtual seders.” And you should consider hosting one yourself with your own loved ones. Rituals still matter in dark times; they can still bring us comfort and purpose. Our work at the JN is another kind of ritual, one that we

guest column

Coronavirus Surfaces a Familiar Disease: Fear And Scapegoating

e are living in unprecedented times. A global pandemic with a colorful graphic attached to it has caused the president to declare a national emergency, and reports are the reach of COVIDCarolyn 19 will surpass Normandin the concern and financial implications of anything we have imagined in modern times. But while our community struggles to respond to the novel coronavirus, we are facing another outbreak: fin-

ger-pointing and scapegoating. Unfortunately, the two viruses appear inexorably linked — as coronavirus fears rise, our leaders and communities are displaying increasingly severe symptoms of bigotry. As outbreaks of the virus cluster into geographic areas or within religious groups as a result of close quarters, it becomes clear we are fighting a virus on two fronts: with concerns of grave and potentially fatal physical illness and group-blaming, which serves to destroy our communal sense of human connections though vile commentary and scapegoating.

And, like with the biological disease, the social disease threatens to spiral out of control if we do not act quickly. COVID-19 is not a foreign virus — it is a human virus. Coronavirus does not discriminate based on ethnic background or race, nor does it select its victims based on celebrity or anonymity. Anyone can contract and contribute to the spread of this disease. But the thing spreading faster than the actual virus is fear. The truth is, none of us has ever really dealt with a situation quite like this. To be sure, in the past few decades, there have

hope can survive the current crisis. For the moment, you may see our print issues shrink as we face reduced advertiser support during the economic downturn. But we are still here. And we’re also committed to serving as a community resource, which is why we’re taking initiatives like making our e-edition free and available to all for the next several weeks. As always, let me know how else we can help during this time: alapin@thejewishnews. com. This Passover, be like Elijah — be safe and stay home. And I promise: If you invite me to your virtual seder, I will bring the tastiest virtual matzah balls you’ve (n)ever eaten.

been other pandemics — such as HIV/AIDS and ebola — but those diseases, which spread quickly and indiscriminately in terms of “victims,” were limited in scope to a subset of the general public or particular continents. It was easier for people to compartmentalize their fears. Over the past few weeks, confusing and mixed messages, combined with a lack of understanding, have caused several missteps. Well-known people — without facts or understanding — have made fun of the situation or have unknowingly given visual miscues. As humans, our urge to find someone to blame is not new. In the Middle Ages, Jews were accused of causing the Bubonic Plague. In the early 19th century, Irish immigrants were blamed for cholera. The LGBTQ community was vilified continued on page 10

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The name Adat Shalom means The Congregation of peace. We are a community who believes that even in the most difficult and unlikely circumstances we can find ways to bring wholeness, hope, healing and peace into our lives and into the world. Our shul began in 1943, during the worst moments in the history of our people and of the world. Antisemitism was increasing, even in the Detroit area. Our founders said that this is exactly the right time to build a shul, the right time to stand up for what is right and good. We are their spiritual descendants today. We will always work for peace and welfare of the Jewish People and all of God's creation. Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shalom, Physically distant. Spiritually connected. Adat Shalom Synagogue is virtually open! We are finding new ways to be together. Join us for evening Minyan by video conference or phone. At the conclusion of Shabbat we will virtually celebrate Havdalah together. You can participate in much of our programming as planned from your own home! For information see the calendar at www.adatshalom.org/covid-19. Rabbi Bergman's blog is full of stories for the kids and teachings for the adults. If you follow Adat Shalom on Facebook, you'll find messages and music from Rabbi Bergman, Rabbi Shere, and Hazzan Gross. As we all know, things are changing day by day, so please check our website, www.adatshalom.org for the most up-to-date information. Stay focused and well!

We wish you and your loved ones a sweet, kosher and healthy Passover! 05_DJN040220_POV Opinion Pages.indd 7

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Views guest column

Federation’s Message to Our Jewish Community

his is an extraordinarily difficult and unprecedented time for Jewish Detroit. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, we are all thinking of the health and wellbeing of our loved ones — our children and spouses, parents and grandparents and many others. We are also deeply concerned for the welfare of our Jewish community, whose schools and congregations, agencies and organizations are all facing enormous pressure, even as the demand for services increases. Our most immediate concern is for the thousands of vulnerable individuals for whom this outbreak presents a grave threat, including our large population of older adults, families with financial needs, individuals with disabilities and others. As the steward of our community, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit has been leading an urgent and coordinated response. Federation and its network of agencies and

Beverly Liss

Alan Jay Kaufman

partners across the community are working in close collaboration to ensure that support is available to those in need, and to anticipate future needs that may arise — whether it be food and shelter, medicine and health supplies, mental health services or anything else of critical concern. We wanted to share some of the specific actions we have taken to date: • We have appointed Matt Lester, incoming Federation president, and Dennis Bernard, incoming United Jewish Foundation president, to lead a Task Force. The Task Force will oversee the COVID-19 Emergency Campaign, manage the allocation of resources and strategically address related con-

cerns confronting our community agencies and organizations. The Emergency Campaign will secure the funds necessary to ensure that our agencies are able to continue providing essential services to our most vulnerable individuals. • Thanks to a strong Annual Campaign, the Jewish Federation and its fiduciary partner, the United Jewish Foundation, will be providing a contribution of $1.5 million in emergency funding to the effort. • From the very start of the crisis, Federation convened its leadership team and agency executives to identify critical needs and coordinate response efforts. Federation has also been assessing needs across the community to understand and anticipate the resources that may be required to preserve the immediate and long-term wellbeing of the community. • Federation has been providing regular community-wide communications via email and social media to share informa-

tion and identify important resources. We also deployed a community-wide Coronavirus Resource page at jewishdetroit. org/covid19resources with links to help, connection, online congregational services and other information. More information can be found on our Facebook page. • Our community engagement teams, including NEXTGen Detroit, Women’s Philanthropy, Affinities and Israel and Overseas, have been moving programs online and developing new content that specifically address the emotional wellbeing of community members in light of the profound changes in our daily lives and interactions. You can find this and other programming on the resource page. Looking ahead, we recognize there is no roadmap for dealing with this crisis, no instruction manual to follow. Despite this, we know that together we will weather this storm, just as we have during times of crisis in continued on page 10

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during the AIDS epidemic. In each case, the accused community experienced marginalization, oppression and even violence. Now with COVID-19, Asian Americans have become scapegoats. Even in the earliest days of the outbreak, our Asian American friends and neighbors experienced bigotry and discrimination. We’ve heard troubling reports of anti-Asian American bias across the country and here in Michigan, ranging from social avoidance to racist bullying in schools (including remarks from teachers or staff). Violent assaults against Asian Americans have been reported. We must stand together to stop the spread of infectious scapegoating, and it starts at the top. Elected and appointed officials, including the secretary of state and the president, have deliberately referred to coronavirus as “the Chinese virus,” “the Wuhan virus” and “the foreign virus.” This language is irresponsible and dangerous and can easily lead to a spike in hate-fueled incidents targeting Asian Americans. Recently, our Michigan

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ADL office has received reports that people are targeting the Jewish community as well. As we have seen throughout history, when a group of people is blamed for illness, that community is at serious risk. We all have a role in stopping the spread of the virus — physically and virtually. Scientists and medical professionals have clearly and consistently given practical responses to the biological virus and the steps we must take, and they will continue to do so as more facts emerge. Experts on hate and bigotry must lead in containing the spread of hate. We must be thoughtful and practical. Just as we must practice good physical hygiene practices, we must also combat misinformation, conspiracy theories, scapegoating and bigotry. We call for leadership from the top and welcome allies at all levels. Let us come together as one community, in one country, and commit ourselves to working toward health and wellbeing for everyone. Carolyn Normandin is the regional director of ADL Michigan. www.michigan.adl.org

FEDERATION’S MESSAGE continued from page 8

the past. We are fortunate to live in one of the most generous and resilient communities anywhere, and we are exceptionally grateful for the many supporters and volunteers who have stepped up to lead this effort. We will continue to keep you apprised of new resources and developments as we

move through this challenge together. May you and your loved ones stay well. Beverly B. Liss is president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and Alan Jay Kaufman is president of the United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit.

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COURTESY BORN YOGA ASHLEY GOLDBERG

Born Yoga members participate in live yoga classes from home during the “stay at home” mandate.

This Too Shall Pass? They saw the coronavirus coming, but no business was prepared for its high-speed impact here. STEPHANIE STEINBERG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ince residents have been ordered to “stay at home” for at least three weeks, workers across Michigan are adapting to a new daily work life, with video conference calls and interruptions from kids and dogs. But for many Jewish business owners with shops, fitness studios and restaurants, “work from home” is not an option. And they’re struggling to wrap their head around the fact that one day their business was bustling. The next, their doors were closed. “I think right now we’re all in an adjusting state of shock and grief, which makes it even more difficult to navigate through this,” says Rachel Lutz, owner of Detroit boutiques The Peacock Room, Frida and Yama. She closed the stores March 17, about a week before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered nonessential businesses to temporarily shut down until April 13 in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

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(COVID-19). “This goes beyond a normal business loss,” she says. “We’re all dealing with the psychological shock and grief of what’s going on. It happened so rapidly that most of us (business owners) didn’t have time to pivot.” On Friday, March 20, at 5 a.m., Lutz burst into tears as she pressed “send” on layoff notices to her 12 full-time, two part-time and four seasonal workers. Not being able to financially support staff is only one of many unexpected dilemmas. She’s not sure what to do with a recent shipment of $12,000 worth of dresses for occasions that are no longer happening. She ordered the inventory in October. “That’s my money right there sitting in a box. It’s all sitting on racks and shelves,” she says. “... Even a company like mine that experienced amazing growth was just so caught off-guard. I’m just not sure who’s in

the position to survive this without assistance.” Survival is top of mind for businesses that still have bills such as rent, utilities and insurance to pay. While Detroit has not announced a moratorium on commercial evictions, like those declared by New York City and Los Angeles, some landlords are offering relief. Dan Gilbert’s real estate firm Bedrock Detroit, responsible for huge chunks of development in Downtown Detroit, announced it will waive rent in April and May for any of its 125 retail and restaurant tenants with under $100 million in annual sales. Tenants with under $80,000 in monthly sales are also eligible for free rent in June. Hebrew Free Loan is ready to offer financial assistance for Jewish business owners struggling with rent or other expenses. “The coronavirus affected people from whom we’ve heard thus far who are mostly small business owners whose cash flow has been cut off,” says David Contorer, HFL executive director. Those with cash-flow needs, including individuals, can apply for up to $10,000 in interest-free loans at hfldetroit.org. continued on page 14

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DURING THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES,

T HE FJA FAMILY

IS STILL CONNECTED AND STILL LEARNING! While our school building is closed, we are still available for you! Reach out to Director of Admissions, Arielle Endelman, with any questions about admission for next year.

aendelman@frankelja.org | 248.671.3248 FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY 6600 West Maple Road 9GUV $NQQOÆ&#x2019;GNF /+ www.frankelja.org 000_DJN040220_JD Unemployment Apr 2.indd 13

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JVS Human Services Help Hotlines

COURTESY RE:PURPOSE

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (248) 233-4245 employmenthelp@jvshumanservices.org FINANCIAL EDUCATION (248) 233-4299 financialhelp@jvshumanservices.org LEFT: The online recruiting marketplace re:purporse held a virtual career fair March 24 for job seekers to connect with Metro Detroit employers.

SUDDENLY UNEMPLOYED For many workers in the service industry, like Detroit Axe axemaster Brad Bobkin, they’re just “riding out the storm.” Bobkin, 31, was among a couple dozen people laid off at the axe-throwing venue in Ferndale. “There’s the assumption that when things get better, we’ll be back to business as usual,” Bobkin says. He owns a house in Ferndale and lives with two housemates who pay him rent. Which is a problem when one of them is his co-worker. “He’s also out of a job, and it would be ridiculous for me to be like, ‘Man, pay rent.’ I know he can’t,” Bobkin says. For workers who are sick, quarantined or have unexpected family care needs due to the coronavirus, the governor has ordered a temporary expansion of unemployment benefits. Over 108,000 unemployment claims were filed in Michigan the week of March 16, compared to an average of around 5,000 claims, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. JVS Human Services also reports an uptick in the Jewish community reaching out and seeking career or financial counseling. They’re seeing more traffic to jhelpdetroit.org for corona-

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virus-related resources. “A lot of it is (people asking), ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen. What can I do?’” says JVS Human Services CEO Paul Blatt. “It’s about giving them some action to be able to help them ride this out.” Blatt has flashbacks to the Great Recession, when certified JVS counselors worked with families to avoid foreclosures. “There is this enormous unknown that was similar in ’08 and ’09,” he says. “That fear of the unknown was what drove anxiety and depression in the people we were serving back then.” Once people had steps to take, that anxiety subsided, Blatt says. Today, JVS counselors are working remotely and available to talk to those unemployed or worried about bills. “(The counselors) work with families and households to talk about how to contact their lenders and to make arrangements before they find themselves behind on bills, so that it doesn’t totally impact their credit,” Blatt says, “and that they’re stable when this whole thing ends.” Ryan Landau, founder of the recruiting marketplace re:purpose, is connecting the unemployed with employers. On March 24, he hosted a virtual career fair with Jacob

Smith, a partnership manager at the software collaboration hub Altimetrik. Up to 150 attendees were forecast to attend Altimetrik’s Detroit location. The virus changed that. They switched to a virtual job fair where people could upload their resume and connect with 21 companies hiring for technology and startup positions. The virtual platform worked out even better, Landau says, as it allowed 648 people to attend. Re:purpose works with 70 Metro Detroit companies to connect them with job seekers on its online platform. Landau says they’re continuing “business as normal” and are creating more content for people out of work. “We’re in the process of developing webinars based on how to prep your resume in times like this or how to stand out on LinkedIn,” he says. Yet many laid-off employees are hoping they won’t have to dust off their resumes if they receive financial relief from the $2 trillion stimulus package signed last week by President Trump. It allocates $250 billion in direct payments for individuals and families and $350 billion in small business loans for those impacted by the virus. Ashley Goldberg, owner of Born Yoga in Birmingham, is just hoping the pandemic ends

sooner than later so that she won’t need loans. Goldberg shut down her yoga studio for families and babies as young as 2 months old before the governor’s order. “We’re known for our cleanliness,” says Goldberg, 35. “We use organic cleaners and everything we use is baby-safe to clean the studio, but even with that amount of cleaning, I just didn’t feel like it was safe to stay open.” The decision wasn’t easy. “Aside from being my business, it’s a safe space for so many families, and it’s this wonderful place that we all come together to breathe and move and feel positive and good,” Goldberg says. “To take that away from the community was obviously necessary, but really hard for me.” Yet she made a promise to stay connected to her several hundred families. She closed on March 13 and told everyone to join a free yoga class virtually on Zoom the next morning. “The response was huge,” she says. Every day since, she’s offered free daily live yoga classes, and hundreds of people are tuning in across the world. “We are accepting donations, but never asked for them,” Goldberg says. She’s using the donations to pay staff, but also giving a portion to Gleaners Community Food Bank. “My heart is so full amongst all this craziness,” she says. “It’s making me feel really good that I can continue to spread what I love and do what I love, even if it’s not directly face-to-face with my students at the studio.” Goldberg and Lutz are adamant they’ll reopen their businesses when it’s safe to do so. Yet Lutz is acutely aware things may be different, especially if the virus continues into the summer. “I think a question that business owners need to ask themselves is, ‘Yes, your business will reopen after this, but what will it look like?’”

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COURTESY OF ALLISON PARR

Making a Difference Temple Shir Shalom raises thousands of dollars for COVID-19 food packages. CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER

uring this time of social shopping at the Walmart in Troy distancing and with and filled five giant carts with many houseperishable items and hold items in scarce boxed and canned ABOVE: Sophomore supply, Temple Shir goods to help feed Naomi Parr wanted Shalom spearheaded a more than 100 famto help people GoFundMe campaign ilies. who might need food during the to deliver food and Pontiac-based quarantine. pre-packaged bags to nonprofit Micah 6 those in need. provided fruits and The temple partvegetables to go into nered with the volunteer-run the prepackaged bags. Oakland County Poverty and The Parrs took the bags to Homelessness Task Force and State Rep. Brenda Carter’s office other nonprofit organizations. March 21, where volunteers In three days, the campaign distributed it to families in the raised more than $4,000, Pontiac area by dropping it off enough to surpass its original on people’s porches, knocking goal of 80 grocery baskets. and then waving to the people Naomi Parr, a sophomore at from their cars. Bloomfield Hills High School “This drop-off provides famand member of Temple Shir ilies who might struggle with Shalom, recognized that many transportation the opportunity of her classmates who rely on to get the goods they need,” school for some meals might Bishop-Yanke said. not have enough to eat. The baskets reached about Naomi and her mother, 180 people whose names were Allison, reached out to Shir provided by local social service Shalom’s Rabbi Daniel Schwartz agencies. about how to help. He put them Temple Shir Shalom will conin touch with Kimber Bishoptinue to monitor its GoFundMe Yanke, chair of the task force. campaign and channel the pro“The main issue we were ceeds into additional grocery facing was that no one would bags, according to Allison Parr. sell goods to us because of the Bishop-Yanke said they are madness going on right now,” planning on two more packAllison Parr said. ings, and there could be more. Thanks to Schwartz, who had “People want to help, and I a connection at Joe Randazzo’s think it is important to give market, they were able to buy people ways to help but also in a 120 dozen eggs, 160 pounds of way that follows social distancpasta and 90 gallons of milk. ing practices,” she said. The Parrs continued their APRIL 2 • 2020

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Pray It, Don’t Spray It “Kippah mask” can be easily made at home. DUBE FAMILY

DON COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

hen Otto Dube, managing funeral director of Hebrew Memorial Chapel in Oak Park, wanted to buy protective masks for his staff and the families they serve, he found it would take weeks to get them. Dube meets with families at stressful moments, now made even more stressful by the coronavirus. Waiting weeks wouldn’t do, so it got him thinking. “I’ve always thought of Judaism as a study of human nature that provides practical answers to life’s problems,” Dube said. “I asked myself: ‘What can Judaism do to help out here?’” Dube wears a kippah and

Otto Dube created this kippah mask.

found himself reaching up to adjust it, which gave him an idea. He had seen videos of how to turn a paper towel into a mask, which didn’t impress him, but now he was thinking about how to turn a kippah into a mask. Around the country, people

Keeping In Touch JCC goes online with offerings for every age. STAFF AND LOCAL REPORTS

ith the coronavirus keeping people housebound, the JCC of Metro Detroit has geared up to offer online programs across its many departments, from toddlers to senior citizens. “We have a responsibility to continue to engage our commu-

16 |

nity — mind, body and soul,” Brian D. Siegel, CEO of the JCC, said, citing Jewish teachings about feeling responsible for one another. Mikki Frank, the JCC’s JFamily director, said connection is “more critical than ever.” She said families are express-

are sewing homemade cloth masks for friends and healthcare workers. There’s even a project online to make 3D-printed masks. Hebrew Memorial buys the ubiquitous simple black kippot by the case. So Dube began to fiddle with one folded in half in an oval shape and, by simply stapling rubber bands at each end of the kippah, he came up with a mask that neatly covered the mouth and nose. Because these kippot are made of synthetic nylon, if worn correctly, saliva or droplets shouldn’t be able to get through to possibly infect another person, Dube says. After Dube made a few, he was meeting with a family about a funeral; one of them was a doctor. Dube showed him the kippah mask and the doctor said he was impressed. “He put [a photo of it] on Facebook to share with

friends,” Dube said. After checking with rabbis to be sure the mask was “kosher” to use this way, he made a video with the help of his son, Ami, 22. They uploaded it to YouTube (“Homemade Kippah Masks” had 10,350 views as of March 30) and posted it on Facebook. Similarly, a man in the Netherlands posted a YouTube video March 9 showing multiple uses for a kippah, including as a mask against the coronavirus. After posting, Dube sent a message and a link to local Jewish clergy who might also want to repurpose some of their classic black yarmulkes. If you have this type of yarmulke on hand, you can make your own mask. If you need a kippah mask, call Hebrew Memorial at (248) 543-1623 for pick-up or to make other arrangements.

ing feelings of isolation, sadness about separation from relatives, guilt around juggling work and family and fears about loved ones getting sick. On the JFamily Facebook page (JfamilyDet), find daily story times, craft-alongs, virtual field trips and other activities. PJ Library Parent Connector Lindsay Mall goes live every Wednesday for weekly Rock ’N‘ Read sessions, presented by PJ Library Detroit and JBaby (Jbaby Detroit on Facebook). A New Moms Support Group has been added, and JFamily will provide Passover resources and activities. Jaemi Loeb, senior director of cultural arts, had been finalizing schedules for the annual Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival slated for May 3-13, but the event has been postponed, as have many other live events her department presents.

Look for live-streamed concerts with talkbacks, live discussions with authors (cartoonist Ben Katchor, April 2) and virtual Netflix film parties and discussions hosted by Loeb are part of the upcoming lineup. (Check JCC Cultural Arts on Facebook.) Within a day, JCC’s JLearn transitioned to Zoom classes with a participation rate of about 80 percent, says director Shelley Chaness. Visit JLearn on Facebook or jccdet.org/jlearn for class details. Lori Semel of West Bloomfield is part of a yearlong JLearn class, “Halachic Debate,” taught by Rabbi Michele Faudem. “The whole class loves being able to connect with new people in the community,” Semel said. “And there are bonuses to taking the class online — we have better coffee at home, and we can wear our pajamas.”

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3/30/20 11:56 AM

Jews in the D

Joe Cornell’s death evokes teenage memories for generations. KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER TOP: At an annual Spring Ball in the late 1970s or early 1980s, Joe Cornell poses with the winning dance couple and other couples who competed. Right: Joe Cornell dances with his first wife, Irene.

oe Cornell was the stuff of legends. With a broad smile, a big laugh and a ton of personality, he brought social dancing — and etiquette — to generations of Jewish kids in Metro Detroit and beyond. Now his community, which includes decades of students, teachers, friends and family, is mourning his March 18 death of natural causes. He was 90 years old. “He was everybody’s uncle,” said Steve Jasgur of West Bloomfield, who attended Cornell’s dance classes as a preteen and later co-owned the business with his sister. “He was Jewish, but he wasn’t Jewish — he probably went to more bar mitzvahs than any Jewish kid in his lifetime.” Born Giuseppe Thomas Coronella on May 29, 1929, to Italian immigrants, he grew up in Detroit, where his father, Salvatore, worked for Ford Motor Company and his mother, Sebastiana, was a homemaker. He graduated from Cass Technical High School in Detroit and took broadcast and acting classes at Wayne State University. Coronella graced the dance floor of the Arthur Murray Studio in Detroit in the late 1940s, and then had a dance career that took off as his dance studio job sent him to resorts around Michigan.

COURTESY JOE CORNELL FAMILY

COURTESY STEVE JASGUR

Enduring Magic

continued on page 20

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Please contact JHELP (housed at JFS) at 1.833.445.4357 or jhelpdetroit.org.

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Along the way, Coronella was told to Americanize his name for broader appeal, so he became Joe Cornell. And Joe Cornell became such a household name and built such a community that phone calls and messages haven’t stopped flooding in for days from those who want to contribute to the story of his life and what he meant to people. Cornell found a niche teaching kids in the pre-bar/bat mitzvah crowd. Though they learned the dances of the day, including the Foxtrot, Cha Cha and Jitterbug, the classes were about so much more, said his daughter, Trina, who lives in Phoenix. “So many amazing kids, the lives they have, the confidence — it shaped who these young kids became,” she recalled. “I know so many of the students who have become doctors, lawyers, so well-established in the community. That all came from how he shaped them. It’s all about ‘do the right thing and be courteous.’” Known for seeing the best in people and always having a kind word to say, everyone was his friend, she said. “He was magic. And always an adventure.” Cornell had two children, Trina and Salvatore (Tori), with his first wife, Irene. His son died in 1983. Cornell divorced, and married Kathy in 1977. They moved to California in the late ’70s, and he flew back and forth to Michigan for work. Jasgur attended Cornell’s dance program in 1982 as a sixth grader. Students took classes at synagogues and country clubs. They were paired up and would practice for the big May Ball. During his year, Jasgur and his partner came in second out of hundreds of couples. A few years later, sister Rebecca and her partner also took second place. In 1985, Rebecca, 14, was

COURTESY SHARON GOULD EASTON

Jews in the D

Cornell flew in to accompany Sharon Gould Easton at her son’s wedding.

asked to become a junior instructor. Steve, then 16, drove her to that first meeting — both were hired. They built names for themselves on the party circuit. In 1991, Cornell sold the business to the duo. Star Trax Event Productions bought it in 2015, and still runs the Joe Cornell Experience dance program. CORNELL’S GIFT Jasgur says “Uncle Joe” made everyone feel comfortable. “Nobody was a stranger,” Jasgur said. “And he was such a good dancer.” Rebecca Jasgur Schlussel of West Bloomfield recalls waiting eagerly to be old enough to take the Joe Cornell class. “I loved the camaraderie,” she said. “This was the highlight of my week. Watching him dance was an unbelievable joy.” Larry Miller of Bloomfield Hills learned to dance at age 3 from Cornell, who worked at his grandparents’ summer resort, the Greenbush Inn in Greenbush, Michigan. “I think that started my love for dance,” he said. When his grandparents sold the resort in the mid-1950s, Cornell opened his dance studio. “He really taught us how to handle ourselves,” Miller said, “more than just how to dance, how to communicate with the opposite sex, how to be polite.” Then, in the early ’60s, Miller says, bar and bat mitzvah dance lessons picked up. “He didn’t just teach thoucontinued on page 22

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Jews in the D

COURTESY JOE CORNELL FAMILY

Cornell with grandsons Michael and Anthony.

continued from page 22

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sands of kids, he taught tens of thousands of kids,â&#x20AC;? said Miller, whose children and grandchildren also learned to dance, thanks to Cornell. Sharon Gould Eaton of West Bloomfield took lessons at age 12, became an assistant and then a teacher for Cornell. She remembers how he flew in to accompany her to her sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wedding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was kind, he was compassionate, he was giving,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was always positive. He was just a beautiful, beautiful human being.â&#x20AC;? Cornell also flew in to emcee her Mumford High School reunions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He could walk into a room and bring an entire crowd together. He would have them mesmerized,â&#x20AC;? she said of Cornell, who danced late into his life. Suzi Stewart Rappaport of West Bloomfield met Cornell when she was in her 20s. They were friends and dance partners, she said, adding that she helped at bar mitzvah parties in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You could always count on him,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was a phenomenal friend. He was filled with guidance, a rock-solid citizen.â&#x20AC;? She would continue to help judge the May Ball. She recalled going back to his Oak Park studio afterward with the other

judges, where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d dance all night. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He could make anybody who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know how to dance look good and dance better,â&#x20AC;? she said. Jeff Milgrom, now of Columbus, Ohio, was 13 in 1967, when he met Cornell at a party. Milgrom took lessons and worked for Cornell, later emceeing parties on his own for some 15 years in different states. The two spoke frequently throughout the years. Milgrom, who runs an entertainment and sports marketing firm, called Cornell the pied piper of young Jewish teenagers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody back when I was young took Joe Cornell. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Did you take Joe Cornell?â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? He says even though Cornell faced huge tragedies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the loss of his son and, more recently, the loss of a grandson, Anthony, which left him broken-hearted â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he was well-known for making people laugh and making other people happy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody knew him for so many generations,â&#x20AC;? he said, adding that people would stop Cornell to talk whenever he was out. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He had a magnetic personality. He was a celebrity in the Detroit suburbs for all those years.â&#x20AC;? See a related story, page 54.

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May you have a

Happy Passover Even when we’re apart, the joys of Passover remind us that our strength and resiliency as one community go on. Happy Passover to you and your loved ones near and far.

Find help and connection during the Coronavirus outbreak. Visit our community resources page at jewishdetroit.org/covid19resources

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COURTESY OF ROBIN MURAV

Wishing everyone a Chag Pesach Sameach and good health.

Jews in the D

The group at Fes Palace Plaza

Temple Israel Trip to Morocco Cut Short Over COVID-19 Your trusted partner for all financial issues. Retirement Planning Investment Management Financial Counseling Kenneth M.Bernard, CFA President 248-556-2900 • www.bernard-wealth.com

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A group of Jewish Metro Detroiters scrambled to get home from afar. ALLISON JACOBS DIGITAL EDITOR

n March 11, 46 Metro Detroiters geared up for a trip to Morocco with Temple Israel. The tour was scheduled for nine days, with an optional extension to visit Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains. At the same time, the novel coronavirus outbreak was spreading quickly, wreaking havoc on travel plans. The Temple Israel group, led by Rabbi Paul Yedwab, Rabbi Marla Hornsten and Cantor Michael Smolash, boarded the plane from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to Paris’ Charles De Gaulle airport, where they had a layover scheduled before the final leg to Casablanca. But the spread of COVID-19 was hitting its peak, and worry began to settle in. “Literally two hours after we left for Morocco, things got bad in Michigan,” said trip participant Robin Murav of Farmington Hills. Despite unsettling texts from friends and family back home, Murav boarded the plane. But soon after take-off, she watched group participants frantically booking flights back to Detroit. As soon as they landed in Paris, at least four people headed

straight home. Most of the group stayed on for the flight to Casablanca. Despite growing concerns about border closings in Europe, the first night of the trip in Morocco was a memorable one spent dancing. The group explored Casablanca and Fes as planned. On Saturday evening, March 14, the group huddled together in a circle for a Kabbalat Shabbat service. “We all said how happy we were there, happy to be there — it was just so warm,” Murav said. “Then, Rabbi Yedwab got up and spoke, and he was just choked up. He had gotten word from the U.S. Ambassador [to] Morocco that we needed to get out of there ASAP. We were all in shock.” Yedwab told the JN, “I couldn’t be more proud of my colleagues” at Temple Israel who remained in Detroit to oversee congregational challenges arising with the spread of COVID-19. Neither Yedwab nor any of the other Temple Israel clergy would comment on specifics of the trip. While the Morocco group knew they might be leaving the next day, they had no additional

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details. They continued to tour into Sunday, staying relatively close to the airport. Suddenly, the tour stopped short — the group was instructed to board a bus headed straight for the Casablanca airport. They needed to leave immediately. According to AP News, Morocco placed a ban on international passenger flights and ships that same day. The country now is in full lockdown mode, shutting down hotels, restaurants and more. Many U.S. citizens are still stranded there. Temple Israel worked with the tour organizer, Arza World Travel for Reform Judaism, to get everyone back to Detroit. “It was like we were a moving target and things were escalating very quickly,” said Linda Kovan, who resides in Novi. She and several other participants went through Washington, D.C., to get back to Detroit. All participants made it back safe and sound to their respective homes. Temple Israel clergy sent a letter to the group, urging them to self-quarantine for 14 days. Murav says no trip participants have contracted COVID19. She is thankful for good friends who have dropped off food because her self-quarantine leaves her unable to go to the grocery store right now. She says she keeps busy by going for walks and talking to the Temple Israel-Morocco group on WhatsApp. She is now staying with Kovan, and both agree that Temple Israel did a “yeoman’s job” of getting them home safely. “We all got out — we got there in the nick of time,” Kovan said. “It was pretty amazing.”

Yitzak Rabin called Magen David Adom Israel’s second line of defense. With the coronavirus, we’re the ﬁrst. When the COVID19 coronavirus arrived in Israel, the Ministry of Health knew who could best protect everyone’s health. Because Israelis know Magen David Adom has the paramedics, training, and vision to minimize the spread of the disease. With its innovative home-testing program and cutting-edge video apps, MDA can literally see how patients are recoveringȑ enabling most Israelis to recover at home, where they can infect the fewest people. Support from Americans like you has helped MDA shield almost all of Israel’s 9 million people from this disease. But this ﬁght has depleted the tools and supplies MDA needs to ensure the infection rates don’t rise. Help Magen David Adom continue to protect Israelis and save lives. Make a gift today. Chag Pesach sameach.

afmda.org/protect

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Passover

Next Year in Person; This Year on Zoom COVID-19 changes Passover plans for many families.

Elayne Moss and her sister, Terry Schwartz, usually host about 35-40 people per seder, but not this year because of the coronavirus.

or sisters Elayne Moss and Terry Schwartz, Passover is a marathon event of cooking and entertaining. Together, they host an average of 35-40 people for each seder. Throughout the week, they pretty much have an open-door meal policy for family and friends. It’s a tradition that started during their childhoods. Lunch guests average around 12 per day, and dinners are about the same, if not more. Do the math and, on the conservative side, they serve between 230 and 260 Passover meals. Earlier this month, before the virus traversed the country, Moss made part of her Southfield kitchen kosher and completed most of her Passover baking. She also cooked dozens of meatballs and prepared four batches of chicken soup, each with 10 pounds of chicken boiled in a 16-quart pot. At the time, she had no idea her guest list was about to be reduced to three or four immediate family members. Moss now plans on giving the soup and extra food to extended family and friends, whom she invited to drive by for carry-out. Schwartz, who grew up in Metro Detroit and now lives in New York, said this is the first Passover the family will not be together. She and her husband will join Moss and the rest of their family for seder on Zoom, a videoconference service.

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COURTESY OF ELAYNE MOSS AND TERRY SCHWARTZ

JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Hardworking hostesses: Sisters Terry Schwartz and Elayne Moss just before one of their usually massive seders.

Recently, a group of Orthodox rabbis in Israel said they would permit the use of technology like Zoom to allow families to conduct a seder if it is turned on before the start of Passover. Farmington Hills resident Lila Zorn was supposed to host her immediate and extended family — nearly 50 — for the first-night seder. Now they will gather via Zoom from their respective homes. “At least we will be able to connect and not feel as isolated,” Zorn said. “The purpose of the seder is to teach your children. This year they’ll learn that you follow the rules (of social distancing), you respect everyone else

and try to keep them safe, and you remember what’s important.” Jacqueline Rose, a West Bloomfield native now living in Vermont, is among those who will have a laptop or cell phone at the seder table. This year marks the first time she, her husband and their two children (ages 10 and 12) will not be in West Bloomfield celebrating with her parents. Rose said she will use Zoom the first night; the second night will most likely be limited to her immediate family. “I plan to crack out the seder plate I got for my wedding but never used,” she said. Suellen Trionfi, on the other hand, is opting for a quiet seder with her partner, Kenneth Sidlow. “We’ll enjoy the holiday the best we can,” she said. They spend half the year in Commerce Township and the other half in Sarasota. Currently, they are in Florida, where they typically stay until after Passover. It’s a holiday they traditionally celebrate with Sidlow’s brother and a group of friends. “It’s a nice mix of Jews and non-Jews all learning and enjoying the holiday together,” she said. Trionfi has five pounds of matzah and four gallons of frozen chicken soup. Like Moss, she will make care packages for the guests who should have been at her Passover table.

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COURTESY OF GREENBERG FAMILY

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Making Passover Personal Local families create their own Haggadot to celebrate the holiday. ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

he Haggadah, read at the Passover seder table to tell the story of the Jewish people’s liberation from slavery in Egypt, describes, in order, each symbolic food placed on a seder plate and when to participate in the rituals of the holiday. It also features traditional songs for everyone to sing. While many Jewish-American families will read from the Maxwell House Passover Haggadah this Passover, the people you’ll be meeting here go a step further. They make their own Haggadot. FAMILY HEIRLOOMS Former Detroiter Talya Amira Woolf of Netanya, Israel, proudly holds onto her family’s original Haggadah. Her late mother, Harriet Gaba Drissman, was an artist and teacher who took apart the Haggadah from Maxwell House to include drawings from her children and additional songs. Drissman got her kids involved in the project. She designed the cover and reworked the entire Haggadah, instructing the kids on what to draw for each page, Woolf said. “She would have us work very carefully on it, sometimes with guiding lines to help,” Woolf said. “I was the best artist of

LEFT: Menachem Roetter adds to his already-massive Haggadah each year. CENTER: Greenberg Family Haggadah. RIGHT: The Woolf Family Haggadah.

the kids, so I was in charge of the cover, but she still gave direction as to what should go where. Originally, the cover only had four kids included. After my youngest brother was born in 1986, she had me add him.” Woolf speculated her mother “decided we needed a Haggadah of our own to make it more interesting and fun for the kids. Passover, in general, is tough, especially the seders, which last for hours. This helped keep us entertained.” The Woolfs plan to add their own children’s drawings to the Haggadah before scanning the book digitally and having copies officially bound. A WORK IN PROGRESS Menachem Roetter of Oak Park, a member of Beis Chabad of North Oak Park, created his first personalized Haggadah in 2017, updating it the following year. Roetter went from a black-and-white book with 60-plus pages to a color copy with more than 160 pages.

The websites Haggadot.com, a shared content platform for Passover material, and Chabad.org helped him come up with a “main Haggadah” in Hebrew and English with transliterations. Then he found layout ideas. Moving the project to the Microsoft Publisher software program made it easy to add material and pages. A Haggadot collector, Roetter went through them all to pull out items he loved to put into one Haggadah. He also wanted to include songs — “not just the traditional ones, but the fun school ones or parodies as well,” he said. “I also knew a few things that most Haggadot don’t include but should, like a pre-Pesach cleaning list, reminder to sell chametz (food with leavening), sefirat haOmer (counting the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot) for the second night and the Shema prayer, if you are still awake at dawn. My family actually is at times.” Then, because he is a devoted uncle, he added pictures of his eight nieces and nephews, scanned from his 10 volumes of photobooks. He plans to add his own children one day. “At this point [the Haggadah] is fully functional,” Roetter said, before admitting continued on page 30

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TAKING PASSOVER ORDERS

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COURTESY OF COHEN FAMILY

Jews in the D

continued from page 28

Don Cohen added his granddaughter’s face to this classic artwork of Miriam placing Moses in the Nile as a Passover greeting card.

to adding more to this year’s edition. “After all, would it be so terrible if the Haggadah was 500 pages long? Not to me.”

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ADDING MEANING AND A MODERN FEEL After using the Maxwell House Haggadah growing up and then children’s Haggadot when she and her husband, Howard, had their two children, Gail (Nachman) Greenberg of Oak Park was interested in searching for something more meaningful. Greenberg, a member and director of Lifelong Learning at Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield, found what she needed at Haggadot.com. Greenberg likes that her Haggadah can be changed or updated each year online to reflect new thoughts. Onequarter of the Haggadah is her own creation, and the rest is sourced. Instead of using a standard Haggadah like most Jewish families, Don Cohen of West Bloomfield (husband of JN Story Development Editor Keri Guten Cohen) decided about 10 years ago to compile his own. He revises it yearly, picking the best parts of several interesting Haggadot, striving to be topical and including

original or rewritten song parodies. It was important for Cohen, a member of Congregation B’nai Moshe in West Bloomfield, to keep the traditional structure of a Haggadah and the Hebrew prayers as well. “I want a modern feel and interpretation that covers the traditional bases,” Cohen said. For singing — a big part of the seder — Cohen places a Bluetooth speaker in the middle of the table and plays music to keep people on track or a song for them to join in. The Haggadah songs range from “Mi Shebeirach” and “Miriam’s Song” by Debbie Friedman to “We’ve Got to Get Out of This Place” by Eric Burdon and The Animals. “At different points, I distribute musical instruments for people to play,” Cohen said. For more fun, he displays posters in the dining room, such as one for the film The Prince of Egypt. Cohen once bought 20 copies of The Prince of Egypt Haggadah. He and Keri welcomed their first grandchild in 2019. With a nod to Moses in the basket on the Nile, “we put Lily Grace in a basket and passed her around the table,” Cohen said.

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Passover

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Craftyfor Passover Lots of time to pass these days? Fill them up with fun, enriching (and delicious) activities for the holiday.

COURTESY OF EPICURIOUS.COM Gather up the family for an architectural feat (or feast): Kendra Vizcaino-Lico created this yummy tropical Matzah House for Epicurious (find full instructions at epicurious.com/holidays-events/makeyour-own-matzoh-house-article). Or try your hand using a rectangular piece of cardboard, five sheets of matzah, peanut butter as mortar (if you don’t eat kitniot, try cashew or almond butter), matzah crackers, toothpicks and an assortment of kosher-forPassover candies and chocolates, such as jelly fruit slices and rings.

LYNNE KONSTANTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF WITH LOVE, IMA Re-enact the story of Passover with Passover Story Character Puppets. Visit Withloveima.com for free printables, have your kids color them in, cut them out and paste to a craft stick. If you’re in the mood for more, fo pets ccheck out the Passover Character Pup ssame site’s 110 Plague Puppets from P llast year. Moses

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COURTESY OF DAYS UNITED There’s something for everyone — and everyone to do together — in the Days United Passover in a Box. Inside, a wooden seder plate unfolds to become a puzzle; a color-and-read illustrated story of the Exodus; a 10 Plagues Memory Game; and, of course, a super-easy-tofollow interactive Haggadah (scan and listen to the songs and see related videos), illustrated by Israeli artist Ruth Gwili. Daysunited.com.

COURTESY OF BIBLE BELT BALABUSTA As Joanna Brichetto says on her blog, Biblebeltbalabusta.com, “LEGO doesn’t ‘do’ Jewish.” So, through exploration with her kids and hacks (read: creative modification), she created this Minifig Seder Table. Take a day, or more, to sort through all those LEGOs with your kids and visit Brichetto’s website for inspiration — she’s got an assortment of Seder plates, plus all kinds of other Jewish-themed ideas.

COURTESY OF MAYA BEN-OREN Save your place in your Haggadah with this sweet plague: Maya Ben-Oren’s Origami Frog Bookmark. For a detailed instructional video, visit her Instagram @mayas_craft_world. APRIL 2 • 2020

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Make Your Own (Soft?) Matzah It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be hard and square. LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

e all know a matzah when we see one: a thin, flat, square cracker, punctuated with parallel rows of holes. We know how a matzah behaves, too. Stored properly, a matzah never gets stale, never gets moldy, never bends (but it does break). We know matzah; our tribe has eaten matzah since biblical times. So, it may seem odd to ask, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When did a matzah get that way?â&#x20AC;? Square: The matzah got square when Isaac Singer invented the matzah machine in 1838 in France. (Fun fact: This is a different Isaac Singer from the one who invented a sewing machine in 1850 in New York.) Singerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s matzah machine made a rectangular product; before that, matzah was round. Some rabbis immediately objected to the machine-made matzah, either because the baker must intend to make a matzah (and how can a machine have intention?) or because the machines put people out of work. But most of the Jewish community in Europe accepted it. Thin: Everyone made thin matzah â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but how thin?

In the 16th century, Rabbi Yosef Karo recommended not to make it as thick as a handbreadth. In subsequent centuries, authorities describe matzah as â&#x20AC;&#x153;thick as a thumbâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; still way thicker than machine-made matzah. Hard and breakable: In Talmudic times, the bakers would stick the dough to the wall of the oven and flip it off the wall with a peel when the matzah was sufficiently baked. Lasts forever: Because machine-made matzah never gets stale, it became a valuable product in urban Europe. Matzah bakers could begin producing it months in advance. In more rural places, some people made ultra-thin matzah by hand, but others made soft, thick matzah. They had to make the softer, thicker matzah right before the holiday so it would not spoil. More than a century has elapsed since many communities last saw a thick, soft matzah. Now that we have freezers, though, we can make soft, thick matzah long in advance. MAKING SOFT MATZAH Matzah, whether thin or thick, has a remarkably

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simple recipe. It has two ingredients: flour and water. Flour: Regular flour might not do for kosherfor-Passover matzah because it might have too much water added at the mill, rendering it chametz (leavened) and unfit for Passover. Matzah bakers use special flour, ground on purpose for matzah, so check your labels. Water: According to Rabbi Yehudah in the Talmud, we draw the water for matzah the day before baking and keep it in a cool place in a closed vessel overnight (Pesahim 42a). How much water? That depends on many variables. The temperature and even the humidity in the bakery will make a difference for matzah as for any sort of bread. If you use whole wheat flour, as little water as possible and an oven at its highest setting, you will get a product that looks like Matzah Shemurah (matzah “watched” to make sure it’s made in less than 18 minutes). The scholarly team of Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotovsky and Dr. Ari Greenspan estimate that

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Join us. Sunday, May 3, 2020

eretz

www.WalkForIsrael.org

A Personal History of Jerusalem’s Only Official Gay Bar

MICHAEL ELIAS

brought to you in partnership with

The Video Pub is a valuable queer space in the holy city, and it may not survive COVID-19. MICHAEL ELIAS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

f you’re looking to find the Video Pub in Jerusalem, you might have to look a little harder than usual. Located in a little niche a floor up from street level, the only official gay bar in the city hides from the undiscerning eye. Occasionally, you might find a pride flag hanging at the top of the stairs, leading not only to the bar but also to a small Eritrean church. Children from the church often spend the early hours of the night asking the Video’s bartender questions. I know, because as a bartender

A bartender mixes drinks in the Video Pub.

there, I used to answer them. Chances are, though, you will see nothing of gay significance as you approach the place. The magic hides inside. The block where the Video is located is dubbed by the workers of the area “the district.” That’s partially because most of the businesses on the block (a dance club, two other bars, a restaurant, a French fry stand and a queer, feminist, vegetarian/vegan café) have the same group of owners. But the name mostly reflects the queer-friendly nature of the whole area. Working in “the dis-

trict” is something a lot of queer people in Jerusalem have done or will do in their lifetime; it’s an experience that makes you feel you belong somewhere. Open for almost a decade now (eight years, to be precise), the Video is the spiritual successor to the first official gay bar to have opened in the city in 2011, the Mikveh, which has by now been closed for about five years. Jerusalem is not an easy city to live in; not only the heart of every conflict that plagues the country, from Israel/Palestine to the relations between state

Zionism is NOT a Spectator Sport Even if you’re not Israeli, your Jewish voice counts in determining the Jewish values of the Jewish State.

here’s an old Israeli backbone behind Israeli platitude: We’ll take activists. your donations; but In Israel right now, the until you make the sacrifice minority ultra-Orthodox to live here, you have no say political parties (representin our affairs. ing 8% of the country’s Pamela After moving to Israel population, according to Franklin from Birmingham 10 the Pew Research Center) Azaria Contributing years ago, I now underhave outsized influence in Writer stand this is out of time the Knesset, and religious with the actual influence imperialism has creeped diaspora Jews have on the Jewish across society. The country state. In fact, when it comes to suffers under the institutionalization of the ultra-Orthodox’s the fight for religious pluralism, North Americans are the vital brand of Judaism, including

36 |

legally allowing the ultra-Orthodox to abstain from Israeli Defense Forces conscription; halting buses on Shabbat; and creating an effective ultra-Orthodox monopoly around the officiating of conversion, marriage, divorce and funerals. They have managed to, in some areas, legally close or impose fines on businesses that open on Shabbat. Secular Israeli Jews (40% of the population) will often voice their irritation with these issues. However, most Israelis

and religion, it’s also the heart of the conflict surrounding LGBT rights and queer people’s safety. There are people who believe we desecrate the holy city with our mere presence, and local reactions to our visibility range from dirty looks to physical violence — necessitating an abundance of cops and security during Pride marches. The existence of a gay bar in Jerusalem is not trivial, its success even less so, as the closing of the Mikveh shows. Ask any queer person in Jerusalem if they feel safe being visible, and

are less bothered when it comes to pluralism at Jerusalem’s holy Western Wall, where women have been arrested and imprisoned for wearing tallit and tefillin, and bringing in holy Torah scrolls for religious services. There are more than 200 Torah scrolls on the men’s side for free use and none on the women’s side. This is intentional, because ultra-Orthodox custom — not Jewish law — forbids women from reading from the Torah. In addition, the official Western Wall “rulebook” of laws and traditions states that women may only pray silently. If we are menstruating, we are not allowed to touch the Wall or

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The author poses in the Video.

the answers will range from “depends” to “no.” You will never find a definitive “yes” there. Yet the Video prevails. Its mere existence means queer people can feel safer. The Video is not completely alone: There are a few queer party lines that operate monthly in several LGBT-friendly establishments, growing in number every year. There is the aforementioned café; and there is the Open House, Jerusalem’s LGBT community organization operating for more than two decades now. Jerusalem’s queer

culture is certainly growing. But the bar still feels unique. Throughout the year, the Video functions as more than a business — it’s a second home for many in Jerusalem’s queer community. A home where you can have fun, drink, dance, carry on deep conversations and meet familiar faces or new, welcoming people. A home where you can find the whole fabric of society: Israelis, Palestinians, Jews, Muslims, Christians, observant people, atheists, tourists from all over the world. In this small niche,

COURTESY OF WOMEN OF THE WALL

continued on page 38

even look at a Torah scroll. Opposing these restrictions is Women of the Wall (WoW), a 32-year-old Jewish pluralism activist group that advocates for women to have a larger

Anat Hoffman of Women of the Wall

prayer presence at the Western Wall. In 2013, WoW won the legal right for women to wear the traditionally male tallit, kippot and tefillin, as well as to pray, sing and dance at the

After careful consultation with our officers, steering committee and host organization regarding the health, safety and wellbeing of our visitors, exhibitors, and volunteers, we have made the extremely difficult decision to postpone the Walk for Israel until later In the year. Thank you for your continued support and we pray for everyone’s safety.

TOGETHER...we will Walk for Israel.

www.WalkForIsrael.org

continued on page 38 APRIL 2 • 2020

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eretz

brought to you in partnership with GAY BAR continued from page 37

a torn city comes together — a gay bar next to an Eritrean church, a community united. I moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, a known liberal city, to study at the Hebrew University. I was alone and out of my parents’ home for the first time in my life. I will forever remember my year working at the Video. I could be myself as an employee (not always an easy feat for a queer person); I met new friends and new enemies, too. In the Video’s tiny space — which

consists of two small balconies, a shoebox-sized dance floor and the bar area — I gained an independent life in this often-unwelcoming city. The importance of gay establishments, as opposed to merely LGBT-friendly ones, became abundantly clear to me. There, I felt more at home than I did at any “friendly” space in liberal Tel Aviv. I could say that it is my space. This March, Israel began taking drastic measures in order to combat the spread of COVID19, including closing all bars

and restaurants. I left the Video during April of last year after a full year working there, and now bartend at another establishment. I was just notified that my workplace, as others like it, will be shut down for the foreseeable future, meaning I effectively have no job. There’s a lot to fear, but my heart aches for one thing in particular. The Video, like many other pubs, posted on Facebook about its closure for who knows how long. Alongside it, all the queer spaces that were carefully

and dutifully cultivated in the city, from the Open House to any party line, cannot operate right now. Their futures remain uncertain. I’ve never known a Video-less Jerusalem. My heart aches, not only for the business, but for the space, for all the spaces like it. The Video is part of a whole.

never have occurred to the Israeli women participants in a million years to go to the Kotel and pray,” Hoffman said. “Trust me, it was bred out of us at birth. The idea came from this Orthodox woman from Flatbush. She felt that this was a good idea, and I’m immensely grateful.” When I left Michigan, our family belonged to three different synagogues — not because we were at all religious, but because each offered a special kind of community or service for us and our children. We decided to move to Israel after my mother died so my children could grow up near their Israeli grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Living in Ramat Hasharon, I soon discovered that synagogue and ritual-based Judaism aren’t part of Israeli secular lifestyle. Our extended family gathers on Fridays for dinner, but the Shabbat candlesticks stay dusty on the shelf. My daughter became a bat mitzvah at a Reform synagogue in Ra’anana that was vandalized by religious extremists weeks before

her 2014 ceremony. At her bat mitzvah, many guests said they never thought to encourage their daughters to learn a Torah portion. None of my daughter’s classmates had a bat mitzvah ceremony. Only one of my four nephews had a brit milah with a mohel. The cousins had b’nai mitzvah parties but no synagogue services. I learned that many Israelis either marry overseas or cohabitate without a marriage contract because they have no interest in interacting with the Orthodox rabbinate. To my dismay, secular Israeli women are largely unbothered by the discrimination at the Western Wall because they have no interest in praying. What I see as government-authorized sexism, they see as religion. Israeli leaders know the majority (71%) of American Jews are Reform and Conservative. While appeasing Americans is always high on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s list of priorities, in 2013, after three years of negotiation with Israeli and diaspora leaders, Netanyahu favored his ultra-Orthodox cronies and

reneged on the “Western Wall Plan” for a pluralistic prayer pavilion. The resulting American Jewish anger has electrified the subject as an important political issue. “Every Jew should be able to feel at home in Israel,” Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz said to the AIPAC conference crowd in Washington, D.C., in March. “Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people. When I’ll be prime minister, everyone will have a place in the Western Wall.” Hoffman maintains if you are Jewish, you have a voice in the Jewish values of the Jewish State. “You have a say in this,” she said. “I don’t think anyone has the right to push you away from the table. I invite you all to participate. Take an active part. When North American or diaspora Jews voice their concerns over issues of pluralism in Israel, things change here … Zionism is not a spectator sport. It’s participatory.”

Michael Elias is a young Jewish nonbinary poet and writer, currently studying comparative literature and history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

ZIONISM continued from page 37

Kotel. But because women are still not allowed to use a Torah, they endure humiliating body searches by guards hired to prevent them from bringing in the spiritual contraband. THE INFLUENCE OF DIASPORA JEWS While WoW conducts its monthly Rosh Hodesh prayer service, ultra-Orthodox aggressors disturb their religious services and shove participants. At a recent talk, Anat Hoffman, a founding member of WoW and an Israeli civil rights attorney, said the group owes a tremendous debt to diaspora Jews. This dates back to the movement’s beginning in 1988, when the Orthodox Jewish American activist Rivka Haut led 70 participants in the International Congress of Jewish Feminists in prayer at the Western Wall. When they unrolled the Torah and began reading, they were met with screaming, cursing and pushing from the ultra-Orthodox. Haut’s outsider perspective helped the women recognize what was at stake. “It would

Pamela Azaria is a native of Huntington Woods and U-M grad.

38 | APRIL 2 • 2020 036_DJN040220_Eretz.indd 38

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Spirit torah portion

A Change Of Focus

an archaic, seemingly that God has reserved for us, mundane verses regardwhatever it may be. The Kohen, ing cleaning the Temple even when getting dirty while be relevant to us today? Yes, and carrying ashes from the Temple, they teach us a most profound is doing a holy act of Divine serlesson for these trying times. vice, which demands the wearThis week’s portion ing of his holy garments. begins with the first We are living in unusual service performed each times. Nearly the entire morning in the Temple: globe is on lockdown. the removal of the ashes Most of us are cooped up from the altar. at home, feeling anxious, Rabbi Noam frustrated and isolated. “I Every evening, the Gross remains of the previous don’t have time for this! day’s offerings were put Parshat Tzav: I don’t have the patience on the altar to be conand energy to deal with Leviticus sumed by the fire. In the my spouse and kids all 6:1-8:36; morning, one shovel full Malachi 3:4- day! I don’t enjoy being of the resulting ashes was 24. (Shabbat by myself!” are common HaGadol) removed and placed in thoughts right now. a pile next to the altar; But this is the situation when the pile got too God has put us all in, and big, the Kohen would take the this is clearly what He wants excess ashes outside the Temple from us right now. That makes grounds. the time we are cooped up in Since the sacred garments of our homes holy. This paradigm the Kohen would almost defishift in perspective takes us nitely get dirty while carrying from a place of deep frustration the ashes, he would change to one of calm. beforehand into older, more We aren’t meant to be someworn priestly garments. where else doing other things. What’s fascinating about this We are meant to be at home, procedure is that one would spending rare stress-free time expect the Kohen to change into with our loved ones and ourshmatas, old rags, to do the dirty selves. It’s an opportunity that work of taking out the ashes. Yet we simply never have. It’s a he would do it while wearing his chance to focus and invest in holy garments, albeit older ones. ourselves, our marriages and our Why? children. The Kohen is teaching us a The portion is teaching us fundamental principle about that if we do what we are called Divine service and about life. to do at this time, if we do our When one thinks about best to create a positive and lovt“Divine service,” what typically ing home energy during these comes to mind is a pristine, holy unusual times, then it is truly picture, far removed from the a holy act, one that we and our mundane world. family will fondly remember, Judaism teaches us the oppoforever. site. Divine service is not limited Rabbi Noam Gross works as an educator to a specific type of act; rather, for the Young Professional Division of it is defined by doing the job

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Arts&Life theater

JET in Phoenix

Theater troupe takes k iits A Anne F Frank k play l and d educational d component on the road. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

total of nearly 4,500 Arizona middle schoolers of diverse heritages watched a dramatization of a Jewish middle schooler confronting the Holocaust, and they wanted to know more about the terrifying times. These students became the first out-of-state audiences to see performances of The Diary of Anne Frank as staged by Michigan’s Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET). In February, the Detroit troupe of 16 performed the play five times at the Madison Center for the Arts in Phoenix. Each performance included a presentation by two Holocaust survivors, along with a question-and-answer period. Student surveys showed 89 percent of those attending remained interested in additional facts about Anne Frank and the Holocaust, and 87 percent felt they had changed their minds about feelings toward people of other religions, races and backgrounds. “It was so heartening to see all these young people — Jewish, Christian, Latino and Native American — have a shared emotional experience and seem

40 |

TOP: Students in Phoenix took away an understanding of the suffering experienced in the Holocaust by watching JET’s performances of The Diary of Anne Frank. ABOVE: JET’s Christopher Bremer with Pearl Laufer and Katie Egett, both survivors who spoke at JET’s Anne Frank performances for students in Phoenix.

JET’S 2020 SEASON Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the mainstage JET season is on hold. Check the website at jettheatre.org or call (248) 788-2900 for updates.

to bond together because of it,” said Christopher Bremer, JET executive director. “Our young audiences watched intently and asked questions that showed they thought about what they learned.” JET spent three years raising funds — $75,000 to bring the production to Arizona — and arranging for this student experience in Phoenix. Instrumental in the effort was Sally Ginn, a JET board member who divides her time between Michigan and Arizona. Her ideas and efforts became the driving force for putting everything together, Bremer said. Now the focus is on future performances casting actors based in Arizona. The Walled Lake-based JET has staged The Diary of Anne Frank more than any other theater company in the world, bringing the play to Michigan schoolchildren for 25 years and reaching more than 100,000 students. Ginn, who had public relations and cable production jobs, used her skills to engage organizations and individuals inside and outside the Jewish community to raise funds and gain educator interest. With the support of the Jewish

APRIL 2 • 2020

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Community Foundation of Greater Phoenix, she also enlisted help from the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center. “I want young people to understand this history before [those who hate] can get to them,” said Ginn, who created committees to handle production-associated responsibilities, which included 50 Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers. One committee found props locally to avoid costs related to transporting stage settings from Michigan. Because of the intent of the project, businesses cut prices, materials were donated and found objects were adapted. Cindy and John Millikin of Scottsdale had been affected by seeing the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam and offered to help. She worked with props, and he ushered. She also took pictures at performances. Peg and Jeff Thoren of Chandler, Arizona, also wanted to help because of their visit to the Frank home. They turned to the Salvation Army for period pieces and donated a grandfather’s chest of drawers. “This effort created such a sense of community,” Peg Thoren said. By chance, Judy Laufer’s mother Katie Egett and mother-in-law Pearl Laufer, in their 90s, were visiting from Canada during performance week, and she added them to the program. “They didn’t want to see the play because they lived through those times, but they answered student questions,” said Laufer, a play volunteer, author of children’s books about the Holocaust and a speaker for the Jewish Book Council. “In introducing them, I explained how my mother survived Auschwitz and my mother-in-law survived being hidden in Poland. “Some youngsters didn’t realize the Holocaust was about the

Jews,” Laufer said. Kerry Grimes, a teacher at Arizona College PreparatoryOakland, took 303 eighth graders to the production. “Though the students knew how the play was going to end due to prior classroom instruction, the actors were able to successfully convey the tension building within the annex and held their attention from beginning to end,” Grimes said. Jamie Bradley brought 87 students from the Dobson Academy in Chandler. “The eighth graders had learned about World War II in social studies, and this play showed my students real struggles Jewish people faced,” she said. “Seeing [the play] and reading about [the Holocaust] are both worthy; each adds to the education of our children.” Lisa Duncan brought 30 students from Montessori Day Schools in Phoenix and Chandler. “They commented about how physically close they had to be and how they had no privacy,” she said. “As early adolescents, they value their privacy, and Anne’s loss of that was hard for them to see.” Ginn was especially touched to hear about students at a Native American school selling cookies to raise money to cover the total ticket price although donor funding was available. Funds to continue the program were raised during an evening performance for adults honoring Lanny Lahr, a former Detroiter who gave much help to this year’s initiative. “For these Native American youngsters, going to live theater was an event,” Ginn said. “In their own way, they were among all the people who put so much into getting everything done. The people kept me going and will keep me going as we work toward more productions.”

What has growing food in a desert taught us about surviving droughts? L E A R N M O R E AT A F H U.O R G / W H E AT

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ritish philanthropist Leonard Montefiore, a founder of World Jewish Relief, took a special interest in youngsters who survived concentration camp experiences of starvation, deprivation, forced labor and separation from loved ones. With liberation, he joined caring volunteers to help hundreds of these youths regain their abilities, trust in others and the future. The transition unfolded at a tranquil estate along Lake Windermere in England. In the summer of 1945, formerly imprisoned young people had food, their own rooms, classes, time to play and help from the Red Cross in learning about their families. This initiative is brought to life in very personal stories through the BBC docudrama The Windermere Children being aired April 5 on PBS. The 90-minute film, based on the testimony of orphaned survivors, was written by Simon Block and directed by Emmy-winner Michael Samuels. The torment of the past and activities to escape devastating memories were made real through engrossing scenes of the youths responding to their new environment, first in desperation. Near a woman walking a domesticated dog, they express fears the animal was trained to be vicious. The cast includes Thomas Kretschmann (The Pianist), Romola Garai (The Miniaturist), Tim McInnerny (Strangers) and

Iain Glen (Game of Thrones). Psychologist Oscar Friedmann (Kretschmann) is charged with looking after the children. He and his team â&#x20AC;&#x201D; art therapist Marie Paneth (Garai), Montefiore (McInnerny) and sports coach Jock Lawrence (Glen) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; work over four months to help children heal and reclaim their lives. A key element is the changing interaction with the British people living nearby, some harboring skepticism about refugees. The film shows the youngsters advancing by learning English, riding bikes and expressing their trauma through painting. Adding to the realism are scenes of continuing anti-Semitism and efforts to overcome those challenges. Haunted by nightmares and wishing they could find family members, the children look to one another for meaningful relationships, which help them understand a world new to them. The impact of the experience is told in an epilogue that introduces successful seniors represented in their troubled adolescent years. They tell of their efforts to take charge of their own lives and rebuild after Windermere. Hearing the actual survivors brings an uplifting promise for the possibilities of tomorrow. The Windermere Children will air at 10 p.m. Sunday, April 5, on PBS and stream on the PBS video app. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Windermere Children: In Their Own Wordsâ&#x20AC;? will be streaming on PBS Passport.

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Arts&Life celebrity jews

In the new CBS sitcom Broke, Pauley Perrette (Jackie) greets her estranged sister Natasha Leggero (Elizabeth) and her husband Jamie Camil (Javier).

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STREAMING & NETWORKS Comedian Iliza Shlesinger, 37, has had four Netflix specials since 2013. They have all featured her doing a stand-up set. Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show, her fifth Netflix project, is something different. It is a six-episode, half-hour series with a supporting cast of comic actors. The official description says: “From the mind of Iliza Shlesinger comes a secret world filled with absurd characters, insight into the female experience and irreverent yet poignant social commentary.” (Began streaming on Wednesday, April 1.) Broke, a sitcom, starts on CBS on Thursday, April 2, at 9:30 p.m. The series stars Jamie Camil as Javier, a spoiled but likeable guy who is financially cut off by his wealthy father. Javier and his wife, Elizabeth (Natasha Leggero, 45), have to move in with Jackie (Pauley Perrette), Elizabeth’s estranged sister. Jackie, a single mother who owns a bar, is not thrilled about taking them in. Leggero is still best known as a stand-up comedian. She converted to Judaism not long before she married comedian Moshe Kasher, now 40, in 2015. In 2018, the couple had their first child, a girl. The ABC hit series Modern Family will come to an end on Wednesday, April 8. The last two episodes of the show will be preceded by an hour-long documentary (8 p.m.) about the show. The first of the two last shows (starts at 9 p.m.) was co-written by and directed by Steve Levitan. He was

the co-creator of Modern Family. Elizabeth Banks, 46, guest-stars in the first (final) episode as Sal, a recurring “wild woman” character. ROSIE’S VIRAL SPECIAL On March 22, Rosie O’Donnell did a live three-hour special to raise money for the Actors’ Fund, a charity that provides emergency funds for members of the entertainment community. O’Donnell remotely interviewed about 50 celebrities. You can watch the whole special on YouTube (enter the YouTube channel name “broadwaycom” in the search box). Many of the interviews have been individually posted for easy viewing on YouTube (same channel). Jewish highlights of the show include composer Andrew Lloyd Webber singing “Happy Birthday” to composer Stephen Sondheim and Sondheim singing “Happy Birthday” back to Webber as Sondheim washed his hands for 20 seconds. March 22 was Webber’s 72nd birthday and Sondheim’s 90th birthday; Idina Menzel, 48 (Frozen), talked from her kitchen, noting that she was “going a bit bonkers.” It was a very personal interview that you’d never see on a regular talk show. Composer Alan Menken (Lion King, Beauty & the Beast), 70, played a medley of his hits on his home piano; Sarah Jessica Parker, 55, and hubbie, Matthew Broderick, 58, were charming as they talked about family and career stuff (they were about to open in a Broadway revival of Plaza Suite when Broadway theaters shut down).

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A Pioneer In Healthcare Calvin J. Lippitt, 95, passed away March 21, for Better Care in Nursing Homes, Group 2020. Health Association of America, HMO conHe graduated from Central High School in sultant to Detroit Department of Health, Detroit in 1942. In 1949, he graduatEducation & Welfare, chairman ed with a bachelor of science degree for South Oakland Citizens from University of Michigan. Advisory Committee, Michigan Mr. Lippitt was a corporal and Welfare League, director of comweather specialist in the U.S. Airforce munity health planning in the from 1943-1946. He then worked as a Department of Community & salesman for paper, coffee and finally Family Medicine at Wayne State health insurance, along with completUniversity School of Medicine ing coursework in public relations, and was an adjunct faculty memhealth education and news writing at Calvin J. Lippitt ber with Wayne State University Wayne State University and University Medical School. of Michigan. He also served in the He was a pioneer in health insurance, Department of Community Medicine from health markets and health maintenance 1972-1974, was CEO of Group Health Plan organizations. He was heavily involved with of Southeast Michigan HMO from 1979the Group Health Services Association, a 1985, CEO of SelectCare HMO from 1985credit union health plan from 1957-1960, 1990 and HMO consultant from 1990-2000. and he was a member representative of the He was the first vice president of Oakland Community Health Association from 1960County Alliance for the Mentally Ill, a mem1970. He also acted as administrator/planner ber of National Alliance for the Mentally of Detroit Model Neighborhood and proIll (NAMI), Oakland County Council vided comprehensive health care to Detroit for Children & Adults with Psychiatric neighborhoods from 1970-1972. Disabilities (OCAP) and was an OCAP board Mr. Lippitt was a dedicated member member from 1995-2002. of numerous organizations, including In 2000, Mr. Lippitt founded the Michigan the American Public Health Association, Consumer Evaluation Team (MCET); and, Michigan Public Health Association, Citizens under his direction, MCET was established.

JACK BACKALAR, 89, of West Bloomfield, died March 22, 2020. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Arlene and Alan Gildenberg; son and daughter-in-law, Ernie and Julie Backalar; grandchildren, Elyse (Ryan) Jahnke, Eric Gildenberg, Jamie (Sam) Silverman, Jodi Backalar and Dylan Backalar; great-granddaughter, Madyson Jahnke; many other loving family members and friends. Mr. Backalar was the beloved

husband of the late Edith Backalar; brother of the late Mildred (the late Norman) Kramar. Interment was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the Jewish War Veterans or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. JUDGE JEROME BLUM, 84, of West Bloomfield, died March 26, 2020. He is survived

This organization is a consumer-driven monitoring team, surveying other consumers about the access, availability and quality of mental health supports and services. The information they gather is forwarded to service providers as a way of continuous quality improvement in the mental health system in Michigan. He served as a board member with Oakland County Community Mental Health and Easter Seals. He worked tirelessly for universal healthcare, calling it “single payer” in the 1990s, through many organizations including state and federal government; it was an unrealized dream. Mr. Lippitt was the beloved husband of the late Roberta Myers; loving father of Michael and Robert; dear grandfather of Jeremy. He was the son of the late Irving and Minnie; twin brother of the late Alvin; brother of the late Sharon and the late Helen. Private services were held. Contributions may be made to National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Easter Seals, Southern Poverty Law Center, Planned Parenthood, Judicial Watch, Detroit Public TV, UNICEF, Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, the Detroit Zoo or NARSAD Brain Research Foundation. Arrangements by the McCabe Funeral Home, mccabefuneralhome.com.

by his wife, Arlene Blum; daughters, Sara Blum-Stapleton and Beth Blum; stepchildren, Jerrold and Carolyn Emery, and Lisa and Todd Elkin; grandchildren, Alexandra Stapleton, Josh Elkin, Aaron Elkin and Nathaniel Emery; nephew, Keith Hark. Judge Blum was the loving brother of the late Betty Hark. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Simon Wiesenthal Center, 1399 S. Roxbury, Los Angeles, CA 90035, wiesenthal.com; or USC Shoah Foundation, 650

W. 35th St., Suite 114, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2571, sfi. usc.edu. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. DOLORES “DEE” BRODE, 89, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., died March 26, 2020. She is survived by her husband of more than 70 years, Seymour Brode; children, Rick Brode and Rima Kim, Marcy Trager and Mark Brode, and Lori and Larry Garon; grandchildren, Robert Trager, Laura and Ryan Trager, continued on page 48 APRIL 2 • 2020

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Jamie and Solomon Amster, Andrew Garon, Sarah and Bradley Garon, Harrison Brode and Rayanne Brode; great-grandchildren, Avery Trager, Scotland Trager, Paxton Amster, Ford Trager and Sloane Amster; many loving nieces and nephews, a world of friends; a treasured caregiver, Beba Mironovic. Mrs. Brode was the proud grandmother of the late Charles Brode; the loving sister of the late Gail Jacobs; the devoted daughter of the late Raye and the late Charles Matler. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. LEONARD BURG, 85, of Bloomfield Township, died March 23, 2020. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1934, Leonard graduated from James Madison High School and resided in Chicago for 44 years prior to moving to Michigan. He was an executive in the women’s apparel industry throughout his professional career. Mr. Burg will be remembered for his dedication to his wife, children, grandchildren and friends, as well as his creativity and charisma. He was the devoted husband of Bernice Burg, his wife of 55 years; cherished father of Stephanie and Josh Freedman, and Barry Burg; loving grand-

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father of Danielle, Jenna and Max. Mr. Burg was the devoted son of the late Ella and the late Benjamin Burg. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Misercordia, 6300 North Ridge, Chicago, IL 60660, misericordia.com/ giving. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. GLADYS “GABY” DAVIS, 90, of West Bloomfield, died March 21, 2020. She is survived by her daughter and son-inlaw, Laurie Davis and Joseph Sellers; sons and daughters-inlaw, Gary and Barbara Davis, and Rick Davis and Meg Naulty; grandchildren, Danny Sellers, Sara Sellers, Robin Friedman and Zoe Friedman; nieces and nephew, Gwen Silverstein, and Kenny and Vicki Kornheiser. Mrs. Davis was the beloved wife of the late Michael L. Davis; the loving sister of the late Mildred and the late Jerome Kornheiser. Interment was at Workmen’s Circle Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Oakland Literacy Council, 43700 Woodward Ave., Suite 20, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302, oaklandliteracy.com; or Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202, dia.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. GILBERT deMARRAIS, 66, of West Bloomfield, died March 24, 2020. He is survived by his son and daughterin-law, Brett and Marissa deMarrais; daughter, Chelsea deMarrais; grandson, Myles deMarrais; brothers and

sisters, Doug and Sarah deMarrais, Glenn and Sharon deMarrais, Scott and Robin deMarrais, Joanne deMarrais, and Annette and Doug Jester; brother-in-law and sisterin-law, Jeffrey and Kimberly Kramer. Mr. deMarrais was the beloved husband of the late Ellen deMarrais; the devoted son of the late Gilbert deMarrais and the late Janet deMarrais. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice.orgl; or Hebrew Free Loan, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, hfldetroit.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. EMANUEL “MANNY” FRISCH, of Farmington Hills, passed away on March 22, 2020, one day before his 91st birthday. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Chana and Fred Frisch on March 23, 1929, he was raised during the Great Depression and attended Boys’ High School in Bedford-Stuyvesant. At 17, Manny left Brooklyn to attend Cornell University. Four years later, after graduation, he left New York for the first time and hitchhiked to Alaska, where his passion for adventure and travel was unleashed. At the start of the Korean War, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in Germany where he discovered his inclination toward medicine. On his return, he went to medical school at State University of New York in Syracuse. He met and mar-

ried his beloved “bride” (as he called her until the end of his life), Deborah (Debbi) Halpern in 1955. The couple moved to Metropolitan Detroit in 1962, where they raised their three children. Manny began his medical career in internal medicine at Metropolitan Hospital in Detroit, where he quickly became chief of medicine. He later moved to a private medical practice in Southfield, instructed medical students at Wayne State University School of Medicine and treated patients at Hutzel and Sinai hospitals. Manny was loved and respected by his patients and colleagues. During this time, Manny and Debbi also became among the earliest members of the Birmingham Temple. They established deep roots in the Humanist Jewish community of Detroit, and these enduring connections greatly enriched their lives. In 1992, Manny and Debbi retired and moved into their “dream home” in Farmington Hills. In retirement, he embraced his creative talents, making sculptures and collages from wood, metal and found objects. He poured his creativity into whimsical art creations, many of which graced the walls and yard of his home as well as the homes of his friends and family. One of the couple’s great joys during this period was hitting the road in their Volkswagen Vanagon for family camping trips on the shores of Lake Superior. Manny and Debbi also traveled the world during this time, collecting folk art, which they displayed throughout their home. In 2017, Debbi pre-deceased Manny, and he forever after mourned his “bride.” His children moved him to Ann Arbor in 2019, where he resided at Hillside Terrace until his death.

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Extraordinarily well loved by all who knew him, Manny was full of laughter and jokes and was a pillar of strength throughout his life. He was smart and loving, creative and playful, a great friend to all and exceptionally loving to his family. He loved being a grandfather and took enormous pride and joy in his five granddaughters. Dr. Frisch is survived by his sister, Joan Bromberg of New Jersey; children, Wendy Frisch (Ken Mikolowski) of Ann Arbor, Matt Frisch (Sara) of Okemos and Robin FrischGleason (James Gleason) of Ann Arbor; granddaughters, Eden Stiffman, Lauren and Leslie Frisch, and Maia and Ivy Gleason; many devoted friends. A memorial observance will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, you are invited to provide donations or assistance to organizations or people in need. GARY E. GOLDBERG, 87, of Royal Oak, passed away peacefully March 12, 2020. Gary was an exuberant, loving and generous man, who played an influential role in the lives of all throughout his time on Earth. He was the loving dad of Greg (Barbara), Laura (Mark) Lyman, Glen (Carol) and Marin; proud grandpa of Alycyn, GG, Billy, Joy, Kyle, Shane and Anjelica; cherished brother of Ted (Arlene) and Winnie (Aaron) Krieger; brother-inlaw of Ruth Goldberg; treasured uncle of many. Mr. Goldberg was preceded in passing by his siblings

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LES LEIDER, 65, passed awayÂ March 20, 2020, in Palm Springs, Calif., after a 10-year battle with Multiple Myeloma. Les grew up in Oak Park. He then graduated from Michigan State University and received a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of healthcare administration at St. Louis University. He made his permanent home in Stillwater, Minn. He was a loving husband and father, with a remarkable and broad sense of humor. He was smart, funny, generous and kind. Les was proud of his work helping strategize with CEOs and doctors to build, redesign and improve hospitals across the nation as a healthcare consultant for more than 25 years. Mr. Leider is survived by his wife of 36 years, Jan Hallstrom; children, JP (Katy), Dana and Michael; brothers, Robert, Aaron (Michael) and David (Raigan); nieces and nephews, Becca and Dor Alchades (daughter, Rotem), Joanie and Fiona Leider, Natasha, Joshua, Christina, Vitalyi, Aidana Tractenberg; lifelong friends and business colleagues. He was the son of the late Eileen and the late Irven Leider. Visit caringbridge.org/visit/ lesleider/journalÂ or Lesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; FB page. A celebration of his life will take place in Stillwater at a later date.

FREDAL â&#x20AC;&#x153;DELLYâ&#x20AC;? RYCUS, 74, of Delray Beach, Fla., formerly of Farmington Hills, died March 24, 2020. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Joshua and Marlene Rycus of Parkland, Fla.; granddaughter, Jenna Rycus; sister and brother-in-law, Sandra and Marvin Sheplow; brother and sister-in-law, David and Rochelle Elbinger; many loving nieces and nephews.Â Mr. Rycus was the beloved wife of the late Robert Rycus; the loving daughter of the late Benjamin and the late Lillian Elbinger.Â Interment was at Star of David Memorial Gardens in North Lauderdale, Fla.Â Contributions may be made to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or a charity of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice.Â Local arrangements by Kaufman Chapel. LILLIAN SHULAK SCHWARTZ, 102Â˝, passed away peacefully at her home on March 16, 2020.Â The youngest of four siblings, Lillian was born on Oct. 31, 1917, to Jack and Fanny Shulak.Â She graduated from Northern High School in June of 1935.Â Her first job was on Woodward Avenue across from the downtown Hudsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at a millinery shop making hats for the theater. She met her husband, Larry, at a party and they married a year later.Â Lillian had many creative pursuits.Â She and Larry both enjoyed

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entertaining and giving dinner parties at home. Lillian was a professional gourmet cook and baker known for her delectable dishes. She loved to garden and was very knowledgeable about many plants and trees. It wasn’t unusual for a friend of hers to come home to a beautiful arrangement of colorful flowers and trailing vines by her front door. Lillian and Larry were very philanthropic and charitable in the Detroit area and Israel. They were founding members of the first Temple Israel on Manderson in Detroit in 1950 and continued support to the present day. Lillian helped initiate a bereavement group and acted as the main facilitator who counseled grieving members. She could be found for many years on a Friday night

at the temple’s Oneg Shabbat, pouring punch for thirsty congregants. A member of the DIA, Jewish Federation, Women’s American ORT, the Holocaust Museum and Hadassah, Lillian was always happy to serve when called upon. She was a strong force in her family and had an amazing memory, remembering people and places, reading up on current events daily and listening to world news. She will be dearly missed by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. She had much love for her two very devoted caregivers, Remi and Marylou. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, 248-592-2687; Red Magen David Adom,

3177 Commercial Ave., Suite 101, Northbrook, IL 60062, 847-509-9802; Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, Paul Lebowitz, 248-918-2696; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. MARTIN SHOR, 100, of Bloomfield Hills, died March 20, 2020. He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Francis Shor and Barbara Logan; daughterin-law, Karen Shor; grandchildren, Molly Shor and Daniel Asmus, Miriam Shor and Justin Hagan, Finn Dannin and Zach Aronowitz; great-grandchildren, Ruby Hagan Shor and Iris Hagan Shor. Mr. Shor was the beloved husband of the late Ethel Shor; the cherished father of the late Norman Shor. Interment was at

Cneseth Israel Cemetery in Pennsylvania. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. DAVID STOFER, 97, of Novi, died March 22, 2020. An Army veteran, he was with the 553rd Heavy Pontoon Battalion and received four Bronze Stars. He was active with the Jewish War Veterans. Mr. Stofer is survived by nieces and nephews, Larry (Susan) Levitt, Robert Levitt, Dr. Neil (Dr. Judith Bateman) Levitt; cousins, Charles Mudryk; their children, Alan and Linda Mudryk, Andi Mudryk. He was the loving son of the late Anna and the late Louis Stofer; dear brother and brother-in-law of the late Bess and the late Harold continued on page 52

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Levitt, the late Ida and the late Donald Wexler, the late Julius Stofer; cousin of the late Sheila Mudryk, the late Cindy Mudryk. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Services and interment were held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Park. DR. DAVID ZEFF, 90, of West Bloomfield, died on March 21, 2020. A graduate of the University of Michigan Dental School, he practiced dentistry for 50 years. He looked forward to his week-

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ly outings with his family, sharing articles from the Wall Street Journal and taking classes throughout his life, including his attendance at the Temple Israel Saturday morning Torah Study. Dr. Zeff will be remembered for his dedication to his family, his warm smile, the twinkle in his eyes, and his caring and compassionate nature. He was a devoted husband to Nathalie, his wife of 63 years; cherished father of Sheri and Philip Cwagenberg, Shelly and Jordan Schreier, and Karen and Franklin Rosen; loving grandfather of Jeffrey and Dina, Alayna, Rebecca and Brad, and Haley, Jennie and Seth, great-grandfather of Ari. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made

to Temple Israel, Caring Community Fund, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, temple-israel.org; Hospice of Michigan, 43097 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302, hom.org/ donations; Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice. org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. HAROLD D. ZEIGER, aka Hersh, 72, of Berkley, passed away March 25, 2020, at William Beaumont Hospital. He grew up in Detroit and graduated Mumford High School in 1965. He spent 25 years as a computer network

engineer for Comerica Bank. He also worked at BCBS of Michigan in IT support. Mr. Zeiger enjoyed years of bowling with Detroit Lodge B’nai B’rith and Piska Lodge. He loved music and taught himself how to play piano, even recording a few CDs. He will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife of 22 years, Patricia (Littman) Zeiger; many other family members. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or a tree may be planted in Harold’s name at alivingtribute.org. A memorial service will be held once the COVID19 virus is gone. (Please do not send flowers to the home). Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

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lost the hometown-spun image it held when owned and operated mainly by localites. REARVIEW MIRROR … Remembering when Linda Solomon, local celebrity photo/ journalist, returned to Detroit after being chosen and hired by Barbra Streisand to travel with the great star and photograph her final concert tour … “It was quite an honor from a wonderful person!” said Linda … If you were Asian-inclined, you could go to Atlantic Gardens on Linwood with the mysterious carved booths where people you couldn’t see ate strange food … and folks sneaked a peek to see those Chinese gents wearing yarmulkes. OLDIE BUT GOODIE … President Bush was walking through the airport when he spotted a white-haired man in a long white robe, wearing sandals and carrying a staff. President Bush called to him, “Moses?” … The man looked straight ahead as if he had not heard.

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Bush then walked closer and again said, “Moses!” Again, he got no reply. Just then a Secret Service man walked up and said, “What’s wrong, Mr. President?” “Look at that man,” Bush said. “Doesn’t he look like Moses? I called him Moses twice, but he wouldn’t even look at me.” The Secret Service man said, “I’ll take care of it for you, Mr. President.” He walked over to the man and said, “Aren’t you Moses?” The man replied, “Yes, I am.” “Well, then why, when President Bush called out to you, did you ignore him?” Moses replied, “Listen, the last time I talked to a bush, I had to spend the next 40 years wandering in the desert!” CONGRATS … To Don Cohen on his birthday … To Betty Elias on her birthday … To Manny Kalef on his 90th birthday. Danny’s email address is dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

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

The Man Who Taught Jewish Youth to Dance

lthough Joe Cornell was not Jewish, generations of people in Detroit’s Jewish community have interacted with him. When news that Cornell died in California on March 18 reached Detroit, Facebook exploded with people sharing memories of him and his popular dance classes for preteen Jewish Detroiters. I checked the William Mike Smith Davidson Digital Archive Alene and Graham Landau of Jewish Detroit History Archivist Chair to see what I could find on him. There was no shortage of JN pages that cited Joe Cornell. Since his name first appeared in 1951, Cornell was cited on 974 pages of the JN. Research in the Archive shows he was an institution in the Detroit Jewish community, as well as in Michigan and Hollywood, California. Born and raised in Detroit, his real name was Joseph Coronella, and it seems he became an honorary member of the Jewish community. Cornell began his career as a dancer

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and entertainer in the 1940s while attending classes at Wayne State University and giving lessons at the local Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Detroit. From there, he began entertaining at resorts in western and northern Michigan, and then made his way back to Detroit to develop a very successful business — and make his connection to Detroit’s Jews. His professional journey can be followed in the historic pages of the JN. To begin, there is an excellent report in the Jan. 18, 2007, issue of the JN. It discusses the development of Joe Cornell Studios, which became Joe Cornell Entertainment, the work of his successors, and a bit about Cornell himself (for more biographical information about Cornell, see Karen Schwartz’s story on page 18). The first mentions of Cornell begin to appear in the early 1950s, when he was the entertainment director for several Michigan resorts. By the late 1950s, there were advertisements noting that “entire families will enjoy Joe Cornell’s Omena Inn on Grand Traverse Bay.” By the 1960s, Cornell was Detroit-

based, soon becoming an institution in the Jewish community. In his column in the March 25, 1960, Danny Raskin referred to him: “Pappa Joe, the pied piper of Wyoming Ave. is more than just a dancing teacher or a social director … he’s the pride and joy of every youngster who meets him…” (Indeed, Raskin’s columns often had news about Cornell.) Therein lies the main point: Thousands of kids, especially at their bar and bat mitzvahs, benefited from their relationship with Cornell, and the dance and etiquette lessons he taught them. And, this says nothing about his numerous charitable activities for youth in the city. Even when he moved to California, Cornell would often return and hold events in Detroit. Star Trax Events purchased Joe Cornell Entertainment in 2015. One of its programs is the “Joe Cornell Experience,” featuring such events as a “Dance Party” for fifth graders. It is a most fitting legacy for someone who was much more than a great dancer. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

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