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The
Positive
Art
Power of
Kadima Creative Expressions helps people improve their mental health. See page 30
INSIDE Parking Lot Bar Mitzvah: 18 Detroit’s Cultural Gems: 32 Meal Delivery Services: 35
33,600 free meals served in the
past week to school-age children in the community
867,633 given out in Emergency Campaign grants to support those who face job loss and financial insolvency, and other challenges
7.5M
$
in Emergency Campaign funding
raised for COVID-19 relief efforts across the community
70,000
protective masks distributed
1,332 connections
with JFS Resource Center/JHELP staff for help accessing community resources
80,000 Roughly
meals hand-delivered to each of Jewish Senior Life’s 750 residents
10,000 lbs
of fresh produce sent to Jewish schools, residence homes and food programs
every week
8,070 415 Meals on Wheels
job-seekers gained skills in live interactive job search webinars
delivered to homebound seniors A program of NCJW in cooperation with JFS
protective masks distributed
We are so grateful
for the way the community has come together to meet a range of significant challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our first concern is always the most vulnerable members of our community, including our seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families struggling with economic hardship. Thank you to all those who have offered your time and resources to this effort.
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contents June 4-10, 2020/ 12-18 Sivan 5780| VOLUME CLVII, ISSUE 18
Views 5-11
Jews in the D Friendship Circle Unbroken 12 In a pandemic, the nonprofit’s Soul Studio brings the “joy of art” to JARC residents.
Mid-Michigan Floods 14 Midland temple deals with aftermath; Flint Jewish community offers help.
Parking Lot Bar Mitzvah 16 Some Jewish families get creative during lockdown rules.
16 Shabbat Lights
On the cover:
Shabbat starts: Friday, June 5, 8:48 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, June 6, 10 p.m.
Cover photo/credit: Sharon Glazer enjoys a plein-air painting class at Cranbrook. Photo by Jerry Zolynsky Cover design: Kaitlyn Schoen
* Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.
West Bloomfield School District Plans Tentative Fall Re-Opening 18 Blended learning may become the new norm as other schools begin to develop their COVID-19 plans.
Opening for Business
14 Spirit Prayer During Lockdown
19 Jewish retailers, religious leaders react to Whitmer’s new relaxed guidelines.
28 Stay-at-home order changes the way people daven.
The Power to Help Yourself
Torah portion
20 How one young adult found peace with anxiety and depression.
29
Honoring our Heroes
The Positive Power of Art
21 Jewish War Veterans conduct annual ceremony.
30 Kadima Creative Expressions helps people improve their mental health.
JCC Day Camps Cancels Early Sessions 22 It is currently still hoping to run session 2 and
Keeping the Arts Alive
Arts&Life
32 Detroit’s cultural gems face multiple challenges during the pandemic.
post-camp session in July and August.
Celebrity Jews
35
Detroit City Moishe House Seeks New Member
34
22 Social events and subsidized rent for Jewish 20-somethings.
Online Events
Public Pools Ordered to Close for the Summer; TreeRunner Park Opens
Nosh
23
Dining Around the D
Moments Moments
thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews
25
Cap & Gown 26
34
35 Home-delivered meals.
Etc. The Exchange JN Wins SPJ Awards Soul Raskin Looking Back
38 39 40 45 46
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. JUNE 4 • 2020
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Views for openers
Good-Bye to Some All-Time Greats Show in June 2008 while shooting a film in Detroit, Youth in Revolt. During that conversation, we learned the Cleveland-born comedian was a huge Indians baseball fan. Guess who the Tigers were playing that night? That evening, Dick Purtan, his late wife, Gail, daughter Jackie Purtan, plus myself and retired radiologist Larry Lawson, my dear friend and longtime cast member of Purtan’s People, were taking in the TigersIndians game with Fred. Gracious hosts that we were, we treated Fred to a Cleveland victory. Larry was lucky enough to enjoy an encore evening with Fred when he returned to Detroit a month later for more shooting. The baseball gods were smiling down upon us once again, as Cleveland was back in town to face the Tigers. This time Larry was the only one available from the Purtan Show, so he and his wife, Myra, chaperoned Fred to the July 9 game. “On the drive down. Fred asked if they had torn down old Tiger Stadium yet,” recalled Larry. “When I told him it was half demolished he asked, if it was on the way, could we swing by and see it. We did. We sat at the site for a few minutes, then Fred asked if I could drive around our beloved relic of a stadium for just one more look. He was in
awe.” Unfortunately, Larry provided some unintentional improvisational comedy of his own when, upon leaving Tiger Stadium for Comerica Park, he took a wrong turn and got lost zigzagging for several minutes. The upside was Larry and Myra got more quality time with Fred and Fred, well, let’s just say he got a bonus tour of Eastern Market. Once at the game, Fred took time to enjoy the historical markers at the ballpark, which included a photo-op with Larry in front of the Hank Greenberg display. “On our way to our seats, Fred accommodated fans who wanted photographs and autographs,” Larry said. “He was so gracious. Unlike his onscreen persona, he was soft-spoken, unpretentious and down to earth. I only met him twice, but I feel like I lost a friend.” Fred remained in town and on July 11 agreed to make a surprise appearance as our special Purtan’s People guest announcer at a sold-out Royal Oak Music Theater Comedy Night fundraiser for the Gail Purtan Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. I had the privilege and terror of writing Fred’s script. What a relief knowing that his iconic deadpan delivery would guarantee laughs. Former Detroiter Hanna Lopatin is mourning the loss of Fred Willard. She’s the continued on page 6
PHOTO BY MYRA LAWSON
TK
I
n the May 7 JN, I paid tribute to the late, great Detroit Tiger Al Kaline. Since then, we’ve lost two more legendary all-stars … all-star comedians. In a May 11 tweet, comedic actor Fred Willard paid respects to Jerry Stiller, the incomparable, hilarious, Jewish character actor who died that day at 92. Stiller, arguably best known for his role on Seinfeld, rose to stardom as one half of the husband/wife comedy team of Stiller and Meara. “A bad time!” Fred tweeted. “Just getting over the loss of Little Richard, and now I learn my old friend Jerry Alan Muskovitz Stiller has passed away. He was a good friend and a very funny man.” In a second tweet he added: “I met him (Stiller) in the ’60s when we played in the same clubs in the Village as he and Anne Meara. Unfortunately for us, they were much funnier! We couldn’t be jealous, so we became good friends instead.” Now I’m just trying to wrap my brain around the fact that on May 15, just four days after his farewell messages to Jerry, Fred Willard died. A statement released by his daughter, Hope Willard Mulbarger, read: “My father passed away very peacefully last night at the fantastic age of 86 years old. He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end. We loved him so very much! We will miss him forever.” When I got the once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet and work with Fred Willard in 2008, I thought I had gone to heaven. More on that later. For my money, Fred Willard was the most original comedic character actor of the last six decades and easily the best improvisational performer. A Second City alum, star of television’s Fernwood 2 Night, roles in Everybody Loves Raymond, Modern Family, sketch comedy on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live, classic movie roles in Waiting for Guffman, Best in n Show and Anchorman, are only the tip of his his gigantic comedy iceberg. Fred called into the Dick Purtan Radio
Fred Willard and Larry Lawson in front of the Hank Greenberg display at Comerica Park in 2008.
JUNE 4 • 2020
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Views commentary
letters
Coronavirus vs. Democracy
Don’t Forget About Cats
Israel’s Supreme Court needs to hold Netanyahu accountable in a time of crisis.
W
hile some Israelis are breathing a sigh of relief as their never-ending elections finally came to an end, I am filled with fear. The pandemic is being weaponized as a tool to fast-forward the erosion of democracy. Due to COVID-19, Israel’s Supreme Eli Court ruled Reiter May 6 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is allowed to form a new government even while under indictment for corruption charges. At the end of three inconclusive elections and three criminal corruption
charges, Bibi is still in power. It's an abuse of power amidst a crisis. To put it in an American context, it’s an anti-FDR decision. While the high court is usually progressive, during this time of crisis they gave Netanyahu the go-ahead to form a government and stay on as prime minister while challenger Benny Gantz becomes premier, despite Netanyahu’s many indictments. Bibi promised that they will swap roles in 18 months. It would surprise no one if “King Bibi” made a power play that forced Gantz to the sidelines with diminished power. Israelis of a certain age will remember when Yitzchak Shamir did not withhold his side of the deal made with Shimon
Peres when the outcome of the 1984 elections left the Knesset in a stalemate. An incumbent leader — Bibi — can argue that experience and knowledge of minutia is a good reason to stay in power. A neophyte — Gantz — cast adrift in the craziness will not be able to respond properly to the crises. While I am not in favor of activist courts, Israel’s high court has often provided balance to a more politically right-wing agenda in the Knesset. For instance, as West Bank settlements continued to be built in 2014, the high court ruled to close the Amona outpost and evacuate it. This was during a time when the Obama/ Netanyahu relationship was continued on page 8
continued from page 5
daughter of my good friends and neighbors Jennifer and Mark LoPatin, who’s carved out a career for herself as a comedian, actress and copywriter in LA for the past 11 years. I knew improv was one of Hanna’s strong suits and mentioned that to Fred who agreed to meet with her upon his return home to California. Hanna, a recent transplant to LA, went to that first meeting with original writing samples in hand. Before the evening was over, Hanna had an amazing new mentor in Fred. He made her an official member that night of his sketch-writing workshop,
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JUNE 4 • 2020
the MoHo Group, who she performed with for two years. “As a writer, I never got over the feeling of exhilaration every time Fred would perform my words on stage,” she said. Over time, Fred and his late wife of 50 years, Mary, a playwright and TV writer, became like family to Hanna. “I think they saw themselves as like grandparents to young people trying to make their way in Hollywood,” she said. “They liked to shield people and guide them. For that I will be forever grateful.” Jimmy Kimmel said it best in his tribute to Fred during his May 19 show. “Fred played basically the same character in
everything; he was the same guy because it always worked. So why would you change it? It didn’t matter if the movie or show was good, bad, terrible or great, Fred was always funny. And he was more than just funny, he had a light inside of him. You could see a glint of it in his eyes, and it made everyone around him happy.” How lucky I was, and all of Purtan’s People, that we got to experience that joy firsthand during the summer of 2008. Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/ acting talent, speaker, and emcee. Visit his website at laughwithbigal. com,“Like” Al on Facebook and reach him at amuskovitz@renmedia.us.
I greatly enjoyed your article on the dogs who are being fostered in homes throughout our area (May 7, page 12). But let’s not forget the many cats and kittens who have brought their own brand of love to many of us around Michigan. As the Humane Society and others aim to empty their houses temporarily so that their staff and other workers can rest and stay safe, people like myself are lucky enough to have boarders such as Timothy, my household guest cat. I am hoping that many other people will continue to foster and, perhaps, adopt our wonderful animals. — Diane Pliskow Oak Park
Kudos to FJA I was so happy to see your coverage of Rabbi Cohen from FJA delivering signs to the Class of 2020 (May 14, page 19). It was just a small sample of how hard Rabbi Cohen, the teachers, administration and staff have been working to make this unusual year special for the students and especially the seniors. They have all been going above and beyond to listen to the students and the parents and collaborate on programs that might have gone by the wayside. As this year comes to an end for my son, and for my husband me as an FJA family, we want to express our thanks to FJA for taking such good care of our kids and us through the years. Especially this most challenging year. We will miss being part of Frankel Jewish Academy. — Marianne Bloomberg Farmington Hills
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Views continued from page 6
Arthur M. Horwitz Publisher ahorwitz@renmedia.us F. Kevin Browett Chief Operating Officer kbrowett@renmedia.us | Editorial Editor: Andrew Lapin alapin@thejewishnews.com Associate Editor: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@renmedia.us Social Media and Digital Producer: Nathan Vicar nvicar@renmedia.us Multimedia Reporter: Corrie Colf ccolf@renmedia.us
increase in cases as social distancing rules ease up. If the situation becomes dramatically worse, fear is a tactic to hypnotize the masses and maintain the status quo, shutting down movement for a second time and allowing the Bibi government to keep a tight hold on things. But if the situation continues to improve, Netanyahu can take credit for it. It’s almost a winwin for him. Let’s look at Hungary as an example of what could come: Prime Minister Victor Orbán’s government revised the criminal code in the wake of the outbreak, allowing for up to five years in prison for those who spread “fake news” about the virus. That could easily be extended to any voice of dissent; Orbán has a history of violently quashing political speech in his country. On the home front, there is concern about the U.S. election, which seems likely to take place largely via mailin voting ballots. President Trump helped choose the new postmaster general, a political donor and outsider with no postal experience. The general is appointed by
Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@renmedia.us Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin2132@gmail.com Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar rsklar@renmedia.us Contributing Editor: David Sachs Editorial Intern: Yael Eichhorn yeichhorn@renmedia.us Contributing Writers: Jenna Anderson, Nate Bloom, Shari S. Cohen, Louis Finkelman, Maya Goldman, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Mark Jacobs, Alan Muskovitz, Mike Smith, Sarah Williams
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JUNE 4 • 2020
a board of nine members chosen by the president with the consent of the Senate. As states decide to opt for mailin voting, the postmaster general might move to defund these projects, seriously inhibiting voting in rural areas and states with older populations who don’t want to risk their health visiting a voting booth. The president recently threatened to cut funding to Michigan after the Michigan Secretary of State sent mail-in ballot applications to registered voters, a growing practice among election officials. He baselessly accused the Secretary of State,
Jocelyn Benson, of engaging in fraud. Already, we can see the election and voters’ power in jeopardy. As concerns grow about the impact on global democracy, with individual voting rights weakening and governments using the balagan [chaos] to their advantage by furthering their agendas, Israel is no different. Leaders now have carte blanche to carry on as they wish. We should all be worried. Eli Reiter is a Global Activist Fellow for the New Israel Fund.
LIOR MIZRAHI/GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA
dicey and the Israeli government acted with less oversight from its ally. In another recent example, in 2017 the court ruled in favor of a female plaintiff who had been asked to move her seat because an ultraOrthodox man had refused to sit next to her on an El Al flight from Newark to Tel Aviv, thereby helping to offset the Rabbinate’s outsized power over an otherwise largely secular society. Israel has responded to the coronavirus relatively well compared to other nations. Following strict lockdown orders, the country is flattening its curve and has not had an exponential growth, signaling it has the situation under control. To the relief of parents, the country is reopening many schools. Foreign college students will be let in soon. The positive news is an easy selling point to keep the leadership in place come the proposed swap in 18 months. There have been only 281 fatalities in a country with the population of New York City, and buses and museums are open with minor restrictions. Still, there might be a second
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seen at a menorah lighting at the start of Chanukah in Ramat Gan, Dec. 2, 2018.
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Views guest column
Fighting Anti-Semitism in Sweatpants and Slippers
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JUNE 4 • 2020
COURTESY OF MARK JACOBS
N
o one who has seen the classic film Casablanca can forget the scene. Humphrey Bogart shoots a Nazi officer and the only witness is his new friend, the Nazi Captain Renault, played by Claude Rains. When soldiers arrive just moments after the shooting, Captain Renault looks at Bogie, and then instructs the soldiers, “Major Strasser Mark has been shot. Round up the Jacobs usual suspects.” The “usual suspects” are, presumably, the unfortunate lot of innocent scapegoats who always get targeted for crimes they didn’t commit. In case you hadn’t noticed, some anti-Semites around the world are already blaming the Jews for the coronavirus. To them, Jews are always the “usual suspects,” this time accused of a truly epic crime: creating a global pandemic. It’s actually not the first time this has happened. In the 14th century, in the midst of the Black Plague in Europe that killed an estimated 50 million people, many people blamed the Jews, which led to the slaughter of numerous Jewish communities throughout the continent, particularly in Germany. A variation of that sad theme has played out many times throughout history, including the Holocaust. There’s a crisis of some sort and the Jews — history’s “usual suspects” — will invariably get blamed. So it should come as no surprise that this is happening during this horrific coronavirus pandemic. In recent weeks: • A member of Iran’s parliament recently tweeted that this pandemic “is a kind of biological attack by the U.S. and the Zionist regime.” • At a recent Ohio rally, people were seen carrying signs of a rat wearing a yarmulke and a Star of David, with the words “the real plague.”
• In Germany, anti-Semites distributed yellow stickers shaped like Stars of David with anti-Semitic slurs linking Jews to the virus. • In New York, there are people calling for virus-carrying Jews to wear a patch with the letter “C” for coronavirus. This modern-day version of Jewish scapegoating comes at an extraordinarily volatile time. We have economic calamity, a killer virus, profound political divisions and the technology for anti-Semites to easily spread their hateful message. The anger and rhetoric of far-right hate groups is exploding, and they clearly feel increasingly emboldened to come out from the shadows. Needless to say, this is all a recipe for a powder keg of trouble for Jews and other minority groups, and one would have to be oblivious to history to not recognize it. But good people who wish to do something about it are not powerless, even while we are mostly staying home during this pandemic. There are still a remarkable
amount of things that people are doing to fight hate. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has created an initiative named #FightingHateFromHome, which is a series of webinars that educate and provide practical ways for people to be activists during the pandemic crisis (see adl.org). The ADL’s Michigan Regional Director, Carolyn Normandin, says that far-right hate groups are seeing the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to spread their message: “Hateful opportunists are using the fear and uncertainty of the current crisis to promote anti-Semitism and other forms of hate. If you hear anyone promoting violence or hate, report the incident.” The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has been monitoring hate groups in America for the last 50 years. Lately, during this crisis, the group has been using its “Hate Watch Blog” to expose the activities of right-wing activists who use social media to protest “Stay At Home” orders in various states (see splcenter.org). At the
protest in Lansing in April, we will recall, many of the signage was openly antiSemitic and racist, and included Nazi swastikas and Confederate flags. The SPLC has published a practical resource manual, “10 Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Resource Guide.” Many of the tips can be done from home, including making phone calls, sending emails, educating oneself, pressuring leaders, supporting victims and joining forces with others. As the Resource Guide states: “Do something. In the face of hatred, apathy will be interpreted as acceptance by the perpetrators, the public and — worse — the victims. If we don’t, hate persists.” Locally, the Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC offers a variety of opportunities for volunteers to engage in fighting anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry, even during the coronavirus crisis. (See jcrcajc.org.) “In order to fight anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry,” says Executive Director Rabbi Asher Lopatin, “we have to both advocate for stronger No Hate laws and model respect and civility amongst our diverse communities. So we bring together many different communities — Jewish, Muslim, African American, Hindu, Catholic and others — to be a strong voice against hatred.” For the past three years, the JCRC/AJC has partnered with the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity in operating the Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity. During the time of this pandemic, both the JCRC/AJC and the Coalition have been
particularly active in programming and events on Facebook and Zoom webinars that promote solidarity and speak out against anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry (full disclosure — I’m on the board of the JCRC/ AJC and a co-director of the Coalition). At the 1963 March on Washington, Rabbi Joachim Prinz, with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. standing beside him, told the massive crowd that when he was a rabbi in Berlin under Hitler, he “learned many things. The most important … was that bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problem. The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most shameful and the most tragic problem is silence.” During the time of this pandemic, even though we’re avoiding public gatherings, we don’t need to be silent in the struggle against hate. We don’t need to sit back and powerlessly watch the haters spread their garbage. We can shine a spotlight on who they are, what they say and where they’re going. We can combat their hate with truth. We can mobilize others to join the effort. We can support victims. We can pressure do-nothing politicians. We can and must be a loud, steady and strong voice for good in this world. And we can easily do it all in our sweatpants and slippers from the comfort of our couches. Mark Jacobs is the AIPAC Michigan chair for African American Outreach, a co-director of the Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity, a board member of the Jewish Community Relations Council-AJC and the director of Jewish Family Service’s Legal Referral Committee.
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE
Jews in the D
Friendship Circle Unbroken In a pandemic, the nonprofit’s riendport services ship for people with Soul Studio brings the “joy of art” Circle developmental to JARC residents in West disabilities. Bloomfield, a “I believe that SARAH WILLIAMS nonprofit that offers JARC is really on the CONTRIBUTING WRITER support and programfront line of this,” Shemtov ming to 3,000 individuals said. “Residents usually get — primarily children and teens out during the day to different with special needs and their knew we had to do whatever activities or to employment. families — has been working we could to help continue They [normally] have a lot of hard to bolster its vulnerable these connections.” socialization and now they’re community amid the pandemFriendship Circle’s virtual just shut down.” ic while expanding care to new offerings include workshops, Before the pandemic, indipopulations. playdates, social circles, life viduals served at the nonprofit’s The organization has conlessons and more. Nearly 2,000 residential group homes eagerverted nearly all of its program- people, including new individly awaited weekend visits with ming into virtual experiences, uals and families, are accessing family and friends, said Jessica including Soul Studio, its art its online resources as well as Tierney, JARC’s community program that supports adult its Facebook classes, says Sara engagement manager. They artists with disabilities. SixtyDaniels, director of marketing. relied on the consistency of six artists currently create and Soul Studio’s virtual workvocational programs, employexhibit through the studio and shops have brought a learnment and the encouragement gallery. In addition to supporting curve to both staff and and support given by a variety ing these artists virtually, Soul participants, said Anthony of volunteers. This has dissiStudio is offering free weekly Marcellini, programs and exhi- pated during shelter- in-place art classes to persons served by bitions manager at the studio. when JARC homes are restrictJARC, all who are stuck in their Yet a variety of experiences, ed to essential staff. homes during COVID-19. from one-on-one meetings to Keeping people they served “It was very painful for small group workshops, have mentally and physically active, us to close,” said Friendship evolved, he said. Tierney says, is her top priority Circle co-founder Rabbi Levi Amid isolation, Shemtov right now. When invited, 14 Shemtov about the decision prompted staff to bring the JARC homes totaling 39 parhis organization made on joy of art to others in the ticipants signed up for weekly March 13 to temporarily shut Jewish community. In addiart classes, including all those down during the pandemic. tion to his executive role at living in JARC’s deaf homes. “All the activities we do, all the Friendship Circle, he serves as “We have an interpreter to programs we have, are just a a board member to JARC, a help with instruction,” said setting for creating friendship. Farmington-based nonprofit Tierney. “You can tell how It’s the opposite of isolation. We providing residential and supeager and excited people are.
F
continued on page 13
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JUNE 4 • 2020
Soul Studio’s JARC participants show off their artwork.
“We have always been essential workers because we are contractors for a government account. Right now, 70% of our customers are in that government account,” Glazier said. “So it hasn’t actually affected us too much.” With the new, larger shop in Berkley, Glazier will be able to set up appointment times instead of just having people drop off their cars and wait to hear back about when they’ll be done. “My goal and vision for this new shop is to have a dealership feel and look, but with momand-pop prices,” Glazier said. Glazier is awaiting more lifts for the garage. For now, he will be continuing to only service the government account but hopes to have the shop finished and opened to the public in two weeks. “We pride ourselves on delivering excellent service, and now I want to move that forward even more and make it a place that people actually want to come to,” Glazier said.
along with JARC participants. He describes how the four women living at Samuels Home in Beverly Hills are always excited for class and willing to try anything. “Their shyness, and maybe their fears about their own artistic ability, has fallen away,” he says. “They’re getting much more creative and expressive. It’s really great to see.” Nancy Alpert, age 58, lives at Samuels Home. She looks forward to art class each week, especially since she hasn’t been able to attend her regular day program at Judson Center, an organization in Oakland County helping individuals with special needs build skills and prepare for employment. Art classes are new to Alpert’s routine but, she says, Soul Studio instructor Nick Kramer is a good
teacher who’s “patient” and “nice” to students. Creating collage art has been her favorite project so far, and she’s excited by the prospect of painting. Tierney, who attends each virtual class, says it’s a lot of fun to see how participants are coming out of their shells and taking in art differently than they may have before. Part of that comes from learning to embrace their individuality and unique approaches to the projects, she said. Each home’s direct support staff also play a role in helping classes go well, Marcellini points out. When projects are a success, it’s because that staff has made sure the right materials are there and is supporting each participant in a hands-on way. “Some of the support staff are deaf themselves, but they all sign,”
he explains. “They’re interpreting what’s going on to their participants, sometimes from Abigail, who’s the deaf interpreter. It’s a complex and fascinating process to be a part of… We’re learning a lot.” Virtual classes don’t replace the studio experience, Marcellini adds, but it may groom new artists. “When this is all over, there may be people who are excited to come to the studio who wouldn’t have come before.” For the future of Friendship Circle and those they support, Marcellini and Shemtov agree that some continuation of online programing will likely continue long term. Even after life settles down, virtual classes will offer a way for Friendship Circle to access communities who they aren’t normally able to reach.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ZACK GLAZIER
Alpha Automotive has been around for almost 38 years. Glazier and the owner of the shop, Tim Siterlet, couldn’t stand the thought of the shop closing for good. “The owner of the shop has about 2½ years left before retirement. So, I said, ‘Listen, why don’t I take over? I’ll sign the
new lease, I’ll front the money and you can work for me as long as you want,’” Glazier told the JN. “I told him, ‘Don’t touch your retirement fund’ because that’s what he was going to do to make this work. I thought that was silly.” With the deal in place, Glazier began looking for a new place to house the repair shop about a month ago. He found the perfect location just two miles up the road in Berkley. Glazier’s new location opened June 1. “It is an adventure, to say the least. Trying to coordinate workers to get stuff done and get the shop up and running has been hectic,” Glazier said. “Since everybody is just beginning to start working again, it has been hard to get on schedule.” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on May 21 that automotive shops could reopen by appointment only, but Alpha Automotive has been an outlier in that order because it was already allowed to operate during the shutdown.
Jewish-Owned Auto Garage Moves Locations During Coronavirus Pandemic Zack Glazier believes the rewards of moving outweigh the risks. CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
F
or four years, 33-year-old Zack Glazier has been working at the Alpha Automotive repair shop in Royal Oak. However, the shop was not able to renew its lease, which ended May 31, and was on the hunt for a new location during the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. continued from page 12
I think it’s not only good for our persons served, but I think it’s been a great experience for Soul Studio, too.” Forty tablets were donated to Friendship Circle by Jay Feldman from Feldman Automotive and Mark Wahlberg to help in this endeavor, Daniels said. Many JARC residents don’t have computers or phones, so this increased access to the free instruction. Classes with JARC, which began April 14, are divided between eight groups, four on Tuesdays and four on Thursdays. They run 45 minutes. Art projects have included drawing, collage and will soon be moving into painting. Marcellini says he and facilitating artists Nick Kramer and Vickie Shaheen are experiencing joy and enthusiasm right
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Mid-Michigan Floods Midland temple deals with aftermath; Flint Jewish community offers help. MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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istoric flooding has devastated several cities in midMichigan after two dams in Midland County broke. The flooding displaced about 10,000 people from their homes. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency May 20, urging people to evacuate from the affected areas. The eastern Michigan Jewish community has jumped in to offer assistance to those who’ve been affected by the floods. Steven Low, president of the Flint Jewish Federation, said his organization has had a connection to the tri-cities’ Jewish community for years. When Low heard about the floods, he immediately began to contact people he knew in the area, including
members and leaders of Midland’s small synagogue, Temple Beth El. “We’re waiting to hear from community members and leaders about what they need from us,” he said. “All of the Jewish institutions here are standing by to assist as we can.” Low said it’s still too early to know exactly what the needs of the Midland-area Jewish community will be, but the Flint Jewish Federation may be able to provide temporary housing, food or financial assistance and grants. They also have a bus and van that they could send to help transport displaced residents. “It’s a little trickier to offer volunteers, given the COVID crisis, but to any extent that we can do that and maintain
AP PHOTO/CARLOS OSORIO
Jews in the D
“On the front lawn of many homes, you see washers, driers, carpeting, beds, mattresses, couches, you name it ... it was literally heartbreaking.” — RABBI YISROEL WEINGARTEN
CHABAD OF EASTERN MICHIGAN
ABOVE: Rabbi Weingarten and his sons delivered food and Shabbat supplies to the people affected by the flood. FACING: People photograph the floodwaters of the Tittabawassee River that encroached on downtown Midland, Mich., Wednesday, May 20, 2020. Floodwaters have overtaken dams and forced the evacuation of about 10,000 people from communities in central Michigan. Families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered to leave home May 19, the second time in less than 24 hours.
social distancing and proper health precautions, we’re prepared to provide some sort of volunteers or manpower to assist them as well,” Low said. Chabad of Eastern Michigan, which is based in Flint but also services the tri-cities area, is offering
assistance to people impacted by the floods, too. “The good news is that all the people we know, they’ve conveyed to us that everybody is safe. Their homes may not be safe, but they’re safe,” said Rabbi Yisroel Weingarten, director
C A L L
F O R
of Chabad of Eastern Michigan. Weingarten and his sons went to the tri-cities area May 22 to check in and deliver food and Shabbat supplies to over 35 people. The day before, he worried the bridges and roads he had to take to get there would be blocked, but water had receded enough for him to get through. “You could see devastation. You could see parks flooded, covered in probably two, three feet of water,” Weingarten said. “On the front lawn of many homes, you see washers, driers,
carpeting, beds, mattresses, couches, you name it. I’m telling you, it was literally heartbreaking.” In an email to the Detroit Jewish News on May 20, Temple Beth El President Sheldon Messing said the synagogue’s members seemed to be doing all right. “As far as I know our Jewish community is safe and coping well,” he wrote. “We are a very small congregation, so we look out for one another.” Currently, Temple Beth El has suspended programming until September due to the coronavirus pandemic.
N O M I N E E S
2020 Mandell L. (z"l) and Madeleine H. (z"l)
Berman Award for Outstanding Professional in Jewish Communal Service
ELIGIBILITY FOR NOMINATION All Jewish communal professionals employed by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit (JFMD) or local constituent agencies of JFMD who have been working in the Detroit Jewish community a minimum of five consecutive years may be nominated for the Berman Award.
NOMINATION PROCESS We encourage each agency to submit a nominee no later than July 6, 2020. Names of the nominees will remain confidential and may be re-nominated in subsequent years.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION The recipient of the Berman Award shall manifest the highest professional standards in his/her chosen field. The professional must have made a contribution to and for the general good of the Jewish community, demonstrated creativity, dedication, knowledge and care in the provision of services of the Jewish community. Moreover, in awarding the Berman Award, consideration shall be given to special professional innovation which reflects quality professionalism. First consideration is given to agency professionals, followed by JFMD staff and agency executive directors. The CEO of JFMD is not eligible to win this award. Past Berman Award winners and yearly committee members may nominate candidates for the award, but must recuse themselves from the conversation during the selection meeting. Those past winners and yearly committee members who have submitted nominations may vote in the final selection.
DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: JULY 6, 2020 Questions? Contact Rabbi Ari Witkin at witkin@jfmd.org or 248-203-1460.
Nominate online: jewishdetroit.org/bermanaward
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COURTESY OF JODI MICHAELSON
Jews in the D
Parking Lot Bar Mitzvah COURTESY OF KATE SALER
Some Jewish families get creative during lockdown rules.
TOP LEFT: Daniel Michaelson is hoisted in the air during a horah at his modified bar mitzvah party. TOP RIGHT: Over 50 cars rolled into the Shaarey Zedek parking lot to celebrate Daniel Michaelson. BOTTOM LEFT: The Wittenberg family smiles outside of their Bloomfield Hills home. BOTTOM RIGHT: Waffle Way handed out waffles on a stick to guests as they drove by the Wittenberg house to celebrate Jonah’s bar mitzvah.
MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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odi Michaelson’s youngest son was scheduled to have his bar mitzvah on May 16, and even when the COVID19 pandemic hit this spring, Michaelson knew she didn’t want to reschedule it. “From day one, I said, ‘We’re Jews. We can do this somehow,’” the Huntington Woods resident said. But with social distancing precautions in place, she had to get creative to make the day
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special for her son, Daniel, and the rest of their family. After finding out they could have Daniel’s service in the Congregation Shaarey Zedek sanctuary — Michaelson is a member of the synagogue’s board of trustees — she decided to make use of the synagogue’s large parking lot and throw a surprise drive-in bar mitzvah party for her son. Daniel didn’t know about the party until he walked out of the synagogue after finishing his service, which was only attended by his immediate family and
grandparents but broadcast to friends and family over Zoom. “I’m walking out; I’ve got my mask down because I just got out and I see this huge amount of cars that are honking and … I am speechless,” Daniel said. In an effort to mimic the Shaarey Zedek kiddush luncheons, Jodi ordered individual kiddush boxes from Bake Station for each car with a challah, some small beverage bottles and an assortment of Bake Station’s signature treats. She also hired Star Trax to control traffic in the parking lot and
make sure each car was parked far enough apart. The Michaelson family weaved through the parked cars, making sure to maintain a safe distance from all the guests, and hoisted Daniel up on a chair to do a parking lot horah. “It was just a wonderful, marvelous, unbelievable celebration,” she said. “Everybody was just ready to sort of celebrate life again and celebrate good things, even if it’s socially distant.” The Michaelsons weren’t the only family figuring out how to celebrate a bar mitzvah that
weekend. Over in Bloomfield Hills, the Wittenberg family worked with party planner Julie Yaker to organize a driveby party for their son Jonah’s bar mitzvah, also on May 16. Yaker said they sent out invitations to Jonah’s bar mitzvah in mid-March, but by April it became clear that a party wouldn’t be possible. When the family found out that Jonah’s service had to be held at home instead of in person at Adat Shalom in Farmington Hills, they decided to look for alternative ways to celebrate. After looking at birthday party trends and seeing what people were doing for bar and bat mitzvahs in other states, Yaker and the Wittenbergs decided to do a drive-by party at the Wittenberg home with music, a balloon arch and even a company that handed out waffles on a stick to attendees as they drove by. Over 100 cars came through to celebrate Jonah. “We wanted people to feel comfortable — if people wanted to keep their windows up and drive by, that was totally acceptable. If people wanted to jump out their sunroof and hold out a sign, that was great too,� Yaker said. Stacey Wittenberg, Jonah’s mom, said she was grateful they were able to find a way to mark the occasion. “It was a little bit of a letdown, especially for him, because it’s not how the day was supposed to look like,� she said. “But I think under the circumstances, it was really the best-case scenario.� Yaker, who runs party-planning company EyeCatching Consulting, said she’s worked with many clients this spring
to re-work their celebrations for these unprecedented times — she recently worked on a Zoom engagement party. But several of her clients who had spring bar and bat mitzvahs decided to postpone their parties to the fall, and Yaker isn’t sure what those parties will look like yet. Her advice to people who need to alter their celebrations due to the pandemic? Take time to mourn the original event and then focus on how you can still make it meaningful. “I think we’re just all going to have to get really creative,â€? she said. “Find ways to stay safe and celebrate.â€? Shannon McConnell, senior event director at Star Trax, helped with both the Michaelson and Wittenberg parties. She said they were the first two non-virtual events the company has worked on since Michigan’s stay-at-home order began in March, though they’ve been hosting events over Zoom. “People enjoy celebrating so much, and it’s such a warm feeling for the friends and the families to be able to celebrate these big milestones. I can only envision and hope that sooner or later we’ll be back up and running in some capacity,â€? McConnell said of the future of party-planning. In the meantime, though, any bit of celebration seems to go a long way. “I think the thing I’ll remember most is ‌ how special it is that I actually have people all over the place come to see me,â€? Daniel Michaelson said. “In the end, I feel like this was maybe better than a party. It was definitely more special than one.â€?
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West Bloomfield School District Plans Tentative Fall Re-Opening Blended learning may become the new norm as other schools begin to develop their COVID-19 plans. CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
A
s summer begins to roll in, schools throughout Michigan are beginning to plan for what the fall will bring for their students, families and faculty members. With the effects of the coronavirus pandemic still looming, school districts are trying to find a new “norm.” For the past two months, schools have been involved with distance learning. Students and teachers alike have been faced with new challenges and are eager to get back into the classroom. Unfortunately, that may not be a possibility. One school district, West Bloomfield, rolled out a plan May 18 for the upcoming school year. The district is believed to be the first in the state to do so. Its plan, called “Classroom to Cloud,” provides a roadmap of three potential instructional methods for the fall. “We’re awaiting guidance from Gov. Whitmer, who set up a task force that is going to be looking at the opening of schools,” said West Bloomfield Superintendent Gerald Hill. “They are just starting their work right now, but we thought we needed to get planning in advance of that.” The first plan, “Plan A,” is a blended instruction approach combining both online and in-person instruction. This plan will split the student body in half and allow for 50% of students to come into the classroom on Mondays and Tuesdays and the other 50% to come in on Thursdays and Fridays. There will be a cleaning day on Wednesdays, when no one is in the schools, to provide a safe environment for
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students and faculty. When the students are not in the classroom, they will participate in remote learning. “Plan B” is a continuation of the remote learning that they have been participating in since March. This plan is strictly for if there is a continuation of a stay-at-home order and they need to be compliant with those guidelines. The other option, “Plan C,” provides the option of online instruction to students, parents and faculty. It would be provided as an option for students and parents in the event some do not feel comfortable returning to the classroom. “We want to make sure our families who we are serving have some options,” Hill said. “Everyone has different situations, different needs and different concerns so we want to make sure we can satisfy whatever their concerns are, and that they can select a plan that best fits their situation.” Instructional plans are still under development. The three plans will also be a more competency-based instructional model, as opposed to more traditional methods. Hill and the rest of the district also need to begin forming class schedules for students and implementing social distancing techniques within the classroom. “Schools are not built or designed for social distancing. It is quite the opposite, in fact,” Hill said. “Our classrooms that traditionally house 20-30 students will now have 12-15 students in them. The furniture will now also be socially distanced, and we will have to develop a plan for the cafeteria as well.” West Bloomfield shared its plan with
the West Bloomfield Board of Education on May 18 and has held two Zoom community presentations to address questions and concerns of family members. Although fall seems far away, Hill wanted to begin developing plans sooner rather than later to ensure that families were informed and to also build budgets, which are due June 30. Ann Arbor Public Schools also recently announced its plan for the upcoming school year. According to MLive, the school district is planning for a start date of Aug. 31. Its instruction plan is similarly structured to that of West Bloomfield’s, where it will implement a combination of faceto-face instruction and continued virtual learning. As for Hillel Day School, no final decisions have been made yet for the new school year. However, three internal task forces, Campus Reopening, Academic Continuity and Excellence, and Financial Planning, have begun the planning process. “We are planning for several possibilities for the 2020–2021 academic year that will be consistent with local, state, and federal guidelines and regulations,” Hillel’s statement to parents read. “While life at Hillel might not return to exactly as it was before COVID-19, we are certain our community will bring ingenuity, passion and determination to answering questions of how to adapt to our new normal that preserves the neshama (soul) of Hillel Day School.” Frankel Jewish Academy is also currently developing its plans for the upcoming school year and hopes to have more information by mid-June.
COURTESY OF PIXABAY
Jews in the D
Jews in the D
Jewish retailers, religious leaders react to Whitmer’s new relaxed guidelines. CORRIE COLF AND YAEL EICHHORN
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ov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order May 21 allowing retail businesses and auto dealerships to reopen statewide by appointment May 26. The order also allowed nonessential medical, dental and veterinary procedures to begin May 29. Small gatherings of 10 people or less are also allowed immediately, as long as participants practice social distancing. Retail businesses and auto showrooms are limited to 10 people inside at a time. Salons, restaurants, bars and other industries not mentioned in this order were not authorized to open. “The data shows that Michigan is ready to phase in these sectors of our economy, but we must stay
vigilant and ensure we’re doing everything we can to protect ourselves and our families from the spread of COVID-19,” Whitmer said in a statement. This executive order comes just days after Whitmer announced the partial reopening of Northern Michigan, allowing the reopening of retail businesses, office work that cannot be done remotely, and restaurants and bars with limited seating. All businesses that will reopen must adopt adequate safety measures by providing COVID-19 training to workers that cover workplace infection-control practices, the proper use of PPE, notifying the business or operation of any symptoms of COVID-19 or a suspected/confirmed diagnosis
of COVID-19 and how to report unsafe working conditions. Julie Feldman, owner of Guys N Gals, a clothing boutique in West Bloomfield, told the Jewish News that they “are hiring a cleaning crew to come in.” They planned to reopen May 28. Feldman plans to have only two people working in the store once it reopens and will only allow two customers in the store at a time, by appointment only. Brian Klayman, owner of the Perfect Trading Company in Bloomfield Hills, has been selling KN95 masks but has kept its doors locked. Klayman told the JN that the company will slowly begin to reopen by bringing in one employee per day, conducting deep cleaning and allowing customers in on an appointment basis starting June 1. Whitmer signed another executive order enforcing reopened outpatient health-care facilities, including clinics, primary care
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physician offices and dental offices, to adopt strict protocols to prevent infection. Rabbi Shneur Silberberg of Bais Chabad in West Bloomfield has currently no plans to start services, including minyans that technically could happen due to Whitmer allowing gatherings of 10 people. “We are beginning the process of planning to reopen in some form or another,” Silberberg told the Jewish News. “We are looking at all sorts of options and one thing we would like to do is to try to move things outdoors. We have nothing set in stone yet but are shifting to plan for a safe and cautious reopening.”
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Jews in the D
The Power to Help How one young adult found peace with anxiety and depression. Schostak speaking at One Thing I Wish You Knew event in 2019.
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hen Lauren Schostak was a sophomore in high school, she had coffee with Rabbi Yarden Blumstein, a teen mentor at UMatter, and he knew something wasn’t right. “He could tell I wasn’t myself,” she said. A year later, after going to an inpatient program for anxiety and depression, Schostak, now 18, shared her story of recovery at UMatter’s One Thing I Wish You Knew event in 2019. UMatter is a program focused on empowering teens to shatter the stigmas surrounding mental health challenges. Schostak started experiencing panic attacks when she was 10 years old. “I didn’t know what to call it,” she said. “I had this overwhelming physical and mental feeling, especially in social situations.” She had been a perfectionist from an early age, which caused her anxiety because, without realizing it, she was also struggling with an undiagnosed learning disability. “It was very challenging for me,” she said. “When things weren’t clicking for me in school, it was even more frustrating.” Teasing for her petite frame added to her childhood struggles. “I felt very targeted,” she said. The transition to high school at Frankel Jewish Academy was hard for Schostak. She was thankful to receive support after being diagnosed with social anxiety and a learn-
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JENNA ANDERSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ing disability, but it didn’t help her mental state. Schostak found herself not wanting to do anything. “I was afraid it wasn’t going to be perfect,” she said. “I ended up isolating myself. I got into this very depressive state. Anxiety and depression went hand in hand for me.” Schostak was admitted to an inpatient program in February 2018. She stayed for about two weeks and was treated with a team of doctors and new therapies. “I look back on it and think about its benefits but, in the moment, it was very hard for me,” Schostak said. “I felt like it was an intervention. Honestly, I just wanted to go home.” Schostak’s biggest takeaway from treatment was the courage to advocate for herself. “I was sick and tired of being depressed and anxious all the time. If you don’t want to get better yourself, nothing’s going to change,” she said. “That was a breakthrough moment for me. I was the one who had the power to help myself.” Schostak used this strength to make a major change in her life. She told her parents FJA was not the right school for her. They listened and, in the fall of 2018, she started her junior year at Berkley High School. “I have nothing bad to say about FJA,” she added. “It was just a little too small
for me.” After starting to advocate for herself, Schostak found a passion for mental health. She spoke out about her experience with mental illness and became involved with UMatter. “It has brought a purpose to my life,” she said. “I might be little and quiet, but I’m more than that. I’m not afraid to speak up.” With the help of a friend, Schostak brought a UMatter club to Berkley High School in 2020, which she considers to be one of her biggest accomplishments. Only five schools in Metro Detroit have clubs. “We really just wanted to create a community at our school that was open to talking about mental health because it shouldn’t be stigmatized,” she added. Schostak will be attending Lyman Briggs College at Michigan State University to study neuroscience in the fall. She said her experience with mental illness has given her a passion for the brain and how it works. “I definitely wanted to be an advocate for mental health in college and for the rest of my life,” she said. “Dealing with mental illness is a process. Nothing’s going to change overnight. I still deal with anxious thoughts on a daily basis. I’ve learned ways to cope with that.” This is the second in a four-part series on teens who’ve triumphed over mental health issues.
COURTESY OF LAUREN SCHOSTAK
Yourself
JERRY NAFTALY
Jews in the D
Jewish War Veterans from left to right: William Glogower, Commander - Troop 510; Donald Schenk, Chief of Staff; Mark Weiss, Junior Vice Commander - Michigan Commander Troop 474; Paul Roache, Bugler; Art Fishman, Senior Vice Commander; Ed Hirsch, Department of Michigan Commander; Larry Berry, National Executive Committee - Troop 135; and Rabbi Michael Moskowitz of Temple Shir Shalom.
Honoring our Heroes Jewish War Veterans conduct annual ceremony. ALAN MUSKOVITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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nlike a few years ago, when a late May snowfall forced cancellation, the coronavirus pandemic would not stand in the way of this year’s local Detroit Jewish War Veterans (JWV) annual Memorial Day service in the Veterans Section at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. The ceremony, one of the most critical functions on the JWV’s calendar, was limited in length and participants, and absent of guests, to adhere to current public gathering regulations. “During these difficult times and on this Memorial Day, it is necessary to always remember those individuals whose devotion to duty will never be forgotten,” said JWV Department of Michigan Commander
Ed Hirsch during a live stream led and provided by Rabbi Michael Moskowitz and Temple Shir Shalom. In his remarks, Moskowitz emphasized that while as Jews we are taught to zachor (remember), Memorial Day is more than just honoring the past. “We honor and remember the past in order to inspire us to do what’s right in the future, to hold on to our values, hold on to our democracy, hold on to our priorities, hold on to one another and motivate us to do what’s right for years to come,” he said. Bugler Paul Roache played “Taps”, courtesy of bugles acrossamerica.org, to conclude the abbreviated service, which can be seen on Shir Shalom’s YouTube channel.
JUNE 4 • 2020
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Jews in the D
JCC Day Camps Cancel Early Sessions They are currently still hoping to run session 2 and post-camp session in July and August. COURTESY OF JCC DAY CAMPS FACEBOOK
CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
“We remain hopeful that we will be able to provide a modified camp program later in the summer for kindergarten through sixth graders but, at this point, a potential start date is hard to project,” JCC Day Camps’ statement read. “If we are able to run such a program, it would include new health and safety precautions to safeguard campers and staff and would likely preclude busing as an option.” The camps are run through a partnership with Tamarack Camps, which has already canceled its summer sleepaway
Detroit City Moishe House Seeks New Member Social events and subsidized rent for Jewish 20-somethings.
COURTESY OF DETROIT CITY MOISHE HOUSE
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CC Day Camps is canceling pre-camp and session 1 for its 2020 camp season. It is also canceling all third through sixth grade specialty camp programs and Teen Camps for sixth through ninth graders for summer, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Pre-camp was set to begin on June 15 and session 1 was slated for June 22. As of last week, according to an internal email, JCC Day Camps was still attempting to continue with camp programming. Ultimately, it decided to cancel the first sessions.
YAEL EICHHORN JN INTERN
D
etroit City Moishe House is looking for a new member to join their team this summer. Resident Alyssa Katz says now is a good time for 20-somethings to apply and get involved in Detroit’s community of Jewish recent college graduates. Moishe House hopes to find motivated young Jewish adults to help organize events each month for their peers with the help of educa-
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tional resources, a programming budget and training. Residents also receive a partial rent subsidy. “Anyone who’s motivated to help enrich the Detroit Jewish community, that’s who were looking for,” Katz said. Moishe House was founded in 2006 as a response to Jewish college graduates outgrowing Jewish campus life, and not yet at the stage for young family programs. Moishe House is present
programs. JCC is offering three different refund options for families who have already paid for camp. Families can receive a full refund, apply their payments for future camp sessions or pay it forward as a donation to the JCC. Session 2 of the day camps, scheduled to begin on July 22, and the post-camp sessions, which are set to begin on Aug. 17 and 24, have yet to be canceled. If they are canceled, the refund options will apply to those sessions once a decision is reached. “We do appreciate your
patience, partnership and on-going support, and we look forward to being in touch as soon as more information becomes available,” the statement reads. “Our first priority is the health and safety of our campers and our staff,” Brian Siegel, chief executive officer of the JCC, told the JN. “We didn’t have enough confidence that we could deliver on our promise for the first half so we canceled the first sessions. We are anxious to be able to operate because we think there is a great need for summer camp but we can’t deliver if we can’t do it safely.”
in more than 100 communities in 27 countries and reaches more than 60,000 Jewish young adults each year. Typically, Moishe House holds five to six events a month. These events range from Shabbat dinners to lessons to social events. The house itself is used as a kind of community center. Although the programming has changed during the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Detroit City Moishe House is still hosting at least two virtual events a month, including a recent event about Jewish family recipes. Katz said there was a large turnout despite the event being virtual, and it provided a space for people to share their own recipes and the memories that go along with them. In June, there are plans to hold both a Jewish studies lesson and a yoga lesson virtually.
The first Moishe House in Detroit opened in 2011 and relocated to Indian Village in early 2016. It currently houses four members who hail from Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. There is also a thriving Moishe House in Royal Oak. The organization has expanded to include Jewish Learning Retreats for residents. It also runs Camp Nai Nai Nai, a Jewish “summer camp for adults” that includes typical summer camp activities. This year Camp Nai Nai Nai was held virtually from April 24 to May 22 as “Expedition Nai, The World’s Largest Virtual Color War.” A month’s worth of challenges, from home fashion shows to community service activities, were posted on the website. Interested applicants can contact detroitcitymh@gmail.com.
Jews in the D
Public Pools Ordered to Close for the Summer; TreeRunner Park Opens CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
O
n May 28, Oakland County Health Division, the City of Detroit Health Department, Wayne County Public Health Division and Macomb County Health Department each issued Public Health Orders requiring all public swimming pools to close for the summer. This order is issued under the Michigan Public Health Code to avoid transmission of the coronavirus and diminish a potential summer spike of COVID-19 cases that could prevent schools from opening in the fall.
“With temperatures rising, swimming pools have potential to attract large groups. As regional leaders, we are committed to doing the right thing, and closing pools is the right thing to do to protect the health and safety of residents and prevent the spread of the virus,� the press release read. Pools that are affected by this order include those in apartments, condominiums and hotels. Dive pools, wave pools and water slide pools are also included, but therapy pools used strictly for treatment in healthcare settings are
excluded from this closure. “Although pool water poses a low risk of transmitting COVID19, it is difficult to maintain social distance in and around pools, as well as in the associated facilities- enclosures, deck areas and sanitary facilities,� read the press release. According to Bill Mullan, spokesman for the Oakland County Executive’s office, this order alone covers 940 indoor and outdoor pools throughout Oakland County. Several local communities, including Huntington Woods, had already announced plans to close their pools for the summer. The JCC has three pools on its campus, including an outdoor pool, but are waiting for more clarification on whether or not they can open. The JCC’s health club facilities remain closed. “It is not clear to us when we will be able to reopen our membership at the JCC,� Brian Siegel, chief executive officer of the JCC, said. “We are waiting for greater direction from the governor, so
once we hear that then we will have to make a decision if reopening is safe for our members, including all pool operations.� TREERUNNER ADVENTURE PARK OPENS The TreeRunner Adventure Park in West Bloomfield opened to the public May 29 for socially distanced climbing. The park has obstacle trails of various degrees of difficulty, which include zip lines, barrels, cargo nets and bridges. The adventure park, located behind the JCC, is adhering to the local and federal guidelines by disinfecting the course daily, disinfecting climbing equipment between uses, requiring guests to wear gloves and a mask, and stationing hand sanitizer throughout the park. Following social distancing guidelines, the park is reducing capacity by limiting the number of climbers within the park, allowing only one person on each platform, marking 6-foot distancing in congregation areas, online booking and picnic tables outside.
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JUNE 4 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020
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Oakland University Plans to Freeze Tuition for Fall Semester
OU
Oakland University
Jews in the D
The university also says it will reopen campus this fall. CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
“We are thinking about our students and their families. Pretty much everybody is in the middle of some kind of economic hardship or experiencing some sort of budget shortfall,” Pescovitz told the Jewish News. For the 2019-2020 school year, according to its website, the total cost of attending Oakland University was around $27,370 for freshmen and sophomores who were in-state residents who lived on campus. Oakland University’s tuition includes a no-fee tuition pricing,
O
akland University plans to freeze tuition costs for the upcoming Fall 2020 semester due to the coronavirus pandemic, President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz announced May 22. This plan advocates for a zero percent tuition increase and will be presented to the Board of Trustees at its June 15 meeting, where it will vote on whether it will be Ora Hirsch implemented. Pescovitz
meaning that there are no parking fees, no technology fees, no athletic fees, no online course fees and no lab fees. This no-fee tuition policy allows for students to know right away what their tuition cost will be and not be surprised by hidden fees. “Tuition is one of those things that is obviously a major financial burden. Every year, in Oakland’s history, we’ve always had a tuition increase,” Pescovitz said. “We’re thinking about our students’ budgets and our families’ budgets. Most of our students work. Over 85% of our students are employed, but many of them have lost their jobs, just like many other families may have lost their jobs. We want to do whatever we can to help them.” Oakland University has also been focusing on trying to get students the best possible financial aid packages. Pescovitz told the JN that, on average, about a third of students’ total tuition is covered by grants, awards and scholarships. “This year, I expect it to be
significantly more than that, and part of that is because we were fortunate enough to receive funding from the CARES Act, the stimulus package which provides funding to higher education institutions to provide financial aid grants to qualifying students,” Pescovitz said. “We’re also distributing funds from the Oakland University COVID-19 Relief Fund to students to help with support.” The university is working on a reopening plan for students, faculty and staff to safely return to campus this fall. The plan entails personal health assessments for students, enforcing social distancing, wearing of masks throughout campus, and all cafeterias and eating facilities will be a grab-and-go style. “For me, the health and safety of our campus, students, faculty and staff is even more important than education,” Pescovitz said. “Simply because we can’t educate our students if our campus is not safe. Safety is of the utmost importance.”
County Clerk Office Reopens Residents can take care of business by appointment only. CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER
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JUNE 4 • 2020
to make sure we are practicing social distancing,” Brown told the Jewish News. “We’re just trying to ensure my staff ’s safety and the safety of people we serve by spacing out appointments.” Brown also wants to make sure the people in the community who might not have internet or who Lisa Brown aren’t comfortable using the online services can use the services of their office and make them more accessible. The Oakland County Clerk/ Register of Deeds office is
VIA FACEBOOK
O
akland County Clerk/ Register of Deeds Lisa Brown opened her office by appointment only on May 26. Brown, a member of Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, has served as Oakland County’s Clerk/ Register of Deeds since 2013. She continues to encourage the community to take advantage of the online and mail-in services still available but understands that some business needs to be conducted in person. “The reason why we’re opening by appointment only and not just completely reopening is
responsible for vital records/ life events and services, legal/ court records and register of deeds/property and land. Some services, including obtaining a new concealed pistol license and passports, are not available since the governmental agencies that help with those services are not open or taking applications. “We rely or partner with these other departments or governments to provide those services,” Brown said. “If they aren’t open, then it doesn’t make sense for us to do our part because then that person is just in limbo.” The clerk’s office is enforcing the proper safety measures by
taking everyone’s temperature when they walk into the building, asking them preliminary questions, marking the floor to provide 6 feet of distance between everyone, enforcing everyone to wear a mask when they walk in and also having plexiglass separate the employees from the customers. Residents of Oakland County who wish to make an in-person appointment must head to the Oakland County Clerk’s website to find the correct phone number for each division. The website will also inform residents on what services are available for in-person appointments.
Moments
Feldman-Sofastaii
M
allory Sofastaii and Robert Feldman are happy to announce their engagement. Mallory is the daughter of Diane Sofastaii of Chantilly, Va., and the late Mohsen Sofastaii. Rob is the son of Marla and Murray Feldman of Farmington Hills. Mallory and Rob reside in Baltimore. Mallory is a graduate of Boston University and is employed by WMAR TV in Baltimore as a TV reporter/anchor. Rob is a graduate of the University of Michigan and is employed by iHeartRadio as program director at the Top 40 station in the Washington, D.C., area, HOT 99.5. A May 2021 wedding will take place in Key West, Fla.
Congratulations! Lydia Lee With determination, hard work, and humor, you accomplish your goals. Thoughtful, you find ways to make people feel special. It has been our greatest joy to raise you and see you grow. We are proud to be your parents. Love, Mom and Dad.
Pikstein 25th
CANTOR SAMUEL
D
an and Ronnie Pikstein of West Bloomfield are marking their 25th wedding anniversary. Love is sent by Avivah, Yakirah, Zenah and Adam.
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Stern 50th
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yles and Laura Stern of Farmington Hills celebrated their 50th anniversary on March 7, 2020. They were delighted to spend it with their son Jon and his family in San Diego. They look forward to a future celebration with their two beautiful daughters, Rebecca and Karen, and their families.
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JUNE 4 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020
| 25
Moments CAP & GOWN 2020
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ELIJAH APPELMAN
JOSHUA DUBIN
Bloomfield Hills High School Jewish Fund Teen Board & Leadership Committee, Principal Bass, Bloomfield Hills Symphony Orchestra, Youth United and Teen Volunteer Corps. College undecided
Berkley High School National Honor Society, National French Honor Society, Marching Band, JV Tennis Captain, Architecture, Construction, Engineering Mentor Program. Lawrence Technological University
JASON BROWN
MICAH EIZEN
Bloomfield Hills High School Marching band, Jazz band, Symphony band, Adventure Club, Bowling team, Charter member, also Treasurer, Vice President, President Tzavah BBYO, BBYO Regional Vice President, performed in school plays and musicals on stage and in the pit, Willoway staff. Michigan State University
Farber Hebrew Day School/ Yeshivat Akiva Student Council President, Central East NCSY Regional Vice President, President of the Detroit NCSY Executive Board, David Tanzman Memorial Tournament Commissioner twice, Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, Varsity Basketball Captain. Yeshivat Orayta and Yeshiva University
TORIN CAPLAN
AERIN FINK
Cranbrook Kingswood Honors, Dean’s List, Gold Key member, Founding director of Families Fighting Against MS. Michigan State University
Cranbrook Kingswood Field Hockey, Tennis, UMatter, Co-creator of L’Dor v’dor at Friendship Circle. Tulane University
SHAYNA CHIMOVITZ
SEDONA FRAWLEY
Berkley High School Varsity Softball, Cross Country, JSU Co-President. Oakland Community College
Walled Lake Northern High School Michigan State University
SHELBY COHEN
LINDSEY GRIMES
North Farmington High School National Honor Society, Honor Roll, Student Senate, Student Board, Senior Company Dancer at Studio A, Ahava BBG. Michigan State University
West Bloomfield High School National Honor Society, Cum Laude, AP curriculum, Global Leadership Adventures, 100+hours community service: summer 2017 in Costa Rica, summer 2018 in Peru, Summer 2019 in Ghana, Varsity Figure Skating, Ice Hockey. Michigan State University
JUNE 4 • 2020
DAVID HONIG Walled Lake Northern High School AP Scholar with Distinction, College Board, National Honor Society, National Science Honor Society, National Spanish Honor Society Treasurer, Academic Varsity Letter, Honor Guard 2019 Commencement, Class Council Treasurer, Student Council, Class PTSA Representative, Varsity Tennis Co-Captain & MVP, Varsity Bowling, Varsity Letter, All-Conference Athlete, Varsity Scholar-Athlete, Academic All-State Team, JCC Maccabi Gold Medalist Tennis, Interact Club Coordinator of Volunteer Tutoring, Jew Crew Club Co-Founder & Treasurer, W&L Johnson Scholar. Washington & Lee University
RAPHAEL IFRAIMOV Frankel Jewish Academy Soccer team, Basketball team, NCSY Central East Board, YUNMUN convention delegate. Northwood University
ETHAN MOSTYN Frankel Jewish Academy Varsity Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Basketball team Captain, Voted MVP, All-Catholic League Award. Excellence in Hebrew Award, AL Jolson AZA, Tamarack counselor. Michigan State University
TAL RUBIN Frankel Jewish Academy Annual Basketball Charity tournament for Friends of the IDF, Midterm Election Volunteer Coordinator, Super 5k Road Charity Race, CTeen International, Debate Team. Michigan State University
ASHER SCHREIBER
JEREMY KAHAN Bloomfield Hills High School AAA Hockey, Varsity Hockey, Team MVP, AllState and All-Conference Goalie. Michigan State University
Berkley High School Tri-M, National Honor Society, FNHS President, Mu Alpha Theta, Founder of Teens for Religious Exploration & Enrichment Club, 100+ hours of community service, Summa cum laude, LINK mentor. St. Olaf College
PHILLIP WEINSTEIN
ARI KATZ Bloomfield Hills High School St. John Hospital volunteer, Junior Varsity Ski and Lacrosse. Wayne State University
Groves High School National Honor Society, First Chair Band, Symphony Band, Friendship Circle President’s Board, Tamarack Teen Board, Temple Israel graduate, Friendship Circle volunteer. University of Michigan
BLAKE ZAMLER Groves High School National Honor Society, Kishon AZA, DECA regional finalist, Freshman and JV Basketball, Big Brother mentor. College undecided
JUNE 4 • 2020
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Spirit
S
ome Jews never go to synagogue; some go on festivals or every Shabbat. Some Jews say their prayers in the synagogue every single day. At least, they did until a few months ago. The COVID-19 pandemic closed synagogue doors across the world. By late May, constant shul-goers have gone without seeing the inside of a synagogue for more than two months, as long a period without public prayer as they had ever endured. They still pray. Only now they pray, or “daven,” without a minyan — the quorum of 10 Jewish people needed to pray as a community. Shul-goers in liberal streams of Judaism attend Zoom services, which have won devotees. “I have virtually participated in and/or listened to many services in the past eight weeks of being confined,” said Suzanne Levin of Pleasant Ridge, recently widowed. “Some with temples/ synagogues I previously attended, and some with places new to me. I actually attended three seders in three time zones on the first night of Pesach. One weekend I said kaddish for my husband three times in about 16 hours. I have found it comforting.” Another pleased worshipper, Lena Vayneberg of Hazel Park, also approves of the new virtual format. “I really, really enjoyed Zoom and Facebook (Facebook more than Zoom) synagogue events. I hope they continue after quarantine is lifted,” she said. Some shul-goers of the more Conservative streams of Judaism have gone “cold turkey,” replacing public with private prayer. That has been the case for Rebecca Tron of Walled Lake. “My Conservative congregation (B’nai Israel of West
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JUNE 4 • 2020
Bloomfield) holds Zoom services on weekdays but not on Shabbat, so that’s when I daven alone,” Tron said. “I miss the prayers that require a minyan, and I miss the communal experience, especially the sound of singing together.” But, Tron added, “It’s sometimes nice to take my own time on the prayers … and to think up my own d’var Torah.”
worked. “Nathaniel has been getting up early to daven before the kids get up. For the first few weeks he was trying to daven while kids slowly got up and wanted breakfast, and it was not working so well,” Shaina said. But young children complicate synagogue attendance as well. Jeffrey Dorfman of Cape Town, South Africa, reports that
Prayer During Lockdown Stay-at-home order changes the way people daven.
LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
PRAYER ENHANCED Shmuly Yanklovitz, an Orthodox rabbi and dean of Valley Beit Midrash in Phoenix, Arizona, acknowledges the loss, but looks for gains as well. He recently asked his rabbinic colleagues: “In what ways was your davening enhanced (if at all) over these past months?” The question circulated among shul-going Jews in Metro Detroit and around the world. Parents of young children struggle to find quiet space for prayer. Nathaniel and Shaina Shevin Warshay, former Detroiters who now live in Jerusalem, tried a few systems before they found one that
“with young children at home … we had fallen into showing up late for shul.” Now, saying his prayers at home, Dorfman has “reacquainted himself with old friends”— prayers from early in the service he usually missed when he came to shul late. Those with quiet homes, though, might miss other aspects of the communal prayer. “I miss the community of ‘being in shul’ and listening to others while davening,” said Micki Grossman of West Bloomfield. Barry Dolinger, rabbi of Congregation Beth Sholom in Providence, Rhode Island,
reports that when he prays alone, he misses the connection with his local congregation. “But,” he said, “I feel much more connected to imagined ancestors, whose prayer experience I presume to have mirrored … in relationship to the actual celestial day. And I wish the streetlights would just go off so I could actually see the night sky unabridged.” Praying with a community imposes time constraints. Prayers start at a certain time and proceed at a certain pace. Without a congregation, some people have decided to coordinate with nature, saying the morning service at sunrise, the afternoon as the day wanes and the evening service at night. Others enjoy freedom from the alarm clock and pray whenever they happen to awaken. One suburban Detroiter sets his alarm clock to right before the last time for the morning Shema. For Rabbi Stephen Belsky of Oak Park, Shabbat and weekday services also feel different. He finds it “easier to relax, concentrate and say everything on Shabbos without worrying about getting out of sync with the shul.” However, he finds it “much more difficult to concentrate during the week.” Robert Buxbaum of Oak Park prefers prayers at home but misses the synagogue. “My main prayers are better at home, I find,” he said, “but there are some aspects of the shul service that I miss a lot: the learning, the camaraderie, the Torah reading.” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has loosened Michigan’s stay-athome restrictions to allow for gatherings of 10 — enough for a minyan. However, most shuls remain cautious and have yet to reopen their buildings.
Spirit torah portion
The In-Between Zone
W
e all have an in-beleft unfilled. tween zone: the We all lead busy lives. I constant waiting often hear from people who period between two items wish they could do more mitzon our schedule too short to vot and join Torah classes, but make anything productive of they just don’t have the time. it. We humans often spend In 1967, Detroit hosted lots of our life in such zones, the annual Chabad women’s waiting. convention. Following the In this week’s portion, the convention, the return flight Torah reports of the generous scheduled to take the New sacrifices offered by the 12 York-based group back home princes of Israel for the newly was canceled due to a snowinaugurated Tabernacle. storm. The organizer of the In addition to their group called the office of individual gifts, the the Lubavitcher Rebbe, princes constructed Rabbi Menchem M. six large wagons for Schneerson, and reported transporting the large the group was stuck in beams and coverings of the airport. After putting the Tabernacle. her on hold, the secreRabbi Levi Dubov Interestingly, the tary came back on the Talmud teaches that line: “The Rebbe doesn’t Parshat the princes measured understand the word Naso: the precise dimensions ‘stuck.’” The organizer Numbers of the beams and covtried explaining what 4:21-7:89; erings, accounting for being ‘stuck’ means; the Judges how much storage, secretary replied, “The 13:2-25. without an extra inch Rebbe understands to spare. The Talmud English. The Rebbe says reports that it was tight and that a Jew is never stuck.” precarious fit, and there was Every moment has a misconcern that due to the tresion, and every situation has mendous weight and pressure its purpose. We are never of the beams stacked on one “stuck.” The next time you another, some of them could find yourself waiting in one of become unstable. those “in-between” zones, ask This seems to be extreme yourself how you can make penny-pinching stinginess. this moment purposeful. Why be so cheap on material When I was a child, I heard and compromise on conof the Jewish bus driver in venience? Why not gift 12 Brooklyn who completed the wagons, one from each prince, entire Talmud, a tremendous and lighten the load of each achievement even for the seawagon? soned Torah scholar. How did This question is even more he do it? In those small breaks glaring when you contrast this while waiting: the “in-bewith the evident generosity tween” zones. in their individual offerings. Let us all take inspiration What happened to the spirit of from the princes of Israel and generosity and dedication by never let a single inch of our the wagon donation? life go to waste. There is a But here is where the Torah whole world of holy potential is begging us to probe deepwaiting for us in the ‘in-beer. The princes of Israel are tween’ zone. Let’s go and dissharing with us that when it cover it. comes to our dedication to Rabbi Levi Dubov directs the Chabad God, we should never leave any “gaps;” no space should be Jewish Center of Bloomfield Hills.
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Arts&Life on the cover
JERRY ZOLYNSKY
The
Positive
Art
Power of
Kadima Creative Expressions helps people improve their mental health. RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
F
or years, Joel has dreamed of creating a graphic novel from the Star Trek-inspired art project he began as a teen. Today, thanks to Kadima’s Creative Expressions program, he is on the way to bringing his longtime dream to fruition. “It takes place in the 47th century; there’s some very far out and complex stuff,” he said. Beyond publishing a book, his aspirations include a video game, a movie and a pilot for a television series. HARNESSING THE POWER OF ART The Creative Expressions program began in 2016, as Kadima leadership realized the arts can have a positive impact on people coping with various mental health issues. “Studies show the important power of the arts for improving mental health and creating community and positive connections
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JUNE 4 • 2020
between people,” says Eric Adelman, executive director of Kadima, which provides a variety of residential, therEric Adelman apeutic and social services to people with mental health challenges. “These people have experienced a lot of closed doors; they haven’t had a lot of opportunities to engage in the arts.” Barbara Kratchman, whose long career in the arts and cultural community includes serving as director of the Michigan Council for the Arts, was instrumental in developing the program. Kratchman, who is married to past Kadima president Michael Kratchman, helped develop partnerships with local arts organizations such as the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and the College for Creative Studies (CCS). “The benefits to our mem-
TOP: Finishing touches are added to a collaborative mural painting directed by Joel Kaufman. ABOVE: Eastern Market was the backdrop for a Kadima photography class.
bers have been palpable. People have embraced this program beyond what I’ve ever dreamed,” said Kratchman, who serves as chairperson of the Creative Expressions Council. “It’s brought people out of themselves and taught them they could do things they never imagined they could.” The program has flourished under the direction of program coordinator Craig Nowak, a professional artist and CCS instructor who became acquainted with Kadima when he taught a plein air (outdoor painting) class. When asked to join the organization on a fulltime basis, he enthusiastically accepted. “It’s the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had,” he said. PRE-PANDEMIC PROGRAMMING Before the pandemic, at the Kadima headquarters at the Lois and Milton Y. Zussman Activity Center in Southfield, there was
a flurry of activity. Art programs in conjunction with the College for Creative Studies included printmaking/commercial arts, a mural painting class at City Hall Artspace Lofts in Dearborn, plein air (outdoor) painting and photography/stop-motion animation. A variety of music classes, some taught by visiting DSO musicians, include instrumental instruction, singing and movement. Among the most popular classes was a creative writing workshop and a member-written newsletter, the Kadima Voice. Classes were augmented with field trips to the DIA and tickets to performances by the Michigan Opera Theatre (MOT), DSO and other local arts events. Before in-person sessions were suspended, Joel also participated in the photography and music classes, where he played trombone and piano. “Kadima has been very bene-
ficial to my music and my art,” he said. “I learned about mixing colors…and the different processes of layering paint in a positive, fun atmosphere.” THERAPEUTIC PROGRAMS In addition to providing numerous creative opportunities, the program utilizes certified therapists who help coordinate members’ chosen activities with their individual treatment goals. This includes art and music therapy and a drum circle that helps members focus on feelings and personal identity within a supportive group setting. A family culinary arts therapy program brings members together with family and friends for a joint meal planning and cooking session that includes opportunities for socialization and problem solving. “This is not just a ‘feel good’ program,” Adelman said. “When we’re engaging with people with persistent mental illness, we need to know we’re doing good work.” FLOURISHING TALENT For Michael, whose musical talents include singing, guitar playing and piano, the music enrichment classes are a natural choice. “It’s great. I get to sing, dance, move to the music, interact with the other clients, perform before groups and work with DSO musicians,” he said. Michael, who majored in journalism at Michigan State University and considers himself “a bit of a wordsmith,” also
enjoyed the creative writing workshops. He recalls a writing assignment where members were asked to imagine they were super heroes. “My super powers would be empathy, peace, love and understanding,” he said. Michael had fun staging a King Kong-style scene in the photography class and enjoyed painting a fountain at Cranbrook Gardens in the plein air course last summer. Miriam, who began playing the violin in third grade, is another regular member of the music program. In addition to learning from DSO musicians, she worked with a music therapist to choose themes and songs that optimized her talents and musical preferences. She was thrilled to perform in front of friends and family members at Orchestra Hall in the recital that culminates each session. “It’s therapeutic to both learn and become more confident with my playing,” said Miriam, who likes Jewish music and wants to learn how to play “Canon in D” by Johann Pachelbel. CREATIVITY GOES VIRTUAL When the pandemic hit, Kadima staff worked quickly to adapt programming so members can participate from the safety of their homes. The DSO music enrichment classes are taking place over Zoom. New additions include a songwriting class and a special session for members who are new to the music program. A virtual
TOP: Kadima artists Madison Dunbar (sitting) and Brittany Strickland work collaboratively on a mural painting. BOTTOM: DSO musician Jeremy Crosmer joins Kadima’s Miriam Weiner at a performance.
photography class with CCS instructor Gabby Baginski is under way. Nowak is leading a creative writing class where each member begins a story and passes it along until each member has written an installment. “It’s been keeping them active and very creative, too,” said Nowak, who is distributing tablets to members who don’t have computers at home. “It’s important that everyone stay connected.” Art therapist Shazia Siddiqi from “Let’s Art About It” in Clawson is providing weekly individual sessions online. In addition, Nowak has designed creativity kits that include a variety of adult coloring books and sketchbooks, acrylic and watercolor painting supplies, clay, knitting and crochet kits, hat and scarf looms, embroidery kits, origami, beading kits, and collage materials. All of the kits come with instructions and links to YouTube videos. While the venues have changed, the artists are as prolific as ever. During the past
several weeks, Joel has written the story for his graphic novel and drawn 100 new pages. The Creative Expressions program is funded by grants from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Foundation, in addition to private donations. An art exhibition is now online, in lieu of the canceled June fundraising benefit at Rustbelt Market in Ferndale. People can see members’ art by visitingkadimacenter.org/events/ frame-of-mind. The Creative Expressions Program will be showcased again at Kadima’s annual Community Awards Night, scheduled for Oct. 8, at the Royal Oak Farmers Market. For Adelman, the payoff is seeing members blossom as a result of their participation in the arts program. “Seeing people who otherwise tend to be withdrawn realize they can do things they couldn’t do before … It translates to the rest of their lives,” Adelman. said “These are the steps that lead to recovery, happiness and a positive self-image.” JUNE 4 • 2020
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Arts&Life culture
Keeping
Arts Alive
Detroit’s cultural gems face multiple challenges during the pandemic. SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
T
DONALD DIETZ
he lights may be dim and the microphones disconnected, but leading local cultural organizations are working hard to provide art, music and education to their followers and the general public. The COVID-19 pandemic and Michigan’s “stay-at-home” order meant that concerts were canceled by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), Michigan Opera Theater (MOT) and the Chamber Music Society of Detroit (CMSD), among other local performing arts organizations. The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) closed its building and collections to visitors and canceled its educational and other programs. However, the pandemic has spurred all four nonprofit organizations to develop new ways of reaching their audiences. At the same time, they are being challenged to maintain financial stability despite drastically
DSO President and CEO Anne Parsons and Chairman Mark Davidoff
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JUNE 4 • 2020
reduced revenues. The DIA, DSO and MOT all received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program — part of the Federal CARES Act. LET THE MUSIC PLAY When the pandemic hit Michigan, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra had a crisis plan in place and had reviewed its protocols through a risk management study a few years earlier, according to Anne Parsons, DSO president and CEO. “We preempted the governor’s declaration and made changes in stages as things unfolded,” she said. “The immediate impact was disappointment, because sold-out performances of Carmina Burana were canceled for the weekend of March 13. Decision-making was in place with a focus on health and safety.” Subsequently all concerts were canceled through Aug. 31. DSO board chair Mark Davidoff says the organization benefited from a unique governance model in which the board usually operates collectively to make decisions, rather than relying on its executive committee. “We’ve all rallied to the moment — across the landscape,” he says, referring to Metro Detroit. Davidoff cites increased involvement of DSO board members with almost
DIA CEO Salvador Salort-Pons
100 percent participation on conference calls. He is CEO of the Fisher Group and formerly served as executive director of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. DSO staff quickly started to project the organization’s financial status without concert revenue. Fortunately, the DSO’s balance sheet was solid, the debt on its building was settled in 2012 and an adjacent office building owned by the DSO had been sold. However, the DSO’s June fundraising gala was canceled, and DSO leaders recognized the potential limitations for donations since many individuals’ investment portfolios had declined due to the pandemic and there was great financial need throughout the community. DSO staff, musicians and stagehands all took pay cuts, but there have been no layoffs for full-time staff. A plan for a “Resilience Fund” was developed with active involvement by the board and musicians. An immediate goal of $1 million was quickly met with 100 percent board participation. The fundraising effort will go public soon with a goal of raising another $1 million. The DSO has been streaming concerts online since 2011, so it was able to quickly expand its offerings, including a live chatroom on Facebook with
DIA
the
comments from some musicians. The DSO also has an Innovation Committee with significant musician involvement and is regularly adding new programs, which Parsons says are creating “a deep connective tissue between musicians and audiences.” She anticipates that they will continue even when live concerts return. TAKING ART ONLINE The Detroit Institute of Arts closed to the public on March 13 and, since then, only essential staff remain on site to safeguard the building and its collection. According to Salvador SalortPons, director, president and CEO, the DIA has instituted a hiring and salary freeze and significantly cut expenses, including a 20 percent salary reduction for those at the vice president level and above. The DIA has established a Sustainability Fund to help compensate for revenues lost from being closed. “Our volunteers and donors continue to be incredibly supportive of the museum and our efforts,” Salort-Pons says. “When we shifted our programming online in March, we committed to continuing to serve the residents of Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties with the benefits they receive from the DIA — free access to our world-class collection, field
AUDIENCE SUPPORT Unlike the DIA, DSO and MOT, the Chamber Music
We are looking at different scenarios for 2020-21,” Walker says. The future holds many unknowns for these cultural institutions, as it does for other components of society during this pandemic. “There is a great deal of uncertainty about what the future holds, and preparing for that wide range of possible scenarios, both from a financial standpoint and a staff and visitor health standpoint, is challenging,” Salort-Pons says. The DIA has engaged NSF International (a nonprofit public health and safety organization based in Ann Arbor) to develop policies and operating procedures for staff and visitors when the museum can reopen and is coordinating its efforts with neighboring cultural institutions in Midtown. DIA staff expects that when the museum is able to safely reopen, some elements may need to be changed, such as its interactive features that require personal touch. Also, the number of visitors at any one time will be limited. The DSO hasn’t decided yet about its fall season. “There needs to be a feeling of security. A packed house seems unlikely,” Parsons says. “Uncertainties are something we will all have to get comfortable with — there are so many variables,” she adds.
MOT CEO Wayne Brown COURTESY OF WILLA WALKER
OPERA AT HOME Michigan Opera Theatre reports that like many other theaters, it is facing the financial challenges of lost ticket revenue, including ticket refunds for canceled performances. MOT had to cancel most of its spring season, which included three operas as well as dance performances by the Dance Theatre of Harlem and American Ballet Theatre, both of which were expected to sell out. As a substitute for its planned live operas, dance and other musical concerts, MOT is offering MOT at Home — an extensive array of performances, interviews and educational programs for children and adults using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Preview performance talks are offered before nightly livestreamed operas. “We hope that the digital performances and informative contact of ‘MOT at Home’ may be a source of inspiration, comfort and hope,” states Wayne Brown, MOT’s CEO, on its website.
Society of Detroit (CMSD) does not own a building, nor does it maintain an orchestra or large staff. As a chamber music presenter, it rents space for concerts at the Seligman Performing Arts Center, part of the Country Day School Campus in Beverly Hills, which closed in March. The Chamber Music Society was established in 1944 by Dr. Karl Haas, a pianist and radio music educator whose family left Germany in 1936. Many CMSD subscribers and donors are members of the local Jewish community. Audience support was quickly evident when CMSD’s concert series was canceled due to COVID-19; 60 percent of its subscribers donated the value of their tickets back to the organization. After the cancellations, a series of original online concerts was developed to connect with its audience and help musicians, explains Willa Walker, CMSD vice president. CMSD then recruited collaborating presenters at various levels of support for the live webcasts. Each participating musician receives an honorarium. According to CMSD, the streamed series of seven concerts has attracted almost 40,000 views with an average concert audience of 5,700. Viewer contributions for the musicians, as of May 18, total $5,790. While the CMSD doesn’t have the overhead of larger cultural institutions, the pandemic resulted in lost revenue and uncertainty about the future. “To sustain our mission, we have applied for grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Community Fund for Southeast Michigan.
CMSD Vice President Willa Walker SARAH SMARCH
trips from home, activities for seniors and highlighting our community partners. In many cases, our online engagement is higher than what we experience for in-person programs, and I foresee offering both options to our community in the future,” Salort-Pons says. Recognizing that not everyone has internet access, the DIA has distributed printed art-making project instructions in Forgotten Harvest’s food distribution boxes, which reach 18,000 residents of the tri-county area weekly.
MOT FACEBOOK
Arts&Life
DSO Chairman Mark Davidoff, incoming Music Director Jader Bignamini and President and CEO Anne Parsons
DONATE OR FIND ONLINE PROGRAMMING Chamber Music Society of Detroit: Chambermusicdetroit.org Detroit Institute of Art: DIA.org Detroit Symphony Orchestra: DSO.org, DSO.org/keepplaying and DSO.org/replay Michigan Opera Theater: Motopera.org
JUNE 4 • 2020
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Arts&Life
USA NETWORK
celebrity jews
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
NEW OFFERINGS AND MORE In 1989, Betty Broderick entered the home of her ex-husband, Dr. Dan Broderick, and shot and killed Dan and his wife, Linda, in their bed. Broderick, the mother of Dan’s two children, claimed she had been the subject of various types of abuse by Dan. The prosecution said the murder was the culmination of years of bizarre and often violent behavior by Betty, directed at Dan, after he left her for a much younger woman. It took two trials to convict
her of murder. I vividly recall a terrific 1991 Law and Order episode based on the Broderick case. Shirley Knight, a great actress who recently died, gave a powerhouse performance as the Betty Broderick-inspired character. The Broderick case is the subject of the second season of the crime anthology series Dirty John. Christian Slater plays Dan, and Amanda Peet, 48, plays Betty. If she can match Knight’s performance, Peet will win an Emmy.
(The eight-episode series premiered June 2, USA Network. Many encores/also on-demand.) The season finale of ABC’s Who Wants to be a Millionaire (June 4, 8 p.m.) features Anderson Cooper and talk show host Andy Cohen, 51. They met many years ago when they were set up for a blind date. They didn’t go out on the date because in the first five minutes of talking, Cohen mentioned that Cooper’s mother was Gloria Vanderbilt. Cooper had a “rule” that he wouldn’t date any guy who did that. However, they went on, in their words, to be “best of friends.” In other gay romance news, Ben Platt, 26, is reportedly dating Noah Galvin, also 26 (his mother is Jewish). This surely isn’t the first time that two gay, Jewish Broadway musical stars have dated. The novelty here is that they both played the title role in the mega-hit musical Dear Evan Hansen. I told an elderly relative about this. She thought and said: “It’s good they are dating a Jewish boy.”
Comic actress Esther Povitsky, 32, has a Comedy Central special that premieres June 5 at 10 p.m. It is a combination of stand-up bits and scenes filmed at her parents’ home in Skokie (the “very” Jewish suburb of Chicago). Her dad is Jewish; her mom is not. Povitsky has had had many TV guest shots and a Freeform cable series called Alone Together. Very different is Lenox Hill, a Netflix documentary series about the famous Manhattan hospital. It follows four physicians as they balance their personal lives with their professional careers. Only two of the physicians have been identified in advance publicity. One is Dr. David Langer, 50ish, the head of neurosurgery. Langer has often appeared as a medical expert on shows like Good Morning, America. The series was filmed before the pandemic. Lenox Hill has been a “ground zero” hospital dealing with the worst of our modern plague (complete first season releases June 10).
On The Go STAYING CONNECTED At this time of social distancing, the Jewish News will try to bring awareness to events/learning situations offered online by synagogues, temples and community organizations. OPERA LOVERS Stream full-length Met operas online. The Metropolitan Opera is offering free, livestream presentations of its operas every evening during the coronavirus closure. The performances, “Nightly Opera Streams,” are encore presentations of its award-winning Live in HD series. The streams begin at 7:30 p.m. every evening and remain available on its homepage for 20 hours. MUSICAL PERFORMANCES The Chamber Music Society of Detroit offers free, livestream performances. Currently at cmdetroit.org you can
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view: Marc-Andre Hamelin (pianist), Schroder Umansky Duo, Third Coast Percussion and Curtis on Tour. BUSINESS TIPS NOON, JUNE 5 “Tips for Managing Your Business During a Crisis,” presented by the Jewish Working Women’s Network. Join fellow Jewish Working Women for this special Lunch and Shmooze online event that begins at noon, with Leigh Dones Moss, attorney and founding member of Moss Law PLC. The discussion will include best practices and important factors to consider in a financial crisis that will help you keep your business doors open and running smoothly, such as the ability to obtain federal loans, making lease payments, paying the claims of vendors, as well as addressing employee needs. Questions? Contact Marianne at bloomberg@jfmd.org, or register online at jewishdetroit.org.
PRIDE KABBALAT SHABBAT 6 PM, JUNE 5 Join NEXTGen Detroit PRIDE and The Well in celebrating the first Shabbat of Pride Month with a virtual gathering of the Jewish young adult LGBTQ+ community for an online event at 6 p.m. Join together for Shabbat rituals, followed by some inclusive Jewish learning and discussion facilitated by three special guest rabbis: Rabbi Ari Witkin from the Jewish Federation, Rabbi Ariella Rosen from JTS and H.L. Miller Cantorial School and Rabbi Becca Walker from Beth David Synagogue in Toronto. This online event is intended for young adults ages 21 to 45. Allies are welcome. Register online at jewishdetroit.org/event/ pride-kabbalat-shabbat/ to receive the private Zoom link for this event. Questions? Contact Tomer Moked at moked@jfmd.org or Marisa Meyerson at marisa@meetyouatthewell.org.
THE ARK
virtual events | learnings
FAMILY CONCERTS 8 PM, JUNE 5 The Ark in Ann Arbor presents a series of family concerts streaming on the Ark Facebook page; a Facebook account is not necessary to view them. June 5 is Natalia Zukerman, classical guitarist. Later this month, See Peter Mulevy, songwriter/guitarist 7:30 p.m., June 7, and John McCutcheon (pictured), classic American songster, 8 p.m., June 11. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews. com.
Nosh
dining around the d
Home-Delivered FRESHLY FACEBOOK
Meals
ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
H
Homestyle Chicken with Butternut Mac & Cheese from Freshly
FRESHLY
ome-delivered meals were available before most Americans began staying home during the continuing pandemic. Now companies offering this option are sprouting up like spring flowers on my Facebook feed and emails. From my research, commercial meal services are a good solution for seniors and others staying inside because their compromised immune systems make them potential victims of COVID-19. Some of those staying home may need help because they can’t easily obtain groceries, or they might not like Meals on Wheels. Another candidate for meal delivery services is someone cooking more now because of Gov. Whitmer’s shelter-inplace order and the shuttered restaurants. This person (me!) sometimes wants a break. I took a look at companies offering ready-to-eat meals because they’re an easier option than meal kits. In general, meal-delivery companies offer customers varied, high-quality meals. Payment is by a credit card on file, charged weekly, but customers may skip weeks or cancel at any time.
FRESHLY freshly.com Freshly offers the convenience of well-prepared, healthy, flavorful meals with no shopping, preparing or clean-up necessary. Customers choose from 30 chef-prepared, all-natural meals without artificial ingredients, preservatives and added sugars. Meals take three minutes in the microwave. The price per serving, $8.99, is currently listed on the home page for boxes of 6 or 9 meals.
Shipping is free. Meals arrive in a recyclable refrigerated box. User Reviews: “Our monthly food bill has been cut nearly in half.” … “Freshly allows me to try new things.” … “Customer service is particularly outstanding.” My comments: I’ve been ordering six meals a week for my ex-husband since January. Richard especially loves Freshly’s chicken meals. He said the dinners are “low in salt and very tasty.” continued on page 36 JUNE 4 • 2020
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Nosh continued from page 35
JUNE 4 • 2020
PERSONAL CHEF TO GO
PERSONAL CHEF TO GO personalcheftogo.com Chefs handcraft ready-to-eat meals and entrée salads. Pick 5, 8 or 10 meals, starting at $78 weekly. Delivered free to Michigan in reduced-oxygen containers, meals stay fresh for up to 12 days — the longest period I found. Its website has very appealing food photos. User Review: “Super-easy and great food.”
Tofu mango bowl from Clean Plates Detroit
CLEAN PLATES DETROIT cleanplatesdetroit.com Headquartered in Ferndale, the meal prep company offers pickup or delivery of fresh, handcrafted meals. Choose a Meal Pack with 6, 8, 10 or 12 weekly meals. Meal Packs start at $79.74 for six meals up to $159.48 for 12. Clean Plates Detroit is working with local hospitals to provide meals for staff impacted by COVID-19. User Reviews: “A healthy, affordable nutritious option for busy people.” ... “Great food and timely service.”
CLEAN PLATES DETROIT
REALEATS MEALS realeats.com The meal-prep service ships its customers dinners and breakfasts made with responsibly sourced, seasonal ingredients. The chef ’s three feature dishes change weekly while others rotate less frequently. The meals, ready in minutes, may be refrigerated for up to a week. Dinners start at $15 each for four meals. Breakfasts cost $5. Shipping is free on orders of $115 or more.
MAGIC KITCHEN magickitchen.com Beef brisket from Arriving flash-frozen instead Magic Kitchen of fresh, Magic Kitchen’s traditional meals feature family–sized portions of classic, hearty dishes. Specialized plans cater to low-sodium, diabetic-friendly or dialysis-friendly needs, to name a few. Customers may enter preferences to have meals selected for them or order a la carte. The Senior Meal, lower in sodium, consists of a main dish with one or two side dishes. Sliced Beef Brisket and Salmon Caponata are among entrees starting at $12 per serving. Meals come in packages of two and four. User Reviews: “Portion sizes are small.” … “You may sacrifice some freshness for the sake of convenience.” … WeightWatcher Smartpoints for each item are shown online.
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Salmon Rockefeller stuffed with jumbo crab from Personal Chef to Go
MAGIC KITCHEN
REALEATS MEALS
Za’atar roast chicken from RealEats Meals
FACTOR
FACTOR factor75.com Chicken with ginger beet Choose from more noodles from Factor than 20 dietitiandesigned options. Ketogenic, plant-based, low-carb or low-calorie selections are indicated. Four of the restaurant-quality meals cost $60 plus tax and shipping. Delivered in an insulated box, meals will stay fresh in the fridge for seven days. My comments: I’ve received four Factor meals a week for a month. The food is delicious and filling. My favorites are chickpea stew with wild rice pilaf, horseradish-encrusted salmon and jumbo wild-caught shrimp. A con is that the packaging requires disposing of a non-toxic gel inside two ice packs after they melt. Factor’s customer service is good; I was credited for a late delivery and a mistake with some selections.
I wanted to take a moment to update everyone on the work that the Rugiero family and staff at Antonioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Roman Village have been doing. We understand the importance of customer service. We also understand WKDW GXULQJ WKHVH GLIË&#x2030; FXOW WLPHV FKDQJHV DUH LQ RUGHU We have spent the last week revamping our curbside and carry-out service to ensure that our customers receive high quality service at our restaurants to accompany the great food that we have always served. We have made some great improvements to our curbside service that ZH DUH FRQË&#x2030; GHQW WKDW RXU JXHVWV ZLOO DSSUHFLDWH First, when you place your order - and in addition to your name and vehicle make/model - our staff will be giving you an order number. When you arrive at your location, be sure to follow the pylon lane and the direction of our curbside attendant who will be wearing a yellow vest. Once you pull up, you will be asked for the order number assigned to you and your name. Then, the curbside attendant will communicate with our team on the inside who will bring your delicious meal out to you in a timely fashion! Do not forget your order number, this will minimize the confusion with other orders that have the same name or food item. Also, be sure to pay attention to the entrance and exit into the curbside line and directions from the curbside attendant. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us GXULQJ WKLV GLIË&#x2030; FXOW WLPH DQG LI WKH VHUYLFH KDV QRW EHHQ what it should be, we apologize, and we look forward to making it better! Anthony Rugiero | CEO/President, Antonioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cuciana Italiana
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the exchange
Jews in the D
Jewish News wins 12 SPJ awards MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
T
he Detroit Jewish News won 12 awards for excellence in journalism from the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit chapter. The awards honor the best work in print, radio, television and digital journalism in southeastern Michigan each year. “We appreciate the well-deserved recognition for our writers and designers and, by extension, the entire Jewish News staff,” said JN Publisher Arthur Horwitz. “At a time when our entire industry is under economic duress, we remain committed to providing our community of readers and advertisers with trusted, compelling and unique content. This year’s winners continue to build on the JN’s long-standing legacy of editorial excellence.” Contributing writer Shari Cohen earned two awards — one in the local reporting category and one in the explanatory story category. Corrie Colf, staff writer, won an award for sports reporting. Contributing writer Esther Ingber won a general reporting award. Elizabeth Katz, also a contributing writer, earned an award for health reporting. Designer Michelle Sheridan won three awards for feature page design and one for cover design. Finally, three JN columnists were recognized for general column writing: Alan Muskovitz, Suzanne Chessler and Ben Falik. Andrew Lapin, who became the editor of the JN in January, emphasized how proud he was of the JN’s staff. “Inheriting a talented group like this makes my tenure as the new editor that much better,” he said. “I also want to thank SPJ Detroit for recognizing the JN’s great work over the past year and for doing so even despite the challenges of this pandemic.”
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JUNE 4 • 2020
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Soul
of blessed memory
ARTHUR JOSEPH FOSTER, 82, of Novi, died May 21, 2020. He was c. 2005 the beloved husband of Sandra Foster; dear father of Michael (Carolyn) Foster and Cheryl (Charles) Bludworth; loving grandfather of Alex Bludworth; devoted brother of the late David (the late Lois) Foster and the late Phyllis (the late Paul) Schreiman; brotherin-law of Eileen and Alan Zumberg, and Candace (the late Joel) Harelik. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Interment was held at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. LOIS FREEMAN, 91, of West Bloomfield, died May 25, 2020. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Harvey Freeman; sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Michael and Victoria Freeman, David Freeman, and Dr. Thomas and Susan Freeman; grandchildren, Rebecca Freeman, Daniel Freeman, Andrew Freeman and Jonathan Freeman. Mrs. Freeman was the proud grandmother of the late Jacob Freeman. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
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JUNE 4 • 2020
ALBERT GINNS, 94, of Boca Raton, Fla., died May 13, 2020. He is survived by his children, Barbara Ginns, Cheryl Friedman, Linda and Dr. Joel Zacks, DeAnne and Harry Gruenberg; sister, Ann Goodman; sistersin-law and brothers-inlaw, Frances and Herman Broder, Beverly and Gerald Viedrah; 31 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Mr. Ginns was the beloved husband of the late Hilda Ginns; dear father-in-law of the late Dr. Richard Friedman; treasured son of the late Sarah and the late Charles Ginns; dear brother and brother-in-law of the late Leonard Goodman, late Bernard and late Shirley Ginns, the late Jack and the late Sarah Ginns, the late Jacqueline and the late Jerry Gibbs. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. BEVERLY GREENSPAN, 82, of Commerce Township, died May 22, 2020. She is survived by her daughters and sonsin-law, Shari and Charles Bross, and Elyse and Michael Kunick; son and daughterin-law, Gary and Pamela Greenspan; grandchildren, Jake Bross, Jordan Bross, Jason Greenspan, Melanie Greenspan and Fredrick Kunick. Interment was at Adat
Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Hillel Day School, 32200 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, hillelday.org; or Care Team Hospice, 5401 Gateway Center, Suite D, Flint, MI 48507, careteammi. com. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. MURRAY HOZMAN, 93, of Farmington Hills, died May 21, 2020. He is survived by his daughter, Kim Botsford; son, Aron Hozman; grandchildren, Evan Botsford, Jaime Botsford, Julia Botsford and Ari Hozman; niece, Ellen Elkin. Mr. Hozman was the beloved husband for 50 years of the late Millie Hozman; the cherished father of the late Diane Hozman and the late Scott Hozman; the loving brother of the late Mary and the late Lawrence Yaffa, the late Charlotte and the late Harry Levatin, and the late Rose and the late Sol Sachs. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to a hospice care provider of one’s choice or an animal welfare charity. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. CAROL JEAN LEVIN (née Seltzer), 90, passed away peacefully on May 27, 2020. Carol was born in Cleveland on June 24, 1929, to Lillian (née Koch) and William Seltzer. She was an incredibly loving wife,
mother, grandmother, greatgrandmother, sister, aunt and friend to many. Carol was a 64-year resident of Beachwood, a part-time resident of Hallandale, Fla., and most recently Grosse Pointe. She enjoyed boating, dancing, traveling the country by motorhome, painting and drawing; her family and friends were most important to her. She was adored and will be missed by many. Mrs. Levin was the loving mother of Dennis Levin (Barbara), Richard Levin (Karen) and Susan Fineberg; cherished grandmother of Allison Levin (David), Stephanie Levin, Sam Levin (Sarah), Joe Levin (Jennifer), Katie Malone (Kevin), Jordan Fineberg and Jamie Fineberg; great-grandmother of Evelyn and Max Levin, Benjamin Malone. She is also survived by her sister, Lois Weiner; and brother, Morton (Buddy) Seltzer. She was the beloved wife of the late Jack M. Levin; the sister of the late Rosemary Zamansky. Contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Patient Support Services. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. BARBARA RUBIN, 76, of Troy, died May 20, 2020. She is survived by her brothers and sisters-in-law, George and Cindy Rubin, and Michael and Francine Rubin; nieces and nephews, Sheryl and Dr. Jonathan Necheles, Lisa and Grant Kravitz, and Danny Rubin;
OUR FUNERAL HOME MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. great-nieces and greatnephew, Jordyn Kravitz, Sari Kravitz, Leo Necheles and Rachel Necheles. Ms. Rubin was the loving aunt of the late Heather Rubin. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. PETER SEAGLE, 67, of West Bloomfield, died May 20, 2020. Peter grew up with his siblings in Urbana, Ill. He moved to Tucson, Ariz., to attend the University of Arizona, where he met his soulmate, Mimi. Peter graduated in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a lifelong passion for Arizona basketball. Mr. Seagle graduated from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1977 and began practicing law. He moved to Michigan with Mimi, Olivia and Lizzie in 1988 to work for Mimi’s family’s real estate investment and private equity business. Peter dedicated his career to the family’s business endeavors but also looked after the wellbeing of family members. He was a devoted husband, father and son-in-law and made sure that Barbara’s everyday needs were met following Harold’s death. He never missed a family member’s birthday,
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15 Sivan June 7, 2020 17 Sivan June 9, 2020 20 Sivan June 12, 2020 Mary Bednarsh Freda Abraham Solomon Burg Mollie Daniels Faber Esther Rachel Brodman Harry Daniels Max Fass Charles H. Charlip Abraham Dubin Morris Gershman Bessie Harris Naomi S. Eder Bert Herman Bertha Helfman Jack Finer Joseph Harry Lakritz Joseph Holtzman Yosif Geyler Ella Monast Gizella Loeb Pazner Ida Goldman Max Pechensky Martin H Rose Rose Heller Eunice Manela Samovitz Morris Vernick Rubin Herman Abraham Schuster 18 Sivan June 10, 2020 Bella Hoenig Bessie Zold Robert Korey Brandman Edward Lutz 16 Sivan June 8, 2020 Chaya Golda Cohen Max G. Salasnek Luanne Falk Sidney Blumenthal Ruth Shafkind Louis Glassheim Michele Eisenman Irving N. Weiss Nathan Levine Marvin M. Faber 6LYDQ -XQH Nettie Markofsky Frances Fisher Louis Aronoff Clara Marx Jacob Franovitz William Cohen Samuel Member Josef Gerszonowicz Dr. Nathan J. Reisman Norman Egren Sylvia Goldsmith Esther Salavensky Louis Gelfund Julius Hechtman Basha Faiga Kazerinski 19 Sivan June 11, 2020 Rebecca Greenberg Philip M. Herman Rachel Marwil Isaac Brandt Harry H. Hochman Peggy Ellias Rebecca Medow Norman Patler Ilona Friedlander Rose Schuraytz Isaac Rosenthal Aaron Levine Sholom Scott Alex Saltsman Sol Sklar Kalman Shapiro Moses Weingarden Ethel Toby Oscar I. Steel Fannie Wainer School for Boys â&#x20AC;˘ Beth Jacob School for Girls â&#x20AC;˘ Bais Yehudah Preschool Weiss Family Partners Detroit â&#x20AC;˘ Kollel Bais Yehudah â&#x20AC;˘ Maalot Detroit P.O. Box 2044 â&#x20AC;˘ 6RXWKoHOG 0, â&#x20AC;˘ 248-557-6750 â&#x20AC;˘ www.YBY.org
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of blessed memory continued from page 41
celebrating at a minimum with a heartfelt and humorous card. Mimi introduced Peter to Judaism, and he took his conversion seriously, becoming an active member in the Jewish community, having an adult bar mitzvah, observing Jewish traditions with family and friends, and making sure that his children and grandchildren had Jewish educations. Mr. Seagle was a lover of history, music, reading, sports, trivia and travel. He enjoyed introducing rock music to his daughters and taking them to concerts. As an avid sports fan, he took pleasure in attending sporting events with family and friends. He also spent many hours actively watching Jeopardy with his daughter Lizzie. Together, Peter and Mimi enjoyed traveling; they loved taking vacations with family, especially to Tucson, Ariz., and Glen Arbor, Mich., and visiting their grandchildren in Chicago. Peter made it his mission to maintain close relationships with family members, especially his own siblings, and to impart his values of integrity, humility and responsibility to his daughters. He will be remembered for his sense of humor and hardworking nature. He took pleasure in helping others; when thanked for his compassion, his response often was, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Pay it forward.â&#x20AC;? Mr. Seagle is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Miriam â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mimiâ&#x20AC;? Berry Seagle; his cherished
daughters and son-in-law, Olivia Seagle Brennan and Timothy Brennan, and Elizabeth â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lizzieâ&#x20AC;? Seagle; his adored grandchildren, Eliana Seagle Brennan and Nora Berry Brennan; dear brothers and sisters-in-law, Michael and Carla Seagle, Frederick and Carla Seagle, and Lance and Mary Seagle; brothers-in-law and sisterin-law, Larry and Sharon Berry, and Elliott Berry and Campbell Harvey Berry; many loving cousins, nephews, nieces and friends. He was the son of the late Barbara Seagle and the late William Seagle; dedicated son-in-law of Barbara and the late Harold Berry; the loyal brother of the late Linda Seagle and the late Lisa Scott. A celebration of life memorial service will be held at a future date. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Dr. Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic, 45580 Woodward Ave., Pontiac, MI 48341, garyburnsteinclinic. org/donation; Yad Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072, yadezra.org; American Friends of Hebrew University, One Battery Park Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10004, afhu.org; Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice. org; or Cunningham Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Home, 1301 N. Cunningham Ave., Urbana, IL 61802, cunninghamhome.
org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. EVELYN TAYLOR SIEGEL, 97, of Southfield, died May 21, 2020. She was the beloved wife of the late Martin Taylor and Irving Siegel; dear mother of Diane Hopp, Lisa Taylor Woerdeman, Bobbie (Bill) Best and the late Miriam Newman and Howard Siegel; devoted mother-in-law of Suzanne Siegel; loving grandmother of Richard and Beth Taylor, Aimee Fleeter, Brian (Maryanne) Newman, Julie Newman Craven, Danielle Glazer, Matthew
and Tanya Woerdeman, Joshua Woerdeman, Russ (Kari) Siegel and Laura (Jay) Hamby; adoring greatgrandmother of Samantha Fleeter, Jack, Kate and Sarah Taylor, Elijah and Emmeline Woerdeman. She is also survived by many other loving family members and friends. Interment was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to Feeding America, to the Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association or to a charity of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.
CAROL ANN TUSHMAN, 79, of Bloomfield Hills, died May 25, 2020. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Larry Tushman; daughter, Debbie Tushman; son and daughter-in-law, Lee and Susan Tushman; grandchildren, Hailey Tushman, Hunter Tushman, Michael Lax and Ryan Lax. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI 48076, cancer.org; or Leader Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 5000, Rochester, MI
48308-5000, leaderdog. org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
OBITUARY CHARGES The processing fee for obituaries is: $125 for up to 100 words; $1 per word thereafter. A photo counts as 15 words. There is no charge for a Holocaust survivor icon. The JN reserves the right to edit wording to conform to its style considerations. For information, have your funeral director call the JN or you may call Sy Manello, editorial assistant, at (248) 351-5147 or email him at smanello@ renmedia.us.
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of blessed memory
Prominent AIDS Activist Larry Kramer Dies at 84 MARCY OSTER JTA
L
arry Kramer, one of the most important figures in the history of LGBTQ activism and a writer, died May 27, 2020. Kramer, who wrote the semi-autobiographical play A Normal Heart, died in Manhattan of pneumonia, his husband, David Webster, confirmed to the New York Times. He was 84. He had undergone a liver transplant after contracting liver disease and was infected with HIV, the virus that can turn into AIDS. Kramer was a co-founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, now one of the biggest AIDS service organizations in the world, but was forced out because of his
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outspokenness and went on to found the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, or ACT UP, a more militant group that took to the streets to protest for more AIDS drugs research and an end to discrimination against gay men and lesbians. His worldview was shaped by his Jewish identity, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency wrote in 2016. “In a way, like a lot of Jewish men of Larry’s generation, the Holocaust is a defining historical moment, and what happened in the early 1980s with AIDS felt, and was, in fact, holocaustal to Larry,” Tony Kushner said in 2005. Kramer and Dr. Anthony
American writer and gay rights activist Larry Kramer poses for a portrait at the open door of his New York City apartment, April 1993.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, crossed paths as the AIDS crisis continued to kill gay men, with Kramer calling him a killer. Fauci told the New York Times that Kramer spurred him to break through the slow federal bureaucracy that held up AIDS research. They later became friends, according to the report. In March, Kramer told a Times reporter that he emailed Fauci to tell him he was sorry for how he is being treated as the public face of the efforts to combat the coronavirus. Kramer wrote books, plays
CATHERINE MCGANN/GETTY IMAGES
Soul
and screenplays, many with gay themes and some autobiographical. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his play The Destiny of Me, which picks up where The Normal Heart leaves off. His book, Reports for the Holocaust: The Making of an AIDS Activist, is a collection of his essays on AIDS activism and LGBT civil rights. In the weeks before his death, Kramer had started to write a play in response to the COVID19 outbreak. He was a Yale University graduate and enlisted in the Army. He began working for Columbia Pictures in the early 1960s
Raskin the best of everything
Detroit Original Two family-owned Shield’s Pizza restaurants are still pleasing customers.
A
nother wonderful chapter in the early annals of Detroit and suburbs history was begun in 1937 when the bar and burger place was opened on the corner of Davison and Shields, Detroit … and purchased in 1992 by its owners today, Paul and Peter Andoni …A third partner, Sam Danny Raskin Haj, joined them Senior Columnist in 2018. But only two Shield’s Restaurant Bar Pizzerias …originally opened by them … are still family-owned … not franchises … and celebrating anniversaries in nearby suburbs … Troy, on Maple Road and Crooks, and Southfield, 10 Mile and
PHOTOS VIA SHIELD’S FACEBOOK
Telegraph … Each make its own pizza dough, breadsticks and secret recipe sauce while coveting an award-winning Detroitstyle pizza, including the very popular deep-dish pizza, barbecue ribs and salads … along with other top-selling choices like pasta, chicken wings, burgers, seafood, sandwiches, etc. In addition to its original award-winning deep-dish square pizza, it also offers hand-tossed round, multi-grain and gluten-free pizzas to satisfy many tastes … and dietary needs. Both Troy and Southfield have classical feels with high open ceilings, windows galore, including garage door windows open during the warm months, large television screens, etc., in million-dollar renovations. Hours at Troy and Southfield are the same …11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday … When available, seat-
ing in Troy is 245 and more than 300 in Southfield … Plus numerous bar stools at both locations. Shield’s restaurants have highly regarded reputations that include value pricing and gracious service … while becoming landmarks and favorite gathering spots to go with their excellent selections. DANDY DINING DEAL … Salmon 8 to 9-ounces … Complete carry-out meal … Includes soup or salad, mashed potatoes or vegetables … $9.95 … Seven days only, Monday thru Sunday, June 8-14 … Grand Tavern of Troy, Coolidge and Maple. MANY RESTAURANT OWNERS and managers don’t seem to realize the importance of the quality their employees should possess … A restaurant’s reputation many times depends on the quality and appearance of the meal, but the cleanliness and smiles by the servers go a long way … And every member
of the dining room staff should give their customers a friendly welcome when they come in … If the host or hostess is busy, a server should do the greeting. OLDIE BUT GOODIE … While visiting in Israel, Morris buys a ticket and wins the lottery. He goes to claim it and the man verifies his ticket. “I want my $20 million,” Morris says. “It doesn’t work that way, sir,” says the man. “We give you a million today, and then you’ll get the rest spread out for the next 19 years.” Morris, furious with the man, screams out, “Look, I want my money! If you’re not going to give me my 20 million right now, I want my dollar back!” CONGRATS … To Pamela Turner on her birthday … To Lisa Adelstein on her 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
Trump’s Henry Ford Gaffe
Y
ou may have read about President Donald Trump’s recent trip to a Ford Motor Company factory in Ypsilanti, Michigan. There, he gave some well-deserved praise for the company and its volunteer workers who made a very quick conversion from making auto parts to making sophisticated hospital equipment Mike Smith Alene and that was in short Graham Landau supply when Archivist Chair COVID-19 struck America — ventilators. Trump, however, also added a most controversial comment in reference to the Ford family: “The company, founded by a man named Henry Ford. Good bloodlines, good bloodlines. If you believe in that stuff, you got good blood.” Why are these remarks a big deal? Because they show a lack of historical knowledge and sensitivity. The reasons for controversy began when Ford bought the Dearborn Independent in 1919. The Independent was published until 1927 when an abundance of lawsuits related to its anti-Semitism finally ended its publication. Ford claimed he had no control, or even awareness, of the Independent’s edi-
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torial processes. This is hard to believe, since Ford was known for controlling all aspects of his businesses, but it is a notion that is also hard to disprove. Finally, Aaron Sapiro, a Jewish activist with Western farming cooperatives, brought the most famous case against Ford, which resulted in a Ford apology for anti-Semitic remarks and the closing of the Independent in 1927. Ironically, Ford commissioned Jewish lawyer Louis Marshall to write the apology for him. During Ford’s ownership, the widely read Independent became famous as an anti-Semitic newspaper. Two examples from its pages amply demonstrate this point. On May 22, 1920, one day and 100 years prior to Trump’s visit to Michigan, the front page of the Independent featured the story “The International Jew: The World’s Problem.” Two months later, on July 10, 1920, the newspaper published the notorious “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” a debunked, forged propaganda hoax that promulgated the idea that Jews controlled world finance in order to control the world. Admired by Adolf Hitler, this bogus text is still promoted today by neo-Nazis and other assorted right-wing extremists. A search in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History demonstrates that the Detroit Jewish Chronicle published reports and editorials about the anti-Semitism of the Independent. For
example, read three ee headlines from thee era: from the July 16, 1920 issue — “The Flivver King — Emperor of thee Anti-Semites” (Ford was called the “Flivver King” in reference to the nickname ffor th the famous Model T); from Oct. 15, 1920 — “Appearance of Fords Ford’s Anti-Semitic Pamphlets ets Draw Fire of New York rk Rabbis — Insult to Public ublic Opinion”; or from Feb. b. 16, 1921 — “Detroit Jewss Unite in Hurling Challenge for Ford to Prove Chargee [Ford claimed he was a victim]. im].” This is a very brief summary of a century-old y-old issue. Hopefully, it proovides a bit of evidencee as to why Trump’s remarks rks were indeed a big deal. al. It should be emphaasized that since Henryy Ford II took command nd of the company in 1945, the Ford family have been great friends to Detroit’s Jewish community. They have done much to atone for the anti-Semitism of the original Henry Ford. The bloodlines odlines from Henry Ford II onward are re indeed something the family can be proud of.
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.
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thejewishnews.com/contribute In addition to contributing online, you may also send a contribution to: The Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Highway #110, Southfield, MI 48034 APRIL 9 • 2020
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