DJN July 23, 2020

I want the public to know that they live in a safe place and that we are all working hard to keep it safe, while respecting and upholding the rights of all.

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contents July 23-29, 2020/ 2-8 Av 5780| VOLUME CLVII, ISSUE 25

22

30 Shabbat & Holiday Lights Shabbat starts: Friday, July 24, 8:42 p.m.

Shabbat ends: Saturday, July 25, 9:49 p.m Tisha b’Av starts: Wednesday, July 29, 8:55 p.m.

Tisha b’Av ends: Thursday, July 30, 9:43 p.m.

On the cover:

Views

Spirit

Robert Schwartz.

Photo by Alexander Clegg/Jewish News Cover design: Kaitlyn Schoen

5-12

Torah portion

* Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

A Helping Hand in Southeast Michigan

Eretz

14 Bob Schwartz’s Here to Help Foundation offers emergency grants to Oakland and Wayne County residents and returning citizens.

28 New podcast showcases the lives of ordinary Israelis.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

Pandemic Song

18 New website easily connects voters to their elected officials.

30 Yiddish artist repurposes a 1916 Yiddish song that speaks to today.

Contact Tracer

The Tobacconist

20 Young Jewish professional heads up state’s efforts to contain COVID-19.

32 Film charts the rise of Nazism in 1930s Vienna.

Life is a Chai Way

Celebrity Jews

22 Local Jewish motorcycle club hosts national meet and greet.

33

Jewish Organizations, Synagogues Receive Millions in PPP Loans

34

24

Moments Moments

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

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Jews in the D

26

Israel Story

Arts&Life

Online Events Etc. The Exchange Soul Raskin Looking Back

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45 46

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JULY JULY 23 23 •• 2020 2020

Views for openers letters

Rhymes For Our Times

Time for Sovereignty

(Written under the shadow of the 2020 pandemic)

D

uring these times of social distancing and self-isolation, watching YouTube can become addictive.

I have discovered the cleverness of several folks who are musically inclined and can write song parodies about Sy Manello the COVID-19 Editorial pandemic. Of Assistant course, I’m not gifted with a music sense and those who have heard me sing will fervently agree. However, I felt that I could do with a literary device what they had done in music. So here goes: Jack and Jill went up the hill; They were not six feet apart.

Jack fell ill And so did Jill A lesson they’re taking to heart.

Old Mother Hubbard Went to the cupboard To get some bathroom tissue.

When she got there Her cupboard was bare And that made going an issue.

Humpty Dumpty wasn’t wearing a mask.

Humpty Dumpty was taken to task.

Then he was seen To break quarantine Slowly exposing us all.

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How did your shopping go?

“I wore gloves and a mask, But it still was a task And for it I have nothing to show.”

Jack was not nimble.

Jack was not quick.

He took no precautions And now is quite sick.

There was an old woman Who lived in a shoe.

She homeschooled her children For nothing else would do.

She taught them and fought them And sent them to bed.

And raised teacher salaries Quietly in her head.

Peter, Peter, restaurant keeper, Had a wife but couldn’t feed her.

Then unemployment hit the scene And all was blamed on COVID-19.

Little Jack Horner Pumped iron in the corner Of a recently reopened gym.

With his mask, a towel and disinfectant spray So no one would re-infect him.

Hickory, dickory dock Re-opening against the clock?

First one is struck down Then it’s all over town.

Wearing masks is not just a crock.

Baa, baa, ICUs Have you nasal swabs?

Yes, sir; yes, sir, But not for such a mob.

Some for those who’re needed And some for those who’re ill.

But none for the man in charge Up on the hill.

Hey diddle doe-vid This traveler has COVID. The TSA jumped all over him.

The rest of us laughed to see Him get caught.

Who knew we could be so dim?

The itsy, bitsy virus Climbed up the nasal spout.

Out came a sneeze But not the virus out.

Out came a cough And the temperature was great.

For the itsy, bitsy virus Be sure to isolate!

And the beat goes on. Thanks for bearing with me. Do I detect a slight smile under that mask? I might now give some thought to fairy tales; they have dark endings anyway, so it should not be hard.

Stay tuned.

Professor Aronoff ’s article “Don’t Annex: Save the Two State Solution” (July 9, page 18) merely advocates past negotiations rejected by the Palestinian Arabs multiple times and frets over what others will say. Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting a different result.”

After unsuccessfully trying the two-state solution for over 70 years, there must be a better approach.

Prior to his death, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s hard points were: 1) Israel had to control the Jordan River Valley; 2) The major Jewish population centers in Judea and Samara had to be part of Israel; and 3) the Palestinian entity must be demilitarized.

Only after Israel’s military victories in 1948, 1967 and 1973 did the Palestinians suddenly become interested in a state of their own. When Israel left Gaza, the Palestinians had a chance to demonstrate they could run a peaceful state. Instead, Gaza became a belligerent, terrorist armed camp. The Palestinians have rejected every proposed two-state solution. Their motto is, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”

The Trump administration’s proposed sovereignty plan meets Rabin’s basic requirements. Israel officially declaring sovereignty on the proposed area demonstrates that Israel is moving forward on its minimal requirements.

The plan doesn’t preclude anything from being changed by a successful negotiation with the Palestinians. With Gaza, Israel also demonstrated it was willing to evict its own citizens.

It’s time to declare sovereignty. The ball will then be in the Palestinians’ court. The real issue: Do the Palestinians want peace?

— Eugene Greenstein, Ph.D. Farmington Hills continued on page 6

JULY 23 • 2020

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Views essay

We Are Together

I

n March, I was contracted to work with Yad Ezra on a variety of projects. What started as a focus on social media and marketing quickly changed in the frenzy of the COVID-19 pandemic to a focus on client and volunteer communications and logistics. The feeling that “the world has gone crazy” was felt Daniella here. Everyone HarPaz sensed that things Mechnikov were out of sorts — concerns about health, community, economy, politics.

No one was exempted from the sense of uncertainty and anxiety around us.

At Yad Ezra, we responded to the heightened needs of approximately 1,250 client families, the extra stressors put on the staff, and we kept moving forward.

We just did what needed to be done, understanding that food is not optional, and that we must do our best to make sure all our

clients are cared for.

Now, as the rhythm of that work has evened out, I am glad to be able to turn some of my hours toward the broader communications goals of the organization. Everything is now filtered through a kind of COVID sensitivity, and we are keenly aware that it has affected many lives around the world.

I was privileged to participate in a Zoom call with Yad Ezra and Rabbi Michael Schudrich, chief rabbi of Poland, and his colleagues. Schudrich became aware of Yad Ezra’s work thanks to an introduction by Roz Lullove Cooperman, a good friend and colleague of the rabbi and Yad Ezra. Roz produced and directed “Yad Ezra, We Can Learn From You!” a dialogue with the rabbi when he visited the food pantry in July 2018 and became inspired by the organization’s model.

With the guidance of and fundraising by Yad Ezra, the rabbi established a kosher food pantry in Warsaw in early 2019.

Krystyna Wišniewska

During the call, he shared their experiences from their first year in operation — it was a Zoom call worth sharing.

As the chief rabbi of Poland, Schudrich is the official interlocutor with both the Polish government and the Catholic Church.

Schudrich works to connect American Jewry with their Polish Jewish heritage, establish philanthropic relationships and care for the small Polish Jewish community, spiritually and otherwise.

During the past year, the food pantry in Warsaw has established itself so that, since the spring, it has been making approximately 80 grocery deliveries a month.

Remarkably, those deliveries are split into two groups. One group is to the roughly 40 Jewish families in Warsaw. Each family receives staples, including flour, sugar and grains, as well as additional items such as canned or jarred soup or vegetables, fish and tea biscuits. Without refrigeration and large storage facilities, the food pantry has managed to find ways to deliver supplemental food packages to Jews in need in the Warsaw community, and it delivered Passover food that allowed the Jewish community to celebrate the holiday. The food has been delivered throughout the COVID pandemic using taxis and volunteers.

Most moving was the story the rabbi told of the second group of needy recipients of food from the pantry. There are approximately 40 Righteous Among the Nations, non-Jews who helped to save Jews during the Holocaust, who currently reside in the Warsaw area. They are all elderly, and the pantry provides them a monthly food delivery.

Remarkably, the connection continued on page 10

LETTERS from page 5

Don’t Paint with Wide Brush In his letter “Regarding the ‘Editor’s Note - Healing Ourselves,’” (July 2, page 8) Edward Kohl presents a convincing argument of why Black Lives Matter Foundation Inc. is anti-Semitic. However, he offers a troubling assertion: “We Jews helped start the NAACP and walked with Dr. King… When will they finally stand with us to support Israel?”

This is an abrupt shift from talking about the Black Lives Matter organization specifically to the Black community in general. We know that one

6 |

JULY 23 • 2020

organization no more represents the entire Black community than Michigan Jewish Action Council or J Street speak for the entire Jewish community. And we know and appreciate that many Black people have fought against and continue to speak out against anti-Semitism. Painting an entire population with the brushstroke of a sub-group is counterproductive to fighting racism.

— Cheryl Berlin Farmington Hills

Physician’s Dilemma One of the outstanding professions today is that of a physician. They have the daunting

task to always do their best to keep people alive and healthy.

Unfortunately, there is not a significant financial compensation considering the many years of education, training and considerable debt amassed, with what amounts to a small return upon investment.

How do I know this? My son-in-law is the director of a residency program and assistant director of internal medicine. He has mentioned to me countless stories of physicians unable to meet their financial obligations.

Remember the old joke about doctors becoming plumbers for better income? There is some

great wisdom in that old joke.

After a visit to a doctor, we should consider sending a thankyou note of appreciation or sending a donation in tribute to your doctor to have merit for his/her continued success as a healing messenger.

— Henry Friedman Historian, Educator, Lecturer

Correction The article “Visa Freeze” (July 16, pg. 30) reported that the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center helps employers obtain immigrant visas. In fact, the MIRC only aids low-income workers.

In these troubling and uncertain times staying safe takes on several meanings: staying safe from the virus, staying safe from the predators and scammers, staying safe from the hate mongers and staying safe from the grossly misinformed. Empty rhetoric, exaggerations and fanfare won’t keep you safe.

5PP PGUFO JO QBSUJTBO SBDFT DIBMMFOHFST MJLF UIF POF JO UIJT SBDF mYBUF PO NBOVGBDUVSJOH TFOTBUJPOBM allegations against the incumbent that have no foundation in fact. They do this because they have no experience and no credentials for the job. You need a prosecutor with proven leadership, legal expertise and whose work and reputation you trust. A prosecutor who helps keep young people out of the system, but who has the experience and expertise to make sure this community remains safe.

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Views guest column

The Fight for Reproductive Freedom

N

ational Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is proud to launch our Rabbis for Repro campaign, encouraging Jewish clergy to teach, write and speak out about reproductive rights and Judaism in the U.S. and Amy Cutler in the Jewish community.

Now, more than ever, we need strong Jewish moral leadership around these issues.

The Supreme Court’s ruling in June, Medical Services v. Russo, was a huge victory reaffirming our Constitutional right to abortion access, but the fight to ensure abortion access is far from over. It is more important than ever to reaffirm the Jewish community’s commitment to ensuring all who need it have access to information and reproductive health care.

One in four people who can

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

become pregnant will have an abortion by age 45. Jewish tradition views abortion as essential healthcare not only permitted but, in some cases, required when a life is at risk.

That’s why we are excited to partner with rabbis, inviting them to lead the charge to use their rabbinic capacity to speak out from their Zoom bimah, teach a class on reproductive freedom or partner with a local NCJW section or reproductive justice organization. This is an important moment for Jewish leaders to speak out for reproductive autonomy.

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: Nate Bloom, Suzanne Chessler, George Elkind, Maya Goldman, Madeline Halpert, Barbara Lewis, Danny Schwartz, Mike Smith

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JULY 23 • 2020

NCJW is especially pleased to introduce the Abortion and Jewish Values Toolkit, an extraordinary new resource designed to offer tremendous support to protect and expand abortion rights and access for all.

For more than 125 years, we have boldly imagined a world where every person can make their own moral and faith-informed decisions about their body, health and future. Now, in the face of false narratives and appalling rhetoric concerning this critical issue, it is more important than ever to

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lift up the voices of people of faith who advocate for bodily autonomy because of our religion, not in spite of it.

We invite you to take action on proactive federal legislation and to engage with NCJW as you begin to advocate on your own, with your friends and in your community.

Check our website at NCJW. org for NCJW’s Abortion and Jewish Values Toolkit. You will find messaging guidance, tools and insight about our work to protect and expand abortion rights framed through a Jewish lens. There are sample emails, social media posts and graphics for you to share your support for reproductive freedom.

Please spread the word and encourage your rabbis and cantors to sign and join Rabbis for Repro.

Amy Cutler is president, National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan.

NCJW welcome your comments and questions. Contact them at the NCJW|MI office at (248) 355-3300 or email pres@ncjw.org.

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Views commentary

Anti-Semitism on Campus

C

olleges around the country have become much more attentive to the needs of their students in the last several years, partially due to scandals that have hurt their reputations.

From sexual assault and blatant racism at Michigan State University to cheating scandals at Georgetown and Alan Shulman Stanford, universities are under the microscope for how they protect their students.

One issue that unfortunately has not gotten a lot of attention on college campuses is how increasingly unsafe Jewish students feel. There are several reasons for this, the major one being ignorance or a lack of knowledge of the history of anti-Semitism.

Hatred toward Jews on campuses is often expressed in a non-obvious way, such as a political conversation about the state of Israel, and is rarely demonstrated via

more traditional discrimination tactics or direct violence.

Due to the lack of “obvious” discrimination, these constant examples of anti-Semitic harassment and intimidation do not receive much mainstream media attention. According to a January 2020 ADL poll, more than half of American adults (61 percent) agree with at least one or more classic anti-Semitic canards, such as that Jews control the media; Jews are more loyal to Israel than the U.S.; and Jews talk about the Holocaust too much. In Europe, the situation is dire as well. In a 2018 CNN poll of Europeans, over a third said that Jews use the Holocaust to advance their own positions or goals.

The rapid rise of anti-Semitism in the last several years has negatively impacted Jewish students on college campuses and should not be a political issue. The threats Jews face from far-right and far-left forces are significant, and both must be actively com-

batted. The inability, and sometimes unwillingness, of schools such as Columbia, the University of North Carolina and MSU to deal with this issue is dangerous and leads to ignorance and targeting of Jewish students.

At Columbia, anti-Semitic incidents included classroom/ academic harassment of students as well as prominent anti-Jewish guest speakers. The president of the University, Lee Bollinger, said in 2020 that he had become increasingly concerned about the treatment of Jewish students on campus.

At UNC, the Department of Education was forced to get involved due to virulent discrimination against Jewish students within academic curriculums.

Finally, at my university, MSU, there have been several anti-Semitic incidents on campus, such as the painting of swastikas and the vandalism of the MSU Hillel Jewish student center.

I also took a class full of

anti-Semitic content at MSU, during which the professor told students that Jewish money controls American politics and that Jews stole all the land in the Middle East from Arabs to create the state of Israel.

The recent rise of anti-Semitism has led to Jewish students feeling attacked and alone on U.S. college campuses. Students, faculty and staff have not received adequate training for addressing anti-Semitism, resulting in Jews being forced to stand up for themselves.

To make Jewish students feel safe, universities need to ensure students are not being singled out. That means there must be a way for students to make their voices heard on campus without needing to protest or demonstrate. Universities must have mechanisms in place for students to report bigotry of any kind and then, most importantly, be able to act on those reports to keep students safe. continued on page 12

TOGETHER from page 6

to the Jewish food pantry as a Jewish organization and cultural connection seems to be almost more important to this community than the connection to a source of food and sustenance.

The Righteous Among the Nations expressed that the food they most like to receive is food that is from Israel and that is directly connected to the symbol of the survival of the Jewish people. Products like Halva and biscuits from Israel are specifically requested by these heroes. The phrase they used with the rabbi is, “We Are Together.”

These righteous people were children who risked their lives guiding Jewish children in and

10 |

JULY 23 • 2020

out of ghetto gates, taking food into hiding spaces, removing waste so that the Nazis would not notice additional waste for a family that was hiding Jews, exchanging communications between hidden families and their caregivers and the like.

One such woman, Krystyna Wiśniewska, recently got out of the hospital. The pantry sent her a card and a food delivery, and she replied with a note of thanks and a photograph, displaying the card she received in the picture.

The connection is very meaningful to her.

Another of the Righteous, celebrating her 101st birthday, was visited by the rabbi, who deliv-

ered a letter from the president of Israel and one from the president of Poland. At her age, wheelchair- bound, she expressed her appreciation and then asked the rabbi how she may be of any help or assistance to him.

These special people who risked their own lives and gave so much are still, by nature, givers and the best of friends to the Jewish people. It is very rewarding to think that a delivery of kosher food, including items from Israel, gives them even a small amount of help and pleasure every month. It seems like a clear responsibility to help take care of these remarkable people.

Yad Ezra couldn’t be prouder of

this relationship with the Polish Jewish community and with Rabbi Schudrich. The organization looks forward to an ongoing connection and continuing to explore ways to help the food pantry develop. Perhaps they will reach a larger Jewish community in Eastern Europe or perhaps they may reach the remaining Righteous Among the Nations who survive in other countries in the region. COVID -19 may distance us physically, but sometimes it doesn’t matter which side of the ocean you live on.

To support the Warsaw food pantry, visit yadezra.org/helping-hand-of-warsaw.

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Views ANTI-SEMITISM from page 10

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On many campuses, students lack clarity on how to deal with incidents of hate or ignorance, stalling progress. This flaw exists currently at MSU, even when the evidence is crystal clear that action must be taken.

The class I took was about America’s role in the Middle East and featured a book written by military historian Geoffrey Wawro called Quicksand, in which he attempts to explain the U.S involvement in the region.

He employs anti-Semitism in his explanation, essentially blaming Jews for U.S. involvement in the region, and accusing Jews of manipulating American citizens and administrations into wrong foreign policy decisions.

While discussing the creation of the state of Israel, he describes the supposed effort of Zionist Jews internationally to gain American sympathy for their cause. “The American Public — saddened by Jewish suffering and largely unaware of Arab claims in Palestine — eagerly embraced the Zionist propaganda that appeared in every major American newspaper and many minor ones, too,” Wawro wrote.

“The Jewish propaganda was ingenious, appealing at the same time to American sentimentality and anti-Semitism.”

When I tried to report the anti-Semitism in this class, I was stonewalled. Members of the Office of Inclusion and Equity (OIE), as well as other departments on campus dealing with harassment and inclusion, informed me there was nothing that could be done, and that the class did not “reach the level of discrimination.”

I am still trying to get the university to take action and protect Jewish students (and other groups under siege) on campus. The university needs to come up with a system that promotes the concerns of students,

instead of bogging them down with procedure and informing them the status quo will just have to do. For many groups, including Jewish students, the status quo is unacceptable.

Universities could also help fight discrimination and bigotry by instituting programs that bring people together to combat bigotry, such as the ADL program called No Place for Hate, which educates students on bias and discrimination starting from as early as middle school.

The program includes curriculums that go in depth on various forms of bigotry and discrimination and can be vital for students of all ages to gain a better understanding of the issues. Another option is the MSU Dialogues program, in which students learn more about other identities and cultures. The Dialogues program is optional, and only 120 students, including me, participated in the spring of 2020.

Expanding the program and mandating participation could help stomp out hate and bigotry.

It will take communities and students of all backgrounds working together and supporting each other make all students feel safe, including Jews, people of color and the LGBTQ community. It will also take critical assistance from the universities.

Although the Serling Institute of Jewish Studies has done their best to support Jewish students on campus through workshops and classes on Israel, they cannot do it by themselves. By working together, students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds can fight back against hate and ensure college campuses are a safe place for all.

Alan Shulman is a senior at Michigan State University majoring in international relations with minors in Russian studies and Jewish studies. Read his full paper on campus anti-Semitism at thejewishnews.com.

My STORY

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Roger Siegel became part of Hebrew Free Loan because he was a nice guy. “I was practicing law in my own ofďŹ ce, when I was invited out to lunch by Stan Bershad, who was an HFL Board member,â€? Roger said. “Stan casually began asking me questions about how I handled debtors in my practice, but the questions sounded less like a consultation and more like a job interview. Then our third lunch guest arrived, staggering in with a large, open cardboard box full of ďŹ les, and I knew this box was coming back with me.â€?

Roger said he had no prior experience with HFL, but he began working on the agency’s collections immediately, at ďŹ rst from his own ofďŹ ce, and then part-time from HFL. “What I really wanted to do was to manage the receivables before they even became collection items,â€?

Roger said. “I spent time working with our borrowers to keep their accounts current, and we kept a lot of people from getting a black mark on their credit when times were tough. HFL’s 98.5 % repayment rate is due mostly to the feeling that the community supports the borrowers, and that effort is part of it.�

Roger learned about HFL as he worked, watching loan funds and needs change through the years. “It really moves me that HFL is always ready to help people through their life journeys,� Roger said. “That’s possible because HFL changes to meet local needs.�

Roger ofďŹ cially retired from HFL in June 2019, but he gladly passed the torch to his daughter, Margery, whom he says is just the right ďŹ t – an attorney with a great outlook on the people behind the accounts. “It’s a proud Dad moment to know she’ll carry on,â€? he said. “I truly love Hebrew Free Loan, this has been the best experience of my life,â€? Roger said. “It’s remarkable how things can change with one simple phone call just because Stan invited me to lunch.â€?

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www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184

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

1-800-728-3363

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

@HFLDetroit

JULY 23 • 2020

| 13

Jews in the D cover story

A Helping Hand in Southeast Michigan The Here to Help Foundation offers emergency grants to Oakland and Wayne County residents and returning citizens.

MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Bob Schwartz

I

f you go to the “About Us” tab on the website of Here to Help, a local foundation that gives direct grants to Oakland and Wayne county residents in need of one-time assistance, you can find the “Starfish Story.”

In the story, a young man is throwing beached starfish back into the ocean, one by one. When an older man comes across the sight, the younger man explains he’s trying to keep the starfish alive. The older man responds that there are so many starfish — he’s never going to be able to save them all.

“It made a difference to that one,” the young man said as he threw another starfish back in.

This is the idea behind Here to Help, started in 2006 by Bob and Robin Schwartz of Huntington Woods.

The couple was looking for a change and decided to explore philanthropy.

After reading up on private foundations,

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JULY 23 • 2020

which commonly give grants to public charities, they decided they wanted to do something different: They wanted to help individual people.

“We wanted to be direct, hands-on,” Bob Schwartz, a former lawyer, told the Jewish News, a “saving-one-person-at-atime approach.”

The Schwartzes got IRS approval to establish Here to Help, and soon the family-funded foundation was up and running with five main grant programs: Roof Over Head helps with security deposits and rent assistance; Working Cars for Working People gifts grantees a used vehicle; Let’s Keep the Lights On offers grants for utility and water bills; Home Sweet Home aids with furniture purchases; and Road Ready Repairs assists with vehicle maintenance costs.

In June, they announced the creation of a sixth program called Returning Help to Returning Citizens, which helps formerly

incarcerated individuals furnish their homes. The program can also help pay for job training, assist with the housing search, act as a referral source for other programs and more.

“We’ve worked with returning citizens since conception,” Schwartz said. “Many times when we assisted with furniture, we would visit their apartment or home they were renting, and we were somewhat astonished initially at the holes that needed to be filled just to have the basic necessities of pots and pans and microwave.”

According to Schwartz, Here to Help’s one-of-a-kind, direct-to-recipient grant model has allowed them to directly help more than 9,000 people since their founding. Here to Help usually gives grants to 500-600 people annually, he said.

Their services are even more important this year, as the COVID-19 pandemic has

HERE TO HELP

ALEXANDER CLEGG/JEWISH NEWS

Kimberly Miller and her grandson with their new ride from Here to Help.

upended people’s lives. April and May saw an increase in requests for help from the Roof Over Head program, which helps with rent payments. Requests for transportation assistance also increased as people who relied on public transportation or rideshare apps to get to work began to feel unsafe with their options.

“If we spend the next six months also attracting more returning citizens, then the year will be our highest by far, I’m sure, for grantees,” Schwartz said.

Because of the unique nature of Here to Help, prospective grantees need to meet several requirements before receiving assistance. For example, if they’re able to work and they’re applying for a grant, they must be employed and able to show pay stubs for the last four weeks. As Schwartz says, the organization gives “hand-ups,” not hand-outs.

“We can’t give someone help with back rent if they don’t have any income because

next month they’re still going to need rent, and where are they going to get it from?” Schwartz said. “So we look at what we’re doing as an investment in the grantee — that they’ll be fine moving forward.”

Not all the same requirements apply to grantees for the Returning Hope to Returning Citizens program. They do hope to see that applicants have an income, but “we don’t list any particular requirements on that page, per se,” Schwartz said. “We just want them to email us and we’ll take it from there.”

Here to Help used to work with state agencies and local nonprofits to connect with people who qualified for their grants. Schwartz said they’d go through what he calls the “qualified advocate” — a Department of Health and Human Services employee or a social worker. But several years ago, Here to Help decided to put their grantee requirements in plain text on their website. Now grantees can

email Schwartz and Here to Help staff directly to apply for assistance.

“I can usually tell once we get that initial email with the initial information whether we’re going to be able to help or not, and nine times out of 10, if they qualify … we’ll be able to assist them,” he said.

RETURNING CITIZENS Lionel Smith of Detroit is one of those people who reached out to Here to Help.

He was connected with the organization last summer through the Center for Employment Opportunity to apply for a grant through the Working Cars for Working People program. A returning citizen himself, Smith had found a job but couldn’t yet afford to purchase a car.

Working with Here to Help couldn’t have been easier, Smith said. There were less than two weeks between the day he initially applied for the grant and the day he got to drive his car off the lot. And he continued on page 16 JULY 23 • 2020

| 15

Jews in the D cover story

“There’s a lot of hardworking, determined individuals … who run into emergency situations where, with a simple hand up, they can keep moving forward on this path to success.”

— BOB SCHWARTZ

HERE TO HELP

James Wilburn on the furniture he received from Here to Help.

Leah McCulloh got rent assistance from the Roof Over Head program.

continued from page 15

was able to go to the lot himself and test drive a few different cars, then pick the one he wanted.

“Before [Here to Help] had given me the car, I used to actually ride a bike or bus to work,” Smith told the JN. “I was very, very humbled but elated that they chose to help me begin to get my life going back in a positive way.”

Smith, who was incarcerated for 29 years, was glad to hear about the new Returning Hope for Returning Citizens program.

“Being formerly incarcerated, I understand the need for having a support system,” he said. “It’s not often you get people who are willing to help formerly incarcer-

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JULY 23 • 2020

ated people with an open heart with no strings attached.”

Smith has an associate’s degree and currently works at a factory that manufactures trucks for Ford. He said readapting to society after incarceration felt both exciting and challenging.

“You’d be so excited and happy to come home, and then everything has changed.

It’s really like [being] a child all over again, having to learn everything,” he said.

“I’ve still got a long way to go, but I think I’ve done a great job adapting to society, keeping myself around the right people, involved in the right stuff.”

Removing roadblocks to success for Smith and more than 9,000 other grant-

ees is the ultimate purpose of the Here to Help, Schwartz said, and he hopes to expand the organization beyond southeast Michigan one day.

“What we’ve learned over the years is that there are obviously a lot of roadblocks and a lot of difficulty in breaking a cycle of poverty,” Schwartz said. “And there’s a lot of hardworking, determined individuals … who run into emergency situations where, with a simple hand up, they can keep moving forward on this path to success.”

To donate to Here to Help, visit heretohelpfoundation.org/activek/Donation-a30. Donations can be made to the general organization or earmarked toward a specific program.

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JULY 23 • 2020

| 17

Jews in the D Steve Katzman

F

ive years ago, Steve Katzman knew change was needed.

Katzman, who’s been involved with Jewish organizations in Metro Detroit such as JARC, Kadima, JFS and Friendship Circle for many years now, was trying to put together a coalition to bring all those entities together.

The reason for seeking the coalition was significant funding cuts coming down from Lansing, reallocating funding for those organizations to other counties.

“I got involved with those organizations, and the answer from most of them with regards to the funding cuts was to do letter-writing campaigns,” Katzman said.

Katzman got together with Alan Gelfand, who had done fundraising for the Jewish Federation for years, and got involved in those letter-writing campaigns, but quickly realized it was an archaic process.

Individuals had to figure out who their elected officials were, type up written letters in their own words, get addresses to all their elected officials and then mail it to them all separately.

Katzman knew there needed to be an easier, more convenient way to go about contacting one’s elected officials. It was at that moment when he started researching and crafting what that vision might look like.

“What kept resonating was getting politics down to a oneto-one level, making sure that you have a voice and letting your voice be heard, so that it’s not going into a dark hole,” Katzman said.

That vision turned into Contact My Politician, which became a passion project for Katzman, who didn’t have the ability to dedicate full-time

18 |

JULY 23 • 2020

Let Your

Voice Be Heard

New website easily connects voters to their elected officials.

DANNY SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

attention to it due to his other business endeavors such as Camelot Venture Group and Smile Direct Club. The website slowly became a reality over the last five years, until it finally opened for business in June.

Contact My Politician allows users to simply type in their street address, which immediately brings up all their elected officials. The users can then send a written or video message to one or many of those officials, with any comments, questions or concerns they may have about pressing political topics.

The politician is notified through the platform of any messages from their constituents, and they’re able to respond through the platform in both written and video form, as well.

There’s also a portion of the website geared toward nonprofits, which allows the nonprofit to write a form letter in support of a specific position or initiative. The website provides those

nonprofits with a dedicated link for that campaign, which they can then send out to their supporters.

The supporters for the nonprofit can then contact their local politicians through the website to support the specific position or initiative, with an option to personalize the form letter.

When users create a profile on the website, they’re asked a list of questions, including if they’re registered to vote, as well as if they voted in the most recent presidential, primary and midterm elections. The site also asks what issues are most important to the user, with drop-down options including everything from civil and LGBTQ rights to drug and gun control policies, to economy and healthcare.

Contact My Politician is looking to build awareness and a base by targeting traditionally non-online media that have an

online presence, such as local television stations, radio stations and magazines, and by allowing them to integrate this functionality into their platform.

“We’re working on interfacing this, being able to allow a Fox 2 Detroit or Detroit News to integrate this functionality into their website, so when they’re reporting on a political story, they can encourage their audience to come to their website and let their voice be heard,” Katzman said.

While the obvious incentive is there for the constituent, Katzman also stressed that there’s significant value in the website for politicians as well.

“We’ve already had a couple politicians who have asked for access to mailing lists or if we can facilitate a town hall meeting with people who are engaged in our website that reside in their district.”

While the main focus of the site is about strengthening the communication between constituents and their politicians, Katzman agrees Contact My Politician could also help to combat voter suppression; with how unnecessarily arduous the process of contacting an elected official previously was, so much so that it may have prevented individuals from getting involved in the political process in the first place. Katzman also agrees that the site could provide voter education, for November and beyond.

“What we’re seeing is a high percentage of users that didn’t vote in the most recent election,” Katzman said. “But now you can tell they’re very concerned and engaged, more than likely because we’re giving them a platform to make them feel that they have a say in the process, and they’re more than likely to now come out and vote.”

THE LOIS ZUSSMAN

KADIMA GOLF CLASSIC Thank you for your support!

This event provides the vital revenue to support the Lois and Milton Y. Zussman Activity Center Although the Zussman Activity Center is closed at this time, we are doing all we can to maintain the social connections this program provides.

Weekly activities include member zoom meetings, a member-only Facebook group, current events and sports talk groups, book club, and social hours.

A peer outreach program has developed and new educational and enrichment opportunities continue to be created.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

HOLE SPONSORS

Milton Zussman

Alden Development Group Gail Danto and Art Roffey Sue Ellen and Harold Dubrowsky EHIM | Jewish News | Kap’s Wholesale Korotkin Insurance Group Reserve Management Senior Solutions Management Group Woll-Yellen Family Foundation

TOURNAMENT SPONSOR

Erin and Jonathan Modiano

COCKTAIL RECEPTION AND DINNER SPONSORS

Sonia and Keith Pomeroy

Julie and Rick Zussman

BEVERAGE CART SPONSOR Linda and Andy Jacob JPMorgan Chase & Co.

TEE SPONSORS

LUNCHEON SPONSOR

Ellen and Cary Adelman | Karen and Eric Adelman Andrea and Jeff Belen Barbara Bressack and Nicole Toth Colburn Colburn Insurance & Risk Services Harvey and Aileen Kleiman | Thomas and Linda Klein Melissa and Larry Lax | Janet Lekas and David Gans Harvey and Lynn Rubin | Janis and William Wetsman 2020 KADIMA GOLF CLASSIC COMMITTEE Jen Canner | Harold Dubrowsky | Adam Jacob | Tom Kukes Paige Lustig | Jonathan Modiano | Mike Orlando | Dan Serlin Kim Wallace | Adam Zussman | Milt Zussman | Rick Zussman

~ A Tribute to Richard Ludwig ~ Kadima thanks those who made generous gifts to honor and remember Richard Ludwig z”l in support of the work for which he felt so much passion.

Shari and Stanley Finsilver | Barbara and Michael Horowitz | Lynne Ludwig & Family Miry and Dan Serlin | Claire and Marvin Tamaroff | Sandi and Jeff Tamaroff Director Discretionary Grant – William Davidson Foundation

Donate online > kadimacenter.org/golf2020 JULY 23 • 2020

| 19

Jews in the D

Jonathan Warsh

Contact Tracer Young Jewish professional heads up state’s efforts to contain COVID-19.

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

H

is career was taking off like a rocket. So why, with a string of degrees from top universities and a high-paying job with a prominent consulting firm, would he take a sharp turn for a job with Michigan’s state government?

For Jonathan Warsh it was about wanting to return to the community where he was born and raised, and a desire to work for the public good. In February 2019, he started his current job as chief of staff for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Among other responsibilities, he oversees the state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

20 |

JULY 23 • 2020

Warsh, 30, grew up in Bloomfield Hills, the son of attorney Rick Warsh and his wife, Debbie, a psychotherapist.

He graduated from Hillel Day School and Birmingham Groves High School, and celebrated his bar mitzvah at Congregation Beth Ahm, where his family is still active.

With a summa cum laude bachelor’s degree from Harvard in 2011, he was awarded a prestigious Marshall Scholarship to study in Britain, earning a master’s in health care policy from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. in bioethics from Oxford University. Following a short

stint on the faculty of Harvard’s Business School, he moved to Washington, D.C., and a position at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm.

He enjoyed his work but not the Washington political environment. After Gretchen Whitmer’s 2018 election, he was asked to consider a job with the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

“I had it in the back of my mind to move back to Michigan sometime, but I didn’t expect it would be so soon,” Warsh said.

As one of the leaders of his department, Warsh helped develop strategies for dealing with maternal and infant health, public assistance and Medicaid. A few weeks after he presented his final plan, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the state. “Everything was completely upended,” he said.

His boss, HHS Director Robert Gordon, said Warsh has played a key role in the state’s COVID-19 response. “His listening, analysis and leadership skills are unusual for someone of any age. We’re fortunate to have him on the team.”

Warsh is responsible for the state’s contact tracing program.

Everyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is asked to name people with whom they had recent physical interaction.

A trained volunteer calls the contacts and urges them to be tested and to quarantine for two weeks if they are positive.

“It’s very challenging and we’re trying to scale up rapidly,” Warsh said. One problem is that many don’t accept the calls, which come from (866) 8063447, MI COVID HELP. Contract tracers do not share the name of the person who

tested positive. Neither do they request personal identification such as a Social Security number, driver’s license number or credit card number. Calls that request such information are probably scams.

“When we call you, please pick up and talk to us, and give us the names of your close contacts,” Warsh said. “If we don’t do this well, it will be virtually impossible to contain the virus.

“As the weather has gotten better and people are coming out of quarantine, it’s natural to expect more close interactions that are facilitating the spread of the disease,” he said. “What we really need is for people to continue to practice safe social distancing, wear masks when indoors (and outdoors when social distancing isn’t possible) and limit social interactions as much as possible. This is really Public Health 101.”

Huntington Woods attorney Jeff Appel, a family friend who has known Warsh since he was born, is one of his biggest fans. “He probably won’t tell you that while at McKinsey he helped redesign the Medicare system for the state of Ohio,” Appel said. “He probably won’t tell you that he routinely works 12-hour days.”

Warsh, who is single, lives in Ann Arbor, where he is on the board of the Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan.

He might be interested in a federal government position someday, he said, but working for the state makes him more nimble and closer to the people he wants to serve. He has no interest in political office. “I don’t enjoy the limelight,” he said. “I enjoy working behind the scenes.”

JULY 23 • 2020

| 21

Chai Riders Mark Rotenberg, Rick Hyman, comedian Sandy Hackett, Ron Korman (seated), Mayer Mekelwitz (back) and Susie Haskin-Colovas.

Jews in the D

Life is a Chai Way Local Jewish motorcycle club hosts national meet and greet.

JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR CATALYST MEDIA

J

ewish motorcyclists from across the country recently converged on Detroit to explore historical sites and meet fellow riders from the tribe.

The Jewish Motorcyclists Alliance (JMA) hosted its Motor City Meet & Greet July 9-11, sponsored by the Michigan Chai Riders.

The Chai Riders are a local group of Jewish motorcycle enthusiasts started in 1994 by local businessman Sy Freilich, who was looking for a few riding buddies to hit the open road with. The group, now about 50

strong, gets together a few times a week and were happy to host fellow Jewish riders from as far away as California and the East Coast, according to Chai Riders member Gerry Lullove, who volunteered to organize the event.

The JMA usually hosts the annual Ride to Remember, a fundraising ride held each year near International Holocaust Remembrance Day, focused on Holocaust remembrance and giving back to promote Holocaust education. This year it was canceled because of COVID-19.

“We didn’t want to cancel our event because of the pandemic and went to great lengths to ensure physical distancing practices and safety measures were in place for the 50 Jewish motorcyclists expected to attend,” said Lullove, an advertising executive who attends services at Temple Shir Shalom and has been a Chai Rider for a few years.

The Meet & Greet started Thursday night with a welcome dinner at the Radisson Hotel on Orchard Lake. A planned visit to the Holocaust Memorial Center on Friday had to be canceled because of COVID-19, so instead Lullove arranged for a Detroit police escort to accompany the riders on a tour of the Motor City.

The four-hour Spirit of Detroit tour featured stops for photos at the Motown Museum, Michigan Central Station, Hart Plaza, Greektown and Belle Isle.

The group of 55 bikes, led by their police escort, then rode back up Jefferson Avenue to see Ford Field and Comerica Park.

“We got caught in a downpour, but we just road through the rain,” Lullove said.

They ended the ride at Motor City Harley Davidson in Farmington Hills where riders enjoyed an outdoor barbecue and those who needed maintenance could attend to their bikes.

Barry Sobel of West Bloomfield said the day’s rain did nothing to dampen the group’s enthusiasm. Sobel, an executive at Microsoft, has been a member of Chai Riders for 10 years. He says the group has a wide range of people, from auto dealers to attorneys to podiatrists and business owners.

“We’re not your stereotypical motorcycle club,” he said. “I like to say we pull into a city and nobody gets scared.”

On Saturday, attendees had their choice of three rides: Frankenmuth, the DexterChelsea area or Kalamazoo.

When they returned, the group met for dinner at the Multi Lakes Conservation Center in continued on page 24

22 |

JULY 23 • 2020

Out of concern for the health and safety of our community, Jewish Family Service has made the difficult decision to cancel our 2020 Spotlight Event.

While we may not be able to come together to shine a light on mental health, we at JFS are still providing vital services to those in need, and that wouldn’t be possible without your support.

Thank you to our generous

Spotlight Event sponsors Gail Danto and Art Roffey Spotlight Event Chairs Ellen & Bruce Tabak Lisa & Andrew Barbas Host Committee Diamond Anita & Dr. Ron Taylor Carolyn & Jim Bellinson Anonymous The Eugene Applebaum Enrichment Deborah Tyner & Richard Herman, Linda & Michael Berke Dorothy & Eddy Barak Fund for Jewish Older Adults Suzanne Tyner Anita & Dennis Blender Linda & Michael Berke Kosins Family Foundation Trudy & Arthur Weiss Brogan & Partners Rhonda & Morris Brown Marvin & Betty Danto Family Foundation Melanie & Marty West Suzan & Michael Curhan Suzan & Michael Curhan Platinum Beverly & Hadley Wine Lauren & Marvin Daitch Lauren & Marvin Daitch Judy & Jeff Aisen Margie & Josh Yaker Joanne Danto & Arnold Weingarden Joanne Danto & Arnold Weingarden Andrea & Lawrence Wolfe Beth & Jeff Davidson Sandy & Jim Danto Brass Family Foundation Dawda, Mann, Mulcahy & Sadler, PLC Beth & Jeff Davidson Anonymous Pamela & Walter Feuereisen Wendy & Jeff Eisenshtadt Shelley & Michael Eizelman Wendy & Marc Bakst Linda & Mark Jacobs Mary & Larry Epstein Mary & Larry Epstein Kori Belzer & Andrew Echt Melissa & Larry Lax Deena Fishman Pamela & Walter Feuereisen Barbara & Douglas Bloom Joy & Allan Nachman David Gach, JP Morgan Private Bank Doreen Hermelin Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan AnaPaola & Geoffrey Orley Diane & Bill Goldstein Julie Hoskow & Jason Page Diane Brody & Todd Schafer Diane & Randy Orley Karen & Kenneth Goss Denise & Jamie Jacob Craig Singer MD Dermatology Drs. Margo & Douglas Woll Doreen Hermelin Gayle Taubman Kalisman & Rabbi Marla Hornsten & Sheldon Stern Danielle DePriest & Matthew Newman Michael Kalisman Gold Frankel Jewish Academy Denise & Jamie Jacob Helen & Martin Katz A. Alfred Taubman Foundation Michelle Freeman Stacy & Ron Klein Melissa & Larry Lax Clarence & Jack Himmel Foundation Carrie & Roger Kushner Lisa & Gary Langnas Marvin & Betty Danto Family Foundation Gail Danto & Art Roffey Julie & Mark Teicher Judy & John Marx Mara & Andrew Moss Sandy & Jim Danto Nancy & Brent Triest McLaren Health System Joy & Allan Nachman Shelley & Michael Eizelman Sara Voight Liz & J.J. Modell Anita & Robert H. Naftaly Julie Hoskow & Jason Page Cheryl & Stewart Weiner Mara & Andrew Moss AnaPaola & Geoffrey Orley Helen & Martin Katz Jaimee & David Witten Monni & Joel Must Diane & Randy Orley Rosann & Jack Kaufman Anita & Robert H. Naftaly Copper Marcie & Rob Orley MJS Packaging Amy & Max Newman Baker Tilly Barbara & Mark Picklo Mark Milgrom Helene & Tom Ohren Traci & Michael Baum Rosalie & Bruce Rosen Perry Ohren Marcie & Rob Orley Katie & Jeremy Brown Julie & Adam Rothstein Julie & Adam Rothstein Susie & Norm Pappas Susie & Robert Citrin Sandy & Alan Schwartz Nancy & Harvey Solway Rosalie & Bruce Rosen Annie & Rob Cohen Lori & Dr. Marc Siegel Silver Shelly & Mark Rubenfire Joan & Jerry Frohlich Amy & Craig Singer Dorothy & Eddy Barak Janet & Donald Schenk Micki Grossman Nancy & Harvey Solway Rhonda & Morris Brown Sandy & Alan Schwartz Nancy & Dr. Joe Jacobson Ellen & William Taubman Elaine C. & Eugene Driker Abbe & David Sherbin Lorie N. Kessler Robert Taubman Amy & Mark Haimann Lori & Dr. Marc Siegel Harriet and Gregg Orley Anita & Dr. Ron Taylor Colleen & Jeff Lev Amy & Craig Singer Chaya & Avi Rubin Deborah Tyner & Richard Herman, Narens Family Foundation Louise & Steven Spector Jeffrey Serman Suzanne Tyner Barbara & Mark Picklo Marion & Bert Stein Carol & Andrew Sofen Trudy & Arthur Weiss Beth & Sheldon Stone Renee & Rick Unger Beverly & Hadley Wine Bronze Jill & Rabbi Daniel Syme Julie & Rick Zussman Andi & Larry Wolfe Anonymous

Generously sponsored by the Reva Stocker Lecture Series

JULY 23 • 2020

| 23

Jews in the D

Jewish Nonprofits, Synagogues Receive PPP Loans CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER

T

hrough the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Metro Detroit religious institutions and organizations received millions of dollars from the federal government to help ease the economic burdens caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The data, released by the U.S. Treasury Department and Small Business Administration, broke down the amounts received in general ranges: from $150,000 to $300,000; $350,000 to $1 million; $1 million to $2 million; and $2 million to $5 million.

Data only shows organizations that received more than $150,000 in PPP loans. Some organizations received loans under $150,000 and are not included in this data.

Yeshiva Beth Yehudah

day school and JVS Human Services were the two Jewish organizations in Metro Detroit that received the most money.

According to data, both organizations received between $2 million and $5 million.

“We are fortunate to have secured the PPP loan, which has helped us stay focused on our mission of helping the community get back to work,” Paul Blatt, president and CEO of JVS Human Services, said.

“The PPP, along with support from our community partners like Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, has afforded us the ability to be here for the community during this pandemic, while protecting our staff and the vital work they do.”

Temple Israel, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan

Detroit, the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit and Jewish Family Service received $1 million to $2 million in PPP loans.

“The loans were used in the manner the program intended, helping us to keep our staff employed during a time of enormous financial challenges and uncertainty,” Federation COO Steve Ingber said. “Our dedicated employees are Federation’s most valuable asset, working to take care of our Jewish community, day in and day out and especially during times of crisis. Our efforts to serve the community’s most vulnerable members have rarely been as important as they are now, and we are grateful for all

the support.”

Two synagogues, Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield and Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Hills, received loans in the $350,000-to-$1 million range.

Christian and Muslim organizations and places of worship throughout Metro Detroit also received similar amounts of funding.

The loans do not need to be repaid as long as the organizations follow the guidelines put forward by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

According to the guidelines, the money must be used toward payroll costs, mortgages, rent and utilities.

24 |

JULY 23 • 2020

Korman and seven others plan on heading to Sturgis, South Dakota, in August, home to an annual event that attracts hundreds of thousands of riders. “We don’t care if they end up canceling the national event because of COVID,” he said. “It’s a beautiful part of the country to ride in with the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore.”

You don’t have to be Jewish to be a Chai Rider, although “99.8 percent of members are,” Lullove said. Members also unite to support the community with projects and donations. Past recipients of their efforts include the Maccabi Games and the Jewish Book Fair.

“We’re always looking for new members,” Sobel said, “especially younger ones. We want to pass along this tradition to the next generation.”

For information about joining Chai Riders, email barry@sobel.org.

CATALYST MEDIA

continued from page 22

Commerce Township, followed by a comedy performance by producer and “Rat Pack” revival star, Sandy Hackett, son of Buddy Hackett, at Big Tommy’s Parthenon and Comedy Club in Novi.

“He was funny — very Jewish — and took a lot of questions from the audience about his dad,” Lullove said.

Ron Korman, Chai Rider for 10 years and motorcycle enthusiast for 60, said, “It was a great weekend. I met a lot of new people.” The semi-retired 74-year-old and his girlfriend enjoy the social aspect of the club, he added.

Chai Riders get together Wednesday nights to schmooze for “Bike Night” at Memorial Park in Royal Oak. “We’ve been careful to social distance because of coronavirus.

We wear masks and bring our own food,” Korman said.

On Sunday mornings, members go for organized rides and they occasionally go on more extended trips.

Comedian Sandy Hackett tests out a motorcycle.

Jews in the D

Nearly $400,000 was raised at JARC’s annual fundraising event to benefit individuals with developmental disabilities. The first-ever drive-in movie event for the organization had more than 75 families in attendance during the two feature films, Despicable Me and Groundhog Day, which ran from 3-10 p.m.

Kids, teens, couples and parents at the event safely watched the movies in their vehicles during each showing per social distancing requirements.

JARC is a Metro Detroit based nonprofit agency

serving individuals with developmental disabilities in 80 locations, including 24-hour care in group homes, independent living settings for adults, and respite services for children, teens and young adults.

“We want to thank our supporters and sponsors for helping to make the event so successful,” said Shaindle Braunstein, CEO of JARC. “JARC and their supporters will always be there for the people who need them no matter what is going on in the world, even a

CKC MEDIA

JARC Drive-in Movie Fundraiser Raises Close to $400,000 pandemic.”

Many of those in attendance were supporters, family members and friends of the JARC community as well as the individuals JARC serves.

The funds raised at the event will go toward JARC’s general expenses, including transportation needs, home maintenance, meals, staff training and enrichment activities.

The event was kicked off with a few e-introductions shown on

Q

the movie screen: a brief video highlighting other community agencies, an introduction from JARC’s President of the Board of Directors Howard Luckoff and JARC CEO Shaindle Braunstein, followed by a 2:30-minute video highlighting the individuals and staff members of the JARC community.

In addition to JARC and its supporters, the presenting sponsor for this year’s event was Stretch Zone.

Need help getting through a crisis?

Call jhelp at 1-833-44-JHELP Visit jhelp.org Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org

Do all of the above

We Have Answers.

.org

Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation.

JULY 23 • 2020

| 25

Moments

BACK To birmingham

SALE Wednesday, July 22 - Tuesday, July 28 The week Birmingham goes on sale! Shoppers will find discounted high-end merchandise throughout downtown Birmingham. FREE PARKING & FREE VALET AVAILABLE ALL WEEK! Curbside pick-up also available or shop individual retailers online. Visit individual retailers’ websites for their event details at www.AllinBirmingham.com/shop It’sl

JAN. 27, 2020 Sandy Rockind, formerly of West Bloomfield, is overjoyed to announce the birth of her daughter, Mitzi Noa Rockind (Miriam Noa). Sharing in the excitement are grandparents Gladys and Larry Rockind of West Bloomfield and Miami Beach. Mitzi is lovingly named after her maternal great-grandmother, Marianne (Mitzi) Reinstein and maternal great-grandfather Norbert Reinstein. Sandy and Mitzi reside in Chicago.

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JUNE 5, 2020 Ariana Orvell and Jeffrey Zeman are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Averie Gemma Zeman. Proud grandparents are Marci and Paul Zeman of West Bloomfield, and Gabriella Ibieta and Miles Orvell of Philadelphia. Averie is named in loving memory of her great-grandmothers Avis Wolfe and Gabriela de la Campa. She is also the great-granddaughter of the late Harold Wolfe, Maggie and Robert Zeman, Jose Ibietatorremendia, and Mary and Samuel Orvell.

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JULY 23 • 2020

FIDF Michigan Chapter to Send Ice Cream Truck to Israeli Soldiers Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) plans on sending six ice cream trucks to soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces around mid-September. The FIDF Michigan Chapter is raising funds for at least one truck.

The ice cream trucks will deliver bars and sweets to as many soldiers as possible; each will distribute around 3,000 treats a day. The trucks will bring ice cream to outposts and the fields where combat soldiers are trained and stationed for their duties. Each ice cream truck distribution will cost $9,160 for three days of deliveries.

With a minimum gift of $500, donors’ names will appear on the truck or banner. To donate, contact FIDF Michigan Chapter Director Paula Lebowitz at paula.lebowitz@fidf.org.

Spirit torah portion

T

here is an inspirational way through 40 years of desaccount that, in one verert wandering? Is it true that sion or another, is often God carried us “on the wings printed. The earliest known ver- of eagles” all the way to the sion of “Footprints” reads: border of the promised land? Is An elderly man, who had it possible that God carries us lived his life and left this world over those places that we don’t to go and meet his Maker, asked believe we can overcome ourthe Lord a question. selves? Or is there something “As I’m looking down on the else going on? paths I’ve trod, I see two sets of The Malbim (1800s Ukraine) footprints on the easy paths. wrote on this verse: “For “But down the rocky roads I there, God gave them a great see only one set of footstrength to overcome (the prints. difficulties) of this mas“Tell me, Lord, why sive desert that could not did you let me go down have been done on their all those hard paths own strength, rather only alone?” as God gave them the The Lord smiled and Rabbi Shalom strength — just as a father Kantor simply replied, “Oh, my gives his child strength to son, you’ve got that all move on and continue to Parshat wrong! overcome the difficulties Devarim: “I carried you over Deuteronomy in front of them.” those hard paths.”

We have the obligation 1:1-3:22; There is no doubt to recognize the spark of Isaiah 1:127 (Shabbat God that exists inside each that we all go through Hazon) rough times. Life presof us. We often forget it ents us bumps, curves is there, but in moments and even mountains of crisis and difficulty, that we must overcome. Each of those sparks glow brighter and us has come upon obstacles that remind us of who we are and we thought were insurmountwhat we are here to do. Each able; and then, somehow, we of us has the ability to use this were able to overcome them. spark of God to give strength, How is it that we do this over encouragement and even someand over in our lives? And, if one to lean on.

God can simply pick us up, why We must then ask ourselves: make us sweat, panic and doubt “Whom can I carry through our own abilities? this rough and rocky period?”

In this week’s Torah portion Or, when we reach that insurwe read: “And in the wildermountable spot, “Who might ness, where you saw how the be able to carry me?”

When we do this, we allow Lord your God carried you, our sparks to come together as a parent carries their child, and make the world that much all the way that you traveled brighter. until you came to this place” (Deuteronomy 1:31).

Rabbi Shalom Kantor is the rabbi of Is it possible that God truly Congregation B’nai Moshe in West carried each Israelite the entire Bloomfield.

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| 27

ISRAPALOOZA

Eretz

Israel Story In its 5th season, podcast shares lives of ordinary Israelis.

MADELINE HALPERT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

n the summer of 2010, native Israeli and Harvard grad Mishy Harman gathered his belongings and his dog and embarked on a 13,000-mile road trip across the United States. Just outside of Vicksburg, Mississippi, he said, his life trajectory changed. It was when Harman switched from listening to books on tape and Bible Belt radio to an episode of This American Life.

As he listened, Harman remembers being transported into the lives of different Americans across the country.

In what he describes as an invigorating and dizzying moment, he said his conception of American reality was expanded.

“The first thought I had was maybe we could do something like this in Israel, create an Israeli version of This American

AVISHAG SHAAR YASHUV

Mishy Harman

28 |

JULY 23 • 2020

Life, because Israel is this rich human tapestry of so many different traditions and backgrounds and identities,” he said.

Two years later, in the summer of 2012, after visiting TAL studios in New York to learn more, Harman and three childhood friends released the first episode of their podcast, Israel Story. At the time of its release, Harman said about a dozen close family members and friends downloaded the first episode.

Just a few months later, Harman secured a prime-time Friday afternoon slot on Galey Tzahal, Israel’s leading national radio station. Now, in 2020, at the start of their fifth season, Israel Story has a production team of 15 people and hundreds of thousands of listeners.

Before starting the podcast, Harman said he and his friends had humble expectations for its outcome. They aspired to share multifaceted stories of individuals from different cultures and backgrounds — people who might not otherwise get to interact in an extremely fragmented Israeli society. Harman said he hoped that by eliminating a visual element of storytelling, listeners might be able to suspend their judgments of the show’s guests just a little bit longer.

“Maybe you would be able to listen to a story and forget for the first 90 seconds that the person is a Bedouin teenager or an ultra-Orthodox grandmother, and just listen to them

A 12-hour event held in April by Israel Story.

tell a story and relate to them,” he said.

REACHING OUT TO AN AMERICAN AUDIENCE After the end of a successful first season on Israeli public radio, Harman saw a larger potential for what started as a late-night passion project. After writing 1,000 letters of inquiry to various foundations in America, he realized Israel Story would need to be adapted to suit a larger audience.

“That was the very first time we had the somewhat counterintuitive idea of making the American version of the Israeli version of This American Life,” he said.

With a grant from Steven Spielberg’s Righteous Persons Foundation, Harman and his team created new English seasons of the podcast and formed a partnership with Tablet Magazine and the Public Radio Exchange. With this adapted show came the opportunity to portray a more nuanced version of Israel to an American audience.

For Skyler Inman, who moved from the United States to Tel Aviv in 2017, it’s the attention to detail on the podcast that helps allow for these nuances.

Now a full-time producer on Israel Story, Inman said that a team member may spend six to nine months working on a story for one episode, among other projects.

“From start to finish, there’s

so much attention that goes into every square inch of the tape, a fine-toothed comb,” she said.

“It’s a pretty amazing experience from a learning perspective.”

ISRAEL STORY AND COVID-19 Amid a global pandemic, however, the Israel Story team has had to come up with innovative approaches to their carefully produced podcast.

Harman said that COVID-19 has posed massive challenges for the show, especially in terms of fundraising. Originally, the team had their annual world tour scheduled for April and May, which was eventually canceled due to the pandemic.

Harman said this live tour usually accounts for about a third of their annual budget.

“We were worried we were going to run out of money,” he said. “We tried to think of every possible way to keep the operation running.”

Inman, who joined the podcast in February, about a month before the pandemic broke out and Israel issued strict quarantine measures, said she has been impressed by Harman and other team-members’ creativity in the wake of the health crisis. She said that one day in April, Harman came up with an idea — a 12-hour long cultural extravaganza on Zoom.

Inman says that two sleepless weeks later, on April 29, Israel Story held its first “IsraPalooza,” an all-day 12-hour event in which team members inter-

viewed celebrities such as basketball player Amar’e Stoudemire and Arab-Israeli news anchor Lucy Aharish. Additionally, the Zoom festival featured a live concert, a cooking class and a self-portrait workshop. Inman said the event garnered huge support and attracted people from all over the world, including Americans, Australians and South Africans. “Everything came together in this very magical way,� Inman said. “People were reaching out to us for weeks afterwards saying how bright a light it was.�

In addition to their impromptu Zoom festival, Israel Story has had to adapt their fifth season to a world under COVID. The show now includes a COVID19 mini-series, entitled “Alone, Together.� The first episode of the fifth season, released on June 30, shares moments of celebrations in Israel during a health crisis quarantine. The episode features

the story of a Chabad rabbi and the extraordinary lengths he went to for his newborn son to have a bris, which included chartering a private jet to Ben Gurion Airport.

Inman said that all podcasts are having to figure out how to weather the current health crisis and economic climate. But she added that the show’s response to the pandemic, including the mini-series and other online events facilitated through the Israel Story Facebook page, has come with some silver linings. “It’s been bringing our show closer to our audience in a way that I wouldn’t have expected,� Inman said.

THE FUTURE OF ISRAEL STORY Though the podcast has shifted course during the health crisis to tell the story of Israel during COVID, Harman said he looks forward to the opportunity to continue to share more narratives

through the podcast. He said his work on the show has given him an eye-opening perspective on the limitations of his own life experiences and presumptions about others. “You feel that you know so much about someone that it almost obviates the need to talk to them,� Harman said. “Having worked on this project for nearly a decade, if I’ve learned one thing, it’s how rarely people actually conform to stereotypes.�

In the future, Harman said he is excited to continue to expand the diversity of the podcast’s audience. He explains that originally, Jews composed about 90% of Israel Story’s listeners.

Now, that figure is closer to 75%, indicating a broader diversity of listeners.

Inman said the diversity of voices on the show remains paramount as well. She said the podcast’s multidimensional narratives take listeners outside of

their comfort zone and beyond a “Birthright version� of Israel. “I think it’s good for people who love Israel, and I think it’s good for people who are critical of Israel to have their conception of the place expanded each time they listen to one of our stories,� she said.

In the end, Harman hopes these narratives will help listeners expand beyond their own echo chambers. While he tries to avoid overtly political content on the podcast, he noted that ultimately, the deeper premise of Israel Story, and the original goals behind the show, are inherently political ones. “The idea is that a person is a person,� he said. “And we will only benefit as a society if we listen to each other and if we open our minds to seeing what life is like through someone else’s eyes.�

Download episodes at israelstory.org.

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Arts&Life music

Pandemic Song Yiddish artist repurposes a 1916 Yiddish song thatt speaks th k tto today ttoday. d

L

ike so many other musical stage entertainers sidelined by the pandemic, Daniel Kahn has turned to YouTube.

Kahn, who launched his career while growing up in Farmington Hills, has developed a video centered on the Yiddish song “Mentshn-Fresser” (“Devourer of Mankind”), written by Solomon Small (Smulewitz) in 1916 to communicate the brutal environment brought about by tuberculosis. Kahn has revived the song to comment on COVID-19.

Kahn, working with a small group of singers and musicians, joins the new presentation with English subtitles and archival film footage. While the clothing can be recognized as vintage, the masks come across as age-ambiguous.

The recurrence of pandemics and the

30 |

JULY 23 • 2020

resulting common hardships and tragedies are dramatized to go along with the lyrics.

“Microbes, bacilli, what do you want?” the song asks in its refrain, which punctuates descriptions of what communicable diseases take.

“In making the video, we all are part of a community that sees in Yiddish culture, music and language a way, not only of engaging with the past, but also a way of engaging with the present and the future,” said Kahn, who has built a career based in Germany.

“We look to these old songs to better understand our world today. There’s no nostalgia in singing this song, but there is a respect for the past and fierce yet playful engagement with the future.”

The idea for the video came during a Shabbat dinner shared by Kahn (vocals

DANIEL KAHN

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TOP: Sveta Kundish and Daniel Kahn appear in the video about pandemics. Each takes off a mask when not singing. ABOVE: Original sheet music of “Mentshn-Fresser” shows a different spelling.

and drums) and his wife, Yeva Lapsker (videography), with Sveta Kundish (vocals) and Patrick Farrell (accordion and sound). After the initial filming, instrumental accompaniment was added by Christian Dawid (tuba, saxophone, clarinet) and Vivien Zeller (violin).

The setting for the video, a deserted farmhouse, was scouted by Lapsker, who built a dance career before working more closely with Kahn and his musical projects.

“We got the historical footage from available archives — online and free to use,” Kahn said. “My wife and I looked through dozens and dozens of [film clips to find] imagery that was fitting. Among the topics addressed specifically are influenza, polio, industrial exploitation and the scourge of war.”

Kahn points out that the song also addresses leadership problems in tackling the issues: “Great, deep graves are packed with corpses And the masters, the emperors, play their chess.”

Kahn, 41, whose core career commitment is the klezmer band Daniel Kahn & the Painted Bird, can look back on a professional highlight two years ago. He played the romantic interest in the first Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof, staged in New York under the direction of Joel Grey.

Kahn started acting when he was 12 as he appeared in plays presented by the Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET), then in West Bloomfield. After studying theater and writing at the University of Michigan, he connected with Yiddish

songs, started learning them and studied the language at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York.

As his video plays across the web, Kahn is living in quarantine with his wife, 9-monthold son and another couple.

While formal concert dates are being scheduled for 2021, he gradually is arranging for some social distancing concerts near his home in Berlin.

“Things are opening up slowly for performers, but it’s a very difficult new reality we’re dealing with,” he said.

“Just days ago, I played the first public gig I had played in many, many months. It was outdoors in a churchyard in a small village for 40 or 50 people sitting on benches at a distance from each other.”

Although Kahn has some other small shows coming up, he keeps in mind that Germany is being very cautious in its opening process based on infection rates. If there are population segments with increasing cases, areas are shut down again.

Kahn explains that Germans wear masks without any of the political opposition as experienced in the United States.

“A mask, like a song, is a fairly simple object that doesn’t ever get old,” he said. “[Yiddish] songs function in the same way that these masks do. They are ways of creating a public space so people can interact and relate to each other and share ideas and thoughts. That’s a useful thing.”

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JULY 23 • 2020

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ikolaus Leytner’s The loamy browns and sepias, every Tobacconist is marked shot here’s nearly monochrome. by uneasy tensions.

A handful of CGI dream When a chance tragedy upends sequences are filmed in heavy, a Christian family’s peaceful overbearing blues that recall last rural life, they send their only year’s Judy. Desire, pleasure and son Franz (Simon Morze) to adolescent feeling are threatened pre-Reich Vienna to apprentice by the shadow of Nazism, as in with family friend Otto Trsnjek, Cabaret. But Laytner feels more a one-legged tobacconist and at home with the opinionated Great War vet, as Nazism codgers than he does his young encroaches on the city. lead, leaving Franz’s inner life, Johannes Krisch gives the title like Freud’s ideas, more signified character a sparky warmth that’s than felt. matched by his favored client, an Charting Nazism’s growth aging and largely domesticated within Vienna, the span in Sigmund Freud (the now-late which a trickle of hateful ideBruno Ganz). Both elderly Jews, ology swells into a flood, is they mentor Franz, linked by what The Tobacconist shows best. their stubbornness and taste Bursting from fringe pamphlets for pleasure (“a very good cigar into mainstream editorials and tastes like the world,” Trsnjek comedy shows, hate speech and says). Their indulgences create harassment switfly become the a straightforward, easy bond in regional climate. This will prove which connection over culture familiar to anyone contending and taste seems to transcend with our present international class distinctions. waves of fascistic governance The film has and hate. plenty of erotic As a Christian, details material. Franz Franz is personalYou can rent The is enamored ly insulated from Tobacconist for $12 at of a cabaret the approaching michtheater.org/screendancer; Trsnjek Holocaust. The ings/the-tobacconist. sells porn rags Tobacconist might After your purchase, you in plain brown be a bolder film have five days to watch. bags; and Freud if it showed him is, well, Sigmund becoming more Freud. Leytner seduced. Still, by approaches all this with the the end, privilege renders him same lack of irony as his charcomplicit. Franz never says “Heil acters’ cigar fixation. They are Hitler” to anyone, but eventually subjects without palpable heat. makes a half-surrender, replying With a visual style defined by to a neighbor: “Same to you.”

Arts&Life celebrity jews

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

AN HBO FILM (WITH SURPRISE MICHIGAN CONNECTIONS) HBO will premiere the documentary The Weight of Gold on July 29. It explores the mental health challenges that Olympic athletes often face. Like millions of “ordinary” Americans, many Olympic athletes struggle to find necessary support and resources as they cope with mental health issues.

The film seeks to inspire a general discussion of mental health issues, encourages people to seek help and highlights the need for support.

The film is narrated by Michael Phelps, the swimmer who holds the record for the most Olympic medals of any athlete, ever (28). Phelps has been candid about his own mental health/substance abuse problems.

K

O

BO

CE FA

Skater Sasha Cohen

Many Olympic athletes are interviewed, including figure skater Sasha Cohen, 35. She finished fourth at the 2002 Olympics (the gold medalist was Sarah Hughes, now 35). Cohen won the Olympic silver medal in 2006. She now works as an associate at Morgan Stanley, where her fiance, Gregory Lieberthal, 40ish, is a partner. The couple had their first child, a son, last January. Gregory is the son of Kenneth Lieberthal, 76, a political scientist and China expert who is a retired University of Michigan

professor. Kenneth’s other son, Keith, 43, married actress Julianna Margulies, now 54, in 2007 and they, too, have a son.

Brett Rapkin, 42, directed Weight. He specializes in producing and/or directing sports documentaries. He produced the acclaimed 2008 documentary Holy Land Baseball. It’s about a rich American bagel maker who founded (2007) a short-lived pro baseball league in Israel. Rapkin said he made the film because it combined two of the biggest memories of his childhood, “playing baseball and going to Hebrew school.” (Holy is available, free, on Amazon Prime.)

EDELMAN — THE BACK STORY Two weeks ago, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, an African American, posted on Instagram a fictitious anti-Semitic Hitler quote and praised notorious anti-Semite Louis Farakhan.

There was an uproar and Jackson apologized and took the posts down. Shortly thereafter, Julian Edelman, 34, a New England Patriots star receiver, spoke to the press and, while critical of Jackson’s posts, reached out to him and offered to take him on a tour of the Holocaust museum.

LILY RETURNS You might have seen a familiar face in two recent AT&T ads: Lily, the AT&T (fictional) store manager who gives you the lowdown on their products. Lily appeared in 40 commercials from 2013 to 2017 and didn’t “hock” you like Flo, the Progressive insurance character.

Lily is played by Milana Vayntrub, 33. She was born in Uzbekistan, then part of the Soviet Union. She was a toddler when her family moved to America. The new ads find Lily working at home and answering questions on her phone.

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On The Go virtual events | learnings

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.

MUSEUM EXHIBIT AS OF JULY 22 Cranbrook Art Museum opened the new exhibition, Shapeshifters: Transformations in Contemporary Art. Featuring more than 70 works from 39 artists drawn from the museum’s permanent collection. The exhibit is in the museum’s upper galleries. Check the website for hours.

THEATER INSIGHT ONGOING Broadway in Detroit, which brings the Fisher Theater offerings, is sponsoring The Ghost Light, a collaborative video project developed with Detroit and Ann Arbor professional theater companies. Watch the video on our YouTube. It is narrated by Jeff Daniels and was produced and directed by SMZ Advertising.

LIVESTREAM CONCERT 8 PM, JULY 23 The Chamber Music Society of Detroit will present the Attacca Quartet. View at CMDetroit.org.

OPENING DAY PARTY 2 PM, JULY 24 Canterbury Village will hold a free viewing party for the first game for the 2020 MLB season for the Detroit Tigers against the Cincinnati Reds. Gates open at 2 pm for a pre-game tailgate with music, vendors and boutiques at

34 |

JULY 23 • 2020

the Village; Village Marketplace will be open for shopping along with Yates Cider Mill. C-Pub’s Patio will be barbequing and offering a variety of food and drink options. Game start time is 6:10 pm. The viewing party is free to attend; all attendees must register in advance to reserve a spot as capacity is limited. All reservation ticketing will have contactless check-in upon arrival where all tickets will be scanned through closed car windows.

Registration available soon at bigtickets.com.

children 13 and under free.

CONCERT HOUSE 4:15 PM, JULY 26 The KerryTown Concert House in Ann Arbor will present TzuYin Huang, pianist, playing Liszt, Brahms and Beethoven. View: Live@the415.

THE ARK

STAYING CONNECTED

FAMILY ROOM SERIES 8 PM, JULY 24 The Ark in Ann Arbor presents Joe Jenks. View on the Ark’s Facebook page; a Facebook account is not needed. Donations to the “virtual tip jar” support the Ark and the participating artists.

ORCHARD LAKE FINE ART SHOW JULY 25 & 26 10 am-6 pm, Sat.; 10 am-5 pm, Sun. Outdoors: Social distancing, hand sanitizer and other COVID guidelines will be integrated with risk reduction strategies based on the governor’s executive orders.

General one-day admission is $5,

TOUR ISRAEL NOON-1PM, JULY 28 Temple Shir Shalom is offering a live, virtual “Secrets of the Desert: The Nabatean Spice Route” tour with Rabbi Daniel Schwartz and Israeli tour guide Beni Levin.

Visit Mamshit, Avdat and ancient fortresses where incense and other spices made their way along this path in ancient Israel.

To register: shirshalom.org/form/ livefromtheholyland or call 248737-8700.

TRIVIA NIGHT 7:30 PM, JULY 28 The Jewish Historical Society will host a virtual gathering on Zoom. Grab a drink, and join Trivia Night, featuring all new questions and allowing you to showcase knowledge of Michigan Jewish history. Prizes will be awarded to the top three scorers. Cost: $10 for members and $18 for nonmembers. Register by 9 pm on Monday, July 27. Instructions for joining the Zoom call will be sent the day before.

JCC SUMMER POOL PASSES NOW OUTDOORS The JCC outdoor swimming pool is officially open and restricted to JCC members and JCC Summer Pool Pass holders only. One-time non-refundable fees: single pass: $30; family pass: $75 (limited

to six people per household). For summer pass holders, there is an additional fee of $5 per person for every swim session reservation.

To purchase, go to jccdet.org/ goswimming. For information, email membership@jccdet.org or call membership at 248-4325429.

YOUTH THEATER PROGRAM AUG. 3-14 10 am-3 pm. For ages 8-18, the JET Theatre, in association with Actors Equity Association, will hold daily outdoor instruction, culminating in an outdoor performance sponsored by the city of Walled Lake. Cost: $500; early drop off and latchkey available. Reservations: 248788-2900 or administration@ jettheatre.org.

WALK 4FRIENDSHIP SEPT. 6 With in-person gatherings off the table for now, this year Friendship Circle will host a virtual walk. On Sept. 6, create your own route and walk wherever you are.

Whether you are walking in your neighborhood, on a treadmill or even in your living room, put on your walking shoes and walk for friendship to support individuals with special needs.

Fundraising began Wednesday, July 22. Join the Walk4Friendship Fundraisers Facebook group for early access to event information, prizes, incentive opportunities, tips for fundraising and the latest news.

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

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the exchange community bulletin board | professional services

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| 37

Soul

of blessed memory

GILDA BIRMINGHAM, 92, of Royal Oak, died July 11, 2020.

She was a woman of culture who loved collecting glass art, volunteering for many years at the Detroit Institute of Arts and attending art exhibits.

She was well read, extremely intellectual and had a great sense of humor.

Gilda brought life and interest to any conversation. She was always fully engaged with her family and friends during treasured visits. She listened, which is a rare quality.

Her earlier years were spent in the medical field and the “kids” will never forget those dreaded vaccines she brought home to administer.

She married the true love of her life, Dr. John Birmingham, who passed some years ago; but we know she shared a love at the deepest level with John. That love and companionship were what we all aspire to have. She is with him now in eternity and peace. May her memory be a blessing to all who knew and loved her.

Mrs. Birmingham is survived by her two children, Roger Ludin (Judi) and Jody Jonas; sister and brother-in-law, Hecky and Ronnie Lazar; grandchildren, Jonathon Jonas, Jamie Ludin Vazquez, Jared Ludin; many nieces and nephews.

She was the sister of the late Fern Solomon.

Contributions may be made to the Detroit Institute of Arts or to a charity of one’s choice related to the arts. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

38 |

JULY 23 • 2020

DR. DAVID BURNSTINE, 91, of Northridge, Calif., died July 8, 2020.

He is survived by his sons and daughterin-law, Steven Burnstine, Robert Burnstine, Michael and Diana Burnstine; grandchildren, Alexa, Ryan, Jack, Adam and Zachary; sister, Jeanie Kabeck; brother-inlaw and sister-in-law, Jerome and Janet Rosman; many other loving family members and friends.

Dr. Burnstine was the beloved husband of the late Elaine Burnstine; the brother of the late Barbara (the late Harold) Nelson; the brother-in-law of the late Jerry Kabeck.

Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, to the Wayne State University School of Medicine or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements

by Dorfman Chapel.

NOAH SAMUEL CUTLER, 23, of West Bloomfield, died July 15, 2020.

He is survived by beloved parents, Michael and Dr. Nancy Cutler; brother, Adam Cutler; loving grandparents, Michael and Margo Goldman, and Janice Cutler; adoring aunts and uncles, Ilisa (David) Bernstein, Jeff (Staci) Goldman, Kevin (Amy) Goldman and Alan (Cindy) Cutler; many loving cousins, other family members and a world of devoted friends.

Mr. Cutler was the grandson of the late Donald Cutler.

Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in

Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the MakeA-Wish Foundation of Michigan or Kadima.

Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

BEATRICE HOWARD, 95, of West Bloomfield, died July 9, 2020.

She is survived by her children, Daniel and Victoria Steinway, Steven and Deborah Steinway, Robert Howard, David and Rowena Howard, Richard and Sherry Howard, Donna and Stanley Weingarden; grandchildren, Alyssa Steinway, Matthew Steinway, Stacie Steinway, Caren Steinway, Adam Howard, Derek (Stephanie) Howard, Jessica (John) Olenski, Brett Howard, Beth (Jon) Fodal, Howard (Teri) Weingarden, Adam (Meredith) Weingarden; brothers and sisters-in-law, David and Barbara Feld, Julius and Elenor Feld; sister and brother-in-law, Annetta and Samuel Lipton; numerous great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, many other loving family members and friends.

Mrs. Howard was the beloved wife of the late Marvin Howard.

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

Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

POLLY KAATZ (nee Gleiser), of Oak Park, formerly of Huntington Woods and Sarasota, Fla., died on June 21, 2020.

She was born Pauline Gleiser in 1925 to Tziporah (Goldenfeld) and Ioseph in Iasi, Romania. In 1929, she

sailed with her mother to Lima, Peru, to join her father who had emigrated there.

When they arrived in Peru, Pauline became Polita/Poli, short for Paola, Tziporah became Cecilia, and Ioseph became José. Polly attended an American high school in Lima, where she became fluent in English.

During the war, she met Paul Kaatz, who was stationed in the Air Force at a base on the northern coast of Peru not far from where Polly and her parents had relocated during the Depression.

Paul had been encouraged to visit her family by a local shopkeeper on the promise of meeting a Jewish daughter and getting a good Jewish meal. He never got the meal but he did meet Polly; and after a courtship by mail and a final visit to Lima, they were married on June 1, 1947. Polly, an only child, at the age of 22, bravely left her family and friends to start a new life in Detroit.

The Kaatzes soon moved to Huntington Woods, where they lived for 36 years, before moving to Sarasota, Fla., in the early 1990s. Polly continued living in Sarasota another 11 years after Paul’s death in early 2007; she then moved to Oak Park in 2018 to be closer to her family.

Polly was loved by everyone who knew her and had a wide circle of friends in both Detroit and Sarasota, including many of her children’s friends who went on to develop independent relationships with her as adults.

Her two daughters-in-law eulogized her as “the best mother-in-law anyone could have.” Polly was known for being a great cook, and a whiz at math; she was a master bridge player who played contract bridge, studcontinued on page 42

In Memory of

Helen Rosenzveig z”l T

he Board of Directors and Staff of the Holocaust Memorial Center

offer our heartfelt condolences to the Rosenzveig and Novogrodsky families.

Together with her husband, Rabbi Charles Rosenzveig z”l, they were instrumental in the creation of the Holocaust Memorial Center and their vision encouraged the cadre of founders to step forward.

Helen’s good deeds will live on in the hundreds of thousands of people who have learned at the Holocaust Memorial Center to stand up to antisemitism, genocide and injustice.

Her legacy of Holocaust education will continue to inspire and set an example for us all.

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER • ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS 28123 Orchard Lake Rd. • Farmington Hills, MI 48334 www.holocaustcenter.org

JULY 23 • 2020

| 39

Soul

of blessed memory

A Life Well Lived

T

homas I. Klein, 85, of Bloomfield Hills and Longboat Key, Fla., died July 3, 2020.

Tom was a joy to everyone who knew him. He was tall, handsome, smart, sweet, kind, funny, loving and an all-around wonderful guy.

He was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. At the age of 18, as a popular high school senior and an all-state athlete in basketball and football, he contracted polio. He was on his way to Princeton to play basketball when he was stricken. But after a year of recovering, he went instead to the University of Michigan. He always said that was OK because otherwise he and Linda would never have met. They were married in 1961 after both of their graduations, and he went on to live a very normal, healthy life for many years.

He had so many joys in his life: a happy marriage to Linda for almost 59 years; three loving children and their wonderful spouses; six healthy, thriving grandchildren whom he loved more than life itself and who returned his love. “Poppa” was a cool dude whom they adored and could talk to about all things.

Tom enjoyed playing golf. He loved his house in Michigan, where he celebrated every possible occasion with friends and family and hosted many community events. Most of all, he loved life on Longboat Key in Florida. He would sit on the porch drinking a scotch and looking out at the Gulf of Mexico. From that porch, with a Dewars in hand and enjoying the sunset, he wrote love notes to his kids and grandkids, telling them his philosophy of life and mostly how proud he was of them. He treasured the

40 |

JULY 23 • 2020

“new” friendships he made during the 20 years that he spent in Sarasota and Longboat Key. Tom had two brothers; he was extremely close to them, their wives and children. He often proudly said they had never had a fight in their lives. He was especially close to his niece Deborah Klein of Washington, D.C. Last summer, Linda and Tom hosted a family reunion at their house for the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Chick and Shon Klein, Tom’s parents.

Relatives came from as far away as Frankfurt, Germany, for 2½ days of fun and being together.

He reveled in Linda’s family, too, first cousins and their kids who were good friends as well as family and with whom many lifecycle celebrations and holidays were spent.

Tom loved a microphone and looked forward to celebrations of any kind, which gave him the chance to create a routine to honor whatever was being celebrated. Many friends and family looked forward to these “stand ups” where, with his twinkling eyes and big dimples, he would make them laugh until they cried. Anyone who was lucky enough to count him as a friend considered themselves gifted.

He was a great listener and touched people he met even once or twice in life with his interest in them and his wise council. Many of his deepest relationships were with people who worked for him through the years and who respected him for his loyalty and caring.

He received his B.A. and law degree from the University of Michigan. He loved all sports and was an active fan of U-M football and basketball. He began his practice of law in Toledo and soon continued in

Detroit with the law firm of Levin, Levin, Garvett and Dill. He later left the law and joined the Zuckerman family business of Velvet O’Donnell Corporation, manufacturing famed Detroit brand Velvet Peanut Butter and distributing beer, wine and liquors.

He enjoyed traveling. The many family trips he and Linda took with their children were treasured highlights. In midlife, they traveled the world, planning their adventures themselves and most always traveling alone. Their trips, of course, included many to Israel, which was a place of love, solace and pride to both.

One huge thrill of his life was a beautiful family trip to South Africa. It was exciting, and each of the kids and grandkids had their own special ways of making sure Tom was attended to and cared for, making sure he could get the most benefit from everything they did. He loved that the whole family gathered at the house in Michigan and at the condo in Longboat Key to celebrate occasions and just be together. The fact that they wanted to come was treasured by him.

In recent years, he began to suffer from late effects of the earlier polio, but he didn’t let it lessen his good spirits. Whether on his walker or, very recently,

after he had decided a wheelchair was the most comfortable seat in any restaurant, he was still the best company at the table and the most charming and fun person in the room.

In the last weeks of his life, he participated in a weekly Zoom call with his brothers and their spouses and niece Deborah just to stay in touch in these times of COVID. He was also proudly and enthusiastically a participant in a newly formed weekly civil rights/social action Zoom study group with the two oldest families of his children and grandchildren.

He was active in the Jewish community, having served as president of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit and an officer of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. He served on the board of the United Jewish Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. He was a recipient of the Frank A. Wetsman Young Leadership Award from the Federation and was on the Young Leadership Cabinet of the then United Jewish Appeal. He was the recipient with Linda of the 2015 Yad Ezra Annual Award and supported many other charitable and political causes. Most recently, he was deeply involved with Linda in the Zuckerman Klein Global Unmet Needs Centennial Fund at Federation and with all the family in directing the Zuckerman /Klein Family Support Foundation.

He had a life well lived and one which will be held dear and treasured by everyone he touched. Up to the last, he kept a delightful manner despite the health issues that brought him down. He was an adorable man in the literal sense of the word.

Tom is survived by his wife

OLD TRADITIONS. NEW TRADITIONS. of almost 59 years, Linda Zuckerman Klein; three children, Katherine (Peter) Bresler, Elizabeth (Stephen) Brodsky and Jonathan (Gretchen Goldberg) Klein; six grandchildren, Alexander Bresler, Abigail Bresler, Joshua Brodsky, Matthew Brodsky, Nathan Klein and Charles Klein; two brothers, Dr. Richard (Muggsy) Klein and James (Heide) Klein; proud uncle of nieces and nephews, Dan (Robyn) Klein, Deborah Klein, Jonah (Monica) Klein; their children; first cousins with whom he grew up in Toledo and remained close, Larry (Debby) Mindel, Carolyn (Jim) Herman and Barbara Schaffer; devoted Zuckerman cousins and their families, many friends and admirers from all walks of life and from every stage of his life.

He was the son of the late Dr. Alexander (Shon) Klein and the late Charlotte (Chick) Klein; the son-inlaw of the late Helen and the late Paul Zuckerman; brother-in-law of the late Norb Zuckerman.

It is requested that those who wish to further honor the memory of Tom Klein do so by a donation to the newly formed fund in his memory, the Thomas I. Klein Unmet Needs Fund at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Most joyously and unexpectedly, the family realized after the fact that the first letters of the name of this fund create the acronym TIKUN, or Repair, which thrilled them all.

Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

YOUR TRADITION.

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| 41

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JULY 23 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020

of blessed memory continued from page 38

Monuments and Markers Bronze Markers Memorial Duplicating Cemetery Lettering & Cleaning

Our State. Our Town.

Soul

ied astronomy and worked at the family business as a bookkeeper. She had a very close relationship with her grandchildren, especially her granddaughters Michelle and EllaRose. Ella regularly exercised with Polly long distance by tablet, which became a highlight of Pollyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s day.

Mrs. Kaatz was the beloved wife of the late Paul Kaatz; cherished mother of Lin Kaatz Chary, Stephen (Susan) Kaatz and Walter (Jane) Kaatz; loving Grandma Polly of Michelle (Jarrod) Fox, EllaRose Chary (Leah Tepperman), Aaron Kaatz (fiancĂŠe, Alexandra Rudolph), Joel (Roni Deitz) Kaatz; adored great-grandmother of Jordan Fox and Sienna Fox. A private graveside service was held on June 24, 2020. Contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 24359 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 125, Southfield, MI 48075, 248-355-1133, jdrf. org Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel, www. irakaufman.com.

STEVEN KIRSCHNER, 66, of West Bloomfield, died July 10, 2020.

He is survived by his daughter, Lindsay Kirschner; son and daughter-in-law, David and Julianna Kirschner; sister and brother-in-law, Victoria and Howard Bromley; niece and nephew, Morgan and Gabriel Bromley. He is also survived by Marilyn Kirschner, his former wife and mother of his children, as well as many loving cousins and a world of friends.

Mr. Kirschner was the devoted son of the late

Isadore and the late Leah Kirschner.

Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery.

Contributions may be made to the Lucy Pet Foundation, 31340 Via Colinas, Suite 101, Westlake Village, CA 91362, lucypetfoundation. networkforgood.com/projects/44156-lucy-pet-foundation. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

SANDRA ROCHELLE MILLER, 74, of Oak Park, died July 12, 2020.

She is survived by her daughter, Laura George; sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Faith Miller, and Steven and Beth Miller; grandchildren, Charlotte George, and Chloe, Daniel, Joshua and Hannah Miller; brother, Joe Ruda.

Mrs. Miller was the dear mother-in-law of the late Greg George; the cherished sister of the late Robert Ruda; the loving sister-inlaw of the late Sue Ruda; the devoted daughter of the late Abraham and the late Ruth Ruda.

Interment was at Hebrew Memorial Park.

Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI 48076, cancer.org; or Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association-Great Michigan Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033, alz.org/gmc.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

PHYLLIS RACEY, 89, died July 7, 2020.

She is survived by her loving daughter, Sheryl Racey, sister-in-law, Barbara Racey; many nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Racey was the wife of the late Stanley Racey; sister-in-law of the late Lincoln Racey.

A private service was held in Palm Harbor, Fla. GLADYS SCHIFFMAN, 90, of West Bloomfield, died June 21, 2020.

She is survived c. 2005 by her daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie and Bruce Parker; son, Todd Schiffman; grandchildren, Hillary (Noyes) and Erin and Ryan; brother, Morton Wallach; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

Mrs. Schiffman was the beloved wife of the late Julius Schiffman; sister of the late Phyllis Mossman and the late

Robert Wallach.

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

Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia.

Contributions may be made to Fragile X Association or to FRAXA Research Foundation. Arrangements

by Dorfman Chapel.

ZINOVY SOYBEL, 85, of West Bloomfield, died July 15, 2020. He is survived by his beloved wife of 56 years, Larisa Soybel; daughters and sonsin-law, Isabella and Mark Kostukovsky, Elina and Tony Gelfand; grandchildren, Mila Elkin, Brian Kostukovsky, Samuel, Jacob and Abigail Gelfand; great-grandchildren, Eliza, Breanna, Ella and Zoe. Interment took place at

ALAN JAMES STERNBERG, 76, of Walnut Creek, Calif., died July 5, 2020, succumbing to his many health challenges, passing away from a heart event. His wife Sandra was at his side.

A resident of Contra Costa County since 1969, Alan was born to Dorothy and T. George Sternberg in Bay City in 1944. He received his undergraduate degree (1966) and law degree (1969) from the University of

Michigan. He proudly wore a Michigan T-shirt whenever he could, always ready to greet and acknowledge fellow Michiganders with a hearty â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go Blue!â&#x20AC;?

Alan practiced law in the Bay Area from 1969 and later built a large real estate syndication business. He was active in the formation of several East Bay Jewish community institutions. He was a founding member of the Contra Costa JCC and served on the board of the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay, organizing early missions to Israel from the area. He was also a member of the National Young Leadership Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal and was a longtime member of Congregation Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nai Shalom in Walnut Creek. Later in life, continued on page 44

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Soul

of blessed memory continued from page 43

he served on the board of the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame of Northern California and helped to organize its annual fundraising dinner in support of scholarships for Jewish student-athletes.

He was a loving and caring son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and friend; he will be deeply missed by his loved ones and the wider community.

Mr. Sternberg is survived by his wife, Sandra; his sons, David (Julie) of Westport, Conn., and Benjamin (Zulma) of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; daughter, Jackie Margolese of Oakland, Calif.; his sisters, Adele Shudofsky (Chanoch) of Jerusalem, Israel, and Marilyn Ladin (Sarahlynn) of Houston, Texas; his former wife, Amy Rothschild Friedkin of San Francisco; five adored grandchildren, Sarah, Brian, Nikki,

44 |

JULY 23 • 2020

Sam and Rachel.

Contributions in Alan’s memory may be made to Congregation B’nai Shalom, 74 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; or to the charity of your choice.

ALLEN VINOCUR, 92, of Commerce Township, died July 9, 2020.

A retired Army c. 1999 veteran, he had participated in both World War II and the Korean Conflict.

Mr. Vinocur was an award-winning creative director in advertising who loved to write and entertain. He was known for his bright sense of humor and quick wit.

He is survived by his children, Robin and Douglas

Rossman of Commerce Township, Robert George and Diana Vinocur of Madison Heights, Bill and Tina Vinocur of West Bloomfield, Katy and David Poulton of Waco, Ky., Richard “Ross” and Nancy Moss Vinocur of Northhampton, Mass.; sister, Miriam Kottler; grandchildren, Chas Rossman and fiancée, Nishat Islam, Josh Rossman, David Vinocur, Sarah Poulton, Claire and Krista Hennings Vinocur, Jane and Phillip Harmonick; great-grandchildren, Cole Vinocur and Mirabelle Harmonick.

Mr. Vinocur was the beloved husband of the late Anne Vinocur; dear brother-in-law of the late Ronald Kottler.

Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 25200 Telegraph, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033. A grave-

side service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements

by Hebrew Memorial 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.

Raskin the best of everything

From Big Boy to Red Robin Ansara family has a true immigrant success story.

S

uccess stories that pertain to immigrants arriving in the United States to make a new life for themselves will never die.

When they came to this country from Lebanon in 1951, brothers George and Andrew Danny Raskin Ansara couldn’t Senior Columnist speak any English, which is an immediate shoulder-shrugger in itself … Especially when they wanted to go into business and banks wouldn’t give them a second look.

It took 10 years, but they finally opened their first restaurant in 1961, a Garden City Big Boy … and the family-operated and owned operation steadily grew … Nine-year-old Lew Ansara was its dishwasher in the Big Boy owned by dad, George, uncle Andrew and great-uncles

Louis and Victor … Lou went to Lawrence Tech, also became its sports writer and a Big Boy manager for them in the early 1970s … Cousin Victor graduated from Detroit College of Law and University of Michigan - Dearborn, cooking and helping wherever needed at Big Boy while attending school.

Today, the family has numerous Big Boy franchises … Red Robin is a national chain that originated in Seattle … George went to one in Scottsdale, Arizona, and was so impressed he had to take Lew there … It revved up a lot of interest and was the beginning of a major franchise in the Michigan market … One of them is off the road to Cosco in Commerce Crossing, others are in Novi, Brighton, Livonia, Troy and Ford Road, Detroit.

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MAIL DEPT. … “Bea Cohen and I had to tell you this. We took our 4-year-old daughter Sherill to see her sister Lillian’s new apartment. She was wideeyed when telling of getting into a little room and the upstairs came down.” … Sy Cohen OLDIE BUT GOODIE … A balding white-haired man walked into a jewelry store Friday evening with a beautiful much younger girl at his side and told the jeweler he was looking for a special ring for his girlfriend …

The jeweler looked through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring …

The man said, “No, I’d like to

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The jeweler went to his special stock and brought out another ring and said, “Here is a stunning ring at only $40,000.”

The girl’s eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement … The elderly man seeing this said, “We’ll take it!”

The jeweler asked how payment would be made. “My check is good. I’ll write it now and you can call my bank to verify the funds. I’ll pick up the ring on Monday morning.”

On Monday morning, the jeweler angrily phoned the old man and said, “Sir, there’s no money in that account.”

“I know,” said the old man.

“But let me tell you about my weekend!”

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| 45

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

Abracadabra

I

read in the JN about Michael Jacobson passing away on June 14, 2020. Jacobson was a wellknown Jewish musician and entertainer from Detroit, who spent the last 30 years of his career performing thousands of magic shows for a wide range of audiences, for children in particular. He is missed.

Thinking about Jacobson the magician led to a question: Is there a historic connection between magicians and Detroit’s Jewish community? After all, the word Mike Smith Alene and “abracadabra” comes from the Graham Landau Hebrew ebrah k’dabri, meaning “I Archivist Chair will create as I speak.”

Of course, I decided to seek an answer in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. Just making a simple search for “magician” yielded 3,523 pages where that term was used. In short, there is a wealth of information on Jews, magicians and Jewish magicians in the Archive.

There are citations regarding magicians in the early years of the Detroit Jewish Chronicle.

Generally, these are references to magicians performing in Detroit, such as the famous “Thurston,” who brought his act to Detroit many times in the 1920s. Or, sometimes, there is reference to a literary work. In the April, 26, 1929, issue of the Chronicle, for example, one finds a story by J.L. Peretz, “The Wonderful Magician: A Passover Story.”

Over the years, there have also been many stories about well-known Jewish magicians such as Harry Houdini, perhaps the most famous magician/ escape artist in history. Houdini, a.k.a. Hungarianborn Erik Weisz, is cited on 192 pages in the Davidson Archive. He had one direct connection to Detroit: He died here on Oct. 31, 1946.

Since the 1930s, magicians greatly increased the practice of their art form in Detroit, performing for children and adults, for clubs, for birthdays, at synagogues and other venues. The pages of the JN from the 1950s to the present are filled with announcements of performances by and stories about local magicians. It would be a rare Jewish Detroiter who has not experienced the thrill of a live magic act.

It is the home-grown Jewish magicians, like

46 |

JULY 23 • 2020

Jacobson, who really interested me. In the Oct. 20, 1939, issue of the Chronicle, for example, editor Philip Slomovitz wrote about “Nate Leipzig – Greatest Prestidigitator.”

Yes, I had to look-up the meaning of that word — a prestidigitator is a great sleight-of-hand artist.

More recently, along with Michael Jacobson, a number of Jewish magicians have local roots.

First, there is Jacobson’s son, Matthew, an accomplished magician at an early age. The Nov. 24, 1989, issue of the JN has a story about 18-year old Matt and a photo of him in action. I found a photo of “Wild” Bill Schulte in action in the Feb. 14, 1997, issue of the JN. Another favorite local magician, Howard Faber, was featured in the Aug. 31, 2001, issue of the JN. And, it’s not just men who have been magicians. See “Abracadabra” in the March 3, 1987, issue of the JN about June Warsaw Horowitz, who had been practicing magic for 73 years at that time. She was the first female president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

Jewish magicians have a long and rich tradition in Metro Detroit and Michigan.

If only one of them would tell me the magic word that would d make me rich, I would be veryy grateful.

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

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