DJN November 5 2020

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Docs of War Tales of the brave, young physicians who saved countless lives in Vietnam.

See page 16

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INVITATION FOR GRANT PROPOSALS Hermelin – Davidson Center for Congregation Excellence Established in 1999 and housed at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit Through its two decades of commitment to enhancing and enriching local congregations through excellence in formal and informal education, the Center has offered support for youth, adults and families with a special aim around innovation and community collaboration.

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TO APPLY: Prepare a one-page proposal that includes: • The congregation’s name, contact person and contact details • A description of the project or program, the target demographics and the goals it will address • A brief account of past M‫ٺ‬WZ\[ \W ILLZM[[ \PQ[ \WXQK • A budget Completed proposals must not exceed one page and should be submitted to

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contents Nov. 5-11, 2020 / 18-24 Cheshvan 5781 | VOLUME CLVIII, ISSUE 14

26 VIEWS

32 26

6-15

JEWS INTHED 16

Zoom Baker

NOSH

Shaindle Braunstein skipped out on the Great American Baking Show to lead JARC.

36

Dining Around the D: Prime 29

37

Sweet Treats

The Docs of War Tales of the brave, young physicians who saved countless lives in Vietnam.

MOMENTS 29

Federation’s Youth Mental Health Initiative Launches Survey

38 30

Feds Arrest Neo-Nazi Linked to Michigan Synagogue Graffiti JCC Delays Reopening Its Indoor Pool and Track

24

Sudan to Normalize Ties with Israel

ARTS&LIFE 31

23

Torah portion

ERETZ 28

22

Young Detroiter Gains Success in Hollywood Producer looks for new projects to pursue post-pandemic.

Empowering Women Trade Secrets celebrates JVS’ Women to Work program.

25

Culinary Combo Bakery now open.

Moments

SPIRIT 22

38

32

‘Never Normal’ New exhibit at Wasserman Projects showcases pandemic-inspired work.

36 Under 36 Nominations Now Open

33

Do you know someone making an impact in the community for this special honor?

Film Review: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

33

Celebrity Jews

Dakota Bread Is Back in Business Friendship Circle holds open house to welcome customers back.

ETC. The Exchange Soul Raskin Looking Back

39 41 45 46

Shabbat Lights Shabbat starts: Friday, Nov. 6, 5:01 p.m.

Shabbat ends: Saturday, Nov. 7, 6:02 p.m. * Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah

ON THE COVER: Cover photo: Dr. Joel Leib and Dr. Paul Gold/ Jerry Zolynsky Cover design: Kaitlyn Schoen

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VIEWS for openers

Thank You, Jewish War Vets

I

’m writing this before the Nov. 3 election and have no idea who won arguably the biggest, most controversial election of our lifetime. Partisan politics aside, I intend to support whoever was selected to be my next Library Board Member in West Bloomfield Township.

I’m grateful beyond words that the remainder of this column will have nothAlan ing to do with politicians.

Muskovitz With Veterans Day on Nov. Contributing 11, I’d like to focus instead Writer on people who actually get things done — our community’s beloved Jewish War Veterans (JWV).

Take 36-year old Nick Israel of Farmington Hills, for example. He was just awarded the 2020 Sidney Lieppe Memorial Grant from the JWV of the USA Foundation. It’s presented each year to an American veteran who demonstrates bravery, athleticism, an aptitude for learning and a commitment to their community at large. Lieppe of New Jersey, a WWII Army veteran, passed away at 96 in 2018.

Israel, a U-M grad and Army veteran, served in Europe and the Middle East

as a psychological operations officer. He also supported U.S. troops and diplomats as part of a nonprofit organization across the Balkans, the Black Sea region and throughout Europe. Today, he’s a member of the Michigan Air National Guard and is studying for his master’s of science at New York’s Columbia University.

“The Jewish War Veterans provide Jewish service members with incredible support and valuable opportunities,” Israel says. “As I continue my education, I will draw further inspiration from the legacy of Sidney Lieppe, who provided this generous contribution for my graduate studies. I’m proud to call myself a life member of JWV, and I appreciate everything the organization does on behalf of Jewish service members and veterans.”

JWV National Medal of Merit awards have been presented by the JWV Department of Michigan to three members and, in so doing, have proven that age is no barrier to giving back to your community.

Hans Weinmann, 94 (Army, WWII), a beneficiary of the Kindertransport, was recognized for his contributions as chaplain for department functions and

Nick Israel saying goodbye to his “Yiddish” shepherd dog, Shaina, before departing for duty with the 110th Attack Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard, where he serves part-time as a major.

as a liaison to the Holocaust Memorial Center. Weinmann is at the heart of the organization’s focus on Jewish values and heritage.

Arthur Fishman, 93, (Navy, WWII), senior vice commander and programming chairman of JWV Department of Michigan, was honored for his 53 years of sustained service. Fishman has played pivotal roles within the JWV in their community outreach efforts.

In his roles as post commander and deptartment vice commander, Mark Weiss, 71 (Army, Vietnam era), the “youngster” of the JWV awardees, has continued on page 10

letters

JCC’s Mission It was sad to read in the Oct. 8 JN of the closure and upcoming demolition of much of the Jewish Community Center.

JCC CEO Brian Siegel said the JCC has experienced long-term (not just shortterm, COVID-related) financial problems; that membership (especially Jewish membership) has been in major decline over the last 10 years; and that the JCC’s West Bloomfield building has been “overbuilt” for the last 20 years. How ironic it is, then, that in another JN article just a little over two years ago (April 26, 2018), Siegel bragged that the JCC — having rid itself of the JPM building in Oak Park that was supposedly

the source of all the JCC’s problems — was doing marvelously and that that its finances were sound! Apparently, that portrayal was not accurate.

It seems to me that one of the JCC’s major problems is an all-consuming fixation, in recent years, on the idea that its fundamental mission is to be a sports and fitness facility in competition with the many commercial sports and fitness clubs and facilities existing throughout Metro Detroit.

Siegel, as quoted in the Oct. 8 JN, refers to a “core value” of “Jews [formerly] wanting a safe place to work out next to other Jews.”

But the core mission of the JCC, historically, was much more than simply being a place to “work out.” The JCC, historically, had a far broader focus on bringing the Jewish

community together for cultural, educational, social and recreational programs.

The JCC offered programs of Jewish focus, including, among many others, Hebrew classes, music programs, lectures, and a book fair focused entirely on books of Jewish content (not books merely with Jewish authors as in recent years).

Such programs have become few and far between in recent years, with instead an overwhelming focus on the JCC being, first and foremost and above all else, a fitness club. Certainly, the pool, gym, etc., were, in times past, popular and widely used, but they were a part of the overall mission of the JCC and not, by themselves, the JCC’s raison d’etre.

Perhaps, if the JCC, with the current clocontinued on page 14

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KNOW

MORE

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2 7 5 S . O L D W O O D WA R D AV E N U E , B I R M I N G H A M , M I 4 8 0 0 9

YOUTUBE

VIEWS essay

Benny and the ‘J’ STEVE CERESNIE

I was so tired the other day, I slept right through my nap.”

— Benny Gurvitz

I

met Benny Gurvtiz in the locker room of the Jewish Community Center’s Fitness Center in 2000. I was a then52-year old clinical psychologist, and my brother Mike was a then-47-year-old furrier. Benny was a 90-year-old retired pharmacist. Our lockers were next to each other.

Benny was older than my dad, who died at the too-young age of 67. Maybe that’s what drew me to Benny. Or maybe it was our similar approach to fitness: “When I feel the urge to exercise, I lie down and wait until the urge passes,” he’d say.

For 10 years thereafter, I’d return home from the “J” and tell my wife and kids all the “Benny jokes” I had heard that day. His humor was remarkable. My brother Mike and I

would accompany Benny to his pharmacist continuing education seminars mostly so we could listen, learn and laugh.

Remember, he was well into his retirement, didn’t need any more CE credits, but we’d drive him to these events, and he would pick the programs with the best food.

I knew instantly Benny was a rare breed. By the time we’d met, he’d already lost so much in his life. He’d outlived his wife and many of his friends. Benny said, “I don’t have any peer pressure because I don’t have any peers.” Yet, he kept coming back to the JCC Fitness Center.

He was a “regular.”

The “regulars” have come back to the Center for the fitness, the laughter, the socialization, the culture, the commonalities and the differences.

We’ve mingled with people we know only in the context of the schvitz at the “J.” We then laugh to ourselves when we run into a “regular” in public,

Benny Gurvitz, age 99, doing standup comedy at his birthday celebration.

thinking to ourselves: “Boy, it’s hard to recognize these people with their clothes on.”

We’d talk about sex, love, death, childhood, jealousy, hate, envy, conscience, desire, loss, character, sports, politics and more. All of what makes us human. All of what makes us part of this incredibly tightknit, rich Jewish community.

We lost Benny 10 years ago, two months shy of his 100th birthday. Benny believed he was going to live to be 100 — “because when I turned 50,” he said, “I felt half-dead.”

He lived a long, meaningful life — and continued to laugh and make others laugh until the end. At his 99th birthday, Benny did a stand-up routine to nonstop laughter to an

overflowing crowd squeezed into a room at Temple Israel, his shul. (www.youtube.com/ watch?v=EopGBkqxees).

Just a year later at his funeral, I chuckled thinking of what he’d once told me: “As you get older, it’s a good day when you wake up in the morning, stretch out your arms and don’t hit wood.”

The closing of the JCC Fitness Center hit me hard.

Not because I, myself, am a big fitness buff. Over the years, I have certainly spent more time in the locker room than on the treadmill. But, because the Center is the place that has fostered one of the most important and valuable parts of our Jewish culture — the community, the bridging of generational gaps, the l’dor v’dor.

Those values which were embodied so fully in my 10-year friendship with Benny.

All these years, I’ve referred to the JCC Fitness Center as “the Jewish Center” or “the Center” or “the J” and I’ve unknowingly left out the most important word — community.

The JCC Fitness Center is the very definition of our community. Its closing marks the end of an era.

Steve Ceresnie lives in Commerce.

JEWISH WAR VETS continued from page 8

been at the forefront of helping the JWV adjust to operating climates during the coronavirus and has also been instrumental in introducing cutting edge technology to ensure continuity of operations.

Weiss is also responsible for the production of a slideshow that commemorates the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, including brief histories and photographs of many surviving Michigan JWV of that era, now available at jwv-mi.org/WWII.

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It carries the memory of the thousands of Jewish men and women who served and those who perished giving, as President Lincoln stated at the dedication of the cemetery at Gettysburg in 1863, “the last full measure of devotion.”

A reminder that despite the coronavirus keeping us from physically gathering at our congregations, many will honor the JWV for Veterans Day through virtual services.

Check your synagogue or temple’s website for details.

I am a proud patron of JWV Post 510, and I’m grateful for all the relationships I have forged with our beloved JWV Michigan members. I’ve had the privilege of sharing many of their stories with you. I hope you read further on in this issue for my most recent submission about some incredible local physicians who served courageously in Vietnam.

The JWV is vital to keeping alive our Jewish community’s past and continued contri-

butions to military service.

If you know someone who is a Jewish veteran or on active duty, please make them aware of the value of being a JWV member. Direct them to www. jwv-mi.org for details.

As their motto states: “JWV is truly a Jewish voice for Veterans and a Veteran’s voice for Jews.”

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

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VIEWS essay

Why Courts Matter

N

ational Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) has been working diligently for the past four years through our Courts Matter program to educate our citizens about the Irma Glaser important role federal judges and the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) play in every American’s life. The decisions made by these bodies impact many issues of great concern to women, children and families.

Last week’s unseemly rapid confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the seat of the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is

a stark reminder of why Courts Matter.

The legal battles continue to revolve around eliminating the Affordable Care Act without any other plan to replace it.

SCOTUS already has allowed: the stripping away of the impact of each individual’s vote by sending cases of gerrymandering back to the states where the drawing of voter district maps will continue to be created by the political party in power; finishing the U.S. Census count on a shortened schedule rather than the mandated date; and treating corporations as people in terms of campaign finance.

The new Justice’s appointment further skews the makeup of the court in terms of

cases aimed at overturning Roe v. Wade, the constitutional right to abortion, and Obergefell v.

Hodges for marriage equality.

Now Justice Barrett is a part of SCOTUS, but she cannot replace the type of careful judicial thinking that Justice Ginsburg displayed so well. No person could do so, who has openly shared that she thinks the ACA should be eliminated, making health care less accessible to all Americans while we are in the midst of a global pandemic; and who has served as a trustee for a private school with anti-LGBTQ policies.

The speedy actions of the U.S. Senate in vetting and confirming Barrett has made the senators who voted for her complicit in continuing to tear down an institution once admired for an image of reasoned and fair decisions,

whether we agreed with all of them or not. In the meantime, the Senate has done nothing about the many bills sent from the House, including the much-needed COVID-19 directives.

I’m writing this before the results of the Nov. 3 election are known. The outcome of the election holds the key to eventually restoring balance to the federal judiciary and SCOTUS, or a continuation of the damage being inflicted on our weakening democracy.

Regardless of the finish, though, NCJW will continue to fight for all the issues that really do matter and to highlight the areas where the courts are not acting fairly, justly or appropriately.

committee of the board of Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit (JFS).

In one of our first Zoom meetings in March, it was announced that Kosher Meals on Wheels (KMOW) needed volunteers to both pack and deliver food. KMOW is a program run by both the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) and JFS. The program provides food, with daily delivery Monday-Friday, for homebound adults. When COVID-19 began, the number of older adults who were homebound grew. Prior to March 2020, KMOW serviced about 50-60 families per week.

By June 2020, that number

more than doubled to nearly 155 families.

On April 3, I went to the Jewish Community Center, at 6:30 a.m. to pack meals. There were four people there, all of us masked and in different corners of the large social hall.

I didn’t tell my parents or my friends. I didn’t want them to worry about me being inside somewhere other than my house. We met early at the JCC because the volunteers who deliver the food come to pick up the food at 8 a.m.

I began to pack twice a week: Wednesdays and Fridays. Wednesdays were easy; we packed lunch and dinner. Fridays were a little

Irma Glaser is NCJW Michigan’s Co-State Policy Advocate.

guest column

The Early Shift

T

his was definitely not the volunteer opportunity that was advertised. As my alarm rang at 4:30 a.m. the day before Rosh Hashanah to pack food, my first thought was this is the craziest hour of the day. My second thought was I am excited to see and pack food with my Mara Moss “Shabbat Crew.”

I have been an active volunteer in the Detroit Jewish community for several years. I have had the privilege of having a wide variety of volunteer opportunities and board affiliations. Never did I

expect packing food to be one of my most valuable, meaningful and educational volunteer experiences.

On March 12, 2020, the world suddenly stopped. My two children, ages 13 and 16, were now home for what turned out to the rest of the school year of virtual school.

My husband’s office abruptly closed, and he was going to be working from home for the foreseeable future. All activities suddenly ceased, and everyone was under a stayat-home order. As an active person who craves stimulation and activity, this was not the most ideal situation.

I am on the executive

continued on page 14

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VIEWS THE EARLY SHIFT continued from page 12

more chaotic because we packed meals for the whole weekend, including a Shabbat dinner with soup and dessert, a Saturday Shabbat lunch, and frozen meals for Saturday and Sunday.

As it turns out, two of the things that I least expected and found most rewarding were making friends and being inspired. My “Shabbat Crew” arrives at 6 a.m. to pack and 5:15 on days when we are packing for extra days for a holiday like Passover or Rosh Hashanah. We laugh under our masks together, tell stories and have gotten to know each other well over the past seven months. For a long time,

besides our immediate families, this was the only “social” outlet we had. I have been inspired by the dedication of two volunteers from the NCJW who come to the JCC every single morning. They prepare at home every evening for the next day’s deliveries, labeling bags and confirming the clients on the delivery schedule for the next day.

These women have arrived at 6 a.m. every morning for years. In my different volunteering pursuits, I have rarely seen firsthand such complete love and dedication to a cause.

Both the delivery drivers and packers are vetted by

LETTERS continued from page 8

sures and demolition, refocuses on a wider mission of being an effective cultural, educational, social and recreational community center for Detroit Jews, it may have a future. There was, however, no hint of any such refocusing in the Oct. 8 JN article; only on rehashed plans that remain fixated only on sports and fitness.

Based on the dismal membership and financial declines alluded to in the article, I can only wonder whether the current closures/demolition may just be a step toward the final demise of the JCC. — David Barth

Dynamic Duo Thank you for printing the beautiful article “Dynamic Duo” by Jackie Headapohl (Oct. 22, pg.

14) on the two new presidents at the Jewish Federation: Matt Lester and Dennis Bernard.

As a lifetime board member of Federation, I am excited to work with these two very special leaders in business, community and

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family. I don’t think there could have been better selections.

Our Jewish community continues to be blessed with such great people.

— Harvey Bronstein Southfield

Hillel of Metro Detroit Hillel of Metro Detroit (HMD) was disappointed to be excluded from the article about the MitzVote program on Michigan’s college campuses (Oct. 29, pg.

16). HMD is also participating in MitzVote and successfully reaching Jewish students at the six campuses we serve around Metro Detroit.

HMD has three MitzVote interns and a MitzVote committee of seven. Here are some of the things they have already accomplished from this initiative: • The interns received training in community engagement and best practices to access the Motivote online engagement tool.

• The MitzVote committee

Jewish Family Service. I’ve also had the opportunity to make deliveries. The older adults who receive the food are so grateful, and the driving volunteers are generous and kind, knowing that for many of the KMOW recipients, the delivery person may be the only person they see and talk to each day.

This work also has the additional benefit of witnessing how federal and state funding affects individuals and families. At the beginning of COVID-19, there was an influx of money to help the homebound adults. The number of older adults who fell under the definition of homebound increased during the pandemic. Prior to COVID19, the recipients of the meals came together at Wayne State to promote the messages to vote, ways to register and how to get involved in getting out the vote.

• There was a drive-by voter registration rally in Campus Martius Park.

• A Voter Town Hall in partnership with the Interfaith Intercampus Coalition, including HMD Rabbi Michele Faudem, the head of Ministry at Madonna. University, the head of the ministry of University of Detroit Mercy and both the Office of Student Life and Office of Social Justice and Inclusion at UM Dearborn.

• A Challah if UR Voting event, where participants receive a challah handout in a last-ditch effort to remind people to vote.

• The interns also meet with students to educate and discuss the election through one-onone virtual coffee dates.

This is just some of the activity, which has engaged over 100 local college students this semester. We hope you will include us in the future when you do stories about Hillel

did not receive a Shabbat lunch for Saturday. Now there were extra funds to help with an additional meal.

Then, toward the end of the summer, funds began to get cut, and so was Shabbat lunch. In addition, some of our older adults either no longer needed the service or no longer qualified. The number of people served by KMOW is constantly changing, influenced by politics and public policy, communal ability and individual needs.

Mara Moss is a volunteer and on the Executive Committee of the Board of Jewish Family Service, associate chair of Jewish Women’s Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit and on the Board of Women’s Philanthropy of Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. She lives in Bloomfield Hills.

activity in Michigan.

— Sally Krugel, board president Miriam Starkman, executive director Hillel of Metro Detroit

Hillel Day School Success I am following up on an article on Hillel’s quarantine in early October. In my mind this was a “school COVID success” (in these strange times I don’t know how to put it).

Because of the school’s firm mask-wearing policy and clear protocols, subsequent testing for staff indicated there was zero transmission among the ECC community. My daughter returned to school Monday, Oct. 12, so happy to be with all of her friends and teachers.

Masks work! Wear a mask.

— Michal Nodel Bloomfield Hills

GOT A QUESTION ABOUT THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS?

Send it to letters@ thejewishnews.com or message us on Facebook.

We will answer them in an upcoming issue!

NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

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JEWSINTHED ON THE COVER

I

’ve never really shared “my” Vietnam War memories with anybody. It took me years before I even knew how to process and comprehend the enormity of the war. And I never wore a uniform.

I only observed the war from my family’s dining room table — a 12-year-old in 1967, eating dinner while Alan watching Walter Cronkite.

Muskovitz It sickens me how I was Contributing Writer numb to the fact that the day’s U.S. casualty numbers appeared on our television screens as mundanely as the day’s sports scores. The American death toll in 1967 alone was 11,363.

I grew up sheltered and unscathed in 1967, while American teenagers just six years older than me were dying in the jungles of Southeast Asia. I didn’t have a clue.

Those childhood memories came rushing back to me recently during conversations I had the privilege of having with several Jewish Detroit doctors who served in Vietnam and still reside in our community. I learned about them through a column written 30 years ago in the JN. Dr. Paul Gold, Dr. Jerry Taylor, Dr. Larry Blau and Dr. Irving Gold (no relation to Paul), were featured in the June 1, 1990, article by Susan Weingarden.

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The Academy Award-winning film Born on the 4th of July was released that year.

Oliver Stone directed the film. The four doctors lived it.

Weingarden wrote of the film: “It offered a vivid depiction of the horrors of the war.” She chronicled the physicians “revived memories of their own experiences” that the 11-time Oscar-nominated movie generated.

The four men, who all grew up in and around the beloved old Jewish Detroit neighborhood of Dexter and Davison, were drafted — not at the minimum age of 18, but in their mid to late 20s. Barely out of their internships, some married with young children, they were just establishing their medical careers in Detroit when their fateful draft letters arrived.

Dr. Paul Gold, 80, originally made me aware of the previously written JN article, and I enlisted his help to seek out his three comrades. He provided valuable contact information and backstories about each.

This Veteran’s Day, in the 45th year since the end of the Vietnam War, I wanted to know how they were faring nearly a half-century later and, in so doing, I discovered some amazing untold stories they still had left to share.

During our initial conversation, Dr. Paul Gold informed me that sadly Dr. Irving Gold (Army) and Dr. Taylor (Navy)

JERRY ZOLYNSKY

Tales of the brave, young physicians who saved countless lives in Vietnam.

COURTESY OF DR. LEIB

I SAID TO THE ARMY PRIVATE, ‘WHAT DOES RVN MEAN?’ HE CHUCKLED AND REPLIED, ‘REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM.’ — DR. PAUL GOLD

passed away in 2015 and 2010, respectively. After fulfilling their two-year tours of duty, which typically included a year in Vietnam, both returned to Detroit to resume building their lives, families and careers.

Irving Gold was a radiologist.

Taylor was an orthopedic hand surgeon.

LEFT: Dr. Joel Leib and Dr. Paul Gold.

RIGHT: Dr. Paul Gold and Dr. Joel Leib, Basic training for officers, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, September 1967.

PAUL’S HEROIC SERVICE Paul Gold vividly remembers the day in June 1967 when his draft letter arrived from the 5th Army Headquarters in Chicago.

The then-27-year-old was in his apartment located behind the formerly named Botsford Hospital, now part of Beaumont Health, where he was complet-

ing his internship.

He didn’t fully comprehend the entire contents of the letter, and friends encouraged him to call Chicago for clarification.

“So I’m on the phone and I said to the Army private, what does RVN mean?” The voice on the other end of the line, who seemed to chuckle at his naivety, replied, “Republic of Vietnam. You’re going to Vietnam.” Gold remembers the fear that seared through his body.

That rude awakening would pale in comparison to the environment he found himself in just months later. He arrived in Vietnam in September 1967.

The commander of his 11th continued on page 18 NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

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JERRY ZOLYNSKY

continued from page 17

1

COURTESY OF DR.

COURTE

PAUL GOLD

SY OF DR

. LEIB

2

4

Armored Calvary Division had three physicians under his charge, and he was one of them.

That commander was Col. George Smith Patton, son of the legendary WWII Gen. George S. Patton Jr. “I remembered he carried his dad’s ivory-handled pistol,” Gold said.

As a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corp, Gold spent the majority of his year in Vietnam in harm’s way, typically positioned just behind the fighting.

If the wounded weren’t accessible to treat from his armored personnel carrier, he would be dropped into the action by helicopter.

For his courageous service, “Gold” would be decorated this “Gol with bronze and silver. w His Bronze Medal 3 ccitation, awarded for exemplary action in a ex combat zone, spoke to co the ingenuity and bravth ery he brought to his missions: “Captain Gold mis distinguished himself by dist exceptionally meritorious exce service … against a hostile serv force. To further improve force medical assistance for medi

COURTESY OF DR. BLAU

M. PRICE SP5 EDGAR H.

- COURTESY OF

LESHMAN FAM

ILY

5

1. Dr. Paul Gold and Dr. Joel Leib look over some photos from their days in Vietnam. 2. Dr. Paul Gold holding tin cup at jeep, 11 Armored Calvary Base Camp near Saigon, Republic of South Vietnam, Oct. 1967. 3. Dr. Joel Leib at his radiology office desk at the 332nd Medical Dispensary on the Long Binh Post, Republic of South Vietnam 4. Dr. Arnold Leshman, receiving Bronze Star, Long Binh, Republic of South Vietnam, April 1968. 5. Dr. Larry Blau, 3rd Field Hospital, Saigon, Republic of South Vietnam, 1969.

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troops in the field, he devised a program whereby he traveled to an area of contact while his medical staff remained behind preparing the medical aid station.”

Gold’s heroic actions upon his arrival to an area under heavy enemy fire on June 28, 1968, earned him the U.S. Armed Forces’ third-highest decoration — a Silver Star. As a brigadier general documented in the letter of commendation for the award: “Captain Gold, totally disregarding his own safety, leaped from his helicopter and ran across a minefield through intense hostile fire … completely ignoring shouted warnings concerning the presence of mines.”

The announcement further said that Gold “fearlessly went from one injured soldier to the next. Captain Gold’s unwavering devotion to duty, courage and disregard for his personal safety … were in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit and the U.S. Army.”

When not on the front lines, Gold participated in a Medical Civic Action Program (MEDCAP), which occasionally found him treating the Montagnards, a village of Vietnamese tribesmen.

“We treated people with all kinds of diseases and gave vaccinations,” he said, “while at the same time, Army intelligence people would be talking to the local leaders to find out information about the Viet Cong.”

The villagers showed their appreciation by making Gold a musical instrument out of tree bark which he displays at his home.

Before I delve into Dr. Larry

Blau’s history, the other doctor I was able to interview from the 1990 JN article, there are two other Jewish Detroit physicians who served in Vietnam I came to learn played significant roles in Dr. Paul Gold’s life.

FAMILIAR FACES IN VIETNAM Gold was also the recipient of a Purple Heart. In March 1968 he was a victim of a rocket attack which left his abdomen splintered with shrapnel. He was helicoptered to the 93rd Evacuation Hospital in Long Binh.

He passed away at the age of 75 in 2010 after a distinguished career as a general surgeon in Detroit, which included being selected Outstanding Intern at Sinai Hospital and his being appointed chief of surgery at St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital between 1994-2000.

Of his service to his country, Leshman’s widow, Sandra, told me that her husband never tried to get out of serving; instead, he only asked for a delay of one month so he could be home for the birth of their third child.

His request accepted, Leshman eventually left for Vietnam,

COURTESY OF DR. PAUL GOLD

Dr. Paul Gold treating Montagnard Vietnamese tribesman in the mountains, Republic of South Vietnam

WE TREATED PEOPLE WITH ALL KINDS OF DISEASES AND GAVE VACCINATIONS. — DR. PAUL GOLD

Upon being wheeled into the operating room, he discovered, to his astonishment, that while lying nearly 9,000 miles away from home, the surgeon about to operate on him was Dr. Arnold “Arnie” Leshman, Gold’s childhood neighbor he grew up with on Buena Vista in Detroit and a Bronze Star recipient in his own right.

Vietnam didn’t take the life of Leshman, but cancer did.

leaving his wife and three children under the age 5 behind.

It became abundantly clear during my conversation with Sandra that her husband never sought recognition for his service, a sentiment her children shared as well. “He was just one of many. He did nothing more than thousands of other men and women,” Sandra said, reflecting also on the many who lost their lives in service to their

country.

Vietnam veteran Dr. Joel Leib, 79, and Dr. Paul Gold, 80, have been friends since their teens. They did everything together. They attended Durfee Middle School, Mumford High School, Wayne State University and Des Moines University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine, got drafted together, and even flew on the same plane to Vietnam where their assignments finally separated the two.

Gold served on the frontlines, while Leib became the commander of the 332nd Medical Dispensary on the Long Binh Post, which didn’t always keep him out of harm’s way. Leib described a harrowing event that occurred within 24 hours of his arrival: “The first night I was in Vietnam, I was laying on a cot. Incoming mortars came in and went ba-boom! I was 6 miles from the perimeter of the fighting and, honestly, it knocked me out of bed.”

Leib enjoyed one memorable respite from the ravages of war when he was assigned to be the on-call doctor during one of Bob Hope’s legendary Christmas Tour stops at his base. He didn’t get to meet the comedian, who entertained troops around the world from 1941- 1972, but he did get close enough to photograph the star-studded cast, which included actress Raquel Welch and singer/actress Barbara McNair.

Based on their history, it should come as no surprise that Leib and Gold returned on the same flight home from Vietnam in September 1968. Their lifelong bond would remain intact through their professional lives, when they partnered in a family medicine practice in July 1970, a relationship that lasted 50 years. Today, their friendship remains as strong as ever.

LARRY BLAU’S

TURBULENT TOUR Twenty-eight-year old Dr. Larry Blau had every reason to believe he would be spared a tour of duty in Vietnam when he suffered a ruptured disc while stationed in Hawaii in 1967.

At the time of the injury, Blau was receiving training by the Army in radiology. “I had to have back surgery, and I figured they’ll never send me to Vietnam. The day I was well enough to return to my desk in my radiology office was the day I received my orders.” A shock to this married man with three kids under the age of 6.

While serving as a radiologist in the 3rd Field Hospital in Saigon, Blau had another reason to believe his tour of duty would be cut short when the Red Cross sent him home on compassionate leave to visit his hospitalized mother who was believed to be terminally ill.

His trip home was, to say the least, eventful. “I was visiting with my mother in the hospital when my father came in,” said Blau. “He was white as a sheet.”

The father said he was having indigestion, but his son the doctor recognized other symptoms.

“Dad,” he said, “you’re having a heart attack,” sending him immediately to the emergency room.

Three days later Dr. Blau made it a medical trifecta of sorts when he developed a kidney stone. “My father was in cardiac intensive care and my mother in surgical intensive care at the same hospital while I was hospitalized elsewhere.”

Even this was not enough to convince the Army to curtail Blau’s tour of duty. After passing the stone he was sent back to Vietnam. Fortunately, his parents would recover.

Blau was discharged exactly two years to the day of when his service had begun, Sept. 6, 1969. Just six days later, Blau’s continued on page 20

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father died in his son’s arms at Grace Hospital in Detroit from congestive heart failure, hours after the family’s Rosh Hashanah meal.

After fulfilling his two-year Army commitment, Blau resurrected his medical career in Detroit focusing on occupational trauma, eventually expanding his practice to include five clinics throughout the tri-county area.

While in Vietnam, Blau, like the other doctors’ stories I’ve shared, regularly sent audio messages to his family, captured on small reel-to-reel tapes.

These often included reading bedtime stories to his children.

Turns out Blau, now retired since the early 1990s, had one final tour of duty in Vietnam,

only this time it was on his own terms and involved his grandchildren. In 2013, at age 73, he returned with grandsons Alexander and Max, who were 14 and 12 at the time. “They had a curiosity,” Blau said, a result of his sharing stories about his service while he had his own lingering desire to return to see the aftermath.

He sought out the location of the 3rd Field Hospital where he worked. Upon his arrival he discovered that “at least the ground floor had been converted into a wedding chapel with porcelain swans and hearts.”

Could two images be more juxtaposed?

Blau’s most impactful story occurred when he spoke with a former Viet Cong soldier, now

a guide who described the set of intricate wartime tunnels they were touring in the north. The man had lost an arm in the war.

Blau said to him: “You know, not too many years ago, you wanted to kill me, and I wanted to kill you. Isn’t that strange?

You hated me. I hated you. And he said to me, ‘I never hated you. Never hated you.’ And he put out his good hand to shake mine.”

So many aspects of these brave Americans’ stories moved me, not the least was that, to a man, there was a total absence of any hesitancy on their part to report for duty.

“I was chosen. It was my duty, and I had to make the best of it. I was going to make the best of it,” said Dr. Gold, echoing the sentiments of all the veterans I spoke with.

Those conversations also revealed, thankfully, that none of them had suffered from

post-traumatic stress disorder.

Perhaps this commitment to serve had to do with the fact that these doctors were called to duty in their mid- to late20s, old enough to remember the sacrifices of the Greatest Generation and not yet part of the intensifying anti-war movement.

After many years of lingering resentment and disrespect, there has been a certain measure of healing and newfound gratitude in the country for our Vietnam veterans.

With Veterans Day upon us, we are reminded once again of their selflessness and sacrifice, today similarly afforded our frontline warriors battling the coronavirus, a battle in its own right that is rife with divisiveness and incalculable death.

Let us always remember all the men and women who have served and continue to serve our nation.

Hillel Day School Grades K-8 Virtual Open House Wednesday, November 11, 9:30 a.m. and Thursday, November 12, 7:00 p.m.

Prospective families will learn about Hillel’s: Safe and connected community Engaging and innovative General and Judaic Studies curricula Commitment to social-emotional growth Generous tuition assistance program RSVP to www.hillelday.org/virtualopenhouse by November 8, 2020 Questions? Contact Amy Schlussel at aschlussel@hillelday.org or 248-539-1484

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JVS Program to Provide Home Down Payment Assistance JVS Human Services announced the HarMoney Program, a new financial initiative to help low- to moderate-income families in Oakland County get their foot on the home ownership ladder.

Through the HarMoney Program, qualified families can receive up to $1,000 down payment assistance on a home or for repairing their financial credit to help them qualify for home ownership, after successful completion of a 12-week financial education course.

Up to 40 qualified families will benefit from the initiative which will launch Monday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. via Facebook Live. The program is made possible by a $50,000 grant from TCF Bank’s Community Impact Fund.

“Around 75 percent of the calls we receive into our financial coaching department are about home ownership, with one of the largest barriers being the inability to fund a down payment,” said Laltsha Cunningham, financial capability supervisor at JVS Human Services.

The program includes 12 weeks of interactive financial education workshops (1-2 hours per week); eight individual financial coaching sessions; referrals to organizations that focus on income support and career development; development of a credit repair strategy; credit reports; and down payment assistance of up to $1,000 per family after successful program completion.

Applicants must be low- to moderate-income based on HUD income limits and have a current credit score at or below 620. For information, email financialhelp@jvshumanservices. org or call (248) 233-4299.

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS

Sunday, November 15, 2020 • 7 PM +2125,1*

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Join us from your home to watch an inspiring broadcast with Broadway stars, featuring: Ed Asner

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Broadway Actor and Grammy Winner

Ben Ferencz

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Chief Prosecutor for the U.S. Army at the Nuremberg Trials

Historian and Author

Abe Foxman

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Activist and ADL National Director Emeritus

Grammy-Nominated Broadway Actress Featured in Cabaret 313

For Tickets call 248.536.9601 or visit www.holocaustcenter.org/benefit Holocaust Memorial Center • Zekelman Family Campus 28123 Orchard Lake Rd. • Farmington Hills, MI 48334

NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

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JFMD

JEWSINTHED Federation’s Youth Mental Health Initiative Launches Survey DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

W

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID HOLDEN

e Need to Talk, a youth mental health initiative of Federation in partnership with community agencies, launched a community mental health survey to better understand how the Detroit Jewish community can be supportive.

The survey, for youth and those who work with youth, is available via the We Need To Talk website (www.wn2t.org) and can be completed in 10 minutes or less. The survey is open through November and responses are completely anonymous. Five participants will be randonly selected to receive a

$50 Amazon gift card.

“In particular, we want to help the youth in our community who are really struggling with their mental wellness during this extremely challenging time,” JFMD Senior Planning Director Todd Krieger told the JN. According to experts, the COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for a significant increase in mental illness.

The CDC published a study in August showing that 25% of young American adults (1825) who were surveyed in June indicated that they had contemplated suicide as a result of the A swastika painted on the outside of Temple Jacob in Hancock, Mich., in 2019.

Feds Arrest Neo-Nazi Linked to Michigan Synagogue Graffiti DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

O

n Oct. 29, state and Base, and Alfred Gorman, 35, of federal authorities Taylor, during a pair of raids. arrested the leader The Base says it seeks to and an “associate” impose a white the of a Michigan-based ethno-state on the neo-Nazi group country. The group responsible for tarhas a presence in the Project U.P., where a memgeting an Upper Peninsula synagogue ber spray-painted with antisemitic graffiti. hateful messages on Temple A team of FBI agents arrested Jacob, a congregation in Justen Watkins, 25, of Bad Axe, Hancock, in September 2019. self-proclaimed leader of The “The initial reaction is one

AntiSemitism

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pandemic.

Ashley Schnaar, Youth Mental Health Coordinator for JFMD, said the survey’s goal is “understanding what we can be doing to support youth and their parents and the professionals they’re working with right now, knowing that there’s increased isolation, people are out of their normal routines, and that it’ll exacerbate people’s mental health.”

The initiative began after results of the Federation’s 2016 Jewish Community Needs Assessment showed that youth were struggling with anxiety, low self-esteem and sadness.

Federation took action and formed a workgroup with

representation from agencies throughout the community to help improve youth mental health.

“We want to really provide that education in the community that people need, and decrease the stigma associated with mental illness,” Krieger said.

According to Krieger, the survey will be used as a baseline to understand where they are in meeting objectives.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

of thanks for the federal agents and the continued work of the FBI in monitoring these hate groups and keeping us safe,” said David Holden, president of Temple Jacob. “The vandalism that happened at our synagogue was quite shocking. I’m glad to see the FBI is continuing their efforts to monitor these groups.”

The Base is believed to have emerged in mid-2018, with member footprints in Maryland, Delaware and Georgia.

“Using tactics of intimidation to incite fear and violence constitutes criminal behavior,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in a press release.

“We cannot allow dangerous activities to reach their goal of inflicting violence and harm on the public.”

Nessel’s office charged the men with felonies including gang membership and using a computer to commit a crime.

Richard Tobin, 18, of New Jersey, was arrested for the Temple Jacob vandalism in November 2019 and for allegedly ordering the vandalism of two synagogues in other states.

At the time, Tobin allegedly said he planned the attacks as part of a nationwide campaign he called “Operation Kristallnacht,” a reference to the 1938 pogrom.

The Base also terrorized a Dexter family at their home in December 2019, after wrongly believing the family was associated with an Antifa member.

Watkins reportedly ran a “hate camp” for the other members of the group, where he led “tactical and firearms training for participants with the goal of being prepared for the violent overthrow of the government.”

The arrests are unrelated to a foiled kidnapping plot against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

JCC FACEBOOK

JCC Plans to Reopen Indoor Pool and Track DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

A

fter the closing of its health club at the end of September, the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield announced it would reopen its indoor pool and track this month. But that estimate was revised due to the recent rise of COVID-19 cases in Oakland County, and now the reopening may be delayed.

The JCC formed a committee tasked with exploring new ways to offer fitness and wellness programming at the JCC after the decision to close its

The JCC

health club late last month.

That committee recommended the reopening of the pool and indoor track.

The opening had been planned for early November but that is now up in the air.

The JCC had not announced a firm reopening date as of press time.

Seeing cases going in a concerning direction, the JCC believed that reopening at the start of November could be more complicated than they originally thought, according to JCC assistant executive

director Heidi Budaj. JCC officials will be consulting with the Oakland County Health Division again and will be carefully watching what the state Department of Health is telegraphing about having spaces like indoor pools open.

“The safety of our community is at the forefront of our decision so it is possible that we may need to delay the opening,” a JCC update to members said on Oct. 30.

“We will keep you updated as the situation changes and look forward to seeing you at the JCC very soon.”

The JCC hopes to have an update on the reopening plans in the second or third week of November, Budaj told the JN. Budaj says they are still preparing and working diligently to make sure everything is prepared on their end, including

Q

getting physical spaces ready and MindBody app accounts active, in case they get approval from the Department of Health to open and get to a point where they feel they can do so safely.

Once the indoor pool and track officially reopen, the JCC has plans to keep both open until Memorial Day, when they hope to reopen their outdoor pool. The center was already planning to continually re-evaluate the reopening plan amid possible COVID spikes.

Michigan is currently experiencing its largest spike in COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Oct. 29 saw 3,675 new cases and 41 additional deaths reported, including 22 from a delayed records review.

Those numbers bring the state’s total number of cases to 171,220 and total deaths to 7,298.

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NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

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JEWSINTHED

Empowering

Women S

oon after she started working as the chief development officer for JVS Human Services three years ago, Sandy Schuster realized something about JVS’ Women to Work program was familiar.

Her own mother, Anne, had used JVS’ services in the early 1980s, when she returned to the workforce after raising her children and going through a divorce.

Now Schuster is preparing for a COVID-era version of Trade Secrets, an annual, Sandy well-attended fundraiser for Schuster that program. “Trade Secrets at Home” will be a one-hour professionally produced “real time” virtual presentation at 7 p.m. Nov. 19, featuring guest speaker Suzy Farbman.

The program will include a “Mind, Body, Spirit” raffle for a stay at a summer home in Charlevoix, a $4,000 gift certificate to Somerset and a 30-minute reading with spiritual medium Rebecca Rosen. The event’s Signature Raffle will feature 10 surprise baskets valued at a minimum of $200.

Raffle tickets can be purchased online or by phone before Nov. 19.

JVS is encouraging event sponsors to host small, safe, in-person gatherings in their homes to watch the virtual program. JVS will provide “FUNdraiser-in-a box” packages with food and other gifts that will be available on the day of the event.

JVS provides business and career services for all job seekers, including vocational counseling and skills training. But the agency has long realized that women often need an extra boost to enter the workforce or to move up from entry-level or low-wage positions.

Originally called the Displaced Homemakers program, Women to Work was started in 1980, when women who had stayed home to raise their children were joining the workforce in large numbers.

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Trade Secrets celebrates JVS’ Women to Work program.

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Now, notes Schuster, some women are returning to the working world after taking time off to care for elderly parents rather than children.

Technology is changing the nature of work so quickly that taking even a few years off can mean skills are outdated. In 2020 and beyond, JVS is also teaching pandemic-related skills, such as how to do virtual interviews and manage Zoom meetings.

“THEY WALK OUT OF THIS PROGRAM FEELING EMPOWERED.” — JVS’ SANDY SCHUSTER

ACHIEVING INDEPENDENCE Since it started, Women to Work has helped close to 2,000 women of all backgrounds, races and religions.

Anne Schuster was divorced in 1973.

Sandy, the oldest of her four daughters, was then 19; the youngest was in kindergarten. Though Anne, who died in 2005, had worked as a bookkeeper while her husband was in law school, she had had no formal postThe late high-school training. After Anne the divorce, she earned an Schuster associate degree at Oakland Community College and a junior accounting certificate at Pontiac Business School, then turned to JVS for help writing a resume, searching for openings and doing interviews.

Anne Schuster had several jobs after participating in the JVS program. She retired after 15 years at the Michigan Employment

Security Commission.

“She was able to support herself and live independently,” Sandy Schuster said. “She found her own identity. That’s what the Woman to Work program provides.”

She said clients often come to JVS feeling embarrassed at their lack of skills. “Within a few weeks, we see their self-esteem rise,” Schuster said. “They walk out of this program feeling empowered. It’s amazing to hear their stories about how the program changed their lives.”

Guest speaker Suzy Farbman, who grew up in Detroit and graduated from the University of Michigan, was introduced to a wide audience

by Oprah Winfrey after publication of her first book, Back from Betrayal, which chronicled the wisdom she gained Suzy from saving her troubled Farbman marriage. At the height of her success as an adviser on relationships, she was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer.

Her second book, Godsigns, is about facing life’s deepest spiritual challenges.

So far, JVS has raised more than $222,000 for Trade Secrets at Home.

“I feel privileged to be raising money for a program that helped my mom and is now helping so many other women reinvent themselves,” Schuster said. “The pandemic has affected more women than men, and they need our support more than ever.”

The Farbman Group and HealthRise are presenting sponsors for Trade Secrets at Home. Other major sponsors include Annette and Jack Aronson, the DeRoy Testamentary Foundation, skinnytees, EHIM and Huntington Bank.

Sponsorships are available at all levels.

Individual tickets, which include a food box and a skinnytee favor, are $150.

For more information, contact Sandy Schuster at sschuster@jvshumanservices.org or (248) 233-4290.

36 Under 36 Nominations Now Open

Do you know someone making an impact in the community for this special honor?

T

he Well — an organization building inclusive Jewish community in Detroit for the under-40 crowd — and the Jewish News are once again partnering on “36 Under 36” to recognize doers, activists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, community organizers and other awesome young Jewish professionals reshaping and broadening Metro Detroit’s Jewish community.

“This is an opportunity to highlight inspiring local young adults who are passionate and invested in a vibrant Jewish landscape in and around Metro Detroit,” said Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh, executive director of The Well.

“I personally cannot wait to see who will populate this list of leaders. After being here for only a few months and amidst the challenges of the pandemic, it is abundantly clear that this is a unique and beloved community full of incredible and talented people.”

New JN Editor Andrew Lapin said, “I am so excited to continue the Jewish News’ tradition of partnering with

The Well on their annual, widely celebrated list of the best and brightest young professionals in Jewish Detroit.

“I know from my own upbringing that our region is absolutely overflowing with young talent that deserves to be recognized, and I would love to see nominations come from far and wide across the Metro Detroit region. This process works best when we get a broad variety of nominations from the community, and I can’t wait to see who this year’s lineup will be!”

Nominate someone you know and spread the word about nominations being open to your friends, family and social networks — let’s get as many people nominated as possible.

Nominations are due by Dec. 3. A group of volunteer judges (none of whom are affiliated with The Well or the JN) will be reviewing submissions and choosing the 36 winners. Honorees will receive free three-year subscriptions to the JN and be featured in the Feb. 11, 2021, issue.

To nominate someone, log on to tiny.cc/36_36.

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JEWSINTHED

LEFT: Screenshot from Shaindle’s Zoom Baking class for JARC residents. RIGHT: Jonathon Washington — Grosberg Home.

Zoom Baker Shaindle Braunstein skipped out on the Great American Baking Show to lead JARC. STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

JOHN HARDWICK

f JARC CEO Shaindle interviews for JARC’s top Braunstein were a position. baked good, she’d be a Braunstein made it French macaron: delicate, through the final rounds of yet complicated. This is a rigorous casting process the answer the mother and was considering leavShaindle of four and grandmother Braunstein ing town for a month of of two gave during a filming in England when 2018 interview with the she also got the news that casting producers for the Great JARC offered her the CEO American Baking Show as she position. Though she never was also going for rounds of went to compete on television,

Braunstein still put her amateur baking prowess to good use.

As the months of the pandemic wear on, her interactive Zoom baking classes have become one of JARC’s most popular activities among the organization’s clients living in dozens of adult homes across Metro Detroit. In her own right and in her students’ eyes, she has become a baking star.

“I made the best decision,” Braunstein said, in skipping the trip to England to take the new job. “It was always my dream to have my own baking show, and when I am teaching over Zoom, the residents make me feel like I am a YouTube star. Our staff have been incredible providers in their roles of creating dynam-

Chocolate cake, Colorful cookies and Shaindle’s Signature Marble cookies created for the Great American Baking Show.

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NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

ic programming like this that provide opportunities of social engagement even during the pandemic.”

Since early childhood, Braunstein has been an avid baker. Her living room in Oak Park is stocked with cake and cookie boxes ready to be filled with the latest batches of cakes, cookies and challah. She sees baking as a way to nurture friends, family and colleagues and turns to baking shows for relaxation.

‘I COULD DO THAT’ “I would watch baking competitions on the Food Network and thought, ‘I could do that.’

So, I applied in the spring to the Great American Baking Show,

Nichole Rubin — 12th Estates Home.

not for the monetary gain of it but for the competition itself.

I love the precise nature of baking. Follow a recipe exactly, and things turn out great.”

Months later, after applying

D[[Z ^[Wbj^ _dikhWdY[5 top post at JARC. As she Zooms from her own kitchen into the kitchens of her JARC friends, all who know her by name, Braunstein patiently teaches how to measure out flour and other ingredients for challah, cookies and cakes.

Until they can bake together again in person, Braunstein said JARC has put technology to good use to teach a new skill and to cultivate a sense of pride.

One of those students is resident Nichole Rubin, who enjoys baking challah at Braunstein’s instruction.

“It is lots of fun,” said Rubin. “I get to see Shaindle

“I MADE THE BEST DECISION.” — SHAINDLE BRAUNSTEIN

and starting to interview, she realized the increasing chance she’d need to take a month off from her previous job as chief operating officer at Jewish Family Service. Everyone there who had been on the receiving end of Braunstein’s confections at staff and committee meetings was supportive of her potential baking fame.

“When I approached my boss, Perry Ohren, about the possibility of taking a month off, he turned to me and said, ‘We’ll figure out a way to make it work.’”

At the same time she was being quizzed about specialty flours and precise baking temperatures and times by the show producers, Braunstein was also making her way through the final rounds of interviews for the

bake over Zoom, and I enjoy all the amazing treats she comes up with.”

As an observant Jew, Braunstein has always taught the mitzvah of hospitality.

When she teaches from her home kitchen in the evenings after a day at the home office, she feels like she is welcoming guests into her home.

“As we bake, students will call out, ‘Is that your kitchen?’ It’s like they are here with me in my house, and it makes us feel more connected. There is not a client at JARC who does not know me by name or does not think of me as their friend Shaindle. If anything, that has resulted from baking over Zoom, it has brought these relationships to a deeper level.”

Let us help you jWa[ j^[ ƚhij ij[f$

Explore your options with a 9[hj_ƚ[Z >[Wbj^YWh[ DWl_]Wjeh j^hek]^ Peec eh el[h j^[ f^ed[$ Whether you are signing up for health insurance for the first time, or want to review your existing plan, the navigators at Jewish Family Service will help you enroll through the Healthcare Marketplace or through Medicaid.

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NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

Sudan’s Sovereign Council chief General Abdel Fattah alBurhan speaks in the capital Khartoum, Sept. 26, 2020.

ASHRAF SHAZLY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

ERETZ

Sudan to Normalize Ties with Israel RON KAMPEAS JTA

S

udan will become the third Arab country in the past two months to normalize relations with Israel, continuing the trend of Arab states’ willingness to advance ties even without a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

President Donald Trump announced the agreement on Oct. 23. According to a joint statement by Israel, Sudan and the U.S., the two countries will “end the state of belligerence between their nations.�

The statement also noted that the countries will “begin economic and trade relations, with an initial focus on agriculture.� In the coming weeks, the statement says, they will meet to discuss “agriculture technology, aviation, migration issues and other areas.� “The Arab-Israeli conflict is moving toward an end,� said Brian Hook, the top State Department official who helped broker the deal.

Sudan has been ruled by a Sovereignty Council, led by military leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and prime minister Abdalla Hamdok, since a military coup last year deposed longtime Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who was subsequently convicted of corruption. He presided over the country during the Darfur ethnic conflict, which involved what the International

Criminal Court has deemed war crimes by the Sudanese government.

Earlier on Oct. 23, Trump informed Congress of his intent to remove Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, which reportedly is part of the agreement.

Sudan will get new leadership in 2022, when the state’s agreed-upon transition period ends. The north African country’s state religion was Islam until earlier this year.

The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have in recent weeks launched fast tracks to open up diplomatic affairs, trade and tourism with Israel, but Sudan is especially significant because it is by far the largest of the three countries, in land mass and in population. It is also symbolically significant because its capital, Khartoum, is where the Arab League met in 1967 after the Six-Day War and issued its “three no’s� to reject any engagement with Israel whatsoever and to continue the state of war.

In 1984, the Sudanese authorities assisted in an airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. Sudan’s leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in February met openly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Uganda.

There are also thousands of refugees from Sudan’s military conflicts living in Israel.

MOMENTS MAZEL TOV! Lola Rose Abrams will chant from the Torah as she becomes a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. She will be joined in celebration by her proud parents, Jennifer and Daniel Abrams, and brother Jonah. Lola is the loving grandchild of the late Julia Abrams, Leonard Abrams, the late John Kachalla, Lynn Kachalla and Jerry Frabutt. She is a student at James R. Geisler Middle School in Commerce Township. As part of her mitzvah project, Lola organized a fundraiser for the children of Yemen.

Emily Lauren Kruger will lead the congregation in prayer on the occasion of her bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. She will be joined in celebration by her proud parents, Kimberly and Richard Kruger, and brother Seth. Emily is the loving grandchild of Marvin and the late Arlene Gurecki, John Kruger and Geraldine Kruger.

She attends West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. For her most meaningful mitzvah project, Emily spent hours disassembling Lego sets, which she then donated to a classroom for children with special needs.

CANTOR SAMUEL

Connor Sheridan, son of Carly and James Sheridan, will lead the congregation in prayer on the occasion of his bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020. He will be joined in celebration by his siblings Noah and Ava and proud grandparents Kacy Max, Michael and Michelle Max, and Tanya and Steve Sheridan; and great-grandmother, Dolores Max. He is a student at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. As part of his most meaningful mitzvah project, Connor raised money for the Oakland Schools Education Foundation to help purchase books for classrooms with underfunded libraries.

Ilana Morgan Weinbaum will chant from the Torah as she becomes a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020. She will be joined in celebration by her proud parents, Elyse and Chad Weinbaum, and sister Emily. Ilana is the loving grandchild of Sheila Weinbaum and James Prenzauler, and Liz and the late Bill LaKritz.

She is a student at Derby Middle School in Birmingham. Among her mitzvah projects, Ilana found it most rewarding to raise funds for the less fortunate, especially during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

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SPIRIT TORAH PORTION

Of Fathers & Sons

W

himself. The Bible is uncharhich of the two acteristically silent about why major protagonists God suddenly commanded of the akedah (binding of Isaac) suffered the greater Abraham to leave Ur for Canaan. Maimonides concludes test: the father who had to sacthat Abraham must have rifice of his son or the son discovered ethical monowho had to undergo the theism through his own anguish of being laid out rational thinking and, upon the altar? therefore, merited God’s Abraham received the election. command directly from Rabbi Consider, however, God, but Isaac is even Shlomo Riskin that “Terah took his more praiseworthy because Parshat son Abram ‌ and he only heard the comVayera: they departed from Ur mand from his father yet Genesis Kasdim to go to the was willing to submit to 18:1-22:24; Land of Canaan; they the sacrificial act. In doing II Kings 4:1-37. arrived at Haran and so, Isaac becomes the ideal they settled there ‌ and Jewish heir, continuing the Terah died in Haranâ€? (Genesis traditions of his father though 11:31, 32). he himself has not heard the Divine command.

Why tell us that Terah had originally set out for Canaan But let us consider Abraham

if he never reached it? The Bible will soon record a meeting between Abraham and Melchizedek, king of Shalem (Jerusalem, capital city of Canaan). Is it not logical to assume that there was one place in the world where the idea of a single God was still remembered from the time of Adam, and that place was Jeru-Shalem, Canaan?

If Terah had left Ur to reach there, might it not have been to identify with that land and with that God of ethical monotheism? May we not assume that Abraham identified with his father’s spiritual journey?

We may now understand why this story is followed by God’s command to Abraham: Conclude the journey you began with your father and reach the destination and perhaps the destiny which eluded him. God also guarantees the patriarch,

“You will come to your fathers in peace and will be buried in a good old age.� (Genesis 15:15) To which of Abraham’s fathers will he come in peace after he dies? According to the version we have just suggested, it refers to Terah.

Abraham, then, emerges as the true continuator of his father’s mission. The biblical message is that it behooves us to continue in our parents’ footsteps and to pass down the mission of ethical monotheism from generation to generation.

Indeed, we must even attempt to improve upon their vision and accomplishments and to take advantage of the new possibilities the period in which we live may provide for us.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone and chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.

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ARTS&LIFE

A scene from Plus One starring Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid, a film co-produced by David Devries.

FILM

Producer looks for new projects to pursue post-pandemic.

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

M

any people dream about making a movie or working in the movie business, but few fulfill their hopes in such a competitive field.

One young Detroit native, David Devries, 31, has achieved a successful, expanding career in the rapidly evolving film industry.

Los Angeles residents Devries and his wife, Nina Devries, also a Detroiter, spent much of the past summer visiting their parents in Oakland County while working remoteDavid ly. Devries is director of develDevries opment for Studio71, LP, a global media and production company that creates a wide array of content, including movies, TV shows, digital series and podcasts. In this position, he seeks out and evaluates new film and TV projects, critiques scripts and works to turn ideas into successful television shows and movies.

“Producing is a lot of project management,” Devries explains. Usually producers are on the film set, overseeing filming, whether the project is a movie, television show or a newer form of entertainment.

The film industry has changed to digital technology, he says, which encompasses subscription services, free content, ads and, with the impact of COVID, there seems to be an increased number of animated shows.

A recent successful example of Devries’ production work is Plus One, an indie movie

released last year starring Maya Erskine and Jack Quaid. It was an Audience Award Winner at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and is now streaming on Hulu. “I found the project from two writer/directors. I had seen some of their work,” Devries explains.

Devries was also involved in the development of the movie Jason Bourne starring Matt Damon while working at Captivate Entertainment, a production company.

Of course, Devries didn’t just walk onto a movie set with a job and script in hand. It took some entry-level jobs, including some work on the business side of filmmaking, which he said was good experience.

Devries’ path to a movie career began in high school. “I made a couple of short films while at Franklin Jewish Academy that I hope never resurface because I imagine they’re not very good. When choosing a college, I specifically looked for schools that have a good film program, which is what led me to the University of Michigan, among other things,” he says.

By his sophomore year, Devries knew he wanted to pursue a career in entertainment.

“At that point, I began committing the majority of my free time to making as many short films, music videos, commercials and sketch videos as I could, trying to gain as much production experience as possible before leaving the many great resources that U-M had to offer for their film students,” he said. Devries majored in film/cinema/video

RLJE FILMS

Young Detroiter Gains Success in Hollywood

studies and psychology and was active in a filmmaking club.

During his college years, Michigan offered very generous incentives for film production in the state, but these were canceled by the time he graduated. This funding cutback drastically reduced local filmmaking opportunities. However, Devries connected with locally based screenwriter Dan Shere and did some freelance work for him.

Devries’ next step was working as an intern at several California production companies and then at a talent agency for a few years. He represented some major television directors and started overseeing contracts and payments for clients. From there, he progressed to professional positions at Captivate Entertainment and Studio71. Like many other businesses, most film offices are closed, remote work is the norm, and some projects are on hold.

“COVID has hit the entertainment industry hard like everyone else with a lot of layoffs and furloughs,” Devries says. “Almost nothing is getting filmed in the U.S. A lot of TV networks are planning to do production in Canada, which has a two-week required quarantine. They filmed with the approval of the unions, but it cost a lot of money to keep everyone safe. It took a couple of months for approvals. Fewer movies are being made, and they are costing more.”

In response to COVID, Devries says that some film stories are being revised to eliminate large crowd scenes, relying instead on a smaller number of actors and locations to reduce potential virus exposure. He predicts there will be some script rewriting to reflect the current political climate and COVID to make the stories more relevant.

But during this interim period, he and others are “busy doing development so that everything will be ready when production begins.” For Devries, that means looking for new projects and working to sell prospective concepts for shows and movies.

“People have always found a need for entertainment and the arts, and there are enough talented and passionate individuals out there who are ready and eager to work.

What exactly the long-term ramifications will be, no one can say. But for now, I am very hopeful that things will start to improve sometime in the very near future,” he says.

NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

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J

ARTS&LIFE Miasma Mirror, 2020

‘Never Normal’ New exhibit at Wasserman Projects showcases pandemic-inspired work.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jacob Saphier

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NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

WASSERMAN PROJECTS

ART

acob Saphier and Ian Klipa reacted to the pandemic in the way they usually react to a known environment. They designed and fabricated a related three-dimensional piece for an interior space.

The Wasserman Projects in Detroit reacted to the piece in the way gallery administrators usually react to admired works, even during a pandemic. They put it on display.

“Miasma Mirror, 2020,” which artistically showcases past and current crafted materials believed to cope with pandemics, is among works by 20 designers in Never Normal, a group exhibit in collaboration with Form&Seek, a platform that creates, curates and sells uniquely crafted products.

The theme of Never Normal, on view through Dec. 12, explores personal connections to the domestic landscape.

“The prompt of the show is such a good way to explore how design and furniture can create a sense of change or accommodation to a new way of living like the one that we’re in right now,” said Saphier, who partners with Klipa in developing furniture and fixtures as they operate Donut Shop, a design studio in Detroit.

“We typically work in a much more commission-based realm, where everything is being made much more functional for retail or restaurants or someone’s home so this was an opportunity to create something that had more of a statement behind it.”

The statement is based on the idea of the sneeze guard as a quick-fix divider, but the artistic version does not allow viewers to see through it to accentuate the separation.

Viewers can see into the piece, which contains dried flowers, recalling the 1800s-era “miasma theory” that disease was caused by noxious odors combatted with pleasant fragrances brought into masks by herbal and floral scents.

Instead of a mirror, a see-through epoxy resin was used to form the piece. Flowers were collected, dried and cast into the resin. All sides are finished, and the way to discern the front from back is seeing the front of the flowers.

Pedestal display provides a complete impression of the piece.

Working together on specific projects is everyday for Saphier and Klipa, who met while attending the University of Michigan School of Art and Design and who have been in the Detroit business community

for over four years.

“We’ve created a good symbiosis together,” said Saphier, 27 and single. “Even when we’re creating something on our own, it’s never really on our own because we’re always there giving input to each other and offering different ways that something could be designed or made.”

Saphier, who grew up in New York anticipating an industrial design career, followed that intention with his first professional job as a design engineer in the auto industry.

“I was missing the creative side of things and left that job without much of a plan,” he said. “Ian was working freelance as a metal worker, and I started doing more stuff on my own like Ian was doing and helping other craftsmen.

“After about half a year, because Ian and I were in the same boat, there was a decision to come together and start what today is Donut Shop, a name chosen because we like donut shops and believe they have pleasant associations for others. A lot of our craft and fabrication background has been self-taught through work experience.”

To connect with the creative community in Detroit, the two are active with Design Core Detroit. Their artistry, in the form of a steel chair, was displayed last year during New York Design Week and in 2018 through an entry in Sukkah x Detroit.

“I have plenty of furniture I designed that I use in my own home,” said Saphier, who enjoys celebrating Jewish holidays with family back in New York. “Some are pieces made in school, and some are products that have been discontinued.

“When I create commission work, I make it and send it away. There’s this nice aspect to keeping pieces that I made and seeing how they age. It’s like product research.”

In terms of design, Saphier views a pandemic as a starting point for new approaches to the built environment.

“Although the miasma theory was wrong, it led to a movement away from dank alleyways to more spaced-out courtyards,” he said. “With current health issues and climate change, I believe there will be larger changes in how our spaces are designed.”

To view Never Normal, which will be shown through Dec. 12 at the Wasserman Projects in Detroit, arrange for a private showing by calling (313) 8183550 or access it digitally by going to artsy.net/show/ wasserman-projects-never-normal.

AMAZON STU-

ARTS&LIFE MOVIE REVIEW

‘Borat’ Returns, Along with His Antisemitism ANDREW LAPIN EDITOR

general buffoonery, antisemitism has been central to the character’s identity — even though Cohen speaks fluent Hebrew (that’s usually the language he uses when mimicking Borat’s “Kazakh” tongue).

When the original 2006 Borat movie became a huge hit, the Anti-Defamation League criticized Cohen, saying that many viewers wouldn’t get that he was making fun of bigots instead of encouraging them.

That concern takes on new layers in the age of “fake news” and social media bubbles.

Much of the new movie focuses on Borat’s efforts to

ARTS&LIFE

works. Lavin plays Norma, a woman who came out as a lesbian after the death of her husband. Lavin is most famous as the star of the 1970s sitcom Alice.

Koppel is best known for playing Dr. Adam Bricker, the ship’s doctor, on the hit program The Love Boat.

Lavin and Koppel had recurring roles in early seasons of Mom, the hit CBS sitcom. Mom begins its eighth season after the B Positive premiere. Both shows were created by Chuck Lorre, 68, the man behind a slew of hits, including The Big Bang Theory.

HBO will first stream a video of the 2020 induction ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nov. 7 (8 p.m.). The band Nine Inch Nails is being inducted. Ilan Rubin, 32, who has been the group’s drummer since 2009, is being inducted as a band member. Rubin was a child musical prodigy, show-

I

CELEBRITY JEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

MAYBE ANOTHER LORRE CLASSIC; ROCK & ROLL HEBREWS; KID STUFF The comedy/drama series B Positive premieres on CBS Nov. 5 (8:30 p.m.). Drew (Thomas Middleditch) is a therapist and the newly divorced father of a 12-yearold daughter. He needs a kidney transplant, and he finds a match in Gina, a past acquaintance. Sara Rue, 41, co-stars as Julia, Drew’s ex-wife. You might remember Rue as the star of the sitcom Less than Perfect. She was born Sara Schlackman (“Rue” is her mother’s maiden name).

Appearing in recurring roles are Bernie Kopell, 87, and Linda Lavin, 82. Both play residents of an assisted living facility where Gina

offer his “daughter,” Tutar (played by Bulgarian actress Maria Bakalova), as a bride to various members of President Trump’s inner circle — including, in one deeply uncomfortable scene, Rudy Giuliani. But Cohen also allows plenty of time for Borat’s antisemitism.

In the film’s craziest scene, a depressed Borat enters a synagogue “to await the next mass shooting;” he’s “disguised as a Jew,” with a hook nose, devil horns and “puppetmaster” strings.

One of the Jews he meets there is Judith Dim Evans, a Holocaust survivor. She con-

A still from B Positive

ing great talent at age 8.

Also inducted as a performer is Marc Bolan (194777). Bolan, born Marc Feld, was the son of working-class English parents. His father was Jewish; his mother was not. Marc spent much of his teen years hanging out at a community club for Jewish young people. He’s credited as a father of the “glam-rock” look and sound. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the group T-Rex (“Bang a Gong, Get It On”). Bolan died in a car accident. He had a

PAMELA LITTKY/2020 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.

n Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (now streaming on Amazon Prime), the high-fiving fake Kazakh journalist successfully gets a bakery to decorate a cake with “Jews Will Not Replace Us” and goads a plastic surgeon into mimicking a caricature of a Jewish nose. In a recent talk show appearance, he also insists the coronavirus was created in a lab in Israel.

Jewish comedian Sacha Baron Cohen has been playing Borat on and off for more than two decades, first on TV and then in movies. Even more than rampant misogyny and

fronts him about his bigotry: “Look at me. I am a Jew,” she says. “The Holocaust happened.” Borat weeps; they embrace. It’s a moment that finds tenderness in the absurd.

Cohen dedicates the film to Evans (she died after the scene was shot). He has also made up with the ADL: The actor is now an outspoken advocate of the Stop Hate for Profit campaign to limit the spread of misinformation and hate speech on social media.

But there may be no better illustration of the confusing role Borat plays in society than what followed: Evans’ daughter sued Cohen and the film’s producers, alleging they coerced her mother to participate in a film that “mock[s] the Holocaust and Jewish culture.”

This lends credence to ADL’s original concern that many people won’t get the joke.

Regardless of where Borat’s morals lie, his new movie is full of his signature: deeply uncomfortable laughs.

Jewish funeral and is buried in a Jewish cemetery.

Non-performers are inducted into the Hall via the Ahmet Ertegun Award for Lifetime Achievement. The two Ertegun award winners this year are Jewish: Jon Landau, 71, and Irving Azoff, 72. Landau is most famous as the producer of many Bruce Springsteen albums, including Born to Run. Azoff is a leading record company and concert ticket company executive.

The Mighty Ones is a child-friendly animated series that begins streaming on Hulu and Peacock TV on Nov. 9. It follows the fun adventures of a group of creatures: a rock, a strawberry, a stick and a leaf. Self-named the Mighty Ones, they live in a backyard belonging to three people whom they mistake for gods.

Josh Brener, 36 (Silicon Valley), voices one of the Mighty Ones.

NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

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ON THE GO PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

HOLY LAND TOUR NOON-1 PM, NOV. 5 See the sights and meet the people in a virtual tour brought to you by Temple Shir Shalom. On this day, visit a Druz community.

Register at shirshalom/org/ form/live-from-the-holyland. Info: 248-737-8700.

INSURANCE HELP ONGOING TO DEC. 15 Jewish Family Service will aid community members needing assistance with health insurance: signing up for first time, updating info or getting questions answered. Info: osemenova@jfsdetroit.org or 248-592-2662.

ARK PRESENTS 5 PM, NOV. 6 The Ark in Ann Arbor will host Rufus Wainright for a series of five concerts throughout November.

Tickets $20. Bit.ly/ RW-TheArk. Amythyst Kiah

“virtual tip jar” go to support the Ark and the performers.

JEWISH MOROCCO NOV. 8 JDC Entwine will host an exclusive Detroitonly Inside Morocco experience in partnership with The Well, in the span of a few hours. Explore Morocco’s sights, sounds and tastes by way of interactive experiences with local Jewish community members. Info: margaritako@jdc.org or check out jdcentwine.org on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

SECRETS OF THE BIBLE WEEK OF NOV. 9 This is a six-week course to enjoy from the safety and comfort of your home. Uncover the secrets within Jewish mysticism and discover a whole new world of fascinating teachings and inspiration. There are three class options to choose from. Info: bloomfieldhillschabad.org/ secrets.

AMERICAN JEWS & ISRAEL NOON-1 PM, NOV. 9 The Schusterman Center for Israeli Studies at Brandeis University will sponsor this Zoom presentation. Natan Sharansky and Gil Troy will be in conversation with Jonathan Sarna and Shirley Idelson, based on the book Never Alone.

Co-hosted by the Office of the President of Brandeis University. Free and open to all; registration required: brandeis.edu/ israel-center/events/index. html#neveralone

REMEMBRANCE ALL DAY, NOV. 9 March of the Living will

ANSWERING ANTISEMITISM 6:30-8:30 PM, NOV. 9 Hadassah Greater Detroit’s Eleanor Roosevelt and Tikvah regions along with the Anti-Defamation League present “Words to Action,” a virtual workshop discussing accurate information about antisemitism and anti-Israel myths. Carolyn Normandin, regional director of the Detroit/

ne

FAMILY ROOM SERIES 8 PM, NOV. 7 The Ark in Ann Arbor will present a virtual concert with Amythyst Kiah, vocalist. The event is free on the Ark Facebook page. Donations in a

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NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

mark Kristallnacht with a message of unity and hope, through a unique international campaign ttitled “Let There Be Light.”

March of the Living invites individuals, institutions and houses of worship across the world to keep their lights on during the night of Nov. 9, as a symbol of solidarity and mutual commitment in the shared battle against antisemitism, racism, hatred and intolerance.

Michigan office of ADL, and Kristin Jager, ADL education director, will offer the skills to answer, “What Can I Do?” This workshop is open to the community with a $10 minimum donation.

Register by Nov. 6: hadassahmidwest.org/ RoosTikvahADL. Info: greaterdetroit@hadassah. org or call 248-683-5030.

PHYSICIANS & THE HOLOCAUST 7-8:320 PM, NOV. 9 Join with the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan on the 82nd anniversary of Kristallnacht (the Night of the Broken Glass) as Rabbi Herbert A. Yoskowitz examines the stories of “Jewish European Physicians during the Holocaust Decade (1938-1948).”

Cost: $10 for members and $18 for non-members.

Register by 9 pm on Nov. 8. Instructions for joining the Zoom call will be sent the day before.

BELIN LECTURE 7 P.M., NOV. 10 U-M Frankel Centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 30th David W. Belin Lecture in American Jewish Affairs: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It Can Happen Here: Antisemitism, Gender and the American Pastâ&#x20AC;?

by Pamela Nadell.

With antisemitism rising today at home and abroad, American University Professor Pamela Nadell, author of the award-winning Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewish Women: A History from Colonial Times to Today, discusses American Jewish women in the past facing antisemitism, how it affected their lives and how they responded. Advance registration required: https://forms.gle/ aDfZrsUswYs6Xh8DA. The Zoom webinar link and password will be sent to registrants shortly before the event.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY 11 AM, NOV. 11 Hadassah Greater Detroit will present a virtual program: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why Am I So Hungry?â&#x20AC;? Gail Posner, registered dietitian and owner of Healthy Ways Nutrition Counseling, will discuss how to help control your hunger. Register by Nov. 9 for this free online event: hadassahmidwest. org/GDWWHungry.

Info: greaterdetroit@ hadassah.org or 248683-5030.

SCHOOL VISIT 9:30 AM, NOV. 11 7 PM NOV. 12 Hillel Day School K-8 will host a virtual open house. Learn about its safe and connected community, generous tuition assistance program, innovative and engaging curriculum and commitment to social-emotional growth.

Register: hilleldayblog. org/fall-virtual-openhouse.

BAND PERFORMS 8 PM, NOV. 12 The Ark in Ann Arbor will present LeVent du Nord, a Quebec folk movement group. View free on the Ark Facebook page.

Donations to a â&#x20AC;&#x153;virtual tip jarâ&#x20AC;? go to support the Ark and the performers.

ASK THE RABBI NOON, NOV. 11 Ohr Torah Stone in Israel will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;What Kind of Person Are You?â&#x20AC;?, which will explore the disputes between Beit Hillel and Shammai, discussed by Rabbanit Chamutal Shoval.

Zoom link: ZOOM. US/J/9739742708.

LET US DESIGN YOUR DREAM KITCHEN FREE In-Home Estimates )XOO 5HPRGHOLQJ 6HU YLFHV $YDLODEOH 6KHOE\ 7RZQVKLS Â&#x2021; :HVW %ORRPILHOG ZZZ ODIDWD FRP Â&#x2021;

Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items to calendar@ thejewishnews.com.

NOVEMBER 5 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020

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DINING AROUND THE D

Prime29

Steakhouse ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

W

hat a joy to dine again at Prime29 Steakhouse, a contemporary restaurant that ages its beef an optimal 29 days. “Jet-fresh” seafood and handcrafted cocktails are other claims to fame since Prime29 brought fine dining with wine to West Bloomfield in 2012. The restaurant’s reopening during the pandemic was on June 28.

On a recent visit, my dining companion and I relaxed at a black leather banquette with upholstery insert in Prime29’s elegantly appointed main dining room. (There is another public dining room and PRIME29 two separate rooms for private STEAKHOUSE dining.) We felt safe, too, with the 6545 W. Maple Road nearest table more than 6 feet away, West Bloomfield (248) 737-7463 the sanitized surfaces, and staff and prime29steakhouse.com guests wearing masks. This certified $$$½ out of $$$$ COVID-compliant facility uses a special air spray twice a week.

Further setting the scene, Prime29 anchors the corner of Orchard Lake and Maple roads in a handsome, driftwood brick building. Flames from a fireplace punctuate the darkness on a patio, enclosed two years ago. Across Maple is Nara Hibachi and

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NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

VIA PRIME 29 STEAKHOUSE FACEBOOK

NOSH

Hot Rocks, a Japanese-style steakhouse that includes Prime29 General Manager Stoli Liti as a partner. Liti, a veteran restauranteur most recently with Bacco Ristorante in Southfield, joined the Prime29 management team in 2013.

He and his sister, server Ina Liti, showed typical Albanian hospitality. They explained the menu items, wanting us to enjoy a satisfying dinner.

My expectation for a great meal began with the warm loaf of pre-cut bread brought to table on a wooden cutting board.

Oregano, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper enhanced the dish of olive oil for dipping.

The not-too-bitter kale salad for our next course was delightful, topped with strawberries, blueberries, green grapes, candied pecans and goat cheese in a mustard vinaigrette.

The main entrée was Chilean Seabass, always a treat, and served with sweet corn puree, red quinoa and asparagus. Multiple potato and vegetable sides are available a la carte. The Butcher’s Knife selections include filet mignon, steak and a mammoth 24-ounce Wagyu Tomahawk steak for the most dedicated carnivores.

Dessert on this night was a special: Limoncello Cheesecake with whipped cream and dots of raspberry sauce. Crème Brulee sounds good to me on the menu.

Open at 4 nightly except Mondays, Prime29 presents “Winedown Wednesdays” with half-off on select bottles, and no corkage fee for “Bring Your Own Bottle” of wine or champagne on Thursdays.

A sample of the treats available at Culinary Combo Bakery

NOSH EATS | DRINKS | SWEETS

Sweet Treats Culinary C li C Combo b B Bakery k now open.

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

he recently opened Culinary Combo Bakery in Southfield not only puts the talents of a Metro area mother and daughter on display, but the business venture is also bringing healing to their family.

Bakery partner Jodie Polk, 56, of Commerce Township formerly operated a catering company, Culinary Combo, with her late husband, Jim Polk. They met at the Oakland Community College Culinary Studies Institute. A professional baker, Jodie was a pastry chef with Muer Corp. before joining forces in 1988 with Chef Jim. She gradually moved their business toward filling gift baskets with baked goods.

Following the example of her mother, the late Rosalind Weisberg, Jodie introduced the Polk children, Jessica and Justin, to cooking and baking as children.

“Some of my best childhood memories are of helping my parents make dough or putting together baskets during the holiday season,” said Jessica Barris, 26, who lives in Berkley with her husband, Neil Barris.

Jessica recalled how three generations of her family would “put on our aprons and roll up our sleeves to get thousands of cookies baked and baskets assembled.”

After Jim passed away two years ago from pancreatic cancer, Jodie questioned whether she could continue Culinary

Combo. Then cousins in commercial real estate and other friends provided support for her to start the bakery — the Polks’ longtime dream.

“Jessica stepped forward to say, ‘Mom, I want to be your partner,’” said Jodie.

“Truthfully, I never realized she had any interest in the business, but I could not pass up the opportunity to work side-byside with my daughter.”

Open since Oct. 27, Culinary Combo Bakery is on the reverse side of the Claymoor Apartments’ entrance. The location on Franklin Road, near Northwestern Highway, is close to Jodie’s former business clientele.

Starting with its reputation for creating decorative and unique gift baskets, Culinary Combo Bakery offers madefrom-scratch baked goods. The Claymoor, an oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips and toffee bits, and fudgy brownies, are delicious specialties. Keto-friendly and nut-free and gluten-free options are available, although everything is made in a facility utilizing dairy, eggs, soy, gluten and nuts. The bakery caters to Jewish tastes with rugaleh but isn’t certified kosher.

In addition to baking, Jessica, a trained product photographer, also manages marketing, social media and photography for the business.

She, Neil and Jodie, are members

of West Bloomfield’s Temple Israel.

Jodie sends out tributes for the temple’s Sisterhood. Since Jim’s passing, the family has been involved with Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and Jodie attended a spousal bereavement group at Gilda’s Club in Royal Oak. Working closely with her daughter at the bakery, Jodie said they “truly enjoy collaborating with one another and at this point, as we are finally seeing the dream through, neither of us can imagine doing this with anyone else.”

Jodie Polk and her daughter Jessica Barris Bakery hours are 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. TuesdayFriday, and until 1 p.m. Saturday. Local delivery is available for $12 with 24 hours’ notice.

Culinary Combo Bakery 29260 Franklin Road Southfield (248) 624-9594 theculinarycombo.com

NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

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JEN LOVY

NOSH EATS | DRINKS | SWEETS

O’Brien’s Marks 30 Years in Auburn Hills

Dakota Bread Is Back in Business COURTESY OF CHERYL GASTWIRTH

Friendship Circle holds open house to welcome customers back.

Cars lined up for the Oct. 25 event at Dakota Bread.

Items on display at Dakota Bread.

Cheryl Gastwirth of West Bloomfield took a selfie with the Dakota Bread challah she baked at home.

A Friendship Circle volunteer at the Oct. 25 event.

JEN LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A

steady stream of cars — 189 in the first hour alone — passed through the Boardwalk shopping center parking lot for a drive-through open house in celebration of Friendship Circle’s recent purchase of Dakota Bread Company. The organization recently purchased the bakery to train young adults with special needs by teaching life and job skills.

By the time the three-hour event ended, an estimated 1,200 people had attended the Oct. 25 celebration. While the West Bloomfield police and a handful of volunteers directed traffic, some attendees waited as long as 20 minutes to participate in the free event.

After driving through a large arch of purple and white balloons, cars stopped at designated stations throughout the parking lot to receive various gifts, including challah

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NOVEMBER 5 • 2020

dough to bake at home, craft projects, assorted beverages and limited-edition Friendship Circle souvenirs. Of course, what bakery grand opening would be complete without baked goods? Volunteers gave out muffins, sugar cookies and chocolate babka.

Each box of challah dough came with instructions on braiding and baking challah at home. Participants could also participate in one of three live Zoom challah baking classes with Chef Hunny Khodorkovsky.

Cheryl Gastwirth of West Bloomfield, who volunteers at Friendship Circle’s Life Village, baked the challah dough she received when she got home.

“It was doughy and delicious, a little bit sweet,” she said. “It tasted great — just like Dakota challah always does.”

Since the organization announced the acquisition of Dakota Bread, customers have

had one recurring question, whether the challah recipe would change. Like a broken record, Friendship Circle co-founders Levi and Bassie Shemtov keep assuring those who ask that it will not change.

All the ingredients, said Bassie Shemtov, happened to be kosher and will remain exactly the same. Notably, not one person asked if the price of a challah would change. It won’t.

“It’s incredible to see so many people out here showing their support,” said Elliott Baum, a Friendship Circle board member and owner of Blue Ribbon Restaurants, a franchisee of Famous Dave’s.

“We’re very excited about this new venture. In addition to providing training opportunities, we’re looking to double the wholesale and retail side of the business.”

Copy Editor David Sachs contributed to this report.

It’s the 30th Stone Crab Season for local restaurant O’Brien’s Crabhouse located in Auburn Hills on Opdyke Road.

Owner Dan Dunsky first opened O’Brien’s Crabhouse 30 years ago and has been in the same location ever since. Similar to an East Coast seafood restaurant, those in the know regarding “Stones” can’t wait for fall to begin.

While O’Brien’s Crabhouse serves all types of delicious fish and seafood, Dunsky is very proud of his longstanding yearly delivery of “stones.” Stones are flown in daily and Dunsky brings in about 200 pounds per week from October through New Year’s Day. “From the dock to our door in 18 hours,” Dunsky says.

Dine in and carryout are available. Information at www.obrienscrabhouse.com.

BAKE!, Zingerman’s Hands-On Teaching Bakery, Goes Virtual BAKE!, Zingerman’s hands-on teaching bakery, has put its baking classes online. Transitioning from in-person to virtual class offerings, initiated by COVID-19, allows home bakers to enjoy personalized instruction for all levels in the comfort of their own kitchens.

“Home bakers are tuning in everywhere from Israel and India to Germany and New Zealand,” said Sara Molinaro, principal and lead instructor of BAKE!.

“As much as we’ll always love our in-person classes, it’s been so fun to instruct and encourage our students virtually.”

Before each class, students receive a class guide with the recipes, a grocery list and a Zoom invitation to use when it’s time to log into the virtual classroom. See a schedule at http:// zcob.me/bakevirtual.

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the exchange community bulletin board | professional services

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SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY

SANDRA SULLAWAY GIBBINGS, 70, of Livonia, died Oct. 26, 2020.

She is survived by her husband, James Robert Gibbings; sons and daughter-in-law, Jesse Gibbings and Fang Qi, and Colin Gibbings; sister and brother-in-law, Ellie and Thomas Hayes; brother and sister-in-law, Robert Sullaway and Gail Schulman.

She is also lovingly remembered by Jim’s family.

Mrs. Gibbings was the devoted daughter of the late Martin and the late Mildred Sullaway.

Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park.

Contributions may be made to Capuchin Brothers of Detroit, 1740 Mt. Elliott, Detroit, MI 48207, thecapuchins.org/donate.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

SHARON GOLDENBERG, 72, of West Bloomfield, died Oct. 28, 2020.

She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Ronald Goldenberg; mother, Marion Gaspas; daughters and son-in-law, Julie Somberg of Commerce, Jill and Jason Cook of Oak Park; brothers and sisters-in-law, Gary and Tammy Gaspas of Westland, Jerry and Shawn Gaspas of Farmington Hills; grandchildren, Jordyn Somberg, Madison Somberg, Bella Cook, Alexandra Cook, Justin Goldenberg.

Mrs. Goldenberg was the dear daughter of the late Leo

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OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 41

Monuments and Markers Bronze Markers Memorial Duplicating Cemetery Lettering & Cleaning

22 Cheshvan Nov. 9, 2020

SOUL Gaspas; loving mother of the late Jared Goldenberg.

Contributions may be made to a charity of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice. A family graveside service was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park.

Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

JUDITH FINE HERMAN, 90, of Detroit, died Oct. 23, 2020.

She is survived by her husband, Martin Herman; daughters, Ellen and Rebecca; grandchildren, Hannah, Sarah and Bryan, Gabriel and Jose; brother and sisters, Leon and Dvora Fine, Bernice Talmatch and Miriam Sharma.

Interment was at Beth David Cemetery in New York. Contributions may be made to Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, 1457 Griswold, Detroit, MI 48226, downtownsynagogue.org; Adat Shalom Synagogue, Society of Active Retirees (SOAR) Fund, 29901 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, adatshalom.org/tributes-makea-donation-in-honor-orin-memory; or Wayne State University, Bertha & Hyman Herman Memorial Endowment, 5475 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202, cardinal.wayne.edu/wsugiving/ give.cfm. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

DR. BERTON ROY MOED, 70, of St. Louis, Mo., and a former resident of Huntington Woods, died on Oct. 22, 2020.

He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sept. 9, 1950. Roy was a professor and former chairman in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He previously held positions at Wayne State University, University of Toronto and the University of Michigan.

A graduate of the University of Michigan and Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Roy also achieved the rank of lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.

He received numerous honors, awards and professional recognitions.

Dr. Moed participated in numerous lectureships and had a distinguished publishing record. He will be remembered for his devotion to his family, professional achievements and his sly sense of humor. He had a full, successful life and will be sorely missed.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Jill Moed; daughters and sons-in-law, Dr. Lisa Moed Gruson and Dr. Konrad Gruson, and Rebecca Moed Tantillo, Esq. (Chris Tantillo); grandchildren, Anna and Michael Gruson and Gabriel Tantillo; brother and sister-in-law, George and Judi Moed; sister, Paulette Moed; sister-inlaw, Paula Zaks (Dan) Stein; brothers-in-law, John (Terry) Steinberger and Joe (Rebecca) Steinberger; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Dr. Moed was the son of the late Charles and the late Frances Moed; son-in-law of the late Dr. Eugene and the late Sylvia Steinberger.Â

Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

SHIRLEY RENNER (nee Salamon), 94, passed away peacefully on Oct. 24, 2020.

She was born in Detroit on Nov. 10, 1925, and lived in Detroit, Oak Park, Birmingham and finally Arlington, Va. Shirley retired from Providence Hospital in Southfield as a medical technician, a profession that ful-

filled her. She loved gardening, sewing, family and, in later life, very much enjoyed political discourse.

Mrs. Renner is survived by her daughter, Gail London (Stefan); her son, Dr. Marc Renner (Deborah); her grandchildren, Marisa London, Dr. Kory London, Zach Renner and Carly Renner; her great-grandchildren, Mia Moylan and Leo London.

She was the wife of the late Lewis Renner.

A private family service was planned. Contributions may be made to Hospice of Michigan or Virginia Association for Hospices and Palliative Care.

GERALD ROSENTHAL, 83, of Oak Park, passed away Oct. 24, 2020.

He was the owner of AA Quality Service until his retirement. He was humorous, smiling and always ready to give and receive hugs.

Mr. Rosenthal is survived by his son, Mark Rosenthal and fiancĂŠ, Misty Fortner; daughters and sons-in-law, Lynn and George Hunter, Debbie and Frank Cummings; brother and sister-in-law, Burt and Ann Rosenthal; sister and brother-in-law, Joyce Nadler, Herbert Goodwin; grandchildren, Jessica Rosenthal, James Rosenthal; many loving nieces

and nephews.

He was the beloved husband for more than 58 years of the late Beverly Rosenthal; loving son of the late Ervin and the late Julia Rosenthal; cherished brother and brother-in-law of the late Barbara Goodwin, the late Bill Nadler.

Contributions may be made to a charity of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice. A private graveside service was held Oct. 25, 2020.

Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. continued on page 44

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OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 43

KENNETH SHULAK, 87, of West Bloomfield, died Oct. 25, 2020.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Eve Shulak; daughter and son-in-law, Cindy and Dan Shulak Rome; sons, Dr. Jeffrey Shulak, Dr. Barry Shulak and Alan Shulak; grandchildren, Elana (David) Rome Cutler, Ben Rome, Sam (Chelsey) Shulak and Will Shulak; great-grandchild, Gabriel; brothers, Fred Shulak, Carl Shulak; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends.

Mr. Shulak was the brother of the late Corrine Schwartz.

Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial

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Park Cemetery in Livonia.

Contributions may be made to any Jewish organization.

Arrangements by Dorfman 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.

Dutch Chief Rabbi Says ‘No Need’ for Churches’ Mea Culpa over Holocaust Inaction AMSTERDAM (JTA) — Six Dutch churches issued what they called an acknowledgement of guilt for not having done more to save Jews or protest their murder during the Holocaust.

Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs told the CIP news site that while he “appreciates” the gesture from the Protestant Church of the Netherlands and five other church bodies, it’s also unnecessary. “Children needn’t profess their parents’ guilt or take responsibility for it,” Jacobs said.

“We failed in speaking out and in keeping silent, in deeds and inaction, in attitude and thoughts,” said an Oct. 28

CNAAN LIPHSHIZ

SOUL

Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs at Westerbork Memorial Center, May 14, 2017.

statement from the Protestant Church of the Netherlands, the second-largest church in the country with 1.6 million member. The statement also said the church wishes to “acknowledge unequivocally that the church prepared the soil where the seed of anti-Semitism could grow,” Reformatorisch Dagblad reported.

That sentiment was echoed in a separate statement by five other denominations.

The statements came ahead of the Nov. 9 anniversary of the 1938 Kristallnacht pogroms.

Three-quarters of Dutch Jewry died in the Holocaust, the highest death rate in occupied Western Europe.

RASKIN THE BEST OF EVERYTHING

Remembering the Line at the Belmont Lounge

A

couple of guys had never been in the restaurant business together and were correct when they thought people would like their offerings … especially if they didn’t give folks too big of a menu and the Danny Raskin Senior Columnist customers could have what they liked without searching for it … and finding out what came with it and the cost.

The only reason they went

there was because Hazel and Ted Moss and Morrie Gruskin were so well liked and knew a lot of people … But the place was a mess … even after they fixed it up the first time.

However, once you had supped at their Belmont Lounge on Calvert and Woodward, chances were great that you would be back for lunch or dinner …many times.

The secret of the Belmont’s appeal was roast beef or one of the big favorites … even sliced corned beef … And a different special every day … tenderloin tips, fish on Fridays, etc. … But much of the hungry hordes that descended on it had prime rib.

Folks entered the place by the front door on Woodward and almost always found a fast-moving line had formed around the square bar in the middle of the room …

Perhaps you’d refresh yourself with a cold beer while waiting to wend your way through the line.

Within minutes, the moment of truth arrived …

That is when you step up to a table filled with the above and goodies … The line moved fast … No time to dawdle here.

“Roast beef rare,” you might have blurted out, and seconds later you were seated in the comfortable dining room …

While passing through the line, you have made your selection or selections of a main course and loaded up with one or more of the tasty relishes.

You might have had a goodsized cut of roast beef on a large dinner plate, mashed potatoes, choice of vegetables and a plate heaping with relishes.

If you were not quite that hungry, perhaps you chose the

roast beef sandwich … This snack consisted of an equally large slice of beef between white, rye or pumpernickel bread and the usual relishes.

Top this all off with a slice of its home-made pie, or an apple a la mode and you have dined wisely, well and very economically.

OLDIE BUT GOODIE …

Woman goes to the butcher and asks the price of ground chuck … “$4.50 a pound,” he tells her.

“The shop across the street sells it for $3.50 a pound,” she says.

“So, go buy from across the street,” says the butcher.

“He’s all out,” she says.

“Oh,” says the butcher, “when I’m all out of ground chuck, it’s only $l.50 a pound.”

CONGRATS … To Jeff Metzger on his birthday.

Danny’s email address is dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

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

The Shocking Loss of Rabin

T

wenty-five years ago, on Nov. 4, 1995, Jews in Detroit experienced a huge shock. The prime minister of Israel, Yitzhak Rabin, had been assassinated. The death of Rabin at the hands of a deranged Israeli university student reverberated around the world.

Locally, the Jewish community had not witnessed such an outpouring of grief since the beloved Rabbi Morris Adler was gunned down on the bimah of Shaarey Zedek Mike Smith during Shabbat services by Alene and Graham Landau a mentally ill young man Archivist Chair in 1966, or perhaps, three years earlier, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Rabin’s death was felt personally by many Detroit Jews. He had longstanding relationships with local community leaders and, over the years, thousands of local Jews had traveled to Israel where they were warmly welcomed by Rabin. Regardless of whether one agreed with his policies or not, Rabin was the prime minister of Israel. He was a sabra, a soldier and a war hero, who became a statesman and, in 1995, was a victim of extremely divisive politics in Israel.

One only needs to visit the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History and read the Nov. 10, 1995, issue of the JN to see the impact of Rabin’s death on the local Jewish community. It has 25 pages of stories from local, national and international reporters about the effects of the assassination. Only one other person received the same amount of ink in an issue of the JN: the legendary Detroiter Max Fisher on March 3, 2005, upon his passing.

The JN’s coverage of Rabin’s assassination is breathtaking. It began with reactions from local Jews: Where were they when they heard the news? Larry Wolfe had just come home and decided to check on the

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Michigan-Michigan State football game ame on TV. Anna Friedman was on her way to a wedding when she heard a report on the radio, and Wayne Statee University student Julie Galazan had d just settled in to watch a movie.

Other stories covered the reactions of Americans and Detroiters, as well as the feelings and sense of loss among Israelis themselves. Theree were numerous quotes from prominent Americans. Jennifer Finer wrote an article, “Hillel Students Discuss Their Emotions, Loss.” A story report-ed that former Ambassador to Norwayy and Detroit Jewish leader David Hermelin visited Israel shortly after the he event and found the entire nation walkking around in a dream-like state.

The issue also has images that show w the interactions between Rabin and local ocal Jews. Jane Sherman and Larry Jackier appear in a photograph breaking bread d with Rabin in Israel. In another photo, o, JN staff writer Ruth Littmann, who had ad reported on the Miracle Mission II in Israel, is shown with Rabin.

Twenty-five years after Yitzhak Rabin’s assassination, the Nov. 10, 1995, issue of the JN remains an outstanding, in-depth package of local, national and international reporting about a historicc — and horrifhorrif ic — event. It is a compelling lling read that still stands as a fitting memorial to one of Israel’s great leaders, and as a testimony to the tragic results when divisive politics foster extreme me acts of violence.

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

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