THE DETROIT
JEWISH NEWS 200 March 24-30, 2022 / 21-27 Adar II 5782
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thejewishnews.com
Return to the Promised Land
Federation’s 2023 Motor City Mission marks Detroit’s first community-wide journey to Israel since 2008.
See page 12
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contents March 24-30, 2022 / 21-27 Adar II 5782 | VOLUME CLXVII, ISSUE 6
PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11
Essays and viewpoints.
SPORTS 36
OUR COMMUNITY 12
Return to the Promised Land
Federation’s 2023 Motor City Mission marks the first community-wide mission since 2008.
Surprise Party
Berkley wrestler Lev Mechnikov ends his resurgent senior season in the state tournament at Ford Field.
NEXT DOR 37
Superbad 15-Year Anniversary Screening
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An Interfaith Celebration of Peace and Hope on March 27
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The Dean of Super Bowls
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Spice! Candles! Action!
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SHARE Ukraine
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Step-By-Step Cooking Class with a Personal Chef
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SHARE Detroit launches a way to support people of Ukraine.
Clients can choose the delivery option as well.
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FJA Returns to Live Musical Theater
Partners Detroit Jewish Young Professionals hosts DIY Havdalah event.
NEXTGen Detroit hosts delicious virtual cooking class with local chef
MAZEL TOV 40
SPIRIT 42
Torah Portion
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Spiritual Eating
Crusader on Campus
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Synagogue Directory
Michigan State University senior receives Diversity Torch for efforts to combat antisemitism.
ARTS & LIFE 47
It’s Oscars Time!
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Innovative Opera
Escape from Kyiv
Chief Rabbi of Ukraine organizes escape routes for thousands of Jews.
Go Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes
SOAR Lifelong Learning Institute to hold a conversation with producer Ira Rosen April 5.
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Back in Action
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Detroit Jews for Justice renews its activism.
Changes to the Teen Leadership Program
Camper Program delegation will now start their time with the leadership program before attending camp.
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Moments
Alice in Wonderland will be staged at The Berman March 30-31.
ERETZ 34
NEXTGen Detroit hosts a movie party at The Maple.
Catching up with legendary sportswriter Jerry Green.
Yad Ezra Bringing Clients Back for In-Person Shopping
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The most complete guide to Jewish Oscar nominees, 2022 edition.
Detroit Opera to present La bohème in reverse.
Celebrity News
EVENTS ETC.
Community Calendar
Exchange Spotlight Obits Looking Back
54 56 57 62
30 Shabbat Lights
Shabbat begins: Friday, March 25, 7:32 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, March 26, 8:35 p.m. * Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.
ON THE COVER: Cover photo/credit: Photo courtesy of Federation. Cover design: Michelle Sheridan
thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews MARCH 24 • 2022
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for openers
Goodbye, and Hello Again
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ast month in the JN I shared similarities between myself and quarterback Tom Brady, one of which was we both knew when it was the right time to retire from football. Tom called it quits after an illusAlan trious 22-year Muskovitz NFL career that Contributing Writer included seven Super Bowl wins, while I hung up my athletic cup after only a few weeks of getting my tuchus kicked unmercifully as a member of Southfield’s Mary Thompson Jr. High School Titans seventh grade heavyweight squad. Well, as you no doubt know by now, after only 40 days into retirement, Tom Brady had a change of heart and decided to un-retire and return as the starting QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At the time of his retirement Brady said: “It is now time to focus my time and energy on other things that require my attention.” Well, he must have attention deficit because after 40 days he benched his wife and three young kids for a return to the gridiron. I guess if waking up every day in a waterfront mansion in Florida with a super model by your side can’t keep your attention,
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MARCH 24 • 2022
Cher
NIH IMAGE GALLERY
GEORGES BIARD VIA WIKIMEDIA
RAPH_PH VIA WIKIMEDIA
PURELY COMMENTARY
Elton John
Barbra Streisand
Performers who have had more than one “farewell tour.”
nothing will. Except football. Of his flip-flop, Brady said he had “unfinished business” to attend to. If a seven-time Super Bowl champion has unfinished business, what does that leave the Detroit Lions left to accomplish? Future headline: Entire Lions team and ownership retire after winning a first-round playoff game. Ford family says: “There’s no way we can ever top this.” It’s obvious Brady had a rude reckoning with reality. Despite his 2021 salary, with bonuses, bringing it to around $40 million, he still has three young kids to put through college. And have you seen gas prices lately? Plus, Tom will be 45-years old when he suits up for his 23rd season this fall. That means he still has 20 years left before he can go on Medicare and over 20 years before he can start collecting Social Security unless he takes it early. Talk about a financial wake-up call. Meanwhile, news of Tom Brady’s un-retirement brings up a subject that has long been a source of annoyance for me, mostly generated from the entertainment industry, specifically singers who go on “Farewell Tours”... more than once. Cher reportedly had one of the highest-grossing farewell tours ending in 2005 pulling
in upwards of $250 million, which (stand by for a run on sentence) sustained her until she un-retired in 2008 to perform in residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, which earned her another $60 million, which she scraped by on until she un-retired and hit the road on her Dressed to Kill Tour in 2014, pulling in close to $55 million, which she managed to eke by on until she un-retired in 2017 to do another residency in Las Vegas. I got you, babe? No, she got us, in the pocketbook. I’m sorry, but if you’re a singer who lured folks into forking well over a quarter billion dollars in tickets for a last chance to come say goodbye to you, then those tickets, and all the other faux farewell tour tickets, should be refunded. And if you have the chutzpah to un-retire yet again, then those tickets should be free to those fans who came to say goodbye to you before. Or at the very least pay for their parking. Who could forget when Barbra Streisand retired in 2000? Apparently, Barbra. She went on to un-retire several more times over the last two decades. And she laments why “you don’t bring me flowers anymore?” Why? We can’t afford it. I paid $350 a ticket to see Babs at the Palace of Auburn Hills in
1994. OK, it was worth it. Elton John first retired in 1977 but several other farewell tours would follow over the decades. Then just this past Feb. 8 and 9, John bid adieu again for the “last” time at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. But wouldn’t you know it, it’s road construction season and apparently even the yellow brick road is in need of repair. Not to worry, Elton will defray those costs by returning to say goodbye again, again, at Comerica Park on July 18. I conclude by telling you about one farewell tour in the entertainment business that actually did stick. Hard to believe, but this Saturday, March 26, marks the 12th anniversary of Dick Purtan’s retirement from radio. I was honored to be a part of Purtan’s People for 20 years and that final broadcast. Could Dick and Purtan’s People be coaxed out of retirement? Highly unlikely — unless we could find a cassette or CD player to play our old comedy bits on ... and who has one of those anymore? 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@thejewishnews.com.
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PURELY COMMENTARY column
Poland Equals Solidarity
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ome 1.5 million refugees — more than five times the population of Haifa — have reached Poland over the last two weeks via its border with wartorn Ukraine. Ukrainians, Israelis, Indians, Americans, Agata Nigerians and Czaplinska JNS nationals of more than 160 other countries have crossed the border to Poland and been told, “You’re safe now.” Since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, approximately 100,000 people have entered Poland daily, escaping bombs, ruined houses, wrecked hospitals, fear, famine and freezing cold. One and a half million human
tragedies, fleeing the horrors of war. Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine has triggered a humanitarian crisis unseen in Europe since World War II. More than 2.5 million people had fled Ukraine as of March 11. The forecasts say the number of refugees could quickly reach 5 million, and even higher numbers are not unlikely. Some will continue on to other destinations, mostly in Europe. More than half have remained in Poland so far, and in all likelihood will stay for a long time. A quick and adequate response to humanitarian disaster on this scale requires efficient coordination and logistics, long-term vision and a systemic approach to providing assistance.
From the very first day of this unparalleled crisis, Poland has been demonstrating great solidarity and providing immense humanitarian assistance to its neighbor. The Polish government, which had been preparing for various scenarios, set up temporary reception centers and assigned an agency to coordinate the delivery of the aid flowing into Poland, some from international donors, to Ukrainian territory. Every day, 100 trucks full of aid have entered Ukraine from Poland. Nearly 8,000 tons of humanitarian assistance have been delivered to Ukraine thus far. The flood of aid had to be streamlined through a dedicated hub close to the border to reduce the number of parties in contact with already-
strained Ukrainian authorities. The aid Israel is sending to Ukraine through Poland, too, has also been delivered in close coordination with official Polish entities. Countless grassroots goodwill initiatives have sprung up across Poland. The Poles have opened their homes to host people they do not know. The railway has offered refugees free travel. Telecom companies have offered them free phone calls and internet service. Newspapers and internet portals have started publishing news and guidance in Ukrainian. Dedicated radio stations have been launched by broadcasters near the border to spread up-to-date practical advice in Ukrainian. Hoteliers, small and large entrepreneurs from the tourist continued on page 11
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PURELY COMMENTARY opinion
A
A giant Ukrainian flag flies from a hotel directly across the street from the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., March 10, 2022.
JTA
fter decades of fearing that we would forget the horrors of our recent past, I am starting to fear the opposite possibility: that we Jews remember our history all too well but feel powerless to act on its lessons. The Russian Yehuda invasion of Kurtzer Ukraine invites analogies to our traumatic past. History begs us to learn from what came before. These analogies to the past are never perfect. Seeing analogies between past and present does not mean we think that anything that happened in the past would be identical to anything happening in the present. For comparisons to be useful, however, they need not be exact. It is enough for us as Jews to see familiarity in the past and resemblance in the present. We do this to activate our sense of responsibility, to ask if we have seen this plot point before, to figure out how we are supposed to act in the story to change the inevitability of the outcome. We become different people when we remember, as the past merges with the present and points to the choices we might make. But now: What if we remember well, but cannot act upon it? Will Jewish memory become a prison of our powerlessness? I grew up believing that appeasement was just one rung above fascist tyranny itself, and at times possibly worse: Appeasers replace responsibility with naivete and facilitate
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demonic evil even when they know better. The narrative of the West juxtaposes Churchill the hero with Chamberlain the villain; the philosopher Avishai Margalit uses Chamberlain as the archetype of the “rotten compromise,” for making concessions that make people skeptical of the morality of compromise altogether. I know that the sanctions regime imposed against Putin’s Russia and his oligarchs are the most severe in history, and still I wonder: What is the threshold of appeasement, and will we know if we have crossed it? We still debate FDR’s decision not to bomb the train tracks leading to Auschwitz. It was a viable option, and we know this because Jewish leaders pleaded with American officials to consider it, and they decided against it. None of us has any idea whether such a bombing operation would have succeeded, much less whether it would have made a dent in the Final Solution. But our memory of the story makes us wonder whether it might have, and it makes us furiously study the current invasion, seeking opportunities for a
VICTORIA PICKERING/FLICKR COMMONS
Ukraine, Russia and the Unbearable Lightness of ‘Never Again’
similar intervention. At the same time, we fear that we will only know what actions we should have taken a long time from now, and that our children will study such actions with the same helplessness that plagues us when we read about FDR’s decisions. My great-grandparents came to America well before World War II. But I have read about and feel chastened by America’s turning away Jewish refugees during the war. I am in shock watching the largest and fastest-developing refugee crisis unfolding before us and seeing our country failing to participate in a proportionate way — given our size and economic power — to the absorption and resettlement efforts. Why do we have a museum celebrating American intervention in wartime, as we do in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and why do we have such a profound educational apparatus focused on helping Americans understand how to not be a bystander, if not for moments like this? It is not hard to imagine the museum that will one day mark
this unfolding atrocity. Our insistence on memory — and the belief that it will change things — never quite works. This is because the invocation of memory can be banal, and because it can pull us apart. “Never again” is everywhere now — Meir Kahane’s appeal to Jewish self-defense became a rallying cry to prevent genocide, a banner to fight immigrant detention, a slogan for schools and gun control. And whatever we wanted the legacy of the Shoah to be, we have in no case been successful. American presidents mouthed these words seriously even as they failed to intervene, or intervened too late, to stop genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Darfur, Syria and elsewhere. If the fear was forgetting, it was unfounded. But remembering and acting on the memory is something else entirely. The legacy of our past indicts us when we can’t carry the former into the latter. I never expected — even watching the politics of memory pull apart the legacy of remembering for opposing political ends — that we would shift from a fear of forgetting to the fear that comes with remembering. The past glares at us now, it revisits us every day in the news cycle, and I am scared. It is not because we have forgotten it, but precisely because we remember it, and we do not know how to heed it. Yehuda Kurtzer is the president of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and host of the Identity/Crisis podcast.
Please register and donate online at jslmi.org/phsf-fundraiser A link to the concert will be sent upon registration Free to all Holocaust survivors
PURELY COMMENTARY opinion
Biden Prepares to Sign a Terrible Deal with a Terror Regime
I
’ve long felt that Joe Biden passed the “kishkes” test when it came to his support for Israel. Since meeting Golda Meir as a junior senator in 1973, the man has met every Israeli prime minister. David Suissa Like many othThe Jewish ers in our comJournal munity, I took for granted that he’d always have Israel’s back, in a world obsessed with maligning the world’s only Jewish state. I wish I still felt that way. Whether Biden realizes
it or not, the terrible deal he’s about to make with the terror regime in Iran endangers Israel and the rest of the region. It’s widely accepted by now that in his zeal to get Iran to sign a nuclear deal — any nuclear deal, apparently — Biden has squandered America’s enormous leverage and caved to virtually every Iranian demand. AN EVEN WORSE DEAL? I’ve read countless analyses from experts across the political spectrum, and they’re pretty consistent
with this conclusion from a former intelligence officer specializing on Iranian terrorism, Michael Pregent, writing in Newsweek: “If the Biden administration jumps back into the Iran nuclear deal without addressing undeclared sites, sunset clauses, ballistic missiles, regional behavior, terrorism and human rights, then it will have entered a worse deal than even the one in 2015.” Anti-Defamation League head Jonathan Greenblatt, who can hardly be called an extremist, also cautioned
that Biden’s deal is “far from adequate to confront the full range of threats generated by this regime.” What kind of regime? Greenblatt spells it out: “The largest state sponsor of antisemitism on the planet, constantly churning out genocidal memes and disseminating hostile propaganda against Jews,” one whose “stated desire to annihilate the Jewish state must be taken seriously.” Beyond this genocidal threat to Israel, Greenblatt adds the broader “danger that Iran poses to the region
student’s corner
Setting Goals for Effective Change
I
recently read an article on Aish.com about specific behaviors that make New Year’s resolutions effective. It said that we should set concrete goals rather than general, Andy Tukel overly ambitious goals. We should expect challenges along the way, and we should realize that the motivation we may feel today might not be as strong tomorrow. As I read this, I felt like I was finally able to describe an element of my high school experience. As the academic year’s end approaches, I look back and remember how anx-
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ious I sometimes used to feel while thinking about academics, athletics, extracurriculars and social life, in addition to the many other elements of being a high schooler. When I felt overwhelmed in high school, it was almost always when I unknowingly was acting opposite this article’s recommendations. I had goals that were so broad and ambitious that achieving them was almost guaranteed to not happen and, as a result, knowing how and where to take action was nearly impossible as well. But, campaigning to be a part of student government, for example, seemed interesting to me, and so I did that. Both of my brothers ran
on the cross-country team, so I also ran throughout high school. My relationship with JARC began in seventh grade, so I always managed to find time to volunteer every month. While none of these specific examples are anything particularly special on their own, the important point is that when I had reasonable goals with clear courses of action, the feelings of being overwhelmed lessened greatly, and I was able to accomplish more than I thought I could. I believe that whether intentional or not, this article made an important point about making effective change. Whether it’s in your own life, your local community or even
globally, if you want to fix everything all at once with no clear path to do so, it’s a recipe for failure and burnout. To make any sustainable change, you need to create a plan and take actions at an appropriate pace. During the past four years, my responsibilities did not increase linearly, and if they did, it would not have been fair to myself. While it may sound cliche, I think that high school allowed me to experience this lesson firsthand, and reading this article allowed me to better articulate the idea that I was feeling. This idea is very similar to the Talmudic phrase, “Tafasta Merube, Lo Tafasta,” which directly translates to, “If you
and the world through its support of proxy militias and employment of terror as statecraft,” with “activities [that] span nearly every continent [as] they have left death and debris in their wake in countries such as Argentina, Lebanon, Turkey, Bulgaria and even in the U.S.” Biden’s own Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie has called Iran’s 3,000 ballistic missiles “the greatest threat to the region’s security.” Nothing in the deal addresses that threat. PERPLEXING POLICY It’s perplexing why Biden would think that freeing up billions in sanctions relief to such a terror regime in return for dubious promises from a cheating and deceitful country would be such a good idea.
I’ve heard several explanations: He views the deal as upholding his and former President Barack Obama’s legacy; he wants to undo anything that former President Donald Trump did; he’s desperate for any kind of “win” after the disastrous exit from Afghanistan; he needs to lower gas prices to boost his approval numbers, and removing the sanctions against oil-wealthy Iran will help do that; he’s just following the advice of his overeager negotiators in Vienna (which would mean, of course, ignoring the three members of his Iran team who quit last month because Biden was being too soft.) The truth, however, is that it doesn’t really matter why Biden has caved to Iran. What matters is that he seems determined to push a deal through no matter what,
and the Jewish world must not remain silent. Should we be grateful that the Russians, reeling from global sanctions, have introduced last-minute demands that may scuttle the deal? Not necessarily. Just like we saw with his former boss, Obama, when the most powerful man in the world decides he wants a deal — and that intention has been conveyed loud and clear to the wily Mullahs in Tehran — he gets his way, regardless of the obstacles, and regardless of how lousy the final deal is. From what I hear from sources, the real stumbling block is the Iranian insistence (not unreasonable, I may add) that a future administration won’t just cancel the deal, as the Trump administration did. Because it’s so hard to offer such
guarantees, if anything kills the deal, that will be it. But because Iran desperately needs the sanctions lifted, some kind of compromise is likely. The perverted irony is that the most hated country on the planet right now, Russia, may be asked to play a role to overcome that final hurdle. TIME FOR OUTRAGE As the final hour approaches, the Jewish world must not wait until the deal is sealed to express its outrage. President Biden has every right to sign a deal that may well endanger Israel and the region, and we have every right to let him know that we feel betrayed by a friend. David Suissa is editor-in-chief and publisher of Tribe Media Corp, and “Jewish Journal.” He can be reached at davids@jewishjournal.com. This article was first published by the Jewish Journal.
POLAND EQUALS SOLIDARITY continued from page 6
have seized a lot, you have not seized.” This phrase is often interpreted to mean trying to do too much or having an overly ambitious goal often result in failure. Every person has their own challenges. It’s likely that at least some of them can’t be solved easily or quickly. Although this is frustrating, the advice laid out in this article makes dealing with this reality slightly less troubling. Reflecting back, I’m not actually sure that this article had any deeper meaning or was meant to be interpreted this intensely. But, in my opinion, the deeper lesson offered here is wasted if only used when considering how to improve one’s New Year’s resolutions. Andy Tukel is a senior and all-school President at Frankel Jewish Academy.
industry, as well as municipalities, NGOs and local volunteer-based civil society are providing shelter and feeding those in need. According to a recent poll, some 75% of Poles have already engaged in some form of aid to refugees from Ukraine. To encourage such endeavors, the Polish government is introducing stipends for people who host refugees. Measures undertaken and coordinated by the government and grassroots efforts combined with the actions of the Ukrainian diaspora already present in Poland have so far averted a need for refugee camps. Obviously, in such a crisis, a society’s generosity and massive mobilization can only be complementary to long-term solutions at the state level. That
is why Polish authorities have just adopted special legislation giving Ukrainian refugees the right to work and access social services and benefits, under the same conditions as citizens of Poland. Children who recently fled from Ukraine are already attending school in Poland. Universities are admitting students unable to continue their studies at home. Healthcare coverage and family benefits have been extended to Ukrainian refugees, as well. Poland is struggling to see that nobody fleeing Ukraine is left behind, and encourages international partners to match our efforts. You might ask, what has made Poland the champion of the Ukrainian refugees’ cause? The answer is that the memory of the atrocities of World War II and the suffering of the
civilian population is still alive in Poland. Eighty years after the war, we know what it means to lose everybody and everything in a single day. We know what it means to have to flee your home and wander the world for years, searching for refuge. We also remember the asylum and assistance extended to the Polish people in the early 1980s when the harsh measures of martial law were introduced by the then-Communist authorities of Poland, with the blessing of Soviet Moscow, to suppress the massive “Solidarity” movement that dared to oppose the communist regime. Solidarity is the brand of Poland. Agata Czaplińska is acting ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Israel. This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.
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ON THE COVER
RETURN TO THE
Promised Land Federation’s 2023 Motor City Mission marks the first community-wide mission since 2008. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
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rom March 12-21, 2023, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit is sponsoring its first community-wide, adults-only mission to Israel since 2008: Motor City Mission. The team planning the trip is led by Federation chairs Diane and William Goldstein, and Lisa and Richard Broder, along with Federation’s Israel and Overseas Department. Federation is also working closely with congregations throughout the city that will be participating in the mission. Collectively, the team has led hundreds of journeys to Israel. Federation CEO Steve Ingber said this trip will be special because of the strong community experience the group will have with so
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many Jewish Detroiters traveling together at one time. “A community-wide mission is something we’ve all been dreaming about for the past several years, and I’m incredibly excited to see it becoming a reality,” Ingber said. “Not only will the participants develop closer bonds to the people of Israel, they’ll also develop new and more meaningful relationships with their fellow Detroiters.” Ingber’s first trip to Israel was the inaugural Teen Mission in the summer of 1996. Another memorable mission for Ingber was the last trip he was on just before COVID, with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “That trip showed how far we have come in strengthening the bonds between Israel and
to do and other days where you went with the group. It’s a good way to get to know people from your community that you didn’t know so well.” The Broders say a trip such as this can be critical in promoting people’s understanding of Israel first-hand and from what they can actually see, not just what they read. “There’s never a bad time to go to Israel,” Richard Broder said. “As a community mission, we’re going to expose people to what we think are the parts and pieces that they want to see, which would be food, culture, religion, politics, archaeology, history — any of the above. Whatever your particular interests are, you’re going to get some of that when you go there.”
COURTESY OF FEDERATION
the general community here in Michigan,” he said. Because the mission doesn’t leave until March 2023, Ingber says Federation is hopeful there will be no issues with travel. Regardless, until Sept. 1, 2022, complete refunds will be offered should anyone need to cancel. “Returning to Israel after such a long hiatus due to the pandemic will be very meaningful for many people and for Detroit as a community with deep bonds with our family in Israel,” Ingber said. “Visiting Israel is a life-changing experience for everyone who goes, and I know this very unique mission will have a profound impact on every participant as well as our community as a whole.” Richard and Lisa Broder, co-chairs of Motor City Mission, said it’s as good of a time as ever to visit the Jewish state. “Enough time has passed, but also it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the birth of the State of Israel, so that’s a good reason to go as well,” Richard Broder said. The Broders have been to Israel many times, including on several Partnership2Gether trips visiting Jewish Michigan’s “sister region” in the Central Galilee. “It was an unbelievable way to see Israel and experience going on a mission,” Lisa Broder said. “They have something for everybody. We had some days where there were [itinerary] tracks, and you could pick what you wanted
AN ACTION-PACKED ITINERARY Associate Director of Federation’s Israel & Overseas Department Jaime Bean has the role of logistical coordinator for the mission. “I think people are itching to go and we just really want to be that vehicle to get people there,” Bean said. “We’re hoping to get individuals who maybe have never been to Israel before and then also people who maybe haven’t been in many years.” Bean expects the trip to provide all the staples, including spending time in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and in the partnership region. Bean has been to Israel at least a half-dozen times, has staffed a handful of continued on page 14
FACING PAGE (TOP) Old City of Jerusalem with aerial view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Israel. (BOTTOM) Direction and distance signpost at Mount Bental in the Golan Heights. THIS PAGE (TOP) Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv. (MIDDLE) Visitor at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. (BOTTOM) Israeli flag in the old city of Jerusalem. MARCH 24 • 2022
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Birthright trips and lived there for a year. She said Michigan’s Partnership2Gether region is a crown jewel. “You go there, and people will be walking around with Tamarack shirts and Detroit Birthright sweatshirts, and it almost feels as if you’re home, but you’re in Israel,” Bean said. “The relationships we’ve created among the Americans and Israelis in these two communities are astonishing and really meaningful.” Bean said Motor City Mission will be a oneof-a-kind experience, even more so while experiencing it with fellow Metro Detroiters. “People who have been before, I’m hoping we can show them some new parts of Israel that they maybe haven’t seen yet. And first-timers, I’m hoping we can squeeze in everything that
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makes Israel so amazing and meaningful to so many Jews in the diaspora.” EVERYONE IS WELCOME Motor City Mission co-chairs Bill and Diane Goldstein said what sets Motor City Mission apart is that it’s for everyone. “It’s for first-timers. It’s for people that have been there 20 times or more. It’s for the foodie, the cyclist, the art observer and the historian,” Diane Goldstein said. “We’re really going to have some exciting things that resonate with pretty much anyone coming on the trip.” With so many types of people and so many varied interests to serve, the Goldsteins said they believe the different itinerary tracks available will make the trip special. “People who have special memories and want to go back to those places can. People who have
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: View of Mount Tabor and the Jezreel Valley. Nuts and produce at Machne Yehuda Market in Jerusalem. People at the Machne Yehuda Market. Israeli flag with the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
never seen places like Masada or Independence Hall will be able to do those things,” Bill Goldstein said. Both Goldsteins have been on Grosfeld Missions, one of the several Federation mission programs designed to strengthen the Detroit Jewish community and develop connections between young Detroiters and Israel. One of Diane Goldstein’s most memorable trips to Israel was on a Grosfeld Mission. “We started in Poland and flew into Israel. Poland was right out of a movie, gray and rainy, and we landed in Israel to beautiful sunshine and the birds fluttering,” she said. “I just remember being moved to a point of tears when we landed in Israel of just how much we as a people have persevered, how much we’ve supported each other and how strong our communities have been historically. “I remember landing and calling Bill and saying we’re canceling our winter break plans, and we’re coming back to Israel because there’s just no other place to be,” she continued. “All the time and money you spend there comes back twentyfold.” That experience led the Goldsteins to bring their children to Israel on a family mission, meeting and connecting with an Israeli family in the Partnership2Gether region. “We got to know this family fairly well just in an evening of dinner at their home, realizing we were way more similar than we were different, even though we live in such different places and opposite sides of the world,” Bill Goldstein said. “And that’s the plan for this mission as well,” Diane Goldstein added. “There will be an evening spent in a home with an Israeli family, which I
think most people who come back from our Detroit trips rank pretty highly.” NEW THINGS TO SEE New things to see and experiences to be had in Israel that weren’t necessarily there 10-to15 years ago — such as the many startups and advancements in the tech and medical fields — could be among the many stops on the trip. “But even if that’s not in their wheelhouse, I’ve done a fabulous graffiti tour there. There’s a bunch of stuff happening with fashion and food and wine and culture surrounding that,” Diane Goldstein said. The Goldsteins said hundreds of couples and singles showed interest in Motor City Mission months before registration went public, consisting of a wide range of people from all different backgrounds. Every time the Goldsteins have been to Israel, they’ve felt better about the country and about being a Jewish person. Both said they believe that will be a similar experience for Motor City Mission participants — no matter how many times they’ve been to the country. “It’ll wrap up everything,” Diane Goldstein said. “It’ll hit your intellectual curiosity. It’ll hit your heartstrings. It’ll hit your emotional ties, both to the country and the people there. We’ve traveled extensively, and it’s hard to come up with another trip that hits and checks off so many boxes.” Federation President Matt Lester’s Jewish journey began with a Federation young adult mission to Israel in 1999. Lester hopes Motor City Mission can have a similar impact on others. “We know, as American Jews, that Israel is a second
My STORY While in his last year of college, Jon Berman was looking with concern at the balance in his college fund. “I was fortunate to grow up in a family that helped me establish that college fund, because at home, we tended to frown on debt,” Jon said. “As a result, I’m pretty squeamish about that kind of financial obligation. However, I needed to finish undergrad, and I was short. So when a friend mentioned Hebrew Free Loan as a source for interest-free money for college, and then my grandmother also mentioned HFL, I looked into it.” Jon went to the HFL website and learned about the agency’s William Davidson Jewish College Loan Program. “I applied, but I didn’t expect to be helped,” Jon said. “I wasn’t sure if there was a level of ‘Jewish enough’ that I would have to meet in order to get money from a Jewish agency. Also, I was at the end of my undergrad experience, not the beginning, and I didn’t know if that mattered. None of that factored in at all, but still I felt it necessary to package myself to them as a good investment: a person with a good internship, and great post-graduation prospects. HFL just looked at me as a person who had a need, and they worked with me.” Jon, who majored in physics and math, graduated and went on to become a data scientist, a job that allows him to work with the numbers he enjoys. He also repaid his HFL loan as quickly as he could. “HFL helped me, and I was grateful for it,” Jon said. “I also learned that it’s the borrower loan payments that return to HFL and combine into fresh loan capital and then allow new loans to be made. It really opened my eyes that my loan payments could help the next person. It’s a group effort – community for the community.”
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ON THE COVER continued from page 15
home to us. Simply put, it has been way too long since our community has visited home, too long since we have been able to see old friends and make new ones,” Lester said. “We know that missions to Israel create special moments on all our personal Jewish journeys. There is something about Israel that touches your heart and soul every time you visit, and you come away invigorated with a deepened understanding of your Jewish identity.” Lester has been on several Grosfeld Missions himself, participating in Grosfeld 1, leading Grosfeld 3 and serving as an adviser to Grosfeld 10. “The fact the Grosfeld Mission has been incredibly successful for 20 years demonstrates the worthwhile and lasting nature of these
types of important programs,” he said. For adults in the Detroit Jewish community, Lester hopes Motor City Mission and a return after a decade-plus provides, in a word, connectivity. “The world we live in is incredibly complex, and people, more so than ever, are free to choose the degree to which they connect to our Jewish community and the State of Israel,” Lester said. “A decade from now, I hope we can point to this mission as an important event in connecting a generation of Detroit Jews to Israel, to the Israelis they will meet and to one another.” Trip costs are $4,999 per person/double room and $6,259 per person/single room. These amounts are for land costs only, which include luxury hotel accommodations in Israel, most meals, festive dinners, mega events and transportation in
TOP: Participants in the Michigan Miracle Mission 4 attended a Kabbalat Shabbat ceremony in Jerusalem, April 3, 2004.
air-conditioned motor coaches with leading Israeli tour guides and educators. These prices do not include airfare. Federation is providing a subsidy to a limited number of participants from the Jewish community. Subsidized costs are as follows: $3,999 per person/ double room and $5,259 per person/single room.
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The children’s procession at the World Sabbath from a few years ago.
An Interfaith
Celebration of Peace and Hope on March 27 16
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orld Sabbath 2022, a worship celebration on behalf of a just and peaceful community, will be presented at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 27, over Zoom. A free program of the InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit, World Sabbath’s mission is to teach the region’s diverse residents that everyone, regardless of their faith tradition, shares the calling to build a community of justice, equity, respect and peace. “World Sabbath 2022 will offer an experience that radiates peace and hope to inspire all people,” said Rick Joseph, World Sabbath chairperson. “World Sabbath celebrates and emphasizes the roles that children and young people have in our religious traditions. We are committed to uplifting the transformational power that is inherent in the religious experience and manifest it through robust, joyful worship.” Since its start in 2000, World Sabbath has traditionally been held
Subsidies are intended for those in need who would be unable to take part in this mission without them. If you do not require the subsidy, you can let Federation know in the registration process. To register and/or learn more about Motor City Mission, visit motorcitymission.org.
in a local house of worship. This year it will be a virtual celebration presented via Zoom and hosted by the Baha’i Community of Metro Detroit. Prayers, music and dance of the Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Islam, Jewish and Sikh traditions will be featured. Interfaith leader Gail Katz will be honored with this year’s World Sabbath Peacemaker Award. The program will include an interactive interfaith panel featuring Azar Alizadeh and Paula Gail Katz Drewek (Baha’i), Gail Katz (Judaism), Raman Singh (Sikh), Imam Arif Huskic (Islam), Narayanaswamy Sankagiri (Hindu), and Rev. Dr. Charles Packer, Rev. John McKenzie and Dr. Jacqueline Nelson (Christianity), moderated by Joseph. Register online for World Sabbath 2022 at bit.ly/Sabbath2022 or visit detroitinterfaithcouncil. com.
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OUR COMMUNITY
The Dean of
SUPER BOWLS Catching up with legendary sportswriter Jerry Green.
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egendary Detroit News columnist Jerry Green, 93, returned from 23rd NFL season. Despite having already won 7 Super Bowls, Brady Los Angeles last month having covered his 56th consecutive claimed he still had “unfinished business.” Super Bowl in person, the only daily sportswriter in history to If Green does decide to sit out next year’s championship game, his attend every championship game. Super Bowl coverage streak of 56 consecutive games will have ended Actually, it’s a title Green has owned since his good friend, now where it all began — Los Angeles, the site of the first Super Bowl in retired Newark Star Ledger writer Jerry Izenberg, 1967. Turns out the number 56 itself, as you’ll read called Green three years ago to further on, influenced Green’s decision to keep his tell him he was ending his Super streak alive. Bowl run at 53 games. “I can’t An old proverb says: “a journey of a thousand go; you carry on,” Izenberg said. miles begins with one step.” Jerry Green has logged Hence, as Green has stated: “By far more than a thousand miles on his way to default, I became the last man attending 56 Super Bowls. However, it turns out, the Alan standing.” introduction to another sport is what initially whet Muskovitz Green described this year’s his appetite and led to his eventual passion for sharContributing Writer Super Bowl atmosphere in LA ing sports with the rest of the world. to me as “too Hollywood.” Not a surprising depiction from a man who definitely PLAY BALL! doesn’t seem to get impressed by all the sparkle, Green was born on April 15, 1928, in Manhattan just the sports. Hollywood would be challenged Island, New York, but spent his formative years to find a screenwriter capable of improving in Long Island. He shared that he identifies with on the story of Jerry’s life, both personally and Judaism more on a heritage level than on its faith. professionally. “But you would still like a good corned-beef sandA fully vaccinated Green experienced a wich?” I asked, to which he replied, “I prefer pasbreakthrough case of COVID last November. trami.” Jerry Green earlier in his career. While recovered, the status of his challenges Green’s parents belonged to a Reform synagogue with pulmonary fibrosis and neuropathy may and Jerry was bar mitzvahed. I suggested that if he play a role in his traveling to Arizona next February to cover Super received the traditional old fashion gift of a fountain pen, he would’ve Bowl LVII. This year’s trip took a little bit of coaxing by the NFL. probably written a sports column with it. For the record he said: “I “The league has been very, very good to me,” Green said. “And the got a baseball mitt.” I should’ve known better. truth is, in 2021, I pretty much decided I was going to stop. I was the Green recalls vividly his awakening to sports. “I remember the last man to have covered them all but the league asked me to go.” day before my 8th birthday, my father told me, ‘the baseball season Being honored to be, as Green described it, “Summoned by the is opening today.’” It was a classic match-up between the New York league,” gave him added incentive to make the pilgrimage to last year’s Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers. Super Bowl in Tampa, that and he wanted to have another chance to “I was immediately interested,” said Green. “My father told me I witness and chronicle the amazing career of quarterback Tom Brady. could listen to the game on a radio station after school.” Brady and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers went on to easily defeat the It would turn out to be an early birthday gift of sorts that would Kansas City Chiefs. impact his son’s life, and life’s work, for the next 85 years. “That one Brady made headlines March 13 announcing he was ending his game got you hooked on sports?” I asked, to which Green emphatishort-lived two-month retirement to return to the Buccaneers for his cally replied: “Yes, very much.”
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Jerry Green was recognized as Honorary Captain of the Michigan Wolverines football team during the Northern Illinois game last Sept. 18, and appeared at midfield for the ceremonial coin flip. Green (center) seen here in the stadium box of U-M Athletic Director Warde Manuel with daughter Jenny Klein, granddaughter’s fiancé Nick Yormick, son-in-law David Klein, and granddaughter Gretchen Klein.
“HE’S DONE THINGS AND BEEN A PART OF THINGS, TALKED TO PEOPLE THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD HAS HAD CONTACT WITH.” — DAUGHTER JENNY KLEIN
A month later, Green’s uncle took Jerry to the Polo Grounds to see the Giants versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. “That was my first baseball game. I was awed,” said Green. Later that year, his father treated him to a Yankees-Washington Senators doubleheader at the mecca of baseball — Yankee Stadium. It had a profound impact on his baseball allegiance. “I was immediately transformed to a Yankees fan. I deeply loved Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio, who was a rookie that year.” Jerry Green did have childhood dreams of being a professional athlete but a reality check steered him in a different direction. “I loved newspapers and I found out rather young in life, I could not hit the curveball and I didn’t become very large. So I wasn’t going to be a professional athlete. So I did the next best thing, I became a sportswriter. And that took awhile, but it happened.” LOVE OF COUNTRY It happened, but not before Jerry first served his country. He was scheduled to have his pre-induction physical on May 15, 1946, while still a senior in high school. Said Green: “They called my home and said don’t bother to come in.” And then the Korean War began in 1950. “So I registered again and I was deferred to finish my education.” Finishing his education would include obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University, a Master of Science in Journalism from Boston University, followed by entry into officer candidate school at the U.S. naval station in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1953. He was commissioned an officer on Jan. 5, 1953. “I am very proud of my Navy background,” he said. “I am a two generation Navy family. My father served in WWI aboard the USS San Diego.” Jerry would serve for three years with two tours of duty during the Korean War, evenly split — one aboard the USS Northampton and his second tour as a press officer at on-shore positions in Japan and Taiwan. Green is a very proud American and a true patriot. “If I was going to serve, which I had to do, and I did willingly, I wanted to be a naval officer a step ahead of my father’s advancement, which I believe is what happens in the United States,” inferring that America provides the opportunity for continued on page 20 MARCH 24 • 2022
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Jerry Green elated to be in the press box on Feb. 13 covering his 56th consecutive Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
“I LOVED NEWSPAPERS AND I FOUND OUT RATHER YOUNG IN LIFE, I COULD NOT HIT THE CURVEBALL AND I DIDN’T BECOME VERY LARGE. SO I WASN’T GOING TO BE A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE. SO I DID THE NEXT BEST THING, I BECAME A SPORTSWRITER.”
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future generations to improve on their lot in life. Green served on active duty as a lieutenant junior grade and was later promoted to lieutenant. Upon reflecting on his service to his country he said: “I got more out of the Navy then the Navy got out of me.” TOUR OF DUTY ENDS, CAREER BEGINS Upon returning from Japan in 1956 at the end of his three-year stint in the Navy, Green wasted no time in beginning his pursuit of a career in journalism. “I tried to get a job in New York and was very unsuccessful,” he said, “I got a menial job with the Long Island Star Journal. I kept looking for a job. I was very frustrated and angry on one of my day’s off and walked into the offices of the Associated Press [AP] and asked for the general sports editor.” He walked out with a new job offer as an AP correspondent in Ann Arbor, which he enthusiastically accepted in September 1956. Upon his move to Ann Arbor, Green became friends with members of the ’56 University of Michigan football team. Among several books he has authored is his penning of University of Michigan Football Vault: The Story of the Wolverines, a detailed account of the 135 years of Michigan football. Updated just over three years ago, the book features a vast collection of photographs, artwork and memorabilia preserved in the university’s campus archives. Green can take some solace in knowing that during his tenure at the AP, he was able to witness something he never saw in 56 Super Bowl
assignments — the Detroit Lions winning a championship in 1957. In 1963 Jerry accepted an offer to become a sportswriter for the Detroit News. It’s only fitting the first game he covered was the MichiganNavy college football game. In 1965 he became the paper’s beat reporter for the Detroit Lions. The Detroit News would be his one and only journalistic home for the next 41 years. Green would go on to cover all of Detroit’s major sports teams over his four-decade career, but in 1972 he said, “I changed my entire ambition. I wanted to become a sports columnist.” This gave Green the opportunity to move beyond the day-to-day coverage of a single event and instead interject more of his personality and perspective of the sports he covered. FAMILY FIRST Despite all his travels, odd working hours and a life of perpetual deadlines, Jerry Green’s daughter Jenny, who lives in Troy, told me that when it comes to her father, “he was always proud of family … family always came first.” A funny aside though, is that Jenny admitted to me that both she and her mother, Nancy, of blessed memory, were never sports fans, not in the least. With that admission, I felt like I had just gotten a big sports scoop of my own. Nancy though “was a faithful reader of all his stories,” Jenny said, and would “help him turn in his columns” to the paper. And though Jenny, a self-described “girlie girl” growing up, took great pride every time someone made the connection between her last name and her father’s occupation, “When I told my father that people would say, ‘‘oh, you’re Jerry Green’s daughter,’ he would always reply ‘no, I’m Jenny Green’s father.’” Jenny told me that her parents got engaged after only two weeks of dating and were married four months after that. Nancy, Detroit born and raised, passed away from breast cancer in 2002 at age 68. “And how long were you married?” I asked Jerry, to which he replied in a most moving and memorable way: “40 years, 6 months and 2 days.” To me, his response came from the reporter within him, providing the exact details to make sure the full impact of his loss was felt. MEMORIES OVER MEMORABILIA Despite his legendary station in the world of journalism, Jenny describes her father as someone who is inherently shy and humble. In a recent Newsweek article, it was written of Green: “For all his pride in his Super Bowl
streak, Green is not awash in memorabilia ... He lives in a one-bedroom apartment in an independent living facility in Grosse Pointe.” There is a photo of Jerry with Joe Namath from Super Bowl III and a photo with legendary Detroit boxing great Joe Louis. “Other than that,” Newsweek reported, “there’s no clutter of artifacts from a career in which he covered championships by all four Detroit teams.” What might be lacking in physical evidence to observe of his incomparable career, there are the never-ending stories Green still shares that Jenny agrees is proof of him having a photographic memory. “I told him recently I wish it was on paper,” of the endless list of milestones that have yet to be shared in an autobiography. “He’s done things and been a part of things, talked to people that no one else in the world has had contact with. He’s interviewed Muhammad Ali, went to I don’t know how many Olympics. He’s covered the Indy 500, the Masters. He wrote the way he wanted to write, and he’s been awarded for it.” Green was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2005, he was the recipient of the Dick McCann Memorial Award by the Professional Football Writers of America, commonly referred to as the “Writer’s Wing” of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Eleven times he’s been voted Michigan’s Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. A VERY SUPER SUNDAY Though Green officially retired from the Detroit News in 2004, he continues to have an open invitation to submit columns when he has something on his mind he
would like to share. His coverage of this year’s Super Bowl in Los Angeles included six columns, including a rare one-on-one phone interview with Matthew Stafford while in LA prior to the game. Green recalls fondly the reception he received in the press box at Super Bowl 55 in Tampa last year when his unmatched streak of covering games was announced to the media in attendance. Jerry told me he was given a rousing round of applause adding: “I didn’t detect a boo,” he said with a laugh. The NFL was again very accommodating to Green during this year’s Super Bowl Week. He was able to forgo traveling to a convention center to register and receive his media credentials. Instead, the league delivered them personally to his hotel room. A special seat was provided to Jerry to limit the number of steps he would have to maneuver in the press box, and an NFL public relations representative was assigned to him to bring refreshments, among other amenities he needed. As mentioned earlier, there’s an additional backstory that Green acknowledges was added motivation to make it to his 56th consecutive Super Bowl last month. And it just might provide the motivation to end his streak now. The number 56 — the number that could forever connect Jerry Green to his boyhood hero, New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio, the ballplayer who to this day holds the record for having at least one hit in ... 56 straight games. My conversations thus far with Jerry Green have been limited to phone conversations. I’m hoping he’ll accept a lunch invitation from me in the very near future. The pastrami sandwich is on me. I only ask that he serve up another round of great sports stories.
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SHARE Ukraine
SHARE Detroit launches a way to support people of Ukraine. RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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HARE Detroit has launched a donation portal dedicated to helping people of Ukraine, SHARE Ukraine, a one-stop-shop where those who wish to support Ukrainian citizens can find trusted ways to help. Sam Rozenberg, the co-founder of the Metro Detroit nonprofit platform, was born in Ukraine. He says he’s made it his mission to use his platform to help provide humanitarian assistance and a space for those who want to help or donate. “It’s difficult to find a good charity to donate to, especially if you’re committed to make a difference, but you don’t necessarily know how. Because of my background and my passion for justice and what’s happening in Ukraine today, I do the homework and vet out charities, appropriate NGOs (non-governmental organization), to channel the money into,” Rozenberg said. “One hundred percent of all the contributions made will go to an organization that directs your money to help Ukraine bring light out of the darkness.”
SHARE Ukraine hosts a direct connection to the Ukrainian American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan, where individuals and groups can donate supplies and volunteer to join the committee’s efforts. In addition to the site, he says he has become a community activist, which he never was before. SOURCE OF HIS PASSION To better understand Sam Rozenberg where Rozenberg’s passion comes from, he explained how he grew to be part of both the Ukrainian and Jewish communities. “I’m a child of both Jewish parents, and my father passed away when I was 4 years old. My mother remarried a Ukrainian citizen, but he happened to be from the former Soviet Union where everyone was atheist, practically speaking. So, there was no religious difference,
but he was the kind of guy whose father was an extreme nationalist and antisemite.” Rozenberg says his family was surrounded by Jewish people. As a young boy, he spent time in villages and farms where most of his friends weren’t Jewish but were Russian and Ukrainian. When he was 13, his family made their way to the states through Jewish immigration during the peak of the Cold War. He then got involved with the Ukrainian community rather than the Jewish community like most immigrants do. Rozenberg went to a Ukrainian Catholic High School and attended church in Michigan, where he had his first religious experience. “I went from being an atheist to being a Catholic, even though I was 100% Jewish,” Rozenberg said. Growing up, he reverted back to his Jewish roots. “I became very active in the Jewish life, Jewish culture and Jewish identity. I became a volunteer a board member then went on to be the president of Yad Ezra.” Because of these experiences, Rozenberg says he feels equally comfortable in both the Ukrainian and Jewish communities. “I’m very passionate about standing on the right side of history, especially since this history is affecting both cultures that are my culture.” MOVING FORWARD Rozenberg says he is trying to achieve three things, which were inspired by his high school principal, who he considered one of his earliest mentors. “He
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INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING.
used to say, ‘everybody has INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. a responsibility for three P’s, pray, pay and pull the trigger,’ with this heavy Ukrainian accent. I translated ‘pull the trigger’ — instead of using it in such a violent way — I coined the word participate. So, the INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. three P’s pray, pay and participate.” Rozenberg says someINNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. times we have the tendency to forget or become accustomed to certain things, even war, and become numb to it after a while, so it’s important to keep praying. The second P, pay, is providing humanitarian aid. “Most Americans, all we can do is make a donation. So All Seasons invites you to discover new perspectives and how do you make sure that your donation is providing enjoy every moment of every day! the biggest bang for the buck?” All Seasons invites you to discover new perspectives and Finally, the third P, parenjoy every moment of every day! ticipate. “I want people to get involved and go find Ukrainians and people from the former Soviet Union and give them support.” For the Joys of Senior Living Rozenberg says there are millions of Ukrainians living in the U.S. “I think there’s For the Joys of Senior Living between 3 and 4 million Russian speakers who are mostly from Ukraine. The majority of them happen to be Jews. We have some 4,000-5,000 of them in the Detroit metro area.” He says members of the Ukrainian community know what to do. “Let’s seek them 5600 out and support them. Let’s 5600Drake DrakeRoad Road| |West WestBloomfield, Bloomfield,MIMI| 248.419.7838 | 248.419.7838 be there for them during the AllSeasonsWestBloomfield.com rallies and fundraisers and AllSeasonsWestBloomfield.com Managed by: Ask Us Why! Proud Recipient of the Prestigious all those things, and I think it’s up to us to do it.”
All Seasons invites you to All West invites you toto discover new discover new perspectives and enjoy AllSeasons Seasons WestBloomfield Bloomfield invites you discover new perspectives and enjoy every moment of every day! every of every day! perspectives andmoment enjoy every moment of every day!
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To find more information about SHARE Detroit and SHARE Ukraine, visit ShareUkraine.org or you can learn more at sharedetroit.org.
Managed by: Managed Managed by: by:
Proud Recipient of the Prestigious Proud Recipient of of the Prestigious Proud Recipient thePrestigious
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Ask UsAsk Why! Us Why!
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Yad Ezra Bringing Clients Back for In-Person Shopping Clients can choose the delivery option as well. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
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ad Ezra clients returned to in-person shopping March 1 after a twoyear hiatus, once again able to select the foods they want. The return to total choice food pantry, where clients can select what they want as opposed to a default list of items, comes after two years of Yad Ezra using a delivery model due to the pandemic. Throughout it all, Yad Ezra never closed or had a single day where clients were unable to get food. For the last two years, Yad Ezra put together packages based on family size and did not have the bandwidth to customize delivery packages. “We’re allowing our clients to return and choose what they would like on their own. To shop with a shopping list, which is what they were used to,” said Daniella HarPaz Mechnikov, executive director of Yad Ezra. “We’ve decided we’re calling this phase one of bringing people back for total choice. We’re also still allowing clients to receive delivery.” Yad Ezra volunteers, who walked through new pandemic procedures Yad Ezra put in place on Feb. 25 and Feb. 28, are also returning. All clients and volunteers will be required to wear a mask when in the building and during close conversation. Shopping lists will be given to clients at Yad Ezra at their vehicles/cars, and clients will stay in their cars until called into the
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Clients are once again choosing their own groceries at Yad Ezra.
building to review their shopping lists. Every client will be given a new client card at that time. Groceries from clients’ shopping lists will be packed by Yad Ezra employees and brought to clients’ cars. Technology upgrades have streamlined check-in processes and keep everyone safe. Clients were asked to register and let Yad Ezra know if they’re coming back or if they want to continue to receive deliveries. About 250-300 clients, about a quarter, will continue to receive delivery, which amounts to about 70 deliveries a week. Yad Ezra is partnering with Jewish Family Service, helped by a grant from Federation to help supplement transportation costs for the deliveries. Mechnikov says volunteers are thrilled to come back, and for many of their clients, coming back for total choice is a relief. “There are a lot of clients who are just excited to see us. Over the years, relationships devel-
op, so people are excited to be together again,” Mechnikov said. “It feels like a beacon of normalcy to people who were so used to coming here. It was such a part of the fabric of their lives to come once a month.” Yad Ezra will now also be offering items that make life a bit easier for busy mothers and families, adding menu items such as boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chicken nuggets, Cholov Yisroel string cheese and marinara sauce. Items for babies under 2 years old, such as baby formula, diapers and wipes, are available for free without it counting against a client’s point allotment. “For me and some of our staff, it’s particularly exciting because some of us have never been here during a total choice pantry experience,” Mechnikov said. “I started working at Yad Ezra a couple weeks before the pandemic, right before Passover. For me, I’m excited to see Yad Ezra in its full glory.”
Standing up to Bullying or Hate: Youth Video PSA Contest National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW | MI) is holding a Youth Video PSA Contest for Oakland County high school girls on how to be an upstander in the face of bullying or hate. NCJW | MI hopes that entrants to the youth video contest will come up with compelling and imaginative 30-second video entries. First prize is $1,000, second is $750 and third is $500. Entries are due by midnight on Monday, March 28, and the awards will be presented at a ceremony at Bloomfield Township Public Library (1099 Lone Pine Road) on Thursday, May 5, at 7 p.m. According to stopbullying.gov, government statistics cite that around 20 percent of 12-18 yearolds have experienced bullying on school grounds or through texting or on social media. Further intolerance is shown by the continuing rise in hate crimes. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Justice show that hate crimes with a bias against race/ethnicity/ ancestry rose from 3,963 incidents in 2019 to 5227 incidents in 2020, some of which was reported due to religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and gender. “At a time when there is unfortunately so much hate in the world, we need our young people to stand up to threats, intimidation and bullying like never before,” said Amy Cutler, president of NCJW | MI. “We know that the high school girls in our community are imaginative and will take a stand against injustice, so we are hoping that we will see some outstanding videos that inspire everyone to be brave when they see bullying or hate in action.” For more information on the award, contact mail@ncjwmi.org or call (248) 355-3300 ext. 0.
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Reasons to shop at The Grove this Passover season
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Wine
You can’t have 4 cups without the wine. We have the biggest kosher wine selection in Michigan.
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Convenience Enjoy a seamless shopping experience. Find everything on your list right here.
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Selection
We have over 5 different types of matza in stock and hundreds of kosher for passover and gluten free items.
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Service
Our knowledgeable passover staff is here to serve you. Ask away, we have the answers.
EXTENDED HOLIDAY HOURS P 248-569-5000 | 25155 Greenfield Road, Southfield | @grove.kosher.detroit Hours S 8 AM - 7 PM M - W 8 AM - 8 PM T 8 AM - 9:30 PM F 7:30 AM - 6 PM S Varies DETROIT | SURFSIDE | BOCA | HOLLYWOOD | DELRAY BEACH | CLEVELAND
Formerly One Stop Kosher
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FJA Returns to Live Musical Theater
Alice in Wonderland will be staged at The Berman March 30-31. JN STAFF
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he pandemic placed a hold on staging musicals at Frankel Jewish Academy for the last two years, but students are finally ready to sing and dance as they prepare to perform Alice in Wonderland (Prince Street Player’s Version) March 30-31 at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield. The show is under the guidance of Mitch Master, director of the Performing and Visual Arts Department, who has been with FJA since the school was founded in 2000. “We’re going down a rabbit hole,” Master said. “It’s so exciting to be doing live musical theater again.” According to Master, the production is a classic celebration of freeform for anyone who has ever wanted to poke fun at the “grown up” world of enlightenment. “We’ve done it in the past with 40 actors. For this production, we have 10 talented actors, who will be playing multiple roles with quick costume changes. It’s a fast-moving musical with whimsical dance numbers and flashy
costumes,” he says. One of those 10 actors is sophomore Eliyah Fradkin of Farmington Hills, who plays five roles in the production, including the March Hare. Fradkin has plenty of experience on stage, appearing in Willy Wonka, Annie and The Odd Couple. In Alice in Wonderland, he’ll have several solos. “I’ve been interested in theater since sixth grade,” says the self-described math and engineering guy. “Acting is one of my favorite parts of school. It’s so much fun.” Also appearing in Alice in Wonderland is junior Katelyn Winkelman of Birmingham, who plays only one role, but a big one: the White Rabbit. “He’s everywhere during this play,” says Winkelman, who has appeared in Peter Pan Junior and The Lion King Junior, among others. She says the cast has been working hard for hours every day after school memorizing songs and dances. “Once you get to opening night, it’s all worth it,” she says. “This production is amazing, crazy and kooky. It’s really
B’nai Moshe Celebrates Refugee Shabbat On March 5, Congregation B’nai Moshe in West Bloomfield took part in a community wide HIAS refugee awareness Shabbat. Attendees heard the story of Jennie Mizrahi Lieberman, who as a young girl and a Cuban refugee, was helped by HIAS to settle with her family in the US. To help the refugee cause, B’nai Moshe launched, with the help of Jewish Family Services of Ann Arbor, a project to fill 55 new backpacks with school supplies for refugee children being settled in Washtenaw County. Through a registry set up on Amazon as well as monetary donations, the
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entranceway to B’nai Moshe began to fill up with over $4,000 worth of school supplies. On Sunday, March 13, volunteers came together to sort and pack the backpacks with supplies and a few treats. These backpacks will be delivered to JFS in Ann Arbor where they will make their way into the hands of refugee children from kindergarten to high school. “While these backpacks cannot address all the challenges of being a refugee, perhaps they will lighten someone’s load a little and put a smile on the face of a child. We also hope this will not be the
Katelyn Winkelman and Genny Aronov.
fun to watch.” The musical unfolds alongside Alice as she falls into a rabbit hole and emerges intact, but imbalanced. Have a front row seat as Alice crosses paths with crazy doors and an unstable table, a silly flock of birds, an opinionated French mouse, a grinning Cheshire Cat, a chilled Caterpillar, a zany Duchess and a Nutty Cook, a dancing Butterfly, the Mad Hatter’s unusual Tea Party, an emotional Mock Turtle and Gryphon, and a royal family of hearts. Performances are Wednesday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased at The Berman’s Virtual Box Office: theberman.org or call/text (248) 248-4066677. Masks are required for audience members.
B’nai Moshe volunteers pack backpacks for refugee children.
end of our support for refugees as we look for more ways to have a positive impact,” said Executive Director Steve Fine. The number of families leaving everything familiar behind and starting a completely new life will only continue to rise for the
foreseeable future. Settling these families and helping them to transition takes a village. Reach out to HIAS, JFS or any other organizations to help those arriving to a place they hope to call home.
THE DETROIT
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Crusader on Campus Michigan State University senior receives Diversity Torch for efforts to combat antisemitism. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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ichigan State University senior Jordan Robinson is working hard to make the school’s campus more inclusive for Jewish students. As a recent recipient of the Diversity Torch, an award offered by Michigan State to students in the College of Social Science who are making an impact through diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Robinson is being honored for his passion and commitment to reducing antisemitism. It’s a pursuit that Robinson, 21 of West Bloomfield, has followed since sophomore year of high school. “When I got involved with Jordan Robinson BBYO, I realized that this passion could turn into a career path,” he recalls. “It’s something that I look forward to every single day.” BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES Majoring in interdisciplinary studies and minoring in Jewish studies, leadership of organizations and sociology, Robinson, set to graduate in May 2022, wants to go into the Jewish nonprofit world. “I want to work for Hillel International or BBYO International or a federation,” he says. “Something like that.” As he wraps up his last semester at Michigan State, Robinson is getting experience — and staying busy — through his various on-campus involvements. He’s currently the executive vice president of university relations for the school’s Jewish Student Union, among other initiatives. “In my role, I am working with other cultural minority organizations throughout the university to build relationships between our community and theirs,” he says. Robinson also works with the president of Associated Students of Michigan State University, the school’s student government, and the Office of the President to address antisemitism at an institutional level. In addition, Robinson sits on the student cabinet with MSU Hillel and Hillel International and serves as the chair of the Israel Leadership Network. “It’s a good combination of work and enjoyment,” Robinson says of the career path he’s building. “It really brought a sense of purpose. That’s why I decided that I could take this professionally.”
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ADDRESSING CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM Robinson takes a number of approaches to combat antisemitism and build Jewish inclusivity on campus, the first of which starts with simply engaging with other students and faculty. “The first one is building those relationships with other organizations and hiring officials within the university,” he explains. “Hillel International has also developed a new antisemitism education curriculum that’s set to be released soon, so I plan on using that as a really great educational tool.” Robinson hopes the new
A PASSION THAT GROWS WITH TIME “He’s made connections all over the world,” says Steve Robinson, Jordan’s father. “Through these platforms and with the support of these groups behind him, he is able to expound upon his beliefs and activism. It helped him build a dialogue with his audience.” Steve Robinson says his son’s passion for activism and community involvement has continued to grow with age. “His interest has become increasingly apparent as he gets older,” he explains. In addition, Jordan Robinson has participated in
“JORDAN HAS WORKED HARD TO KEEP THE DISCUSSION OF ANTISEMITISM IN THE PUBLIC EYE.” curriculum can teach students and staff alike factual, truthful information about the impacts of antisemitism. He’s also shared wisdom on how to honor Holocaust survivors, leading Robinson to receive the Diversity Torch during Holocaust Remembrance Month. “It was really nice to receive it,” Robinson says of the award. “[Michigan State] emailed me to discuss it, but I didn’t realize that it was an actual award. I thought it would just be an article.” A member of Temple Shir Shalom, Robinson hopes to continue his education and pursue a master’s degree in business administration. His four years of hard work building inclusivity for Jewish students and a stronger on-campus Jewish life, however, will continue to make waves.
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Rabbi Yaakov Bleich walking though the border to Hungary
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Rabbi Yaakov Bleich with a refugee at the Kosson/Hungary border.
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Escape from Kyiv
Chief Rabbi of Ukraine organizes escape routes for thousands of Jews. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ugees at a time leave Kyiv and travel to the border. People are allowed one piece of small baggage, often leaving most of their possessions behind. It’s a dangerous journey. Buses encounter checkpoints, shelling and shooting, sometimes traveling through routes that are just as unsafe — if not more unsafe — than the Ukrainian capital itself. It’s a risk, however, they’re willing to take, knowing that on the other side of the border is safety. “At this point, they’ve taken out thousands on these buses,” Rabbi Avrohom Bleich says. “It’s terribly dangerous. People are shot at all the time on the roads, either by mistake or on purpose.” Refugee buses travel by military escort, who help get the buses in and out of the city to the Ukrainian borders, where there are refugee camps. “It’s a lengthy process,” Rabbi Bleich adds. The Hungarian border, in particular, has been extremely helpful to Rabbi Yaakov Bleich’s mission. It’s what his brother calls a “relatively simple walk” — about 30 minutes to cross by foot into Hungary from Ukraine — compared to other borders, which have more challenging routes. “The border is not just going to let your bus drive right through,” Rabbi
Avrohom Bleich says. “It doesn’t work like that.” A PRESSURE CAMPAIGN TO “LEAVE UKRAINE” Right now, the mission is to get people to leave Ukraine. “It’s a pressure campaign,” Rabbi Bleich continues. “It’s calling people and telling them to get out or contacting their relatives and telling them they should leave.” With one road left out of Kyiv that may not be open much longer, he adds, “Leave, because otherwise it’s not good.” If the war continues, Rabbi Bleich estimates that the needs will quickly change. “This is going to shift more and more from a rescue situation to a refugee situation,” he explains. Not everyone, however, is willing or able to leave, keeping thousands of Ukrainian Jews at risk if the crisis becomes a long-term issue. Right now, donations are crucial to keep operations afloat. “People are giving their lives for this,” Rabbi Bleich, who recently spoke about the issue at an event at Young Israel of Oak Park, says. “The rest of us, we can try to support them financially and through prayer.”
SNAPCHAT
abbi Yaakov Bleich, a chief rabbi of Ukraine, is working around the clock to provide food, shelter, safety and evacuation routes for Ukrainian Jews displaced by the ongoing crisis. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Rabbi Bleich has spent his days moving between Poland and Hungary, helping refugees reach the border and organizing escape plans for those trapped within besieged cities like Kyiv, where he serves Rabbi as rabbi of the Kyiv Main Avrohom synagogue in Podol and Bleich vice president of the World Jewish Congress. Rabbi Bleich, who is American-born and has worked in Kyiv since 1991, managed to leave Ukraine just a few days before the war broke out. At the time, he was working back and forth between Ukraine and New York. “He attempted to go right back [to Ukraine],” says Rabbi Avrohom Bleich, Yaakov’s brother, who is the rabbi at Congregation Bnai Israel-Beth Yehudah in Oak Park. “But he wasn’t able to get back in.” Instead, Rabbi Yaakov Bleich did what he could from outside of the country. “Every single day since a few days before the war and until this very day, he has buses leaving his shul taking Jewish refugees out of Kyiv, those who are willing and able to leave,” his brother explains. Each day, several buses full of 50 ref-
Go Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes
SOAR Lifelong Learning Institute to hold a conversation with producer Ira Rosen April 5. WENDY ROSE BICE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
“W
hen one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” These are the words of Jacques Cousteau, and they are the sentiments behind why Ira Rosen, producer of some of the most significant stories for the CBS show 60 Minutes, wrote his memoir, Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes. Ira Rosen On April 5, Rosen will Zoom into a SOAR Lifelong Learning Institute (formerly Society of Active Retirees) program for an hourlong discussion on life, family, career and 60 Minutes. For nearly 25 years, Rosen stood beside Mike Wallace and other legendary reporters to produce and share some of the most memorable and ground-breaking stories for the CBS show. Before CBS, Rosen spent 15 years at ABC as senior producer and one of the co-creators of Prime Time Live. His career includes major innovations, such as pioneering use of hidden cameras. While at ABC, his stories included exposing racial discrimination, abuses in VA hospitals, mistreatment of farm workers, and unsafe and unsanitary food handling practic-
es inside meat packing plants and supermarkets. At CBS, the former Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University was behind some of the Sunday evening news show’s most significant pieces: exposing how congressmen used campaign contributions for personal use; revealing how the U.S. smuggled Nazi war criminals into the U.S. for intelligence purposes and unleashing the report on who was responsible for the opioid epidemic, which won more awards for 60 Minutes than any segment in the show’s 52-year history. In the years after 9-11, his stories included exposing how the government’s No Fly list, used to prevent potential terrorists from flying on U.S. flights, included common names like Robert Johnson, which hampered real Robert Johnsons from boarding planes. After the story aired, the No Fly list was amended. In 2005, he traveled to Pakistan and obtained the interrogation tapes of some of the most dangerous terrorists captured by Pakistan, including the mastermind of 9-11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. But, life behind the scenes at CBS wasn’t all glitz and glamour. Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes, is an honest, tellall look at the often chaotic and toxic culture of this iconic news
Ira Rosen with Mike Wallace behind the scenes at 60 Minutes
Bill Whitaker, Ira Rosena and Leslie Stahl
institution. The book is also about Rosen’s life. “It is a book about family, about growing up. I wanted to leave a trail of the stories of my life,” he said. His life includes the story of Leo Rosen, Rosen’s father. At age 15, Leo Rosen was saved from the Holocaust by a Catholic family who hid him in their barn. The influence of his father is clear. “My father came here penniless and made a life for him and his family,” he said. Since leaving CBS, Rosen has
been producing some upcoming documentaries and lecturing around the country. His April 5 Detroit appearance will surely support SOAR’s mission to enlighten, inform and educate. Tickets are $10 per person and available at www.soarexplore. com or by calling (248) 626-0296. Zoom invitations will be distributed to ticket holders one day in advance. Wendy Rose Bice is SOAR interim executive director. MARCH 24 • 2022
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DJJ has been working for water justice in Detroit.
Back in Action Detroit Jews for Justice renews its activism. BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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etroit Jews for Justice is looking forward to reinvigorated postCOVID activism under new leadership. The organization was started in 2014 by Congregation T’chiyah in Oak Park, which hired Rabbi Alana Alpert to work half-time as its spiritual leader and half–time as the director of Detroit Jews for Justice. Last year, Alpert announced her intention to pull back from Detroit Jews for Justice (DJJ) in order to devote her attention to the congregation, and the organization named Allie Zeff, who had been working as its community organizer, as its new executive director. A few months Allie Zeff later, DJJ announced the appointment of Elijah Silver as its organizer for campaigns and education.
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Zeff and Silver are excited about reinvigorating the organization after COVID kept its supporters from doing much in Elijah Silver person during the past two years. They are preparing to undertake a major campaign in support of reproductive rights in Michigan. If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the right to abortion established by Roe vs. Wade in 1973, Michigan’s 1931 law banning abortion will become effective once again — unless the state legislature enacts new legislation. DJJ is working with 35 other organizations, including ACLU of Michigan, Michigan Voices and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, on a ballot initiative that will protect women’s reproductive freedom, including the right to abortion. They are currently circulating
petitions to get the measure on the ballot. “I’m really excited about it,” Zeff said. Both she and Silver followed “unconventional paths to activism,” Zeff said. Zeff, 30, lives in Hamtramck with her husband, Gabe Slabosky, and newborn son, Ori. She grew up in Skokie, Ill., and studied music education at Western Michigan University. While teaching music in Detroit elementary schools, she developed a heightened sense of political activism because, she said, she saw “systems of oppression played out on children” — problems like insufficient housing, clean water and public transportation. When she attended a DJJ meeting, she felt she had found her spiritual home. Community activism seemed a good way to address the powerlessness felt by many Detroiters. For several years she was a DJJ volunteer and joined its minuscule staff in 2018. She started her current job Jan. 1. Silver, 41, grew up in Santa Rosa, Calif., earned a degree in international studies and political economy from Humboldt State University, and started working as a tutor and leader of after-school science work-
shops, later earning a doctor of naturopathy degree from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland. After moving to the Detroit area with wife Emily Silver eight years ago, Silver worked with children with neurological disorders but yearned to do more in the area of social justice — and also to do more in the Jewish world. “DJJ checked all the boxes,” said Silver, who lives in Ferndale and started the new job in February. Zeff said she’s proud that Detroit Jews for Justice has been able to build trusting partnerships with other social justice organizations in southeastern Michigan, including the People’s Water Board Coalition, the Coalition for Property Tax Justice and groups working for immigrant rights. By creating a “Jewish seat at the table,” DJJ has developed “thoughtful solidarity” with other organizations, she said. DJJ will strive to present the reproductive rights initiative from a Jewish perspective, she said. Starting last year, DJJ coordinated a 10-month workshop series on racial justice with five area congregations: Temple Emanu-El, the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, Temple Kol Ami, Temple Shir Tikvah and Congregation T’chiyah. After the series ends in June, participants will bring what they learned to their congregations. Zeff says DJJ has a dedicated core of 200 volunteers but connects informally with thousands more. Hundreds attended its March 20 Purim celebration, held outdoors at Detroit’s Marble Bar. Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about Detroit Jews for Justice is invited to contact Silver at elijah@detroitjewsforjustice.org.
Join Us for the Journey of a Lifetime!
March 12 – 21, 2023
It’s on! We’re going back to Israel as a community for the first time in over a decade and want you to join us. Here’s your chance to experience the heart and soul of Israel and the Detroit Jewish community at the same time. With exciting adventures, unique historic visits, first-class accommodations and VIP encounters, whether it’s your first time or next time to Israel, this time it’s going to be an experience like no other!
Learn More and Register Now!
MotorCityMission.com
$500 deposit per person is required, fully refundable until September 1, 2022. This mission is for adults 18+ only.
ERETZ
Members of the Israeli Camper Program.
FROM THE PARTERSHIP2GETHER REGION
Changes to the Teen Leadership Program The ICP delegation will now start their time with the leadership program before attending camp. HADAS SHAPRUT SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
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anhigut — or the Teen Leadership Program — is a fiveyear leadership/educational program for individuals in grades 8-12 from the Central Galilee region (Migdal HaEmek, Nof Hagalil and the Jezreel Valley Regional Council). The program operates as part of the Central Galilee-Michigan partnership that creates meaningful connections and opportunities for involvement through various joint projects, pooling resources, and strengthening the partner communities in the Central Galilee and the Jewish community in Michigan. As part of the program, the groups meet once every two weeks and undergo value-based activities led by counselors. The candidates who are accepted choose to keep coming year after year. The program includes, among other things:
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• The development of social leadership identity alongside individual and group development processes. • Development of pluralistic thinking, and acquaintance and connection with Diaspora Jewry. • Opening many doors further down the road in partnership with the Jewish Agency for a variety of missions to the Diaspora communities at different stages in their lives. • Peak days, the hackathon, a weekend seminar, meetings with organizations and external lecturers. The Israeli Camper Program (ICP) has been operating in the Central Galilee region for 21 years (with a two-year break following the COVID crisis) and is intended for individuals in grades 7-8 from the partnership area. The screening for the 2022 ICP delegation took place at the end of December 2021, and we
are pleased to announce that we have an incredible group of students. Youths who participate in this program strengthen Jewish ties amongst themselves, American campers, their host families and the greater Jewish community. Participants undergo comprehensive preparation sessions that deal with Jewish identity, Jewish tradition, acquaintance with the Jewish community in North America, currents
Members of the Israeli Camper Program.
in Judaism in Israel and the Diaspora, cultural differences, representation of Israel and more. Participants selected for ICP meet criteria such as social involvement, positive leadership, acceptable level of English, independence, resilience, maturity, representativeness and connection to Jewish tradition. Before COVID, participants of ICP were accepted into the program, participated in ICPspecific preparation sessions, and then traveled to Michigan where they attended Tamarack Camps. After their summer at camp, they would return to Israel to participate in the leadership program. This year, for the first time ever, the members of the ICP delegation will now start their time with the leadership program before attending camp. This change will better prepare the campers and introduce them to the leadership program prior to their experience at Tamarack. We know that this move will have many benefits, and we cannot wait to give these individuals the experience of a lifetime! Hadas Shaprut is Operations Coordinator, Partnerships Unit at the Jewish Agency for Israel. Reprinted from Federation’s Israel and Overseas Department.
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☐ Call jhelp at 1-833-445-4357 ☐ Visit jhelp.org ☐ Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org
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We Have Answers. Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation.
Join us for these exciting, free in-person events! Books will be available for purchase and signing.
Preregister at: jlive.app/organizations/77 Masks are required.
Book Club Night Tuesday, April 5 @ 7 pm JCC, Handelman Hall Book Club Night returns with Jai Chakrabarti discussing his National Jewish Book Award-winning novel.
Face-to-Face with the Authors Tuesday, May 10 @ 7 pm Adat Shalom Synagogue Face-to-Face with the Authors (formerly Lunch with the Authors) featuring Pam Jenoff and Janice Kaplan.
Co-Sponsors: National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan, West Bloomfield Township Public Library, Adat Shalom Synagogue Supporters: Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Shalom, The Bookies Book Club, Hadassah Greater Detroit MARCH 24 • 2022
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SPORTS
Surprise Party SANDY MCKENZIE
Berkley wrestler Lev Mechnikov ends his resurgent senior season in the state tournament at Ford Field. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
SANDY MCKENZIE
SANDY MCKENZIE
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TOP: Lev Mechnikov is in control of Fraser’s Lawrence Dubay before pinning Dubay at regionals. MIDDLE: Why is Lev Mechnikov smiling? He just pinned his opponent and qualified for the state tournament. BOTTOM: Lev Mechnikov shows off his third-place medal at regionals.
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ev Mechnikov’s first three seasons on the Berkley High School wrestling team weren’t that great. He was 2-2 as a freshman at 189 pounds and 12-22 as a sophomore, wrestling most of the season at 215 pounds, up a weight class, to fill a lineup spot. He didn’t wrestle as a junior because of a broken ankle he suffered playing in a Berkley football post-season game. Missing that season on the mats was a game-changer. “I was in our wrestling room every day during my junior season, and I realized how much I missed wrestling,” Mechnikov said. “I learned to love the sport.” Mechnikov wrote a different wrestling story in his senior season. He went 24-13 at 285 pounds, led Berkley with 15 pins, and surprised himself by qualifying for the Division 1 state tournament. Not even a bout with COVID-19 that sidelined him late in the season slowed him down. “I didn’t expect to get to state. I didn’t think that was a possibility,” Mechnikov said. It was a possibility. Mechnikov pinned Fraser’s Lawrence Dubay in 1:05 in what’s called the “blood round” at regionals to earn a state tournament berth.
Winners in the “blood round” qualify for state. Losers are done for the season. After he cleared the “blood round” hurdle, Mechnikov pinned RJ Hancock of St. Clair Shores Lakeview in 4:09 in his next regional match to finish third in his weight class. Mechnikov lost both of his matches at state March 4 while fighting off the flu, but he loved wrestling at Ford Field in Detroit and being a part of the grand match of more than 1,000 wrestlers. “It was a cool experience. Amazing. Surreal. I had a good time,” he said. Mechnikov was pinned by Kalamazoo Central’s Joshua Boggan in 27 seconds in his first match at state. Boggan, a future Kent State University wrestler, went on to finish third at 285 pounds. Mohammad Hazime of Dearborn Fordson, a future Kent State football player, beat Mechnikov 9-4 in wrestle-backs. “I don’t want to use having the flu as an excuse, but I was only about 80% when I wrestled at state and I was more fatigued than normal during my matches,” Mechnikov said. “It just wasn’t my day.” At 5-foot-9 and 230 pounds, Mechnikov was smaller than most of his
Division II football player, but he probably won’t get that opportunity because of his size. “He can be a contributor at the Division III level. Maybe not in his freshman year, but certainly after that.” If playing football in college doesn’t pan out, Mechnikov said, he’s hoping to attend the University of Michigan or Michigan State University. Mechnikov was well-liked and respected by his now former Berkley wrestling and football teammates and coaches. He was one of four wrestling team captains chosen by Fritz.
“I DIDN’T EXPECT TO GET TO STATE. I DIDN’T THINK THAT WAS A POSSIBILITY.” — LEV MECHNIKOV
Shields, a former All-State wrestler at Madison Heights Bishop Foley High School, told Mechnikov before this wrestling season that he’s a college-level athlete and could accomplish big things in his senior year. Football is Mechnikov’s No. 1 sport. He might play football at the next level. A two-year starter for the Berkley football team at offensive guard and defensive tackle who relied on his quickness, work ethic and wrestling skills to fight off bigger opponents, Mechnikov has a couple of Division III college football offers. “Lev would have a whole lot more offers if he was 6-3,” Shields said. “He actually has the skill set to be a
He was one of five football team captains selected by his teammates. He helped the Bears finish 7-3 last fall and qualify for the state playoffs. “Lev is a great kid. Very funny,” Fritz said. “He’s an outstanding member of our high school community.” Gabe and Daniella Mechnikov are Lev’s parents. Daniella is the executive director of the Berkleybased Yad Ezra kosher food pantry. Lev is 18. He has two sisters, Pelli, 20, a junior at Michigan State University, and Mia, 16, a junior at Berkley. The family lives in Huntington Woods. Please send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.
COURTESY OF NEXTGEN DETROIT
wrestling opponents this season. That certainly was the case at state. “Lev got a tough draw at state. Both guys he wrestled had to be around 270 pounds,” said Berkley wrestling coach Ron Fritz. “Lev will tell you he didn’t wrestle his best at state, but just getting there was a major accomplishment and a testament to his hard work.” Fritz wasn’t surprised that Mechnikov qualified for state. “Lev’s goal was to make it to regionals, but I thought he had what it takes to make it to state,” he said. So did Berkley football coach Sean Shields.
NEXT DOR VOICE OF THE NEW JEWISH GENERATION
Group of NEXTGen Detroiters schmoozing and getting popcorn and drinks before the movie starts.
Superbad 15 Year Anniversary Screening NEXTGen Detroit hosts a movie party at The Maple. RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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o celebrate the 15-year anniversary of the comedy teen movie Superbad, NEXTGen Detroit hosted a movie birthday party at The Maple in Bloomfield Hills. On Feb. 27 a group of NEXTGen Detroiters gathered for some popcorn, drinks and socializing. For some, it had been a while since they’d been out to go see a movie at the theaters because of the pandemic.
One of the co-chairs of the event, Lauren Blanck, expressed how it was nice to gather safely for a private screening and watch a fun movie with friends. They even had a cardboard cutout of the famous McLovin driver’s license to take pictures with. To see all the upcoming events with NEXTGen Detroit, go to https://jewishdetroit.org/events/
Josh Davidson, Joey Unger and Kristie Good. MARCH 24 • 2022
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COURTESY OF PARTNERS DETROIT
NEXT DOR
VOICE OF THE NEW JEWISH GENERATION
Spice! Candles! Action! Partners Detroit Jewish Young Professionals hosts DIY Havdalah event.
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RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR
artners Detroit Jewish Young Meredith Kay, a board member Professionals with Partners Detroit hosted a DIY Jewish Young and Havdalah experience, a Professionals, came night filled with spices, up with the idea for candles and action. the event. “I truly just The organization had a wanted an evening sold-out event on Feb. where people could 26 at its Platform 18 get together and crespace in Royal Oak. ate, eat, drink, light Erin Stiebel, an educandles, sing and expecator with the organirience the magical serzation, says its mission vice of Havdalah. The is to create a space feeling of togetherness, where Jewish young this is exactly what was adults at any level can TOP: Group photo during service. felt at the event,” Kay ABOVE: Havdalah kit made by come and learn. said. Shelby Miller. “We try to be a Attendee Rachel source of education for Devries says even anybody who is interested in learning though she’s had many other mean— where people can come together ingful Havdalah services, she’s never with any questions wherever they are experienced anything like this. at their level of Judaism. I think that “I have never had the opportunity oftentimes tradition can feel antiquat- to make my very own Havdalah kit! ed, and when you have a chance to Partners Detroit young adult programbring it to life and realize how easily ming is innovative and welcoming. I accessible it is, it’s extremely powerespecially love the very cool space they ful.” have created right in downtown Royal Attendees received their own little Oak to host their events,” she said. Havdalah kit with candles, spices and To see all the events Partners Detroit a card with the Havdalah service on it Jewish Young Professionals has coming to take home. up, head to partnersdetroit.org.
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TOP: Scott Wasserman, Rachel Devries, Abby Wolfson and Matt Yaari. MIDDLE: Anna Frankel, Michael Krivichkin, Rachel Lanis and Matthew Hamil. BOTTOM: Abby Rubin, Alya Al-Azem and Jordyn Gudeman.
Step-By-Step Cooking Class with a Personal Chef
TOP: Ingredients for Minestrone soup. BELOW: Minestrone soup almost ready to serve. RIGHT: Ingredients chopped up ready to be cooked .
NEXTGen Detroit hosts delicious virtual cooking class with local chef. RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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Lieberman said the cooking class was meant to be in-person but had to shift to virtual because of the pandemic. Ahead of the event, those who attended were instructed to pick up a cooking kit with all the ingredients to make the soup. More than 20 people logged on for the step-by-step cooking class. Lieberman said it was one of their more populated events. “I do think that Zoom adds that challenge of less interaction and opportunity. But overall, I think people were very engaged, and I got a lot of positive feedback afterward. Some people wanted more cooking classes and ideas in the future. So that’s always good.”
COURTESY OF NEXTGEN DETROIT
earning how to prepare a new dish can be a daunting task for some. NEXTGen Detroit Balance, which seeks to create a space for young adults to focus on mental health, life and work balance, wanted to take the guesswork out of trying a new recipe. The group brought in Gray Table Cuisine’s personal chef Natalie Brodsky for a step-by-step virtual cooking class on Feb. 23. Brodsky is a self-taught, plant-based chef who is passionate about using food as medicine and the intersection of nutrition with taste and aesthetic. NEXTGen Detroit Balance chair Marni Lieberman said, “This event was specific to our healthy eating habits and wellbeing that also benefits our mental health and mindset. This cooking class led by Natalie had us focus on a vegan recipe without making it challenging or difficult. “She had us making Minestrone soup and talked about the nutritional value of everything that we were putting in,” she added. “She also talked about how to sustain a diet in a way that doesn’t have to be challenging and difficult.”
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MAZEL TOV! FEB. 16, 2022 Mallory Gonte Biller, formerly of Farmington Hills, and Jared Biller of Timonium, Md., are thrilled to announce the birth of their son Keegan Adam. Proud grandparents are Laurie and Michael Gonte of Farmington Hills, and Sue and Mark Biller of Owings Mills, Md. Keegan Adam is named in loving memory of Jared’s cousin Adam Collins.
Mendelson-Soifer
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ori and Douglas Soifer are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Jennifer Elisabeth to Ethan Benjamin Mendelson, son of Susan and Coby Goutkovitch, and Wendy and David Mendelson. The happy couple, who reside in Chicago, will be wed in Michigan this November.
Spector-Kowalsky
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aula Spector of Farmington Hills, and Bonnie and Mark Kowalsky of West Bloomfield are excited to announce the engagement of their children Leslie Sara and David Franklin. Leslie is also the daughter of the late Howard Spector. Leslie is a graduate of Michigan State University and earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism. She is a copywriter for Molson Coors. David earned his bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University and has an M.B.A. from Georgetown University. He is a brand manager for Bel Brands USA. The two reside in Chicago, and a spring wedding is planned in Michigan. HOW TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Mazel Tov! announcements are welcomed for members of the Jewish community. Anniversaries, engagements and weddings with a photo (preferably color) can appear at a cost of $18 each. Births are $10. There is no charge for bar/bat mitzvahs or for special birthdays starting at the 90th. For information, contact Editorial Assistant Sy Manello at smanello@ thejewishnews.com or (248) 351-5147 for information or for a mailed or emailed copy of guidelines.
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Charlie Albert Frank, son of Mikki and Ivan Frank, will lead the congregation in prayer as he becomes a b’nai mitzvah with his cousin Jonah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, March 25, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his sisters, Mia and Ellie. Charlie is the loving grandchild of Rochelle and Stewart Frank, Elaine and Lee Weinstein, Davee and Don Cucco, and the late Sarah Frank. Charlie is a student at Berkshire Middle School in Beverly Hills. His most meaningful mitzvah project included making dog bones to raise money for an animal shelter. Jonah Harrison Frank, son of Jennifer and Ethan Frank, will be called to the Torah as a b’nai mitzvah with his cousin Charlie at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, March 25, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his sister, Sophie. Jonah is the loving grandchild of Jill and Jules Goldman, Rochelle and Stewart Frank, and the late Sarah Frank. Jonah is a student at West Hills Middle School in West Bloomfield Township. His most meaningful mitzvah project was collecting new and used sporting goods for Detroit PAL (Police Athletic League). Abigail Stella Herskovic, daughter of David and Natalie Herskovic of Bloomfield, celebrated her bat mitzvah at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield
on Saturday, March 19, 2022. She is the granddaughter of Alan and Beverly Frieden of Virginia Beach, Va., and the granddaughter of Leigh and Morey Herskovic of West Bloomfield. Her siblings, Isiah, Jordyn and Charlotte, were delighted to celebrate with her. Abigail is a student at Bloomfield Hills Middle School. For her mitzvah project, she raised money for a charity called Taproots, which sends underprivileged children to overnight camp. Ari Neumann Kutinsky was called to the Torah on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. He is the son of Brian Kutinsky and Michael Neumann, grandchild of Donna Kutinsky and the late Leslie Kutinsky, and Brenda Neumann and the late LeRoy Neumann. Ari is a student at Berkshire Middle School in Birmingham. He works every Sunday, assisting at the temple Sunday school. Leah Irene Kutinsky was called to the Torah on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. She is the daughter of Brian Kutinsky and Michael Neumann, grandchild of Donna Kutinsky and the late Leslie Kutinsky, and Brenda Neumann and the late LeRoy Neumann. Leah is a student at Berkshire Middle School in Birmingham. She works every Sunday, assisting at the temple Sunday school.
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here were seven go right back to the way we days of training for were before. This applies to the Kohanim, the anything from a near death priests, in regard to their experience to an impactroles in the tabernacle. On ful class, to a truly kismet the eighth day they took moment, to so much more. the service over and, so Yet, those supernatural lifeto speak, graduated changing experiences from Kohen school. don’t always have the Eight is a very lasting impact on the spiritual number in trajectory of our life. Judaism. It shows Then there’s the up in connection to second type of breakRabbi Yarden ing the pattern. The Chanukah, the bris Blumstein milah and the first eighth-day type. This letter in chai — life. is where we successParshat It also transcends the fully integrate changes Shemini: model of nature. As into our life. Where Leviticus 9:1-11:47; we know, the world we take a spiritual II Samuel was created in six moment and turn it 6:1-7:17. days and on the sevinto a spiritual experienth is the Shabbat. ence by making it our This seven-day model own. gives us a definition to natThis, to me, is the mesural order. sage behind the name of our This is true not only of Torah portion. If we truly our weekly routine, but it want to build a Temple, if also shows up in the wedwe truly want to have the ding, post-celebration ceressence of spirituality as emonies and in the funeral an active ingredient in our and shivah. Seven shows daily lives, we need to do up everywhere, from the two things: branches of the menorah 1 – We need to strive a bit in the temple to the seven beyond our daily routine by Noahite laws, to the animals going a bit beyond nature. brought on the ark, to the 2 – We need to incorposprinklings in the temple, rate that extraordinary thing to the fruits of Israel just to back into our ordinary rouname a few. There are quite tine. a few more, so feel free to In other words, every do some trivia in between once in a while, we need to your daily Wordles. go a bit beyond the seven So, what is the message days of the week and add an behind eight? There are eighth day. two ways of breaking the Rabbi Yarden Blumstein is the teen pattern. The first is where director at Friendship Circle in West we have a completely difBloomfield. ferent experience but then
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Spiritual Eating
K
eeping kosher is a vital part of Jewish life. The word “kosher” comes from the Hebrew word kasher, meaning “fit” or “proper.” And, indeed, the term itself has even entered the general vernacular. When something is kosher, Rabbi it is considered Warren “above board” Goldstein and meets certain required standards. As we shall see, kosher is an entire worldview — a philosophy on food, and on life in general. Before delving into the ideas and philosophy behind kosher, it’s important to acknowledge two things. Firstly, the basis for all mitzvot is that God commanded us to perform them. With loyalty and commitment,
we dedicate our lives to fulfilling His will, whether or not we understand the true meaning and significance of the commandments. While acknowledging that we cannot truly probe the ultimate Divine wisdom and motivation behind the mitzvot, nevertheless, we are called on to do our best to understand them so the mitzvot can have a maximum impact on who we are and have a maximum transformative impact on making us into better people. This follows the philosophy of the Ramban when it comes to mitzvot, which he says is about how the mitzvot transform and make us into better people. Secondly, kosher encompasses a wide range of halachic principles and applications, each immensely detailed. There are
the laws governing which animals are kosher and which are not, documented in this week’s parshah, Shemini. There are the laws governing how animals are slaughtered and prepared for consumption. There are the laws governing the separation of milk and meat. Each of these aspects of kosher comprises its own world of details and ideas and meanings, and we can’t possibly do justice to them in a short discussion. But, we can make a start. Let us embark on a journey of discovery. And perhaps, the best place to begin is with our perspective on non-kosher food. Is there something intrinsically wrong with non-kosher food? Is it simply unhealthy? Rav Yitzchak Don Abarbarnel, one of our great sages, argues forcefully that kashrut has nothing to
do with health. He explains that the Torah is a book of Divine wisdom, not a health manual. Furthermore, he says, there is no indication that non-Jews who eat non-kosher foods are any less healthy than Jews, and also, that there are a number of unhealthy foods and even toxic substances not even mentioned in the Torah as being unkosher. According to the Abarbarnel, and many other sources, keeping kosher is about spiritual health. The Maharal of Prague has a particular perspective and maintains that this doesn’t mean there is anything bad intrinsically, whether spiritually or physically, with non-kosher food. Rabbi Azriel Chaim Goldfein cites the halachic ruling that if you have three indistinguishable pieces of meat, two continued on page 44 MARCH 24 • 2022
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A WORD OF TORAH continued from page 43
of which you know for certain are kosher, and they become mixed up, you are in fact permitted to eat all three, since the two kosher cuts are in the majority, and the non-kosher cut gets subsumed into them. (If you have a question of this nature, you should consult a competent halachic authority just to clarify all the details and make sure that the halachah is being properly applied.) If there were something intrinsically wrong with the non-kosher meat, then how could this principle of nullification in the majority apply? A SPIRITUAL BLUEPRINT So, what is the distinction between kosher and non-kosher? The Maharal explains that the Torah is the spiritual blueprint of the world. He says that keeping kosher, as with all the other mitzvot, aligns us with this spiritual blueprint, and helps us actualize our latent spiritual potential. And so, the laws of kosher follow the framework of spiritual principles that God created. And that framework exists external to the food itself. Eating kosher is living in harmony and in sync with the spiritual blueprint of the universe, and not doing so is departing from that framework, and that is spiritually damaging. To illustrate this, the Maharal cites the Midrash, which describes kashrut as a way “to purify people.” This purification takes place through the connection of a person’s soul to the ultimate spiritual blueprint of the world, which was created by God. But, it is not about the intrinsic nature of the food itself. He cites another Midrash which says: “A person should not say I do not want pork … but rather I would like it, but what can I do that my Father in Heaven has
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decreed upon me [not to have it].” (Torat Kohanim Kedoshim) So the laws of kashrut follow a framework of God-given spiritual principles embedded in the Torah — a framework that exists external to the food itself. Rabbeinu Bechaye shares a different perspective on kosher. In his commentary on this week’s parshah, he refers to the verse that concludes the section dealing with the laws of kashrut: “And you shall sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy, for I am holy.” (Vayikra 11:44) Rabbeinu Bechaye says that we see from this verse that keeping kosher helps us to live a life of holiness. There are two primary components to the human being — the physical and the spiritual. These two components are naturally in conflict with one another, and the fact that they co-exist in a single organism is itself something wondrous. But to help us navigate this power struggle and ensure the spiritual force within us ultimately frames and guides our physical drives, the Torah provides for the expression and fulfilment of these physical desires within a spiritually and ethically enriching framework. This framework helps us infuse meaning into even the most mundane, basic activities such as eating. It is in this context that the laws of kosher need to be seen. Rabbeinu Bechaye says the more immediate physical needs of the body can easily overwhelm our spiritual selves. This natural predominance of the physical over the spiritual is rooted in the fact that human beings are physical before we are spiritual; as children we are consumed by our physical wants and needs, and only later do we develop a spiritual muscle, a capacity to reflect and to channel, to exercise self-restraint. There’s also the fact that the world we inhabit is very much a
physical, material one; the soul is a stranger in this world. And so, we need all the help we can get to transcend this material world and our physical selves, and become truly elevated, spiritual beings. Keeping kosher does this because it places a spiritual framework around what we eat. We can’t just eat whatever we want. We learn self-restraint. And we immerse ourselves in this holy framework from a young age. The Sforno says the laws of kosher help us achieve Godliness, even holiness, in this world. Kosher fits into a broader philosophy of food and of eating, one that is saturated with holiness, spirituality and meaning. We have in the Torah the mitzvah of Birkat Hamazon — Grace after Meals — in terms of which we give thanks to God after eating, that the process of eating is not just one of self-gratification, but also one connected to gratitude. The sages of the Talmud added to that, and formulated blessings to be said before eating food to acknowledge where it comes from. It is part of acknowledging that this world and everything in it belongs to God, and that, when we take from it, we express our gratitude. We don’t just consume. We stop. We give thanks to God, we give thought to whether or not the food is kosher. We acknowledge the source of the food and give thanks for its tastiness, its nourishing goodness. Eating becomes a more refined, uplifting and meaningful experience in this way. This idea of elevation is embodied in the mitzvah of washing our hands before eating bread. The blessing we recite is al netilat yadayim. The word netilah, explains Rav Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenberg, comes from another Hebrew word, meaning elevation. The implication is clear. When we wash our hands before eating, we elevate
ourselves. We connect the act of eating to something higher, something greater than merely satiating our hunger. Rav Mecklenberg connects the mitzvah of washing before bread to the requirement that the Kohanim, the priests in the Beit Hamikdash, wash their hands before beginning the sacred Temple service. He says we, too, should view this world as one great Beit Hamikdash, a world filled with holiness, with God’s presence, where we are called on to serve God and to live lives of meaning and dedication and spirituality. The world, and everything in it, was created by God, and therefore belongs to God, like the holy property of the Temple. And when we reach out to take anything from this world, from God Himself, we should do so in a state of holiness and purity, with a sense of reverence for the sacred task at hand. Ultimately, we see that kosher and the laws around eating are about transcending the self, transcending our own selfish physical needs, and creating a holy framework for them. In doing so, we get in touch with our souls, our spiritual selves. We attain a sense of self-mastery, and become not merely a body, but a soul clothed in physical garments. Whatever our bodies take from this world needs to be done in a framework of morality and ethics, in a framework of kindness and compassion, of spirituality, meaning and elevation. And then the experience of eating food gets transformed from an animalistic self-gratification experience into one that is truly holy, and elevated into something meaningful, refined and ethical, and we ourselves become transformed. Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who has a PhD. in Human Rights Law, is the chief rabbi of South Africa. This essay first appeared on aish.com
SPIRIT
Synagogue Directory CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org
Temple B’nai Shalom Benton Harbor (269) 925-8021 tbnaishalom.org
Ahavas Israel Grand Rapids (616) 949-2840 ahavasisraelgr.org
INDEPENDENT Grosse Pointe Jewish Council Grosse Pointe Woods (313) 882-6700 thegpjc.com
Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.org Congregation Beth Israel Flint (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.org Congregation Beth Shalom Oak Park (248) 547-7970 congbethshalom.org Beth Tephilath Moses Mt. Clemens (586) 996-3138 bethtephilathmoses.com B’nai Israel Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 432-2729 bnaiisraelwb.org Congregation B’nai Moshe West Bloomfield (248) 788-0600 bnaimoshe.org Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue Detroit (313) 962-4047 downtownsynagogue.org Congregation of Moses Kalamazoo congregationofmoses.org Congregation Shaarey Zedek Southfield (248) 357-5544 shaareyzedek.org
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Kehillat Hatzhav Hagadol Mackinac Island (906) 202-9959 mackinacsynagogue.org ORTHODOX Agudas Israel Mogen Abraham Southfield (248) 552-5711 aymadetroit.org Ahavas Olam Southfield (248) 569-1821 Ahavasolam.com
Balfour Shul – K’Hal Rina U’Tefila Oak Park (732) 693-8457 Beth Tefilo Emanuel Tikvah Southfield (248) 559-5022 Birmingham-Bloomfield Shul Birmingham (248) 996-5818 bbchai.org B’nai Israel-Beth Yehudah Oak Park (248) 967-3969 bi-by.org B’nai Zion Oak Park (248) 968-2414 Chabad House-Lubavitch of Eastern Michigan Flint (810) 230-0770 chabad.org
Ahavas Yisroel Oak Park (248) 298-2896 Learntorah.info
Chabad Jewish Center of Commerce-Walled Lake Commerce Township (248) 363-3644 jewishcommerce.org
Aish Hatorah in the Woods Oak Park (248) 327-3579 Aishdetroit.com
Chabad Jewish Center of Novi-Northville (248) 790-6075 novijewishcenter.com
Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills (248) 855-2910 chabad.org
Chabad Jewish Center of Troy Troy/Rochester Hills (248) 873-5851 jewishtroy.com
Bais Chabad of North Oak Park (248) 872-8878 chabad.org
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Bais Haknesses Hagrah Oak Park (248) 542-8737
Chabad of Western Michigan Grand Rapids (616) 957-0770 chabadwestmichigan.com
Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh Oak Park (313) 320-9400 dbndetroit.org Etz Chayim of Toledo Toledo, OH (419) 473-2401 Etzchayimtoledo.org First Hebrew Congregation South Haven (269) 637-1603 firsthebrewcongregation.org Kehillat Etz Chayim Huntington Woods etzchayim-detroit.org Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit Oak Park (248) 968-1891 kollel@kolleldetroit.org Mishkan Israel, Nusach H’ari, Lubavitch Center Oak Park (248) 542-4844 theyeshiva.org Ohel Moed Shomrey Emunah West Bloomfield (248) 737-2626 ohelmoed.org Or Chadash Oak Park (248) 819-1721 or-chadash.org Sara & Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center of West Bloomfield (248) 855-6170 baischabad.com Shaar Hashomayim Windsor (519) 256-3123 Shaarey Zedek Windsor (519) 252-1594 shaareyzedekwindsor.com continued on page 46
MARCH 24 • 2022
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Shomer Israel Oak Park (248) 542-4014 godaven.com
Congregation B’nai Israel Muskegon (231) 722-2702 cbimkg@gmail.com
Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org
MINYANS Fleischman Residence West Bloomfield (248) 661-2999
Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomreyemunah-105705.square.site
Congregation Shaarey Zedek East Lansing (517) 351-3570 shaareyzedek.com
Temple Israel West Bloomfield (248) 661-5700 temple-israel.org
Yeshivat Akivah Southfield (248) 386-1625 farberhds.org
Temple Benjamin Mt. Pleasant (989) 773-5086 templebenjamin.com
Temple Jacob Hancock templejacobhancock.org
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The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org
Temple Beth El Battle Creek (269) 963-4921
Temple Kol Ami West Bloomfield (248) 661-0040 tkolami.org
Temple Beth El Bloomfield Township (248) 851-1100 tbeonline.org
Temple Shir Shalom West Bloomfield (248) 737-8700 shirshalom.org
Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org
Temple Beth El Flint (810) 720-9494 tbeflint@gmail.com
RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Israel Lansing (517) 882-0049 kehillatisrael.net
Temple Beth El Midland (989) 496-3720 tbe_midland@yahoo.com
Congregation T’chiyah Ferndale (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit (313) 567-0306 reconstructingjudiasm.org REFORM Bet Chaverim Canton (734) 480-8880 betchaverim@yahoo.com Congregation Beth El Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca Congregation Beth Shalom Traverse City 231-946-1913 beth-shalom-tc.org
Temple Beth Israel Bay City (989) 893-7811 tbi-mich.org Temple Beth Israel Jackson (517) 784-3862 tbijackson.org Temple Beth Sholom Marquette tbsmqt.org Temple B’nai Israel Kalamazoo (269) 342-9170 Templebnaiisrael.com Temple B’nai Israel Petoskey (231) 489-8269 templebnaiisraelofpetoskey. org Temple Emanuel Grand Rapids (616) 459-5976 grtemple.org
REFORM/RENEWAL Congregation Shir Tikvah Troy (248) 649-4418 shirtikvah.org SECULAR/HUMANISTIC Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit Farmington Hills (248) 477-1410 chj-detroit.org Sholem Aleichem Institute West Bloomfield (248) 865-0117 secularsaimichigan.org SEPHARDIC Keter Torah Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 681-3665 rabbisasson.wixsite.com/ keter
CONSERVATIVE Beth Israel Congregation (734) 665-9897 @BethIsraelCongregation ORTHODOX Ann Arbor Chabad House (734) 995-3276 jewmich.com Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan annarborminyan.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation (734) 445-1910 aarecon.org REFORM Temple Beth Emeth (734) 665-4744 templebethemeth.org RENEWAL Pardes Hanah pardeshanah.org SECULAR HUMANISTIC Jewish Cultural Society (734) 975-9872 jewishculturalsociety.org Please email factual corrections or additional synagogues to list to: smanello@thejewishnews.com.
Ohr Hatorah Oak Park (248) 294-0613 Ohrhatorah.us TRADITIONAL Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net
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It’s Oscars Time! The most complete guide to Jewish Oscar nominees, 2022 edition. NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
be worked-into the main, live ceremony broadcast. The “lesser” categories are Documentary Short Subject, Film Editing, Live Action Short Film, Animated Short Film, Make-up and Hairstyling, Original Score, Production Design and Sound. Dozens of major Hollywood figures, including Steven Spielberg, 75, protested this change. They said it was “demeaning and threatened the future of the Academy.” This year marks the return of official Oscars’ ceremony host(s). In 2018, the Academy selected comedian Kevin Hart to host, but dropped him when old homophobic tweets of his surfaced. For the last three years, the Academy tried
“no host” Oscars awards, and that was a critical and ratings fiasco. What viewers want is a host or hosts who are funny and can ad lib “funny” continued on page 48
BY MARIO SANTOR
T
he Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast (ABC) on Sunday, March 27 (8 p.m.). There have been major changes this year. Oscar ceremony viewership has been down in recent years, and ABC successfully leaned on the Academy to virtually drop eight “lesser” categories from the main ceremony. ABC put a sugary spin on the change. They said fewer “live awards” will allow more time for musical and comedic bits and, overall, reduce the time of the broadcast. This year, the presentation and acceptance of “lesser” category Oscars will take place an hour before the main ceremony. An edited-for-time tape of the presentation of these Oscars will
Amy Schumer MARCH 24 • 2022
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when the moment arises. So, it’s great that Amy Schumer, 40, is one of the trio of women who are hosting this year. Joining her are African American comedians Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall. Schumer is really fast on her feet. Back in 2011, she was an unknown comedian
when she “brought down the house” at a Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen. Her prepared material was first-rate. Her ad-libbed “take-downs” of famous people on the Roast dais was deadly and smart. She wasn’t “just” a funny woman. She was great, period.
In my opinion, the Academy shouldn’t ignore diversity, but the paramount hosting criteria should be talent. Talent knows no boundaries — sex, age, country, etc. It isn’t a great year for Jewish nominees, but I think you’ll be surprised that there are more than reported in articles like this.
HERE ARE THE CONFIRMED JEWISH NOMINEES IN ALL BUT THE TECHNICAL CATEGORIES
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Patrick Wachsberger
BY GEORGES BIARD
ancestry, and that awareness of having to fight for one’s life.” My response: Well, it might have been “nice” if Larson was clearly identified as Jewish in the film. It might be nice if the world knew, as Garfield knows, that being Jewish very often makes one empathize with others. Kristen Stewart, 31, is nominated for playing Princess Diana, in the bio-pic Spencer. Like many critics, I thought the
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ACTORS Andrew Garfield, 38, is nominated for playing composer Jonathan Larson (19601966) in the quasi-bio-pic Tick,Tick … Boom!. It features many songs by Larson, who is best known as the composer of the musical Rent. Garfield was raised secular, in England, by a non-Jewish English mother and an American father. Garfield has talked several times about his Jewish background,
IMDB
BEST PICTURE The best picture Oscar goes to the film’s principal producers. Ten films are nominated for best film. All the other Oscar categories have five nominees. Three films have a Jewish producer: Emile Sherman is the (co-producer) of Power of the Dog, a Western set in the 1920s. Sherman, 48, has long been one of the top Australian producers. He won an Oscar (2011) as a producer of The King’s Speech. He produces “tasteful” movies, which makes sense when you learn he has a masters’ degree in literature. Emile was 5 when his family left South Africa for Australia. His father arrived with little but became a wealthy man over time and, at last report, was a major philanthropist in the Australian Jewish community. Patrick Wachsberger is the co-producer of Coda, a film about a family that is deaf, except for one teen daughter. (Marlee Matlin co-stars). Wachsberger, 70, has been associated with dozens of films since 1974, either as a producer or production executive. His Jewish father, Nat Wachsberger (1916-1992), was a minor film producer who was born in Belgium and came to the States in the 1930s. Nat cajoled (c. 1971) Jerry Lewis to star in The Day the Clown Cried, a Holocaust film. Nat didn’t have the money to finish the film, but Lewis paid for the unpaid costs, himself. Clown turned out to be so bad that Lewis didn’t allow its release until 2013 — and critics hated it. Wachsberger’s mother, a French actress, wasn’t Jewish. Steven Spielberg is one of the producers of West Side Story.
Andrew Garfield
essentially always saying that he is proud of his “Jewish heritage,” but not labeling himself, unequivocally as Jewish (“I identify most as Jewish,” is the farthest he “has gone.”) The Jewish Chronicle, the leading UK Jewish paper, recently interviewed Garfield about “all things Jewish” (Dec. 30, 2021; free online). This Garfield reply, about Larson supporting LGBTQ people, caught my eye: “Jon didn’t have firsthand experience of being a homosexual man, but maybe through his Jewishness he had this ability to know exactly what that feeling was through his
Kristen Stewart
film was not great, but Stewart was outstanding as Diana. Only recently has a fairly complete picture of Stewart’s Jewish background emerged (thanks to a 2021 interview with Howard Stern). Her father isn’t Jewish. Her mother was adopted by a Jewish couple. What Jewish background her mother grew up with is still unknown. All we know about Kristen’s childhood Jewish “learning” is that she knew “The Dreidel Song.” She did tell Stern that she took a DNA test, and she is 25% Ashkenazi Jewish. I am virtually sure her mother’s mother was Jewish. I say this based on my knowledge
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Zach Baylin, 41, King Richard. This film focuses on the (not rich) father of the great African American tennis players Serena and Venus Williams. Will Smith gives a great performance as “King” Richard Williams, the first, and most important tennis coach his daughters had. King Richard is Baylin’s first feature film screenplay. Bio sources are scarce, but I was able to find out his father is Jewish, and his mother is not. After graduating from Johns Hopkins, Baylin worked in film-production jobs until a chance conversation with a film producer at a tennis tournament led him to write the King Richard script. David Sirota, 46, co-wrote Don’t Look Now. It is a political comedy that obliquely satirizes the public figures who oppose taking action to mitigate climate change. Sirota is best known as a political journalist and political activist. He was
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Eric Roth, 76, is one of four writers nominated for writing Dune, a film based on a classic sci-fi novel (starring Timothee Chalamet). Roth has been nominated six times in this category, winning once (Forrest Gump). Maggie Gyllenhaal, 44, wrote the script for The Lost Daughter, which was based on a novel about the meeting of two women at a resort. Gyllenhaal also made her directing debut with this film. A recent Esquire profile of Maggie’s brother, actor Jake Gyllenhaal, 41, reports that Maggie gave Jake a lovely mezuzah at a 2021 family Chanukah party hosted by their mother, Naomi Foner, 75. Foner was Oscarnominated for her original script for Running Empty (1988). ANIMATED FILM (Feature Length) Osnat Shurer, 51, is nominated as the producer of Raya and the Last Dragon, a Disney film. Shurer was born and raised in Israel and is an IDF veteran. She was previously nominated for producing Moana (2017). Luca, a huge hit, is also nominated in this category. Animated film writers aren’t
eligible for an Oscar nomination, but it’s worth noting that Jesse Andrews, 39, co-wrote Luca. His big-selling novel, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, featured many Jewish characters and was made into a 2015 film. SHORT DOCUMENTARY Jon Shenk, 57, is nominated as the co-director and co-producer of Lead Me Home, a film about the homeless,
16 times for best song and has never won. For years, I’ve wrote that this might be “her year.” I don’t think that 2022 is her year. Maybe writing that will bring her mazel. Hans Zimmer (Dune) and Nicholas Britell (Don’t Look Up), vie for the best score Oscar. Zimmer, 64, has received 14 nominations for his scores, winning once (The Lion King). Britell, 41,
Maggie Gyllenhaal
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DIRECTOR Steven Spielberg, West Side Story. Spielberg has been nominated for best director for at least one film in each of the last six decades (1970s through 2010s).
a senior adviser to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign. His wife, Ohio native Emily Lipp Sirota, 43, is a Colorado state senator. By the way, Sirota is not a Sephardi name, as I long thought. It is Ashkenazi— and derives from a Slavic word for “orphan.”
BY MONTCLAIR FILM
of adoption agency policies. Stewart is engaged to marry screenwriter Dina Meyer, the daughter of novelist, screenwriter and director Nicholas Meyer, 76. He’s best known for writing three Star Trek movies and adapting two Philip Roth novels for the screen. I don’t believe Dina’s mother is Jewish.
Diane Warren
which is now streaming on Netflix. His wife, Bonni Cohen, is also a documentary maker. They co-directed and co-produced Athlete A (2020), an acclaimed Netflix film about sexual abuse of young female gymnasts by Dr. Larry Nasser, a Michigan State faculty member. Jay Rosenblatt, 66, is the director/writer of When We Were Bullies. The film follows Rosenblatt as he tracks down his fifth grade teacher and questions him about a brutal bullying incident some 50 years before. MUSICAL CATEGORIES Diane Warren, 65, for writing the original song Somehow You Do for the film Four Good Years. She has been nominated
has been nominated three times before. HONORARY OSCARS Finally, the “Honorary Oscars.” Years ago, the Honorary Oscars were moved from the “live event” to a pre-Oscar ceremonies banquet. A minute or so of taped footage of the Honorary Oscar presentations is always shown during the “live” Oscars. On March 25, Samuel Jackson, Liv Ullmann, and Elaine May, 89, received honorary Oscars. May’s award certificate said, in part: “For Elaine May’s bold, uncompromising approach to filmmaking, as a writer, director and actress.”
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Innovative Opera Detroit Opera to present La bohème in reverse. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Yuval Sharon
Aundie Marie Moore Fred Buchalter
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Brandie Inez Sutton Edward Parks
n innovation-filled local opera scene — from a production staged in a parking garage to one focused on a 21st century family — came to town in 2020 with the arrival of Yuval Sharon, who spent pre-school years in Israel. The artistic director of Detroit Opera (a recent name change from Michigan Opera Theatre) is about to present audiences with another imaginative presentation by reversing the order of acts in Puccini’s classic opera La bohème, which expresses the loves, hopes and struggles of four young bohemians. It will be presented April 2, 6 and 10 at the Detroit Opera
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House as the first mainstage production since the pandemic. “Either people will be experiencing this opera for the first time or as if it was their first time because no one has heard it this way before,” said Sharon, who developed and directs the production that ends with some dewy anticipation of tomorrow. “We’re offering a truly democratic experience of opera because everyone is on the same level for this piece.” Sharon, who divides his time as founding co-artistic director of The Industry, an experimental opera company in Los Angeles, has been thinking about the changes to La bohème for
15 years because of the musical circularity and episodic quality of the four acts, making it a less traditional narrative than other operas. Previous less traditional approaches to La bohème have been stylistic adaptations of what the opera encompasses, such as jazz pianist Dick Hyman’s version of the single piece “Musetta’s Waltz” and Jonathan Larson’s Broadway musical Rent as based on the entire opera. Sharon said he has been told that even people experiencing the opera for the first time will comment that they are familiar with some of the music. “There’s good reason why it’s the world’s most popular opera,” Sharon said. “Puccini captured the absolute essence of youth, what it means to be young and vibrant and full of hope and love. It’s hope despite the truth of what it means to be human, and doing it in reverse order, we’re actually starting with the hardest part of it, the death of Mimi. “As we’re emerging from this period of death from COVID, this is the moment to be doing this kind of treatment. There’s still not an end to the tragedy because COVID is not fully over, but we’re starting to move into hope. It’s part of what art is there to do, and that’s part of why we turn to art even in the darkest of times.” To keep the narrative cohesive in this new staging, Sharon adds a new role, The Wanderer, portrayed by George Shirley to give a spoken foundation for each act with text from the original opera source material. Others appearing in the opera include Aundi Marie Moore (Mimi), Matthew
Details
White (Rodolfo), Edward Parks (Marcello) and Brandie Inez Sutton (Musetta). Vimbayi Kaziboni, guest maestro for prestigious orchestras internationally and assistant professor of orchestral studies and contemporary music for the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, is conducting. Chorus member Fred Buchalter marks his 100th production with the company and his sixth production of La bohème. “Each of the La bohème productions has been unique but not nearly as much as this one,” said Buchalter, retired from a long on-air and production career in radio but continuing with acting and singing roles, including appearances with the Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET) and the Congregation Shaarey Zedek chorus. “It’s nice to be doing a wonderful piece like this but looking at it from a different perspective of [going back in time}. I think of my Jewish heritage because our holidays and traditions are based in history.” Some 40 years of opera experiences enter into the memoir Buchalter wrote and published during pandemic confinement: My Unexpected Life: The Extraordinary Journey of an Ordinary Man. A NEW NAME The company launched some 50 years ago as Detroit Overture to Opera, a branch of the Detroit Grand Opera Association presenting excerpted operas for educational outreach. Under the leadership of the late David DiChiera, the organization matured into a bona fide
company in 1971 and became an independent organization as Michigan Opera Theatre in 1973. “I was interested in changing the name to Detroit Opera [soon after joining the company],” said Sharon, enthusiastic about current building renovations making the hall more fully accessible. “It felt really important as I needed to get more on the ground in Detroit, have more experience with productions here and get to know the people. “My time in Detroit has been really meaningful, and it continues to remind me that this is a company of its community. That’s why it was so important that its name reflected that. It was for us to signal to our community how much we belong to the cultural fabric of this city, and when we say Detroit, we’re talking Metro Detroit. “That’s in line with how opera is seen nationally and around the world — as connected with a city. It’s also important to say, on the national stage, that we are going to be connected to Detroit as a civic center.” Sharon, who has connected personally with the Metro Detroit Jewish community as he attends services at the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, is working with Spoleto Festival USA and Boston Lyric Opera as co-producers of La bohème, “The co-producers are helping to make this production as fully realized as possible,” Sharon said. “The work happening in Detroit is going to be exported to the larger world.”
La bohème will be presented at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 2; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 6; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 10, at the Detroit Opera House. Tickets start at $29. Proof of full vaccination or a recent test, with masking, required. (313) 237-7464. Detroitopera.org.
JARC Social worker Joanne Drasnin assists Lauren, a person served by JARC with an art project.
JARC Honors Social Workers World Social Work Day was March 15, and JARC celebrated the hard work and dedication of the social workers who assist the people JARC serves. This year’s theme was “Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind.” The social work staff at JARC is no exception as they help develop trust, security and confidence in all people JARC serves. JARC salutes the values and principles of social workers who provide respect and enhance lives.
Shaarey Zedek Feeds Southfield Police
Congregation Shaarey Zedek staff, including Rabbi Aaron Starr, paid a visit to the Southfield Police Department on March 7. They were joined by board Susan Kosik Klein, Sara Rothenberg and Harold Kusnetz. The CSZ folks brought lunch to 50 staff and members of the police force as a token of their appreciation for their constant presence, protection and support at Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s many services and programs. MARCH 24 • 2022
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ARTS&LIFE CELEBRITY NEWS
Scott Wolf
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GAGE SKIDMORE
FAMILY MOVIE; RADCLIFFE KIDNAPS BULLOCK; A GODFATHER GUIDE-OF-SORTS Rescued by Ruby is an original Netflix film that was released on March 17. It’s a “feel good” movie for the whole family. It’s based on a true story. The “real” Ruby was a wayward puppy. This Australian shepherd and border collie mix ended up in a Rhode Island animal shelter because of behavior problems. Five families adopted her and then returned her. Then Dan O’Neill, a state police corporal, came to the shelter looking for a (free) search-and-rescue dog. He was taken with Ruby’s intelligence and energy. He adopted (2011) Ruby, then 8-month-old pup, and trained her. Well, you can guess that Ruby did something special to merit a lot of press — and a movie about her. I won’t spoil your viewing by telling you what she did. Grant Gustin (TV’s “Flash”) plays Dan. Scott Wolf, 43, has a big role as Dan’s
commanding officer. Wolf, who was raised in a Reform Jewish home, became well known playing star character Bailey Salinger on the hit series Party of Five (1994-2000). Wolf didn’t become a big star after Party of Five ended. But he has worked steadily. He was a series regular on The Night Shift, an NBC medical show (2014-17), and now he is a series regular on Nancy Drew, a CW series which is now airing its third season. The Lost City, which opens in theaters on March 25, stars Sandra Bullock as Loretta, a romance novelist who is kidnapped by Fairfax, an eccentric billionaire. Fairfax thinks that Loretta really knows the location of a treasure-filled lost city mentioned in a novel she wrote. Loretta’s novel has a photo of its (fictional) hero on the cover. Alan (Channing Tatum) is the handsome model whose photo was used. Alan decides to make fiction real and rescue Loretta. Brad Pitt plays a CIA agent who helps him. Daniel Radcliffe, 32, plays Fairfax. As everyone knows, Radcliffe became famous as the adolescent star of the Harry Potter movies. His adult film career hasn’t been stellar — but he’s worked steadily, and he is doing much better than many actors who become stars when they are children or teens and then fade away. Plus, Radcliffe is sitting on a “gelt pile.” His huge Potter
Daniel Radcliffe
GAGE SKIDMORE
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
paydays left him with a personal fortune of about $100 million. As I have noted before, Radcliffe is the son of an English Jewish mother and an Irish Protestant father. He identifies as Jewish, although he was raised secular and remains so. GODFATHER ANNIVERSARY As you probably heard, 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the release of first of the three Godfather films. On March 22, a box set of the trilogy was released on Blu-Ray discs (Ultra-HD, 4K). If you have a 4k TV set, you might consider buying it. Also, late in April, a mini-series about the making of the first Godfather movie will stream on Paramount+. Below is a list of Jewish actors in the first Godfather film. I’ll cover The Godfather: Part II in another column. Readers of this column know that I kvetch about non-Jews playing “very Jewish” parts — so much so that Jewish actors say they rarely, if ever, get
a Jewish part. That said, I think Italian (not Jewish) actors and Jewish actors have a special relationship. There is something about the look, culture and “body language” of these groups that is so similar that members of one group can credibly play “the other.” Plus, there seems to be a fair exchange — if you survey all major TV and movie roles — the number of Jews playing Italians is roughly equal to Italians playing Jews. Here are the Jewish actors who played Italians in The Godfather: James Caan, now 81, co-starred as Sonny Corleone. By the way, Caan ad-libbed the words “bada-bing” as he, as Sonny, talked about shooting someone. Sopranos fans know that Bada Bing was the name of a strip club run by the Soprano crime family; the late Abe Vigoda played Tessio, one of the Godfather’s two main lieutenants; the late Rudy Bond played Cuneo, a crime family head; and the late Louis Guss (who played Cher’s uncle in Moonstruck), played a Mafia leader who memorably proclaimed, at a Mafia big-wig meeting, that he would keep the drug trade in black neighborhoods. Two others of note: the late Alex Rocco, an Italian, played Jewish gangster Moe Greene and the late John Marley, who was Jewish, played the (possibly Jewish) movie executive who woke up with a horse’s head in his bed.
ON THE GO
on the court to shoot a free throw just like the pros, free Pistons souvenir item for each person in the group. Five dollars from each ticket sold will go to support the new playground project at CSZ, which the Pistons will match. Cost: $45 per CSZ member, $55 per non-member. Please register online at shaareyzedek.shulcloud.com or call 248-357-5544.
PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS
Rep. Andy Levin and Rep. Haley Stevens
CANDIDATE FORUM 3-4 PM, MARCH 24 Host: The Jewish Democratic Council of America. Issue-based Democratic Primary Candidates Forum for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. Hear from Rep. Andy Levin and Rep. Haley Stevens on issues important to Jewish Democrats. Info: mobilize.us/ jewishdems/event/445608. PASSOVER AROUND THE WORLD 7-8 PM, MARCH 24 Join with Temple Beth El’s Sisterhood and Debbie Morosohk, TBE’s director of education, to hear about some of the most unusual Passover traditions and be the first to guess what countries they come from at this fun evening of friendly competition. Virtual only-Zoom; visit tbeonline.org. COUNTRY MUSIC 8 PM, MARCH 24 At The Ark in Ann Arbor: the Cactus Blossoms. Tickets: $20. Gorgeous guitar tones and an alternative twist to a vintage country sound. Info: theark.org. SOULFUL YOGA 10 AM, MARCH 27 Adat Shalom Synagogue
invites you to join Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch, director of spiritual care, and yoga instructor Mindy Eisenberg. Connect body and soul as they apply the wisdom of Torah to the gentle practice of yoga. No yoga experience is necessary. Free. For info: adatshalom.org or 248-8515100. MEDITATION & MINDFULNESS 9:30 AM, MARCH 27 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites adults of all ages to join Rabbi Aaron Bergman and Hazzan Daniel Gross for a class designed to help individuals find their internal spirituality, realize how Judaism can make them happier and prepare for Pesach. The community is welcome. Free. Next sessions: April 3 & 24. Info: 248851-5100 or visit adatshalom. org.
person. A link to purchase tickets and details regarding the service project will be emailed upon registration: temple-israel.org/event/ pistonsfamilynight. CSZ + THE PISTONS 2 PM, MARCH 27 At Little Caesars Arena. 2 p.m. exclusive CSZ PreGame Reception; 3:30 p.m. game time. The reception will feature CSZ member and Pistons executive Arn Tellem, who will answer questions about his career and what it is like to help run an NBA team. Great seats mid-court on the mezzanine, an opportunity to go
JEWISH HERITAGE DAY 3:30-6:30 PM, MARCH 27 Hosted for young adults by The Well, Hillel of Metro Detroit and Jewish Federation NEXTGen Detroit at Little Caesars Arena, 2645 Woodward, Detroit. Cost: $25. A block of tickets has been reserved exclusively to enjoy the Pistons’ Jewish Heritage Day. A variety of food and beverage selections will be available for purchase, and kosher snack options will be available as well. All participants will receive a Jewish Heritage Day T-shirt and have an opportunity to take a shot on the court after the game. Register: jlive.app/ events/1823. GUN VIOLENCE 2 PM, MARCH 28 Join Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee and continued on page 54
Cactus Blossoms
COMMUNITY SERVICE + PISTONS 1-7 PM, MARCH 27 Join Temple Israel clergy for a special afternoon of community service and Pistons basketball. Meet at 1 pm for a family community service project followed by watching the Detroit Pistons take on the New York Knicks. Special ticket price of $36 per MARCH 24 • 2022
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National Council for Jewish Women for a virtual discussion with Michigan Sen. Rosemary Bayer. During “The State of Gun Violence Prevention – Past, Present and Future,” Bayer will discuss the shooting at Oxford High School, which is in her district, and its implications in Michigan, Red Flag laws and more as it relates to gun violence and its prevention. To register: jcrcajc.org/events. TO HEALING 7:30 – 8:30 PM, MARCH 29 We’ve been through challenging times in the last two years. In order to move into our “next normal,” we need to unpack some of that trauma, share our experiences and learn from them. In doing so, we become more resilient. Join this Zoom presentation designed to get us talking and taking our next steps toward healing. Facilitated by Jewish Family Service’s Lynn Breuer, LMSW CDP. Register at bnaimoshe.org. HATE ON TRIAL 7:30 PM, MARCH 30 Presented online by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America: “The Charlottesville Case.” Roberta Kaplan, Risa Goluboff and Alan Levine, key participants in and analysts of the trial, will discuss the innovative legal strategy used, related issues of constitutional law, and how the case’s outcome showed that antisemitic and other hate groups can successfully be fought in court. Info: jtsa.edu. FJA PRESENTS 7:30 PM, MARCH 30 & 31 At the Berman Performing Arts Center in West Bloomfield: Alice in
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Wonderland. This Prince Street Players version is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). Ticket info: jccdet. scctix.com; 248-4066677. FRANKEL CENTER EVENT NOON-1:30 PM, MARCH 31 The University of Michigan Frankel Center for Judaic Studies will present an online discussion: “Religion and Critical Theory: Muhammad Iqbal and Walter Benjamin.” This lecture in collaboration with the Jewish-Muslim Research Network will seek to explore that question by looking at the concepts of time, history and human agency in the thought of two 20th-century thinkers, one Muslim and one Jewish. Advanced registration is required: myumi.ch/ Ek8AM. DISPATCHES FROM ISRAEL 7 PM, MARCH 31 At the Windsor JCC, 1641 Ouellette Ave. Yaron Deckel is the newly appointed Regional Director to Canada for the Jewish Agency for Israel. He is one of Israel’s most seasoned journalists, having interviewed numerous world leaders and served as CEO and editor-in-chief of Galei Tzahal, the official radio station of the Israeli army. He is also the creator of several TV documentaries exploring the lives of Israeli expatriates in North America and Jewish identity in North America. Info: jewishwindsor.app. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews. com.
the exchange community bulletin board | professional services
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SPOTLIGHT
David T. Fischer, former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, and John Rakolta Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, will visit OU on March 29 to discuss the Abraham Accords.
Danny Bagdade, Doris Rubenstein, and Elissa Kass Kline were all smiles at the 2017 reunion for the Mumford Class of 1967.
Mumford 1967 Class Plans Reunion Building on the successful 50th anniversary celebration in 2017, the Mumford Class of 1967 Reunion Committee is putting final touches on plans for a 55th anniversary reunion. The activities will take place from Aug. 4-7, 2022. Among the planning committee members are Elissa Kass Kline and Danny Kline, Michael Shewach, Doris Rubenstein, Sharon Moss Lebovic, and Marilyn Warren Bowerman. Other committee members are Rosalind Young Dunlap, Rita Rankin Willis, Sylvia White Elliott, Stevetta Johnson and Camille Cichy. The Committee has opened the reunion to anyone from the classes of 1966-1968. In addition, those who started their secondary education at Mumford, but graduated from other high schools are encouraged to be part of the festivities. Anyone who graduated from a “feeder school” in 1963-65 are welcome, even if they never attended Mumford. Those feeder schools include MacDowell, Schulze, Bagley,
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Pasteur, Higgenbotham, Post, Hampton, etc. “We know that many of those who graduated from other schools were often dragged away from Mumford kicking and screaming!” jokes Doris Rubenstein, who is tasked with locating such “lost classmates.” Various indoor and outdoor activities are included in the official reunion calendar, including tickets to a Detroit Tigers baseball game and a dinner dance on an excursion boat on the Detroit River. Smaller groups from the various feeder schools are welcome to create their own events in between official activities. Readers who know of other members of the Class of ’67 are encouraged to contact them and share registration information. Most registration materials will be sent via email. Mumford ’67 grads wishing to receive registration forms should contact Doris Rubenstein at theonlydoris@ hotmail.com
Former U.S. Ambassadors to Visit OU to Talk About the Abraham Accords Join Oakland University’s Center for Civic Engagement and Cis Maisel Center for Judaic Studies and Community Engagement for a conversation with two former U.S. Ambassadors about prospects for peace in the Middle East. “The Abraham Accords: Will They Bring Peace to the Middle East?” will take place from 7-8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, in Ballrooms A & B inside the Oakland Center. “The complex politics of the Middle East, especially those with Israel and its neighbors, are important to understand,” said Michael Pytlik, director of Jewish Studies at Oakland University. “We are fortunate to have two former ambassadors in our community who will help us understand the Abraham Accords.” The Abraham Accords are a series of treaties normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco, facilitated by the U.S. Administration between August and December 2020. In the span of five short months, these
four Arab states joined Egypt and Jordan in making peace with Israel. “The Accords have produced peace between Israel and some Gulf states, and this process has extended to improved relations and ties between Morocco and Sudan with Israel,” Pytlik said. “In areas of politics and economics and trade, the Accords have provided a roadmap toward further implementation.” David T. Fischer, former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, and John Rakolta Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, will visit Oakland University to discuss how the agreements came about, what they have meant for the peace process and what the future may hold in the region. The discussion will be moderated by Carol Cain from WWJ-TV and the Detroit Free Press. In addition, all attendees will have an opportunity to submit a question for the ambassadors. The event is free, but registration is required at https:// tinyurl.com/4c9yur4k.
OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
PHYLLIS T. BLAU, 82, formerly of Detroit, died March 13, 2022, in Paoli, Pa. She is survived by many cousins and friends. Ms. Blau was the daughter of the late Saul and the late Fanny Blau; sister of the late Loretta and the late Kenny. Interment was in Los Angeles, Calif. Contributions may be made to organizations that benefit Jewish people in the U.S. or Israel. TERRY T. BROWN, 73, passed away on March 13, 2022. Interviewer of singer Peggy Lee when he was a teenager, friend of jazz musician Al Hirt, and bridge opponent (one time at a national tournament) of Warren Buffet — Terry T. Brown has held an interesting life. He grew up in Indiana, spent most of his life in Metro Detroit and moved to Las Cruces, New Mexico, in retirement. A longtime Detroit-area radio broadcaster, on WWJ Newsradio 950 and many others, Terry was a lifetime communicator. His lengthy career in public relations and marketing in Michigan included stints at Stone August Baker, J. Walter Thompson and Ford Motor Company. He was part of the creative team that launched the first global commercial (recognized in the Guinness Book of Records), featuring teen opera star Charlotte Church, for Ford Motor Company, in 1999. Always writing, he had more than 3,000 articles published in news media. He
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During the coming week, Kaddish will be said for these departed souls during the daily minyan at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. Your support of the Torah learning of our children and our Kollel’s Torah Scholars brings immeasurable heavenly merit. Please call us at 248-557-6750 for more information.
24 Adar II March 27 Sadie Bauman Ida Mickelson Larry Posner Jacob Z. Welner 25 Adar II March 28 Celia Bresler Alex Goldberg David Heisler Sarah Kaplan Robert Levin Morris I. Medow Fannie Steinberg 26 Adar II March 29 Rebecca Abel Isaac August Morris Balansoff Leizer Dzodin Nathan Grunt Max Newman Yetta Weinstein 27 Adar II March 30 Frances Cutler Samuel E. Gottlieb
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Goldie A. Delidow Mary Ernstein Abraham Holcman Jean Kaplan Lillian Pitkowsky Herman Schultz Sarah Sherwin Louis Shoskes Minnie Shrager Hannah Usher 1 Nisan April 2 Lea Ferrer Louis Gladstone Anne Katkowsky Salomon Marx Dr Charles Ornstein Bertha Palman Annie Sarko Harvey Phillip Sherman Sara Siegel Rose Smith Morris Snyder Sam Turkel
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OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 57
had a regular entertainment column for many years, “Around the Town with Terry T. Brown”, in the Royal Oak Tribune. He published a novella and a book of poetry, and could write a limerick on any topic in minutes. He was an accomplished bridge player, a Gold Life Master, playing in clubs in Michigan and New Mexico, as well as national tournaments. He also loved to play hearts at an annual gathering of friends of 50-plus years. Terry was a music lover, playing dobro and steel guitar, as well as piano and bass guitar, over the years. He was a Kentucky Colonel, a three-cushion billiard player and always loved to cook (famous for his latkes!) Terry was a longtime member of Congregation Beth Shalom of Oak Park, a part of its lay leadership, and on the beit din, working closely with Rabbi David Nelson. He was one of the founders and leaders of the synagogue Boy Scout troop. He was also a member of the chaplaincy team at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak for 10 years. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Sally Ann Brown; son, Peter RobinsBrown (Veronique); stepsons, Colin Mattson (Allison) and Evan Mattson (Yevgenya Lavrovskaya); and three grandchildren. His brother, Tim, predeceased him. A private family burial has taken place in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be made to
Louisiana Progress (www. louisianaprogress.org), the Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splccenter.org) or to a charity of one’s choice. DR. VICTOR GORDON, 92, of Franklin, died March 12, 2022. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin, friend and healer. He leaves a legacy of kindness, compassion and love. Mr. Gordon is survived by his adored wife of nearly 68 years, Beverly Gordon; his sons, David Gordon and Jeffrey Gordon; daughter, Suzanne Gordon. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, to the Wounded Warrior Project or to the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. MARILYN GUSS, 80, of West Bloomfield, died March 13, 2022. She is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law, Marvin Guss and Laura Bendikas of Chicago, Ill., Howard Guss of West Bloomfield, Jeffrey Guss of Chicago; she is also survived by Sanford and Adrienne Guss. Mrs. Gus was the loving daughter of the late Barney and the late Hermina Forman; dear sister of the late Sharon Rose. Contributions may be made to ASPCA, aspca.
org; or Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322. A funeral service took place at Hebrew Memorial Chapel. Interment was held at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. DR. BERNARD KOLE, 62, of West Bloomfield, died March 12, 2022. He was a physician, a professor, a friend, a colleague and an all-around mensch. His life’s work was caring for others and giving of himself to those who needed it most. He cared for so many without hesitation or expectation of recognition or thanks. Dr. Kole always took an interest in caring for the
underserved and most downtrodden in the community. His reach in the lives of those he loved and cared for was far and his touch deep. He led an extraordinary life of service, kindness and selflessness. His family was his greatest joy in life. His wife and children will be his everlasting legacy. He is survived by his wife of 35½ years, Linda Otis Kole; sons, David Kole of West Bloomfield, Samuel Kole, also of West Bloomfield; daughter, Elizabeth Kole of Birmingham; brother-in-law, Dr. Lyle Sklar; nieces and nephews, Jennifer and Brandon Wildermuth, Andrew Sklar, Stephanie Sklar; great-nephew, Skyler Wildermuth; great-niece, Isla Wildermuth; many dear friends and patients. Dr. Kole was the loving son of the late Betty and the late Abe Kole; brother of the late
Irwin Kole; brother-in-law of the late Sheila Sklar; son-inlaw of the late Rose and the late Irvin Otis. Contributions may be made to a fund in Dr. Kole’s memory at Friendship Circle, 6892 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or Kole-Otis-SklarFamilies Early Education Fund, c/o Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323. A graveside service was held at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. DR. JERRY LESSON, 88, of West Bloomfield, died March 14, 2022. He is survived c. 2002 by his sons and daughters-in-law, Jeffrey and Jennifer Lesson, Kenneth
and Susan Lesson, Randy and Lauren Lesson; daughter and son-in-law, Dana and Jay Zemmol; grandchildren, Ryan (fiancée, Theresa), Jamie, Jordan, Corey, Joshua and Jillian Lesson, Zackary and Zoey Zemmol; sister, Brenda Karr; many loving nieces, nephews other family members and friends. Mr. Lesson was beloved husband of the late Joan Lesson; the brother-in-law of the late Edward Simon, the late Marjorie Kaufman, the late Stanley Simon, the late Martie Karr. Interment took place at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to Aish Detroit, Yeshiva Beth Yehudah or to the Alzheimer’s Association. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. continued on page 60
Serving each family. Consoling each heart. For 105 years.
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OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 59
HOWARD PIKSTEIN, 66, of Northville, died March 14, 2022. He was raised in Oak Park. He helped develop the baggage conveyor system at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. Professionally, Howie worked in IT program management. He was employed by the Ford Motor Company for many years. Howie played Beaver Softball for more than 40 years and his number will be retired. He enjoyed ski trips and vacations to Oscoda with the family. He was a Michigan graduate and an ardent U-M sports fan. Howie leaves Drew, his beloved wife of 26 years. He
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was the devoted father of Casey (Natalie) Jentzen; proud zaydie of Cameron and Noah. Howie’s father, Herman, died at a young age. It was then his mother Helen’s determination and values that nurtured the lifelong bond between Howie and his two siblings: sister, Rochelle (Ron) Siegel, and brother, Marty (Laura). He will be missed by nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends. A memorial service will be held this summer when Marty and Laura can return from China. Donations can be made to the American Heart Association.
BELLA RUBEN, 94, of West Bloomfield, died March 16, 2022. She graduated from Central High School in Detroit and advanced two years at Wayne State University, pursuing a teaching degree. Bella met Charles Ruben in McKenzie Hall in her second year and life changed. They were married for more than 60 years. After briefly working for the federal government, she was the consummate homemaker and highly active in the community as well as a bridge player aficionado. A lifelong member of Congregation B’nai Moshe, Mrs. Ruben was president of the sisterhood, president of the local Morgenthau Women’s Chapter and state-wide president of Michigan B’nai B’rith Women. She inspired development and implementation of Hillel
houses across Michigan college campuses. She also coordinated and spearheaded endless officer installations, Jewish programs and charities. Mrs. Ruben was exceptionally astute at selling cosmetics in local malls for more than 10 years. Her unabated energy and youthfulness made her a paragon of hope, optimism and resilience. But it was her contagious smile that melted the hearts of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, earning her the reverent nickname “Maimie.” She was her husband Charles’ sunshine and respected matriarch of the Ruben family. Together, Bella and Chuck enjoyed winters for 20 years in their Boca Raton condo. Bella found similar solace in her apartment at Meer. The family is thankful for her infinite wisdom on happiness and values on a good marriage
and family. Her legacy of perseverance and leadership will endure through the achievements of her survivors. Mrs. Ruben was the beloved wife of the late Charles Ruben; cherished mother of the late Ellyce (Dr. Stephen) Field, Dr. Nancy (J.T.) Turner and Dr. Douglas (Arlene) Ruben; proud grandmother of Jordan (Marjorie) Field, Andrew Field, Dr. Garrett (Nayomi) Field, Michael (Rochelle) Ruben, Jennifer (Adam) Zillins and Jeffrey Macciomei; great-grandmother of Logan Field, Dylan Field, Sophia Field, Dalia Field, Brayden Ruben, Frank Zillins and Isaac Zillins; devoted daughter of the late Morton and the late Hilda Freedman; sister of the late Joseph Freedman. Interment was at Oakview Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Congregation B’nai Moshe, 6800 Drake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, bnaimoshe.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ROSALYN RUBIN, 94, of West Bloomfield, died, March 15, 2022. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Linda and Elliott Gorov, Julie and Dr. Michael Savin; sons and daughters-in-law, Bruce and Dorothy Rubin, Dr. William and Karen Rubin; loving grandchildren, Carrie (Eric) Bourget, Jamie (Jeff) VanderWal, Dr. Emily (Gabe) Plaza, Hannah Rubin, Nathan Rubin (fiancée, Fallon), Marshall (Andra) Rubin, Spencer (Tiara) Rubin, Ethan Rubin (fiancée, Jaime), Dr. Jeffrey Savin, Kimberly Savin; great-grandchildren, Charlie and George Bourget, Alexandra and Samantha VanderWal, Brenton and Elaira Rubin, Raya and Zoey Plaza; brother, Dr. Irving Friedman; sister-in-law, Annette Friedman; devoted caregiver, Juanita; many loving nieces,
nephews, other family members and friends. Mrs. Rubin was beloved wife of the late Morris Rubin; the sister-in-law of the late Honey Friedman; sister of the late Dr. Lee Friedman; sister-in-law of the late Ralph and Yetta Epstein, and Harold and Ann Bogrow. Interment took place at Oakview Cemetery in Royal Oak. Contributions may be made to Jewish Senior Life, Hospice of Michigan, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel DR. ALLEN WEISS, 94, of Bloomfield Hills, died March 15, 2022. He is survived by his daughter, Cathy Sparling; sons and daughters-in-law, Steve Weiss and Karen Ring, and Scott Weiss and Marci Bakst; grandchildren, Ben and Abby Sparling, Adam and Rebecca Sparling, Alexandra and Shane Jarmin, Monica Weiss, Jake Weiss, Mitch Weiss and his fiancee, Jaime Falco, Brad Weiss, Danny Weiss and Eric Weiss; six great-grandchildren; loving companion, Estelle Robinson. Dr. Weiss was the beloved husband for 60 years of the late Marilyn Weiss; the loving brother of the late Shirley Finkel, the late Seymour Weiss, the late Jack Weiss and the late Herbert Weiss; the devoted son of the late Samuel Weiss and the late Lilly Weiss. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Oral Surgery Fund-363537, 3003 S. State St., Suite 9000, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; or The Ros1ders, 1721 Eastern Ave., Suite 19, Sacramento, CA 95864, theros1ders.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
Haredi Orthodox Rabbi Known as ‘Prince of Torah,’ Dies at 94 SHIRA HANAU JTA
Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, the powerful leader of Israel’s haredi Orthodox community who was known as the “Prince of Torah,” has died. Kanievsky was 94 and died after collapsing at his home in Bnei Brak, the center of haredi life in Israel where he was regarded with reverence. The son of a major rabbi with familial connections to numerous famed rabbinic dynasties, Kanievsky seemed to be destined for a position of power from a young age. But the scholarly rabbi rose to new heights during the coronavirus pandemic as Israel’s government struggled to contend with numerous outbreaks in the haredi Orthodox community. Kanievsky, whose words were mediated through his grandsons, became a key leader in persuading haredi Orthodox Israelis to comply with government lockdowns. “They see him as a holy man,” Eli Paley, the chairman of the Haredi Institute for Public Affairs, a Jerusalem-based research group, told the New York Times. “They see their existence as relying on Rabbi Chaim and his Torah learning.” Born in Poland in 1928 into a family of well-known rabbis, Kanievsky began studying as a young boy in Bnei Brak at the yeshiva of his uncle, Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, then one of the most important Jewish legal authorities in Israel. Kanievsky, who spent most of his life in Bnei Brak, departed from yeshiva life only briefly, when he served in the Israeli army during the country’s war of independence. He became a major authority on all matters of Jewish law, authoring several
books of Jewish legal writings. “He’s isolated from everyone, from social life, just him and the Talmud,” Sara Zalcberg, a professor at Tel Aviv University who studies Israeli haredim, said of Kanievsky, who was known to seclude himself in his study with his Talmud for most of the day. For years, Kanievsky would answer dozens, if not hundreds, of Jewish legal questions via small postcards on which he would inscribe his answers in tiny handwriting. He would also receive visitors in his home who would seek his guidance on areas of Jewish law and with questions about all aspects of their lives. After the 2017 death of Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, Kanievsky became the preeminent leader of Israel’s non-Hasidic haredi Orthodox community, taking on a more political role in addition to his status as an authority on matters of Jewish law. In October 2020, Kanievsky tested positive for COVID-19 but recovered and resumed public life. After vaccines became available, Kanievsky broke with some in his community by urging widespread vaccination. He received death threats in late 2021 after opining that children should be vaccinated against the virus. Kanievsky was largely considered a moderate on matters of Jewish law, according to Zalcberg; in 2016, for example, he ruled that medical marijuana was kosher for Passover. Kanievsky’s wife and the mother of his eight children, Batsheva, died in 2011. He was to be buried March 20. MARCH 24 • 2022
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Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org
Happy Women’s History Month
T
his month, we celebrate the achievements of women in America. Since 1995, U.S. presidents have declared March as Women’s History Month, and March 8 as International Women’s Day. Mike Smith This month also Alene and Graham Landau marks the 100th Archivist Chair year anniversary of the first bat mitzvah in the United States. I decided to explore the topic of local Women’s Days in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. Beyond a celebratory day, the evidence of women’s progress over the last hundred years is readily apparent as one reads the reports and stories in the JN and Jewish Chronicle. This is not to say that there isn’t more work to be done toward gender equality, but the role of women, especially since the 1960s and 1970s, has been radically transformed in America and Jewish
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Detroit. Women have increasingly entered the public arena as leaders in politics, civic and communal organizations, and religion. The first widely recognized day to celebrate women was National Woman’s Day in 1909. It was subsequently designated International Woman’s Day and later became International Women’s Day. Moreover, according to recent research, it was a Jewish woman who proposed the idea that holds until today. Russian-born Theresa Malkiel was a Jewish labor activist in New York City. She had immigrated to America with her family in 1891 and began working in the city’s garment industry. It was an era of low pay, long hours, dangerous work and few protections for workers. The worst example of such abysmal working conditions was witnessed in 1911. That year, the famous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory experienced a massive fire that killed 146 people including 123 women
and girls who had been locked into their work area by the factory bosses. Malkiel became an activist, educator, writer and vocal proponent for women’s equality and suffrage. In 1909, she proposed the first National Woman’s Day. It grew into a globally celebrated event long before the United Nations adopted International Women’s Day (IWD) in 1977. The Davidson Archive holds some reports about IWD celebrations in Jewish Detroit. Early announcements, for example, cite the Pioneer Women’s Organization holding celebrations of IWD in the 1940s. What I really found interesting, however, were the various other Women’s Days held by local Jewish organizations. The Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University, in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit and Congregation Shaarey Zedek, held a Jewish Women’s Day of Learning in
2016. The keynote speaker was Rabbi Carole Balin. A female rabbi is also an example of women’s progress (May 5, 2016, JN). This event followed many years of Federation-sponsored Women’s Day of Learning events in the 1990s and 2000s — with many partners, such as the JN. I also enjoyed the Women’s Day announcement from Fiddler International Dining on Orchard Lake Road in March 2001. In a celebration dedicated to IWD, the Fiddler sponsored a female voice contest where diners could vote for their favorite singer (March 2, 2001, JN). My wife, Pam, tells me that “every day is a woman’s day.” I believe her, of course (could I do otherwise?). The proof of this is in the Davidson Archives. Happy Women’s History Month. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.
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