DJN November 11, 2021 by The Detroit Jewish News

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200 Nov. 11-17, 2021 / 7-13 Kislev 5782

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‘Thank You for Your Service’ Jewish War Veterans work to pay tribute to those who fought for our freedom. See page 12

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contents Nov. 11-17, 2021 / 7-13 Kislev 5782 | VOLUME CLX, ISSUE 14

44 PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10

Essays and viewpoints.

OUR COMMUNITY 11

A Jewish Presence in Dearborn

Couple start a new congregation at their retirement village.

SPORTS

‘Thank You for Your Service’

Meet Israel’s New Consul General to the Midwest

Jewish War Veterans work to pay tribute to those who fought for our freedom.

Yinam Cohen has his eye on MichiganIsrael business opportunities.

Frontline Help for COVID

Hatzalah of Michigan works to help patients access appropriate treatment.

Bail Denied

Danny Fenster faces new charges in Myanmar.

Ann Arbor Federation Celebrates 2022 Annual Community Campaign

Israeli Knesset Member Alon Tal joins in the festivities via Zoom.

A Wall in Detroit

Reporter Erin Einhorn explains how Jewish people benefited from racist housing policies of the past.

23 Menorah in the D Is Back In-Person

People can choose to attend in-person or virtually.

Silver Anniversary

Rabbi Michael Moskowitz celebrates 25 years at Temple Shir Shalom.

BUSINESS 26

‘Three Shmears’ for Mannie’s

For 18 years, Mannie’s Bagel and Delicatessen has fed the Lake Orion community.

Fearless Freshman

FOOD 30

Sassy Sides

Update your Thanksgiving menu with new veggie dishes.

GIFT GUIDE

Books for Chanukah

A batch of Jewish-themed tomes to delight and teach children.

Time to Get the Toys

Shop early this year to get the perfect toy at Toyology.

Special Deliveries for Chanukah

Avery Gach proved he belonged on the Birmingham Groves offensive line.

Paula and Randy Slof offer the perfect ekuBOX.

ARTS & LIFE 58

Six Feet Apart

Lynne Avadenka’s collaborative book project themed around the idea of ‘four cubits’ wins award.

60 Celebrity News

EVENTS 61

Community Calendar

ETC.

The Exchange 62 Obituaries 64 Looking Back 70

44 DeLIGHTful

Chanukiahs crafted from found objects help the artist create a connection to families, the community and Judaism from home.

Star Power

Jeweler Marcy Feldman’s Star of David necklace is a must-have symbol of pride.

48 Holiday Gift & Dining Guide Listings

MAZEL TOV 50 Moments

SPIRIT 51 52 54 56

Torah portion Light in Dark Times The Importance of Having a Vision Synagogue Directory

Shabbat Lights

Shabbat starts: Friday, Nov. 12: 4:55 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, Nov. 13: 5:57 p.m. * Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

ON THE COVER: Cover Art: Rendering of Phase 1 of The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial. Courtesy of Moiseev-Gordon & Associates Inc. Cover design: Kelly Kosek

thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY commentary

Israel’s Climate Crisis: An Opportunity to Improve

Trash on an Israeli beach, from a presentation by MK Miki Haimovich during a Knesset Interior Affairs and Environment Committee meeting on waste, June 2, 2020.

s the world’s leaders gathered in Glasgow last week to set new international standards for addressing the climate crisis, the report from the state comptroller here in Israel — which revealed the country’s lack of preparedness for the crisis — continues to Yohanan reverberate and Plesner remind us that the “startup nation” is far from the forefront of global efforts when it comes to the climate. The scientific community is in agreement that it is now too late for humankind to avert the climate crisis. All that remains now is to minimize the expected damage. States that do not adapt will simply be left behind. This is the proper context in which to examine and assess the government’s new initiatives, led by the Ministries of Finance and Environmental Protection, to influence the behavior of consumers and corporations so as to reduce carbon emissions and environmental damage. Important steps have been taken in this direction. At the

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

initiative of Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman, the government recently adopted plans for a carbon tax, which will gradually come into effect beginning in 2023. Once the real costs to the economy of emissions and pollution are taken into account and charged to those responsible for them, this may spur companies to adopt cleaner technologies or to refrain from polluting activities. As most of Israel’s economic activity is based on exports, companies that fail to adapt will, in any case, have to pay similar taxes to the treasuries of other states. Clearly, local industry should be given time to prepare, and taxes should be imposed on products from industries in countries that do not institute similar reforms, so as not to discriminate against local production. But overall, this is a welcome advance, despite falling under the category of “new taxation.” Another and no less important reform is the congestion charge set to be introduced in 2025, which will incentivize the use of public transport instead of private vehicles. A report published by the Israel

Democracy Institute, which was prepared this year by Professor Natan Sussman and a group of researchers, finds that “the main consumer of energy in Israel, and particularly of polluting energy from fossil fuels, is the transport sector, followed by industry.” Consequently, the report states that improving the efficiency of transport, and electrifying it, using renewable energy, can be expected to have the greatest impact on reducing emissions. Thus, it is essential that government policy will ensure maximum availability of transport solutions and will promote urban planning that encourages walking and using bicycles, alongside financial disincentives for private car use. In this context, the purchasing tax on disposable tableware containing plastic has attracted criticism due to its disproportionate impact on families from lower socioeconomic brackets who are more likely to use paper and plastic tableware. It is important to note that this is not a tax created to extract more resources from struggling families, but an economic incentive designed to change behaviors and purchas-

ing patterns. Israel is a small, crowded and polluted country, exceptionally so relative to the rest of the world. If current trends are not changed, this situation will only deteriorate until life in public spaces becomes unbearable. Around 90% of pollution on Israel’s beaches comes from plastic waste. Thus, instead of using a hard regulation approach and banning sales outright, it is perfectly reasonable to apply the principle of making the polluters pay the real costs of the results of their actions. Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, which arrived suddenly and brought the entire world to a halt, the climate crisis is here to stay. This is a real and threatening crisis that demands significant changes in public behavior, the economy and public policy. It is true that some of the steps needed may have an unequal impact on different segments of the population, and that the more vulnerable groups may suffer in the short term. But this suffering can be mitigated by complementary policy actions. The climate crisis is also an opportunity, and by taking the right actions, we can foster growth and create jobs of the future that will raise employment rates. By the same token, failing to act methodically against the crisis will result in even greater damage to the entire population, and particularly to the most vulnerable. The early policy decisions taken in this area are the first steps in the right direction, placing us on a path that will support low-carbon and sustainable economic growth. Yohanan Plesner is president of the Israel Democracy Institute. He served as a Member of Knesset for the Kadima party from 2007–2013. He lives in Hod HaSharon with his wife and four daughters.

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PURELY COMMENTARY essay

ewish entrepreneurs first settled in Tulsa, Okla., in 1902, once known as the “oil capital of the world.” Although the Tulsa Jewish community only has an estimated 1,800 members today, several Jewish families amassed fortunes in oil and gas, resulting Dan Brotman in the city being home to some of the Jewish world’s most recognizable philanthropists, including the Kaiser, Schusterman and Zarrow families.

Among these three Jewish families alone, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually on services throughout the city, plugging the holes of significant state budget cuts and limited public services. I’ve been told that Tulsa is possibly the most philanthropic city per capita in the country, and that Jewish philanthropists fund close to half of all social services in the city. Both Tulsa’s United Way and Tulsa’s Community Foundation are the second largest in the country, which says a lot for a mediumsize city. In 2016, businessmen David

Finer and David Charney convened a few friends and decided that the Tulsa Jewish community needed to take proactive steps to reverse its demographic decline. The group calls itself “The Guerillas” and decided to tackle the community’s demographic challenge by founding an independent organization called Tulsa Tomorrow. Tulsa Tomorrow’s mission is to create curated experiences

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Philanthropist George Kaiser giving the Tulsa Tomorrow group a private tour of The Gathering Place

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NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

COURTESY OF DAN BROTMAN

Tulsa Shows Us How to Attract New Jewish Residents and opportunities for people looking at Tulsa as a place to move, grow and connect with a Jewish community. Since 2017, Tulsa Tomorrow has assisted with the relocation of 50 Jewish young adults from throughout the world and is continuing to attract new arrivals to the city through curated weekends that bring together prospective transplants to see in just three days what the city and its Jewish

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GIVING PLEDGE George Kaiser, the child of Jewish refugees who fled Nazi Germany, is one of the wealthiest Oklahomans. Both Kaiser and Lynn Schusterman are signatories of the Giving Pledge, where philanthropists commit to giving away half

COURTESY OF DAN BROTMAN

community have to offer. I recently attended Tulsa Tomorrow’s fifth-such weekend as an observer, as Windsor is in the process of launching its own newcomer program. I was joined by 15 young professionals from geographically disparate locations, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Buenos Aires. The participants’ professions were as varied as their geography, and our group included a rabbi, software engineer, closed caption writer, university student and clinical psychologists. Their motivation to move also varied, but some admitted to experiencing “pandemic flux syndrome,” which authors Amy Cuddy and JillEllyn Riley describe as “a desire to drastically change something about their lives” following the collective pandemic-induced trauma of the past year and a half. Participants from New York and California were especially drawn to Tulsa’s affordable cost of living, which, according to Rocket Homes, is 14.8% below the U.S. average, making it the second most affordable big city in the country. It also doesn’t hurt that Tulsa has 227 days of sunshine a year. The majority of the millennial participants I met had previously relocated in the past and were not daunted by the prospect of moving again.

Windsor Jewish Federation’s Dan Brotman and Richie Kamen in Greenwood, the former district known as “Black Wall Street” prior to the 1921 Tulsa Massacre of Black residents by white rioters.

of their wealth for charitable purposes. The George Kaiser Family Foundation is a supporter of both Tulsa Tomorrow and established Tulsa Remote, which provides $10,000 grants and free co-working space to remote workers of all backgrounds from outside the state who relocate to Tulsa for at least a year. Research has shown that the amount that transplants pay in sales tax alone during their first year in Tulsa exceeds the investment made in their relocation. To-date, Tulsa Remote has helped 1,200 professionals relocate, boasting a retention rate of 82.5%. George Kaiser gave our group of prospective newcomers a private tour of the Gathering Place, an interactive, 64-acre green space he spearheaded that cost $465 million to build on the city’s iconic waterfront along the Arkansas River. Time Magazine listed the Gathering Place on its “Greatest Places of 2019” list, and it was named “the best city park in

the country” by USA Today Readers’ Choice 2021. It also happens to be the largest private gift to a community park in the country. FULL INFRASTRUCTURE The Tulsa Jewish community made it clear that it is ready to welcome newcomers and make their move a success, from helping arrivals find employment to getting new business ventures off the ground. Our group was hosted at community members’ homes for Shabbat dinner and Havdalah, and we were warmly welcomed into its communal institutions, including synagogues, Federation, JCC, art and Holocaust museums, Jewish day schools and a seniors’ home. For such a small Jewish community, Tulsa has an abundance of communal infrastructure; it just needs more new members. Although Tulsa’s circumstances are unique to a region powered by the energy sector, the main lesson I took

away is applicable to Metro Detroit or any other Jewish community looking to grow: There is a growing number of untethered, locationindependent young adults throughout the world living in overpriced, overcrowded cities. Suddenly able to work from anywhere, they are looking to relocate for a higher quality of life and are craving community and connections. Detroit and Windsor offer some of the most affordable housing in their respective countries, and both have Jewish communities that have experienced demographic decline following the diminishing fortunes of the automotive industry. If our home cities and Jewish communities start proactively marketing what we have to offer to millennials on the move, we have a high chance of infusing our communities with muchneeded new members. Dan Brotman is the executive director of the Windsor Jewish Federation & Community Centre. He writes in his personal capacity. NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY opinion

Israel Should Not Let the U.S. Reopen its Palestinian Consulate in Jerusalem

A PALTRY OFFER This brings us to the apparent U.S. offer. Its paltriness is as breathtaking as it is insulting. As the Globes article noted, Israel and Saudi Arabia already conduct economic exchanges, including trade deals through Abraham Accords partners the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Israel also reportedly has enjoyed strong security ties with Saudi Arabia for the past several years, which have benefited both nations. The Globes article reported that Saudi participation in the Abraham Accords, which involve full normalization of economic and diplomatic ties between Israel and the participating Arab states, is not on the table. To date, Saudi King Salman has opposed joining the Abraham Accords directly. At the same time, he permitted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) to play a key role in designing them and shepherding them forward. While King Salman is not expected to change his position, while Donald Trump was president, most observers believed that MBS would bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords and fully normalize Saudi ties with Israel once he took over. In recent months, in response to the Biden administration’s open animosity toward Saudi Arabia generally and MBS in particular, Saudi foreign policy has become increasingly contradictory and MBS’s hold on power has weakened. Given the uncertainty, Israel’s best move in relation to Saudi

The former U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, July 19, 2009.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

ast Wednesday, in response to a question from Sen. Bill Hagerty, (R-Tenn.), U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Brian McKeon admitted in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that under both U.S. and international law, the United States cannot Caroline open a consulate Glick in Jerusalem JNS without Israel’s consent. In other words, the prospect of the Biden administration opening a consulate to the Palestinians in Israel’s capital city without requesting Israel’s permission to violate Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem is off the table. Given the Biden administration’s near-obsessive determination to open a consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, it’s just a matter of time before it presents an offer it believes Israel will be unable to refuse. On Friday, Israeli financial daily Globes published the outline of such an offer. In exchange for an Israeli “concession to the Palestinians,” U.S. officials claim Saudi Arabia will open limited economic ties with Israel. Moreover, the United States will provide limited visa exemptions to Israeli tourists. The article suggests — and congressional sources warn — that the “concession to the Palestinians” Israel will be required to make is permission for the United States to open a consulate in Jerusalem for the Palestinians.

Arabia is to sit on the sidelines and allow internal Saudi processes to unfold. If MBS becomes the monarch and his Trump-era positions remain unchanged, he will normalize ties with Israel regardless of the nature of the U.S. presence in Jerusalem. If MBS is deposed in favor of another prince who succeeds King Salman, the likelihood that Saudi Arabia will scupper its ties with Israel— whatever their level — is very high. So whatever Saudi Arabia offers Israel today will be easily reversed. On the other hand, if Israel agrees to permit the operation of a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, the damage will be irreversible. If Israel approves the Biden administration’s request to open a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, it will undercut its greatest achievement during the Trump presidency — U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem. By opening a consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, the United States will effectively abrogate U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem and transfer that

recognition to the Palestinians. Israeli approval of the United States’ request will automatically be interpreted by everyone as an Israeli renunciation of Israel’s sovereign rights to Jerusalem. Apologists for the Biden administration, and Israeli leftists, will claim that the Jerusalem deal on the table is just a new version of the deal Israel made with the UAE last year. But this is completely wrong. The UAE offered Israel full peace. The deal reportedly being discussed with the Saudis is far more limited. More importantly, in exchange for full diplomatic and economic ties with the UAE, Israel agreed to temporarily place a hold on its plan to apply its laws in parts of Judea and Samaria, in furtherance of then-President Donald Trump’s peace plan. Israel can decide to end the hold and implement the sovereignty plan at any point. IRREVERSIBLE MOVE In the case at hand, however, Israel’s concession is irrevocable regardless of who leads the government in Jerusalem. Here continued on page 10

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

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PURELY COMMENTARY continued from page 8

Bring Danny Home! On Nov. 3, journalist Danny Fenster was again denied bail and, in fact, now faces an additional charge. See related story on page 19.

The Detroit Jewish News urges the community to continue raising awareness for Huntington Woods native Danny Fenster — a journalist who has been unjustly held without cause and without specified charges for

172 days by a military regime in a gruesome prison in Myanmar (Burma).

The family is looking for people to create portraits of Danny that can be shared on social media at https://bringdannyhome.com/pages/gallery.

You can also support Danny at:

BringDannyHome.com fenster-verse.tumblr.com facebook.com/groups/1164768597279223. 10

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Israel isn’t being asked to put its plans on hold. The Biden administration is asking Israel to permit the United States to subvert Israel’s sovereign rights and control over Jerusalem by giving the Palestinians the power to challenge and undermine all aspects of Israel’s municipal and national operations in Jerusalem, with American backing. This brings us to the second “gift” the Biden administration is apparently offering Israel — limited visa exemption for U.S. entry to Israeli tourists. The offer itself is an expression of U.S. contempt rather than

goodwill toward Israel. No country concedes its sovereignty over its capital city to make it easier for its citizens to vacation in America. As McKeon admitted, Jerusalem’s fate is in Israel’s hands. The government needs to recognize that no offer — certainly not the absurdity now being bandied about — is worth sacrificing the capital. Caroline Glick is an award-winning columnist and author of The Israeli Solution: A One-State Plan for Peace in the Middle East. This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.

letters

Memories of the IDF Gil Troy’s article: “To My Youngest Daughter Upon Her Joining the IDF,” (Oct. 28, page 10) took me back many years and practically brought me to tears. I remembered the day I said shalom to my parents, who were both worried about me and how I would fare without their 18 years of care and attention, as well as their great pride that their daughter, like her older sister four years before, was joining the army of the State of Israel, the country they both left their own loving parents to go to, then Eretz Israel or Palestine, in early 1921 in order to help rebuild the old homeland. I remembered the beautiful camaraderie which developed between us, who came from all over the country, sharing the parcels of goodies we received from home — my mother’s

cookies were a big hit — and helping those of us who had a hard time in our long walks carrying our bag and big gun, I among them. And then, at the big Siyum, the end of basic training, getting our precious Tanach from the hands of the Army’s chief rabbi, and me getting a standing ovation and a firm handshake from Moshe Dayan, our chief of staff, for the traditional operetta I volunteered to write telling the unique experience we all shared to the tunes of existing Israeli songs. Thank you, JN, for letting me relive that unforgettable experience and telling my fellow readers of what serving in the Israeli Army is all about — something more and more young Americans choose to do. — Rachel Kapen West Bloomfield

Hazzan Roger Skully blows the shofar outside the Allegria Village.

A Jewish Presence in Dearborn COURTESY OF THE SKULLYS

Couple start a new congregation at their retirement village. JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

n a recent Shabbat morning, the chanting of Barechu, Shemah and Aleinu emanated from the 270seat chapel at Allegria Village, a large retirement community located in Dearborn. Two of its residents, Roger Skully, an 80-year-old cantor, and his wife, Sydney, planned the service and think it may have been the first organized Jewish gathering in a city that boasts the largest Arab population in the United States. The service was the first of what will start out as monthly Shabbat gatherings, with future ones planned for Nov. 20 and Dec. 18. In 2022, they hope to increase the frequency to biweekly services. Pre-COVID, the couple regularly worshiped at Kehillat Etz Chayim in Oak Park. However, during the height of the pandemic, they watched on Zoom, and that, they said, was not fulfilling. “We need to see our friends and sing together. Roger and I were longing for a ‘real’ service because we rarely leave our senior community. We want to have a Jewish presence here in Dearborn,” Sydney Skully said to the participants before chanting the haftorah.

Cantor Skully, who has worked at several synagogues, most recently Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, said the idea to start a congregation in Dearborn arose from his desire to keep singing and the need for an organized Jewish presence in the area. The couple estimates that there are six Jewish residents at Allegria and many more in the area who do not have a place to worship because the Downriver congregations no longer exist. A DIVERSE GROUP Fifty people attended the 90-minute service on Oct. 30. Cantor Skully estimated 15 of those Sydney and participants were Jewish. Roger Skully The rest, he said, were residents of Allegria Village or members of an organization called the Detroit Interfaith Outreach Network (DION), a group the couple is actively involved with. Rabbi Dorit Edut, head of DION, helped publicize it, brought a Torah to the service

and read the weekly Torah portion. Also participating in the service was Chaplain Yvonne Fant-Moore, also known to the Skullys through DION. “In our retirement community, which is going to be the home of this congregation, I think the only way it’s going to survive is if we’re able to bring in people of all faiths. My vision is that we have a Jewish format but a kind of interfaith service, one in which the non-Jewish residents will also be comfortable,” the cantor said. “Many of my friends here were very delighted to have a Jewish service and a Jewish presence. In the world of faith, at least in this country today, we all need to stand together. The best thing for us as Jews, and for most people, is to recognize our humanity and not let some of the divisiveness become a part of what we do,” he added. The Skullys are calling their endeavor Congregation Beit Chaim, a name that carries multiple levels of significance, Sydney explained during her d’var Torah, which she happened to deliver on the third anniversary of the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburg. “The anniversary of the Etz Hayim tragedy made me think of life. I wanted to give our endeavor here in Allegria Village a name to make it come alive,” she said. “Everyone knows the toast l’chaim — to life. We are not a place where people go to die but to live. Also, the Hebrew word beit means house. We all literally live under one roof. You don’t have to go outside for anything. Just thinking of how the staff helped us put this service together made me think how true it is that ‘it takes a village.’ The word beit is also Arabic for house. We are here in the heart of Dearborn. Many of our dining room wait staff wear hijabs. We are proud of our diversity here and want to celebrate it.” For more information about Congregation Beit Chaim, contact Hazzan Roger Skully at (313) 600-8982 or Sydney Skully at (313) 600-9092. NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Jewish War Veterans are working to make sure all Jewish vets have flagged graves.

PHOTO BY RUSSELL LEVINE

PHOTO BY ALAN MUSKOVITZ

OUR COMMUNITY

JWV members Art Fishman and Mark Hechler salute at The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial Victory Gala on Oct. 23 at the Detroit Marriott Troy.

‘Thank You for Your Service’ Jewish War Veterans work to pay tribute to those who fought for our freedom. ALAN MUSKOVITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

eterans Day is set aside annually to honor and celebrate our service men and women for their sacrifice for our country. For our beloved Jewish War Veterans (JWV) Department of Michigan, honoring their fellow comrades and their sacrifices, past and present, is a daily affair. To that end, the JWV are currently involved in meaningful projects to help ensure our veterans’ legacies. One such program is an effort by the JWV to identify and create a database of local Jewish war veteran gravesites. The goal: to ensure that each of those sites includes an American flag by Memorial Day. Currently only three

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

cemeteries — Temple Beth El, Adat Shalom and Clover Hill Park — have permanent records of veterans interred, and those cemeteries supply their own flags. For many years now, the JWV, led by the tireless efforts of Sr. Vice CommanderEmeritus, 94-year-old Arthur Fishman, places flags at Jewish veteran gravesites on requests received from family members. A few Jewish cemeteries have designated veteran sections, which takes some of the guess work out. Now the JWV’s mission is to identify gravesites outside those special sections so that every veteran, of blessed memory, is properly recognized next May. To that end, JWV Junior

Vice Commander and Webmaster Mark Weiss has created a link at the top of the JWV website’s homepage (www.jwv-mi.org) entitled: “Identify the Grave of a Jewish Veteran.” Families throughout Metro Detroit, whose veteran loved ones do not already have a U.S. flag in place, are encouraged to fill out the form to become part of this new database. In an effort to bolster their outreach, JWV Dept. of Michigan Sr. Commander, Dr. Edward Hirsch has asked our local temples and synagogues to include this appeal for information in correspondences to their congregants. In reaching out, Dr. Hirsch stated that “Regretfully, not every

Jewish war veteran’s grave is catalogued. We cannot allow this situation to continue if we are to fulfill the mitzvah of continuously honoring our fallen in accordance with our faith, charter and our guiding principles.” The form on the JWV website will attempt to secure the cemetery, section, row and year of death, to name a few burial details. However, the veterans’ organization will also provide assistance in filling in the blanks. “Several JWV post members will be doing independent research to help validate and complete the responses we receive,” Weiss says. “Plus, we plan on seeking the aid of local Jewish Day and Hebrew

The “Golden Book,” housed in the JWV archives in the Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, has been digitized.

school students, the BBYO and others to perform the mitzvah of flagging the graves next spring. This will provide support by several generations in our community to honor our veterans.”

ALAN MUSKOVITZ

to see. Gottlieb recently created digital files of each page and Weiss found a home for the book on the JWV website. “The process of digitizing this book meant I had the privilege of spending time on each of the hundreds of entries, reading and remembering the sacrifice made by each Jewish Michigan soldier included in it,” Gottlieb said. A featured article, available online by Durecki in the fall 2009 edition of the Jewish Journal of the Historical Society of Michigan, is a worthwhile read that provides additional background about this invaluable historical artifact. See michjewishhistory.org (Publications: September 2009). PHOTO: BENJAMIN CASSELL AT THE FINE ARTS SCULPTURE CENTRE

GOLD STAR FAMILIES REMEMBERED Weiss is involved in another valuable JWV project, thanks to a tip from Marc Manson, a fellow Jewish war veteran. He made Weiss aware of a little-known historical treasure, the “Golden Book.” It is housed in the JWV archives in the Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. The book’s title is derived from the “Gold Star Family” designation given to families of soldiers who have lost loved ones in combat. Assembled in 1957, it includes vital details about Michigan Jewish war veterans who died in combat during WWII and the Korean War. Beautifully bound, the “Golden Book” is, says retired Temple Beth El archivist Jan Durecki, “a collection of photos and the names of the soldier and his parents, the dates and places of birth and death, education, branch of service, rank, place of casualty and medals that were awarded.” At the time of the book’s dedication, the late Rabbi Morris Adler of Shaarey Zedek said: “The names enshrined in the ‘Golden Book’ were no less American because they were Jewish. Indeed, it might be said of them that they were as Jewish as the Ten Commandments and as American as the Declaration of Independence.” Working together, Weiss and current Temple Beth El Archivist and Director of Cultural Resources Laura Gottlieb have made the “Golden Book” available for all

The “Mail Call” statue that will be displayed in the first phase of the Memorial in Royal Oak

GROUND-BREAKING NEWS Several JWV officers and post members were on hand recently to witness the

long-awaited announcement that The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial will break ground this spring on Phase 1 of the project. The announcement came on the evening of the memorial’s annual Victory Gala on Oct. 23 at the Detroit Marriott Troy. The JWV has been a longtime supporter of the project, which will be located in Royal Oak’s Memorial Park at the northeast corner of 13 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue. It will be the state’s official tribute to contributions made by Michigan residents who served in the armed forces and on the home front that proudly became known as the Arsenal of Democracy. The memorial’s board of directors has approved plans for Phase 1, which includes the laying of the more than 1,200 brick engraved pavers purchased by supporters, installation of flag poles representing all branches of the service, the installation of the first of several full-sized statues, and the pouring in advance of structural footings to accommodate future statue scenes and a Wall of Stars. Fundraising is currently underway for the next phase, which will provide for the

installation of the Wall of Stars, a breathtaking presentation that will honor Michigan residents who made the ultimate sacrifice during WWII. Visit https://michiganww2memorial.org for more details. GUY STERN HONORED The Victory Gala was also highlighted by the honoring of Jewish war veteran Dr. Guy Stern, 99, director of the International Institute of the Righteous at the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills. Stern was the recipient of the 2021 Victory Award presented by The Michigan WWII Legacy Memorial and was the evening’s guest speaker. He shared his extraordinary story that includes the loss of his family during the Holocaust and his experiences as a member of the elite Army military intelligence unit — the Ritchie Boys. Stern concluded his remarks with a heartfelt endorsement of the memorial: “The WWII Legacy Memorial will surely inspire viewers to pay tribute to Michigan’s fallen and strive to remember the importance of not repeating the mistakes of the past. History, ladies and gentlemen, does matter.” continued on page 14 Guy Stern

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY A LONG-AWAITED CONVERSATION I recently had the privilege of helping facilitate a reunion of sorts between two WWII veterans in their 90s who live on opposite sides of the country. While attending this past Memorial Day’s annual ceremony at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale, I shared a conversation with veteran Mark Hechler, 95, of Southfield. He was a proud member of the 12th Armored Division, 17th Armored Infantry Battalion, Company B; also known by their nickname “The Hellcats.” Mark knew of my regular writings in the JN about our JWV and asked if I might have any contacts that could help him reconnect with men

he served with in his division to talk, reminisce and compare war stories. My search led me to a 12th Armored Division Association website where I netted a positive contact — association historian Bob Scherer who resides outside of Philadelphia. Bob is a 2004 Army retiree and the son of a late Hellcat veteran. In honor of his father, he works tirelessly to sustain the legacy of the 12th Armored Division, which includes reunions and the distribution of the monthly Hellcat newsletter of which Bob is a regular contributor. Bob went to work on behalf of Mark, and in just a matter of weeks he connected Mark with 12th Armored Division veteran and fellow combat

COURTESY OF MARK HECHLER

continued from page 13

Mark Hechler in uniform, circa 1945

infantryman Ed Goeppinger, 97, of Riverside, Calif. Ed and Mark now share regular Saturday afternoon phone conversations. Mark’s daughter Ellen told me that her father had a map out during the calls to help recall places he had served. Ed told Mark that he was at Dachau at the end of the war when the survivors were released.

Mark described the conversations as “quite liberating.” With each conversation, more questions are answered, more memories rekindled. Of their initial hour-long chat, Ellen said her father “was smiling the entire time they were talking.” Today, Mark Hechler is a member in good standing with the 12th Armored Division Association and looks forward to reading the monthly Hellcat newsletter from cover to cover. Plus, he continues to seek out other 12th Armored Division comrades in the hope that they can join in on the Hellcat conversation. Of Mark being reunited with the association, Bob said, “It’s always a real joy to recover a Hellcat we lost track of.”

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NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Meet Israel’s New Consul General to the Midwest

Yinam Cohen has his eye on Michigan-Israel business opportunities.

JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL

JACKIE HEADAPOHL

n late October, the new U.S. Consul General of Israel to the Midwest Yinam Cohen was in Metro Detroit to attend the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah’s Annual Dinner. The next day, he joined Mark Davidoff, president and CEO of The Fisher Group, for lunch and conversation at his Southfield office. Davidoff presented Cohen with a gift, the autobiography of Max Fisher, The Quiet Diplomat. Cohen, who replaced Aviv Ezra this summer, was enjoying his first visit to the state and already talking about returning to enjoy a Detroit Pistons game one day. Here are some highlights of their conversation.

BACKGROUND

Q: Could you share a little bit about your background? I was born in Jerusalem. My parents were born in Jerusalem. My grandparents immigrated to Jerusalem in the 1930s from Egypt, from Yemen. I feel very much committed to continue this trend. My son is the fourth generation of our family born in Jerusalem, although he left when he was 1 month old to join us in my diplomatic career. I joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 15 years ago and served three years in Bogota, Colombia, where my second daughter was born. After three years in Colombia, we moved to Berlin where I served as a spokesperson of the embassy. There, I had my third child, who is a fifth-grader now in Chicago. After five years abroad, we

Yinam Cohen and Mark Davidoff at The Fisher Group office in Southfield.

came back to Israel. I served as a policy adviser to the director general of the Ministry. My last mission was in Madrid, Spain, where I served as the deputy ambassador. It was three amazing years, very challenging from the political aspects. Then, my family returned to Israel. I had some jobs in Israel, but I think the most exciting one was being senior policy adviser to then-Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi. Now, I’m in Chicago. It’s my first diplomatic mission in the United States. I have the biggest territory because I cover nine Midwestern states [Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin], which are very

big and dispersed. I’m so very happy to be here. Q: What are your first impressions? Midwesterners are very nice people, very embracing, very warm and very down to earth. Chicago is a wonderful city, very welcoming, Zionistic and very supporting. Being the top representative of Israel in the Midwest, I consider myself a member of the Jewish community there. Our kids go to Jewish day schools in Chicago. Q: What have been your impressions of Michigan? I had breakfast this morning with the board of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator. I’m very happy about this partner-

ship. I visited the Startup Nation Central Europe before living in Chicago, and they spoke a lot about the connection to Michigan.

PRIORITIES

Q: What are your priorities? Business is a major one. At the consul, our mission is to serve as a facilitator for business in the Midwest, in Israel. I see myself not only as an ambassador of Israel here, but also as an ambassador of the Midwest in Israel, because I want to make more and more Israelis understand that there’s a potential here for business. There’s great potential here for traditional sectors in Israel, such as agriculture and water management, but also potential continued on page 16 NOVEMBER 11 • 2021 15

continued from page 15

for more advanced manufacturing. Although Israel does not produce cars, it is a beautiful hub of a smart mobility innovation. There are so many Israeli startups and companies in this respect and the connections already. Both General Motors and Ford have research and development centers in Israel, for example. I hope to be of assistance in bridging the cultural divide between Israelis and folks in the U.S. There are some protocol differences Israelis need to know about, which we hope to facilitate. Q: Any other priorities? Like our or current Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, I have two strong messages regarding Israeli-U.S. relations. The first is bipartisanship is back. The new government is going to invest a lot in cultivating its relationships with both the Democratic and Republican parties. We see great coordination, communication and cooperation between the new government in Israel and the relatively new administration in the U.S. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett had his first White House visit about a month ago. It was very successful. We were so encouraged by the words of President Joe Biden after the meeting. Biden referred to the fact that this is the most diverse government in the history of Israel — something we’re very proud of. We are also encouraged by Biden’s strong commitment to the security of Israel and specifically to continuous cooperation on the Iron Dome and his total commitment to guarantee that Iran never acquires nuclear military capabilities. We had a strong week in Washington, D.C. Our foreign

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

minister met with his colleague, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Vice President Kamala Harris, which was great. He also took part in a mini-summit, organized by Secretary Blinken, with the United Arab Emirates. This was a very strong signal to the commitment of the new administration to continue the Abraham Accords and to bring into the tent new Arab states, perhaps from the Gulf area or East Africa. We hope to hear some good news in the coming months on that respect. Q: What makes the Abraham Accords a foundation for building a greater coalition? It’s an agreement that comes out of a strong sense of real partnership between Arab countries and Israel. We have had peace with Egypt and with Jordan for many years now. It is a very important peace … but more of a peace between governments and less of a peace between peoples. This is very different with the new peace agreements because it is first and foremost peace between the peoples. Thousands of Israelis flew to the Emirates. We have Emirati students all over Israel, which is super exciting. They are studying Hebrew, sciences, technology, innovation. It is so amazing to see Emirati students wearing traditional clothes together with Israelis at our universities. The level of enthusiasm in these new countries is spectacular. They really believe in peace between the peoples. It’s not just for the sake of security. So this is something that is very new, very unique and very encouraging for us because that means that it’s going to last.

CHALLENGES

Q: In your opinion, what are the

Yinam Cohen, Consul General of Israel to the Midwest.

biggest challenges that Israel faces right now? Our biggest challenges are internal. First there’s COVID, of course. This is something that is not unique to Israel. We’re doing quite well right now. The trend is very positive. That means that the gates of Israel will probably open very soon making it much easier to enter. Secondly, we have had an unprecedented lack of stability in Israel for two or more years because we held three elections during that time. We had no state budget for more than two years, and that had a serious effect, both for the society and economy of Israel. Now we have an opportunity for change because we have a new diverse government. For the first time in the history of Israel, there is an Arab Muslim party that is part of the coalition. The government recently approved a bill that will provide slightly less than $10 billion to support the Arab sectors in Israel to facilitate access to higher education, to employment, to innovation, to infrastructure and to housing. This is something that probably should have been done before, but I’m very excited that this government is doing it right now. I believe that it’s going to bring very positive change, not only to

the Arab population of Israel, but to all of Israel. Then we have some regional challenges. The biggest one is, of course, Iran, which is a source of instability. Not only is its nuclear program a serious strategic threat to Israel, but to the whole region. Through its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas, Iran creates permanent instability in the region. This is a source of great concern for all the moderate Arab countries. The Israeli government is determined to make sure Iran never gets nuclear weapons, and we’re thankful to the United States administration for its commitment on that as well. Q: How does Israel feel about the U.S. returning to the negotiations table with Iran? Israel is not against the U.S. negotiating with Iran. The question is: What will they get out of this negotiation? We want to know that Iran never has access to nuclear weapons — not just 10 or 15 years, but never. We want a guarantee that any agreement with Iran deals with all the major questions: its ballistic capabilities, its capabilities to launch missiles, its capabilities to destabilize the region by nurturing terrorist organizations across the borders of Israel with its neighbors. Hezbollah today has more

PHOTO COURTESY OF CONSULATE GENERAL OF ISRAEL TO THE MIDWEST

OUR COMMUNITY

than 100,000 missiles directed toward Israel. I think Israel’s deterrence capabilities are strong enough to make them think not twice, but 10 times before they launched those missiles, but their potential capabilities are very, very worrying. So, this is something that we also have to take into account. Q: How does Israel feel about the U.S. rejoining the U.N. Human Rights Council? The U.N. Human Rights Council has proven to be very biased toward Israel. One of its agenda items, Item 4 — “Human Rights Situations that Require the Council’s Attention” — discusses any human rights violations around the world, be it in China, in Japan, in France, in the United States, Canada or wherever. Then it also has Item 7 — “Human Rights Situation in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories” — which is dedicated only to one country, to one state in the world: Israel. For example, since its establishment in 2006, this council adopted 90 resolutions against Israel. This is more than the number of all the resolutions that were adopted on Iran, Syria, China, Venezuela and Cuba together. And if you ask any citizen of the world where he or she would prefer to live: in Israel or in Venezuela, Iran, Cuba and North Korea, the answer is clear. Israel is a great place to live. It’s open. It’s a vibrant democracy. Do do we make mistakes? Yes, it’s totally okay to debate on that, but not to single Israel out and delegitimize it. The council has gone way, way, way too far. We have made some progress, especially with European partners, in getting this item cut because it is totally crazy. But there’s so much more to be done. I hope that by joining the council, the United States will be able to fix that. That’s our expectation.

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OUR COMMUNITY

Frontline Help for COVID Hatzalah of Michigan works to help patients access appropriate treatment. JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL

Since the resurgence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in Metro Detroit these past few months, Hatzalah of Michigan has been working with infected community members to ensure they get the proper treatment. Thankfully, the surge in Michigan has not been severe, particularly for people who have been vaccinated, according to Hatzalah of MI Medical Director Dr. Steve McGraw. “If you’re not vaccinated, the danger increases exponentially,” he said. According to Hatzalah of MI executive board member Nachy Soloff, Hatzalah has continued its work in testing people for coronavirus, thanks to its partnership with the Oakland County Health Department. Dr. Steve “A lot of people still need McGraw to be swabbed,” Soloff said. “When they get a positive result, we’re telling them the next steps they should take.”

That advice sometimes includes monoclonal antibody treatment — lab-made cells that boost the immune system’s ability to fight off COVID, which can reduce the severity and length of illness. Monoclonal antibody treatment (MAB) is especially important for people older than 65 or who have underlying health conditions. Hatzalah has recently instituted a process to help people access this treatment, which can be confusing. “Being that MAB is a federal resource, there are strict criteria of who is eligible for the treatment,” Soloff said. “People can be ineligible for the treatment if they’re not at high risk or because they are past the time limit in which the treatment can help.” Hatzalah knows the protocols at local providers such as Ascension Southfield, St. Joe’s in Pontiac, Henry Ford, McLaren Oakland and a local urgent care in Southfield that provides the infusion therapy. Volunteers determine the patient’s eligibility and help him or

Yad Ezra Honors Nancy Kleinfeldt

her navigate the appointment-making process. Soloff said he has gotten great feedback from those who’ve received the treatment. “Some have said they felt better the next day,” he said. “And the treatment poses very little risk.” According to Soloff, getting vaccinated is still the best way to safeguard your health. “It won’t necessarily prevent you from getting COVID,” he said. “Many people who are vaccinated are getting it, but they’re not getting it seriously. They’re sick for only a few days.” Soloff said Hatzalah is now preparing to fight another enemy to health: the flu. “We just ran one flu vaccine clinic this past week and hope to hold another clinic within the next few weeks,” he said. People who have tested positive for COVID can email mantibodies@gmail.com. A volunteer from Hatzalah will be in touch.

Nancy Berman Kleinfeldt, and her children Adin, Caleb and Grace Kleinfeldt

YAD EZRA

For the past thirty years, Yad Ezra has held an annual fundraising dinner in order to raise the funds necessary to purchase groceries that it distributes during the course of a year. This year, at its fundraising dinner held earlier this fall, the organization paid tribute to Nancy Berman Kleinfeldt and her children, Adin, Caleb and Grace Kleinfeldt. Nancy and her children have been active supporters and leaders at Yad Ezra for 20 years.

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Bail Denied

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SHELDON JAFFEE

Danny Fenster faces new charges in Myanmar.

n day 164 of his pretrial detainment in a Myanmar prison, Frontier Myanmar managing editor and Huntington Woods native Danny Fenster, 37, faced new charges and was denied bail at his latest hearing according to reports from the AP and CNN. The Fenster family had been hopeful that Danny would be included among the political prisoners that were supposed to be freed in Myanmar in mid-October. The military government reversed its decision to free thousands of prisoners. According to a prisoner advocacy group, only a few hundred were released. On Nov. 2, the Facebook group Bring Danny Home wrote a hopeful message on the eve of his latest hearing that perhaps a new judge on the case “would have the courage to do the right thing” and see his immediate release. However, Fenster now faces a third charge under Section 13(1) of Myanmar’s immigration act according to his lawyer Than Zaw Aung. The law criminalizes illegal entry into the country, overstaying a visa or permit or violating the conditions of a stay. It is unclear why he has been charged with the new offense. On Nov. 2, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson visited Myanmar and junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on a humanitarian mission to discuss delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, medical supplies and other public health needs. Richardson is known for his decades of tactical negotiation work in attempts to free

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Americans being held prisoner abroad, including North Korea, which also raised hopes that he could intervene in Fenster’s plight. At his Oct. 7 hearing, Fenster was charged by the military junta government of 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act, though it closely related to the original Section 505A criminalizing dissent charges, which carry a maximum three-year jail sentence. The military junta has imprisoned hundreds of journalists in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 coup. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the junta freed 15 journalists on Oct. 18, mainly citizens of Myanmar, but more than 20 journalists remain behind bars. Danny’s brother Bryan Fenster said at this time the family was not releasing statements or granting interviews with the press. Fenster was detained by the military in Myanmar on May 24, 2021, moments before he was to fly from Yangon to Detroit to see his family for the first time in over three years.

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NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

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Ann Arbor Federation Celebrates 2022 Annual Community Campaign

Israeli Knesset Member Alon Tal joins in the festivities via Zoom.

n a clear 70-degree Sunday at the end of September, the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor welcomed its Major and Legacy donors for an afternoon of togetherness and pride in the local Jewish community at the Major Gifts Event, featuring Israeli Knesset Member Alon Tal. The first “hybrid” Rachel Wall in-person/virtual event Special to the Jewish News that Federation has held, nearly 100 guests gathered at the Polo Fields Golf & Country Club, with another 40 logging in to Zoom to participate. In-person attendees enjoyed “high tea-inspired” finger sandwich appetizers, while virtual participants received goody bags delivered to their homes. At the Polo Fields, those in attendance caught up with old friends and met new ones in the open air of a patio overlooking lush rolling hills. The refrain of “how nice” it was to see everyone “in real life” was heard over

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

and over. The event was chaired by Robin and Brad Axelrod, and Ed and Mona Goldman. The Major Gifts Event is an annual celebration that has traditionally been open to community members who donate $5,000 or more to Federation’s Annual Community Campaign, as well as to those under the age of 40 who give $1,000 or more. This year, that group was expanded to include members of our community who have committed to an after-lifetime gift to Federation through the LIFE & LEGACY program. Together, Ann Arbor Federation’s generous major donors raised over $980,000 for the 2021 Annual Community Campaign and are poised to make an equally impressive impact for the 2022 Campaign, which launched September of this year and will extend through May 2022. TAKING CARE OF ONE ANOTHER At its core, the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor’s Annual

Community Campaign is how we, as a community, take care of one another. In partnership with Federation’s beneficiary organizations, the Campaign builds and sustains our local and worldwide Jewish community. The money raised from the Annual Community Campaign goes straight to our most needed community organizations, including the JCC, Jewish Family Services and Hillels at U-M and EMU. It also supports older adults living in poverty in the former Soviet Union and a youth movement for children with disabilities in Israel, among other overseas organizations. The Campaign allows these beneficiary organizations to focus on their missions of serving the community without having to worry about raising the funds needed to cover the costs of personnel and program supplies. Federation is proud of the work of these partners and is deeply grateful to all the donors who make their work possible. For more information on money raised and

COURTESY OF ANN ARBOR FEDERATION

Alon Tal Zooming in from Israel

Federation Board Members Marla Chinsky, Randy Milgrom and Decky Alexander

allocated to the community, visit JewishAnnArbor.org to view Federation’s 2021 Annual Impact Report. A LEADING CLIMATE ADVOCATE With community impact on their minds, attendees at the Major Gifts Event finished up the cocktail hour by pulling their masks back over their faces and moving from the outdoor patio to a spacious indoor ballroom. There, they were treated to an exceptional program featuring Member of the Knesset (MK) Tal. A leading climate activist in Israel, Tal was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was active in the Zionist youth movement Young Judaea, which eventually led him to make aliyah to Israel as a young adult. Tal has had an illustrious Judy Cohen and Gideon Hoffer

academic career, earning a law degree from Hebrew University and a master’s and doctorate in environmental health policy from Harvard’s School of Public Health. He has served as chair of the Department of Public Policy at Tel Aviv University since 2017 and has also held several visiting professorships around the world, including at Michigan State University. Moving his activism to the political sphere, Tal was among the founders of Israel’s Green Movement party and became its chair in 2010. He then joined the Blue & White Party led by Israel’s current Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Benny Gantz. When Israel formed a new government in the summer of 2021, Tal became a member of Knesset. Although it was nearly midnight in Israel by the

Event Chairs Brad Axelrod, Robin Axelrod, Ed Goldman and Mona Goldman

time he began to address the crowd over Zoom, MK Tal opened the program on a note of hope: “In 5782, we have seen the wonderful blessings of democracy,” he said, “and how a peaceful transition of power can take place.” He went on to describe his excitement and hope for the future of Israeli society, his legislative priorities around the environment and religious pluralism in Israel, and the need to address what he called a “domestic crisis” with regard to the increase in domestic violence against women during the pandemic. As he spoke, Tal invoked the idea of the shemitah year, a year of rest built into Jewish tradition. Originally intended as a year to let one’s fields lay fallow in order for the land to rest, Tal reimagined 5782 as a shemitah from focusing

on issues that divide our communities, and instead turning our attention to areas where we can find common ground. “[This program] was what we needed to take our minds off trouble in America,” one attendee noted afterward. Another called it a “joyous reunion!” Indeed, it was a wonderful way to feel a sense of community and to celebrate the generosity of those who support the most vulnerable in our community and enrich Jewish life in greater Ann Arbor, in Israel, and around the world. For more information about the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, or to make a gift to the 2022 Annual Community Campaign, visit JewishAnnArbor.org or contact Federation’s Communications & Development Manager Rachel Wall at rachel@jewishannarbor.org or (734) 773-3533.

Mark Daskin and Babette Levy Daskin

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

KIRÁLY-SETH VIA WIKIMEDIA

A Wall in Detroit Reporter Erin Einhorn explains how Jewish people benefited from racist housing policies of the past. LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER View of the Birwood Wall from Alfonso Wells Playground, Detroit

wall runs half a mile south from Eight Mile Road to Pembroke Avenue. The Birwood Wall is easy to miss. It runs down an alley between backyards, and it does not cross any intersections. The physical wall seems inconspicuous, but it has a heavy history. The Birwood Wall is a segregation wall, one of the few of its kind still standing. NBC News Reporter Erin Einhorn and Olivia Lewis of BridgeDetroit explored the disturbing history of this wall in a joint special of NBC news and BridgeDetroit published on July 19. On Nov. 4, Einhorn did a presentation on Zoom for the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan, “Detroit Jews, Segregation and the Birwood Wall.” Einhorn explains, “One of the reasons I wanted to do this presentation is . . . my reporting uncovered a lot of interesting Jewish angles . . . that were interesting to me as Jew from Metro Detroit.” Einhorn grew up West Bloomfield, “which at the time was very diverse ethnically, but not racially.” She notes that “the vast majority of America, Black or white, grew up in a segregated neighborhood with people who look like themselves.” How did that happen? “There’s a myth out there that people live in segregated neighborhoods because they

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

choose to, because they want to live around people who look like themselves,” Einhorn explains. “In reality, there are decades and decades of federal housing policy, regional policy and urban policy that deliberately separated people, and the wall is a really concrete example. “The wall was actually built in response to federal housing policies that date back to the New Deal under Roosevelt,” she adds. The well-known federal housing policies, mortgage guarantees that enabled working and middle-class families to own their own homes, worked for white families but explicitly shut Black families out. A HISTORY OF DISCRIMINATION In the first decades of the 20th century, Detroit’s population tripled, as workers surged into the area attracted by plentiful manufacturing jobs. Black people came up from the South in the Great Migration; white people came from across the country; Jews and others who could escape Europe also came to Detroit. The housing supply did not grow fast enough to accommodate the influx of people. But federal lenders would not lend for housing in Black neighborhoods. Black neighborhoods were redlined, meaning that a buyer could not get help with a mortgage in those neighborhoods. Buyers would

resort to predatory loans or a land contract, which put the borrower at a big disadvantage. Deeds in white neighborhoods often had restrictive covenants, prohibiting sale to Black people and sometimes to Jews. In this neighborhood, the clause read ““by any persons not of pure, unmixed, white Caucasian race.” Eventually, the federal government, as part of the New Deal, provided a network of programs to help lift working-class white families into home ownership — but not Black families. The problem was older than the New Deal. In 1925, when a developer wanted to put middle-class housing (Blackstone Park No. 6) in Greenfield Township, then just outside of Detroit, he couldn’t get financing because the area was too close to land owned by Black families. Black families, escaping overcrowding in Paradise Valley and Black Bottom in Detroit, had purchased land and put-up temporary housing in Greenfield Township, saving up to build more permanent structures. Bankers would not lend to housing so close to the Black neighborhood, that at least one resident called “shacktown.” THE BIRWOOD WALL In 1941, the developers built a wall separating the Black community to the east from the new housing in the west. With the

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The Birwood Wall shortly after construction in 1941

symbolic physical barrier in place, they could finance luxury housing west of the wall for white purchasers, without considering the proximity of Black families. The NBC News and BridgeDetroit researchers confirmed that James T. McMillan, head of a leading Detroit family, arranged to build the wall. At the time the wall was built, many neighborhoods were off limits to Jews. The white side of this wall was not such a neighborhood. “This was a part of the city where Jews could live. Actually, my father grew up not far from there,” Einhorn says. In her research, Einhorn interviewed dozens of people who lived on either side of the wall. “Among the white folks that I interviewed who grew up like a block or two from that wall, none of them even knew what was there,” she says, “but maybe their parents knew it was there.” The Black families knew what the wall meant. “Jews at that time . . . didn’t have all their rights, but they were benefiting from these federal housing policies in ways that Black folks couldn’t,” Einhorn says. Living on the wrong side

of the wall had consequences for building intergenerational wealth and also for education, medical care and employment opportunities. The wall itself became less significant in1948 when the Supreme Court declared it illegal to enforce restrictive covenants. Black people could then buy on both sides of the Birwood Wall, but other obstacles continued to limit opportunities for Black buyers, as whites moved to the suburbs. Detroit remains one of the most segregated cities in the country. Einhorn summarizes: “And none of that was an accident.” Even people who have learned about redlining and restrictive covenants still can feel that this story has nothing to do with them. “They’ve operated their lives assuming that everything that they have and all the ways they’ve succeeded, are directly a result of their own hard work,” she says. Some of the people who lived on the white side of the wall, many, in fact, were victims of antisemitism; and they did work hard. They might, Einhorn notes, “be offended if you suggest that they have also benefited from a racist policy.” But they did.

he 11th Annual Menorah in the D takes place Nov. 28 at 5 p.m., and after last year’s virtual-only event due to the pandemic, this year will see a return to normalcy. The event, put on by the Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan, will offer individuals the option to attend in-person at Campus Martius or to join virtually via livestream. “This year, we don’t want to go backwards, we only go forward, so we’re going to have both,” said Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, vice president of Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan. The annual event usually sees thousands of people gather in Downtown Detroit for the festivities and the lighting of the massive 26-foot menorah. The event is put on in partnership with the Federation, The Shul and Chabad in the D, among others. Shemtov says the in-person event will be done in a safe way, taking current COVID conditions into consideration. The in-person event begins at 5 p.m. and the livestream begins at 5:30, airing on the Chabad’s Facebook and website. The event will include greetings from community leaders and dignitaries, the torch ceremony with honorees from Detroit and around the world,

and entertainment. There will also be a virtual afterparty on Zoom, taking place at 6:30 p.m. People tuning in virtually can sign up to reserve a lamplighter kit, which includes Chanukah candles, menorahs, gelt, guides, cookies, postcards and more. After a year without the usual thousands attending the event, Shemtov says everyone is truly excited to come back Downtown. “Being together, the spirit of being Downtown and lighting that menorah in the center of the city is something truly invigorating,” Shemtov said. “It gives off a message of religious freedom, of the light to the menorah to the world around us, and a beautiful message for each and every individual, Jewish or not. “Whether you’re live or online, this has become an event where the entire Jewish community comes together and celebrates our spirit and message of Judaism in a very special and unique way,” Shemtov added. “It really is a demonstration of how our entire community comes together to bring light and hope and to give a message that these might be challenging times, but we’re here together and to grow.” For more information, visit http://www. menorahinthed.com. For additional questions, reach out via info@ menorahinthed.com.

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

Silver Anniversary

Rabbi Moskowitz celebrates 25 years at Temple Shir Shalom.

TEMPLE SHIR SHALOM

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

LEFT: Rabbi Moskowitz is known as a “community connector,” being able to walk into a room and build relationships immediately. RIGHT: Rabbi Moskowitz and Rabbi Dannel Schwartz inside the almost-complete Shir Shalom building in 1995.

abbi Michael Moskowitz remembers his job interview with Temple Shir Shalom in the spring of 1995, not even seven years into the temple’s existence. In the construction process of its new building at the time, the temple was just a frame, with muddy surroundings and the cement only just being poured. Moskowitz, though, was still excited to see it coming together in-person. Moskowitz was warned to bring work boots during his visit, but in the excitement, didn’t really think much of it,

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

ruining his dress shoes in the process. That moment though, Moskowitz says, is reflective of his now 25+ years as a rabbi there. “It was that excitement of, ‘I’m getting to watch the cement being poured here, literally, and I get to put my imprint on it.’” Being able to put his imprint on the temple and community has been the case since the start for Moskowitz, with that freedom helping Shir Shalom grow from 500 families when he arrived to more than 900 families today.

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS Thinking back on his fondest memories at the temple, Moskowitz believes it’s all about the connections. “The relationships that have developed over time, from the very start being welcomed into people’s lives and being able to help in the most difficult of moments and celebrate the most joyous of times, and how those relationships have just been nurtured is really such a blessing,” he says. For Moskowitz, the rela-

Rabbi Michael Moskowitz

tionships go beyond the temple walls, being a part of teen missions to Israel since 1996. Those trips have grown to

LEFT: Rabbi Moskowitz, known for his sense of humor, dresses up for Purim. RIGHT: Rabbi Moskowitz takes pride in the growth of Shir Shalom’s youth programs.

become an example to other communities around the country. For the past 14 years, Moskowitz has taken families to Israel in partnership with Temple Israel, and he’s now moving onto adult trips this spring. “I love bringing people to Israel and sharing the joy of Zionism and the reality of what Israel is, all the good and challenging with that, but also it’s a vehicle to bring people closer together and to build community,” he says. Moskowitz loves how temple has always been a “holy petri dish,” creating different ways to engage people with Judaism. Moskowitz is proud of the growth of programs offered to youth at the temple, starting a preschool from the ground up as something really intimate to now beginning a building project where the preschool will be at the temple itself. Moskowitz is also proud of the religious school, making it a fun and engaging “camp” as much as possible, wanting their children to love their Judaism and to feel comfort-

able and safe in it. “I’ve had this freedom here at temple from the get-go to try anything for the betterment of education and community. There weren’t roadblocks; there was, ‘go for it, and if it doesn’t work, we’ll try something different,’” Moskowitz says. ‘GOOD’ FROM THE START Originally from St. Louis, Moskowitz has grown to love the Metro Detroit Jewish community, noticing a sense of comfort from the beginning. Moskowitz remembers visiting Detroit for his interview, and after meeting and having dinner with the board of directors, they were all hugging. “It was very natural,” Moskowitz says. “That’s partly Shir Shalom, but I think that’s also the Detroit Jewish community and how people are with one another.” In reflection of his time at Shir Shalom, Moskowitz carries important lessons with him. “To lead with curiosity more than with judgment, the idea of knowing that everyone has something to

teach and share in our world and to look for the gifts in every person that you meet,” Moskowitz says. Being able to both learn and teach while being “sandwiched” by the elder Rabbi Dannel Schwartz and younger Rabbi Daniel Schwartz has been a beautiful balance for Moskowitz. “It was a good match from the start, and it continues to be a very good match for Temple Shir Shalom and Michael Moskowitz, and that’s really a blessing,” he said. Rabbi Daniel Schwartz, who was hired by Moskowitz, thinks of him as a community connector. One memory tied to that came in the wake of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in 2018, when interfaith colleagues Moskowitz had formed relationships with reached out to him, wanting to show support for the Jewish community, Schwartz said. As a result of the network Moskowitz built over the years, Shir Shalom was able to have an archbishop, an imam and a variety of other religious faith leaders on the bimah to stand in sol-

idarity. “That’s just his personality. He can walk into a room and get to know people and build relationships with them immediately,” Schwartz said. Keith Lublin, immediate past president of Temple Shir Shalom, has known Moskowitz since their freshman year of college in 1986. “I know the same passion he has for community and Israel that he shows now is authentic because I’ve seen it since we were teenagers,” Lublin said. “That authenticity, sense of humor and his ability to connect with any age group, what you see is what you get.” Lublin believes Moskowitz’ legacy is helping to build a strong, caring community and congregation that didn’t exist before he came to town. “The reason I think Shir Shalom has been so successful over these past 25+ years is because of the caring clergy who have built something that very clearly was desired and needed here in town, and they’ve been able to bring people together in a way they wanted to be brought together.” NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

business SPOTlight

BIRMIN GH A M

PHOTOS FROM MANNIE’S BAGELS

brought to you in partnership with

ABOVE: Anne Goldberg. LEFT: A basket of taco jalapeno jack bagels.

‘Three Shmears’ for Mannie’s For 18 years, Mannie’s Bagel and Delicatessen has fed the Lake Orion community. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

rowing up in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Anne Goldberg lived right down the street from Katz’ Delicatessen, where Jewish foods and culture have thrived since 1888. “I started eating knishes at a very young age,” says the owner and founder of Lake Orion’s Mannie’s Bagel and Delicatessen, which is now celebrating its 18th year serving up creative bagels, sandwiches and specialty drinks. “Jewish food is delicious and very home-cooked.” As a first-generation American and daughter of two immigrants, with her mother from Russia and her father from Poland, Goldberg

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

has long been inspired by her family’s journey and the Jewish and Eastern European worlds she was surrounded with. Through her youth, she was taught the importance of home-cooked meals and carrying on both traditions and recipes. While classic Jewish dishes like gefilte fish and white fish soups were a staple in Goldberg’s household as a child, she remembers, above all, one food always being present at dinner. “As far as I can tell you, deli bread was always on the table,” she says. “That’s a European thing.” PIVOTING AND OPENING A BUSINESS Yet Goldberg never dreamed

of one day making her own deli bread — let alone owning and operating a successful bagel shop that’s been hailed as one of the best in the area by various newspapers — until the age of 44, when she decided to venture into the small business world. In the years prior, Goldberg mostly stayed home to take care of her children, but as they grew older and more independent, opening a business became an option for the Lake Orion resident. With her father having worked at a bagel factory upon moving to Detroit from New York City in the early 1990s, and Goldberg having worked at the factory herself doing payroll and bookkeep-

ing, the art of making bagels had steadily become a part of her everyday life. In 2004, when the time was right, Goldberg decided to move forward with her plan to open a bagel store that would serve not only bagels, but a huge variety of deli and breakfast sandwiches, including Brooklyn Reubens, Dinty Moores and, of course, traditional lox creations. “I started getting serious about it, but I didn’t want to be in that part of town,” she says, referring to the area of Southfield, West Bloomfield and Oak Park where many Jewish-owned food businesses are located. “It was way too saturated over there. We needed to go further north.”

MAKING A HOME IN THE COMMUNITY Calling around, Goldberg found a space for sale in Lake Orion. But the owner, who believed Goldberg could find something better, directed her to another spot for sale — and she bought it. “Here I am in my 18th year,” Goldberg jokes. Yet fitting into the tight-knit Lake Orion community wasn’t easy. “We were told by many people that you will not survive,” she continues. But to Goldberg’s surprise, the community made Mannie’s Bagels and Delicatessen one of its own. Now, the shop is a local culinary staple that continues to feed residents and visitors alike.

“I know everybody’s name,” Goldberg laughs. “I know their grandkids. That’s the type of community it is.” Working with her daughters Amy and Rebecca, Goldberg runs Mannie’s Bagel and Delicatessen as a family business. Amy, who serves as head baker and whips up more than 10 homemade cream cheese flavors (including strawberry, jalapeno and cinnamon-honey), handles the backbone of the shop, while Rebecca oversees menus, graphic design and social media. Mannie’s Bagel and Delicatessen offers traditional bagels — like salt, onion and chocolate chip — but the Jewish-owned business is

Mannie’s storefront

hailed throughout Lake Orion and beyond for their top-shelf bagel flavors. “We have an Asiago bagel that no one else makes like us,” Goldberg says. “We have an onion Swiss melt and one of the most original [bagels] is the taco jalapeno jack.” Goldberg’s top-selling sandwich, meanwhile, is the #6

Jewish Cheeseburger, a classic open-faced bagel topped with cream cheese, smoked Nova lox, tomato, onion and capers. Around Lake Orion, Goldberg says locals call Mannie’s Bagel and Delicatessen a “pillar of the community.” “Advertising is very low for me,” she explains. “We get more people coming in by word-of-mouth.” Yet in her 18th year of business, Goldberg continues to be pleasantly surprised by the path she took and how seamlessly Mannie’s Bagels and Delicatessen integrated itself into the Lake Orion community. “Did I ever think I would own a bagel shop? Never,” she says. “It’s a good business.”

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NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

SPORTS

Fearless Freshman

Avery Gach proved he belonged on the Birmingham Groves offensive line STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Avery Gach

Birmingham Groves offensive lineman Avery Gach stands his ground against Southfield A&T.

he was doing because of the amount of plays he had to learn. “So Coach Flaherty told me if I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do on a play, just go hit someone,” Gach said. “I always tried to be the most aggressive player on the field. Keep the motor going.” Eventually, what Gach was supposed to do came to him naturally. “I agree with Coach Flaherty. I played well against Sterling Heights Stevenson. But I feel I actually started playing well in our second-to-last game against Clarkston,” he said. Gach didn’t play defense for the Groves varsity team this season. But look for him to rack up many minutes on that side of the ball in the future, probably at defensive end. “Avery is a future two-way starter, no doubt about it,” Flaherty said. “When is up to him.” Gach feels he’s ready now. “I want to be a two-way starter the next three years,” he said. It was a tough season for the Groves varsity team. The Falcons finished 2-7 against a murderous schedule that included several state-ranked teams. While the losses piled up,

AMY GACH

first week initially to see how he would do at practice. “You could see very quickly that he belonged on the varsity team,” Flaherty said. After getting occasional playing time in the next three Groves varsity games, Gach was promoted to the starting lineup Sept. 24 in an overtime victory over Oak Park. He started the Falcons’ final five games. Flaherty said Gach improved incrementally during the season as he got more reps and played more games and learned from older players and the team’s two offensive line coaches. “Avery really clicked in our last game of the season, against Sterling Heights Stevenson,” Flaherty said. “He was pancaking guys with his blocks.” Gach said his biggest issue when he first joined the varsity team was “over-thinking” what

MURRAY GOLDENBERG/CLASSIC PHOTOGRAPHY

very Gach has played football for only two seasons. But the still-growing 6-foot-5, 235-pound Birmingham Groves High School freshman has already made his presence felt. Gach started at right tackle on the Groves offensive line for much of the season this fall. What he did hadn’t been done at Groves in at least two-plus decades. Only three freshmen have started for Brendan Flaherty is his 21 years as the Groves football coach. The others were a fullback and a defensive end. “It’s tough for a freshman to play on the offensive line on a high school varsity team because of the physicality involved, but Avery is tough and strong,” Flaherty said. “And he’s fearless. He isn’t intimidated.” Gach’s first experience with football was in the Birmingham Patriots club program when he was a seventh-grader. He didn’t play football when he was in eighth grade — either for Berkshire Middle School or in the Southfield Falcons club program — because the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the season. With only the one season of football experience under his belt, Gach played for the Groves freshman football team in the first week of the season this fall. That arrangement didn’t last long. Flaherty said he brought up Gach to the varsity after the

Gach said he piled up valuable experience against talented and college-bound defensive linemen. Gach, 15, also is an outstanding baseball player who has played travel ball since he was 10, currently with the North Farmington/West Bloomfield Cobras. He’s a first baseman, catcher and pitcher. He plans to try out for the Groves baseball team in the spring. But first, he may try out this month for the Groves boys basketball team. David and Amy Gach are Avery’s parents. The family lives in Bloomfield Hills. David Gach played football, basketball and baseball at Berkley High School and he also was on the Berkley wrestling team before he graduated in 1996. He had several offers to play college football at Division II and Division III schools, but he decided to attend Michigan State University to study business. He didn’t play sports there. Avery’s brother Eli, 12, is a seventh-grader at Berkshire. Avery said Eli has a passion for acting. Please send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS

36 UNDER 36

Nominations Now Open! Do you know someone making an impact in the community for this special honor?

Nominations for The Detroit Jewish News’ annual 36 under 36 are now open to recognize doers, activists, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, community organizers and other young Jewish professionals reshaping and broadening Metro Detroit’s Jewish community.

Do you know someone who gives of themselves to the community in robust — and often thankless — ways? Someone you admire and aspire to be like? Someone whose accomplishments you want to celebrate?

Jews in the D

36 UNDER 36

JOSH GERSHON OWICZ High School, Jessica Josh Gershonowicz looks forward to attending college is founder and in fall CEO the executive director 2020 and passing of Rebuild Group, position of Sib4Sib a to a part-time profession fast-growing marketing al. Jessica will remain involved agency contribut on the ing In addition to Sib4Sib,board of directors. to the renaissan ce Jessica holds leadership positions of Midtown Detroit. in Teen Volunteer Started in 2012, Corps, the Jewish Rebuild breaks Fund the Teen Board mold on the large agency and Youth United model Interfaith Camp. Sh positioning to campaign — from brand wants to thank e her parents, Scot creation and implementation. and Judy Goldberg, Sammi Josh Shapiro, Max Newman, to create a different and his team set out Barrett Harr, Betty Chu, approach to marketMartha ing and advertisin Goldberg, the Wish g, centered on a and Mall families, culture and of entrepreneurial the entire communi spirit, creative tension, ty for its support curiosity and hustle. on this exciting He has worked journey. igently to focus dilJessica resides in on creating emotiona Farmington Hills experiences people l her family and with have as they interact goldendo with brands. He More info at Sib4Sib.or odle, Goldie. said g. next hit neighborh he believes Detroit’s ood will be Milwauke Junction: “The e future home where KIM RUBIN art and technology meet, ” he said. Kim Rubin, 34, A graduate of the of Novi Goldman Sachs is an entrepreneur 10,000 Small Businesse and the sole practition combines his business s program, Josh er of acumen with a Rubin Psycholog personal sense ical of philanthropic Services, specializin duty. His charitable work, g which in behavioral/developDetroit Inc., Hebrew includes Midtown Free Loan and sponmental pediatrics soring the Boy . Kim Scouts moved to Metro ach year, The Well for Detroit Dodgebal of America Dodge Detroit after graduating and l Tournament, from Indiana University Jewish News partner the underscores his where she earned , commitment to her nize young leaders, to recogthe city he calls home. Josh ogy, and the Southern Ph.D. in psycholhumanitaris also a real estate ians, educators developer and a , social activists School of Medicine Illinois University Huffington Post and entrepreneurs (Springfield, Ill.), contributor. He was married who are reshaping where she completed in and broadening the 2016 and has an her residency. In 18-month-old son. Jewish commun Springfield, she His favorite Jewish ity in Metro Detroit. volunteered to food is his wife’s start a NFTY youth group, kugel. Nominees submitted which became recby commuognized regionally nity members and nationally for were rapid growth and its impartial volunteer sent to a panel of JESSICA GOLDBER emphasis judges who had G on performing mitzvot througho the difficult task At 15, Jessica Goldberg ut 36 names from of choosing only In Michigan, where the community. noticed the lack the list of impressiv she married her of young professio e husband, Mike, support for siblings nals. Kim in Here, meet this the Children’s Center started working at the mental health year’s cohort of of Wayne County, “36 Under 36” and specializin — developmental we admire and the kinds of people disability treatment g in autism assessment and aspire to be, whose communities. So . In her own practice, accomplishments she she now helps children and started Sib4Sib, and who we want we want to celebrate adolescents overcome a supsocial, education port network for make their home the world to know al and behaviora individuals in l issues. who have a sibling Additionally, she If you know these Metro Detroit. who struggles mentors younger with mental health individuals, therapists to help them know why they or has cognitive hone their skills were chosen. If you or developmental to help others. haven’t met them you differences. In three yet, you’ll want years, Jessica has built — soon. Kim enjoys involving to Sib4Sib into a thriving her children, community with Reece, Brooks and We asked the honorees four different support Chase, in the Jewish to submit groups (facilitated brief bios. Here community through by licensed profession they are, in no events als), resources, hosted particular order. by The Well, Adat networking, advocacy Shalom Synagogu social outings — and Temple e, all free of charge. Israel and PJ Library. Jessica serves as She has great a core group of Jewish the executive director and president of families who share the same Sib4Sib, a 501(c)3 values, have children nonprofit that has raised will grow up who A senior this year more than $100,000. who don’t together and girlfriends at North Farmingt mind sharing a bottle of on wine. Unbeknown st to many friends,

The Well and

Leaders Among

26 |

• 2020 FEBRUARY 13

the Jewish New s spotlight 36 up-and-comin g leaders in the Metro Detroit Jewish commun ity.

continued on page

FEBRUARY 13 • 2020

| 27

GO ONLINE TO THEJEWISHNEWS.COM AND NOMINATE THEM BY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 A special group of seven volunteer judges will be reviewing submissions and choosing the 36 winners. Honorees will receive free three-year subscriptions to the JN and be featured in a February 2022 issue. NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

FOOD RECIPES

Sassy Sides

Update your Thanksgiving menu with new veggie dishes.

t’s Thanksgiving … soon! And it’s time to think about food! Of course! With the holiday so close, why not add some interest to your traditional meal by changing up some of the side dish staples. Without including mashed potatoes (be sure to drain potatoes well and mash them while they’re hot) and sweet potatoes (mash these, add a bit of butter or margarine, salt, pepper and top them with a crumbly mixture of about ½ cup each of melted butter, brown sugar, flour and dried oats, bake until bubbly and golden, in a preheated oven 350°F.), we’re offering some riffs on your green vegetable, your corn casserole and more. Annabel Cohen This year, we may not find everything we Contributing writer want to make this holiday (even turkeys!). I’m optimistic they will appear in our grocer’s coolers, but if not, the holiday is about giving thanks, not a specific food.

ORANGE ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH FRESH TARRAGON AND CAYENNE Ingredients 2 pounds asparagus, tough bottoms trimmed (thin asparagus is preferable) 2 Tbsp. olive oil ¼ cup fresh orange juice Grated peel or zest of 1 orange Ground cayenne pepper to taste Kosher salt and pepper to taste 3 Tbsp. fresh chopped tarragon Directions Preheat oven to 450°F. If the asparagus is thick, use a vegetable peeler to peel

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

the large bottom-halves (the purpose is to make the asparagus of uniform thickness). Arrange on a baking sheet with edges. Combine the oil, juice and zest in a small bowl and whisk well. Drizzle this mixture over the asparagus. Roast the asparagus for 8-10 minutes (8 minutes for thin asparagus; 10 for thick) and remove from the oven (don’t worry if the asparagus does not looked cooked — it will continue to cook as it cools). Transfer the asparagus to a serving dish and season lightly with salt and pepper and cayenne and pour any pan juices over the asparagus. Sprinkle cayenne and tarragon. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

EASY GRAVY This makes a velvety gravy, not thick or gummy. For thicker gravy, cook longer, whisking occasionally. Ingredients 3 Tbsp. flour Turkey pan drippings 1 cup water, white wine or a combination 1-2 cups chicken broth (canned is fine) Salt and pepper to taste Directions Combine flour, turkey pan drippings and water, white wine or a combo in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk continuously for 2 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup of chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook to desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve. Makes 3 cups of gravy. BROWN SUGAR GINGER CURRY CARROTS Ingredients 2 pounds carrots ¼ cup butter or margarine 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger root (peeled or not peeled) 2 Tbsp. good-quality curry powder (optional) 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar ¼ cup brown sugar

Kosher salt and pepper to taste Directions Peel carrots and cut diagonally into ¼-inch ovals. Transfer to a large skillet. Add enough water to barely cover the carrots. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the carrots and set aside. Melt butter in the skillet and add ginger, curry, vinegar and sugar; cook, stirring frequently over medium heat until the sugar is melted. Add the carrots back to the pan and cook them, turning them gently with a heatproof spatula or spoon until they are well coated and most of the liquid has evaporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 6 servings. PUREED SQUASH SOUP Serve this in teacups or “shot glasses” as an appetizer, if desired. This smooth-as-silk soup is so elegant and, at the same time, easy enough to make all the time. If squash isn’t your thing, try making the soup with almost any vegetable or root, such as carrots, sweet or regular potatoes, onions ... you name it. Ingredients

3 Tbsp. butter 2 cups chopped onions 3 pounds peeled, cubed winter squash, seeds removed (acorn or butternut are good choices. In a pinch, I have used frozen pureed squash.) 4 cups water, chicken or vegetable broth ½ tsp. nutmeg Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste Optional toppings Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) A drizzle of whipping cream or half-and-half Directions Place butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring for 3 minutes until the onions are softened. Add the squash, water, nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about an hour or until the squash is very tender. (This is very important — if the squash is not very soft, the soup will not puree smoothly.) Let the soup cool slightly and ladle some of it into the bowl of a food processor or the pitcher of a blender. Puree the soup until very smooth. Place the pureed soup in a clean pot and repeat the process until all the soup is pureed. Taste, adjust the seasonings and reheat until hot. To serve, ladle the soup in the bowl and garnish with the blue cheese and toasted nuts. Makes 6-8 servings.

INDIAN CORN SOUFFLE Ingredients 6 large or 8 medium ears of corn (peeled) or 8 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed 1 large red bell pepper, chopped 1 small Poblano chile pepper 5 Tbsp. butter or margarine ¼ cup flour 1½ tsp. sugar 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper 1¾ cup milk or chicken broth 4 large eggs Directions Grill the corn over an open flame or on a grill until lightly charred on all sides. Allow to cool to the touch and, using a sharp knife, remove the kernels to a medium bowl. If using frozen corn, toss the kernels with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and arrange on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook in a preheated 425F. oven, turning once or twice during cooking until the corn is lightly charred. Cool before using. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 3-quart, shallow casserole (or baking dish) with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Make the white sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour, sugar, salt, cumin and cayenne. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook the mixture slowly, stirring or whisking frequently, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the white sauce. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the corn and peppers. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Gently transfer the

mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes or until the soufflé is set and golden. Serve hot, immediately or warm (the souffle will deflate). Makes 8 servings. BABY SPINACH, SHALLOT AND PEAR SALAD WITH PEAR VINAIGRETTE Ingredients Dressing: ½ diced, medium ripe Bartlett pear, unpeeled 6 Tbsp. dry white wine 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1 Tbsp. chopped shallots 1 tsp. Dijon mustard ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste Salad: ¾ pound haricot vert (thin French green beans), trimmed 6 cups fresh baby spinach (about 6 ounces) 3 ripe unpeeled Bartlett pears, quartered, cored and cut into ¼-inch slices ¾ cup blue cheese (any variety), optional 1 cup walnuts, toasted Directions Make the dressing: Place the pear in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Add the wine, lemon juice, shallots and mustard and pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil through the feed tube. When all is processed, season to taste with salt and pepper. Make the salad: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop the haricot vert into the water and cook for 2 minutes, or until tender-crisp and still very green. Transfer the beans to a colander and rinse with

cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well. Combine the beans, spinach, pears, blue cheese and walnuts in a large bowl and toss well. Add the dressing and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. Makes 8 servings.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS ALMONDINE WITH SHALLOTS AND CRANBERRIES This is by far my favorite side dish, topped with sauteed buttery almond slices. Ingredients ½ cup dried cranberries or cherries 1 cup boiling water 2-3 pounds fresh brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved, if large; keep the loose leaves) 3 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup shallots or red onion, chopped 1 cup sliced almonds 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Directions Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place cranberries in a small boil. Pour boiling water over and allow to soak while you prepare the rest of the recipe. Combine the brussels sprouts in oil in a large bowl and toss well. Add the shallots and toss again. Arrange the sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes until cooked through and lightly charred. Transfer to the continued on page 32 NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

FOOD RECIPES

continued from page 31

same large bowl and set aside. Lower the oven heat to 325ºF. Add the almonds to the same rimmed baking sheet (do not clean), and toast for 5-10 minutes (check on them while they are baking to ensure they don’t burn).

Drain the cranberries and add to the brussels sprouts. Add the balsamic vinegar and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately or warm in a 250ºF oven for 20 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

SIMPLE AROMATIC ROAST TURKEY If you’d like, add fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs to the turkey cavity. Ingredients 1 16- to 18-pound turkey Olive oil Kosher salt and pepper 1 Tbsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder 1 Tbsp. dried dill 1 orange, halved 1 medium onion (unpeeled), quartered 1 lemon, halved 2 cups white wine or chicken broth Directions Set oven rack to lowest position. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rinse turkey inside and out and pat dry with clean paper towels (remember to remove the neck and “gizzards” that are usually packed with the turkey). Place the turkey on a rack in large roasting pan (or place turkey in 2-stacked large disposable roasting pans). Tuck wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together loosely with string. Rub the turkey well with olive oil and sprinkle the seasonings over. Place the lemon, orange and

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

onions in the cavity of the turkey. Pour the wine in the pan, around the turkey. Add the neck and “gizzards” to the pan. Place turkey in the oven and roast the turkey for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and roast for 30 minutes more. Begin basting the turkey every 30 minutes with the collected juices while roasting the turkey for 3 hours more (no more than 15 minutes per pound of turkey), or until the leg juices run clear when poked with a fork (registers 175°F with a meat thermometer) Remove the turkey to a platter, cover with foil and let stand at least 20 minutes before carving and serving with reserved juices or gravy. Makes 10-12 servings.

SPOTLIGHT

Chanu-Con 2021

Learn to Make Bagels Learn how to master bagel-making with Brad Lutz of Detroit’s Doughtown Bagels at frame’s “Bagel Making and Booze” event. As the song goes, put on your yarmulke — here comes Chanukah. So much Funukkah. To celebrate Chanukah. Yes, you guessed it, frame in Hazel Park has timed their Bagel Making and Booze for this year’s eight crazy nights. The hands-on bagelmaking experience is being held on Saturday, Dec. 4. Tickets cost $75 and the event is limited to 24 guests. Lutz will teach guests

how to hand-roll dough using traditional techniques to boil and bake bagels to perfection. Your mom will even want you to bring home some bagels after this event. Buy tickets at framehazelpark.com.

Join Congregation Beth Shalom of Oak Park for its sixth annual ChanuCon! A Community-Wide Chanukah Festival, to be held virtually this year. No matter whether you live in Michigan or anywhere else, you are invited to the online ChanuCon! for a fun and entertaining weekend of events and prizes. Events include: • Virtual Trivia Night on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. $10/ household. Register for Trivia Night at www.congbethshalom.org/event/ trivia2021. • Tin Can Raffle with Prizes Visit go.rallyup.com/chanucontincanraffle2021 to purchase tickets and enter to win one of our many prizes. • 50/50 Raffle Visit go.rallyup.com/chanucon2021 to purchase tickets and enter to

win. Free activities include: • Chanu-Contest! - Chanukah Logo Contest For Kids (for kids up to age 12) You do not need to be a Beth Shalom member — any kids ages 4-12 are welcome to enter. The deadline is Wednesday, Nov.10. Rules at tinyurl.com/yw32a57z. • Latke Cooking Demonstration with Rabbi Robert Gamer • Nature’s Playhouse Yoga • Storytime With Ms. Joyce Krom For further event information, contact Beth Rodgers at bethlrodgers@gmail.com. Raffle prizes, sponsorships and any other donations are still being accepted.

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GIFT GUIDE

Books for Chanukah A batch of Jewish-themed tomes to delight and teach children. KERI GUTEN COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“A fun and clever twist on the story of the Maccabees. I wish comics like this had existed when I was in school.”

—Steve Sheinkin, author and illustrator of The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey

Greeks and Jews are living in an uneasy peace in ancient Judea. Jonathan, a Jewish boy, sees a Greek boy attacked by bullies, and stands up to defend him. They become best friends. But when war comes to their land, Jonathan joins the Maccabees while his friend Jason joins the Greek army. They seem destined to fight one another. How will their friendship survive?

A Hanukkah Graphic Novel

Shield of the Maccabees

Our story begins just before the very first Hanukkah…

Kimmel • Smiley

ach year before Chanukah, publishers release Jewish-themed books in hopes they will become holiday gifts for children. These new books may become favorites for the youngsters in your life. • Shield of the Maccabees – A Hanukkah Graphic Novel by Eric A. Kimmel with art by Dov Smiley is historical fiction for children. Award-winning author Kimmel has crafted a story in 129 pages about two boys — one Greek, one Jewish — who learn from one another’s cultures and bridge the gap through friendship. When war comes between the Greeks and the Maccabees, the boys join their separate armies and fight, but re-engage over their common Shield of the desire for peace. The story ends with maccabees the miracle of the destroyed temple’s menorah flames lasting for eight days. Kids ages 10 and up will especially enjoy this fast-paced graphic novel. • Larry’s Latkes by Jenna Waldman (illustrated by Ben Whitehouse) features a Chanukah food truck operated by Larry Gator, who whips up Grandma Golda Gator’s top-secret latke recipe. This year, he experiments Larry's LATKES with other fruits and vegetables with little success until he realizes he must mix them in with grandma’s potato latke recipe for something old and something new. The text rhymes, the illustrations are very cute, and the final latke recipe is worth trying for your family Chanukah celebration. • Hanukkah at Valley Forge by Stephen Krensky is another piece of historical fiction set in a cold December in Valley Forge where General George Washington despairs after surveying his exhausted, hungry and freezing troops after two years at war. When he encounters a Jewish soldier lighting Chanukah candles, he learns the story of a small band of Jewish fighters long ago who miraculously defeated a powerful army — a reminder to j Washington that miracles are possible. This book, with painterly illustrations by Greg Harlin, was Eric a.

Kimmel

Dov

Smiley

Apples & Honey Press

Waldman • Whitehouse

Jenna Waldman grew up

by Jenna Waldman

Larry's LATKES

in Rhode Island, where she loved cooking potato latkes with her grandmothers. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she creates odd new pancake recipes to test on her husband and two boys. She is also the author of the book Sharkbot Shalom. You can visit Jenna at jennawaldman.com.

illustrated by Ben Whitehouse

ISBN 978-1-68115-565-4

APPLES & HONEY PRESS

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Springfield, NJ • Jerusalem

APPLES & HONEY PRESS

AN IMPRINT OF BEHRMAN HOUSE www.applesandhoneypress.com

Springfield, NJ • Jerusalem

AN IMPRINT OF BEHRMAN HOUSE AND GEFEN PUBLISHING www.applesandhoneypress.com

Ben Whitehouse was born and raised in Birmingham, UK. He lives in Chepstow, Wales with his lovely partner, Yvonne; their beautiful son, Timmy; and their crazy border collie, Sparrow. He worked in the animation industry as an animator and stop motion puppet maker before becoming an illustrator. You can visit Ben at benwhitehouseillustration.com.

AN IMPRINT OF BEHRMAN HOUSE www.applesandhoneypress.com

$17.95 Ages 5-8

Big Larry has a latke truck he brings out once a year. The customers wait round the block when Hanukkah is near. Everyone knows that Big Larry makes the best latkes in town. This year he’s throwing a Hanukkah party for all his friends, and the latkes need to be extra special. Big Larry goes on a quest to find some brand-new f lavors. But peaches are a soggy mess, and turnips are a f lop. Big Larry’s kitchen is a latke disaster! Good thing he has some help from his friends.

originally published in 2006, but updated this year. • Thank You – Modeh Ani by Rabbi Alyson Solomon (illustrated by Bryony Clarkson) is a book about gratitude for children inspired by Jewish prayers for waking up to a new day. In this delightfully illustrated book, a diverse group of children express gratitude for all parts of their bodies, from the waist that wiggles to the toes that tap. In a note to families about “Modeh Ani” and “Asher Yatzar,” Rabbi Alyson hopes to inspire gratitude for each new day. From Jewish book publisher Behrman House in New Jersey; all titles available on Amazon. • From revered and award-winning Israeli author/journalist Meir Shalev comes A Snake, A Flood, A Hidden Baby: Bible Stories for Children. Colorful illustrations are by Italian artist Emanuele Luzzati. Shalev gives modern interpretations to six Bible stories: Adam and Eve, Noah and the flood, Moses in the river, the Tower of Babel, Joseph and his brothers, and the angels who visited Abraham and Sarah. The short, whimsical stories are easy for even young children to understand. • In My Israel and Me, author Alice Blumenthal McGinty uses verse to show how various people who live in Israel feel about their lives there, from a Jerusalem street cat to Ethiopian immigrants, kibbutzniks, and Bedouin and Arab Israeli families. With each page are facts about each group depicted. Rotem Teplow’s wonderful illustrations give graphic representation to each group, all of whom are shown

Rabbi Alyson Solomon is passionate

Solomon • ClarkSon

about Judaism as a vibrant wisdom

tradition and believes that spirituality is

about asking questions that matter and

then living courageously. She is a courage coach, sacred-maker, and prayerful poet at www.thisisRAS.com. She lives with her daughter in Eugene, Oregon.

Thank you Modeh AnI

Bryony Clarkson is a collage artist and illustrator from Oxford, UK. She

graduated from the Royal College of Art, London, with a degree in textile embroidery designer before turning her focus to illustration. Visit her at

AN ImPRINt Of BEHRmAN HOuSE www.applesandhoneypress.com

9 781681 155692

51795

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ISBN 978-1-68115-569-2

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during November. On the website, also check out the “Hanukkah Hub,” which offers child-friendly versions of the Chanukah story as well as craft ideas, recipes and printables (such as the “8 Nights of Hanukkah”).

$17.95

Thank You for my toes that tap . . . my shoulders that shimmy . . . my mouth that sings. Thank You for this new day.

By Rabbi Alyson Solomon

Illustrated by Bryony Clarkson

design and worked as a print and

www.bryonyclarkson.com.

together on the cover and last pages to show the Israeli mosaic. • The Rabbi and the Painter evolved after author Shoshana Weiss heard the rumor of a relationship between Rabbi Leon of Modena (Judah Aryeh) and the Italian painter Jacopo Robusti (Tintoretto), who lived near one another in Venice in the late 1950s. She created this story supposing the rumor was true, although it has never been substantiated. This story, illustrated by Jennifer Kirkham, explores how the unconventional painter creates a masterpiece after seeking advice from the rabbi, who ventures outside the ghetto to explore the secular life around him. From Kalaniot, a Jewish imprint of Endless Mountains Publishing in Pennsylvania; all available on Amazon. We start the day ready to move, to dance, to wiggle, and to sing with joy in this book inspired by Jewish prayers of gratitude for waking up to a new day.

Modeh ani means “I am grateful” in Hebrew.

PJ LIBRARY RESOURCES Parents and grandparents, if you’re not signed up to receive Jewish children’s books and more from the PJ Library, a nonprofit program of the Harold

Grinspoon Foundation, you are missing a great opportunity. Go to pjlibrary.org. You not only will receive free books mailed to your home, but also a slew of other Jewish resources, including holiday recipes and craft ideas and two new podcasts: “Afternoons with Mimi” and “Beyond the Bookcase.” Both will feature Chanukah themes

A very cute Chanukah story in their stable of books is The Eight Knights of Hanukkah (Holiday House, 2020) by Leslie Kimmelman and illustrated by Galia Bernstein. The knights are asked by their mother on the last night of Chanukah to rid the kingdom of a dastardly dragon so they all can celebrate. The knights, which include women, hunt the dragon and do acts of kindness along the way — feeding soup to the sick, visiting the lonely, peeling potatoes for latkes. They discover the dragon is merely a baby, who ends up joining the holiday celebration. In the PJ Library version, look at the book flaps for suggested ways readers can be of service, too. Another is Meet the Latkes by Alan Silberberg (Penguin, 2018), a silly telling of the Chanukah story by the grandpa of a family of latkes. He gets it all wrong, including mentioning Mega-Bees instead of Maccabees, but the telling is hilarious. Finally, the family dog, Applesauce, sets the record straight. Again, in the PJ Library version, look at the book flaps for a fun family activity to do with your kiddos. These books can be found on Amazon, too.

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

GIFT GUIDE

Time to Get the Toys Shop early this year to get the perfect toy at Toyology.

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Nori Klar

t was only October, but employees at area toy store Toyology were already hard at work wrapping Chanukah presents. Between the holiday starting early this year and the news of supply chain shortages blaring on everyone’s news feeds, customers were getting a jump on their Chanukah shopping. “People are nervous they’re going to miss out on all the great toys,” says Nori Klar, who owns Toyology with her sons Jonathan and Aric. In preparation for this holiday season, she ordered the bulk of the toys in June, in hopes they’d arrive in time. Usually, she has several more months to make purchases, and more certainty that what she’s ordered is on its way. “II could place an order and maybe initially only 20-30% would come in. The rest would trickle in or never arrive,” she explains. Supply chain and shipping woes around the globe have disrupted the usual flow of trade that brings presents and other

goods into the country. That means longer wait times, price increases and having to be more creative when it comes to stocking the shelves. “The nice part about being an independent toy store is that I can flip very quickly,” she says, explaining that unlike big-box retailers, she doesn’t have to just wait for boats carrying specific toys to dock to get presents into people’s hands. Having a network of small toy companies she can count on is more important than ever, she explains. “It’s never been like this before.” So far, her planning has paid off. The store’s three locations in West Bloomfield, Royal Oak and Bloomfield Hills are stocked and able to readily welcome shoppers eager to pick out the perfect presents for their children and grandchildren. “Chanukah’s here. It’s going to be really strong, we’re going to have toys,” she says. “It’s the holiday season, the joy of giving.” This year’s gifts are trending more multi-generational, as people are spending more time at home with their families and playing together. Whether it’s continued on page 38

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

For 3-5-year-olds:

Pancake Monster and Kablocks Blast “They’re perfect for 3, 4 and 5-year-olds who like to be active,” Klar says.

Ages 6+:

Genius Square. “It’s a game you can play by yourself or with someone and be competitive.”

YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH recognizes the generosity of

Mickey Shapiro upon the dedication of the

MICKEY SHAPIRO EDUCATIONAL COMPLEX at the Yeshiva Dinner, October 24th 2021

Encompassing the three-story Milton and Lois Shiffman Boys Building on the Newman Family Campus, a 38-unit faculty housing project, the Schoenhals school building, multiple ballfields, the Yeshiva Administrative Wing and the Weiss Partners Detroit program and facilities, The Mickey Shapiro Educational Complex is the hub of the thriving Yeshiva Beth Yehudah.

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

GIFT GUIDE

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continued from page 37

puzzles, games or science projects, items that everyone can get involved with are in high demand. “There’s a lot more multi-generational play than there ever was,” she says. “Now people are starting to get together with small groups of friends, but it’s still kids and parents doing things together.” The pandemic has also resulted in more people choosing to shop the store online, over FaceTime, by phone or by appointment before the store opens. They’re picking up curbside, using delivery and shipping in higher numbers as well, Klar says. Any which way, her employees are ready to help. They’re trained to ask questions that will guide shoppers to the gifts that will make kids smile, she says. “When someone comes into the store, our first ques-

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

tion is ‘how old is the child and what are their interests?’” she explains. “We’ll show them some things, and if it doesn’t hit, we’ll keep asking about the child, and all of a sudden, something will click.” Seeing parents and grandparents leave excited about the gifts they’re giving is part of the fun, she adds. Meanwhile, it’s not easy to find employees. Like stores across the nation, Toyology is currently short-staffed and might be all holiday season, she says. Her employees are working hard, but to minimize wait times, she recommends going at odd hours and shopping earlier in the day if possible. Chanukah starts at the end of Thanksgiving weekend, with the first candle to be lit on Sunday, Nov. 28. The holiday runs through sundown, Dec. 6. “Shop now,” says Klar. “It’s not too early.”

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Thank you to all our friends for the many great years! David & Harry Karagosian .54cttw Diamond and 2.76cttw Heart Shaped Emerald Earrings set in 14kt Yellow Gold NOW $5,199.00 Was $10,500.00

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GIFT GUIDE

Special Deliveries for Chanukah Paula and Randy Slof offer the perfect ekuBOX. JULIE SMITH YOLLES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

andy and Paula Slof are certainly thinking inside the box these days. With the holidays in full force, the husband-wife founders of ekuBOX have been ramping up their extensive product line of more than 70 curated, luxury gift

boxes to include four unique Chanukah gift packages. Pronounced “ee-koo,” ekuBOX stands for eat, keep and use and was launched right before the pandemic. “I always say that we don’t send gift boxes, we send experiences,” says Chief Gift Guru

Chanukah-Themed Gift Boxes

For Them

SWEET HOLIDAY Send Happy Chanukah wishes to family, friends or clients with this gift box filled with gourmet sweet treats. They can’t help but love it. $69

HAPPY CHANUKAH This Chanukah box is curated to bring a season full of cheer. Celebrate the 8 days in style with delicious treats and holiday must-haves — like hand-dipped beeswax candles. $135

CHANUKAH FUN & GAMES Send the family, kids or the team a good time with this gift box. They can whip up some craft cocktails or mocktails, pop some movie-style popcorn or nosh on fabulous butter cookies while they play cards, checkers, tic-tac-toe or dreidel games. A great gift to be enjoyed by one and all. $198

8 NIGHTS OF CHANUKAH This is the perfect gift for the celebration of lights. The Sugarfina 8 Nights of Delight is fun for one and all. Halva from Israel, dried fruit and nuts, hand-dipped pretzels and more are sure to make for a tasty Chanukah celebration. $165

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Paula Slof. “When everyone was in lockdown, our food gift boxes were very popular because people were worried about shortages, and parents would have them sent to their kids who were stuck quarantining.” Though ekuBOX is their

TASTE OF ITALY Even the most ardent foodie will be impressed with these amazing Italian treats. Truffle salt from Savigno, Pesto from Genoa, Bolognese sauce from Michelin star chef Alberto Bettini and more… $198

SENDING HUGS The perfect gift when you want to send a little comfort to someone. Cozy socks, a pashmina scarf made in Italy, Bellocq tea from Brooklyn, unscented organic handmade soap, ginger drops to settle the tummy and more. $225

newest company, the Slofs have developed a niche for online luxury. In 2012, the Slofs launched Paula & Chlo. Named for Paula and their Australian Shepherd who passed away this year, Paula & Chlo is an online clothing and accessories store specializing in cashmere. “My mother always loved high-end fashion and buying purses. She had a Judith Leiber collection. Paula and

I are gift-givers, and we’re always searching for the best quality gifts. We realized that we wanted our own retail site, and it kind of metamorphosed into Paula & Chlo,” said Randy, who lives in Franklin with Paula. While Paula is Catholic, she always called Randy’s mom her own Jewish mother. “My mother-in-law and I were very much alike,” Paula

continued on page 42

Paula and Randy Slof

ekuBOXes for all occasions

HOUSEWARMING BELLINI This petitesized gift box makes a perfect housewarming gift. Peach Bellini anyone? The famous drink from Harry’s Bar in Venice reimagined in an ekuBOX. Recipe included. $59

For Her

MINI SPA Everyone needs an “om” moment; the Mini Spa box gives the user just that. This gift box is for celebrating the little quiet moments we all need to survive and thrive. $85

WORK FROM HOME Create a reputation for outstanding workplace culture by letting your team know you care. Whether they are working from home or back in the office, this is the perfect onboarding gift to get your new employees started on the right foot. $169

For Him

BOURBON LOVERS The large gift box is huge! Perfect when you really want to make an impression. This unique bourbon gift box is for the bourbon lover who demands the best! Ready to enjoy, just add bourbon. $375 NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

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GIFT GUIDE

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continued from page 41

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says. “The fashion part just resonated with both of us. She and I shared a love of handbags.” And a love of food. In fact, that’s how Paula and Randy’s families became good friends. Beginning in 1972, Randy and his parents, Marvin and Barbara Slof, would often come to Peppina’s Ristorante in Lincoln Park, owned by Paula’s family. Paula was 11 at the time and Randy was 9. Over the years, it went from a 16-table restaurant and drive-in to a 250-seat, full-service restaurant with three dining rooms. People came from all over the country to enjoy their signature from-scratch pizza and pasta dishes. After 48 years, it closed, following a roof collapse in 2001. In the ’60s, Marvin, Barbara and Randy Slof lived in Northwest Detroit. A local celebrity of sorts, “Marvin the Ice Cream Man” was especially adored on Saturdays when he gave out prizes to the neighborhood

kids. Over time, Peppina’s employees would try to fix up Randy and Paula. “Our relationship was a lot like the movie When Harry Met Sally,” Paula laughs. “Eventually, we realized that we were meant for each other.” After 34 years, they finally got married in 2006 by Rabbi Sherwin Wine at the Birmingham Temple. WRAPPED WITH LOVE From early on, the search for the ideal gift has been a welcomed challenge for Randy and Paula, an art that they have creatively perfected with ekuBOX. “Randy and his parents were always searching for fabulous food items to bring us at Christmas and Easter, hoping that we wouldn’t already have them as restaurant owners,” says Paula, a self-professed food forager. Her experience as a restauranteur lends itself well to the gourmet ekuBOX packages,

which include an olive oil dipping set, Spanish paella and tapas set, truffles, breakfast baking and, of course, a Taste of Italy set with a Bolognese meat sauce made by a chef in Italy and an olive wood parmesan grater. And there are also gift boxes for your favorite wine, coffee, bourbon and tea drinker. For Chanukah this year, ekuBOX has four themed packages that feature eight nights of fun, games and goodies like hand-dipped beeswax candles, kosher Belgian chocolate gelt, decadent cookies, candy and Israeli-made halva. “That’s a nod to my dad who took me to Stage Deli when I was a little kid and he would always buy me the halva, which I loved,” Randy says. “We created ekuBOX because we knew there had to be a better way for upscale gifting. It needed to be a stand-alone company of just curated gift boxes. What makes us so different is that our boxes are themed, and our goal is to give everyone an experience that makes sense,” Paula says.

The gourmet ekuBOXes arrive exquisitely packaged with fresh rosemary grown by Paula as one of many special touches. Spa packages are adorned with fresh eucalyptus and dried rose petals. And all gift sets, at both ekuBOX and Paula & Chlo, are wrapped in a signature box with a satin ribbon and hand-tied mini lavender bouquet. “Our packaging really shines,” says Randy, who includes a handwritten note with a handmade, old-fashioned wax seal with every package. “And for every box we sell, we have a tree planted wherever in the world it’s needed. We like to say that we’re planting a forest, one ekuBOX at a time.” With more than 70 themed boxes to choose from, ekuBOX prices range from $59-$375, with a gift package for pretty much anyone or any occasion — hostess, gardener, employee, foodie, baby, yogi, sibling, bride, grad, family, pet lover and one, aptly titled for the early Chanukah season, “Stressed Out.” And, if you don’t see one online, Paula and Randy will customize a box for you as they did recently for Beaumont’s remote Red Tie Ball, Capitol Records and Netflix. “The whole point of ekuBOX is for us to shop, research and do all the work for you,” Paula adds. “For us, the greatest satisfaction is sending out great, beautiful products that make people happy.”

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GIFT GUIDE

LIGHTful

BETSY BESL

Whimsical chanukiyot created by Betsy Besl

De B

etsy Besl exudes creativity. She just can’t help herself. Everything she touches turns captivating. She’s always working on a project, usually multiple at once. In time for Chanukah, Besl has created chanukiyot (Chanukah menorahs), in a way that only Besl can. As a little girl growing up in Cincinnati, she made tiny books, about an inch square, out of pieces of paper that she had made drawings on, punched holes in then bound together. Her mother, an expert needlepointer, taught Besl the craft, but the child gave

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Chanukiyot crafted from found objects help the artist create a connection to families, the community and Judaism from home. LYNNE KONSTANTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

the works her own mark by creating her own fanciful designs, like caterpillars and colorful mushrooms. Her artwork was often small, and always whimsical. “I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t doing art,” says the University of Michigan school of fine arts grad and mom of two adult daughters. When those daughters grew a little older, Besl went to work as a teaching artist at Temple Israel’s Early Childhood Center in West Bloomfield, where her joy of creating art was enhanced by working with children and their families. But even then, she thirsted for more: She

taught art to middle- and highschool kids and adults. She held workshops for teachers on creativity in the classroom, stressing the importance of kavanah, Hebrew for “intention.” “That’s always been very important to me, the idea of teaching with intention, and understanding why we are doing what we are doing with these children,” she says. Naturally, Besl is also drawn to objects, often lost and forgotten or cast-aside objects that she finds beauty in. And she stores these found objects, sometimes for years, until their time comes to be resuscitated, transformed by Besl into works of art so that others will see their beauty, too. She began embellishing vintage teapots with found charms, costume jewelry and more to create Specialteas By Betsy (she loves that they represent a combination of home, family, comfort and art). She creates tiny sculptural mushrooms, replete with miniature creatures, insects or other details (“I’m just a sucker for cuteness,” Besl says. “I love anthropomorphic animals, fruits, vegetables, cute little faces and expressions. They are so happy and joyful.”) She launched Mi She-Bei-Rocks, found stones she handpaints and embellishes with Jewish symbolism in honor of the Mi Shebeirach, a Hebrew blessing often recited for people who are ill.

Most recently, she found a new use for her collections of thousands of trinkets — chanukiyot. Kitschy little figurines, salt and pepper shakers, miniature porcelain doll shoes, watches — in Besl’s hands, all is fairgame. They are whimsical and adorable, but this project has extra meaning for Besl. Four years ago, Besl was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis and associated thoracic cancer, putting an end to her 18-year career at Temple Israel. “My whole world was the kids and the families and teaching,” Besl says. “I missed being in a Jewish environment, interacting creatively with children. I wanted to find a way to stay in touch with some aspect of Judaism and the playfulness of being with children. And I wanted to make something that wasn’t only pretty, but useful. “Most Jewish holidays have a serious undertone, which is important. But I wanted to bring out the joyfulness, too,” she says. “With the chanukiyot, I found a way to stay in touch with some aspect of carrying on Judaism. A mom bought a tea set chanukiah for her oneyear-old’s first Chanukah, and another bought the “Time” chanukiah for her son at college. People have bought them for their teenage children, who I taught at temple when they were age 3.

“I felt a loss when I couldn’t meet the new incoming families at the temple and in our community. Even though I don’t meet the families in person [for health precautions], I’ve gotten to connect with new families.” Besl has a favorite quote from Mr. Rogers, which she says helped her find her direction: “All I know to do is to light the candle that has been

Detroit’s Oldest Italian Restaurant in Detroit Since 1948

given to me.” “All I’ve ever known is to create things with an almost childlike vision,” Besl says. “I thought, ‘You don’t paint landscapes and portraits. All you can do is continue doing what you’ve been given and shine brightly.’ Perfect for Chanukah.” Contact Betsy Besl by email at betsy. teapot@gmail.com, by phone at (248) 330-8016 or on Facebook.

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DAVID SACHS

GIFT GUIDE Marcy’s Endless Love Rings

Pendant by an Israeli artist that incorporates Roman glass

Marcy’s 3-D Hoop Earrings

DAVID SACHS

‘Star’ Power

Jeweler Marcy Feldman’s Star of David necklace is a must-have symbol of pride.

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

eople started noticing early last year when Professor Deborah Lipstadt, the nationally known Holocaust scholar and author, began wearing a striking Star of David necklace. She gladly shared on Facebook and elsewhere that its creator was local jewelry artist Marcy Feldman, owner of Heartwear Designs. Feldman and Lipstadt, a professor of Modern Jewish History Studies at Atlanta’s Emory University, are longtime friends since participating in the Young Leadership Cabinet of United Jewish Appeal. Feldman said Lipstadt told her “she never felt the need to wear a Jewish star, but in this climate of antisemitism, she feels compelled to wear one.” Marcy (Tatken) Feldman, a native Detroiter who graduated from Mumford High School, has been creative all her life. Growing up, she made and sold potholders door to door in her neighborhood. As a teen, she sold her own beaded jewelry on street corners. Later, wanting to do more advanced work, Feldman was

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

told “you need to learn to cast to incorporate metal with beads.” Casting was a new skill, but she took to it. The Feldman family observed Sukkot this year in a sukkah she painted years ago. It has colorful Jerusalem scenery and Sukkot prayers on the walls. This time, the sukkah featured pipe cleaner chains and other decorations Marcy made with her young grandson Finn. When she was unable to use her teaching degree from University of Michigan, Feldman worked 13 months as a bench jeweler at the former Motif Manufacturing Company in Downtown Detroit’s David Whitney Building. “I earned $1.85 an hour, sizing rings for Hudson and Kmart and other stores all over the country,” she said. At age 22 in 1970, Feldman became an activist trying to unionize the shop. She had one victory. “We wanted the day off before Thanksgiving, but they said we couldn’t because of running into the Christmas holiday,” she

Marcy Feldman, in the Jerusalem-motif sukkah she painted, models the Star of David necklace she created (inset).

Marcy Feldman Occupation: Jewelry designer/owner of Heartwear Designs Family: Husband, Michael, development director for the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan; three children and spouses, Ronit and Eric Wagman; Noah Feldman and Chloe Whitmus; Joanna “Jo” Feldman and Andy Kushnir; and three grandchildren, Finn and Jake Wagman and Goldie Kushnir Affiliation: Adat Shalom Synagogue Volunteerism: Founding president of Friends of Pasteur School Detroit, since 1996 Business Phone: (248) 540-2839 Social Media: heartweardesigns.com; Marcy Feldman and Heartwear Design Facebook pages

Judaica pendants crafted by Marcy Feldman

COURTESY DEBORAH LIPSTADT

recalled. Instead, the workers got a vacation day after Christmas. Feldman began making her fine jewelry in 1971, when gold cost $35 an ounce. With Michael, her attorney husband by her side, they spent the next 20 years selling Marcy’s jewelry to national retailers, including Saks Fifth Avenue. They exhibited at wholesale shows for buyers, such as at the Javits Center in New York City, and traveled the national art fair circuit for 30 years. Heartwear Designs, the company they established in February 1982, was also the name of their boutique fine jewelry store in Birmingham for 10 years, near the Birmingham 8 theater. In 2004, Heartwear Designs took the form of an online gallery to showcase Marcy’s distinctive clean, classic

Professor Deborah Lipstadt wearing the Marcy Feldman necklace she helped popularize.

and contemporary jewelry designs. In her workshop, she works with sterling silver, 14K and 18K gold, platinum and gemstones to create one-of-a-kind pieces. She talks about jewelry in the lighthearted live show she broadcasts most Sunday afternoons on her Marcy Feldman Facebook page.

HOT ITEM Did Lipstadt’s endorsement increase sales for Heartwear Designs? “Oh, my!” Feldman exclaimed. “People wanting the same necklace that Deborah wore on TV bought 21 of the 26 Star of David necklaces we’ve sold in 2021,” she said. “I custom-make each one. They’re in sterling silver, 14K gold — rose gold and yellow gold — and the stars can be thicker or thinner.” With free gift wrapping and U.S. shipping (worldwide is available), Feldman’s Judaica designs also include chaishaped jewelry and hamsa hands. She fashions them in 14K gold and sterling silver. Prices for the latter material start at $75. Feldman also carries creations

from other artists including jewelry from an Israeli designer that incorporates 2,000-year-old Roman glass from Israel. These cost $45 and up. “My pretzel and hoop earrings are great gifts, as are my gold-filled Endless Love rings at $115,” Feldman added. “They are selling like hotcakes!”

Marcy’s Pretzel Earrings

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GIFT GUIDE

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bar, pastries, sandwiches, and other grab & go provisions in addition to gourmet groceries and biodynamic wines.

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BIG TOMMY’S PARTHENON & COMEDY CLUB

40380 Grand River Avenue Novi, Michigan 48375 (248) 615-2102 bigtommys.com Big Tommy’s Parthenon is a family-run business with more than 40 years of hospitality service. We strive to provide each guest with an enjoyable experience filled with traditional Greek cuisine and weekly entertainment. Extensive menu options are available for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as variety of catering and event choices including memorial luncheons, customized brunches, h’ors d’oeuvres, and much more.

CAFÉ CORTINA

30715 W. 10 Mile Road Farmington Hills, MI 48336 (248) 474-3033 cafecortina.com In its nearly four-decade long history, Café Cortina has consistently strived to be more than just a restaurant. Founded on the site of a former apple orchard in 1976 by the Tonon family, Café Cortina started out as

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770 Orchard Lake Road Pontiac, MI 48341 (248) 745-3786 epiphanyglass.com Michigan’s premier state-of-the-art hot glass studio and gallery, owned and operated by glass artist April Wagner. From paperweights and decanters to huge wall and atrium pieces, we create one-of-a-kind sculptures and gift items that are contemporary, colorful and handcrafted.

13000 High Ridge Drive Brighton, MI 48114 metroparks.com The Huron-Clinton Metroparks is a regional system encompassing Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties. The Metroparks offer 365-day access to open space and outdoor experiences for the communities of Southeast Michigan. Our open-air picnic shelters are available for reunions, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and any other way your family gets together — make your special event more eventful with your Metroparks!

FOLK

1701 Trumbull Detroit, MI 48216 (313) 742-2672 FolkDetroit.com Folk is a Gourmet Market & Café in Corktown, Detroit. Our dedication to sourcing high-quality ingredients is reflected in everything we do. At Folk, you’ll find an espresso

MARIO’S RESTAURANT

4222 2nd Ave. Detroit, MI 48201 (313) 832-1616 mariosdetroit.com This isn’t retro, this is real. We’ve been around since 1948. There aren’t many restaurants with this kind of character. One

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said the core of his judicial philosophy was “you have to think about the other fellow.” By that, he meant you have to be devoted to justice, but also have empathy for the human beings whose cases come before you. Those words exactly describe Avern Cohn’s career throughout seventy years as a lawyer and federal judge during a life devoted to the law, justice and his community.

NORTHERN SELF CARE

- Jack Lessenberry

Auld Classic Books 13165 Ludlow Ave. Huntington Woods, MI 48070

428 West Commerce Drive, Suite B Traverse City, MI 49685 NorthernSelfCare.com Full selection of natural bath, beauty and body-everything you need to pamper and feel good — inside and out. We proudly carry products that are handmade by local makers and artisans, support small businesses, and women-owned businesses around Michigan and the U.S. Shop online or in person by appointment only.

STAR DELI

24555 W. 12 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48034 (248) 352-7377 stardeli.net

Thinking About ‘the Other Fella’

Jack Lessenberry has b a writer and editor political analyst for numer publications, has hos radio and television sh and taught journalism many years at Wayne State University and University of Michigan. He is the autho The People’s Lawyer: The Life and Times of Fr J. Kelley, the Nation’s Longest-Serving Attor General (Wayne State University Press, 20 and Reason vs. Racism: A Newspaper Fam Race, and Justice (BCI Press, 2020).

Avern Cohn’s Life and the Law

Elizabeth Zerwekh is a p fessional librarian and ar vist, specializing in rare bo and private collections. has worked with Judge C for years, and in addition this book, played a major role in research Reason vs. Racism.

Jack Lessenberry Elizabeth Zerwekh

Calvin Coolidge was President and segregation was taken for granted, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II, went on to college and law school at the University of Michigan. In 1949, he began both practicing law and working in a wide range of communities in Detroit and Michigan, at various times serving on everything from the Michigan Civil Rights Commission to Detroit’s Board of Police Commissioners, both of which he chaired. He also served as President of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, and was a major force in the Jewish community and in the Democratic Party for decades. But the best-known part of his career really began in 1979, when President Jimmy Carter appointed him a federal judge. For more than forty years he presided over cases that included the trial of a spy for the CIA whose employers turned on her, landmark and controversial free speech cases in the early years of the internet, difficult police and racial issues, a product liability case that potentially affects every woman who has ever used birth control pills, and a world-famous patent case that inspired a book and a movie, Flash of Genius. This book looks at the importance of those decisions, the sweep of his career, and how others saw the judge and his legacy—as well as how he sees it himself. It also contains some remarkable articles that show that the judge is a versatile historian.

The Star Deli is a take-out only restaurant that also provides personal catering deli trays, using only the highest quality products. Serving the Metro Detroit community for more than 40 years, everyone is warmly welcomed, whether you are a life-long customer or just coming in for the first time.

Thinking About ‘the Other Fella’

step inside and you’ll see that this is a place that time doesn’t touch. We like to keep it that way. From our service to our cuisine, you’ll Biography $29.95 feel right at home in our warm, elegant and traditional atmosphere. If you like AVERN COHN’S REMARKABLE LIFE AND CAREER spanned most of a century, theyearsatmosphere, wait until you and included thirty as one of Detroit’s most respected lawyers and forty years as a taste our food! prominent federal judge. Born in Detroit when

They live in Huntington Woods and Charle with their dogs Ashley and Chet, in ho overflowing with books.

Jack Lessenberry

and

Jacket design by Anne Zimanski Jacket photographs courtesy of Avern Cohn

Elizabeth Zerwekh

Printed in the U.S.A.

STEVE’S DELI

6646 Telegraph Road (@ Maple) Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 In the Bloomfield Plaza (248) 932-0800 stevesdeli.com Steve’s Deli is one of Metro Detroit’s most popular and well-known delis. Providing quality food and service, Steve’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, and offers a fabulous carryout department with hot dinners to go every night. We also provide party trays and catering for home and business events. We will assist in all your shivah needs and offer suggestions for delicious Shabbat dinners. Steve’s is a little bit of New York right here in Bloomfield Hills!

U.S District Judge Avern Cohn sat on the federal bench for forty years, issuing landmark and sometimes controversial decisions on issues ranging from pornography on the internet to school desegregation and patent cases. But he was and is a proliﬁc writer on a wide range of legal and historic topics. Here, for the ﬁrst time, is the story of his remarkable career. Now available from Auld Classic Books

Contact AuldClassicBooks@gmail.com NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

MAZEL TOV! JUNE 30, 2021 Laura and Joshua Bobrow of Huntington Woods are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Isabella Mae (Meira Mashi). Excited big sister is Sophia Gloria. Proud grandparents are Eileen and Richard Polk of Huntington Woods, and Patricia and Kenneth Bobrow of Canastota, N.Y. Overjoyed great-grandmother is Shirley Bobrow of Hollywood, Fla. Isabella is named in loving memory of her great-grandfather Murray Bobrow, her great-grandmother Marcia Klain and her great-great-aunt Belle Bernstein,

Emily Ruth Berris, daughter of Karen and Joshua Berris, will become a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, Nov. 12, 2021. She is the grandchild of Helene and Earl Koenig, and Ronald Berris and the late Deborah Berris. She will be joined in celebration by her sister Olivia Berris. Emily is a student at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. She was involved with Yad Ezra in Berkley for her mitzvah project, donating food and volunteering directly with the organization.

Aiden Stuart Orman, son of Robin Orman and Peter Orman, will become a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. He is the grandchild of Alan Bolton and late Susie Bolton, Ceci Stone and Stuart Orman. He will be joined in celebration by his sister Carly Orman. Aiden is a student at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. For his mitzvah project, he donated food to families in need for Thanksgiving.

Hirsch 100th

n Oct. 27, 2021, Roberta Hirsch celebrated her 100th birthday with her family at her home in West Bloomfield. The occasion was organized by her grandson Scott Berk and his wife, Kathy, who traveled from Boston to celebrate. Sons, Barry and Dennis Berk; grandson, Derek Berk, and great-granddaughter, Sonett Robbie Berk, were also able to attend in person. Grandson Brett Berk and granddaughter Stacie Berk Eggers joined remotely from New York City and Key West, respectively, to honor their “Grandma Bobbie’s” major milestone. Her other great-grandchildren, Hannah Berk Swales, Lev Berk Eggers, and George Owen Berk Eggers, all sent their love with FaceTime kisses. With the arrival of a fifth living generation in January 2019, Great Grandma “G.G.” became “G-Three” to young Adrianna Elizabeth James, her great-great-granddaughter. Roberta received best wishes from many, including her nieces Bonnie Sugarman of Nashville, and Carrie Bennett of Chicago, as well as great-nephew Charlie Bennett. Roberta is the loving wife of the late Eugene Jay Hirsch. 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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SPIRIT

TORAH PORTION

Crossing A Divide

n this week’s parshah, Jacob is fleeing the only home he has ever known to escape the wrath of his brother Esau. When he sleeps, he dreams of a ladder stretching between heaven and Earth. Angels are ascending and descending. To me, this moment represents the in-between, the blurring of the boundary, the crossing of borders. Ritual theory places tremendous significance on the spiritual experience of boundary crossing. Whether it’s the dramatic elements of Havdalah or the embodied awareness of threshold crossing the mezuzah invites, Judaism is certainly deeply conscious of it. I have long considered boundary-crossing to be a primary spiritual practice of mine. When I visit inmates in prison, when I

wood for the altar into ladders, cross checkpoints between Israel lying to the guards about the and the occupied territories, and purpose of their travel. The text when I cross 8 Mile Road, these actions facilitate awakening and a concludes: “As soon as they had profound sense of the unity of all. passed the guards, they dismantled the ladders and took them To be boundary-crossers is our up to Jerusalem. [...]” lineage. The word ivrim, What a powerful Hebrews, can be translated teaching. Not only as “the ones who cross.” are ladders a bridge, a Ladders and boundmechanism for borderary-crossing come togethcrossing, but they are also er in a remarkable piece of Talmud. Taanit 28a Rabbi Alana a tool for thwarting an Alpert recounts that when the empire. The writer and kingdom of Greece ruled activist Arundhati Roy Parshat Judea, they forbade the once said, “Our strategy Vayetze: practice of Judaism. In should be not only to Genesis order to prevent the celeconfront empire, but to 28:10-32:3; bration of the pilgrimage lay siege to it. To deprive Hosea 12;13festival, they placed guards it of oxygen. To shame 14:10. it. To mock it. With on the roads to Jerusalem. our art, our music, our But the pilgrims outsmarted the guards. They covered their literature, our stubbornness, our joy, our brilliance, our sheer first fruits and assembled the

Awaken the Beauty Within...

relentlessness — and our ability to tell our own stories.” About these brave bordercrossers the Talmud teaches: “The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing” (Proverbs 10:7). This Shabbat, as we tell the story of our ancestor dreaming of a ladder crossing the ultimate divide, let us ask ourselves: How can we live out the lineage we inherit as the ivrim, the ones who cross? How do our history and tradition compel us to challenge systems of oppression and domination? In addition to being the People of the Book, how might we be the People of the Ladder? Rabbi Alana Alpert is the director of Detroit Jews for Justice (detroitjewsforjustice.org).

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SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

Light in

Dark Times

hat is it that made Jacob — not Abraham or Isaac or Moses — the true father of the Jewish people? We are the “congregation of Jacob,” “the children of Israel.” Jacob/Israel is the man whose name we bear. Yet Jacob did not begin the Jewish journey; Rabbi Lord Abraham did. Jonathan Jacob faced no Sacks trial like that of Isaac at the binding. He did not lead the people out of Egypt or bring them the Torah. To be sure, all his children stayed within the faith, unlike Abraham or Isaac. But that simply pushes the question back one level. Why did he succeed where Abraham and Isaac failed? It seems that the answer lies in this week’s parshah and the next. Jacob was the man whose greatest visions came to him when he was alone at night, far from home, fleeing from one danger to the next. In this week’s parshah, escaping from Esau, he stops and rests for the night with only stones to lie on and has an epiphany: He had a dream in which he

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

saw a stairway resting on the Earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it … When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.” (Gen. 28:12-17) In next week’s parshah, fleeing from Laban and terrified at the prospect of meeting Esau again, he wrestles alone at night with an unnamed stranger. Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome” … So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” (Gen. 32:29-31) These are the decisive spiritual encounters of Jacob’s life, yet they happen in liminal space (the space between that is neither starting point nor destination), at a time when Jacob was at risk in both directions, where he came from and where he was going to. Yet it was at these

points of maximal vulnerability that he encountered God and found the courage to continue despite all the hazards of the journey. That is the strength Jacob bequeathed the Jewish people. What is remarkable is not merely that this one tiny people survived tragedies that would have spelled the end of any other people: the destruction of two temples, the Babylonian and Roman conquests, the expulsions, persecutions and pogroms of the Middle Ages, the rise of antisemitism in 19th century Europe and the Holocaust. After each cataclysm, it renewed itself, scaling new heights of achievement. During the Babylonian exile it deepened its engagement with the Torah. After the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, it produced the great literary monuments of the Oral Torah: Midrash, Mishnah and Gemara. During the Middle Ages it produced masterpieces of law and Torah commentary, poetry and philosophy. A mere three years after the Holocaust it proclaimed the state of Israel, the Jewish return to history after the darkest night of exile.

STRENGTH OF LEADERS When I became Chief Rabbi, I had to undergo a medical examination. The doctor put me on a treadmill, walking at a very brisk pace. “What are you testing?” I asked him. “How fast I can go, or how long?” “Neither,” he replied. “What I am testing is how long it takes, when you come off the treadmill, for your pulse to return to normal.” That is when I discovered that health is measured by the power of recovery. That is true for everyone, but doubly so for leaders and for the Jewish people, a nation of leaders (that, I believe, is what the phrase “a kingdom of priests” means). Leaders suffer crises. That is a given of leadership. When Harold Macmillan, prime minister of Britain between 1957 and 1963, was asked what was the most difficult aspect of his time in office, he replied, “Events, dear boy, events.” Bad things happen, and when they do, the leader must take the strain so that others can sleep easily in their beds. Leadership, especially in matters of the spirit, is deeply stressful. Four figures in Tanach

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michprobate. c om michprobate.com — Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah and Jonah — actually pray to die rather than continue. Nor was this true only in the distant past. Abraham Lincoln suffered deep bouts of depression. So did Churchill, who called it his “black dog.” Gandhi and Martin Luther King both attempted suicide in adolescence and experienced depressive illness in adult life. The same was true of many great creative artists, among them Michelangelo, Beethoven and Van Gogh. Is it greatness that leads to moments of despair, or moments of despair that lead to greatness? Is it that those who lead internalize the stresses and tensions of their time? Or is it that those who are used to stress in their emotional lives find release in leading exceptional lives? There is no convincing answer to this in the literature thus far. But Jacob was a more emotionally volatile individual than either Abraham, who was often serene even in the face of great trials, or Isaac who was more than usually withdrawn. Jacob feared; Jacob loved; Jacob spent more of his time in exile than the other patriarchs. But Jacob endured and persisted. Of all the figures in Genesis, he is the great survivor. The ability to survive and to recover is part of what it takes to be a leader. It is the willingness to live a life of risks that makes such individuals different from others. So said Theodor Roosevelt in one of the greatest speeches ever made on the subject: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or

where the doer of deeds could have done them better. “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” Jacob endured the rivalry of Esau, the resentment of Laban, the tension between his wives and children, the early death of his beloved Rachel and the loss, for 22 years, of his favorite son Joseph. He said to Pharaoh, “Few and hard have been the years of my life” (Gen. 47:9). Yet on the way he “encountered” angels, and whether they were wrestling with him or climbing the ladder to heaven, they lit the night with the aura of transcendence. To try, to fall, to fear and yet to keep going: that is what it takes to be a leader. That was Jacob, the man who at the lowest ebbs of his life had his greatest visions of heaven. The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks served as the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, 1991-2013. His teachings have been made available to all at rabbisacks.org. This essay was written in 2013.

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NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

veryone needs a vision. We all need a vision to give us direction and inspiration in life. Life can’t just be about surviving. It has to be about the goals and the aspirations and the big picture that we are striving for. There are too many challenges and opportunities Chief Rabbi in the path of Warren life not to have Goldstein clarity of vision. In this week’s parshah, Vayetze, we read about a great vision given to our forefather, Yaakov (Jacob), and it is a vision which sustains us to this very day. Yaakov was embarking on a journey, leaving home and venturing out into a hostile world, with many dangerous challenges lying in wait. He was fleeing from the vengeful anger of his brother, Eisav (Esau), and his destination was Avraham’s family, who lived in Haran — a family led by Lavan, a man known for his deceptive and unscrupulous behavior. And, so, Yaakov encountered many different and difficult challenges throughout his life, but in this week’s portion, he is given a gift from God — the gift of a vision that sustained him throughout his life. One night, on his journey to Haran, he lay down and had the famous prophetic vision we call “Jacob’s Ladder.” The ladder rests on the ground and reaches into the heavens, and there are angels ascending and descending. God appears to Yaakov in the vision and promises to look after him on his journey ahead, and to return him back to the Land of Israel and to his heritage. The commentators on the Chumash share different per-

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

The Importance of Having a

Vision

spectives on what the ladder and the angels going up and down signify. Common to all of them, however, is the idea that the ladder is a bridge between heaven and Earth. And this is the great Divine vision of the Torah and the mission statement of the Jewish people — to connect heaven and Earth, to infuse the physical world with holiness and spirituality, and so elevate all of creation. Rashi says the angels represented God’s Divine protection. The angels going up the ladder were the angels that had pro-

tected Yaakov within the land of Israel, and the angels coming down the ladder were their replacements now that Yaakov was leaving Israel and the first set of angels had completed their task. ACCOMPANIED BY GOD Angels are bursts of spiritual energy that God has created so He can interact with the world. They are not independent beings. They do not have free choice. They are mere extensions of God’s will being expressed in this world. What

emerges from Rashi is the idea that throughout our life’s journey, we are accompanied by angels, emissaries of God, and that God is looking after us in everything that we do. A key message being relayed to Yaakov was that he was not venturing out into the world on his own — that, though he was likely wracked with fear and anxiety about what lay ahead, God would accompany him every step of the way. And, of course, the fear and anxiety wasn’t unfounded. Yaakov underwent tremendous

pain and hardship: the deception of Lavan; the loss of his beloved wife, Rachel; the separation from his beloved son, Yosef; and many other severely challenging experiences. And yet, throughout, this vision — this pledge that God would be with him at all times — sustained him, and gave him the strength to withstand all of the difficulties and challenges that lay ahead. This vision can sustain us through our own difficulties and challenges. As King David famously said: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me.” (Psalm 23) He does not say: “I fear no evil because no harm can befall me,” but rather: “I fear no evil because You are with me.” Everything that happens to us is from God and is therefore ultimately for the good, even if we cannot see it at the time, and there is great comfort in knowing that God is with us and looking after us throughout our life’s journey. This is all from a personal perspective. The Midrash of Rav Eliezer ben Hurkenus, on the other hand, probes the national significance of the angels on the ladder. He teaches that the ascending and descending angels symbolize the rise and fall of the great empires of the world that would oppress and seek to destroy the nation of Israel. Yaakov was being shown that the Jewish people would undergo great challenges and distress, as one kingdom after another — the Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans and others — came to subjugate them. And yet, somehow, through the incredible Divine miracles of Jewish history, we survived, and that was the message to Yaakov

— that no matter what forces of destruction would come against his descendants, God would be with them and would ensure the survival of the Jewish people. Indeed, this is one of the great miracles of human history. No other nation in history has endured as much hardship through exile, dispersion and persecution as the Jewish people. And what has sustained us throughout is this vision of “Jacob’s Ladder” — God’s pledge that He would be with us, always. There is another Midrash that explains that the ladder symbolized Mount Sinai. In fact, the gematria — the numerological value — of the Hebrew word for ‘ladder’ and ‘Sinai’ are identical. ACCOMPANIED BY TORAH The Midrash says the angels themselves symbolize Moshe (Moses) and Aharon (Aaron), who ascended and descended Mount Sinai at the time of the giving of the Torah. This further reinforces the idea of the ladder as a bridge between heaven and Earth. Many of the mitzvahs of the Torah relate to the physical world. There’s the famous Midrash that describes how “God looked into the Torah and created the world,” that the Torah is the blueprint of creation. Indeed, most of the precepts of the Torah are fulfilled through the physical world — lulav and etrog, tefillin, challahs — these are all physical objects. Simply by utilizing them within the framework of the Torah’s instructions, we infuse them with a cosmic significance. We elevate the physical world and connect it with the upper world, God’s eternal world. Similarly, the Torah is also

about elevating our physical lives, our physical bodies, and transforming them into vessels of Godliness and spirituality. The relationship between a man and a woman, for example, or the act of raising children, or the process of eating. All of these are governed by Divine parameters laid out in the Torah that enable us to elevate them beyond the biological and transform them into something truly transcendent. To connect heaven and Earth. There’s a third Midrash that says the ladder represents the altar in the Temple, and the angels going up and down represent the Kohanim, the priests, who would serve in the Temple (and ascend and descend the altar). In other words, the ladder represents the service of God — through prayer and mitzvot and the daily activities we dedicate to our Creator — so our lives themselves become an active act of service. These last two Midrashim are connected. It’s about receiving the Torah, which connects heaven and Earth, and living a life that connects heaven and Earth. Through the Torah and through acts of service, our lives become filled with meaning. We become more than physical beings eking out an existence; we become elevated, spiritual beings, connected to our Creator. So this then becomes the overarching vision that sustained Yaakov and has continued to sustain us through all of our generations — that God is with us every step of the way, and there is a way to uplift our lives and connect heaven and Earth. What is so powerful is that, according to our sages, Yaakov was shown this vision after he’d already arrived in

Haran. The Talmud explains that Yaakov had mistakenly passed over the holy place where Avraham had brought his son Yitzchak on the altar, and that he hadn’t stopped to pray. Yaakov felt such a yearning, such a sense of lost opportunity, that a great miracle was performed, and that holy site was miraculously transported to Yaakov, whereupon he had his vision. Rav Moshe Feinstein says the message here is that even though he had left the holiness of his parents’ home and was now in a place of spiritual desolation, through maintaining a loyalty and a devotion to the vision that was given to him, he would be able to achieve that holiness and that connection. The holy place came to him — and so the message was that he could take the vision with him and implement wherever he went. People often believe themselves to be limited by their circumstances. But what we see here is that having a vision — a great, lofty Divine vision that we dedicate ourselves to — can enable us to transcend those circumstances. It can inspire us and guide us and transform the world in which we find ourselves. This is the vision that Jacob took with him on all his journeys; the same lofty, life-affirming, transformative vision that has accompanied the Jewish people on all of our journeys, both national and personal. It is the vision that makes us who we are and has held us all together throughout the generations. Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who has a Ph.D. in Human Rights Law, is the chief rabbi of South Africa. This article first appeared on aish.com. NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

SPIRIT

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Ohr Hatorah Oak Park (248) 294-0613 Ohrhatorah.us MINYANS Fleischman Residence West Bloomfield (248) 661-2999 Yeshivat Akivah Southfield (248) 386-1625 farberhds.org

ANN ARBOR

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.

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE ART

In this image from Lynne Avadenka’s section of The House Is in the Book: A Collaboration in Isolation, titled “Folio 1,” she refers to winter as one of the four seasons, Rachel as one of the four matriarchs, west as one of four directions and the four phases of the moon. There is a four-sided kite to present the idea of the element of freedom still available to some extent while in confinement.

Six Feet Apart Lynne Avadenka’s collaborative book project themed around the idea of ‘four cubits’ wins award. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ven before the Fifth Jerusalem Biennale opened new artistry to the in-person and digital public Nov. 11-Dec. 30, a specialized award was presented for a project created by a Michigan artist and distanced teammates. The 2021 Isaac Anolic Jewish Book Arts Award of $1,500 went to The House Is in the Book: A Collaboration in Isolation, jointly developed by artists Lynne Avadenka of Huntington Woods, Andi Arnovitz of Jerusalem and Mirta Kupferminc of Buenos Aires, with consultation provided by Emily Bilski, a Jerusalem-based curator-author exploring the interface of art, cultural history and the Jewish experience. The piece, in a limited-text book format, fit right in with the Biennale theme, “Four Cubits,” the ancient designa-

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

tion of personal space, which is thought to measure not far from 6 feet in today’s terms, the measurement suggested for social distancing. Some 300 artists, working in different media for display in venues across the city, have expressed various approaches to the subject so recently on the minds of people worldwide. From jewelry to installations — and discussions to go along with different segments — this year’s program considers relevant questions, such as the creation and/or display of artistry in private domains. “The title of our piece comes from a poem by Edmond Jabès, an Egyptian Jewish poet who wrote about books,” said Avadenka, who is also director of Signal-Return, a nonprofit Detroit letterpress print shop and community arts center.

“We thought it was evocative in the sense that we were working collaboratively but all in different houses. Other connections to the title include having the book’s pages being housed together in a box.” In keeping with the Biennale theme, four pages were allotted to each of the three artists engrossed with the new book, an inspiration for a six-minute video titled Threshold to be shown at the Biennale. Because the collaborative piece also will be accompanied by individual book projects developed earlier

Details

by the artists, the joint initiative becomes part of an exhibit in its own right. BRINGING THE IDEA TO LIFE The team project began at the behest of Arnovitz, who met Avadenka years ago at an artists’ gathering in Italy. The originating idea was to use the book format separately while sharing common themes and interests to provide continuity. The resulting book is printed in a limited edition of 15, each kept in a custom portfolio box.

To get more information and experience the “Fifth Jerusalem Biennale,” go to jerusalembiennale.org. For more information on the individual artists of The House Is in the Book: A Collaboration in Isolation, go to lynneavadenka.com, andiarnovitz.com and mirtakupferminc.net.

Lynne Avadenka

cosmic space — all included in each of our works.” Avadenka, whose projects over time have covered the physical and philosophical idea of the book, is represented across international collections, including the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the British Library in London and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Arnovitz, who has created more than 25 artists’ books, also is represented in the Library of Congress as well as the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem and Yale University in New Haven. Her work challenges the boundaries of what a book is, adding objects and materials. Kupferminc, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, has addressed themes of exile, migration, human rights and memory through some 100 solo exhibitions. Her works reach from the Library of Congress, through the Israel Museum and into the

Shanghai National Museum. “The artists gave visual form to the emotions engendered by the [COVID-19] crisis,” Bilski said. “As accomplished book artists, [they] understood how the inherently collaborative qualities of the book format could be harnessed for their joint endeavor.” The artists’ collaboration started with weekly Zoom meetings before moving into discussions every other week. Alone in her studio, Avadenka lighted on the idea of four with her pages including images relating to the four seasons, four Jewish matriarchs and four phases of the moon. “I also have structures created to look like kites,” she said. “The idea was that they were four-sided figures open on the sides so you can have structure but you can also have freedom within the limited space provided to you.” In contrast, Arnovitz attached a paper-constructed form of a collapsible dwelling, which requires reader assembly, and Kupferminc gave visual expression to shifting perceptions through an accordion-like rendering of a domestic interior. “What impressed me about working with Andi and Mirta is how very different their work is from mine and from each other’s,” said Avadenka, whose team wants to use the award money to travel the exhibit after the Biennale. “While we began the project with shared maps, diagrams and shapes, they were used in different ways. This certainly links our work together, but our individual voices as artists remain distinct. This was the joy of the collaboration.”

—Forbes

PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

“We started talking over Zoom of what we might do together,” Avadenka recalled. “We defined the size and the shape of the book pages and also built an online archive of imagery to show common visual elements of measuring. We were thinking of personal space, community space and

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ARTS&LIFE CELEBRITY NEWS

RED CARPET REPORT ON MINGLE MEDIA TV

SHRINK IS A SHONDA, HOME ALONE AGAIN, ORTHODOX BASEBALL The Shrink Next Door is an eight-episode limited series that will begin streaming on Apple+ Friday, Nov. 12. It is based on a hit 2019 podcast of the same name. In the early ’80s, Marty Markowitz, now 79, was referred to Dr. Isaac Hershchkopf, a psychiatrist, for treatment. Markowitz (played by Paul Rudd, 52) was a wealthy

Paul Rudd

man who suffered from depression. For about 30 years, Herschkoff (played by Will Ferrell) controlled Markowitz’s life and finances. He went so far as to take over Markowitz’s palatial home, and he moved Markowitz into a guest house. Markowitz finally regained control of his life. Other patients who had been taken advantage of came forward after the podcast aired, and Herschkoff lost his medical license last April. Home Sweet Alone is an original Disney+ film that also begins streaming Nov. 12. Disney bought the

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

rights to the Home Alone film “franchise” two years ago, and this new film is a reboot of the series. Here’s the capsule plot: The film centers around Max, a British boy about 10 years old. He’s left home alone when his family travels to Japan for the holidays. Just as he’s getting used to life alone, a married couple tries to steal an heirloom from Max’s home. Max — like Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) — before him, finds ingenious ways to protect his home. The mixed cast of American and British actors were directed by Dan Mazur, 50. He shared a screenplay Oscar nomination, with co-writer Sacha Baron Cohen, for writing the first Borat movie (2007). In 2020, they shared another Oscar nomination for co-writing the most recent Borat movie. He met Cohen at a famous U.K. private boys’ school, and they have been “mates” ever since. Tubi, a free (with ads) streaming service is set to premiere (Nov. 14) The Freak Brothers, its first original series. Here’s the premise of this animated series: In 1969, three young San Francisco stoners with cool nicknames (that include the word “freak”) spend their days dodging the draft, narcs and steady jobs. One day, they and their cat, “Kitty,” inhale some mutated marijuana. They fall asleep and wake up in 2020. Of course, they are blown away by

Andrea Savage

the changes in society, including marijuana legalization. The three “Freak Brothers” are voiced by Woody Harrelson, John Goodman and Pete Davidson. Tiffany Haddish, 41, provides the voice of Kitty. Kitty is quite a cat — she is quick-witted and sarcastic. Andrea Savage, 48, voices Harper Switzer, a major character who is described as a “no nonsense, ass-kicking tech industry boss.” Savage has a decades-long career as a comedian/comic actress (President Laura Montez on Veep). BASEBALL POST-SCRIPT If you want some postseason baseball, do check out The Yankles, a unique baseball movie I recently discovered. The premise is that an Orthodox Jewish rabbinical seminary decides to form their own student baseball team and compete with other private schools. Yankles is now streaming on Tubi. This comedy/drama was made in 2009, but wasn’t released, at all, for years

SHANKBONE VIE WIKIPEDIA

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

and was hard to find anywhere. The acting is mostly fairly good, as are the production values. Don Most, now 68 (Ralph on Happy Days), has a fairly large role. Overall, the movie is worth your time. Several people who write about Jews in baseball and compile “good” lists of Jewish major leaguers, told me that when Atlanta pitcher Max Fried pitched to Houston Astro Alex Bregman (Oct. 27), it was the first time in World Series history that a Jewish pitcher faced a Jewish batter. I replied that I “dug out” that (excellent) Dodger catcher Steve Yeager faced Oakland pitcher Ken Holtzman in the 1974 Series. I expected their reply: “I don’t count Yeager as a ‘Jewish player’ because he converted to Judaism after he retired.” My position is that there are at least three major league players, including Yeager, who converted after they retired and the time has come to at least mention them as a postscript of sorts to these Jewish player lists. Time to honor those who chose to be Chosen. By the way, there are many lists of Jews who won a Nobel Prize. All these lists include Christian Anfinsen, the 1972 Chemistry Nobel winner. He converted to Orthodox Judaism in 1979 and changed his first name to Chaim. I think these list makers made the right choice.

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

ANTHONY MCGILL NOV. 13 8-9:30 PM

VIRTUAL TRIVIA NIGHT 7-9 PM, NOV. 13 This year’s trivia night on Zoom is part of Congregation Beth Shalom’s Chanu-Con! weekend, sponsored this year by Cohen, Lerner & Rabinovitz Attorneys & Counselors. Tickets are $10 per household. Prizes (gift cards) will be won by the top two households. Visit bit.do/ cbstrivia2021 to register. CONCERT SET 8-9:30 PM, NOV. 13 The Chamber Music Society of Detroit will present Anthony McGill, clarinetist, and Gloria Chen, pianist. The event will be at the Seligman Performing Arts Center, 22305 W. 13 Mile Road, Beverly Hills. For tickets, call 313-335-3355. BOOKSTOCK 10 AM-4 PM, NOV. 14 This pop-up sale will be at Congregation Beth Ahm, 5075 W. Maple, West Bloomfield (south entrance). This is an indoor event; masks are required. Cash and checks only. CHANU-CON 1-5 PM, NOV. 14

This community-wide Chanukah festival will be at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park. Kosher lunch/ snack options, tin-can raffle, vendors with gift ideas, children’s activities, live entertainment. Info: contact Beth Rodgers, bethlrodgers@gmail.com.

Nancy Grosfeld

HMC BENEFIT 5:15 PM, NOV. 14 At Suburban Collection Showplace, honoring Nancy Grosfeld. There will be a performance by Michael Feinstein. Ticket info: 248536-9601; holocaustcenter. org. COCKTAILS & COMEDY 7 PM, NOV. 14 Young Israel of Southfield Sisterhood will present an evening with Eli Lebowicz. Cost: $36 per person.

RSVP to sisterhoodyis@ gmail.com with name and ticket quantity. Event at the synagogue. COVID REVISITED 4-5 PM, NOV. 15 “Are We Safe Yet?” will be a Zoom presentation offered by American Friends of Rabin Medical Center. Robert Siegel (former senior host of NPR’s All Things Considered interviews Dr. Irwin Redlener, Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, Dr. Kavita Patel and Dr. Michael Drescher. Free registration: rb.gy/ vzfvcb. Info: afrmc@afrmc. org or 212-279-2522. CHADD MEETING 7:30-8:30 PM, NOV. 15 All meetings take place online with Zoom on Mondays; the link for each meeting is available on the events section of the website: chadd.net/ chapter-events/527. Each meeting is planned for parents of children with ADHD, adults with ADHD and their significant others, or both. Kevin J. Roberts, M.A., ADHD coach, cyber addiction specialist will discuss “Purpose-Driven ADHD: How to Find and Use Your Strengths.” Info: 248988-6716, chadd.net/527. ISRAEL ON CAMPUS 7:30 PM, NOV. 15 “What to Know before You Get There” is Lappin Foundation’s Teen Antisemitism Task Force for Jewish high school juniors and seniors. The program will take place on Zoom. Stephanie Margolis, New England high school coordinator at StandWithUs, will explore transitions

and trends from high school to college campus and ways to navigate difficult conversations. The program is free. Register at LappinFoundation.org. For information, email Sharon Wyner at swyner@ lappinfoundation.org.

Julie Feldman

WELLNESS WEDNESDAY 11 AM, NOV. 17 Hadassah Greater Detroit will host virtually “What Every Woman Needs to Know About What to Eat for Health and Wellness” with nutritionist Julie Feldman. Register by Nov. 15. $10 event fee. Register at hadassahmidwest.org/ GDWEW2021. BRAIN HEALTH 1-2:30 PM, NOV. 17 JFS is sponsoring this free Zoom event on “The Brain & Heart Connection” with Dr. Barry K. Lewis. Registration info: jfsdetroit.org or 248788-MIND. After registering, you will receive the Zoom link. ARCHITECTURE IN DETROIT 7 PM, NOV. 17 The Jewish Historical Society of Michigan will present, on Zoom, Laura Mitchell, a historic architect, project architect and team leader with Kraemer Design NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

the exchange

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PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

Group, to talk about the recently renovated Detroit Free Press Building, exploring the impact the building and the people within have had on each other and revealing how the preservation process was informed by and has impacted both people and history. Cost: $10 for members, $18 for nonmembers. Register by 9 pm on Nov. 16: info@ jhsmichigan.org. KNOCKERBALL 7-9 PM, NOV. 17 NEXTGen Detroit will sponsor this hysterical evening of athletic competition. Take the field at Knockerball of Michigan, 38741 Ann Arbor Road, Livonia, where you’ll get a chance to play a variety of team sports and challenge yourself with a few individual games, all from the safety of bubbles. Dress to play and get ready to roll on the floor. Participants will need to sign a waiver upon arrival; please arrive 10 minutes early to learn the rules of the games; ponytails are recommended for anyone with long hair. $15. Register: jlive.app/ events/1105. CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP 1:30-2:30 PM, NOV.18 Virtual caregiver support groups is for individuals who are care partners for those living with cognitive changes including various types of dementia. Please contact Dorothy Moon, Brown Adult Day Program social worker, for Zoom link and information: 248- 233-4392, dmoon@

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jvshumanservices.org. HATE CRIME TRENDS 7:15 PM, NOV. 18 Hadassah Greater Detroit Attorneys and Judges Council presents “Hate Crimes and Domestic Terrorism: Trends in Michigan and Nationwide.” Register by Nov. 16. $10 event fee: hadassahmidwest.org/ GDAttorneysJudges. Assistant Attorney General Sunita Doddamani will speak. Questions? Contact greaterdetroit@hadassah. org or 248-683-5030. FRIENDSGIVING FEAST 8 PM, NOV. 18 The Well will host this event; participate online or in person at Mongers’ Provisions in Berkley. To participate at home: Before Sunday, Nov. 13, at noon, register here: jlive. app/events/1181 to order your special Friendsgiving cheese tasting kit from Monger’s. $40 gets you four cheese samples, crackers and a variety of accoutrements (enough to leave you with leftovers or share between 2 adults), delivered right to your door. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews.com.

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thejewishnews.com/newsletter NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

A Brilliant Professor ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

inhas Barak’s life story was truly one going from rags to riches. A poor Moroccan Jew whose parents died young, he rose to become an officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and later a respected Ph.D. engineering professor in Michigan and eminent leader in his profession. Mr. Barak, 86, of Bloomfield Hills, died Oct. 31, 2021. He and his wife, Miriam, were members at Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield and Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit, and Beth Ahm Rabbi Steven Rubinstein officiated at his Nov. 1 funeral service. Born April 3, 1935, Pinhas’ original name was Felix Ohana. His family lived for generations in Morocco where young Felix experienced violence and antisemitism. More misfortune struck when he and his older brother, Rami, lost their parents, Sreha and Shlomo Ohana, to typhoid and tuberculosis. The young boys went to live in orphanages.

A Paris-based Jewish organization, Alliance Israelite Universelle, rescued 13-yearold Felix and his brother. After a year in a French orphanage, the brothers were taken to Israel. Felix joined and studied Judaism at Hafetz Haim, a religious kibbutz in central Israel. Renaming himself Pinhas Barak, he discovered his love of mechanical things while working in the kibbutz auto shop. He joined the IDF as a teenager, working his way up to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Son Leor Barak said, “One of my dad’s proudest life accomplishments was helping to design the Israeli tank, the Merkava.” Pinhas attended the TechnionIsrael Institute of Technology in Haifa, graduating with an advanced degree in engineering. Pinhas met his future wife, Miriam Savescu, a native of Romania, in Haifa. They became friendly when he bought chocolates at the kiosk she ran with her mother. Miriam at first scoffed when Pinhas said he wanted to take

her out when he’d return from his humor and unflagging his military training in the optimism. Pinhas emphasized Negev. But Pinhas was a man to Leor: “Don’t you ever of his word, and the couple squander your experiences in married on Aug. 28, 1966. life.” In 1979, the Barak family In his eulogy, Dr. Brian moved to Detroit for Pinhas to Blaufeux described a fatherpursue a doctorate in automoin-law who was welcoming, tive engineering at Wayne State effusive in his point of view University. He worked more and an excellent storyteller. than 25 years as a tenured Pinhas Barak was the professor in the Engineering husband of Miriam Barak, Department at General Motors father of Leor Itzhak Barak and Institute/Kettering Shlomit (Dr. Brian) University in Flint. Blaufeux, grandfather Colleague Dr. Greg of Adam Chaim Davis said, “He loved Blaufeux and Chloe the give-and-take Leah Blaufeux, and of teaching.” Pinhas uncle of Uri and Osi also was a world-reBarak. nowned expert in He was the son of his field of mechan- Pinhas Barak the late Sreha and the ical engineering, late Shlomo Ohana, suspension design and vehicle and brother and brother-in-law dynamics. He wrote articles of the late Rami and the late and several textbooks. Eti Barak. For personal interests, Interment was at Clover Pinhas loved the State of Israel, Hill Park Cemetery in soccer, James Bond movies, Birmingham. Contributions dogs and all types of music. may be made to Friends of Leor called him a “gentle, lovthe IDF, PO Box 999, Walled ing, emotional and optimistic Lake, MI 48390, (248) 926person. He always found the 4110/4111, www.fidf.org; Isaac good in people and looked for Agree Downtown Synagogue, peace in difficult situations.” 1457 Griswold, Detroit, MI A natural fighter, he 48226, (313) 362-4047, www. persevered through numerous downtownsynagogue.org; and challenging medical or a charity of one’s choice. conditions. Nurses and doctors Arrangements by Hebrew were said to be amazed by Memorial Chapel.

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10 Kislev Nov. 14 12 Kislev Nov. 16 Pearl Aronoff Channan Ben Shmuel Alex Cohen Samuel P Goldstein Sarah Cwajgenberg Abe Gubin Maurice I Davis Cypojra Cecile Gubin Joseph Deutsch Sanford Lloyd Ketchen Joseph Gorman Janina Krajewska (Kohn) Paul Hoberman Howard P. Liss Sam Horowitz Arthur Moss Lillian Levitin David Pinsker Michael Nosanchuk Rebecca Rubin Perel Schwartz Seymour Tilchin Rose Hannah Solomon 13 Kislev Nov. 17 Jack Gold Isidore Sosnick 11 Kislev Nov. 15 Max Goldfinger Howard Stanley Bennett Sidney Gould Harry Brown Morris H. Kaner Rose Diskin Mary Krass Arthur Engel Lena (Ginsberg) Lavine Albert Goldstone Dorothy Mandell Rabbi Shraga Faitel Kahana Regina Neimark David Katler Rebecca Rabinowitz Charles Katz William Rothman Charles A. Komer Jack Zalmanow 14 Kislev Nov. 18 Fanny Langwald Erwin Baker Melvin A. Lester Morris Brodsky Irving Rochman Joyce Cohn Sol Ryback Julius Goldman Jeanette Schloss Moses Grossberg Victor Seyburn Sheldon Isadore Hoenig Frank Skolnik Samuel Hornung Zinaida Solomakhina Saul Kaplan Mary Stahl

Neil Kleiman Bessie Knoppow Mary Rebecca Levin Max Lindenbaum Sandor Solomon Shapiro Rose Staub 15 Kislev Nov. 19 Solomon Abrams Max Bernberg Samuel Black Sarah Frank Alex Gottlieb Lyman Harris Mina Lis Hyman Rudolph Arthur E. Scherr Ethel Weinberger Max E. Wolf 15 Kislev Nov. 20 Harold Braverman George M Brown Lillian Chernick Michael Feigelman Freda Frazein Beulah Gaylord Leonard Lemberg Melvyn Levin Rachel Raimi Marvin Rothman Nathan Shiovitz Sam Shtrom Anna Zucker

School for Boys • Beth Jacob School for Girls • Bais Yehudah Preschool Weiss Family Partners Detroit • Kollel Bais Yehudah • Maalot Detroit P.O. Box 2044 • Southfield, MI 48037• 248-557-6750 • www.YBY.org

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 65

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OBITUARIES

sisters and brother-in-law, Lisa and David Yarnell, and Bonnie Cherrin; sisters-inlaw and brothers-in-law, Marcia and Alan Fiedler, Beth and Robert Blum, and Ted Lubin; nieces and nephews. Mr. Feuerman was the dear son-in-law of the late Donald Lubin. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Run4Papa, (giving to Northwestern-Make a Gift–Your Gift, all options will support Alzheimer’s and other related dementia research for Run4Papa). If you would prefer to send a check, please mail to: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Attn: Jordan Sund, 420 E. Superior St., Rubloff Building, 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611, Memo: Run4Papa - Maury Feuerman; Gift of Life, 3861 Research Park Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, giftoflifemichigan.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. MARTIN FIGLEN, 96, of Boca Raton, Fla., died Oct. 30, 2021. He resided in Detroit for most of his life. He owned and operated the Louis Ace Hardware Store in Detroit at 917 E. McNichols for more than 50 years. Mr. Figlen was married to Anita Figlen and had three children who grew up in Detroit. Marty was a decorated soldier who

landed on Omaha beach on D-Day. He received two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star for his courage and bravery and was one of the few remaining soldiers of the 29th Division/116th Infantry. Mr. Figlen is survived by his daughters, Linda Scheiblich and Karyn Figlen Schorr; son-in-law, Patrick Scheiblich; grandchildren, Lexi Schorr and Tad Scheiblich; nephews and niece, Richard Shcolnek, and Laurie and Jerry Rosenthal. He is also survived by his dear friend, Cyma Carn; devoted caregiver, Genny Golaub; companion and loving friend, Florence Drobin. He was the beloved husband of the late Anita Figlen; the cherished father of the late Robert Figlen; the dear brother of the late Alice Shcolnek. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st St., Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131, parkinson. org; or The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, FL 33487, thewick. org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. BERNICE GREEN, 96, of West Bloomfield, formerly of Delray Beach, Fla., passed peacefully Nov. 1, 2021. Bernice was born Jan. 16, 1925, in New York. She graduated from James Monroe High School in the Bronx and married her high

school sweetheart, Jack, in 1946. Mrs. Green is survived by her daughters, son, their spouses and her niece and nephew, Carol and Dan Dmitruk, Nancy and John Shaub, Robert and Marla Green, Randy and Marylyn Ross; grandchildren, Sandra and Tony Vendittelli, Christine and Terry Gray, Isabel Dmitruk and David Dawson, Molinee Martillini and Wren Budden, Sam Martillini and Brandon Parker, Kyle and Katie Green, Dana and Matt Bellezza; great-grandchildren, Carlo, Nick, Liam, Emme, Theo and Maddy; and her beloved cat, Horace. Interment was held at

Eternal Light Memorial Gardens in Florida. Contributions may be made to the Hospice of Henry Ford, to the Almost Home Animal Rescue or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. ROBERT GREENBERG, 85, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 2, 2021. He is survived by his daughters and sonsin-law, Debbie and Ron Lederman, and Marlene and Jeff Cohen; grandchildren, Rikki Cohen, Leah Cohen, Ellie Lederman, Ryan Lederman and Jamie Lederman; sister, Elaine

Faudem; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Farrell and Ann Moore; other loving relatives and friends. Mr. Greenberg was the beloved husband of the late Deanna Greenberg; the loving brother of the late Leonard Kerner; and the dear brotherin-law of the late Rodney Faudem and the late Cecille Kerner. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 24359 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 125, Southfield, MI 48075, jdrf.org; or Hermelin Brain Tumor CenterHenry Ford Health System, 2799 W. Grand Blvd.,

11th Floor Neurosurgery, Detroit, MI 48202, henryfordhealthsystem.com/ giving. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. SHELDON “SHELLY” GREENBERG, 93, of Farmington Hills, died Oct. 30, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Elaine Greenberg; daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Marvin Wagner, Fern and Richard Kissel, and Miriam and Donald Marton; son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Sheryl Greenberg; grandchildren, Matthew and Katie Wagner, Jordan Wagner, Noah Wagner, Joshua and continued on page 68

Jews believe that death is not a tragic end, but a transition. Let us assist your loved one in that journey.

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 67

Amy Marton, Adam Marton and Benjamin Marton; greatgrandchildren, Elliana and Nora Wagner, Nathan and Caleb Wagner, John Marton, and Liam Kissel; many loving nieces and nephews. Mr. Greenberg was the loving brother of the late Myron L. Greenberg; the dear brother-in-law of the late Shirley and the late Paul Thoma; the devoted son of the late Jacob and the late Evelyn Greenberg. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Arbor Hospice Foundation, 2366 Oak Valley Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, arborhospice. org/donate/donation-form; Jewish Family Services of

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Washtenaw County, 2245 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104, jfsannarbor.org; or Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, 14 Pennsylvania Plaza, Suite 2110, New York, NY 10122, ocrahope. org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. GAYLE LAMBERT, 51, of Oak Park, died Oct. 28, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Zachary Lambert of Roseville, Mitchell Lambert and Jessica Morisette of Clinton Township, Jeremy Lambert and Hannah Zonder of East Lansing; daughters, Jessica Lambert of White Lake,

Emily Lambert of Clinton Township; mother, Sandra Hayman; brother, David Hayman of Royal Oak; sister and brother-in-law, Staci and Matthew Wiseman of Oak Park; grandchildren, Lillia, Emma, Dezmon; aunts and uncle, Linda and Al Katzen, Andrea Palazzola; great-aunt, Joan Silberstein; many other loving family members and friends. Gayle was the loving daughter of the late Marvin Hayman. Contributions may be made to a charity dealing with mental illness research. Services and interment were held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

LYNNE BEDNOWITZ LAZARSKI, loving daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, aunt and mother to her beloved cats, left us suddenly on Nov. 1, 2021. Lynne was born to Norma and Jack Bednowitz on May 20, 1952, in East Grand Rapids. Lynne lived in various locations throughout her life, including Detroit; Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Chicago, Ill., before settling in Nashville, Tenn. She had a long-term HR career in various industries. Known for her love of wine, good food and fun times, Lynne cherished time with

her family and friends, while celebrating life’s milestones. She was a great listener and consoler of others in times of challenge. Lynne had a wide range of skills including hours of countless versions of “Heart and Soul” with her mother on the upright piano in Oak Park. She was loved and will be truly missed. Lynne was a loving sister to Alan Bednowitz (Sandy) and David Bednowitz (Nancy); proud and adoring aunt to her nieces and nephews, Sarah, Dana, Jason and Adam. She had an amazingly close relationship with her Uncle Howard and Aunt Florrie as well as being a devoted mother to all her furry pets, including her current baby, Jetski. In addition, her lifelong close friends from across the country meant so much to her. She requested that there be no memorial service and wanted her ashes scattered over tropical waters, which the family will honor at a future date. The family requests those who wish to express sympathy consider making a donation to their favorite charity in Lynne’s name. In the meantime, and in celebration of her life, her warm smile and infectious laugh, raise a glass of wine and make a toast to the good times and memories shared with Lynne. ROBERTA LITWIN, 89, of West Bloomfield, died Oct. 28, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughters-

in-law, Jeff and Karen Litwin, and Rick and Marji Litwin; grandchildren, Steve and Erica, David, Emily and Adam, and Jimmy; great-grandchildren, Tyler, Juliana, Sienn and Renner; brother and sister-in-law, Bruce and Carol Goldsmith; niece, Victoria Slates; greatniece and great-nephew, Rachel and Noah. She is also survived by her loving caregiver, Dana Riley. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Congregation for Humanistic Judaism, 28611 W. 12 Mile, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, chj-detroit. org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ERWIN MUTNICK, 92, of Margate, Fla., died Oct. 31, 2021. He is survived by his son, Leonard Mutnick; daughter-in-law, Catherine Mutnick; grandchildren, Leah and Brad Rubin, and Matthew Mutnick; greatgrandson, Jacob Gary Rubin; brother and sister-in-law, Donald and Phyllis Mutnick; his loving companion, Nancy Caruso; many loving nieces and nephews. Mr. Mutnick was the beloved husband of the late Sally Mutnick; the cherished father of the late Gary Mutnick and the late Brian Mutnick; the loving brother of the late Paul and the late Joyce Mutnick, the late Hilda and the late Benjamin Cohen, and the late Risa and the late Wayne Seaton; the devoted son of the late Charles and

the late Anna Mutnick. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, stjude.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. DORA PARIZH, 91, of Southfield, died Nov. 1, 2021. She is survived by her adoring husband, Yevsey Parizh; sons and daughtersin-law, Igor and Alla Paris, Oleg and Lena Parizh; grandchildren, Alexander and Joseph Paris, Simona and Maya Parizh; many other loving family members and friends. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. MICHAEL SILVERSTEIN, 59, of Novi, died Oct. 30, 2021. He is survived by his beloved wife, Suzy Smith-Silverstein; daughters, Jenna Silverstein and Kayli Silverstein; sisterin-law, Sheri Smith; brothersin-law, Steve (Hillary) Smith, Alan (Stacey) Borsen and Dan (Mary) Barish; nieces and nephews, Brandon Borsen, Brittany Borsen, Logan Smith, Riley Smith, Natali Barish, Gabe Barish, Kim (Sean) Simon, Scott (Lauren) Silverstein and

Katie Silverstein; many loving great-nephews, other family members and friends. Mr. Silverstein was the son of the late Herbert and the late Sylena Silverstein; the son-in-law of the late Sol and the late Sylvia Smith. Contributions may be made to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, the Kidney Cancer Association, the Friendship Circle or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. MARK WALDMAN, 80, of Southfield, died Nov. 1, 2021. He is survived by his daughters and son-in-law, Shayna Waldman of Madison Heights, Esther Waldman of Royal Oak, Etta and Jack Jannette of Aventura, Fla., Zipporah Waldman; brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Barbara Seferian; sister, Gloria Stone; grandchildren, Julia, Layla, Elijah. Mr. Waldman is the dear father of the late Avi Waldman. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, P.O. Box 2044, Southfield, MI 48037; or to a charity of one’s choice. The funeral service took place at Hebrew Memorial Chapel in Oak Park; interment was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Looking Back

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

WWII Hero Barney Ross

eterans Day is Thursday. Every year, Nov. 11 is the day we honor all who have served in America’s armed forces. Originally, this federal holiday was known as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of combat in World War I, on the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918. About 225,000 American Jews served in WWI. The name of this day of remembrance was changed Mike Smith to Veterans Day in 1954. Alene and Graham Landau By that time, another Archivist Chair 500,000 Jews had served in World War II. To say the least, over the years, hundreds of thousands of American Jews have served in every branch of the military and fought in every war in which the United States was involved. Moreover, Jews have enlisted in higher per-capita numbers than the Jewish proportion of the American population at-large. As you might imagine, the pages of the Detroit Jewish Chronicle and the JN in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History hold many articles about annual Armistice and Veterans Day celebrations, to say nothing of reports about the activities of various Jewish War Veterans posts and contemporary stories of Jews on duty. I was struck by a remarkable article for Veterans Day that was the cover story for the Nov. 8, 2002, issue of the JN: “Remembering a Fighter.” This referred to the story of Barney Ross, one of the best boxers in history and a bona fide war hero. In 2002, the story of Ross was kept alive by his cousin, Al Rasof, who had himself served as a radioman and gunner on a B-17 Bomber during World War II. Although not well-known today, Barney Ross, along with baseball great

NOVEMBER 11 • 2021

Hank Greenberg, was one of the two most famous athletes of the 1930s. Born Dov-Ber “Beryl” David Rosofsky, Ross was a superb boxer and was the first to hold world titles in three weight divisions. He retired in 1938, but his fighting spirit led him to join the Marines in 1942 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. One night during the fierce and famous battle of Guadalcanal, Ross and three wounded Marines were trapped by Japanese soldiers. Severely wounded himself, he fought and killed 12 of the enemy, and then carried one 230-pound comrade to safety after the fight. Ross weighed about 140 pounds. He received the Silver Star for his bravery. The saga of Barney Ross is spectacular, a story of pride for all Americans. But around us today are many men and women who have served in the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines. For great reading about veterans, see the writings of Alan Muskovitz. For example, in the Nov. 6, 2014, JN, he wrote about two Jewish WWII vets, Marty Meyers and Art Fishman, on a “Honor Flight” to Washington, D.C. And see the Judy Greenwald report about Marty Levine and Ted Gittleman speaking to students at Farber Hebrew Day School about the importance of service to America (Nov. 24, 2016). I could list hundreds of other articles from the Archive. So, if you know a veteran, let them know that you appreciate their service to America. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

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