DJN March 10, 2022 by The Detroit Jewish News

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS 200 March 10-16, 2022 / 7-13 Adar II 5782

thejewishnews.com

Standing with

Ukraine

Family ties to Ukraine run deep in Detroit’s Jewish community. Read about their struggles and survival in a country under attack. See page 12

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contents Mar. 10-16, 2022 / 30 Adar 7-13 Adar II 5782 | VOLUME CLXV, ISSUE 4

PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10

OUR COMMUNITY 11

Stamp of Approval

Crisis in Ukraine

Let’s Talk About Ukraine

Trapped in Ukraine

A Sweet Start

A Purim Recipe from the Past

Farber Hebrew Day School earns accreditation.

Essays and viewpoints

Detroit Jewish community responds to Russian attack.

Pontiac business owner shares stories of employees trapped in Ukraine.

A ‘Modern Maccabee’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is inspiring the world with his leadership.

Born for the Bimah

Cantor Earl Berris retires from B’nai Moshe after 23 years.

Celebrate Purim with these Hamantaschen recipes.

What did our ancestors serve at a Purim feast? How about Chicken in Almond Milk?

NEXT DOR 40

Meet Elizabeth Parker

Fun on the Ice

L’Chaim Detroit: Newish and Jewish

MAZEL TOV 43

Moments

SPIRIT 44

Seeing the Big Picture

Torah Portion Synagogue Directory

‘Beacon of Strength’

Divorce Education

ARTS&LIFE

Local attorney educates clients with ‘Our Family in Two Homes.’

BUSINESS 28

Driving Michigan’s Economy Forward

Dow President and CFO Howard Ungerleider leads Business Leaders for Michigan.

Here’s To

ERETZ 32

PURIM 34

Purim Fun

Community events to celebrate the holiday.

‘Cast Illusions’

Jewish artist sculpts story-suggestive pieces, now on display in Detroit.

51 Celebrity News

EVENTS

52 Community Calendar

SPORTS 53

Shop Israel

Online marketplace makes it easy to buy Israeli goods during the pandemic.

The founder of two Detroit-based lifestyle blogs.

Adat Shalom’s executive director Alan Yost retires after 41 years.

ETC.

Noah’s Arc

Bloomfield Hills High School basket ball star is making life miserable for Black Hawks’ opponents.

The Exchange 54 Obits 56 Looking Back 62

Shabbat & Holiday Lights

Shabbat begins: Friday, March 11, 6:16 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, March 12, 7:18 p.m.

Fast of Esther: Wednesday, March 16, 6:30 a.m.-8:23 p.m. Purim: Wednesday evening, March 16-Thursday, March 17 * Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

ON THE COVER: Cover photo/credit: Solidarity Rally for Ukraine in Detroit. Photo by Yevgeniya Gazman @ygazm. Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews MARCH 10 • 2022

PURELY COMMENTARY essay

“Our Beautiful City Is Being Destroyed” Stories from Kharkiv, Ukraine, in the midst of war.

n Feb. 24, we, like millions of others around the world, woke up to the horrible news that Russia had launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As I turned on the TV, I saw the names of Ukrainian cities where our family originated from, Ashley now in the path Zlatopolsky of the Russian Contributing Writer army, flash across the screen: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Mykoliav, Lugansk and many more. I also saw Lviv, the city where my father was born, flooded by refugees escaping from the central and eastern portions of the country. Immediately, I contacted my cousins in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city located on the northeast border with Russia. They told me how that morning, they were awoken by gunfire at 5 a.m. They were safe, but terrified, and so was I. As of the 24th, there was no water in the Kharkiv region. My relatives, whose names I’m not disclosing for their safety, had their suitcases packed and ready to go, awaiting further instruction. Luckily, they saw the writing on the wall and stocked up on food, water and supplies days ahead of the invasion, even going as far as filling their bathtub and other vessels around their home with water in case they ran out. Others, however, weren’t so

MARCH 10 • 2022

lucky or prepared. I write this story on Feb. 28, when Kharkiv is becoming a second key battleground for the Russian invasion, in addition to Kyiv, where we also have relatives. It’s now been four days and the situation is dire, arguably the most dangerous yet. We see footage of the war on TV — shelling, shooting, fire — but it’s the individual stories of those actually living through Ukraine’s worst crisis in years that hits the hardest. Every day, the news from my family is worse. They send photos from their balcony, late at night, where the sky is orange, lit up in fire and flame. In those few moments of precious sleep, they sleep in their bathrooms, cat at their side, the safest place for them all. We hear the noise

of rockets flying by when we speak to one another on the phone, hoping and praying that sound won’t be the last we hear. They fear telling my father what floor they are on, in case communication is intercepted and residential buildings become a target of the Russian army. My father asks them, “Do you have an escape route?” No, they explain. Kharkiv is surrounded to the north, east and south. To go west would be a “suicide mission,” our relative says, as the road is littered with blown-up tanks and dead bodies. “There is nowhere to go.” DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE Food is also becoming a problem, despite stocking up.

Two days ago, my cousin’s husband spent more than two hours in line for food, but the supply ran out. The store was empty, its shelves picked over. “We unite and search the city,” my cousin says, not giving up on the hope to find food, despite the danger of going outside. One friend, she says, saw three people near his house who went outside to collect water killed by a shell. Still, people must do what it takes to survive. Yesterday, my cousin spent an hour in line to get medicine for her mother, who has diabetes. They are now organizing a plan to find and buy meat for seven families, all desperately in need of food. Yet with little meat available, prices are astronomical. A small piece of meat is

costing the equivalent of $40. Electricity and internet go in and out, so communication is scattered at best. It’s unclear how long men who are between the ages of 18 and 60, including my cousin’s husband, will be available to help with these duties. Martial law prevents them from leaving the country. They can be called into battle at a moment’s notice. Most, if not all, have no proper military training or experience fighting. Their fate, my cousin says, is entirely in God’s hands. Originally, this is where the story was supposed to end. I sent it off, ready to be edited, but overnight, everything changed. It is now March 1, the first day of spring in Ukraine. My cousin’s home in Kharkiv, a quiet residential area, was hit by a missile. Her car was destroyed. The exterior of the home was badly damaged. “It is not so terrible,” she says, “because we are alive.” Now, the bombing has

died down, but it’s expected to start again soon, she explains. I ask if she has anything protective she can wear — maybe a bike helmet. “Only the hood from my jacket,” she responds. TOUGH TIMES BREED TOUGH PEOPLE As we share stories about our families with one another, we talk about how our grandparents survived the second world war and the decades that followed. In

difficult times, when food was scarce in the 1960s, my cousin’s grandparents, who lived in Kharkiv, sent my grandparents, who lived in Lviv, food and medicine. Our fathers, although cousins, called one another “brothers.” It’s the type of bond born out of hardship, one that Ukrainians have faced for decades. From pogroms that plagued the Jewish population at the turn of the 20th century, to the world wars, to a challenging life under the Soviet regime, tough times have bred tough people. Still, it’s a difficult pill to swallow, wondering what our ancestors — who survived so much — would think. My cousin says her grandparents, who are no longer living, “would be horrified” to see the state of their city, especially after fighting to keep it from Nazi hands during World War II. “It is very painful for us to realize that we have a war,” she explains, “that our beautiful city is being destroyed. But they [our grandparents] held their own in time, and I hope we will also survive.” We see war and conflict on TV, but until it hits home, we don’t understand the magnitude of it. It’s when our

innocent loved ones are in the middle of crossfire — and there’s little we can do about it other than offer our love and support — that we realize the horror, the sheer scale of war, that we understand the type of evil that exists in the world. There are perhaps fewer worse things to hear than our loved ones saying, “Pray for us. The night will be tough. We are in hiding.” We watch as our Jewish population in Ukraine, despite shelling overhead, sit in underground bunkers, lighting Havdalah candles and praying. Others seek out refuge in synagogues, turning to their religion for comfort. We watch as parents send their children across the border into Poland with strangers, trusting in the good that still exists, hoping their children will reach safety. We see men and women of all ages pick up guns, make Molotov cocktails, ready to fight tooth and nail for their country. Every day, with every story, I am in awe of the sheer spirit of Ukraine. It is perhaps my cousin who says it best: “Ukraine stands.” Ashley Zlatopolsky is a contributing writer to the JN. See videos from Ashley’s family in Kharkiv at thejewishnews.com.

MARCH 10 • 2022

PURELY COMMENTARY letters

Bombing of Babi-Yar

The name Babi-Yar (Babyn Yar) has deep resonance in the Jewish world. It was the site of one of the worst massacres during the Holocaust. More than 33,000 Jews were shot at close range by the Einsatzgruppen, units of the Nazi army whose only job was to shoot Jews all day and all night. This was, of course, before the Nazis perfected their mass-killing apparatus. This was personal, intimate, grotesque. My Northwestern professor, Peter Hayes, did seminal research on how the Nazis kept their soldiers plastered so they could carry out the horrifying task without protesting too much. Until yesterday, a memorial complex and Jewish cemetery marked the site. On March 1, Putin bombed it. Yes, the same Putin who claimed he Publisher The Detroit Jewish News Foundation

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was “de-Nazifying” Ukraine by targeting/removing/killing its Jewish president! Nothing about this war has been justified, civilized or rational. But the symbolism behind bombing Babi-Yar is almost too much to bear. I pray the world continues and escalates the response to Putin’s war before it is truly too late. And this certainly won’t solve it, but the World Union for Progressive Judaism has set up a crisis fund. I hope you will join me in contributing generously at https://wupj.org/give/ukraine. — Rabbi Mark Miller Temple Beth-El

In Praise of Zelensky

So much for the stereotype of the submissive Jew; German soldiers marching/herding them into the Warsaw ghetto, onto cattle rail cars and into | Editorial DIrector of Editorial: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@thejewishnews.com Associate Editor: Rachel Sweet rsweet@thejewishnews.com Associate Editor: David Sachs dsachs@thejewishnews.com Social Media and Digital Producer: Nathan Vicar nvicar@thejewishnews.com Staff Reporter: Danny Schwartz dschwartz@thejewishnews.com Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@thejewishnews.com Contributing Writers: Nate Bloom, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Keri Guten Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Louis Finkelman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, Robin

the Auschwitz ovens. I am so proud of the Jewish Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the large number of Ukrainian Jews staying to fight to the death in a hopeless battle against Putin’s invaders. Zelenskyy knows he is Putin’s No. 1 target to be captured or killed. He refuses offers to escape to safety and form a government in exile. I will be lighting another, ninth, Chanukah candle to honor this man. Killed or not; he is as much a hero in our history as the Israelites on Masada. Please join me in planning to light another, ninth, Chanukah candle for Volodymer Zelensky! — Lawrence Freedman Bingham Farms

MARCH 10 • 2022

Regarding the Feb. 24 “Federation Offers Two Birthright Trips in May” (page 24), we recommend young adults and students explore Volunteers for Israel, added to their Birthright experience, to volunteer on IDF bases working and eating meals alongside soldiers, sleeping in the barracks and learning what the IDF experience means to their peers in Israel. For more information on this trip, contact our Campus Director Mallory Kovit at malloryvficampus@gmail. com. For online information and an application, go to vfi-usa.org, scroll down to “Programs” and click on “Young Adults.” To contact VFI, call (248) 420-3729 or email michigan@vfi-usa.org. — Carol Kent and Ed Kohl VFI Great Lakes Regional Directors

Schwartz, Mike Smith, Steve Stein, Julie Smith Yolles, Ashley Zlatopolsky

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MARCH 10 • 2022

PURELY COMMENTARY opinion

Ukraine’s Jewish History Is Filled with Trauma

MARCH 10 • 2022

An old age home in Nikolaev, Ukraine, c. 1928, was maintained by local aid societies and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

the late 19th century, many Jews from around the Russian Empire migrated to Ukraine, drawn to the region’s relatively strong economy (the Israeli novelist Amos Oz’s father, for example, came to Odessa from Lithuania). Out of this melting pot emerged one of the richest stews of Jewish life, impacting Jewish politics, religion, literature and language. Cities now under siege or threatened — Berdichev, Kyiv and Odessa — stand every inch as proud as Warsaw, Vilna or New York as centers of modern Jewish culture before the Holocaust. This is the land that produced the Ba’al Shem Tov, Golda Meir and Hayim Nahman Bialik, that was home to dozens of Hasidic dynasties. It is the backdrop to many of the stories of Sholom Aleichem. Tevye the Dairyman was a Ukrainian Jew. And yet, the traumas associated with Ukraine are real, and

the worst of the traumas have emerged in Ukraine’s many bids for independence. Bohdan Khmelnytsky remains among the greatest villains in Jewish history for the massacres his forces perpetrated in the 17th century. Even approximate figures for the death toll are hard to come by; Israeli historian Shaul Stampfer estimated that 18,000 to 20,000 Jews, nearly half the Jewish population of Ukraine at the time, were killed by Khmelnytsky’s forces. Worse yet were the pogroms inflicted by the Ukrainian Directorate under Semyon Petliura in the aftermath of World War I, when 50,000 to 100,000 Jews were killed by Ukrainian nationalist forces before their defeat at the hands of the Red Army. This was the greatest killing of Jews prior to the Holocaust 20 years later. The details of the pogroms were so striking (mass rapes, extensive use of

torture and, of course, killings) that when a Jew named Sholem Shwartzbard assassinated Petliura in Paris in 1926, a French court found Schwartzbard not guilty — because the French court believed the action justified. If not for Hitler and the Nazis, there is every reason to think that Petliura and the Ukrainian nationalists would be the central emblem for evil in Jewish collective memory. And yet, Nazism did come, and it found a willing collaborator in Petliura’s heirs. The overwhelming majority of Ukrainians fought against Germany, serving heroically in the ranks of the Red Army. Nearly 7 million Ukrainians — including some 1.5 million Jews— died at the hands of the German invaders. But the Ukrainian national movement, dominated by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) and led by Stepan

COURTESY JDC

he first time I recall hearing someone describe a relationship akin to that between Eastern European Jews and the former Pale of Settlement was when my late African American uncle spoke of Mississippi. Many immigrant groups Joshua in America — Meyers including those Jta.org with roots in Ireland, Japan and Mexico — take pride in the lands they or their ancestors lived in before migrating to the new world. For Jews, the matter is different. Many a pizzeria proudly flies an Italian flag. Very few bagel shops fly a Polish flag or a Ukrainian one. Though my family has always identified as proudly Litvish, meaning that we come from areas where the Litvish dialect of Yiddish was spoken, I cannot recall any of that pride being set aside for the nations of Belarus or Lithuania. These were lands we left for good reason. But they were also the lands where our families lived and our history happened. They are where our ancestors were born and buried, even if — too often — in mass or unmarked graves. Seeing that land bombed and invaded evokes a difficult sensation that deserves to be sorted through. It would be a mistake to reduce Jewish history in Ukraine to suffering. Through

Community-wide

Bandera, made every effort to collaborate with Germany in World War II, including the murder of Ukrainian Jews. Though the OUN did break with Germany, this was not due to any opposition to German antisemitism, but to the German refusal to permit an independent Ukrainian state. PAST IS PROLOGUE. IT’S NOT DESTINY. It is no surprise that many Jews’ first instincts toward Ukraine’s latest push for independence were skeptical. But though past is prologue, it is not fate. The building of monuments to pogromists and Nazi collaborators, including Petliura, has drawn criticism from Jews in Ukraine and abroad, the existence of the Azov Battalion, a neo-Nazi national guard division, is a disgrace. Their influence, however, is unclear. The Azov Battalion numbers a few hundred in a military whose regular strength crests at a quarter million. Meanwhile, far more national effort and expense has gone into commemorating the murder of Jews than into lionizing their killers. Pew Polls on antisemitism in Europe have routinely found Ukraine among the least antisemitic countries in Europe (far lower than neighboring Russia). Antisemitic parties such as Svoboda and Pravyy Sektor have performed abysmally at the polls, gaining collectively one seat in Ukraine’s parliament and 2% of the total vote in the most recent elections. By comparison, the farright Marie le Pen won nearly 34% of the vote in France’s 2017 presidential election while in Germany the Nazi-apologist

Alternative for Germany won over 10% of the vote just last year. And Ukrainian voters are not only voting against antisemites, but they are also actively voting for Jews. President Volodomyr Zelensky, whose heroic leadership has impressed the world, is a Jew. The former Prime Minister Volodomyr Groysman is a Jew as well. In neither’s campaigns did their opponents use antisemitism against them, despite a political culture in Ukraine that all too willingly plays dirty. To the contrary, the only attention the media played to Zelensky’s Jewishness was to criticize him for not being sufficiently involved in commemorations for the Babi Yar massacres. Antisemitism still exists in Ukraine, as it does in most countries. But all signs point to it being a minimal force in Ukrainian life. Ukraine has reinvented itself, reborn again without any Khmelnytsky, Petliura or Bandera, without the overwhelming antisemitism that has so long animated its national movement. One of the most sacred rights is the right to self-improvement, to be better today than you were yesterday. It is a right that exists for individuals and for communities. Ukraine has seized that right fully, if imperfectly, committing itself to be a better land than the one our ancestors left. Damn Putin for trying to take that away. Joshua Meyers is a scholar of modern Jewish history, with a particular interest in politics. Formerly affiliated with Stanford, Harvard and Queens College, he is currently an assistant director of a secondary school. His work has appeared in Jewish Social Studies, the Jewish Daily Forward, Tablet, Geschichte der Gegenwart and In Geveb.

PURIM 2022

Wednesday, March 16 at Adat Shalom Synagogue 5:30 pm Family Musical Megillah & Shpiel* 6:00 pm Carnival: games, inflatables, & music Free of Charge | Dinner is available for purchase Designated area to eat

7:30 pm Service & Megillah reading*

Thursday, March 17 at B'nai Israel Synagogue 7:00 am Service, Megillah reading* & breakfast to-go Advance registration for breakfast required: info@bnaiisraelwb.org

*Bring a box of pasta to use as a grogger then donate it to Yad Ezra KN95 or N95 masks are required Questions and to receive the Zoom link for services and Megillah reading contact one of the community partners

MARCH 10 • 2022

PURELY COMMENTARY opinion

If Putin Loses, History Wins

he conventional wisdom is that Vladimir Putin’s naked aggression toward Ukraine is taking us back to more primitive times. Indeed, for most of human history, it was raw power that ruled. If a tyrant wanted something, he David Suissa just took it. Jewish Journal The establishment of international norms and institutions in the wake of World War II was an attempt to regulate and minimize this gratuitous application of power. It didn’t always work, of course, but at least there was a sense that the world was headed in a more civilized direction. Now we come to a critical juncture: If Putin prevails in his brutal land grab of Ukraine, it clearly will set us back. But if he doesn’t, the outcome may well be a reaffirmation of civilized norms. Here’s the encouraging news: The reaction to Putin’s aggression has been so severe and brutal he may, in fact, not prevail. First, in terms of the military campaign, Putin has already been humbled by the ferocious response of the Ukrainian people and its army. If Putin assumed he would march into Ukraine and depose its rulers within days, he’s been hijacked by reality. However this invasion ends, he’s already lost some of his winning mystique.

MARCH 10 • 2022

Second, his global isolation is stunning. We’re not hearing about intense debates and disagreements among Western powers on how to respond to Putin’s aggression. The Russian strongman may have assumed he could easily withstand any sanctions, as he has in the past. The problem is that he’s never seen sanctions like these. As the New York Times reported about repercussions in Russia, “The ruble cratered, the stock market froze, and the public rushed to withdraw cash on Monday as Western sanctions kicked in and Russia awoke to uncertainty and fear over the rapidly spreading repercussions of President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.” These unprecedented sanctions, which represent a kind of financial war against Russia, have given Putin a taste of his own medicine: You like aggression, we’ll give you aggression, only ours will be through banks, not tanks. He’s been so enraged by this financial aggression that he declared that he was putting his nuclear forces into “special combat readiness”— a heightened alert status that harked back to some of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War. There’s another reason why this war has not gone swimmingly for Putin: He underestimated the extent of domestic opposition. His people have not bought the propaganda that Ukraine is a violent regime that has aggressed Russia and needs

to be “de-Nazified.” No one but his closest cronies believe that, as he told Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, he had “no choice” but to invade. His old-school, KGB-era propaganda tactics are no match for the liberating universe of social media. As internal opposition grows, Putin will have no choice but to smother it with brute force, which will further alienate him from a public that never wanted this war against their Ukrainian cousins. If Ukraine continues to resist and Putin calculates that a decisive victory is no longer realistic, we should watch for any effort by Putin to create an impression of “victory.” He knows he can’t afford to lose face. His problem is that even if he “conquers” Kyiv and deposes Zelensky, he’ll be too hated and isolated to reap the fruits of that battle. Ukrainians will be sufficiently enraged to make any Russian presence in Ukraine living hell for years. My hunch is that if the financial pain inflicted on Russia keeps increasing, Putin will use the “negotiations” in Belarus as a way to retreat while saving face. That retreat, however, will be hard to camouflage. It will signify not just a defeat for tyrants everywhere, but a victory for history. David Suissa is editor-in-chief and publisher of Tribe Media Corp, and the Jewish Journal. He can be reached at davids@jewishjournal. com. This article was first published by the Jewish Journal.

JFS Receives Grants from the Claims Conference The Claims Conference announced its 2022 grants amounting to $720 million across the globe to support home care and supportive services for frail and vulnerable Holocaust survivors. Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit is among the organizations that received the top 15 grants in the U.S., receiving $7.3 million. The nonprofit received two grants, one for services in Metro Detroit, and one to provide services to Holocaust survivors across the Midwest. The allocations are distributed to social welfare organizations in regions where significant numbers of survivors live to ensure vital services, such as home care, medical care, emergency assistance and food are available for Holocaust survivors in those regions.

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OUR COMMUNITY

Stamp of Approval Farber Hebrew Day School earns accreditation. Farber Hebrew Day School

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

arber Hebrew Day School (formerly Yeshivat Akiva) in Southfield, has been accredited for the first time by ISACS, the Independent School Association of the Central States. Farber provides general and Jewish instruction in a Modern Orthodox/Zionist context for 290 students from pre-kindergarten through high school. “This is a wonderful milestone in the history of Farber Hebrew Day School and establishes the school as an institution with high standards and professional operations,” said Rachel Tessler Lopatin, acting director of marketing and communications. The school’s 90 staff and faculty spent more than a year working on the selfstudy and various reports required by ISACS. The process began in the summer of 2019, on the initiative of Rabbi Scot Berman, former head of school. The self-study involved a dozen different areas, from finances to physical plan, personnel, curriculum and teaching. The committee undertook an in-depth analysis of operations more

detailed than anything the school had done previously, Lopatin said. All the committees involved in the selfstudy completed their reports by June 2020. Normally, a site visit by representatives of other ISACS-accredited schools would have been done the following fall, but because of COVID, it was postponed a full year, Lopatin said.

ISACS, as it indicates the school’s commitment to growth and excellence,” said Freedman, adding that Farber “made the right choice to go through the rigorous process to become an ISACS-accredited school.” Lopatin said ISACS accreditation is a “stamp of approval” that makes the school eligible for certain grants and professional development

“THIS IS A WONDERFUL MILESTONE IN THE HISTORY OF FARBER HEBREW DAY SCHOOL. ” — RACHEL TESSLER LOPATIN

The visiting committee was chaired by Steve Freedman, head of school at Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County in New Jersey, and included five others from schools around the country. Only Freedman, who was head of school at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit until June 2019, was able to visit in person, with the other committee members visiting virtually. “I am a huge proponent of schools being a part of

opportunities. It also helps to promote the school as practicing “an identified standard of excellence among private schools in the Midwest area.” Hillel in Farmington Hills and Frankel Jewish Academy in West Bloomfield are also accredited by ISACS. Nachshon Nachshon Wyman, a history Wyman and physics teacher, chaired the Farber accredi-

tation steering committee. He said the most challenging part of the process was maintaining momentum when the COVID pandemic added an entire year to the process. “Students and staff alike were left wondering when and how the results of our work would finally come together,” he said. He said he enjoyed getting to know the nitty-gritty of every aspect of the Farber program. “I have come to realize just how incredible Farber Hebrew Day School really is,” he said, adding that Farber is second to none among mixed Judaic-general studies programs in the area. “The ISACS process enabled us to shine a spotlight on ourselves, celebrate what we do well, identify areas for growth, listen closely to all of our stakeholders and plan for a better tomorrow,” said Dr. Josh Josh Levisohn, Levisohn PhD, Farber’s head of school. “We were so grateful for the kind comments from the visiting committee about the school, and we look to go from strength to strength in the next stage of the ongoing process.” MARCH 10 • 2022

Crisis in Ukraine Detroit Jewish community responds to Russian attack. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

MARCH 10 • 2022

YEVGENIYA GAZMAN @YGAZM

ON THE COVER

he Detroit Jewish community continues to watch in horror as Russian forces invade and attack Ukraine, and many people and organizations in the community are taking action and contributing in any way they can. Some members of the community have loved ones on the frontlines in Ukraine and are praying for their safety. It’s in these times the Jewish community becomes even closer and stronger than before. SOLIDARITY RALLY Noah Arbit, a candidate for state representative in Michigan’s 20th House District, joined thousands of Michiganders rallying in solidarity with Ukraine on Feb. 27 in Downtown Detroit. The Ukrainian American Crisis Response

South Florida Real Estate

so much about something. When attempting to help, anything you do feels insufficient next to the people who are actually on the frontlines and bearing the brunt of the violence, he added. Arbit, though, said people can’t sit idly by. “This is something I think really deeply impacts the Jewish community, too. We can’t deny the inspiration of looking at (Ukrainian President) Volodymyr Zelensky, a Jewish head of state outside of the Jewish state, and I think there’s something so moving about that,” Arbit says. “These people are fighting for their ideals and their country.” Arbit says attending the rally was a manifestation of his Jewish values, and the entire situation is about those values and Jewish history. “Jews know how important democracy is, how important self-determination is. This is the entire struggle for the state of Israel to be created, and this is the exact same struggle Ukrainians are engaged in right now.”

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YEVGENIYA GAZMAN @YGAZM

Committee of Michigan organized the rally. Arbit made and brought a sign which read “Jews Stand with Ukraine” in English and Hebrew. The sign garnered a passionate response. “People just kept coming up to me, giving me hugs and taking pictures with my sign and saying thank you for coming and showing support,” Arbit says. “It made me feel good as a Jew, and I didn’t expect it, so I was kind of taken aback by how meaningful it was for people.” An older woman came up to Arbit and told him she lives in Kyiv and had only recently come to visit her son and daughter-in-law in Detroit. The woman told Arbit she was Jewish and was so moved to see his sign because her grandmother was killed at Babi Yar during the Holocaust. “She broke down in tears telling me how she fears it’s happening again right now in Ukraine,” Arbit says. He said it’s hard being a world away while caring

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MARCH 10 • 2022

ON THE COVER

TEMPLE ISRAEL put together a Help from Afar Fund, which will go directly to individuals and communities in Ukraine. Donate at www.temple-israel.org/form/ help-from-afar-ukraine.html.

YEVGENIYA GAZMAN @YGAZM

continued from page 13

TOP: People from all over Metro Detroit gathered Downtown to show solidarity with Ukraine.

Let’s Talk About Ukraine

Cherry and Rabbi Ariel Markovitch and their children

MARCH 10 • 2022

y sister and her husband, Cherry and Rabbi Ariel Markovitch, are one of more than 30 Chabad emissaries in Kyiv and more than 200 in Ukraine. After three days of continuous attacks, Rabbi Yisrael they successfulPinson ly escaped from Kyiv with their three children and crossed the border to Romania. They are currently living with my parents, the Chabad emissaries in Nice, France. Since they landed in France last week, they are working around the clock helping members of their community to leave Ukraine. At the same time, they are working nonstop to get supplies and food to those who are still stranded and are under continuous cur-

CAMPAIGN FOR UKRAINE In response to the crisis, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, working with the Jewish Federation of North America and their international partners, JDC, JAFI and World ORT, opened a Ukraine Emergency Fund campaign to provide rescue and relief for the 200,000 Jews in Ukraine. The funds will be used to support temporary housing for those fleeing violence, care for homebound older adults, food, medication and supplies, security for Jewish institutions and other critical services. For Federation, it means a lot to help Ukrainian Jewry in the face of the crisis. “The Jewish Federation, through its Annual Campaign, has been taking care of our global

few conditions with no access to food. The situation changes with every minute. FAMILY TIES I last visited Kyiv in 2019. My family roots there run deep. My great-grandfather Nachum Pinson studied in the famous Chabad Yeshiva as a teenager in the town of Lubavitch under the guidance of the fifth and sixth Rebbes. He raised a beautiful family in the town of Charkov and made a living as a businessman. In 1939 he was arrested by the KGB for the sin of giving his kids a Jewish education and living an observant Jewish life. He was sent to the gulags in Siberia where he perished from famine and exhaustion at the young age of 57. A cousin sent me a newly discovered KGB file about Nachum and his three friends that were arrested at the same time.

https://jewishdetroit.org/ ukraine.

For the first time I saw a picture of him as an inmate. A haunting look of a man who was tortured and forced to shave his beard ... The Soviets succeeded in breaking Nachum, and he died alone away from his wife and kids. On the 22nd of Cheshvan we commemorate his yahrzeit, but we have no knowledge of the

whereabouts of his final resting place. As much as the picture of Nachum pained me beyond description, my visit to Ukraine infused me with infinite hope and joy. Inasmuch as my visit to Babi Yar reminded me of the cruelty of those who aspire to exterminate us, being there with

SUPPORTING FAMILIES Jewish Family Service of Metropolitan Detroit issued a statement Feb. 24 in response to the situation. “We are disheartened by the current situation taking place in Ukraine. Many of our staff and clients are from Russia and Ukraine and have family and friends affected by this situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and everyone impacted by these tragic events. If the U.S. Department of State offers a refugee status to those affected, JFS will step up to help with these efforts and partner with refugee resettlement agencies in the community.” Along with refugee resettle-

YEVGENIYA GAZMAN @YGAZM

Jewish community — including vulnerable individuals in Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union — for many decades,” a Federation spokesman said. “While this situation is extremely urgent and dire, our response is consistent with the work we have always been doing and will continue to do on behalf of Jews everywhere. We are fortunate to live in such a generous community that can make a meaningful difference during times of crisis, but as we say: ‘We can be there for Jews in Ukraine today because we were there for them yesterday.’” Federation is in close contact with its partner agencies and will continue to be actively involved as long as the crisis continues. To share and/or help, visit

Children demonstrated in Downtown Detroit alongside their parents to show support for the people of Ukraine.

continued on page 19

Rabbi Pinson’s great-grandfather Nachum Pinson, who died in a Siberian gulag

my two nieces was a strong reminder that the Jewish people are stronger and more resilient than any of our haters. No bad news can change our optimism for a bright future for our people. Four of Nachim’s children survived the war and went on to build families in the USA, Israel and Europe. My grandfather became one of the first emissaries of the Rebbe, opening Jewish schools in Morocco and Tunisia. In 2018, my sister Cherry (named after Nachum’s wife) and her family moved to Ukraine to open a branch of Chabad Young Professionals in Kyiv, the city from which they recently escaped. We, at Chabad of Greater Downtown Detroit, are working with my sister and her husband to bring real-time updates on what is happening to the Jewish people in Ukraine to our local commu-

The Markovitch family is working from France to help the Ukrainian people.

nities and identifying ways that we can help them. Chabad has established a Ukrainian Relief Fund. Donate at www.chabad. org/special/campaigns/ukraine/donate. htm. MARCH 10 • 2022

ON THE COVER

Trapped in Ukraine

Pontiac business owner shares stories of employees trapped in Ukraine.

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TOP: Vladimir Gendelman, owner of Company Folders Inc, during a happier time. Today, he is preoccupied with helping his employees trapped in Ukraine.

Pontiac business owner, originally from Kharkiv, Ukraine, is desperately trying to help his employees stuck in Ukraine. Vladimir Gendelman, 47, whose business Company Folders, Inc. has workers in his home country, is consulting with military personnel on the best ways to help them stay safe. They talked about “general terms of what happens during a war,” Gendeman explains. “What are the strategically good places to be and strategically not good places to be?” One employee in Lviv, Gendelman says, was able to cross the border into Poland, thanks to the city’s close proximity to Ukraine’s western border. This was on the morning before Ukraine’s martial law was enacted, which prevents men ages 18-60 from leaving the country. Another employee in Dnepropetrovsk, Gendelman continues, was in a bad area strategically. His home was surrounded by three bridges, which makes it a key target for the Russian army. “I pulled up his address on Google Maps, and I realized that he was between two bridges and very close to a middle bridge which has railroads going over it,” Gendelman says. “This makes it the most dangerous area.” Gendelman advised his employee to try to get out of Dnepropetrovsk as soon as he could, so his employee managed to escape to take shelter with his sister, who lives in a smaller village. “There is practically nothing going on there,” Gendelman says of the village. “It’s quiet, but occasionally he hears shots.” continued on page 18

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A third employee in Mykolaiv, another strategically poor area due to its proximity to the Black Sea, rivers and bridges, was advised to leave, but couldn’t because of his elderly parents. “He stayed behind to take care of them,” Gendelman says. For this employee, the situation is “loud.” Bombs, shots and other racket fill the area, but he’s still able to get outside for food and other supplies in times of quiet.

TOP: Gendelman shared these photos that show what it’s like on the ground in Ukraine.

MARCH 10 • 2022

THE WAR IN KHARKIV Gendelman’s four employees in Kharkiv, however, have a different story. One employee managed to leave Kharkiv, driving to nearby Poltava where things are not as bad. “He’s in good shape, other than there is no internet,” Gendelman says. “He told me that they brought in new food supplies.” The other three employees in Kharkiv, on the other hand, “have it the worst.” “Kharkiv is under a very big attack right now,” Gendelman says. One employee, Eugene, who lives on a high floor of an apartment building, moved in with another employee, Dennis, to be lower to the ground. Together, they shelter with their families, which include four adults and five kids. “The apartment is very small, and they can’t be in rooms that have windows,” Gendelman explains. “All nine of them, for the most part, are in one room.” As they look outside, they see what they call “hail.” However, this is not traditional hail in the sense that we know. Instead, this hail in Kharkiv contains nuts, bolts, nails and other sharp objects that rain down from the sky after attacks. “When these rockets come down, they explode and all of these sharp objects fly in different directions and cause a lot of damage,” Gendelman says. “They come 40 at a time.” During these attacks, some people go to bomb shelters. Others lay on the floor, Gendelman explains, in their hallways and other corridors away from

windows. The metro stations used as makeshift bomb shelters, however, are what Gendelman calls “hell.” “It’s really cold because there is stone or tile. There is no heat. There’s a bunch of people and everyone is hungry, dirty, scared. People are almost shoulder to shoulder.” In a bus station outside of the building where Eugene and Dennis shelter, a bomb hit the area, killing everyone at the station, Gendelman says. A missile even landed near their apartment building, but luckily it didn’t blow up. “The ground is shaking,” he explains. “The building is shaking. They’re scared. They’re scared for themselves. They’re scared for their families.” NO DIRECTION FOR WHAT TO DO With no direction or instruction for what to do, many residents in Ukraine, including Gendelman’s employees in Kharkiv, take the situation day-by-day, hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute. Now, they also face the concern of potentially running out of drinking water as the city is surrounded. The fourth employee in Kharkiv has a bathtub made of cast iron, where he hides with his family. “He, his wife and their child lay in the tub to protect themselves,” Gendelman says. “Outside of that, they have supplies. They do not have internet, but they do have heat and electricity.” Born in Kharkiv and immigrating to the U.S. in 1990, Gendelman has a mix of emotions about the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. “I’m extremely grateful to be here and not there,” he says. “On the other hand, I feel responsible for my employees, yet I’m extremely helpless because I really can’t do much. The ideal thing to do would be for me to go there and put them on a plane.” Doing the only thing he can, Gendelman continues to support his employees trapped in Ukraine, consulting with military personnel as the situation unfolds. “I’m really, really sad that it came down to this,” he says. “I never thought that anything like this could happen in Ukraine.”

YEVGENIYA GAZMAN @YGAZM

TOP: Demonstators in Detroit don the colors of the Ukrainian flag. continued from page 15

ment organizations, JFS will be working with other community organizations, churches and synagogues, donors and government organizations to support families escaping from Ukraine. Leonid Balabanov, JFS’ director of transportation and translation, is one of many with family members affected by the situation. Balabanov’s wife’s family has been in Kyiv throughout the conflict, including her mother, father, brother-in-law and sister-in-law and their two children. Balabanov says they’re talking with them every day to make sure they’re fine, but it’s still hard to understand what’s going on. Balabanov says his wife’s family has slept in an underground parking structure. “It’s explosive there. They’re afraid,” he said. “If air raid sirens are not sounded, they go back to their apartment.” The family is unable to flee because his motherin-law is homebound in a 24-hour senior facility, which is seeing problems itself. “The facility is running out of food and medications. My brother-in-law is doing his best to supply whatever he

can find to help everyone at the facility,” Balabanov said. Balabanov’s brother-in-law cannot leave as Ukraine isn’t letting men ages 18-60 leave the country. “They can fight. They won’t let them leave,” he said. It’s a heartbreaking situation for the family. “My wife is crying for the last four days,” Balabanov said. “I don’t know how to explain what we feel. We do not understand how it could happen, and why. I cannot even understand it.” Balabanov and his wife attended the Detroit rally for Ukraine on Feb. 27. “We were there. We went to support Ukraine,” Balabanov said. “I was very happy that people were supporting our country. There were a lot of American people supporting Ukraine, some Russian people supporting Ukraine and some from Lithuania supporting Ukraine. I was surprised. It was a lot of people there.” Balabanov says his brotherin-law and sister-in-law are under a lot of stress. “They fear for my motherin-law and the kids, and hope for international assistance to end this insanity,” Balabanov said. “I hope they’ll be alright.”

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MARCH 10 • 2022

ON THE COVER

A ‘Modern Maccabee’ U

krainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is drawing admiration from Jews who see him as a heroic figure. A few weeks ago, Jews outside of Ukraine knew Volodymyr Zelensky as the world leader on the other end of the “perfect phone call” that resulted in the impeachment of President Donald Trump. But now, after days of watching Zelensky balance humor and gravitas while rallying his fellow Ukrainians to rebuff the Russian army invasion, they know him as a contemporary Jewish hero. “Zelensky gives modern Maccabee energy,” Peter Fox, a writer, wrote on Twitter.

TOP: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is drawing admiration from Jews who see him as a heroic figure. ANADOLU AGENCY/GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

MARCH 10 • 2022

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is inspiring the world with his leadership. PHILISSA CRAMER JTA.ORG

Fox was referring to the ancient Jews who, though outflanked in every way, fended off the efforts of foreign fighters, directed by a power-hungry ruler, to quash their independence and culture. That history can be seen as an apt comparison for what’s happening in Ukraine — and it’s one of several reasons that Zelensky’s leadership is resonating so much with Jews the world over. “As a Jew, it is impossible not to feel proud of the courage, dignity and defiance shown by Zelensky at this moment,” Molly Crabapple, a prominent leftist writer and artist, said in a tweet, shortly after Zelensky posted a

video showing him in the center of Kyiv, defiant in the face of encroaching Russian forces. In Tel Aviv, people rallying for Ukraine chanted Zelensky’s name. A tweet by a former Israeli speechwriter encouraging people to pray for him by his Hebrew name was shared tens of thousands of times. And multiple memes ricocheted around the internet highlighting Zelensky as a powerful embodiment of Jewish pride. “This is Volodymyr Zelensky. President of Ukraine. He is Jewish. His grandfather fought Nazis in WWII. Many of his relatives were killed in the Holocaust,” said one of them, shared by Good, a media com-

pany. “He is standing up to a dictator. Because he is brave. Because he knows what happens if you don’t.” Another, shared by the organization Stop Antisemitism, emphasized Zelensky’s roots in a family decimated by the Holocaust. Over a photo of Zelensky, the meme says, “A Jewish Ukrainian family had 4 brothers. 3 were murdered by the Nazis. Only 1 survived,” referring to his grandfather. Behind the feel-good sentiment of the memes lurks more complicated subtexts. Some saw the elevation of Zelensky as a Jewish hero as implying that others who came before him, potentially including Jewish

helping us move forward.” Before becoming Ukraine’s president in 2019, Zelensky was a comedian, and his meteoric rise from just another world leader to beacon of democracy has elicited its share of jokes this week.

SCREENSHOT FROM FACEBOOK VIA JTA

victims of the Nazi genocide, lacked the bravery needed to survive, or that a Jewish president should be remarkable in a country where, not so long ago, more than 1.5 million Jews flourished. Those embedded meanings are exactly why Zelensky’s leadership has been so inspiring to Jews, according to Ben M. Freeman, the author of the 2021 book Jewish Pride: Rebuilding a People. Freeman suggested the adulation of Zelensky was an antidote to the “Jews went like lambs to the slaughter” allegation that haunted survivors after the Holocaust. “Jewish people are resilient. Jewish people fight back. Jewish people have always resisted. And I think many Jewish people feel that this is a continuation of that,” Freeman told JTA. He added, “There’s layers of Jewish resilience, but there’s also the rewriting of the Ukrainian Jewish relationship — not rewriting it to erase the past because we cannot — kind of

Russians Bomb Babyn Yar

On March 2, the morning after Russian bombs fell at the site of a 1941 massacre of Ukrainian Jews, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the world’s Jews to speak out about what is happening in his country. Russia’s attack adjacent to Babyn Yar, the Kyiv site where Ukrainian President Nazis and local collaborators Volodymyr executed tens of thousands Zelensky spoke directly to the of Jews during the Holocaust, world’s Jews during along with its bombing several an address March days ago of Uman, the Ukrainian 2 from his bunker in Kyiv. city where hundreds of thousands of Jewish pilgrims visit each year, represent an attempt to erase Ukraine’s history and identity, Zelensky said in a speech delivered after another night of heavy fighting. “Addressing all the Jews of the world: Don’t you see why this happening? “As a Ukrainian-Jewish That is why it is very important that millions of man, I’m getting a little conJews around the world do not remain silent right cerned that Zelensky is setting now. Nazism is born in silence,” Zelensky said. “So some unachievable standards shout about the killings of civilians. Shout about of behavior,” tweeted Sam the killings of Ukrainians.” Biederman, a public relations Jews and Jewish groups around the world have professional in New York City. stepped in to support Ukrainian Jews, who numFox tweeted about Zelensky’s ber between 43,000 and over 300,000, dependheight, 5′ 7″, and called him “an ing on how the estimate is made. Many of those inspiration to short Jews everyJews have joined an exodus of refugees pouring where.” over the country’s borders. But many others say they see In the eight-minute address, which his office in his leadership serious, and published with English subtitles and in Hebrew gratifying, implications for Jews translation, Zelensky did not mention that he himin Ukraine and beyond. self is Jewish or that his own family members were For one thing, many see killed by Nazis. Zelensky’s success as a turnBut his anguish over seeing a Holocaust killing ing point in the history of site attacked was palpable, as he described how Jews in Ukraine. a TV station and sports complex had under Soviet continued on page 22 rule been “built on the bones” of people murdered there “to erase the true history of Babyn Yar.” To Russia, he said, “You are killing Holocaust vicOne liberal Jewish tims for the second time.” activist suggested giving this shirt, Babyn Yar, formerly known as Babi Yar, is the produced by the name of a ravine on Kyiv’s outskirts where rabbinic human German troops murdered, with help from rights group Truah, to Ukrainian President and Ukrainian collaborators, at least Volodymyr Zelensky, 33,000 Jews in September 1941 in who favors T-shirts. continued on page 22

SCREENSH

MARCH 10 • 2022

ON THE COVER ILLIA PONOMARENKO/TWITTER VIA JTA

continued from page 21

A missile strikes the main TV tower in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 1, 2022. continued from page 21

one of the largest massacres of the Holocaust. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency provided the first news report of the massacre. The ravine, a large open area with low-growing vegetation, is littered with multiple mass graves of Jews and other victims executed there. In recent years, a memorial museum site with several accompanying structures, still under construction before the Russian invasion, was constructed in the ravine. The March 1 attack appeared to center on the TV tower, knocking out state broadcasting, but it also resulted in damage to the memorial complex, according to the museum’s Facebook page. “To the world: What is the point of saying ‘never again’ for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating…” Zelensky tweeted immediately after the attack, which drew widespread condemnation from Jews and others. — Philissa Cramer, JTA

MARCH 10 • 2022

“If Zelensky has now become synonymous with the blue-and-yellow flag of his country, it might signal an unexpected outcome of this conflict that has found Jews feeling finally, improbably, one with a land that has perpetually tried to spit them out,” wrote Gal Beckerman, the author of a book about efforts to liberate Jews from oppression in the Soviet Union, in The Atlantic. This history is part of what Fox said was so inspiring about seeing Zelensky in charge. “In 1941 over 33,000 Ukrainian Jews were murdered in a two-day span in the Babi Yar ravine marking one of the deadliest massacres of the Holocaust,” Fox wrote, referring to the mass shooting — first reported by JTA — that was organized by Nazis but supported by local collaborators. “For Ukraine to have a Jewish president descended from a Holocaust survivor standing up to a dictator is really empowering.” At the same time, Zelensky’s steadfastness in the face of acute danger — and offers of evacuation — would appear to undercut a dangerous, age-old stereotype about Jews, that they are not fully committed to the countries in which they live. “Now is a good time to dispense with the idea that Jews aren’t really loyal to the country of their birth,” tweeted Elizabeth Picciotto, a writer on Long Island. Unusual in a moment of extreme polarization, Zelensky is drawing praise from Jews across the political spectrum. “Fawning over politicians, especially around militarism, makes me uneasy. That said, we should probably get Zelensky this @truahrabbis shirt,” wrote Sophie Ellan-Golan, the director of strategic communication at Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, a liberal Jewish activist group. She pointed to the rabbinic human rights group’s swag, which reads: “Resisting tyrants since Pharaoh.” (The mention of Pharaoh conjures a second comparison to a legendary Jewish leader, Moses, who delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt; others have likened Zelensky to Mordecai, the Jew who defeats a wicked, murderous leader in the story retold on Purim.) Meanwhile, David Suissa, the editor of Los Angeles’ Jewish Journal, which frequently decries progressive ideology on its editorial page, wrote that he saw a different element of Jewish tradition reflected in Zelensky’s resolve not to leave his native country.

“WHAT IS THE POINT OF SAYING ‘NEVER AGAIN’ IF THE WORLD STAYS SILENT WHEN A BOMB DROPS ON THE SAME SITE OF BABYN YAR?” — PRESIDENT ZELENSKY

“Thousands of years after our biblical patriarch Abraham’s poignant cry to God of ‘Hineni’ (‘Here I am’), the ultimate expression of responsibility, a Jewish president in the midst of war uttered a similar message: “Listen. I am here,’” Suissa wrote. “In the face of such courage, it’s hard to think of more essential words to embody the miracle of Jewish survival.” Suissa connected Zelensky’s leadership to Israel, which he called “the ultimate example of Jews telling the world, ‘Listen, we are here. We’re not running. We’re not hiding.’” Politics are emerging in some of the Zelensky valorization. In a third and more charged meme, JewBelong, a group that has recently posted provocative billboards in multiple cities drawing attention to antisemitism and what it says is Jews’ need to fight against hatred of them, juxtaposed an image of Zelensky in army fatigues next to the famous image of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders sitting with his arms and legs crossed and wearing large mittens at Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration. “What type of Jew are you?” the meme asked — a message that confused some who saw it but left others with the clear impression that the group, which is ardently pro-Israel, was suggesting that Sanders compared unfavorably to Zelensky. But for the most part, as Zelensky seemingly single-handedly alters the way the world responds to his beleaguered Ukraine, Jews are expressing one sentiment over and over again. “The only good thing to come out of this humanitarian crisis is to see such an admirable and heroic Jewish president,” wrote Marion Haberman, who goes by My Jewish Mommy Life online, on Instagram this weekend. Using the congratulatory Hebrew term meaning “all the honor,” she added, “Kol haKavod to President Zelensky.”

COURTESY OF B’NAI MOSHE

OUR COMMUNITY

Rabbi Elliot Pachter and Cantor Earl Berris at an outdoor service.

Born for the Bimah Cantor Earl Berris retires from B’nai Moshe after 23 years. BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

e was, in the words of an admirer, “born to be on the bimah,” but Cantor Earl Berris is enjoying his retirement after 23 years at Congregation B’nai Moshe in West Bloomfield. The cantor attended Mumford High before his family moved to Farmington Hills. They were members of Adat Shalom Synagogue. After graduating from North

Farmington High, Berris earned two degrees at Wayne State University, a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s in counseling and development. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Cantor’s Institute, earning another bachelor’s degree in sacred music. His first cantorial position was at a synagogue in

Long Island. He served for short periods as assistant cantor at Adat Shalom and Congregation Beth Achim (which merged with Adat Shalom in 1998). Then he and his wife, Ilana, who is Israeli, spent several years in Israel, where he was certified as a mohel. After returning from Israel, Berris became cantor at Kehilath Israel Synagogue

in Overland Park, Kansas, where he spent 12 years. He would have happily stayed — but the position opened up at B’nai Moshe in West Bloomfield, and he knew it was a golden opportunity to come home. A PERFECT FIT “A native Detroiter, raised at Adat Shalom and a great tenor … What more could we want?” said Larry Gunsberg of Northville, a former B’nai Moshe board member who chaired the search committee at the time. “Oh, someone who could take over a men’s choir who’d been singing together for years continued on page 24 MARCH 10 • 2022

OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 23

“NOTHING RATTLED HIM, AND HE WAS ON TOP OF EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON.” — STEVE FINE

ABOVE: Cantor Earl Berris served B’nai Moshe for 23 years recently retired.

and bring it into the future,” which Berris did by welcoming women into the group, creating a new blended sound for “the singing congregation,” he said. The choir was still going strong when he retired. Replacing Cantor Louis Klein, B’nai Moshe’s beloved long-time cantor, was a challenge, but Berris already knew a lot of the congregants and immediately felt at home. He had a good working relationship with Klein. “Cantor Klein made it easy on me,” said Berris. Berris, who has composed many original melodies that are sung in synagogues around the world, was careful not to make any major changes right away. He would sneak a few of his tunes into the service here and there, interspersing them with those the congregation was used to from Cantor Klein. “After a while, everyone thought they were Cantor Klein’s songs,” he said. One congregant admired a melody, saying “I’ve been singing this for 40 years.” Ilana Berris, a retired Hillel Day School teacher, chaired the synagogue’s education commit-

MARCH 10 • 2022

tee and taught in its religious school. “It was a good partnership for the congregation,” he said. For most of his years at B’nai Moshe, Berris, who turns 70 on March 19, worked with Rabbi Elliot Pachter, who is now the congregation’s rabbi emeritus and rabbinic adviser at Frankel Hebrew Academy. “From the first time we met, Cantor Berris and I clicked personally and professionally,” Pachter said. “He and I, and our families, became friends. I was honored to officiate at his daughters’ bat mitzvah services, and Cantor Berris was my sons’ bar mitzvah teacher. When his older daughter married, I was

the officiating rabbi, and one of my sons was a witness. “We worked so well together, quickly learned and respected each other’s styles, and got to the point where we could almost read each other’s minds.” Pachter is particularly proud of two projects he worked on with Berris. One was the 2001: Shabbat Odyssey series held on summer Friday nights, where the cantor introduced lively new tunes. “The ruach (spirit) was great that summer,” he said. The second was a customized prayer book, Siddur Tefillah l’Moshe, created in 2008, that the congregation still uses every Shabbat. “Cantor Berris and I person-

ally proofread each word and made sure it was exactly what we wanted,” he said. “For us it was a labor of love and pride.” B’nai Moshe’s executive director, Steve Fine, says, “Nothing rattled him, and he was on top of everything that was going on. Once, when I had the honor of doing hagbah (lifting the torah), no one on the bimah, nor in the congregation, noticed that a chair had not been placed for me to sit down on … with the exception of Cantor Berris.” Fine also admired Berris’ skills as a bar mitzvah tutor. “He was the most patient bar/ bat mitzvah teacher I have ever seen,” he said. “We shared an office wall so I could hear his lessons with his students.” If a student was having problems even a few weeks before the event, Berris never worried or showed anxiety, Fine said “Somehow and some way, the student always was ready on their bar/bat mitzvah day.” The Berrises, who now live in Commerce Township, are sticking close to home during the COVID pandemic. They enjoy visiting their daughter, Doron Vergun, her husband, Daniel, and their two boys, who live in Farmington Hills, and they’ve been to Los Angeles to visit their other daughter, Leore, a writer.

Cantorial Concert Will Honor Berris on Retirement Fifteen area cantors will come together at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 20, to honor Earl Berris’ 23 years as the cantor at Congregation B’nai Moshe. Donor Wall contributors are invited to attend the Cantor Earl Berris Retirement Concert in person in the synagogue’s sanctuary. Others can view the concert on Zoom or YouTube. The concert will include performances

by Deborah Bletsein, Hilary Blair, Rachel Gottlieb Kalmowitz, Tiffany Green, Samuel Greenbaum, Daniel Gross, Steve Klaper, Frank Lanzkron-Tamarazo, Neil Michaels, Zach Mondrow, Kelly Onickel, David Propis, Pamela Schiffer, Michael Smolsh and Penny Steyer. The cantors will be accompanied by Cliff Monear. For more information, visit www.bnaimoshe.org.

OUR COMMUNITY

Alan has maintained an open- door policy. In his words, “If you have questions … if you have concerns… if you want to stop in and chat or just say “hi”… the welcome mat is out for you.”

‘Beacon of Strength’ Adat Shalom’s executive director Alan Yost retires after 41 years. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

or 41 years, Alan Yost has been a building block of Adat Shalom Synagogue. The Farmington Hills’ synagogue’s long-time executive director, who is set to retire this month, has carried the congregation through equally successful and challenging times, laying the groundwork for future generations and Adat Shalom’s continued success. As of March 1, Michael Wolf is serving as the synagogue’s new executive director. “As our executive director, Alan Yost was the heart and soul of Adat Shalom,” says synagogue president Joan M. Chernoff-Epstein. “He had the vision for our future growth and saw us through

many challenges. He was a jack-of-alltrades.” Chernoff-Epstein says Yost always had his plate full with organizing, construction, fundraisers, membership drives, staff hirings and community relations. “Anything in the daily operations of Adat Shalom, he had a hand in its success,” she continues. Even during the interview for this story, Yost, 71 of Farmington Hills, was in the middle of overseeing roof construction on a cold and foggy February day, showing his unwavering commitment to Adat Shalom and Jewish life just weeks before retiring. His motto: “Am Yisrael chai,” or “the people of Israel live.”

ENSURING SURVIVAL OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE “I see the survival of the Jewish people and the State of Israel linked so closely together,” Yost explains. “I’m a big advocate and strong supporter of our community and the Jewish people.” It’s a lifelong goal that Yost has always worked toward. After graduating from Wayne State University in 1974 with his master’s degree in social work, he immediately dove into working with the Jewish community. After working as a program director at a JCC in Houston, Yost saw an advertisement for a youth director role at Adat Shalom. In November of 1980, Yost was hired as the synagogue’s youth director. Yet an unexpected opening for executive director appeared in July 1981, which Yost applied for and got the job. “They took a walk on me, so it worked out great,” he laughed. Yost’s early years at the synagogue were spent creating a game plan for its future success. He was also highly involved in the fight for freedom for Soviet Jewry alongside his wife, Beverly. The two traveled to Russia and continued on page 26

MARCH 10 • 2022

continued from page 25

Ukraine to meet with refuseniks, also attending a conference on Soviet Jewry in Brussels. “There was an incredible commitment on the part of this congregation to the Jewish people and to the State of Israel,” Yost recalls of the mass exodus of Jews from the Soviet Union. Adat Shalom joined the movement in educating its members about the issues facing Soviet Jewry, initiating a “twinning” program where Metro Detroit youth having a bar or bat mitzvah were matched up with a “twin” in the Soviet Union who couldn’t have their own celebration, honoring that individual during their service. “It resulted in some very positive efforts of getting refuseniks out,” Yost says. NAVIGATING A BANKRUPTCY In addition, Yost helped Adat Shalom navigate a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, guiding the organization into becoming the only synagogue in the country to operate under and successfully emerge from it. “There have been a lot of challenges within the framework,” Yost says, “but the synagogue leadership has always stepped up the plate and done thoughtful, process-based solution solving.” Emerging from bankruptcy was a “huge accomplishment,” Yost recalls. Putting the financial burden in the past allowed Adat Shalom to begin operating through new and improved strategies. They hired clergy in “incredibly calculating ways,” he continues, getting the right people in place to reimagine synagogue framework and operations. “He has given his heart, mind and soul to Adat Shalom every day,” says the synagogue’s Rabbi Aaron Bergman. “There has not been a better executive director,

MARCH 10 • 2022

AJC Names Ted Deutch as Next CEO

Executive director Alan Yost sits with Cantor Larry Vieder z”l. In reflecting on the photo, Alan stated “This incredible man was my synagogue mentor. He taught me how to serve a synagogue membership.”

nor a person more committed to the Jewish people and State of Israel.” By practicing his motto of “Am Yisrael chai” every day, Yost created a path for the local Jewish community — and Adat Shalom Synagogue — to continue to “live.” “He helped Adat Shalom through some of its darkest days,” Bergman continues, “and provided great leadership during some of its best. Even Moses only led for 40 years. Alan surpassed that.” CONNECTING PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE Yost also guided the synagogue through the unpredictable and ever-changing climate of COVID-19, pivoting at a moment’s notice. “Alan spent every day finding the best ways to serve our congregation and keep us all connected,” Chernoff-Epstein says. “Alan gave it his all, showing his dedication and concern for each and every person.” While Yost has made an undeniable impact on Adat Shalom and Metro Detroit’s Jewish population, he is perhaps remembered the most for his character and wealth of knowledge. At all times, Yost’s door was open to answer questions

and lend support and guidance to prospective families, lay leaders and congregants of all ages. Adat Shalom’s past president Ken Goss also adds that Yost’s “historical knowledge of the shul and community will be impossible to replace.” With retirement up ahead, Yost looks forward to riding his bike — his most cherished hobby — and spending time with his two children, Robert and Zachary; daughters-in-law, Susan and Lauren; and four grandchildren, Lucas, Mia, Benjamin and Elliana. He also hopes to continue traveling to Israel, recently visiting with an Adat Shalom cohort in 2018. Still, five journeys to Israel, a dedication to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit (among other organizations), and an unwavering commitment to Adat Shalom past, present and future only scrape the surface of Yost’s undeniable impact on Jewish life in and around Metro Detroit. “Alan Yost has been a beacon of dedication, strength and consistency as a leader of Adat Shalom Synagogue,” says immediate past president Dr. Sandy Vieder. “His place in Adat Shalom Synagogue and Jewish Detroit history is firmly planted.”

American Jewish Committee (AJC) has appointed Ted Deutch, member of the U.S. House of Representatives and lifelong Jewish and pro-Israel activist, as the organization’s next Chief Executive Officer, effective Oct. 1. AJC CEO David Harris, who has led the organization since 1990, will remain AJC CEO until Deutch assumes the role, after which he will stay on as a consultant for one year to assist in a seamless transition. Currently serving his seventh term in Congress representing Broward and Palm Beach counties of South Florida, Deutch, a University of Michigan alum, is known for reaching across party lines to build bipartisan consensus. He has been a champion in Congress on issues of concern to the Jewish community — most notably, combating antisemitism, supporting the State of Israel and countering the threats posed by Iran. Deutch said, “I have worked closely with AJC throughout my tenure in Congress and I am deeply honored to have been chosen to serve as the organization’s next CEO. “I am wholeheartedly committed to furthering AJC’s nonpartisan, centrist approach, and will be steadfast in my efforts to advance the organization’s mission.” Deutch continued, “AJC will continue to defend the global Jewish community whenever and wherever it is threatened — in America, Europe, Latin America, online, on campus, at the United Nations. It will prepare Jewish advocates to boldly and knowledgeably stand against antisemitism and other bigotries. And it will use the talent and power of innovative leaders of all ages to defend Israel’s rightful place in the world and expand the opportunities to transform the Middle East and the world under the Abraham Accords.”

Divorce Education

Local attorney educates clients with ‘Our Family in Two Homes.’ SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

lisa Peskin-Shepherd has faced divorce issues within her own family, and they motivated a career interest in assisting others coping with marriage dissolution problems. In childhood, she was affected by divorce proceedings entered into by her mother, a remarried widow. In adulthood, her professional goals transitioned from social work into family law. Gradually, after some 25 years in practice, PeskinShepherd again faced personal divorce issues and choices, this time calling an end to her own quarter-century of marriage. When Peskin-Shepherd, the mother of two grown daughters, proceeded through family court nine years ago in her own behalf with representation by another attorney, she felt confident about approaching solutions because of her personal and professional experiences. Working on behalf of others, she kept alert to new ways of educating and counseling clients who lacked the insights and resources she understood. Two years ago, this attorney learned about an approach that resonated with her outlook and intent, and she became the first Michigan

licensee for Our Family in Two Homes, a divorce education process. It combines workbook exercises completed individually by one or both spouses and three consulting sessions for each with an attorney. “The idea that clients can educate themselves about the law and what their preferences, issues and conflict styles might be in advance of getting deeper into the negotiations really made sense to me,” said Peskin-Shepherd, whose private practice, Transitions Legal, is based in Bloomfield Hills while she also serves as a pro bono consultant for those seeking help through Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit. “Clients are always looking to save money, and the workbook allows them to do some work on their own. They can figure out the issues they need me to work on with them and what issues might need less focus.” The program was developed under the leadership of Jacinta Gallant, a Canadian collaborative lawyer and mediator specializing in conflict resolution. Licensees have monthly Zoom meetings with her to discuss their personal experiences using the process. Peskin-Shepherd divides major divorce issues into three

Alisa Peskin-Shepherd

categories — emotional, financial and legal. Impressed that Our Family in Two Homes addresses all three, she studied the method last year and has interested two clients now immersed in it. “I belong to the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and every year we have an educational forum,” Peskin-Shepherd explained about her introduction to the program. “A workshop was about this resource package. “Because I often work with individuals who are deciding whether to get a divorce, I recommend this approach since it can structure their time thinking about all that is involved. It gives them directions that might suggest their issues could be worked out so they don’t have to go ahead with the divorce.” An example of an exercise has to do with recognizing values. Participants are provided with a series of cards that lead them to acknowledge what they value and how they apply those values while interacting with family members. “It gives people a lot of insight,” said the attorney, also a mediator trained in collaborative divorce techniques, parts of a process outside of the courtroom with each client represented by a collaboratively trained attor-

ney and supported by a team of specialists in the areas of mental health and finances. In collaborative divorce, decisions are made around a conference room table with participants working together. Peskin-Shepherd explained that considerations and procedures for a religious divorce in Judaism are separate from the civil divorces she handles. Outcomes in religious procedures are decided by rabbis with some attention to issues covered by civil laws. “Most issues in any divorce case, whether civil or religious, stem from some kind of emotional issues,” said Peskin-Shepherd, a member of Congregation B’nai Moshe who participates in weekly Torah study. “If clients can identify those and get help with those, they can save money in the long run. “Part of my mission is to educate other colleagues about the resource package to bring them on board. I can use the resource package with both clients when I am acting as a mediator.” “Education helps people make decisions, and I believe this workbook can help identify goals and options while keeping their children in the forefront, which is most important.” MARCH 10 • 2022

business SPOTlight

brought to you in partnership with

BIRMIN GH A M

Driving Michigan’s Economy Forward Dow President and CFO Howard Ungerleider leads Business Leaders for Michigan. DORON LEVIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

MARCH 10 • 2022

COURTESY OF DOW

oward Ungerleider pursued a circuitous career path across the country and overseas on behalf of a single company, moving with his family nine times before becoming the president and chief financial officer of Midland-based Dow Inc. The journey resulted in an impressive resume and the qualifications for top-executive management. It also underscored for him the responsibility to expand opportunities for jobs and promotions to aspirants from diverse backgrounds — such as his own.

Howard Ungerleider

Growing up in a Houston suburb after moving with his family from New York, he

recalls a classmate who had never met a Jewish person and knew the religion only in terms of inappropriate ethnic stereotypes. In sixth grade, he received an F on a math test when a teacher refused to reschedule a makeup due to his absence on the High Holidays. “Being the only Jewish student in the school was certainly one of the defining moments toward understanding what it’s like to be different from the others,” he said. “That’s why I’m very passionate about driving inclusion and diversity inside Dow,” he said.

“As a human being it’s the right thing to do. Everyone should be able to live up to their full personal and professional potential. And when I put on my CFO hat, I can see it creates more long-term value — the evidence is overwhelmingly clear.” Serving Dow in several locations in the U.S. and overseas before taking over his current leadership role in Midland has heightened his perceptions of comparative business climates in Texas, for example, overseas and that of Michigan, his family’s home for the past 14 years. Among Ungerleider’s civic

commitments is his chairmanship of Business Leaders for Michigan, an economic leadership council consisting of CEOs and other top executives of the state’s largest and most influential corporations. Business Leaders advocates for improving the state’s economic climate and prosperity by way of more effective tax policy, enhanced educational initiatives, infrastructure investments and employment opportunities. “We look at Michigan’s business and economic climate in comparison to the other states, measuring important characteristics such as the growth of our population, income and per capita gross domestic product (GDP),” he explained. “Coming out of the Great

Financial Crisis, we were a bottom 10 state. And the good news is Business Leaders working together with state government and our communities, we were able to get us from a bottom 10 to where we are now. Depending on the metric that you look at, in the middle of the pack.” “Top 10” states in terms of jobs, productivity, personal income and population indicators, according to Business Leaders, include California, Colorado, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and New York. Ungerleider and other CEOs aren’t satisfied with Michigan’s rise from the bottom. He is optimistic that “working together we have a legitimate shot at becoming a top 10 state.”

To get there, Business Leaders is pursuing what he calls four key “pillars” or priorities: growth via state-sponsored economic development efforts; talent development, meaning secondary education and technical training to boost qualifications for good-paying jobs; more dollars to classrooms for K-12 education; and improved “business climate” so more companies find it easier and more efficient to locate or expand operations here rather than in competing states. Senior members of Michigan’s Jewish community can remember the glory days of the 1950s and 1960s, when Detroit and its environs were among the most prosperous economies on earth.

The state’s relative economic decline from those days — pockmarked by the bankruptcies of General Motors and the city of Detroit — has hit the Jewish community as well, as families have left Michigan in search of better opportunities and an exodus of college graduates has relocated to New York, Chicago and the West Coast to pursue their careers. To cite just one dismaying statistic that bears on Michigan’s economic status today, less than half — 49% to be exact — of the state’s working age population has a degree or credential needed to qualify for a particular job or skill. “Michigan is addressing this educational attainment continued on page 30

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business SPOTlight DRIVING MICHIGAN’S ECONOMY FORWARD continued from page 29

gap with strong bipartisan measures to invest in degree and training programs with the goal of having 60% of the working population degreed or credentialed by 2030,” Ungerleider said. “(But) we must do more,” he said, “including removing barriers to work by investing in childcare, broadband access and affordable housing, which will drive additional labor force participation. To address some of the immediate issues in our K-12 education system, we recommend using American Rescue Plan Act funding ($6.5 billion of federal aid provided to Michigan) to expand teacher training and recruitment and to invest in before and after school support and summer learning programs.”

HIS CAREER AT DOW Ungerleider’s own post-secondary educational journey began at the University of Texas, where he studied marketing. “It was a great education and in terms of dollar input per output of knowledge, a tremendous value for in-state students,” he said. Corporations, Dow among them, recognized Texas as a top school and recruited there. “I was interested in business, so the summer between my junior and senior year I came to work for Dow in Midland, which I previously hadn’t known existed.” Dow, he said, has a competitive, hardworking and promote-from-within culture. “That summer they threw me in the deep end, trusting me with an important project

here’s to Hunter Pasteur, Southeast Michigan’s premier luxury residential builder, announced that Jake Dangovian has been named vice president of finance. Dangovian previously served as a senior financial and acquisitions analyst — responsible for budgeting and reporting systems throughout Hunter Pasteur’s project portfolio. The new role will expand Dangovian’s duties to include financial reporting, cash flow management, trade partner management and investor relations.

MARCH 10 • 2022

“WORKING TOGETHER WE HAVE A LEGITIMATE SHOT AT BECOMING A TOP 10 STATE.” — HOWARD UNGERLEIDER

concerning the fluid used for de-icing airplanes. “At the time, Dow was a large player in that market; and a big technology shift was taking place. We were trying to figure out how fast it was happening and what we could do to differentiate ourselves. I hadn’t yet graduated from college, and I was talking to the FAA and to airport operators around the world,” he said. “At the end of the project I made recommendations to the business unit’s leadership team —

Craig E. Zucker has been appointed to the executive committee of Maddin Hauser Roth & Heller P.C., in Southfield. Zucker is a shareholder with the firm and co-chairs its Bankruptcy, Restructuring and Debtor-Creditor Rights group. John A. MacKenzie has been selected to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s “Up & Coming Lawyers” for 2022. He is a shareholder with Maddin Hauser and member of its Complex Litigation and Risk Advisory Group. Ronald A. Sollish has been selected to Michigan Lawyers Weekly’s 2022 “Hall of Fame” class. He is a shareholder with Maddin Hauser, and serves as an executive committee member and chairman of its Corporate/Employment Group.

it was pretty exciting stuff.” Following his graduation, Dow hired Ungerleider in 1990 to work in sales on the West Coast, first in San Francisco and then Los Angeles. While working in Los Angeles, he earned an MBA at UCLA. Additionally, he worked for Dow in Houston twice; Danbury, Connecticut; Philadelphia; and Zurich, Switzerland, before returning to Midland in 2008 as vice president of investor relations.

Lauren (Garfield) Herrin, 37, of Bloomfield Township and associate director of Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee (JCRC/AJC) was named as one of Oakland County’s 40 Under 40. The 2022 class honors young professionals who live and/ or work in Oakland County and exemplify Oakland Together, a vision for a community working together to leverage its strengths, address its challenges and find value in working with regional partners.

Life at headquarters proved to be even more exciting than the up-and-coming executive had imagined. Dow and DuPont had been longtime rivals in the chemical industry, giants whose leaders for years had toyed with the idea of merging in order to optimize their complementary strengths. The theoretical basis for joining forces was actualized in 2015 when the two companies proposed a highly unusual plan to merge into one big company — and then to split into three separate publicly traded companies, pursuing three different businesses: performance chemicals and packaging (Dow); specialty materials and nutrition (DuPont); and agricultural chemicals and seeds (Corteva).

Carr

Elbaum

Elan S. Carr, Daniel Elbaum and Hon. Ronald Klein have been awarded the Gitelson Silver Medallion by the Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation. The award recognizes AEPi alumni for their commitment to Jewish communal services. Carr, an attorney, served as the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism from 2019-2021. Elbaum is the head of North America

When the plan was announced at the end of 2015, Ungerleider had risen to vice chairman and chief financial officer of Dow. He then became chief financial officer of DowDuPont, the $80 billion entity that was to be split into three. As the board contemplated the proposed leadership and management teams for the three new corporate entities, a dilemma arose: The new Dow had been blessed with two excellent candidates for CEO: Ungerleider and Jim Fitterling, another longtime Dow veteran. “We wanted both of them to say,” said Steve Miller, then a director of DowDuPont. “Both are accomplished and effective leaders. We were quite eager as a board to figure out a solution.” The solution was naming

Klein

for the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) as well as the president and CEO of the Jewish Agency International Development (JAID); Klein has worked in the private sector as a business and transactional attorney for over 25 years and in the public sector as an elected official. He is a member of Holland & Knight’s Public Policy & Regulation Group and co-chair of the firm’s Israel Practice Group.

Fitterling, a few years senior to Ungerleider, as CEO, with Ungerleider as president and chief financial officer. The board’s calculation that Ungerleider’s devotion to Dow would overcome any disappointment proved correct. “I think the board made a great decision. I mean, I’ve known Jim Fitterling for 30 years. He’s a tremendous individual. A tremendous leader. I think in many ways our skills are highly complementary. He’s the pilot, I’m the co-pilot — we’ve both got to be able to fly the plane.” As his corporate and civic profile grew, Ungerleider came to the attention of Jewish community leaders in Detroit, who invited him to travel to Israel in 2019, his first visit, as part of a delegation that included Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

“The trip was life-changing for me,” he said. “I came home and I was kicking myself and told my wife we have to go again. And I can’t believe it’s taken me more than 50 years of my life to see Israel. It was special. It was spiritual. I don’t even know if I have the words to describe it.” As a leader in many fields and a member of Bay City’s synagogue with his wife and two children, Ungerleider looks forward to one day undertaking a similar role on behalf of his people: “I don’t know what the Jewish community needs in the state, but I think they can count on me to help with my resources and my expertise. Whatever I can do to help contribute, I would. I certainly am passionate about the faith.”

Mi BANK announced Bruce Kridler’s appointment as director of its new Private Client and Family Office initiative. In his new role, Kridler will oversee the delivery of additional products and services to Mi BANK’s high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients. Some of these services will be provided directly by Mi BANK, and others will be delivered by Mi BANK through strategic relationships it will develop with other providers.

Hy Safran, 37, director of philanthropy, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit & United Jewish Foundation, was named as one of Oakland County’s 40 Under 40. The 40 Under 40 class honors young professionals who live and/or work in Oakland County. These individuals exemplify Oakland Together, a vision for a community working together to leverage its strengths, address its challenges and find value in working with regional partners. MARCH 10 • 2022

ERETZ

Shop Israel Online marketplace makes it easy to buy Israeli goods during the pandemic. JN STAFF

CHI, American Communities Helping Israel, was founded in 2004 during the Second Intifada to boost the economy and morale in Israel. Most recently, it has created an online marketplace to help Israeli vendors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Five women who went to high school together more than 50 years ago created a virtual market for Israeli vendors to sell their merchandise from afar. ACHI is an online marketplace where 150+ Israel-based

MARCH 10 • 2022

vendors can find new customers worldwide. The nonprofit’s slogan is “Think Israel, Buy Israeli” and acts as a counterpunch to the BDS movement. It serves as a sort of “Etsy” for Israeli vendors so that even if people can’t visit Israel, they can support it. The founder, Suzanne Weilgus, started the organization in 2004. She organized “Ben Yehuda Fairs” in the Northeast to help Israeli merchants whose businesses were suffering from a lack of tourism. Vendors who traveled to the U.S. to sell their products

told her they sold more in four hours at those fairs than they had in two years. “About 50 stores were kept alive, and they were able to feed their families because of these fairs,” says Weilgus. “People want to help Israel; we just have to show them how.” After the fairs, ACHI continued to promote Israel and Israeli products in stores, synagogues and all over the community. During the height of COVID, when Israeli businesses were suffering once again, Weilgus knew she had to do something. “Businesses in Israel are in trouble. We couldn’t even get through to many of the merchants by phone because they couldn’t afford their phone bills,” Weilgus said. “So we worked on creating a virtual market.” With the help of high school friends Gloria Gordon, Tova Taragin, Dr. Lynda Zentman and Rochelle Zupnik, ACHI

moved online. The group of five has now blossomed to eight plus three associates who work on social media. “We’ve all become kind of like sisters through this. Each one brings different talents to the table and we feel very fulfilled,” the ACHI team said. The main staff are all volunteers, so the money earned goes toward maintaining the website and paying social media associates, instead of to salaries. SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE The Market sells Judaica, art, cosmetics, fashion, food, gift stores, jewelry, photos and wines of Israel. One section offers customers the option to purchase Israeli goods online to be delivered to friends and family living in Israel. All vendors need to join the online platform is an e-commerce website in English and the ability to ship goods to customers in the U.S and Canada.

INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING.

Another part of the ACHI initiative is creating a KLEE INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. in the form of a plate, bowl, or platter and filling it with Israeli goods. KLEE stands for “Klee L’ezrat Yisroel,” a vessel to help Israel. ACHI has declared 2022 the “Year of the Klee,” and plans to have a national KLEE INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. Campaign to encourage people to have a dedicated vessel to be filled with prodINNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. ucts from Israel. By using the hashtag #MyKlee, people can post pictures of their KLEE, filled with goods from Israel, on Instagram and Facebook. “By making the KLEE commitment to fill a dedicated dish with products from Israel, we are changing All Seasons invites you to discover new perspectives and BDS to Buy, Display and Support Israel,” the ACHI enjoy every moment of every day! Team explains. “We especially focus on the younger All Seasons invites you to discover new perspectives and generation for this campaign enjoy every moment of every day! because we believe a committed child will become a committed adult.”

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JUST FOR PURIM Want an easy and COVIDfriendly way to send Mishloach Manot this year? For less than $3, you can send virtual Purim cards through ACHI. Take the stress out of arranging a gift basket and fill out a simple form on the ACHI website with your information, the card template you prefer, and the recipient’s name and email address. You can also send Shalach Manot to friends and family in Israel. Shop the marketplace at www. ACHI613.org

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MARCH 10 • 2022

PURIM

Community events to celebrate the holiday. JN STAFF

he Metro Detroit Jewish community has plenty of options for celebrating Purim this year. Here are the events we could find as of press time. Check https://jlive.app for events we may have missed. COSTUME TOT SHABBATPURIM FUN! 5 PM, MARCH 11 Celebrate Purim with Temple Emanu-El at Tot Shabbat. We will play Purim games, sing songs, and send you home with a pizza for dinner. 5 pm: Purim games and activities will begin. 5:30 pm: kid-friendly Shabbat Service. Come in costume! We are asking that you bring something individually wrapped (tea bags, candy, etc,) that can go in shalach manot bags for the seniors next door. Each family will go home with a Shabbat kit and a pizza for dinner. This

MARCH 10 • 2022

event is open to the community. Please RSVP and make sure to wear a mask inside of the building. TEMPLE KOL AMI PURIM TOT SHABBAT 10 AM MARCH 12 Come in costume for TKA’s Tot Shabbat Purim Parade and a fun-filled Shabbat service with Purim stories, music and crafts. PRE-PURIM HAMANTASCH BAKE 10:30 AM, MARCH 13 At Platform 18. Get into the Purim spirit with Partners Detroit at its Pre-Purim Hamantasch Bake. Learn more about this fun holiday as you shape and fill your own Hamantaschen. Light brunch will be served. This event is open to women and girls of all ages. To register: https://partnersdetroit.org/ hamentash-bake.

COMMUNITY-WIDE PURIM 5:30 PM, MARCH 16 At Adat Shalom. 5:30 pm: family musical Megillah and shpiel; 6 pm: carnival, games and inflatables. Dinner available for purchase. 7:30 pm: service and Megillah reading. On March 17, a service and Megillah reading and breakfast-to-go will take place. Advance registration for breakfast is required: info@bnaiisraelwb.org. Bring a box of pasta to use as a grogger and then donate it to Yad Ezra. THE CROWN: PURIM EXTRAGAVANZA 2022 6 PM, MARCH 16 The folks at Shaarey Zedek are so excited to be back in person, celebrating Purim with our community. At 6 pm, come to CSZ dressed in your costumes and join us in the Main Sanctuary to learn how

Queen Esther saved the Jews. Support Yad Ezra by bringing an unopened box of pasta to shake as a grogger and donate it at the end of the shpiel. At 6:30, the Purim carnival begins, with games, inflatables, DJ and dancing with Star Trax, and much more. Food is available for purchase: safely boxed meals may be purchased in advance when you RSVP. At 7, we’ll gather in the main sanctuary for services and a traditional Megillah reading featuring the CSZ clergy and synagogue members. Join us in between chapters for raffle drawings. Must be present to win. Learn more, register to attend at no charge, reserve meals or sign up to volunteer by visiting www.shaareyzedek.org.

THE WHOLE MEGILLAH 7-9 PM, MARCH 16 At Christ Church, 960 E. Jefferson, Detroit. Join the Downtown Synagogue for the annual community reading of the Megillah for the holiday of Purim. Dress up in your creative costumes; this year, we encourage you to dress to fit the theme of the 1920s, as we honor our centennial year. We require all participants to remain properly masked at all times and to practice social distancing. Come in costume and bring a box of kosher pasta to use as a grogger, all to be donated to Yad Ezra after Purim. Hamantaschen and beverages will be provided.

PURIMFEST 2022 7 PM, MARCH 16 Serving up the whole Megillah with the international virtual Purim festival. March 16-18. Yiddishkayt Initiative (YI Love Jewish) will be serving it up at its second annual international virtual fest, scheduled online. One of the highlights is Isaac Bashevis Singer’s classic Gimpel Tam (Gimpel the Fool) starring Dori Engel in association with Israel’s beloved Nephesh Theatre airing on March 18 at 7 pm EST. Another highlight is the PurimShpiel Concert with the Chorney-Ghergus Duo. For a complete schedule of events for this festival, visit: yilovejewish.org/events. PURIM TIME 7-9 PM, MARCH 16 JTS’ famous grown-up Megillah reading and multimedia shpiel is back online. Join the renowned JTS players for an evening of fun and laughter via livestream from the comfort of your home or synagogue. Register: jtsa.edu. No charge for livestream. YFTI SOMERSET PURIM RAFFLE 2022 7 PM, MARCH 16 Welcome to Temple Israel YFTI’s Somerset Raffle where all proceeds go towards supporting our YFTI teens scholarship fund. Purchase your tickets to win an amazing Somerset gift card for $250. You don’t want to miss out on this amazing opportunity to support YFTI teens provided to you by Somerset Collection and Temple Israel! Raffle winners will be pulled by our own Rabbi Jen Lader on Wednesday, March 16, at the Adult Purim Spiel. Twenty winners will be selected, need not be present to win. Register at www.temple-israel.org. VIRTUAL PURIM PET PARADE AND COSTUME CONTEST 11 AM, MARCH 17 NextGEN Detroit brings back the tradition for a second year. Back and better than ever, they’re once again celebrating one of the most joyful holidays on the Jewish calendar with the critters that make us the happiest — our pets! Enter your pet pal in the Purim Pet Parade & Costume Contest for fun, for glory, for prizes and for bringing smiles to everyone who sees your pet in costume. Here’s how to pawticipate: Send a photo of your pet in costume along with your pet’s name and a brief description of

the costume to Mimi at mmarcus@jfmd.org no later than March 14, at 5 pm. No more than one entry per Metro Detroit pet parent please. On March 17, NEXTGen will share the Purim Pet Parade (in the form of a slideshow and photo album) all over social media. On March 18, a distinguished panel of pet costume experts will select the winners of the Esther Award for Best Female Pet Costume and the Mordechai Award for Best Male Pet Costume. Winners will receive a special gift for their pets. PURIM O’MADNESS 5-10 PM, MARCH 17 At the Whiskey Factory Detroit. It’s Purim, St. Patrick’s Day and the first round of March Madness — all happening on Thursday, March 17! Oy vey! Join The Well, Adat Shalom Synagogue and our community of young adults at The Whiskey Factory beginning at 5 pm to catch the games, enjoy an Irish whiskey tasting and experience Purim in a whole new way. Thanks to funding from the ROI Community Grassroots Events Program, subsidized tickets are available for $36 and include vegetarian dinner and snacks, one drink ticket, an Irish whiskey tasting experience and, of course, lots of Purim fun and flair! Grab your tickets at https://jlive.app/ events/1691. 21+ only, proof of COVID-19 vaccination required. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

PURIM IN THE AIR 5:30 P.M. MARCH 17 Chabad of Bingham Farms invites you to join them for take-off. Book your special Purim flight. Your flight experience is their top priority! Includes: in-flight Megillah entertainment, Shalach Manot Package Claim, First class in-flight Purim dinner, friendly cabin crew, Hamantaschen, music, safe fun for the whole family and more. There will be outdoors and indoors continued on page 37 MARCH 10 • 2022

PURIM

Celebrate Purim with these Hamantaschen recipes. MICHELLE KOBERNICK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

The Hamantaschen in the photos were lovingly prepared by Star Bakery in Oak Park.

MARCH 10 • 2022

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hings don’t get much better for a chef than when your local Jewish News includes your voice as a culinary contributor. I’ve spent decades honing this craft, and it took just as long to muster enough courage to contact their editors. In my cover letter, I typed up my background, explaining how much it would mean to me to share cooking with our community. When I finished, I sat in front of my computer and whispered, “seize the day,” and pushed send. To my delight, they were willing to give me a try. I replied in thanks and started getting excited. When the first assignment came in, my heart sank a little. It was a column about Hamantaschen, the famous Purim cookie, which falls squarely into the category of baking. Baking is something I typically don’t do, and anyone who knows me knows that. I already felt way out of my comfort zone. I have plenty to say about cooking, but am on the opposite end of the spectrum with baking and pastry. These two subjects filled me with dread all throughout culinary school. It’s not that I can’t make them or appreciate their artforms, I do. I just never really enjoyed it, mostly because of their finicky measurements and tedious methodologies. It requires patience to wait for things to cool, rise or set up. It’s also heartbreaking to throw a cake in the trash over a tiny miscalculation that ruined it. At least with cooking, it’s possible to correct an error and save the dish. I thought about who to call to get some baking guidance. I needed somebody who loved doing it and was also good at it. The perfect person to start with was my friend Mary Jo Israel. On the phone she told me, “It’s so easy! I’ll send you my recipe. You’re going to be fine.” I hoped so, beginning to feel a little better. The next call I made was to Rachel Levine, a dear friend, gifted teacher and the assistant director at Temple Israel’s preschool. If anyone could explain Hamantaschen at the most basic level, it would be her. “Can you please tell me everything you can about Purim and making Hamantaschen?” With the holiday around the corner, her lesson plans were ready to go. Even better, they included recipes! I now had enough options to bypass the need to create a recipe from scratch, pun intended. Reading through these different recipes, I noticed that they all seemed to share the same nomadic quality. It was impossible to pinpoint their origins, which I

recognized is probably true for Hamantaschen cookies everywhere. They had been changed, as they were exchanged, with each family who had made them their own. That meant that Jews everywhere are all making some version of the same cookie that had been passed down and tweaked for centuries. It made me realize that the recipes were actually secondary to the joy experienced over time making them together.

Hamantaschen turned out to be a pretty cool cookie that even I can now get behind making. While there are still feasts, costumes and noise makers, there’s nothing that stands out quite like the three pinched corners of this sweet triangle pastry. Even as they have evolved from poppy seed filling to jam or a Hershey kiss, these beautiful little cookies stand out and are sure to remain among the most recognizable symbols of Purim.

MARY JO’S HAMANTASCHEN DOUGH Ingredients 3 sticks of unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs 6 tbs. orange juice I tbs. vanilla 2 tsp. baking powder 4½ cups flour

PRESCHOOL HAMANTASCHEN DOUGH Ingredients 3 eggs 1 cup sugar ¾ vegetable oil 4 cups flour 4 tsp. baking powder 1/3 cup orange juice

Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until combined. Add orange juice and vanilla. Whisk together the baking powder and flour, and add to the butter mixture until combined. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Roll dough to ¼ inch thick and cut out 3-inch rounds. Fill with 2 teaspoons of the filling and form into a triangle. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Cool and enjoy.

Directions Beat the eggs and orange juice, adding the sugar gradually. Add the oil and beat well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Roll out the dough until around a ¼ inch thickness, and cut into 2-inch rounds. Place the 1 teaspoon of the desired filling in the center of each circle. Fold into a triangle, pinching the edges together to seal. Brush with some egg if desired. Place on a lined baking sheet at bake until browned, around 20 minutes. Cool and enjoy. (Adapted from the files of Temple Israel Preschool) Filling Options: Fruit preserves Chocolate chips or kisses Ground prunes and crushed nuts Poppy seeds mixed with honey, sugar and lemon Nutella

PURIM FUN! continued from page 35

cabins. You can book a seat with extra leg room enough for social distancing, at no extra cost. Limited space available. Visit www. ChabadBinghamFarms.com/ PurimAir to book your flight and join us for this unique Purim experience. Suggested donation: $18 per person or $50 per family. PURIM MASQUERADE 5:30 PM, MARCH 18 Put on your best costume and come join Temple Beth El for Purim songs, a delicious dinner and a visit from some of your favorite characters. Register on https://jlive. app/events/1786 REALITY BITES THE MEGILLAH - TBE’S ADULT 90’S PURIM SPIEL 6:30 PM, MARCH 19 Hosted by Temple Beth El. DUDE! Join TBE for a TOTALLY RAD evening. Start with Pringles, Twinkies, special drinks and more in our SWEEEET tent at 6:30 pm. Head to the Sanctuary Foyer for Reality Bites the Megillah, our 90’s themed spiel, and then back to the tent for dinner. Yada yada yada ... best night EVAH. Will you miss it? AS IF! NOTE: Masks are required inside, and all food will be served outside. Reality Bites the Megillah is the grunge-inspired, boy band rockin’ Purim spiel you’ve been waiting for! With your favorite ’90s artists, this spiel is everything a Gen X heart could desire. Register at https://jlive.app/events/1785. PURIM CARNIVAL NOON-2 P.M. MARCH 20 Fun for the entire family at Temple Beth El. Inflatable

axe throwing, slot car racing, inflatable obstacle course, lots of new games and prizes. A costume contest with great prizes for all participants and a community service project fill out an amazing afternoon of celebration. For more information, contact Samantha Smetanin at ssmetanin@tbeonline.org. Get tickets at https://jlive. app/events/1787. DETROIT JEWS FOR JUSTICE ANNUAL PURIM CELEBRATION 3-6 PM, MARCH 20 RSVP to save your spot for the seventh annual DJJ Purim. This intergenerational party is a keystone in our community, and DJJ is excited to be celebrating in-person after taking last year off. They will gather on the heated outdoor patio of Marble Bar in Detroit. Costumes for all ages are highly encouraged. This event will feature a reproductive rights-themed spiel, an all-ages costume contest, cash bar, food truck, homemade Hamantaschen, carnival games, kid’s craft area, and music and dancing. Spots are limited! DJJ will be taking COVID precautions and checking adult vaccines and masks at the door. Your name must be on the list to gain entry. Please RSVP at Detroitjewsforjustice.org/ purim_2022.This is a free event. Children are welcome. For those not attending in person, DJJ will be live-streaming the performance of their spiel.

MARCH 10 • 2022

PURIM

A Purim Recipe from the Past

What did our ancestors serve at a Purim feast? How about Chicken in Almond Milk? LOUIS FINKELMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ews who keep kosher do not cook meat with milk or eat meat cooked with milk or even make use of meat cooked with milk. Imagine how disturbing it feels for a kosher-keeping Jew to get served a piece of chicken swimming in what looks like milk! The trick that makes this possible: The chef uses almond milk. Chicken in almond milk was a delicacy and, centuries ago, often served on Purim. Rabbi Shelomo Luria (1510-1573) mentions that “on Purim and such occasions, when we usually eat chicken in almond milk,” we must “put almonds beside it and on it, as a sign.” Rabbi Luria, known as Maharshal, wants to make sure that we do not mislead people into thinking think we have cooked the

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chicken in animal milk, which would, by rabbinic law, not be kosher (quoted in Siftei Cohen note 6 to Shulhan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 87:3). His contemporary, Rabbi Moshe Isserles, (Poland, born about 1520 or 30, died 1572) disagrees about the need for a garnish: “and they are accustomed to make milk out of almonds, and put in it the meat of fowl . . . and we do not need to put almonds on it.” After all, chicken in animal milk is itself only rabbinically forbidden. Requiring the almond garnish to ward off suspicious onlookers would be excessive.

Later, Rabbi Yonatan Eybuschutz (1690-1764, Prague and Hamburg) also skips the garnish, because “people are unlikely to make a mistake,” since “it is common to cook chicken with almond milk.” Rabbi Eybuschutz adds, “and extremely delicious.” Anyway, almond milk is not milk at all, but only the liquid extracted from a nut. Whether we need to garnish the dish with almonds or not, chicken in almond milk belonged in the Purim feast. The rabbis do not give us a recipe for this Purim treat, but we do have several earlier recipes for similar dishes. In about 1390, King Richard II of England asked his master cooks to write down their best recipes, and they produced a cookbook called The Forme of Cury. Their chicken in

BLANK-MANG Take capons (chickens) and seethe (simmer) them, take them out (of the broth). Take blanched almonds, grind them and mix them with the same broth. Wash the rice and put it into a pot. Put the milk in and let it seethe. Then take the meat of the chickens, tear it small, and add thereto. Take white grease, sugar and salt, and add. Let it seethe. Then dish it up and decorate with anise seeds in comfit (sugar coated), red or white. And with almonds fried in oil and serve it forth. King Richard II’s master cooks, like other medieval cookbook writers, left out a lot of information that we would want to see in a recipe: amounts, proportions and exact procedures. In a modern cookbook, it might look something like this: Ingredients ½ cup of almonds, plus a few almonds for the garnish. Chicken: A whole chicken, or about two pounds of chicken parts. 1 cup of rice 1 tbs. of sugar A bit of oil Salt to taste Directions Prepare almond milk, using a half cup of blanched almonds and a cup or more of water or chicken broth (see

sidebar for how to make almond milk). Cover the chicken in water and bring to a rolling boil. Then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the chicken rest in the hot water (now you have chicken broth). Add the rice to the almond milk with a tablespoon of sugar and cook the rice in a casserole dish until it is nearly done. You can debone the chicken and shred it into small pieces, as in the English recipe, but I suspect the rabbinic chefs simply cut the chicken into parts. Add the chicken to the rice and almond milk in the casserole, and finish cooking. If you need additional liquid to cook the rice, use the broth from the chicken. The English recipe calls for garnishing with anise seeds coated with dyed sugar (comfit) and fried almonds. Rabbi Luria would approve of the almond garnish. Other medieval recipes call for spicing chicken in almond milk with rose petals, ginger and/or saffron. Chicken in almond milk has a delicate flavor, though, so you might want to go easy on the spices. Rachel Lorenz, who posts about medieval cooking as the Creative Contessa, mentions that the master cooks’ version of Blank Mang “seems to be a solid dish — all liquid is absorbed. We know this because some of the recipes call for molding it, which means that there can be no liquid left.” The rabbis’ version, however, probably left the chicken in pieces, surrounded by liquid almond milk. It is, as Rabbi Eybuschutz says, “extremely delicious.”

How to Make Almond Milk Many medieval recipes provide information about how to make almond milk. Modern equipment makes the process less difficult. The easiest procedure involves buying premade almond milk at your grocery, but that product may have many other ingredients. You can find instructional videos on how to make almond milk on YouTube; a nice one appears at the Creative Contessa. The Creative Contessa, Rachel Lorenz, starts with whole raw almonds. She puts the almonds in boiling water to remove the dark skins (blanching). You can also buy blanched almonds. King Richard II’s cooks’ recipe, like many medieval recipes, calls for blanched almonds, although you can make almond milk from whole almonds. Moderns make almond milk by grinding blanched almonds in a food processor or blender, then cooking the ground almonds in about twice their volume of water. Some cooks use more water, which yields a thinner, less creamy beverage. The liquid in the blender works as almond milk, but medieval recipes call for one more step, straining the almond milk by squeezing it through a cloth or strainer. What remains in the strainer is almond flour, a good ingredient in baked goods. The liquid that passed through the strainer is almond milk as described in the old recipes.

BBYO

almond milk, called “BlankMang (White Food), also includes rice. Here is their recipe, with the spelling and a bit of the vocabulary modernized:

Michigan delegates at the BBYO convention

BBYO Holds Largest Jewish Gathering Since Pandemic Began More than 3,000 teenagers from 40 countries attended a BBYO convention in what is believed to be the largest Jewish gathering since the beginning of the pandemic. A release from the organizations said the event at the Baltimore Convention Center running Feb. 17-21 focused on Jewish philanthropy and Jewish education. Speakers included Mike Posner, a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter; Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of New York’s Central Synagogue, who fielded calls from the hostage-taker in last month’s assault on a Texas synagogue; A. J. Dillon, the Green Bay Packers running back, and Zach Banner, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive tackle; Nikki Fried, Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner who is running for governor; and Jurney Smollett, an Emmynominated actress. Strict COVID protections, including proof of vaccination, testing and masking, were in place throughout. BBYO, the former B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, describeså itself as “the leading pluralistic Jewish teen movement.” As is customary, delegates chose to rally around a local organization to collect donations for those in need. This year they donated school supplies, fidget toys and health products to the St. Francis Neighborhood Center, Baltimore’s oldest youth enrichment center whose mission is to end generational poverty. By Ron Kampeas, JTA

MARCH 10 • 2022

NEXT DOR

Meet Elizabeth Parker The founder of two Detroit-based lifestyle blogs. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ince childhood, Elizabeth Parker has always had a passion for writing. “Growing up, I was interested in writing fiction,” the Clawson-based journalist and blog owner explains. Parker, 35, who works as a managing editor at Troy-based BNP Media and runs two blogs, Books I Think You Should Read and Yes/No Detroit, majored in creative writing at the University of Michigan. “I originally wanted to go into creative writing because I wanted to be an author,” she says, “but I also enjoy working on magazines.” Throughout her education at University of Michigan, Parker continued to write, winning a Hopwood Award — a major scholarship program — from the school in 2009 for her work.

MARCH 10 • 2022

Elizabeth Parker

SHARING BOOKS WITH THE WORLD Around the same time, in August 2009, Parker created the idea for her first blog, Books I Think You Should Read. “I had

just graduated from U-M and had not yet found a job, so I wanted something to keep me busy,” she recalls. “I post books that I think others would enjoy or be interested in.” Books I Think You Should Read includes book reviews, author interviews, giveaways and more. Since 2009, Parker has posted on the blog continuously — at least once a week — with the help of a guest writer, Becki Smith Bayley. Parker says she owes Bayley credit for keeping the blog going strong throughout the pandemic, which hasn’t given Parker the usual time to post reviews and interviews on her own. Their teamwork helps give Parker’s audience of book lovers new content to regularly read. An avid reader herself, Parker is currently reading Upgrade by Blake Crouch, which publishes in July. She also enjoys reading the work of local writers. “I usually like local Michigan authors,” she explains. “Kristina Riggle and Camille Pagán are great.” COVERING DETROIT LIFESTYLE AND BEYOND Yes/No Detroit, on the other hand, is a newer project born in January 2010. The

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“I POST BOOKS THAT I THINK OTHERS WOULD ENJOY OR BE INTERESTED IN.” — ELIZABETH PARKER

blog was originally called Yes/No Films, a platform where Parker would give movies a review of “yes,” “no” or “maybe” rather than a star-based review. In 2017, she rebranded the blog into Yes/No Detroit, covering everything from travel to food to, of course, movies. It’s “definitely a lot of local readers,” Parker says of the blog’s readership. Yet when she runs movie giveaways, she gets plenty of entries from out-of-state readers and fans. “Lifestyle is interesting to me because it encompasses pretty much anything,” she explains. “I still enjoy writing about entertainment. Even though I rebranded my blog, I still write some movie reviews.” Luckily, Parker’s work offers flexible hours, allowing employees to set their own work hours. Thanks to this opportunity, Parker devotes each morning to working on her blog before she begins her day job. MAKING WAVES IN THE COMMUNITY A semifinalist for the JN’s 36 under 36, Parker has also made an impact on the local community, including Jewish individuals. In early 2021, after reading a local news article about a “Detroit Vaccine Hunters” group, she messaged one of the founders on Facebook to see if she could help. The mission: booking

COVID-19 vaccine appointments for people in need. “At the time, appointments could only be booked for people ages 65 and up, and a lot of them weren’t able or didn’t know how to use the internet,” Parker explains. “I helped book vaccine appointments for them.” Helping Metro Detroiters get these crucial vaccines contributed to a greater effort of keeping the community safe from the virus. “It was rewarding to be able to book these for people,” Parker says, “especially during a time when everyone was stressed about COVID and obtaining the vaccine.” Parker also recently went on a Birthright trip to Israel. “It was amazing to see Israel,” she recalls. “I had wanted to go on Birthright in college, but was never able to, so I was very glad they extended the age range.” Now, Parker continues to work on her two blogs and build up their audiences. “I’d love to grow my social following a bit more,” she says. “I recently hit 4,000 Instagram followers, and I have about 4,350 on Facebook and 7,900 on Twitter.” She hopes that as the pandemic eases, she’ll also have more time to contribute book reviews to Books I Think You Should Read, her original passion project. “I definitely would like to start reviewing a bit more on my book blog,” Parker says.

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MARCH 10 • 2022

NEXT DOR

Fun on the Ice seasoned hockey player! Everyone had a really great time together and is looking forward to meeting again for another outdoors activity soon. The Jewish Young Professionals division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor caters to individuals in their 20s and 30s. For more information and to get involved, contact Hilary Greenberg at hilary@jewishannarbor.org. Follow JYP on Facebook and Instagram at the handle @jypa2. COURTESY OF JYP

Jewish Young Professionals of Ann Arbor enjoyed an evening of ice skating on Feb. 16, hosted by the group’s Outdoors Club. The event took place at Buhr Ice Arena, which holds open skate on Sundays and Wednesday evenings. The weather was rainy, but that didn’t stop the event from going strong, as the arena is covered by a roof. What was fun about this particular group of attendees was that skating skills ranged from first timer to

Members of Ann Arbor’s Jewish Young Professionals had fun skating at the Buhr Ice Arena.

L’Chaim Detroit: Newish and Jewish On Jan. 26, more than 30 new-totown and back-to-town NEXTGen Detroiters got together for a special edition of L’Chaim Detroit: Newish and Jewish at the Corner Grill, Bar + Game Room in Ferndale. The event was aimed at those who moved to town (or back to town) between March 2020 and present day and hadn’t gotten out much or experienced all the awesome people and exciting things Detroit and Jewish Detroit have to offer. “It was a fun evening of making new friends and reconnecting with old ones too, all while showing the newcomers what NEXTGen Detroit is all about!” said Lauren Soifer, associate director of NEXTGen Detroit. PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEXTGEN DETROIT

MARCH 10 • 2022

Newcomers and those recently back-to-town mingling and meeting each other. New friends during NEXTGen Detroit event schmoozing.

Friends enjoying drinks and good conversations.

Braving the cold to meet and reconnect with NEXTGen Detroiters.

MAZEL TOV!

Madison Avery Ben, daughter of Meredith and Joshua Ben, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, March 11, 2022. She will be joined in celebration by her brother Jacob. Madison is the loving grandchild of Barbara and Allan Ben, and Marilyn and Michael Rice. Madison is a student at Walnut Creek Middle School in West Bloomfield Township. Among many mitzvahs, her most meaningful project was working with autistic children in the SNAP (Students-NeedA-Pal) program for her school. Jacob Schurgin Custard, son of Debbie Schurgin and Craig Custard, will lead the congregation in prayer on the occasion of his bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on

Saturday, March 12, 2022. He will be joined in celebration by his brother Louie. Jacob is the loving grandchild of Audrey and Leon Schurgin, Katie Custard and David Custard. He is a student at East Middle School in Farmington Hills. A devoted lover of animals, Jacob’s most meaningful mitzvah project was volunteering with CNR, a group in his neighborhood that helps rescue stray and lost cats. Noah Ryan Katkowsky of Huntington Woods will become a bar mitzvah at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield on Friday, March 11, 2022. Participating in the ceremony will be his parents and sisters, Lauren, Jeff, Emma and Ruby. Noah is the grandson of proud grandparents Ruthanne and Arvin Pearlman, and Susie and Harry Katkowsky, all of

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Huntington Woods. For his mitzvah project, Noah is collecting food and supply donations for Lighthouse Shelter in Pontiac. Jake Schon will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at Kehillat Etz Chayim in Oak Park. He is the son of Kim Schon and Bryan Schon, and the brother of Shira, Ari and Eitan. His proud grandparents are Dr. Michael and Shelli Dorfman of West Bloomfield and Pearl Schon of Oak Park. Great-grandparents are Jerry and Ceil Liebman of Southfield. Jake is also the grandson of the late Larry Schon; great-grandson of the late Joyce and the late Saul Dorfman, the late Molly and the late Albert Ferleger, and the late Isadore and the late Sylvia Schon. Jake is a student at Farber Hebrew Day School in Southfield.

Berman 91st

laine Berman celebrated her 91st birthday on Feb. 17, 2022, with four generations of her family, including her new greatgranddaughter from Colorado. All gathered for good food, fond memories at her home in West Bloomfield. Her late husband of 71 years, Arnie, was with everyone in spirit.

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MARCH 10 • 2022

SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

Seeing the Big Picture

here is a dramatic moment in this week’s Torah portion, Vayechi. Joseph’s brothers are distraught and fearful. Many years before, they had turned on Joseph and sold him into slavery in Egypt because of their fears and concerns at the time. This led to Joseph Chief Rabbi being separated Warren from his father Goldstein for more than 20 years, causing unspeakable anguish to both Jacob and Joseph. The brothers had come to truly regret and show deep remorse for what they had done. Now they were all in Egypt, living with Joseph because of the famine. Together, they buried their father, Jacob, as described in this week’s Torah portion. After the passing of Jacob, the brothers feared that with his father no longer around, Joseph would exact revenge for

MARCH 10 • 2022

the pain they had inflicted on him all of those years before. And so they approached him with trepidation to inform him that Jacob’s dying wish was that Joseph should not take vengeance for what took place all those years before, and that he should instead grant them complete forgiveness for their wrongdoings. The brothers completely subjugate themselves before Joseph, offering themselves as his servants. Joseph dismisses their concerns immediately, and says to them: “Do not fear, for am I in place of God? You intended to harm me, [and yet] God intended it for good in order to accomplish — it is as clear as this day — in order to give life to a vast people. So now, do not fear, I will sustain you and your young ones.” And he comforted them and spoke to their heart. (Bereishit 50:19-21) In essence, Joseph was telling his brothers that God had a plan. They had to accept

responsibility for their actions, but ultimately, what happened turned out for the best. Being thrown into the pit and then sold into slavery set in motion a series of events that would see Joseph become the viceroy of Egypt, and as Pharaoh’s righthand man, guide the country, and in fact the entire region, though the famine, preventing mass starvation. So Joseph was saying that God’s plan, although it involved much personal pain for him, was ultimately for the good. In doing so, Joseph was articulating a fundamental Jewish belief — that no matter what happens in life, it is ultimately part of God’s plan; that God loves us and that everything that happens to us stems from that love. What we learn from this saga involving Joseph and his brothers is that it’s not always possible to discern God’s plan while it is unfolding. Joseph was just a boy of 17 when he was sold by his

brothers into slavery, and he could never have foreseen what lay ahead. It took many years for the grand scheme to reveal itself. But, what is so ironic in this situation is that Joseph thought he had understood God’s ultimate plan. Joseph’s understanding was that God allowed for him to be sold into slavery so that he would be able to get down to Egypt and save the region — including Jacob and his family — from the famine. But, there was actually a much bigger plan in play — a plan with more far-reaching consequences, a plan that touched on the very essence of Jewish destiny and the forging of the Jewish people. A CATALYST TO BRING CHANGE God had foretold to Abraham how the nation of Israel would be born from suffering and slavery. And Joseph being sold into slavery was the means through which God orchestrated that development. It was the catalyst that would eventually bring Jacob and his family to Egypt, where they would become a great nation, and then become enslaved, just as was promised to Abraham centuries before. That was crucial, because God wanted the creation of the Jewish people to be through His miracles and His direct intervention so that we would always owe our freedom and very existence as a nation to God — a nation born of God, so to speak. A supernatural nation, born in supernatural circumstances and worthy of its supernatural mission, brought to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the Divine document outlining that mission. None of this could have happened to a self-reliant people living independently in their

own land, in comfort and security. The Jewish people needed to be born in a state of natural upheaval, into miracles, amid “signs and wonders.” And, so, Joseph’s personal story, all the suffering he endured, all the great challenges he faced, ended up being nothing less than the vehicle for the unfolding of Jewish destiny. In fact, it was the reverse of what Joseph thought: he thought he had been ‘sent’ to Egypt because of the famine to prevent and save his family and the region from starvation — but God sent the famine as a catalyst to bring the family of Jacob down to Egypt. So Joseph went ahead, to be able to save them all, and to bring them all down to Egypt. And that was the plan. This plan unfolded not over years, but over centuries. And, ultimately, it was a plan that came full circle. Joseph’s dying wish was that he not be buried in Egypt, but rather be taken with the Jewish people, when they later left Egypt, and buried in the land of Israel. His wish was fulfilled, and he was eventually buried by Joshua in a place called Shechem. Rashi notes this was the very place where Joseph was captured by his brothers and sold into slavery. And so Joseph’s journey — and along with it, God’s grand plan for the Jewish people — comes full circle. This helps us to understand what faith in God means — to trust that whatever befalls us, it’s all for the best. The famous Talmudic sage Rabbi Akiva says our response to anything that befalls us should be: “Gam zu letova — this too is for the good.” But, this doesn’t mean everything will turn out the way that we wish it to, or even the way we expect it to. Things happen that are extremely painful and often tragic — but faith in God means to trust

that there’s a plan, no matter how confusing and chaotic things seem, and no matter how hard it is to see what that plan is. The truth is, as mere mortals, how can we see God’s plan? How can we understand a plan that spans not just centuries and millennia, but planes of reality — this world and the World to Come. How can we fathom the mind of God? These are some of the deepest secrets and mysteries of the world that even Moses — the greatest prophet who ever lived — could not understand. According to the Talmud, when he was on Mount Sinai, he asked God why it is that some righteous people suffer and some wicked people prosper. And God answered: “No man can see me and live.” In other words, to understand the answer to such a question would be going to the depths of the very essence of creation; it would be like gaining the deepest knowledge of Hashem, Himself, who is beyond human comprehension. How this world actually functions — how Hashem governs it — is not something that as mortals of flesh and blood we can properly understand. And if Moses didn’t know and God refused to tell him, who are we to be able to claim insight into these things? This is the message of Joseph’s life. We never quite know what’s going on beneath the surface; the mysterious inner workings of the universe are beyond our understanding. But our calling is to trust that God is in control and have faith that He loves us and wants the best for us. Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who has a PhD. in Human Rights Law, is the chief rabbi of South Africa. This article first appeared on aish.com.

SPIRIT

TORAH PORTION

Defeating Haman Through Joy

he most famous verse in so his sinister plot of extermithe Megillah (8:16) tells nation would succeed. that after Haman’s sudThe Gemara (Sanhedrin 96b) den downfall, the Jews experistates that Haman had offspring enced “light, joy, jubilation and that converted to Judaism and honor.” taught Torah. According to The Gemara one version of the text, this (Megillah 16b) interdescendant was a schoolprets these terms teacher, Rav Shmuel bar as alluding to four Sheilat. Several writers fundamental features noted that Rav Shmuel of Jewish life: Torah taught, Mishenichnas Adar study, yom tov celemarbin besimcha — “When Rabbi Dov Loketch bration, circumcision Adar enters, we increase our and tefillin. It seems joy.” Haman sought to elimParshat that following the great inate our joy and plunge us Vayikra: Purim miracle, these into despair; but each year, Leviticus religious observances we are taught by his descen1:1-5:26; were reinstated after dant’s directive to be joyful Isaiah having been banned. 43:21-44:23. and spirited. Why did Haman We oppose Haman’s seek to bar the Jews scheme by remaining from specifically these four cheerful and upbeat under all observances? circumstances. We defy Haman Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem not only through our continued Weinberg, the current Tolna survival, but also by experiencRebbe, explains that these ing the joy which he wanted to four mitzvot are all associated deny us. with joy. Torah study brings This means taking a moment happiness (Tehillim 19:9), before entering the home after and is thus forbidden during a long, aggravating day in the mourning. Yom tov, of course, office to collect ourselves so we requires joy and festivity. The come in smiling and cheerful. It Gemara (Shabbos 130a) tells means that a boss should smile that our nation accepted the and compliment his employees command of circumcision with even when he is under stress. special joy; one of the sages is It means that a teacher should described as having been espeenter the classroom with enthucially jovial after putting on siasm and positive energy. It tefillin (Berachos 30b). means reminding ourselves Haman wanted to deny the of how much we have to be Jews any special joy because thankful for even when we face he understood that the Jews’ hardship and difficult challengmost effective line of defense is es. We should generate genuine, joy. When we remain upbeat, deep-seated simchah that will optimistic and happy, we can stay with us throughout the overcome even the harshest and entire year. most trying conditions. Haman banned the observance of these Rabbi Dov Loketch is Rabbi of mitzvot in order to sow wideCongregation Agudas Yisrael Mogen Avraham in Southfield. spread depression and despair MARCH 10 • 2022

SPIRIT

Synagogue Directory CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org

Temple B’nai Shalom Benton Harbor (269) 925-8021 tbnaishalom.org

Ahavas Israel Grand Rapids (616) 949-2840 ahavasisraelgr.org

INDEPENDENT Grosse Pointe Jewish Council Grosse Pointe Woods (313) 882-6700 thegpjc.com

Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.org Congregation Beth Israel Flint (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.org Congregation Beth Shalom Oak Park (248) 547-7970 congbethshalom.org Beth Tephilath Moses Mt. Clemens (586) 996-3138 bethtephilathmoses.com B’nai Israel Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 432-2729 bnaiisraelwb.org Congregation B’nai Moshe West Bloomfield (248) 788-0600 bnaimoshe.org Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue Detroit (313) 962-4047 downtownsynagogue.org Congregation of Moses Kalamazoo congregationofmoses.org Congregation Shaarey Zedek Southfield (248) 357-5544 shaareyzedek.org

MARCH 10 • 2022

Kehillat Hatzhav Hagadol Mackinac Island (906) 202-9959 mackinacsynagogue.org ORTHODOX Agudas Israel Mogen Abraham Southfield (248) 552-5711 aymadetroit.org Ahavas Olam Southfield (248) 569-1821 Ahavasolam.com

Balfour Shul – K’Hal Rina U’Tefila Oak Park (732) 693-8457 Beth Tefilo Emanuel Tikvah Southfield (248) 559-5022 Birmingham-Bloomfield Shul Birmingham (248) 996-5818 bbchai.org B’nai Israel-Beth Yehudah Oak Park (248) 967-3969 bi-by.org B’nai Zion Oak Park (248) 968-2414 Chabad House-Lubavitch of Eastern Michigan Flint (810) 230-0770 chabad.org

Ahavas Yisroel Oak Park (248) 298-2896 Learntorah.info

Chabad Jewish Center of Commerce-Walled Lake Commerce Township (248) 363-3644 jewishcommerce.org

Aish Hatorah in the Woods Oak Park (248) 327-3579 Aishdetroit.com

Chabad Jewish Center of Novi-Northville (248) 790-6075 novijewishcenter.com

Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills (248) 855-2910 chabad.org

Chabad Jewish Center of Troy Troy/Rochester Hills (248) 873-5851 jewishtroy.com

Bais Chabad of North Oak Park (248) 872-8878 chabad.org

Chabad-Lubavitch of Bingham Farms Bloomfield Hills (248) 688-6796 chabadbinghamfarms.com

Bais Haknesses Hagrah Oak Park (248) 542-8737

Chabad of Western Michigan Grand Rapids (616) 957-0770 chabadwestmichigan.com

Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh Oak Park (313) 320-9400 dbndetroit.org Etz Chayim of Toledo Toledo, OH (419) 473-2401 Etzchayimtoledo.org First Hebrew Congregation South Haven (269) 637-1603 firsthebrewcongregation.org Kehillat Etz Chayim Huntington Woods etzchayim-detroit.org Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit Oak Park (248) 968-1891 kollel@kolleldetroit.org Mishkan Israel, Nusach H’ari, Lubavitch Center Oak Park (248) 542-4844 theyeshiva.org Ohel Moed Shomrey Emunah West Bloomfield (248) 737-2626 ohelmoed.org Or Chadash Oak Park (248) 819-1721 or-chadash.org Sara & Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center of West Bloomfield (248) 855-6170 baischabad.com Shaar Hashomayim Windsor (519) 256-3123 Shaarey Zedek Windsor (519) 252-1594 shaareyzedekwindsor.com

Shomer Israel Oak Park (248) 542-4014 godaven.com

Congregation B’nai Israel Muskegon (231) 722-2702 cbimkg@gmail.com

Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org

Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomreyemunah-105705.square.site

Congregation Shaarey Zedek East Lansing (517) 351-3570 shaareyzedek.com

Temple Israel West Bloomfield (248) 661-5700 temple-israel.org

Temple Benjamin Mt. Pleasant (989) 773-5086 templebenjamin.com

Temple Jacob Hancock templejacobhancock.org

The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org

CONSERVATIVE Beth Israel Congregation (734) 665-9897 @BethIsraelCongregation

Temple Beth El Bloomfield Township (248) 851-1100 tbeonline.org

Temple Shir Shalom West Bloomfield (248) 737-8700 shirshalom.org

ORTHODOX Ann Arbor Chabad House (734) 995-3276 jewmich.com

RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Israel Lansing (517) 882-0049 kehillatisrael.net

Temple Beth El Midland (989) 496-3720 tbe_midland@yahoo.com

REFORM Bet Chaverim Canton (734) 480-8880 betchaverim@yahoo.com Congregation Beth El Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca Congregation Beth Shalom Traverse City 231-946-1913 beth-shalom-tc.org

ANN ARBOR

Temple Beth El Battle Creek (269) 963-4921

Temple Beth El Flint (810) 720-9494 tbeflint@gmail.com

Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit (313) 567-0306 reconstructingjudiasm.org

Yeshivat Akivah Southfield (248) 386-1625 farberhds.org

Temple Kol Ami West Bloomfield (248) 661-0040 tkolami.org

Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org

Congregation T’chiyah Ferndale (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org

MINYANS Fleischman Residence West Bloomfield (248) 661-2999

Temple Beth Israel Bay City (989) 893-7811 tbi-mich.org Temple Beth Israel Jackson (517) 784-3862 tbijackson.org Temple Beth Sholom Marquette tbsmqt.org Temple B’nai Israel Kalamazoo (269) 342-9170 Templebnaiisrael.com Temple B’nai Israel Petoskey (231) 489-8269 templebnaiisraelofpetoskey. org Temple Emanuel Grand Rapids (616) 459-5976 grtemple.org

REFORM/RENEWAL Congregation Shir Tikvah Troy (248) 649-4418 shirtikvah.org SECULAR/HUMANISTIC Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit Farmington Hills (248) 477-1410 chj-detroit.org Sholem Aleichem Institute West Bloomfield (248) 865-0117 secularsaimichigan.org SEPHARDIC Keter Torah Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 681-3665 rabbisasson.wixsite.com/ keter Ohr Hatorah Oak Park (248) 294-0613 Ohrhatorah.us

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.

TRADITIONAL Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net

MARCH 10 • 2022

ARTS&LIFE ART

‘Cast Illusions’ Jewish artist sculpts story-suggestive pieces, now on display in Detroit. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Colonel Sanders, 2021 Porcelain

MARCH 10 • 2022

eth Katleman casts porcelain of ornamental 18th-century rococo-seemforms, joined with dolls and found ing designs, coming to her attention objects, to sculpt story-suggestive during study in Italy, and then often using pieces and is showcasing her work through them to present pop culture figures in difMay 14 at Wasserman Projects in Detroit. ferent ways. At times communicating the As part of a group showing titled “Cast artist’s stark impressions, the sculptures Illusions,” her work will appear with pieces also are intended to evoke private narraby three other artists, tives from viewers. each represented by The piece Colonel Sanders, different approaches for instance, uses traditionto materials. While al porcelain to depict the Jessica Dolence prefers pop culture iconic figure digital decoration and otherwise associated with ornamentation, Sarah selling carryout chicken. For Meyohas leans toward a Jewish-themed exhibit, film, photography and Katleman altered what he sculpture, and Victoria was wearing to place him in Shaheen advances clay, a Passover piece commisneon and found objects. sioned by the Contemporary “I haven’t been as Jewish Museum in San familiar with the othFrancisco. Elephant, 2021 Porcelain ers’ work, so I’ve been “Colonel Sanders has excited to see it,” said played different roles in Katleman, 62, based in Brooklyn with my life over the years,” said the three-dia background that includes earning her mensional artist, who visited Michigan for master’s degree at Cranbrook Academy of the exhibit’s opening and to spend time at Art in Bloomfield Hills and later featuring Cranbrook. her decorative projects at the discontinued “When the San Francisco museum Sybaris Gallery in Royal Oak. asked me to do a seder plate, I was look“I think this exhibit is an interesting ing around my studio and thinking about juxtaposition of different materials and who was going to play Moses. Then I saw different thought. I guess the unifying facColonel Sanders. He already had a staff tor is some relation to casting or industrial [for walking], and I put a little head scarf processes in our work.” on him [and a flowing robe] so it worked What distinguishes Katleman is her use out.”

COURTESY OF WASSERMAN PROJECTS

Details “Cast Illusions” can be seen through May 14 at Wasserman Projects, 3434 Russell Street # 502 in Detroit. Private in-person viewing by appointment runs noon-5 p.m. WednesdaysSaturdays. (313) 818-3550. wassermanprojects.com.

Beth Katleman

In stark contrast, the piece Alice returns viewers to the story of Alice in Wonderland with some jarring differences. Amid a pretty floral setting, three young girls are carrying guns, which perhaps could be reminders to address the issue of young people accessing guns with tragic results. “I love themes of lost innocence,” Katleman said. “Alice in Wonderland is definitely that for me. It is a touchstone that I’ve referred to in my work over the

years. There are multiple Alices going through that confusing forest of trees.” MIRROR, MIRROR One technique Katleman calls upon is the use of mirrors to enhance viewer immersion. In the Detroit exhibit, Fire and Ice is a response to Robert Frost’s poem of the same name in keeping with an apocalyptic theme. A close look at the figures reveals catastrophic circumstances because Katleman wanted to represent ways in

which people currently feel buffeted. Katleman’s grandmother, a recreational painter, was an artistic inspiration and early teacher. Much later, as a literature major at Stanford University in California, sculpting became a professional focus. “When I got to Stanford, I knew I’d be a writer or an artist,” she recalled. “When I started taking art classes, I found I couldn’t do any of my other work. I would go in a deep dive into the studio, and I couldn’t fit continued on page 50 MARCH 10 • 2022

ARTS&LIFE ART

Fire and Ice, 2015 Porcelain, mirror, wood, wire continued from page 49

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MARCH 10 • 2022

all the other things I had to do into my brain. I just wanted to be in the studio. “My undergraduate degree is in English, but I couldn’t get enough of clay I loved it so much. I think that degree led me to the storytelling aspect of my work and my interest in referring to other narratives, like fairy tales or mythology.” After learning her teachers had gone to Cranbrook, Katleman decided that was the school for her. “I wanted a place that was for people who were self-motivated, and Cranbrook was that place,” she explained. “It’s just the artist in the studio and the relationship to the artists there.” Although Katleman has created some Judaica, most of her work enters other spheres. It has been exhibited across the United States and in Europe and Asia.

Public collections showcasing her sculpture include the RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) Museum in Providence, Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts in Helena, Mont., and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wis. Apart from artistic commitments, Katleman has visited Israel three times because of personal religious interests that also have kept her in synagogue membership near her home. She is pleased that her 19-year-old son spent a gap year in the country. A widow with twins, a boy and a girl aiming for careers outside of art, she is now an empty nester. “I’ve raised them pretty much on my own,” Katleman said. “They’re off at college, and it remains to be seen how that comes out in my work.”

CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

FREE TRIAL TIME, BETTER THINGS/ PAM/PIECES OF HER, SAGET DID DIAPERS, TOO Very few new movies are in the “pipeline” to theaters, so now’s the time to try those premium channel “free trials.” On March 2, HBO Max and Disney+ began streaming West Side Story. In our “weird” times, it didn’t earn mega-bucks in theaters, but I predict that the streaming viewership will be huge and that may boost the film’s Oscar chances. The comedy/drama series Better Things began its fifth and final season on Feb. 28. New episodes premiere on FX on Mondays and on Hulu the next day. Two 30-minute episodes streamed on the 28th or on the 1st. One episode per week after that (easy to catch-up via ondemand). I have often mentioned this series, which stars Pamela Adlon, 55, as the Jewish divorced mother of three daughters whom she is raising alone. Adlon co-created this semi-autobiographical series. Her character, Sam Fox, is an often-struggling Hollywood actress who does a lot of voice-over parts. Adlon, too, has done a lot of voice-over work, and, while she never struggled financially as much as Fox, she had some rough-ish patches. Pamela and her ex-husband, Felix Adlon, split in 2010, and he moved to Europe. Their three daughters are now actresses: Gideon Adlon, 24; Odessa Adlon, 21, who now calls herself Odessa A’zion; and Valentine “Rocky” Adlon, 17. The prestigious Peabody Award is not given to a TV series every year, but Better Things won a Peabody in 2017. Here’s part of what the award said: “This searingly funny and beautiful show is an at-times raw examination of the vicissitudes of working motherhood, crackling with feminist verve and energy, that consistently cuts new ground.”

STEPHANIE MORENO/GRADY COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM

ARTS&LIFE

Pamela Adlon

Pamela Adlon wrote the first and last final season episodes herself and co-wrote two other final season episodes. Gideon Adlon, who co-starred in the hit movie Blockers (2017), has a large supporting role in The Thing About Pam, a four-episode mini-series that began airing on NBC (yes, regular NBC), on March 8 (10 p.m.). Renee Zellweger stars as Pam Hupp, 63, a (real) serial killer now in prison. Hupp attempted to frame a guy named Russ Farina for the murder of his wife. Gideon Adlon, who looks like a younger clone of Pamela, plays Mariah, the Farinas’ 17-year-old daughter. Pieces of Her is an eight-episode series that began streaming on Netflix on March 4. It’s based on an acclaimed novel of the same name about a sadly familiar American “thing”: a guy goes into a diner and kills many people for no reason. Spoiler: He is stopped by Laura Oliver (Toni Collette), who demonstrates “violent moves” that stun her adult daughter. Turns out, “mom” has quite a past. The fame Laura gets from this incident could alert her estranged family about her location and endanger her life. The supporting cast includes Jessica Barden, 29, and Terry O’Quinn, a Michigan born-and-raised

actor whose best known for playing John Locke on Lost. Barden plays Jane, an important member of Laura’s estranged family. Born in England, Barden now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, director Max Winkler, 38, and their infant daughter. Max is the son of Henry Winkler, 76. Barden is a Jew-bychoice. All eight episodes were directed by Minka Spiro, 51. She’s someone special you should know about. She was born and raised in the UK, one of seven children of an amazing couple, Nitza and Robin Spiro. They are college educators who founded and run the Nitza Spiro Center in London. The Center offers Jewish cultural events and courses in Jewish history, culture and languages. Minka, a former Fulbright scholar, is married to an Israel-born chef who often brings goodies to her TV sets. They have two daughters. Spiro has directed many “prestige” TV shows in the UK and in the States. In a 2014 profile, the author marveled how Spiro, a tiny woman, got the Downton Abbey cast to dutifully follow her direction. Also, as you may have guessed, Ms. Spiro is eloquent about Jewish “things”— whether that was discussing Downton episodes that featured a Jewish character — or directing several episodes of the “very Jewish” HBO series The Plot Against America. I am still shaking my head about the odd circumstances of Bob Saget’s death. However, here’s a story from Saget’s autobiography that made me and friends smile. The Olsen twins were nine months old when they started on Full House, and Saget actually changed their diapers a couple of times. Both times the camera was rolling when they, you know, and he wanted the twins to be dry as they filmed a long scene. He may be the only male actor, ever, to diaper his co-stars. MARCH 10 • 2022

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

March 18 and 19 (9:30 am).

Deborah Porter, Michael Weitz and Shir Newman

FILM SERIES 4-6 PM, MARCH 10 This recurring event is organized by the University of Michigan Frankel Center for Judaic Studies on the topic of “Secrets: Documenting Secret Origins.” Speaker: Dr. Deborah Porter, University of Washington. Zoom registration: myumi.ch/G11Qg. She calls attention to the films’ tacit illumination of a cultural March 17, 4 pm screening of Blue Box by Michal Weitz; registration: forms. gle/UMbR5kqQyYEvz5ay9. March 24, 4 pm screening of How to Say Silence by Shir Newman; registration: forms.gle/qPARJYoLajxT7jpL7. The screenings will be followed by a virtual panel with Deborah Porter and both of the films’ directors, Michal Weitz and Shir Newman. MUSIC AT THE ARK 8 PM, MARCH 10 At The Ark in Ann Arbor: Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas with cutting-edge fiddle and cello explorations of Scottish and global music. Tickets: $25. Info: theark.org. MUSICAL EVENING 8 PM, MARCH 11 At The Ark in Ann Arbor: Laith al-Saadi from the Season 10 finale of NBC’s The Voice. He presents an authentic blend of blues, soul and classic rock to audiences around the nation and the world. Tickets:

MARCH 10 • 2022

$30. Info: theark.org ONLINE LEARNING 7:30 PM, MARCH 13 An online conversation with the architects of JTS’ new campus. Join Williams, Tsien and their partner Paul Schulhof when they speak with Professor Barbara Mann about their philosophy and how it is reflected in their design for the JTS campus. Info: jtsa.edu/events. FAREWELL SHABBAT 6 PM, MARCH 18 This spring, construction will finally begin on renovating Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. Since they will not be able to hold Shabbat services and programs inside their home at 1457 Griswold, they’d like to have one last Shabbat before construction begins. They invite you, your friends and family, and anyone who has a special place in their heart for the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue to join them the weekend of Laith al-Saadi

SOBER SUNDAY 7-7:45 PM, MARCH 13 Jewish Addiction Resource Alliance (JARA) will welcome, on Zoom, Joel Dworkin as he shares his personal experience with addiction and recovery. Register at jlive. app/events/1736. Info: contact the Jewish Family Service Resource Center at 2248592-2313 or resourcecenter@ jfsdetroit.org. ISRAELI FILM FESTIVAL MARCH 13-20 The Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel at MSU presents online: Muna (3 episodes), My Grandma Had a Gun and Love it Was Not and a recorded virtual performance by Mira Awad — HuMAN/ WoMAN. Links to these films will be sent via email after registration to virtual live discussions. The films and concert will be available to view at the comfort of your own home from March 13-20. Visit: hjsp.msu.edu/israeli-film-festival. Info: jewishst@msu.edu. “KAHN & FORD” 7 PM, MARCH 14 Organized by the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. On Zoom. Mike Skinner, trustee of the Ford Piquette

Avenue Plant, unpacks the complicated working relationship between architect Albert Kahn and motor magnate Henry Ford. Free. Register by 9 pm March 13 to receive the Zoom link: form.jotform. com/220406665126148. A link will be sent 24 hours before.

BRAIN HEALTH 1-2:30 PM, MARCH 16 Join Jewish Family Service and presenter Scherrie Keating, R.N., as she helps us increase understanding of the critical relationship between insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s disease. Register in advance for this Zoom event. Info: MindU@jfs.org. DEMENTIA CONVERSATIONS 2-3:3 PM, MARCH 23 At Anthology of Farmington Hills. Often, conversations with family about changing behaviors can be challenging and uncomfortable. This program presented by the Michigan Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association provides tips for breaking the ice with your family so you can address some of the most common issues. Refreshments will be served and all will leave with a complimentary Dementia Caregiver Support Kit. RSVP to 248534-1977 by March 16.

SUSAN ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

SPORTS

Here’s an image that strikes fear into Bloomfield Hills’ opponents. Noah Adamczyk fires up a 3-point shot Feb. 25 vs. West Bloomfield.

Noah’s Arc

Bloomfield Hills High School basketball star is making life miserable for Black Hawks’ opponents. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

oah Adamczyk wasn’t about to let his team lose its biggest game of the season. The Bloomfield Hills High School boys basketball star scored 17 of his 28 points — including 12 in a row for the Black Hawks in one stretch — and made a critical play on defense in the fourth quarter to lead Bloomfield Hills to a come-from-behind 52-50 victory over Lake Orion on March 1. Bloomfield Hills trailed Lake Orion by 12 points with about four minutes to go in the game and won it

on two free throws in the final seconds after Adamczyk created a turnover by poking the ball away from a Lake Orion player at half-court. The win vaulted the Black Hawks (15-4, 5-2) into a firstplace tie with Lake Orion in the Oakland Activities Association White Division with each team having one more league game to play. “That’s why you play the game, for moments like that in crunch time,” Adamczyk said about his fourth-quarter heroics. “And that’s why I love basketball. There’s no other

game like it. It’s so back and forth. It’s fun. I know saying basketball is fun is a generic thing to say, but it’s true. “Basketball is all about putting the ball in the hoop, and there are so many ways to do that. As for playing defense, well, it’s either you want to or you don’t.” Adamczyk is a 6-foot junior who is one of the state’s top point guards. The three-year starter and first team All-OAA White selection as a sophomore came into the March 1 game against Lake Orion averaging 21 points, four assists, four steals and three rebounds a game. Those numbers demonstrate that it’s not all about him when the Black Hawks hit the court. “Noah is a great team guy. Very unselfish. His teammates voted him one of our three captains this season. The other two captains are seniors,” said Bloomfield Hills coach Phil Kurajian.

“Noah is so easy to coach. It’s a blessing for me to coach him.” It isn’t a blessing to coach against him. Just ask Birmingham Groves coach Benny White. Here’s what White said about Adamczyk in a Homelife.com story after Adamczyk scored 35 points against Groves on Jan. 27 in a 62-46 Bloomfield Hills victory: “The game plan was to make his catches hard ... We didn’t do that,” White said. “We allowed him to catch it where he wanted to and get some rhythm ... You’ve got to pay attention to him. When you do that, it frees up other people.” Kurajian said it was an easy decision to insert Adamczyk into Bloomfield Hills’ starting lineup two years ago when he was a freshman. “Noah earned his spot in our lineup right away,” Kurajian said. “I could see then that he was unbelievably continued on page 54 MARCH 10 • 2022

SUSAN ADAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

the exchange

SPORTS

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Noah Adamczyk is a picture of concentration as he gets ready to shoot a free throw Feb. 18 vs. Birmingham Groves.

continued from page 53

skilled, plus he had the work ethic and basketball IQ to be successful.” Adamczyk made Bloomfield Hills’ Senior Night a memorable one when he was a freshman, sinking a buzzer-beater to defeat Oak Park. “I’ll always remember that game. And now the Lake Orion game, too,” he said. Adamczyk hasn’t generated a ton of interest from college coaches, but that’s about to change. “I’m doing the work that needs to be done. It will come. I can’t worry about that,” he said. Kurajian agrees. “Noah is going to make a college program and a college coach very happy someday,” he said. “He’s

54 | 54

MARCH 10 • 2022 MARCH 10 • 2022

put in the time, and he continues to put in the time. He understands the process. He’s improving. “He’s a gym rat. If he’s not at practice, he’s in a gym shooting somewhere.” Adamczyk, 17, is the middle of three siblings. He has an older brother Max, 19, a freshman at Michigan State University, and a younger sister Arie, 13, an eighth-grader at West Hills Middle School. Noah and Max played together on the Bloomfield Hills boys basketball team for two years. Steve and Michelle Adamczyk are the parents of the three kids. The family lives in Bloomfield Hills. Please send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

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An Innovative Educator

arbara Goldsmith Levin, raiser for TALI, and as the leader acclaimed Jewish educator, of the children’s congregation and passed away in Jerusalem on designer of adult education programs Feb. 27, 2022. She was 82. at her synagogue, Ramot Zion, in her Born in Detroit, she attended Adat French Hill neighborhood. Shalom Synagogue, co-founded Among her significant innoby her late parents Max and Alice vations as an educator was her Goldsmith, where she outreach to families from became the first bat mitzeconomically deprived vah in Michigan history. backgrounds. She also mainMrs. Levin graduated streamed the teaching of from the joint program at autistic students before that Columbia University and approach had gained any the Jewish Theological traction within Israel. Her Seminary in New York efforts allowed innumeraCity. After working as an ble students facing signifeducator in California and Barbara Levin icant barriers to advance New York, she moved to into higher education and Israel in 1969, residing in responsible jobs. Jerusalem. Her accomplishments earned With other immigrants from the her numerous accolades. The United States, she helped establish a Municipality of Jerusalem honored new educational option for families her as a Yakirat Yerushalayim, a desseeking a school that would offer ignation as an “eminent” resident of both secular studies and enriched the city for her educational efforts traditional Jewish learning. By at promoting “tolerance and comappealing to all students regardless munal harmony.” As an immigrant of religious observance, it was a who made “historic advancements” path-breaking pluralistic approach. in education, she was feted at a cerFrom 30 students housed in a emony at the Knesset, Israel’s pardilapidated shack in 1976, the proliament, as a “Bonei Zion.” She also gram blossomed into an entire edureceived the prestigious Education cational movement, known as TALI. Prize from Israel’s Ministry of It now boasts over 1,000 school Education. programs throughout Israel, encomMrs. Levin is survived by her passing some 130,000 students. The children, Rachel Meged and Doron flagship institution in Jerusalem, Levin; and her grandchildren, Tara offering preschool through eighth Meged, Yulie Meged, Ari Levin and grades, is the Sam and Jean Frankel Daniel Levin. School, named after the legendary She was the devoted daughDetroit-area philanthropists. ter of the late Max and Alice Architect of the innovative reliGoldsmith; the adoring sister of the gious and Jewish thought curriculate Merwin Goldsmith (Barbara lum, Mrs. Levin served as principal Parry Goldsmith), Jonathan (Luba) for nearly 30 years. She was an Goldsmith, Steven Goldsmith, Mark indefatigable multi-tasker, teaching (Judy) Goldsmith; and doting aunt to Talmud and establishing a communumerous nephews and nieces. nity-wide musical theater program. Those wishing to honor Barbara She also created a family education Levin’s memory may do so with a program to involve parents and stucontribution to the American Israel dents in learning about their Jewish Education Fund, c/o Stanley Franke, heritage together. 2301 W. Big Beaver Road, Suite 900, After retiring, she remained fully Troy Michigan 48084. engaged: as a consultant and fund-

MARCH 10 • 2022

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

FAYCLARE BLAU, 78, of Bloomfield Hills, died on March 1, 2022. She was born in Helena, Arkansas, before moving to Detroit. She graduated from Mumford High School before starting her life-long career as a dental assistant. Although she enjoyed working with people in the dental chair, nothing provided her more joy than Sunday night dinners in her kitchen surrounded by her family. She often also could be found knitting for her grandchildren, singing in Temple Beth El’s choir or raising funds and cancer awareness through her work with QueenFor-A-Day, among other charities. She will be remembered for her sweet smile, warm and welcoming nature, selflessness and passion for helping others. Mrs. Blau is survived by her husband of 57 years, Dr. Robert Blau. She was the sister of Donald Sand and the late Jay Sand. She was the mother of Randy (Michelle) and the late David (Risa). She is also survived by grandchildren, Jackson, Sydney, Grant and Gabrielle; nieces, Michelle and Laura; as well as countless friends. She was the devoted daughter of the late Dr. Harry Sand and Mildred Sand. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI 48076, cancer.org; or Make-AWish Foundation, Team Alex, 7600 Grand River Road Suite 175, Brighton, MI 48114, teamalexrides.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. WILLIAM COHEN, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend, died on Feb. 23, 2022, in Novi of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. He was introduced to Ricki, the love of his life, at the University of Michigan by her brother, Clifford, when Bill and Ricki were both 18 years old. They skipped their college graduation to get married on May 24, 1964, in New York City. Bill was an accomplished bankruptcy and reorganization attorney in Detroit for more than 40 years. After obtaining undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan, he began his career in 1967 at the law firm Hertzberg, Jacob, & Weingarten, before merging that firm’s bankruptcy and insolvency practice

with the national law firm Pepper Hamilton (now Troutman Pepper) in 1989. He served as counsel for both debtors and creditors’ committees in landmark Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings throughout the United States and argued cases in courts across the country, including the United States Supreme Court. Bill served on Pepper Hamilton’s Executive Committee and the American College of Bankruptcy’s Board of Directors. He also testified before congressional committees as their expert on bankruptcy law. Among many other passions, Bill was affectionately known for his love of all animals, especially birds, and his affinity for coney dogs (heavy chili) and chili cheese fries. Known as “Papa Bill” to his adoring grandchildren, he was always thrilled to make a donut run, build a bird feeder, go fishing down on the dock or just sit and talk, provided he didn’t close his eyes for a “two-minute snooze.” His four grandchildren cite his patience, willingness to listen and genuine interest in them as inimitable influences in their lives, careers and passions. Bill Cohen was devoted to service, his community and helping others. He served as presidents of Michigan State Temple Youth (MSTY), Temple Israel Brotherhood and, most recently, his beloved JARC, among many other leadership roles. Mr. Cohen is survived by his wife of 57 years, Ricki;

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10 Adar II March 13 Julius Cohen Bertha Fischer Minnie Fisher Aryeh Fuchs Lottie Gerson Aaron Lankin Helen M. Levinson Israel Malik Sophy Meisner Herman Schwartz Max Shnay Robert Sosnick Rose Temchin Benjamin Topor Lillian Weiss 11 Adar II March 14 Rose Aronoff Esther Janet Bragman Max E. Charness Harry Faber William Fischel Anne Kaufman Samuel Liberson Zalman Lopata Ida Mandelsohn Louis Menenberg Solomon Rosenberg Libby Simons Natalie Wagman Ida Weider Michael Yahre

12 Adar II March 15 Risha Benjamin Susan Bernstein Esther A Bolton Bessie Cohen Lena Farber David Grossman Golda Guttman Isadore Kramer Sam Mendelsohn Bess Osborne Samuel Techner Rela Yahre 13 Adar II March 16 Morris Abel Harry Altman Ethel Arden Rebecca Barron Abraham Berkowitz Morris E. Bloomberg Nathan Burnstein Sally Danzig Rabbi Joseph Eisenman Pearl Herskovitz Gerald A Lobel Karl Loewenstein Sarah Rotofsky Ada Shapiro 14 Adar II March 17 Gertrude Bunin Abraham Eisenman Samuel Gittleman

Frieda Gottlieb Bertha Greenspan Bessie Kushner Morris Music Samuel Plotkin Edward Rothenberg Avraham Waldman 15 Adar II March 18 Annette Borovitz Eva Bunin Belle Diamond Betty Dinkin Alfred C. Funke Steven B. Goldstein Herman Miller Annette Francis Miller Mendel Poss Alvin Bernard Spector Simon Waterstone 16 Adar II March 19 Jakob Herskovitz Ann Rubenfaer Nathan Ruzumna Ben Tkatch Sara York John Yunis Joseph Zucker

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MARCH 10 • 2022

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his two sons, Adam (Lauren) and Joshua (Sandy); his four grandchildren, Aaron, Alana, Lily and Bradley; his sister, Nancy (Jerry) Klein; his brother-in-law, Clifford (Rhonda) Herbstman; many cousins, nieces, nephews and extended family across the country and the world. He is sorely missed. He was predeceased by his loving parents, Abraham and Barbara. The funeral was held at Ira Kaufman Chapel in Southfield. Rabbi Michael Moskowitz officiated. Contributions may be made to JARC, 6735 Telegraph, Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, jarc.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. SHIRLEY DUBERSTEIN, 97, of Redford, died March 2, 2022. She is survived by her daughter and son-inlaw, Arlene and Roger Smith; son, Stewart Duberstein; grandchildren, Julie Smith, Jared (Rachel) Smith and Joshua Smith; great-grandchildren, Emelia Smith and Eli Smith; many loving family members and friends. Mrs. Duberstein was the beloved wife of the late Max Duberstein; the sister of the late Neil Kleiman and the late Larry Kleiman. Interment took place at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

SAMUEL HABERMAN, 77, of Birmingham, died Feb. 26, 2022. He is survived by his wife, Toba Lee Haberman; son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Joanne Haberman; grandchildren, Ella Haberman and Suri Haberman; many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Mr. Haberman was the cherished father of the late Jeremy Haberman; the loving brother of the late Sandra Haberman Golden and the late Paula Haberman Rotman; the devoted son of the late Pearl and the late David Haberman. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Humane Society of Michigan, 30300 Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, michiganhumane.org; or National Kidney Foundation of Michigan, 1169 Oak Valley Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48108, nkfm.org/get-involved/ giving. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. CHARLOTTE UTCHENIK JONAP, 93, of Livonia, passed away Feb. 19, 2022. She was the beloved wife of Jay; cherished mother of Marsha (Leonard) Baron and Jerome (Theresa) Jonap; proud grandmother of Samantha (Brandon) Baron, Stephanie (Michael) Neville and Nancy (Chad) Trusler; great-grandmother of

Winston and Arlo Neville, and Max Trusler. She will be missed. LAWRENCE KAY, 71, of Bloomfield Hills, died March 3, 2022. He is survived by his sister, Kathy Kay; nephews and nieces, Matthew Kay, Alix and Steve Craig, Jolie and Ricky Hartman, and Alana Seifman. Mr. Kay was the devoted son of the late Sherman and the late Claire Kay; the loving brother of the late Douglas Kay and the late Ronna Harwood-Kay. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to JVS Human Services, the Kay Family Fund, 29699 Southfield Road, Southfield, MI 48076, jvshumanservices.org.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. KENNETH ANDREW LESSER, 37, of Farmington Hills, died March 1, 2022. He is survived by his parents, Christine Lesser, and Lanny and Debby Lesser; sisters and brothers, Renee and Mike Stein, Matthew Frank and Sara Rich, and Lauren and Jared Gell; nieces and nephews, Alexis and Luke Stein, and Teddy and Frankie Gell; many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to SAG-AFTRA Foundation, 1900 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10023, sagaftra.foundation; MusiCares, 3030 Olympic

Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404, grammy.com/musicares/donations;’ or Andrew Kukes Foundation for Social Anxiety, 3141 Interlaken St., West Bloomfield, MI 48323, akfsa.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. HAROLD LIPSITZ, 85, of West Bloomfield, died March 1, 2022. He was the dedicated board president of the Hebrew Benevolent Society. Mr. Lipsitz is survived by his wife, Joyce Lipsitz; son and daughter-in-law, Michael Lipsitz and Melody McBride of Morristown, N.J.; daughter, Adina Lynn Lipsitz of West Bloomfield; brother, Ralph Lipsitz of Florida; sister-inlaw, Natalie Epstein of West Bloomfield; grandson, Evan

Noah Lipsitz. He was the dear brother-inlaw of the late Merel Epstein. Contributions may be made to Hebrew Benevolent Society, 26640 Greenfield Road, Oak Park, MI 48237; Pulmonary Fiobrosis Foundation, 230 E. Ohio Street, Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60611. A graveside service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. STEVEN J. NOSANCHUK, 55, of Farmington Hills, died March 1, 2022. He is survived by his son, Jacob Nosanchuk; mother, Laurie Nosanchuk; brothers and sisters-inlaw, Bruce and Rebecca Nosanchuk, Rabbi Rob Nosanchuk and Joanie Berger; many loving nieces, nephews, continued on page 60

For the peace you need . . . for the respect of the life you treasured.

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other family members and friends. Mr. Nosanchuk was the loving son of the late Michael Nosanchuk. Contributions may be made to the Michael Nosanchuk Educational Fund at Temple Shir Shalom or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. SHELDON ONICKEL, 93, passed away suddenly on Feb. 26, 2022. His work life c. 1947 began at his parent’s poultry stall, followed by three years in the Army Air Corps, where he rose through

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the ranks, finishing as a sergeant. Upon his return to the U.S., Sheldon spent two years working at DG (Dizzy Gillespie) Records where Dizzy bestowed on him the nickname “Flicker” (as in chicken flicker). For the next 35 years, he worked in the radiological supply business, finishing as sales manager. Universally liked, an avid bowler, golfer and Tigers fan, Sheldon left smiles on all who met him. His loving family included the late Fern Onickel, to whom he was married for 51 years; children, Harry (Kelly) Onickel, Alan Onickel, Irene (Jim) Petts, and Roslyn Onickel; grandchildren, Kein Onickel and Shelly

Flores, Sierra Onickel, and Henry Petts. He was the loving brother of the late Irving (the late Ann “Honey”) Onickel; dear brother-in-law of Miriam Stillwell, Harriet (Marvin) Atlas and the late Rita (the late Dan) Marquis. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to National Kidney Foundation, 30 E. 33rd St., New York, NY 10016, kidney.org/donation; F.O.R.C.E., 16057 Tampa Palms Blvd. W., PMP #373, Tampa, FL 33647, facingourrisk.org; Temple Emanu-El, 14450 W. 10 Mile, Oak Park, MI 48237, emanuel-mich.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

PAUL ERNEST PHILLIPS, 77, of Belleville, died Feb. 28, 2022. He is survived by his beloved wife, c. 1971 Jade Hadassah Choe; brother, David Phillips; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Mr. Phillips was the brotherin-law of the late Gail Phillips. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the Hadassah Hebrew Medical School, to the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces or to Jewish Hospice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

DONALD J. ROSS, 90, of Bradenton, Fla., and Southfield, died Feb. 28, 2022. He is survived by his sons and daughter-in-law, Dr. Jonathan and Sharon Ross, Jordan Ross and Andrew Ross; grandchildren, Christopher Ross, Stephanie and Nick Baker, Lavender and Nechoma Moss, and Marshall Ross; brother and sister-in-law, Alan and Doris Ross; sister-inlaw, Nina Eisenberg; companion, Sybil Glazer. Mr. Ross was the beloved husband of the late Marcia Ross; the dear brother-in-law of the late Harriet and the late Marvin Weingarden, and the late David Eisenberg. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI 48076, cancer.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. LINDA LEE WEINGARDEN ROTH, 80, of West Bloomfield, died Feb. 26, 2022. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, Ellis Roth; sons and daughters-in-law, Steven and Valerie Roth, Michael Roth and Georgia Chatzimouratidou, and Jonathon and Kelly Roth; grandchildren, Jonathon Roth II, Erin Roth, Taylor Roth, Zachary Roth, Eli Roth, Aiden Roth, Maerida Roth, and Brittney and Paul Roman. Mrs. Roth was the loving sister of the late Leslie Weingarden. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Breast Cancer Research Foundation, 28 W. 44th St., Suite 609, New York, NY 10036. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

Ken Duberstein, Frst Jewish White House Chief of Staff, Dies at 77 JACOB KORNBLUH JEWISH FORWARD

boasted to Powell that the pair en Duberstein, believed “ran the U.S. government for two to be the first of several years,” according to veteran jourJewish Americans to nalist Bob Woodward. “A Black serve as the White House chief who was raised on the streets of of staff, died March 2, 2022, at the South Bronx and a Brooklyn the age of 77. Jew were in these positions for Duberstein, a Brooklyn the most conservative Republican native, served former President president of the 20th century.” Ronald Regan in the last year of Powell’s early life was steeped in his second term. He previously Ken Duberstein Jewish culture and Yiddish, and worked as an assistant to the it stayed with him until his death president for legislative affairs last October. and interned for the late Sen. Jacob Javits, a Joshua Bolten was the second Jewish chief Republican from New York. of staff, working under President George W. According to Axios, Duberstein was Bush from 2006 to 2009. Rahm Emanuel, beloved by the national media for leaking former mayor of Chicago and currently valuable information from inside the White U.S. Ambassador to Japan, became the first House during the Reagan administration. Jewish Democrat to serve as chief of staff to James Baker, who was Reagan’s first President Barack Obama. He was followed White House chief of staff, marveled that by Jack Lew. President Joe Biden’s current Duberstein “just doesn’t have enemies.” Duberstein told the New York Times that as chief of staff, Ron Klain, is also Jewish. “Politics today could use some more a Brooklynite he “always enjoyed working Ken Dubersteins,” wrote Tevi Troy, former with people.” White House Jewish Liaison under Bush and As chief of staff, Duberstein developed a author of Fight House, a book about rivalries close relationship with Colin Powell, then at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Reagan’s national security adviser, who called him “Duberdog.” Duberstein once

Jewish Ukrainian Footballer Killed in Kyiv Bombing JOSH KAPLAN JEWISH CHRONICLE

Jewish Ukrainian footballer has been killed during the Russian assault of Kyiv. Dmitry Martynenko, a 25-year-old professional footballer, was killed alongside his mother when Russian forces bombed their home in the suburbs of Kyiv. His father and sister are believed to have survived the explosion and are currently recovering in a nearby hospital. Martynenko was killed on the same day as another Ukrainian footballer, Vitalii Sapylo of Karpaty Lviv. In a statement responding to the deaths of the two players, the International Federation of Professional Footballers said: “Our thoughts are with the families, friends and

Dmitry Martynenko

teammates of young Ukrainian footballers Vitalii Sapylo and Dmytro Martynenko, football’s first reported losses in this war. May they both rest in peace.” MARCH 10 • 2022

Looking Back

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

An Ode to Hamantaschen

ext week, at sundown on the 14th day of Adar II or March 16, is the holiday of Purim. This is the most joyful and festive of holidays, a celebration of the survival of the Jewish people. Purim commemorates the victory of Queen Esther and Mordechai in the fourth century B.C. over the evil Haman. Those who celebrate wear costumes, copiously use noise makers and, at the mention of Haman’s name, loudly boo and hiss. The Megillah of Esther is read. In addition, it is a time to send gifts of food to fellow Jews, give money to Mike Smith the poor and eat a festive meal, Alene and Graham Landau which usually includes sweets. Archivist Chair One of my favorites is the tricornered Hamantaschen (the name is a combination of “Haman” for Haman and the German word for pockets, “Taschen”). I explored Purim in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History and found that the holiday is mentioned on 7,464 pages. I also noticed that Hamantaschen was mentioned 141 times. And, I thought, now this is a subject worthy of a deeper dive into the Archive. Did I mention that I like Hamantaschen? The first citing of Hamantaschen was in a story by R. Rogoff — “Moey’s Purim Gift” — published in the Children’s Column in the March 2, 1923, issue of the Jewish Chronicle. In the story, Moey’s mother makes him “Hamantaschen and strudel and all the other cookies and sweetmeats that help make merry the feast of Purim.” There is wisdom in this story: Hamantaschen and strudel and cookies, etc., does indeed make me merry. I know I’m not alone in this opinion. By the way, Moey’s Purim gift for his mother was the rediscovery of her long-lost brother. Hamantaschen is also an important topic in many stories about families preparing for Purim or local organizations preparing food baskets for the those in need. For example,

MARCH 10 • 2022

see the story on the Hamantaschen BakeOff for seniors and nursery school children at the Jimmy Prentis Morris Jewish Community Center in the March 10, 1993, JN. On several occasions, the JN also published Purim primers such as “Purim at a Glance” on March 20, 2008. These guides always included references to Hamantaschen. Over the years, the JN published what are perhaps the most important citations for Hamantaschen: recipes! The first one that I found was in the Feb. 23, 1945, issue of the JN for traditional Hamantaschen. Likewise, Alfred Parker, chief chef of the Yeshiva, presented his recipe in the March 5, 1965, issue. Since then, the JN has published recipes for a wide variety of Hamantaschen. There is one for “Tipsy Haman Hats” that includes brandy, as well as dates, nuts, raisins and apricot jam (March 9, 1990). Annabel Cohen provided versions with chocolate, peanut butter, cream cheese and Mohn or Poppy seed fillings (March 17, 2000). For the more adventurous, Rebecca Pilner presented recipes for Rice Krispies, Triple Chocolate and Egg Roll Hamantaschen. No Purim celebration is complete without Hamantaschen. Recipes for the triangle-shaped treats are only restricted by one’s personal tastes and imagination. This I learned from my most serious study of Hamantaschen in the Davidson Archive. It was time well-spent ... but not as well-spent as eating Hamantaschen. Did I mention that I really like Hamantaschen? Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

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DJN March 10, 2022

Articles inside

Looking Back

Community Calendar

The Exchange

Celebrity News

Obits

Noah’s Arc

‘Cast Illusions’

Seeing the Big Picture

Moments

Torah Portion

Purim Fun

Let’s Talk About Ukraine

Here’s To

Trapped in Ukraine

Born for the Bimah

Divorce Education

‘Beacon of Strength’

Driving Michigan’s Economy Forward

A ‘Modern Maccabee’

Stamp of Approval