DJN August 19, 2021 by The Detroit Jewish News

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200 Aug. 19-25, 2021 / 11-17 Elul 5781

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Hey, Teens! There’s a new way to connect to Jewish life … Page 14

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contents Aug. 19-25, 2021 / 11-17 Elul 5781 | VOLUME CLX, ISSUE 2

PURELY COMMENTARY

SPIRIT 42

Torah portion

OUR COMMUNITY

44 46

How Shabbat Changes Us Synagogue Directory

4-12 14

24 26

Essays and viewpoints. Hey, Teens!

There’s a new way to connect to Jewish life.

Suicide Prevention Group Plans Star-Studded Event FIDF Luncheon Raises $250,000

More than 300 women attend event in West Bloomfield.

EDUCATION

ARTS & LIFE 48

Jewish-Persian singer Galeet Dardashti will perform at Temple Beth El.

Freedom to Express

JET Theatre Is Back Live

Special Ed’s Ardent Advocate

Special Ed Proponent Chaya Leah Tinman

New Faces at MSU Hillel

Marcie Lipsitt fights for the rights of impaired students.

SPORTS 38

Baker Takes the Cake

Quick Hits

Golfer’s first hole-in-one is also the first ace in B’nai B’rith league.

MAZEL TOV! 41

Moments

Exotic Songs of the Jewish Mideast

Young artist with special needs creates Statue of Liberty-inspired sculptures.

The 1950s teen musical Grease will be performed outside.

Celebrity News

48 38 Shabbat Lights

Shabbat starts: Friday, Aug. 20, 8:08 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, Aug. 21, 9:09 p.m. * Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

ON THE COVER: Cover photo/credit: Courtesy of Temple Israel Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

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EVENTS 54

Community Calendar

FOOD 55

From the Home Garden of Chef Aaron Egan It’s Thyme for a Cool Drink.

ETC. 55

The Exchange

Obituaries

Looking Back AUGUST 19 • 2021

WIKIPEDIA

PURELY COMMENTARY wise & otherwise

My Time with Bo

arlier in the summer, the talk around Southeastern Michigan was about Bo Schembechler and when did he know that Dr. Robert Anderson allegedly sexually assaulted numerous male student athletes and some women during his tenure at University of Michigan (1966-2003). As the legendary baseball manager of the Yankees and Irwin J. Mets Casey Stengel used Cohen to say about the deceased, “they’re [Anderson and Schembechler, in this case] dead at the present time.” The University of Michigan’s athletic director from 1968-1988, Don Canham, could have and should have fired Anderson. But he’s dead at the present time, too. Glenn Edward “Bo” Schembechler came to the University of Michigan as head football coach in 1969 after coaching under Ohio State’s legendary coach Woody Hayes. After a brief marriage to Hayes’ secretary, Bo married a nice lady named Mildred (Millie) in 1968 and adopted her three sons. (They subsequently had another son together.) Adding fuel to the Anderson controversy was a news conference with Bo’s stepson, Matt, and some former students who claimed that they were abused by Anderson. Matt claimed that when he was 10 in 1969 and needed a medical checkup, his stepfather recommended that he should make an appointment with Dr. Anderson. Matt came home and reported to his stepfather that Anderson touched him inappropriately. “That was the first time that he [Bo] closed fist punched me,” Matt told the media. “He knocked me all the way across the kitchen.” Matt’s mother went to see Don Canham, and we don’t know what the conversation yielded as she’s also deceased. None of us can be sure what happened and what Bo Schembechler did or didn’t do. But here’s what I do know, based on the numerous

AUGUST 19 • 2021

times (maybe a hundred) that Bo and I were only a few feet apart. THE BO I KNEW Bo was a bully and worse, but very likable with tons of charisma. You’ll find a similar opinion in my late good friend Joe Falls’ 1997 book, 50 Years of Sportswriting. Chapter 11, titled, “Boo on Bo,” chronicles the times Bo lied to Joe. Bo was named president and chief operating officer of the Tigers early in 1990 by team owner Tom Monaghan. Jim Campbell had the title previously and was easing into retirement but wanted to come around whenever he wanted and wanted someone who relied on his advice. Campbell was happy an experienced baseball man wasn’t put in charge. I was hoping that Bo would meet his new employees by calling them into his new plush, paneled office, get to know them and possibly hear some new ideas. He never did. Bo wasn’t much of a listener and came with preconceived notions. I had access to him in the morning roundtable coffee schmooze sessions in the dining room before we went to our workstations. I sent ideas to Bo via inter-office memos delivered by our mailroom guy. One idea I wanted to see implemented quickly was transforming the sidewalk around the exterior of the stadium into a baseball-style Hollywood Boulevard, hand and autograph impressions in cement. Time was the enemy as the most popular first basemen in Tigers history died in 1986, Norm Cash and Hank Greenberg. Bo never responded to any of my memos. One time we were the only ones in the dining room, and I brought them up. “The trouble with you, Cohen,” Bo bellowed as he pointed his finger at me, “is that your ideas cost money.” One Friday January morning in 1992, I walked past Bo’s office as he was pacing back and forth. “Cohen,” he yelled, “do you know how to drive? If you do, let’s go.” We rode the elevator down in total silence and headed to his shiny, new black Cadillac. His usual driver wasn’t around, and Bo got

Bo Schembechler

behind the wheel. I quickly figured out that he was headed to the airport to fly to New York to appear on one of those Saturday college football pre-game shows. Over and over Bo kept saying, “I’ll never make it.” We did make it without much conversation. As he was exiting the Caddy, he said, “Take it back and tell the driver he’s fired.” I obeyed half of the commandment. We all have Jewdar — Jewish radar. Mine told me not to trust Bo. One morning I was the first one at the roundtable and reading the paper. The headline screamed, “Scuds Fall on Israel” (during the Iran-Iraq war). Bo entered, stopped in his tracks while reading the headline. “Cohen,” Bo boomed in capital letters as he pointed to me, “You are going to get us,” as he pointed to himself, “into a war.” As I was rising out of my chair to confront Bo getting ready to say, “You mean me, the Jew?” the phone rang. Bo picked it up and said, “Alice, [his secretary] I’ll be right up.” Bo didn’t come down again for several days, and I never got into my first physical fight. I have many fond memories of my Tiger days. I loved and respected Tom Monaghan, but not so bellicose Bo. Author, columnist, public speaker Irwin J. Cohen headed a national baseball publication for five years and interviewed many legends of the game including Joe DiMaggio and Hank Greenberg. He earned a World Series ring while working for the Tigers in a front office position in 1984. He may be reached in his dugout at irdav@sbcglobal.net.

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AUGUST 19 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY guest column

or the past year or so, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:30 a.m., I get in my car and take a ride to a nearby community pool for the 11 a.m. Senior Swim Hour. In the locker room, after my workout, I Dr. Jeff quickly shower London and get dressed. If there are one or two other guys around, we say “hello” and maintain social distance. It’s cordial, but I can’t help contrasting my current locker room experience with my long tenure at the JCC Executive Locker Room and Health Club, which I visited three to five times a week for about 35 years. As the one-year anniversary

of the closing of “the Center” (as we referred to it) approaches, it seems like a natural time to reflect further on my experience there. The JCC Health Club was obviously only a part of our larger JCC. But when I said, “Honey, I’m going to the Center!” my wife knew I was talking about the Health Club locker room, pool and gym. The Center was a place where mostly Jewish folks went to schmooze and work out (probably in that order). What was unique about it, compared to other health clubs, was its Jewish character. It always tended to attract more of an older than younger clientele, but it was also a place where people from different generations co-mingled on a regular basis. It truly served to connect

DAVID SACHS

Remembering the JCC Locker Room

The men’s Executive Locker Room at the JCC

diverse segments of our Jewish community. L’dor v’dor. THE REGULARS On arrival at the Center, I’d often have brief conversations with the people in my row of lockers, many of whom I

saw almost every time I came. When I went to the exercise floor, I chatted with folks I knew from many aspects of my life. I saw Larry and Sharon who I knew since college; I recall how they encouraged me after my hip replacement. continued on page 12

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AUGUST 19 • 2021

TEMPLE B’NAI ISRAEL

PURELY COMMENTARY guest column

Investing in the Future

n early August, the Biden administration announced a goal to make half of all new cars sold in the U.S. electric by 2030. In June, the congregation I serve, Temple B’nai Israel in Kalamazoo, installed an electric car charger Rabbi with the assisSimone tance of Hope Schicker for Creation. Through the congregation’s relationship with Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, as well as other groups, it has become clear that strong, clean car standards have the power to drive down vehicle

pollution as well as spur innovation in the development of new clean car technologies. Therefore, our congregation made the decision to invest knowing there are members who would benefit but also because our values teach us the importance of caring for the planet. Investing in electric vehicles is one way we can shift our dependency away from the fossil fuels that are causing our climate crisis. As Reform Jews, we look to the Book of Deuteronomy for the basis of our belief in caring for the Earth. Verses 20:21-22 speak of actions during wartime that directly impact the Earth: “When in

Electric Vehicle Expo held at Peoples Church in Kalamazoo on July 18, 2021. Peoples Church and Temple B’nai Israel are among a few religious communities in Kalamazoo that have installed electric vehicle chargers as part of their commitment to climate action.

your war against a city … you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down.” From these verses arise the value of bal tashchit — which is translated as “do not destroy.” Humanity is taught

that they shall not destroy fruit trees during wartime. But Judaism does not only draw from the Torah, but also from the later commentaries of the rabbis, the sages, of the Mishnah and Talmud. These sages extrapolate from this idea to include all ecological continued on page 10

essay

Carl Levin Was a Community Relations Senator

he night I learned that Sen. Carl Levin had passed away I did not feel shock but tremendous sadness and loss. His death marked the end of an era and the passing of a longtime friendship Jeannie Weiner with the Jewish Community Relations Council, now known as JCRC/AJC, the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee. As a past president of the organization, I recall a very cold winter day, probably in the 1980s, going with Jewish community leaders and leaders of the Arab American

community to discuss the burgeoning of an organization linking Arab Americans and Jewish Americans who were working on local issues of importance to both groups. Sen. Levin offered his help in any way possible. This came as no surprise. Sen. Levin was later honored by the organization as was his sister and brother. The senator was no stranger to making alliances or to working with people of all backgrounds and all races, ethnicities and religions. He was non-judgmental, open to ideas, but not willing to compromise his basic beliefs. He was truly “our” senator because community relations work in the Jewish community is committed to those very continued on page 10

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Sen. Carl Levin with current JCRC/AJC Executive Director Rabbi Asher Lopatin, at the Huntington Woods July 4th Parade, 2018.

TEMPLE B’NAI ISRAEL

PURELY COMMENTARY INVESTING IN THE FUTURE continued from page 8

destruction during times of war as well as peace. The expanded rulings include not feeding livestock polluted water, not diverting or destroying water and not throwing away food or wantonly breaking usable items. These interpretations have shaped how we, as a Jewish congregation, engage with the world we live in. Another value guiding the Congregation’s decision to invest in an EV charger, along with other measures to make our building more energy efficient and less polluting, is the value of betzelem Elohim — the understanding that all people are made in the image of God. This directly relates to how we view one another. All people should have

access to clean air and water, but we know this is not the case here in Michigan. Lowwealth and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities experience disproportionate harm from dirty vehicle pollution, leading to increased rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. We also know that low-wealth and BIPOC communities also are often closest to highways and bear the greatest burden from vehicle pollution. We have a responsibility to act on our values, which teach us to care for the Earth and that all people are important and indeed, made in the image of God. I am proud to lead a congregation who wants to put their values into action in

Electric Vehicle Expo in Kalamazoo

any way that they can and know that there is still much to be done. The installation of an electric car charger is but one piece of a large puzzle that we must all work together on building. As the EPA and Transportation Department now begin to work out the details of longer-term emis-

sions standards, they have an opportunity to help create the conditions necessary for all life to thrive by supporting cleaner cars. We urge them to make these standards as strong as possible.

same practices. Carl Levin was a bridge builder so the relationship with our agency was a perfect fit. The agency’s role in the community is to build bridges, alliances and coalitions between the Jewish community and other communities. Sen. Levin assisted us in those efforts. During those same years, Sen. Levin met frequently with advocates working to free Jews in the Soviet Union known as “Refuseniks.” He signed every petition and visited with people who had been freed but had been forced to leave loved ones behind. He spoke tirelessly on behalf of the cause of religious freedom and particularly for Refuseniks. Much of the work Sen. Levin did on behalf of the Jewish community and all Detroiters was done quietly,

with little or no fanfare or publicity. It was the wellbeing of the people that drove him. So, for us, a call to our senator was not difficult — we knew the answer would be, “I’ll do what I can.” And he did. Michigan has a history of ethical leadership in the Senate. We had Sen. Phil Hart. And we had Sen. Carl Levin. Neither can be replaced. The voice of Sen. Levin, his work on behalf of the community, his care and concern for Michiganians all serve as a role model to public servants. We will miss him, but we are committed as never before to continue his legacy.

Simone Schicker is the rabbi of Temple B’nai Israel in Kalamazoo.

CARL LEVIN continued from page 8

Sen. Carl Levin with longtime JCRC/AJC board member, Micki Grossman, of blessed memory, from JCRC/AJC archives.

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Jeannie Weiner is past president of the JCRC/AJC.

For more on Sen. Levin, please see Looking Back on page 62.

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PURELY COMMENTARY

I rode my favorite exercise bike next to Alan, who lived around the block from me in my early years, and we talked about our legendary days (in our own minds) as kids, playing baseball together at MacDowell Elementary in Detroit. But the real highlights of my visits (as I look back on those many years) were the conversations I had with my locker mates after our workouts. My good friend Larry joined the JCC, in large part, to meet me there and share the best post-workout whirlpool in the known world, when it was working. I shared conversations with Larry and others in the dry sauna, while other folks shvitzed together in the wet sauna. And then, after a shower, I returned to my locker and took my time getting dressed, sharing seemingly frivolous and, only in retrospect, serious interactions with my neighbors. MANY CONVERSATIONS One guy in my row was a big talker who I too often allowed to draw me into ridiculous political arguments. But even he showed his softer side, when he dressed in his veteran’s garb to attend the funeral of a fellow Jewish War vet. Sam was a retired attorney about 15 years older than I, who shared his philosophies and jokingly called me “my liberal friend” each time I showed up for my workout. Nathan always seemed to be at the Center, no matter when I came. He had grown up under the Soviets before emigrating to America and had a lot of stories to share. Not surprisingly, his view of American politics was fascinating.

AUGUST 19 • 2021

A few of the guys endured the loss of their wives during the time I knew them. I watched and listened as they stood by their partners through serious illnesses and then as they talked about how sad it felt to be left alone. Ken was a special guy, about 8 years older than I, who talked with me about his many trips with his wife, not to impress me, but to encourage me to travel while I was still able. He also told me great jokes and stories. He was kind enough to purchase a children’s book I had written, and he made sure to tell me each time he read my book to his grandson, which he knew meant a lot to me. Ken passed away in the past year, and I made sure to send his wife a note of how much our locker room relationship meant to me. I spoke with many other guys whose lockers were in nearby rows. I recall talking with Jay at the time of my daughter’s wedding a few years ago. I told him I was very happy, but I couldn’t understand my wife’s and daughter’s level of concern about the party. He smiled and suggested that both of them had been planning for that day since before my daughter was born! Danny never missed a chance to talk about how much we both loved the ’60s singing group, the Vogues. A retired psychiatrist nearby reached out to me during my own recent retirement from psychiatry and offered counsel and support. Marvin, about 10 years older than I, encouraged me to keep doing my balance exercises, since he promised I would need them even more as I got older.

FAMILY TIES But I’ve saved the best for last … my cousin Leo. Leo, who was my mother’s first cousin, talked with me about growing up with my mom and my aunts. He shared with me how lucky he felt to still be alive and fairly healthy into his 90s. He talked about how he missed his brother who had died of complications of Alzheimer’s. We laughed together at stories about our family. Leo talked about his two Bernices, the two women with the same name to whom he had been married, and how much he missed each of them when they passed away. I felt like Plato at the feet of Socrates, learning from my elder about what was truly important and what wasn’t. His smile, his laugh and the twinkle in his eyes will always be with me. And I watched at the end of his life when his daughter and son-in-law lovingly brought Leo to the Center, so he could see his friends at a familiar place which he clearly loved. On some level, it was just a locker room. But to those of us who frequented “the Center,” it was so much more. I’m sure the dues we all paid couldn’t add up to enough to keep the JCC Health Club solvent. So, when the powers that be finally decided they needed to shut it down, who am I to explain why it had been worth keeping it going all those years? Or perhaps I just did. May the Center rest in peace. Amen. Dr. Jeff London is a retired child psychologist from Farmington Hills.

PHOTOS BY DAVID SACHS

JCC LOCKER ROOM continued from page 6

The empty men’s JCC Executive Locker Room after its final closing.

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Hey, Teens!

ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Izzy Freund and Benji Stern of Temple Israel.

OUR COMMUNITY

There’s a new way to connect to Jewish life …

hen the Detroit Jewish community leaders discovered an alarming number through research — that 70% of Jewish teens in Metro Detroit aren’t engaging in Jewish life — the Jewish Community Center and youth professionals took notice and began to promote positive change. Despite having more than 35 local Jewish youth-serving organizations offering a variety of excellent programs, teen engagement is still low. “We began to ask ourselves, what should we be doing, knowing that we have all these wonderful opportunities and we’re still missing the mark?” says Katie Vieder, JCC’s director of tween, teen and family Katie engagement for Jfamily. Vieder According to Rabbi Jen Lader of Temple Israel, “In this hyperconnected world, teens are busier than ever before. They’re packed with sports and drama, tutoring and dance, not to mention escalating academRabbi Jen ic expectations. We are fighting Lader for their time in a way we’ve never had to fight before.” A slowdown from the COVID-19 pandemic gave the JCC an opportunity to consider this ongoing problem and what steps it could take to refuel Metro Detroit teen engagement in Jewish life. “There is a big challenge of rebuilding from the pandemic as a lot of our teen networks in town overlap and are supported by each other’s success and networking,” says Rabbi Yarden Blumstein, teen director at Rabbi Friendship Circle. Yarden To set the change in Blumstein motion, the folks at Jfamily talked to different communities across the country and to its local youth-serving partners, “We did a lot of focus groups with teens and parents both engaged and

Teens from Adat Shalom on a volunteer outing.

unengaged,” Vieder says. Since September 2020, the JCC has worked with the community’s youth-serving organizations including youth groups, congregations, camps and day schools to identify best practices to boost teen engagement in Jewish life that can be implemented right here in Metro Detroit. The efforts paid off. “We came to the realization that there’s a lot we can do,” Vieder says. “We just need to shift our perspective on what matters.” BUILDING AWARENESS Though the JCC had a teen engagement plan, it was one that had been in place for many years. COVID-19 showed the importance of being able to adapt to a changing world, so the JCC knew the time had come to revamp its model. The goal: to reduce the staggering 70% number of Jewish teens unengaged in Jewish life. The first step was to significantly increase awareness for existing programs. “The Metro Detroit community has a

wide-array of fantastic teen opportunities with something for everyone. However, many families are not aware of all the program available, and organizations struggle to find Rachel Ellis the unengaged,” says Rachel Ellis, senior regional director of BBYO Michigan Region. continued on page 16

“IN THIS HYPERCONNECTED WORLD, TEENS ARE BUSIER THAN EVER BEFORE … WE’RE FIGHTING FOR THEIR TIME IN A WAY WE’VE NEVER HAD TO FIGHT BEFORE.” — RABBI JEN LADER

AUGUST 19 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 15 Sarah Goldman, Donovan Brown, Eliza Faigin, Jason Brown, Ben Moss and Jared Katzen enjoy some time together at BBYO.

Ari Geller, Sam Melder, Ian Kraft, Aaron Zekman and Merrick Michaelson get together for some good times at BBYO.

Aryeh Gamer volunteers with Repair the World.

Even though 35-plus local Jewish youth-serving organizations in the area offer more than 90 programs, the JCC discovered that most families only knew of one or two opportunities their teens could engage with. Often, they would try one of the programs and if it wasn’t a fit, they stopped looking for alternatives. Families also might not have realized that the programs they were hoping for were already available in different places. To strengthen community awareness, the JCC is creating a comprehensive website and program guide for teens and families that can serve as a directory of all Jewish teen programs and experiences. The website will go hand-in-hand with JLive, an event platform. “Teens and families will be able to visit both with one click,” Vieder explains. One key mission of the awareness strategy is to make finding teen engagement opportunities online seamless and user-friendly. “By working collectively with the community, we will have the

resources to reach more teens and connect them to meaningful and impactful Jewish experiences,” Ellis adds. To build and launch the website, the JCC is partnering with the marketing team at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit with plans for it to go live in October of this year. “Our youth programs provide an escape — a safe place where teens are nurtured and loved, where they can build lasting and meaningful relationships with friends and mentors, and where they can figure out who they are and what’s important to them,” Rabbi Lader says. “Our goal is to reach as many teens as possible in order to allow them this safe space filled with the support and guidance of their community.” GATHERING DATA The next step for improving teen engagement is to begin the process of gathering data. The JCC, in partnership with Federation, is working on creating a community database complete with facts and figures that show the importance of engagement in Jewish life and where the local community currently stands. “The database will house information that will allow us to see not just if and where teens are engaging, but how deeply they’re engaging,” Vieder explains. The database will be built with the goal of tracking what happens to a Jewish teen who is involved in Jewish life throughout their high school career and what that means for their future. JCC will share identified trends with youth-serving organizations to help them strengthen their work. The JCC will also launch the Teen Impact Fellowship this month to train and empower continued on page 18

AUGUST 19 • 2021

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Pre-paid orders will be available at our special Rosh Hashana store front adjacent to our bakery. Orders must be in by Friday, September 3rd at 4pm. $5 delivery available within a 15-mile radius on Sunday and Monday. Delivery space is limited.

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“WE WILL HAVE THE RESOURCES TO REACH MORE TEENS AND CONNECT THEM TO MEANINGFUL AND IMPACTFUL JEWISH

OUR COMMUNITY

EXPERIENCES.” — BBYO’S RACHEL ELLIS

TOP: Teens hand out Purim bags at Temple Shir Shalom. LEFT: Jake Witus, Hannah Tilds, Rachel Nakisher, Arthur, an exchange student from France, and Maya Contorer at Temple Shir Shalom. RIGHT: Temple Israel teens Charlie Weiner, Mia Hirsch, Zach Simon, Emma Dwoskin, Arielle Bauer, Miles Hirsch and Natalie Cooper. continued from page 16

teens to be communal connectors and provide more touchpoints for connection. “Through their friendships and relationships, teens can find their place in the local Jewish community,” Vieder says. The selected fellows, along with Federation’s shinshinim (Israeli emissaries), will receive extensive training from Michigan State Hillel during the yearlong fellowship. SUPPORT FOR PARENTS Though teens are the focus of JCC’s new teen engagement model, a special focus is being

given to their parents as well. “We’ve heard from a lot of parents of tweens and teens that they don’t have the support or educational resources they had when their children were younger,” Vieder explains. To build the foundation for parental support, particularly for parents of teens, the JCC will launch “PhD in Parenting,” a course being run in communities across the country. Using proven parent education methodologies, this program will enhance parent-teen relationships, improve parenting skills, teach techniques on how to reduce stress on teenagers,

and enable parents to create a healthy, peaceful and respectful home environment. Two cohorts of “PhD in Parenting” will be offered starting in October with additional cohorts in the spring. Registration will open on JLive this month. HELPING WITH STAFF Throughout the multi-faceted approach, the JCC aims to support congregations and youth-serving organizations so that they can strengthen relationships with tweens, teens and their families, and provide meaningful opportunities. The

most critical need is staff, and funding is a challenge. “Our organizations need staff who can focus directly on tweens and teens, and who have the capacity for relationship-building,” Vieder explains. Many congregations, she says, have limited support when it comes to teen engagement. A three-year grant from the Hermelin-Davidson Center for Congregation Excellence, though, will provide the funding to increase that support — and ideally, teen engagement. A second grant from the Stephen H. Schulman Millennium Fund for Jewish continued on page 20

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Dinner’s On Us!

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Marty A. Burnstein

has again been selected by his peers for recognition and inclusion in the 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers of America in the areas of Construction Law and Litigation.

His peers have additionally recognized Mr. Burnstein as one of the 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” award recipients for his work in Construction Law in Troy. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and community is honored with a “Lawyer of the Year” award. It is Best Lawyers most outstanding recognition.

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AUGUST 19 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 18

Youth will provide funding for youth-serving organizations, including BBYO, Friendship Circle and Repair the World, to hire youth directors to work specifically with underserved demographics including male-identifying teens, middle schooler and diverse teens, such as those from interfaith families, Jews of color and LGBTQ+ identifying youth. “With more individuals waking up each morning with the dedicated task of engaging our youth, we know it will become more of an expectation for kids to be involved in Jewish life,” said Rabbi Daniel Schwartz of Temple Shir Shalom. “The question will Rabbi change from ‘do Daniel you go?’ to ‘where Schwartz do you go?’” Professionals supported through both grants will receive training opportunities and will gather to develop a supportive cohort, collaborate and discuss best practices. “We want to make sure that staff feel like there is camaraderie among youth-serving organizations and that they have peer colleagues they can connect with,” Vieder says. A FUTURE COMMUNITY “Our community has proven time and time again that they understand how incredibly important our young people are, not only for the future of our Jewish community in Metro Detroit, but also for the future of the Jewish people,” Rabbi Lader says. “We’re all working together to raise a generation of teens who are proud of their iden-

tities, who are firm in their values, and who are committed to their community in a sacred and profound way.” While JCC’s new teen engagement model is being rolled out over the next few months, the leadership hopes to continue growing and evolving the strategy in the long-term future. “There has always been a lot of excitement in the planning process that would help us lift up youth engagement in the Detroit Jewish community,” Rabbi Schwartz said. “Katie Vieder and the JCC have done a wonderful job of gathering a top-notch group of people who are focused on real change in teen engagement, which has allowed us to dream in ways that we never imagined would come to fruition. “From additional staff to programming for parents, I think Detroit will continue to serve as a model for other communities who are looking to reignite their teen programming.” By focusing on awareness, engagement, and data and information, the JCC aims to solve the challenges today’s Jewish teens and parents face with a one-stop shop for finding and creating local connections. “We don’t look at this as a one- or two-year initiative,” Vieder says. “We hope to be able to continuously evaluate progress and success over the course of time. There will always be Jewish teens, but if we don’t make them a priority, they may not always engage. Our primary focus is to be the resource for teens and their families and to ensure that we provide every opportunity to connect them to the Jewish community.”

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AUGUST 19 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY A Very Israeli Rosh Hashanah

ELAYNE GROSS PHOTOGRAPHY

The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit is one of more than 50 Federations participating in an amazing night of culinary inspiration on Zoom, Wednesday, Sept. 1, from 8-9 p.m. Jewish communities from across North America will present “A Very Israeli Rosh Hashanah” cooking event featuring Michael Solomonov, executive chef and co-owner of Zahav restaurant in Philadelphia

and 2019 James Beard Foundation award winner for Outstanding Restaurant, and Adeena Sussman, author of Sababa: Fresh, Sunny Flavors from My Israeli Kitchen as well as the co-author of 14 cookbooks, including Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings and Hungry for More. Both chefs will prepare some of their signature holiday recipes and take questions from the audience. Register in advance by Aug.

27 at jlive.app/events/727. Recipes will be emailed prior to the event. Federation is offering this event at no cost, but a gift to the Annual

Campaign is appreciated at jewishdetroit.org/donate. For information, contact Karen Kaplan at kaplan@ jfmd.org.

Historical Society Presents J-Cycle On Sunday, Oct. 10, the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan will hit the road with its 10th Annual Bike Tour of Historic Jewish Detroit. This year’s ride features Jewish connections to the auto industry: Ford Piquette Avenue Plant, Beth Olem Cemetery, Meyer & Anna Prentis building and

more. Online registration for sponsors opened Aug. 16. Online registration for the event opens Sept. 1 for JHSM members; Sept. 20 for nonmembers. The event will sell out. Cost for members, JHSM members: $54 cycle/ $65 bus (new this year); nonmembers: $72 cycle/$80

bus. Also new this year: Participants can raise funds through pledges for every mile ridden. The participant who raises the most pledged funds wins a prize. For information, contact (248) 915-1826 or info@ michjewishhistory.org.

The documentary follows women from interfaith sisterhood chapters in several cities as they build a powerful network of hope in a time of divisiveness and hate. The program is co-sponsored by the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom and WISDOM, (Women’s Interfaith Solutions for Dialogue and Outreach in Metro Detroit). Shapiro

and Mohamed chair the Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom Chapter of Metro Detroit. The program will be presented from 7-9 p.m. Aug. 23 with a viewing of the film online followed by a discussion by the speakers. The program is free, although donations are welcome. Visit detroitinterfaithcouncil.com to register.

Jews and Muslims Join Forces Against Hate The InterFaith Leadership Council of Metropolitan Detroit will feature two well-known members of the local Jewish and Muslim communities as they discuss a national interfaith initiative to stop religious hate in the U.S. Sharona Shapiro of West Bloomfield and Shabana Mohamed of Farmington

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Hills will react to the Stranger/ Sister documentary about two women, one Muslim and one Jewish, who dare to believe they can join hands to stop hate. Overcoming a long history of distrust between their two religions, they build a movement that turns strangers into sisters, challenging assumptions about fighting hate.

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6/15/21 8:24 AM

OUR COMMUNITY

Suicide Prevention Group Plans Star-Studded Virtual Fundraiser JN STAFF

AUGUST 19 • 2021

COURTESY OF MADELINE HALPERT

he number of young people lost to suicide continues to rise, and many continue to struggle. There simply aren’t enough effective support options for this population. Garrett’s Space aims to fill that gap. Garrett’s Space, a suicide prevention nonprofit founded by Julie and Scott Halpert of Ann Arbor after they lost their precious son to suicide at age 23 in 2017, will be holding a 24-hour livestream fundraiser beginning at 11 a.m. Sept. 3 and ending at 11 a.m. Sept. 4 called Go24forGarrett’sSpace. Mental health issues are widespread among young people. A CDC survey of young adults ages 18-24 during the pandemic showed that 25% of them had seriously considered suicide during the prior 30 days. Garrett’s Space is raising money in support of its wellness program and to establish a holistically focused residential center for young adults struggling with significant mental health issues. With the University of Michigan Depression Center as its partner, Garrett’s Space plans to make its programming and residential center models that can be replicated nationwide. The 24-hour livestream will be filled with musical performances, talks from inspirational speakers, and yoga, fitness and meditation classes. There will be a roster of highly accomplished Broadway and television performers, including Robert Ariza, a cast member of Hamilton, Jo Ellen Pellman, star of The Prom; Joe Serafini

Garrett Halpert, of blessed memory.

of Disney’s High School Musical; Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Golden Globe Award-winning songwriter Benj Pasek; Ashley Park, a star of Emily in Paris, and DeMarius Copes and Danny Pino of the upcoming Dear Evan Hansen film. Andy Lassner, executive producer of The Ellen DeGeneres show; David Axelrod, senior CNN political commentator; U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow from Michigan; U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland; and Abdul El-Sayed, a podcast host, physician and former health director in the city of Detroit, will speak. RESTORING HOPE Julie and Scott witnessed firsthand the critical gaps in support in our healthcare system for struggling young adults who need something more than regular visits to their therapist but aren’t actively suicidal. The Halperts are laser-focused on creating a holistically focused residential center that will be a haven for struggling young adults, where they can feel safe and supported and establish critical connections.

They believe this type of place might have helped restore hope for their son, Garrett, and, more importantly, that he would have wanted to go to this type of welcoming refuge. The Halperts are convinced the center will benefit many young adults who are feeling inadequate or are having difficulty navigating the complicated and troubled world. The center would include the following types of support and activities: individual and group therapy; coping strategies for difficult and broken relationships; peer-to-peer groups; support for families; and an extensive array of holistic activities focused on teaching healthy behaviors and promoting wellness, including meditation, yoga, healthy cooking, art, journaling and music. The center will have a non-medical feel; it will be located in a place surrounded by nature, amid tranquil woods with walking paths and therapeutic pets. The residents will be embraced by a warm community of caring staff — primarily social workers, with a medical director. Garrett’s Space currently is providing a much-needed support option to struggling young adults through its wellness group, where young adults are gathering (currently virtually) three days each week for a support group with their peers, a mood and movement activity and an informal session to connect over icebreakers and games. Head to www.garrettsspace. org to join and donate.

Applly for Teen Israel Leadership Training Program Applications are due Sept. 5 for the Center for Israel Education’s (CIS) next virtual Teen Israel Leadership Institute (TILI), to be held at noon on successive Sundays, Sept. 19 and 26. TILI’s interactive presentations enhance 15-18-year-olds’ understanding of Israel, its complexity and its role in Jewish identity. TILI participants in-person and online the past three years have called the experience empowering and said it provided confidence in speaking about Israel. CIE engages teens and adults with Israel learning through context and perspective. TILI focuses on teen interaction and engagement with the sources of Israel’s rich, complex past to deepen appreciation of Israel’s role in shaping Jewish identity. The program provides teens a variety of tools to understand contemporary events with nuance and to share their knowledge with their communities. September’s teen institute is for 10th-12th-graders. Teens with any level of knowledge about Israel are welcome, but the most successful attendees are willing to engage with their peers and bring an open mind. Participants who complete the program receive a CIE Teen Israel Leadership Institute Certificate in Israel Education. The usual $54 registration has been waived, so participation is free. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and teens are encouraged to apply as soon as possible at centerforisraeled. wufoo.com/forms/z17eulny17aksgp. For more information, visit israeled.org/teens, or contact CIE’s teen program manager, Michele Freesman, at michele. freesman@israeled.org.

ROSH HASHANAH GREETINGS

Continue a 79-year tradition! Wish your family and friends and the entire Jewish community a Happy New Year with an ad in The Detroit Jewish News. For information, call 248-351-5116 or email salessupport@thejewishnews.com STEP 1: Select Your Style STYLE #2

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OUR COMMUNITY

FIDF Luncheon Raises $250,000 JN STAFF

ore than 300 women gathered Aug. 4 for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Michigan Women of Valor Luncheon at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. The event, co-chaired by Judy Karp and Karen Weiss, raised over $250,000 to support the FIDF IMPACT! Scholarship program. These fouryear scholarships are given to former combat soldiers from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, enabling them to achieve their dreams of higher education. The program also provides funds to cover soldiers’ living expenses while they study and gives them the unique benefit of direct contact with their FIDF sponsors. “FIDF Michigan community IMPACT! donors have supported 227 IDF veterans through college for the 2020-2021 year,” said FIDF Michigan Director Paula Lebowitz. “We are so grateful to those who support this important program, which helps Israeli combat veterans — who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to pursue higher education — attend university and continue contributing to Israel’s future even after completing their military service.” The event’s honoree, Bluma Schechter, an active leader and volunteer in the Detroit community has sponsored many students in the program including Sgt. (Res.) Yuval Nifousy, 27, who served in Israeli Combat Intelligence Collection Corps and studies psychology at the Academic College of Tel Aviv. “Dear Mrs. Schechter, thank you for

AUGUST 19 • 2021

the huge opportunity you have given me to graduate with a psychology degree. The IMPACT! scholarship has changed my life. Not only my life, but the lives of so many others like me. You are transforming the future of Israel!” said Nifousy at the event. “Being here today, I am so proud and honored to be surrounded by such powerful, hardworking women. You are all an inspiration to me. I could not start my degree without you, or even have the ability to focus on my growth and education with the financial burden of college.” The benefit featured a keynote speech from Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Shir Peled, the first woman to serve as an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) combat soldier in an Israeli counter-terrorism unit. Peled’s service in the IDF inspired the role of Nurit in the Netflix hit Fauda, played by actress Rona-Lee Shimon. Since its inception in 2002, FIDF has provided 15,884 four-year financial need-based scholarships, each of which costs $16,000, to Israeli combat veterans. During the 20202021 academic year, FIDF’s IMPACT! Scholarship Program granted 4,256 scholarships to deserving individuals and is one of FIDF’s flagship and most successful programs. The power of the FIDF IMPACT! Program resonates far beyond the individual, as each scholarship recipient is required to give back to his or her community by completing 130 volunteer hours during each year of study. All funds raised at the luncheon go toward supporting the scholarship program.

RON LIEBERMAN, LIEBERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF FIDF.

More than 300 women attend event in West Bloomfield.

FROM TOP: Judy Karp, Women of Valor co-chair, Paula Lebowitz, FIDF director Michigan Chapter, Bluma Schechter, 2021 Women of Valor honoree, and Karen Weiss, co-chair. Yuval Nifousy, Impact Scholarship student, Bluma Schechter, guest speaker Shir Peled and Paula Lebowitz. Greg Shechter, Ryan Zimmerman, Sammie Schechter, Greg Schechter, Marc Schechter; bottom, Julia Schechter, Bluma Schechter, Rachel Schechter and Susie Schechter. RIGHT: Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Shir Peled speaking at the event.

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Join us virtually or in-person* as we celebrate and raise life-giving funds to support the marvels of Hadassah medical innovation. Our guest speaker, Marlee Matlin will speak on “Living Generously: Healing the World One Person at a Time.” Marlee is an Academy award winning actress, author, deaf activist, and Life Member of Hadassah. We are proud to also be honoring Elaine and Dr. Stephen Sturman, community philanthropists and vital Hadassah supporters for their tireless dedication. Boutiques: 10am - 3:30pm. $54 Virtual; $75 In-Person. Sponsorships available. *COVID-19 vaccinations required to attend.

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AUGUST 19 • 2021

Special Ed’s Ardent Advocate

COURTESY OF MARCY LIPSITT

EDUCATION

Marcie Lipsitt fights for the rights of impaired and disabled students. ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF MARCY LIPSITT

or most people “back to school” might mean new pencils and new books. For one Franklin woman, it also means new state special education and civil rights complaints. Marcie Lipsitt, 62, is a special education advocate who spends her time fighting for students’ rights. Every child in the United States is entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), regardless of race, ethnic background, religion, sex, economic status and disability. When a child has a disability, they may need support in order to learn in a typical classroom as successfully as their able-bodied peers. Enter the Individualized Education Program (IEP), a legally binding document crafted for each student to provide access to an education. When parents hire Lipsitt, it means their child is not succeeding or reaching their potential in school. Parents are often unfamiliar with the laws and what their child is legally entitled to. Lipsitt’s schedule is hectic; she spends her time answering emails and phone calls in between attending several meetings daily. “Every day of the Michigan school year, I have meetings,” said Lipsitt, who started her advocacy work when her son Andrew, now

AUGUST 19 • 2021

32, was in elementary school. “I don’t keep track of how many students I’ve advocated for because the number would probably frighten me! “I’m the Michigan Department of Education’s worst nightmare,” Lipsitt said, who describes her job as “going to the U.S. Department of Education and their office of Special Ed and basically ratting out Michigan for some pretty bad behavior.” FIGHTING FOR BETTER EDUCATION When Gov. John Engler stripped the authority of the elected state board members of the Michigan Department of Education and gave it Marcie Lipsitt to the non-elected state superintendent in 1996, Lipsitt said it made education in Michigan much worse. “We’ve had five of these non-elected state superintendents, who have all the authority of a dictator,” Lipsitt said. “There’s no transparency; no one holds them accountable.” One example that always gets Lipsitt riled up is the Highly Qualified Teacher Provision in the then-named No Child Left Behind Act. The provision stated that teachers were required to pass the state teacher licensing exam in the subject that they teach.

Marcie Lipsitt with her son Andrew at the Capitol in Lansing advocating for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

“In 2008, Michigan was the only state in the nation that was allowing people to teach high school special ed after simply passing the test to become an elementary teacher!” Lipsitt said. “What can a student with a disability learn in a resource room from a teacher who can’t understand algebra himself? Kids were being taught by teachers who weren’t trained.” In 2009, Lipsitt filed suit against the state of Michigan, and the U.S Department of Education found Michigan in formal violation of two national laws and required them to rectify the matter immediately. In 2016, the Highly Qualified Teacher provision was removed altogether, which Lipsitt said broke her heart. “That’s the end of pushing teachers to be better trained.” PERSONAL LIFE Lipsitt has lived in Michigan her entire life, with the exception of her first two college years in California. She and her husband, Eric, are affiliated with Temple Israel. “My mother said I was born carrying a soapbox,” Lipsitt said. Without laws in place, school was very

continued on page 32

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EDUCATION continued from page 30

“MARCIE KNOWS EVERYTHING INSIDE AND OUT. SHE FOUGHT FOR OUR DAUGHTER AND DID A WONDERFUL JOB.” — PARENT KELLY SESSEL

different back in the 1970s when Lipsitt was a student. Her younger sister, Lori, had learning disabilities and an auditory processing disorder and was bounced between second and first grade numerous times, often without warning and without her parent’s prior knowledge. “Experiences like that always result in negative feelings that can last a lifetime,” Lipsitt said. “My mother knew things were warped, but she didn’t know how to navigate the system. I became Lori’s voice … just like I later became the voice for many children with special needs in school.” Lipsitt has always felt pulled toward civil rights movements and helping others. Her family is used to seeing Lipsitt feeding people on the streets and buying homeless people warm coats for the winter. HELP YOUR CHILD Children are eligible for an IEP if they qualify for special ed. There are 13 areas of eligibility: autism spectrum disorder, cognitive impairment, physical impairment, deaf-blind, severe multiple impairment, early childhood developmental delay, specific learning disability, speech and language impairment, vision impairment, hearing impairment, traumatic brain injury, emotional impairment and otherwise health impaired. When children do not fall into any of those categories, they may be entitled to a 504 plan, which also offers customized accommodations and special education services. To initiate the process for an IEP, “A parent needs to write a letter stating that they want their child to be evaluated for special ed services. It could be emailed to the principal, Department of Special Ed or the school psychologist — it doesn’t really matter who,” Lipsitt said.

“What’s most important is the date on that letter, because legally, they have 10 school days to respond to that written request.” The first meeting is called the Review of Existing Evaluation and Data (REED) where the parent, school psychologist, principal and support staff will review how the student is doing in school and determine how the child needs to be evaluated. At the REED, the IEP meeting will be scheduled. The goal is to identify the child’s strengths and concerns, go over assessment scores, and figure out the accommodations, goals and objectives and special education program and related services which will best help the child access his education and school environment. If a child is found ineligible for an IEP, parents have a right to request an independent educational evaluation (IEE), where the child will be evaluated by a neutral party — at the school district’s expense. “Again,” Lipsitt warned. “This request has to be in writing. Everything has to be in writing.” Local parent Kelly Sessel first hired Lipsitt when her daughter Ariel Fink, now 25, was not succeeding in middle school. The school was not helping her until Lipsitt started turning up at school meetings as Ariel’s advocate. “Marcie knows everything inside and out,” Sessel said. “She fought for our daughter and did a wonderful job. Ariel ended up getting everything she deserved.” Ariel’s IEP gave her small classes, extra time for testing, and even said someone should read her the information, instead of having to read it herself. “Ariel ended up graduating in 2014 with a 3.6 average; she would not have continued on page 34

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Special Ed Proponent Chaya Leah Tinman For more than 30 years, another popular school advocacy choice for the Jewish community was Chaya Leah “Ilene” Tinman of Southfield. Back in the early 1990s, Tinman found her child’s special needs were not being met in the school system and took it upon herself to discover the legalities involved, learned to rephrase what she wanted and get her son what he was legally entitled to. Tinman knew how unequipped she’d felt at first and decided to help other parents who have children struggling in school. Word spread quickly. Throughout her decades as a school advocate, she sat in on hundreds of REED and IEP meetings and helped hundreds of kids receive appropriate supports in school. Most times she was Chaya Leah Tinman able to help secure an IEP or 504 plan for students. “Even years later, parents still stop me when they see me to give me an update on their kid, telling me their child’s success is all because of me,” Tinman said. “It’s an incredible feeling to know I made such a difference and helped change so many lives. Many other times, despite her best efforts, a child was denied an IEP and helping then felt like a “long drawn-out battle.” In those cases, the families ultimately either took their kids to a higher authority or threw up their hands in defeat and gave up the fight. “It’s always so painful to know a child is not getting what he needs in order to succeed in school,” Tinman said. In June 2020, Tinman joined the staff at Jewish Family Service, bringing her skills, knowledge and years of experience into her new role of director of Youth and School Based Services, where she works directly with the Jewish day schools in Detroit. When parents call her these days, she helps by guiding them to local resources. She also still advocates for students in public schools. — Rochel Burstyn

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LIFE

EDUCATION graduated without Marcie’s help,” Sessel said. RECENT WORK Last year, Lipsitt helped more than 60 families file administrative complaints against the Department of Education. Yes, there was a pandemic and things abruptly turned on its head around the world, but that didn’t cancel out America’s students’ rights to a FAPE. “The IEPs were supposed to still hold up, even in the pandemic,” Lipsitt said. She’s hoping some students will win an additional school year; for others she’s hoping for varying amounts of tutoring and/or extra speech and occupational therapy. Beyond helping individual kids and families, Lipsitt also works on a more global front. In 2014, she began checking all state education department websites around the country and found that all except two, Virginia and Maryland, had accessibility issues. Pictures need “alt-text” in order to be accessible for people who are blind; videos have to be closed-captioned properly for people who are deaf. Within a few years, Lipsitt had filed about 2,400 web accessibility complaints against all of these state education departments — ironically some were specialized schools for children who are hearing or vision impaired. More than 1,000 schools agreed to make changes to their website. “It was my biggest contribution to date,” Lipsitt said. In 2018, the Federal Office for Civil Rights decided it was waste of time to deal with so many complaints from a single person and dismissed 672 of them, a motion which was

AUGUST 19 • 2021

COURTESY OF MARCY LIPSITT

continued from page 32

Lipsitt wearing a custom-made “211,000+ Kids Count” mask for an October 2020 rally on the steps of the Michigan Capitol. She had masks made for everyone who attended.

quickly nicknamed the “Marcie Lipsitt rule” by attorneys around the country. “I was outraged that a federal department would unlawfully violate my civil rights,” Lipsitt said, who has jokingly referred to herself as a ‘frequent flier’ with the U.S. Office for Civil Rights. She promptly created a national media storm for awareness and filed a federal lawsuit against them in June 2018. In the February 2020 settlement, the rule that dismissed Lipsitt’s complaints was rescinded, and the unlawfully dismissed complaints were reopened. There’s now an Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation pending on this issue. Most people might find the entire public education system daunting, and there are definitely many kinks in the system, but Lipsitt has no plans to quit. There’s plenty more work to do, and, she says voters have more power than they realize. “People seem to refer to public education like it’s a person, but it’s not. Public education is a set of federal rules, policies and procedures that are only going to be effective if we choose to hold them accountable,” said Lipsitt. “That’s what keeps me awake and forever fighting this tortured mission.”

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EDUCATION

New Faces at MSU Hillel JN STAFF

he Lester and Jewell Morris Hillel Jewish Student Center at Michigan State University and the Hillel Campus Alliance of Michigan (HCAM) welcomed three new hires to its programming staff for the 2021-2022 academic year: Nicki Borovsky as the Jewish student life coordinator, Maya Rosen as the engagement associate and Joshua Rudman as the Springboard Innovation fellow. Nicki Borovsky from Bloomfield Hills recently received her B.A. degree in elementary education from Nicki MSU, will focus on Borovsky enhancing HCAM’s social media presence, student engagement and programming, and supervision of student leadership boards at satellite campuses. Maya Rosen from Birmingham is a 2021 MSU graduate with a B.S. in psychology. She will focus on Maya student engageRosen ment and programming, social media development and MSU Hillel’s premier volunteer program, Destination Lansing. Joshua Rudman is from St. Louis, Mo. He received his B.S. in animal sciences with a minor in reliJoshua gious studies in Rudman 2020 from the University of Missouri. He will be working to bring innovative, creative initia-

tives to MSU Hillel’s programming and engagement with a focus on upper-year student recruitment, athletics and alternative breaks. Patti Morris Phillips has been named president of the board of directors, replacing Stuart Sklar. A leader in the Patti Morris Phillips Jewish community for more than 40 years, Phillips’ roots with MSU run deep. In 1999, she became involved with MSU Hillel when the Federation began working to reimagine MSU Hillel with a new facility and a capital campaign. Recognizing that Jewish students at MSU deserved a warm and welcoming place to call their own, she and her family made the lead capital gift naming the Hillel center to honor the memory of her father, Lester. In 2008, MSU Hillel expanded, renaming the center to honor her father and mother, Lester and Jewell Morris. “I am looking forward to working with Patti as she takes over the presidency for the next two years — she is extremely qualified and experienced as a community leader,” said Executive Director Cindy Hughey. “MSU Hillel and HCAM are sure to benefit from her passion and commitment.” In addition to Phillips, MSU Hillel and HCAM have added four members to the board: Michelle Budaj, Sam Dubin, Lindsay Gordon Weiss and Josh Terebelo. For a list of MSU Hillel’s board, visit msuhillel.org/ boardofdirectors.

AUGUST 19 • 2021

sports HIGHlights brought to you in partnership with

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Baker Takes the Cake!

Golfer’s first hole-in-one is the first ace in B’nai B’rith league history. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Longtime friends and B’nai B’rith Golf League teammates Josh Harvith (left) and Josh Baker stand by the pin where Baker shot a hole-in-one. LEFT: Here’s Josh Baker’s hole-in-one scorecard.

osh Baker hit his tee shot on the third hole of the South course at the Links of Novi. He had no idea what was about to happen. Using an old tee from another golfer he had just found on the ground, Baker launched a 9-iron shot on the 133-yard par-3 hole that made history. When his shot rolled into the cup, it was not only his first hole-in-one in his 23 years of playing golf, but the first ace in the nine-year history of the B’nai B’rith Golf League. Baker was so excited after his shot that he didn’t think about saving the golf ball he used for the ace.

“I played with that ball for the next couple holes until someone told me to put it away,” he said. It was a good idea to put away the ball because Baker lost a different golf ball while playing the eighth hole. Perhaps distracted by the aftermath of his hole-in-one, Baker shot double-bogey on the final two holes of the ninehole round and finished with 7-over 41. Baker normally plays more golf than he’s been able to squeeze in this summer. The 48-year-old West Bloomfield resident is the owner of Baker Design + Build, a building and remodeling company, and he’s been

DAVID SWIMMER

quick hits

BY STEVE STEIN

coached by Dylan Bressler (3-1). “But the league was very competitive,” said Farber graduate Shamayev, the The Shul League league’s youngest was made up mostplayer along with ly of teams from being its founder Daniel Shamayev area Orthodox and commissioner. shuls. Shamayev Going into the playoffs, hopes the Synagogue the only two league teams League, also his idea, also with above .500 records will have teams from area in the regular season were Reform and Conservative Young Israel of Oak Park synagogues, hence the (4-1) and an unnamed team name change from the Shul

Shul Basketball League Becomes the Synagogue Basketball League The Detroit Shul Basketball League has wrapped up its inaugural season. Now it gives way to the Detroit Synagogue Basketball League for its debut season. Shul League games were played at Farber Hebrew Day School in Southfield, which will be the site for

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Synagogue League games. Playoffs in the weekly Shul League — a fiveteam league put together by 20-year-old Daniel Shamayev of Keego Harbor over a couple weeks in July — were held Aug. 17 and 18, with third-place and championship games played Aug. 18.

busy with projects. “I’ve only played golf in the B’nai B’rith league this year,” he said. Baker’s hole-in-one was shot July 15. The previous week in league play, he left a tee shot about a foot and a half from the hole on a par-3 hole on the West course at the Links of Novi, which has three nine-hole courses. “That was the closest I’d come to shooting a hole-inone until I actually shot one,” Baker said. “I’d never even seen someone shoot a holein-one until I shot mine.” There were no early indications that Baker was going to shoot an ace the week after his close call. He had to scramble to shoot bogey on the first two holes. “I consider myself a bogey golfer, but I wasn’t exactly on fire at that point of the round,” he said. The pin on hole No. 3 was only about 5 feet behind a sand trap on the left side of the green. Conventional wisdom said it was best to send a shot to the middle of the green and avoid the bunker.

But Baker’s shot went straight for the pin, landed below the cup, rolled a couple feet and dropped into the hole. He remembers saying “Clear the bunker,” then he saw the ball disappear, figured it went into the hole, and he started yelling. So did everyone else in his four-golfer group, including league teammate Josh Harvith, “my best friend since second grade,” Baker said. “What was amazing about my hole-in-one shot is there was such a small window to land the ball between the bunker and the pin,” Baker said. Besides the ball he used for his hole-in-one and his scorecard from the round, Baker has another memento from his memorable day. “I got a hat from the golf course,” he said. This is Baker’s third year in the B’nai B’rith Golf League. He’s been teammates with Harvith, a Novi resident, all three years.

League. Weekly play will begin Aug. 24 and continue through Nov. 3, with a sixweek regular season, two weeks of playoffs, and time off for Jewish holidays. Games will have 20-minute halves and paid officials. Michigan high school rules will apply. A prayer service will be held before and after each night’s games, with play beginning at 7 p.m. and continuing until 10 p.m. Concessions will be

available with profits split between the scorekeeper for games and Farber. “My goal is for the Synagogue League to have 10 teams,” Shamayev said last week. “Realistically, I’m looking at six or eight.” Interested in joining the Synagogue League? Wondering about team fees? Send an email to Shamayev at Danielrshamayev@gmail. com.

Please send sports news to stevestein502004@yahoo.com.

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continued on page 40 AUGUST 19 • 2021

STEVE ACHTMAN

QUICK HITS continued from page 39

STEVE ACHTMAN

sports HIGHlights Men’s Club Softball League Announces Sportsmanship, Pure Heart Award Winners Glenn Scher from the Koufax Division and Max Flam from the Rosen Division. The Michael Yendick Award, presented by the B’nai B’rith Softball League starting in 2001 and the InterCongregational League starting in 2017 after the B’nai B’rith league folded, honors a former B’nai B’rith softball player who was “a true sportsman, an accomplished athlete and a dedicated teammate … a mensch, always.” Yendick died of cancer in 2000 at age 36 after playing in B’nai B’rith softball, basketball and volleyball leagues for more than 20 years. This year’s Michael Yendick Award recipients, also honored Aug. 1, were Bruce Kaye from the Greenberg Division, Jeff Hollander from the

Michael Yendick Pure Heart Award winner, Jeff Hollander, (fourth from left) joins Bernice and Al Yendick, Michael Yendick’s parents, and InterCongregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League organizers Mitch Klein (left), Steve Achtman and Michael Betman after the award presentation.

Koufax Division and Howard Fershtman from the Rosen Division. The league’s umpires select the Michael Yendick Award winners. Umpire-in-chief Rob Landaw praised this year’s award recipients for their conduct on and off the softball diamond. “Do they ever cause any problems for umpires? Never. Never. Never,” he said.

Jeff Fox Sportsmanship Award winner, Glenn Scher, (second from left) celebrates with Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League organizers Mitch Klein, Steve Achtman and Michael Betman. STEVE ACHTMAN

There’s some serious business to attend to before the playoffs begin each year in the Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League. The recipients of the league’s Jeff Fox Sportsmanship and Michael Yendick Pure Heart awards are announced. This year, for the second straight time since the league went to a divisional setup in 2017, each of the league’s three divisions had an honoree for each award. The Jeff Fox Award has been presented since 2012 to honor the memory of a Temple Shir Shalom softball player who died Dec. 22, 2011. This year’s Jeff Fox Award recipients, honored Aug. 1, were Seth Schmitz from the Greenberg Division,

Michael Yendick Pure Heart Award winner, Bruce Kaye, (right) and his son Andrew Kaye.

Regular-Season Champs Crowned in Men’s Club Softball League Temple Israel No. 2. Temple Beth El. Congregation Shir Tikvah. They’re the regular-season division champions of the Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League. Temple Israel No. 2 won the Greenberg Division with a 16-4 record, ahead of three teams that tied for second place in the fiveteam division. Temple Beth El’s 15-5 record was the best in the Koufax Division. Congregation Shir Tikvah topped the Rosen Division with a 13-7 record. Those three teams

AUGUST 19 • 2021

regular-season standings for the divisions (ties were broken by tie-breakers):

earned the No. 1 seed in their division for the twoweek, double-elimination playoffs that began Aug. 15, a week later than planned because of rainouts during the season. This is the second consecutive year the 26-yearold league has had double-elimination playoffs. Here are the complete

GREENBERG DIVISION 1. Temple Israel No. 2 16-4 2. Temple Israel No. 5 14-5-1 3. Temple Israel No. 6 14-5-1 4. Temple Shir Shalom No. 2 14-5-1 5. Temple Israel No. 4 4-16 KOUFAX DIVISION 1. Temple Beth El 15-5 2. Temple Israel No. 3 12-8 3. Congregation Shaarey Zedek 8-11-1 4. Temple Israel No. 1 8-12 5. Adat Shalom Synagogue No. 1 7-12-1

ROSEN DIVISION 1. Congregation Shir Tikvah 13-7 2. Congregation Beth Ahm 10-10 3. Adat Shalom Synagogue No. 2 6-13-1 4. Temple Shir Shalom No. 3 4-16 5. Bais Chabad Torah Center 2-18 League games are played at Drake Sports Park and Keith Sports Park in West Bloomfield. Playoff results are on the league’s website, mensclubsoftball.org.

MAZEL TOV! Adeline Frances Sherman will lead the congregation in prayer as she becomes a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. She will be joined in celebration by her proud parents, Emily and Ted Sherman, and brothers Tom and AJ. She is the loving grandchild of Renee and Jerry Sherman, and Joan and the late Robert Jampel. Addie is a student at Bloomfield Hills Middle School. For her mitzvah project, she helped deliver food to families in need for Yad Ezra in Berkley.

Spencer Sherr, son of Andrea and Roger Sherr, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. He will be joined in celebration by his siblings Mitchel and Valarie and his grandmothers Carol Nederlander and Harriet Sherr. Spencer is also the loving grandchild of the late Michael Jacoby, the late Joe Nederlander and the late Bill Sherr. He is a student at Cranbrook Boys Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. As part of his most meaningful mitzvah project, Spencer collected cans to raise money for a donation to Make-a-Wish Foundation.

HOW TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Mazel Tov! announcements are welcomed for members of the Jewish community. Anniversaries, engagements and weddings with a photo (preferably color) can appear at a cost of $18 each. Births are $10. There is no charge for bar/bat mitzvahs or for special birthdays starting at the 90th. For information, contact Editorial Assistant Sy Manello at smanello@thejewishnews.com or (248) 351-5147 for information or for a mailed or emailed copy of guidelines.

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AUGUST 19 • 2021

ne of the most bewilAmalek as “like a leech eager for dering commandblood,” and “like a fly looking ments in the entire for sores to feed on.” Torah shows up at the end of No matter how insidious this week’s parshah. Ki Teitzei Amalek may be, the commandopens by describing some of ment itself seems problematic. the complex Jewish Are we supposed to blot laws regarding warfare. out the name Amalek, as From the earliest days if it didn’t exist? Or are we of our Jewish people, supposed to remember it? even the most disPerhaps we are to rememturbing aspects of life, ber to forget his name? such as slavery, capital Reflecting on this passage Rabbi Mark Miller punishment, or (dare I within the context of 2021, say it) disobedient chilit makes more sense to me. Parshat dren, were expected to Part of the human condiKi Teitzei: be pursued in an ethtion is figuring out how Deuteronomy ical manner. Precisely to handle the aftermath of 21:10-25:19; in situations like these, Isaiah 54:1-10. difficult moments. Putting it God demands actions behind us could be considbefitting a holy people. ered repressing something This leads to the problem of important. But dwelling on it Amalek. Amalek was one of could be considered neurotic. In Esau’s grandsons — part of the the wake of a pandemic, what family of Abraham, but on the will be the most effective way outside after Jacob seized the for any of us to learn and grow blessing to continue the line of from the experiences we have our patriarchs. In Jewish cushad, from all we’ve lost? tom, the name Amalek is spoThis parshah arrives just as ken with disdain, evoking a sim- we are walking through Elul, a ilar (if less emotional) reaction full month dedicated to preparto hearing Haman or Hitler. It is ing for the High Holidays. We this very parshah in which the are meant to show up to Rosh name Amalek is enshrined as Hashanah with an open, honest a pariah for all time: “You shall assessment of ourselves. What blot out the memory of Amalek has hurt us? What has limited from under heaven. Do not for- us? What has agitated us? What get!” (Exodus 25:19) has disappointed us? The immediate reason given And then Yom Kippur profor this harsh commandment vides us a chance to enter 5782 is that soon after escaping from with a clean slate. Not a brand slavery in Egypt, it was the new slate, but a clean one. The Amalekites who first attacked path is somewhere between our people in the wilderness. remembering and forgetting Even the manner of the attacks — a place that is, as our Torah was reprehensible — lying in portion reminds us, confusing wait and picking off the stragand mystifying. But ultimately glers. Rather than engaging in accessible. ethical warfare, Amalek tarRabbi Mark Miller is senior rabbi at geted the slowest and weakest. Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. Rabbinic literature described

PUT THE BACK IN YOUR

HIGH HOLIDAYS

Please join Partners Detroit for a 3-PART DINNER & LEARN SERIES to prepare for the High Holidays. They may be early this year, but together with Partners we will be ready for them! In conjunction with our Tuesday night Torah study, we’ll be bringing you inspiration in novel and uplifting ways.

A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON ROSH HASHANAH

TIMELESS MELODIES WITH WORLD RENOWNED CANTOR

Join Rabbi Miller, who we are honored to have as our new dean at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, as he revolutionizes the way we relate to the Jewish New Year.

With just one week until Rosh Hashana, get into the holiday vibe with stirring cantoral pieces from the High Holiday liturgy. The silky smooth voice and incredible range of Cantor Dovid Caytak will astound you. Without a doubt, you will leave wanting for more!

Dovid Caytak

Rabbi Gershon Miller

tuesday, august 24

TUESDAY EVENINGS at the Bais Yaakov Auditorium 14390 W. 10 Mile Road, Oak Park

tuesday, august 31

DINNER 7:00 PM

THE PRAYERS OF YOM KIPPUR

The Partners Team

The holiest day on the Jewish calendar is filled with a whole lot of prayer! We will take you through the prayers of the day in a meaningful and understandable way. No longer will the thick Yom Kippur prayer book seem daunting; you will actually enjoy going through it! tuesday, september 14

STUDY 8:00 PM

PRESENTATION 7:30 PM

dinner is by RSVP only partnersdetroit.org/high-holidays AUGUST 19 • 2021

SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

How Shabbat Changes Us W

e are influenced by the company that we keep. Friends have an especially profound influence on how we feel, think and behave — even how we identify. A 2013 study published in Psychological Science, and a 2014 study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, show that friends greatly influence the choices we make. Another recent study shows that people with close friends are likely to live Chief Rabbi longer, and that friendships Warren reduce blood pressure, heart Goldstein rate and cholesterol. But, in this week’s parshah, we read about a friend of a different kind — though one no less influential: Shabbos. “The Children of Israel shall observe the Shabbat, to make the Shabbat an eternal covenant for their generations.” (Shemot 31:16) The Midrash describes Shabbos as the eternal companion of the Jewish people. And the relationship between the Jewish people and Shabbos has indeed endured for thousands of years. It has spanned continents and historical eras. Wherever

AUGUST 19 • 2021

we have gone, Shabbos has accompanied us every step of the journey — and, like a good friend, it has positively impacted us. It helped us discover, and become, our best selves. It has defined our very identity. How has Shabbos sustained generations of Jews through every imaginable circumstance? What is the secret power of this God-given gift, and how has it been able to exert such influence on us? When we keep Shabbos, we proclaim some of the most important principles of our faith. Every Friday night, as we gather around our Shabbos tables and recite the ancient words of the Kiddush prayer, we declare that God created the world, and bear witness to the fact that the beauty and sheer engineering brilliance of the universe is His work; we declare that God took us out of Egypt and bear witness to the fact that He is interested in human affairs and that He guides history; and that He wants us to live in accordance with the moral and spiritual principles which He revealed to us. These basic tenets of Jewish faith are deeply transformative. They are the pillars that guide us as communities, and as

individuals, in our daily lives. They frame our worldview as Jews and give us comfort and conviction. They make us who we are. The Ramban explains that this connection between Shabbos and faith in God is also the connection between Shabbos — the fourth of the Ten Commandments — and the first three commandments, which detail our relationship with our Creator in more explicit terms. The first commandment is about the existence of God. The second commandment is about not worshipping other gods, and the third commandment is about giving appropriate respect to God. Shabbos, which declares God as the Creator of the world, says the Ramban, is their logical extension. Practically speaking, how does Shabbos connect us to faith? The Ramban explains the twofold process alluded to in the two words the Torah references to observing Shabbos. We are commanded to “remember” Shabbos (zachor) and to “observe” Shabbos (shamor). He says, based on the Talmud, that “remembering” Shabbos means being cognizant of Shabbos even during the days of the week, as well as on Shabbos

itself, when we verbally declare the abovementioned foundational tenets of the Jewish faith. “Observing” Shabbos, on the other hand, is about desisting from the acts of creative work prohibited on Shabbos. The irony is that this seemingly endless list of regulations and prohibitions is amazingly liberating because it’s the things we can’t do on Shabbos that free us up to do the things we can. Says the Ramban, “observing” Shabbos allows us the opportunity to fully engage ourselves in spiritual pursuits — learning Torah, connecting to God through deep, heartfelt prayer and deepening our faith in our Creator. There is another way in which Shabbos is spiritually transformative: it reaffirms our role as God’s partner in creation. The Midrash makes this explicit, stating that whoever recites the paragraph Vayechulu — which refers to God’s completion of the world on the very first Shabbos of creation, and which we say in the first part of the Kiddush on Friday night — “it’s as if he has become a partner with the Holy One, blessed is He, in creation.” BEING GOD’S PARTNER Conceptually, Shabbos is a mitzvah that actively demonstrates that we are God’s partners in creation. The Torah explains that we work for six days and rest on the seventh because God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. By mirroring our own existence in our Creator’s, the Torah is signaling to us that we are essentially creators, like Him, moving through the very same seven-day cycle of creation and rest. But we are not just God’s partners in creating the world out there. We are very much partners in creating ourselves. And Shabbos is a crucial element of this process of inner transformation. The Talmud identifies 39 categories of work that are prohibited on Shabbos. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch says the common denominator is that all 39 are expressions of human creativity. All 39 melachot (acts of work) — whether it be harvesting, baking, cooking, carrying or lighting a fire — are about imposing human will on the world to achieve creative and constructive objectives. Rabbi Hirsch explains that God gave us powers of creativity to exercise freely. This we do during the week. But on

Shabbos, we “give back” these powers to God. We acknowledge the Divine source of our creativity. We acknowledge the One who created us, who gave us these creative powers, as the ultimate Creator. Shabbos, then, becomes about a different kind of creativity. Shabbos teaches that creativity is not just about tangible things. We do the work of becoming better people. During the week, we are involved in creativity which has a tangible, measurable impact on the world. On Shabbos, the focus switches. We transfer our creative energies into creating ourselves. We do this by acknowledging God as the Creator of the universe, which, as we have discussed, has a deep impact on our faith and sense of identity.

“SHABBOS HAS ACCOMPANIED US EVERY STEP OF THE JOURNEY — AND, LIKE A GOOD FRIEND, IT HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED US.” But, on Shabbos, we also transform ourselves through the time and mental space we are afforded to work on our characters, to reflect on our lives, to build and enrich our relationships with others and with God. Their impact may not be directly observable or tangible in a traditional sense, but these are all intensely creative endeavors. On Shabbos, we learn to appreciate the idea of internal creativity that emerges from ceasing external creativity. We learn this from God Himself. The Torah says: “God completed His work on the seventh day.” (Bereishit 2:2) Rashi, referring to the Midrash, says the verse implies that God did actually perform creative “work” on the seventh day; that rest itself was a creation. The Torah is reinforcing the idea that there is a creative aspect to desisting from work on Shabbos — that rest on Shabbos isn’t about doing nothing, and creativity is not just about what we produce physically. People tend to measure themselves by their tangible productivity. Unless

they are creating something that can be touched, measured or charged for, they believe they are not being productive. But, sometimes, we need to stop our frenzied activity so we can focus our attention inwards. When we cease external creativity and focus on developing ourselves and improving our relationships with our families and community, when we invest in our spirituality and our connection to God, and in the relationship with ourselves, we are being no less productive and creative. The laws of Shabbos are structured in such a way as to facilitate this form of productivity and creativity. LOOKING INWARD Ultimately, we see that becoming a partner with God in creation is not just building the external world, it’s about building our own inner world, transforming ourselves into the best version of us we can be. And Shabbos, in many ways, aids us in this task — it’s a day on which we withdraw from the world in a certain sense and replenish our inner reserves; it’s deep, spiritual “quiet time” that refreshes and reinvigorates us, that refines and redefines us. By making the declaration of Vayechulu, that God created heaven and Earth, we become a partner with God in creation in this full sense. Of course, God does not need our affirmation. As the Ramban explains, Shabbos, like any other mitzvah, is for our benefit, not God’s. And, like any other mitzvah, like any good friend, Shabbos helps us become better people. It transforms us. There endures a deep and loving friendship between the Jewish people and Shabbos, a friendship that is deeply embedded in our national psyche. This emotional connection to Shabbos is reflected in the words of an ancient song traditionally sung on Friday night. “Mah yedidut menuchatech — How beloved a friend is your rest.” It is this friendship with Shabbos, this enriching relationship, that has truly transformed and uplifted the Jewish people for thousands of years and will continue to do so forever. Rabbi Warren Goldstein is the chief rabbi of South Africa.

AUGUST 19 • 2021

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

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Kehillat Hatzhav Hagadol Mackinac Island (906) 202-9959 mackinacsynagogue.org

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

ORTHODOX Agudas Israel Mogen Abraham Southfield (248) 552-5711 aymadetroit.org

Chabad House-Lubavitch of Eastern Michigan Flint (810) 230-0770 chabad.org

Ahavas Olam Southfield (248) 569-1821 Ahavasolam.com

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

Ahavas Yisroel Oak Park (248) 298-2896 Learntorah.info Aish Hatorah in the Woods Oak Park (248) 327-3579 Aishdetroit.com Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills (248) 855-2910 chabad.org Bais Chabad of North Oak Park (248) 872-8878 chabad.org Bais Haknesses Hagrah Oak Park (248) 542-8737 Balfour Shul – K’Hal Rina U’Tefila Oak Park (732) 693-8457

Chabad Jewish Center of Novi-Northville (248) 790-6075 novijewishcenter.com Chabad Jewish Center of Troy Troy/Rochester Hills (248) 873-5851 jewishtroy.com Chabad-Lubavitch of Bingham Farms Bloomfield Hills (248) 688-6796 chabadbinghamfarms.com

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

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

Shaarey Zedek Windsor (519) 252-1594 shaareyzedekwindsor.com

Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh Oak Park (313) 320-9400 dbndetroit.org

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

Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomreyemunah-105705.square.site The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net

Congregation Beth El Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca

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

Temple Beth El Battle Creek (269) 963-4921

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

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

Temple Jacob Hancock templejacobhancock.org

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

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

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

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

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

Temple Beth Israel Bay City (989) 893-7811 tbi-mich.org

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

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

Temple Beth Israel Jackson (517) 784-3862 tbijackson.org

Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org

Congregation T’chiyah Ferndale (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit (313) 567-0306 reconstructingjudiasm.org REFORM Bet Chaverim Canton (734) 480-8880 betchaverim@yahoo.com Temple Benjamin Mt. Pleasant (989) 773-5086 templebenjamin.com

Congregation Beth Shalom Traverse City 231-946-1913 beth-shalom-tc.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 Lathrup Village (240 865-0117 secularsaimichigan.org SEPHARDIC Keter Torah Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 681-3665 rabbisasson.wixsite.com/keter

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

ANN ARBOR

CONSERVATIVE Beth Israel Congregation (734) 665-9897 @BethIsraelCongregation ORTHODOX Ann Arbor Chabad House (734) 995-3276 jewmich.com Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan annarborminyan.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation (734) 445-1910 aarecon.org REFORM Temple Beth Emeth (734) 665-4744 templebethemeth.org RENEWAL Pardes Hanah pardeshanah.org SECULAR HUMANISTIC Jewish Cultural Society (734) 975-9872 jewishculturalsociety.org Please email factual corrections or additional synagogues to list to: smanello@thejewishnews.com. AUGUST 19 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE MUSIC

Exotic Songs of the Jewish Mideast Jewish-Persian singer Galeet Dardashti will perform at Temple Beth El’s Global Voices, Aug. 27-28. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

hen Jewish singer-scholar Galeet Dardashti developed a live performance that included the digital presence of her late and famed grandfather, Persian classical singer Yona Dardashti, she thought the setup was very original. Soon, however, audience members started telling her about similar setups featuring the late and famed secular singer Natalie Cole, recognized for appearing live and augmented with a digital presence by her late dad, singer-pianist Nat King Cole. While the Coles especially were noted for the New World approach to the enduring standard “Unforgettable,” written by Jewish composer Irving Gordon, Dardashti hopes that her many original programs — mixing Jewish-Persian liturgy and music — will be unforgettable as presented Aug. 27-28 at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township. Cantor Rachel Gottlieb Kalmowitz, central to inviting Dardashti to appear at the temple’s annual Global Voices Weekend, has announced three separate presentations: Global Voices Summer

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Shabbat on Friday evening, Nosh and Knowledge on Saturday afternoon and “Monajat,” a reimagining of the Selichot ritual, on Saturday evening. “With our Global Voices series, we are choosing to

very exciting weekend for me,” said Dardashti, who is based in New York, serves as cantor and musician-in-residence at the Jewish Community Project Downtown in Manhattan and has been performing since age 3.

“AN IMPORTANT GOAL IS TO BROADEN PEOPLE’S UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT JEWISHNESS SOUNDS LIKE.” bring Jewish musicians from many different backgrounds to share their particular genres of Jewish music,” Kalmowitz said. “We began with the bluegrass and old-time music influences of Nefesh Mountain followed by Israeli superstar David Broza, whose greatest influences are rock ’n’ roll and Spanish guitar.” Dardashti will appear in the first in-person Global Voices Weekend with an emphasis on Sephardic and Mizrahi music. “These will be the first public performances I’m doing since the pandemic so it’s a

Her introduction to the stage came with being part of a family group headed by her father, Cantor Farid Dardashti, and folksinging mother, Sheila. She led High Holiday services last year but was only with the rabbi and the musicians as services were streamed. A SPECIAL WEEKEND Dardashti, who will be leading Shabbat services on Friday night in collaboration with the Temple Beth El clergy, will speak about herself and her journey as both musician and scholar performing and

discussing Middle Eastern Jewish music. Although born and raised in the United States, she has been influenced by her Middle Eastern heritage. On Saturday afternoon, Dardashti will be teaching a class on Sephardi poetic songs (piyutim) and will delve into the way these musical poetic traditions have evolved throughout Jewish history and came to have important meaning for Israeli pop music over the last 20 years. The Saturday night program, including four New York jazz musicians who join in vocals, will feature “Monajat,” which means an intimate dialog with the Divine. The piece, honoring her grandfather, was created many years ago as commissioned by the Foundation for Jewish Culture. Accompanying the singer-scholar will be Dafer Tawil (percussion, ney, violin), Shanir Blumenkranz (acoustic bass, oud), Philip Mayer (percussion, electronics) and Max ZT (hammered dulcimer). “I probably will be doing ‘Monajat’ in a slightly different way for the Temple Beth El performance because I am reworking it now for a recording and revisiting a lot of the music,” said Dardashti, who holds a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology and has entertained in Michigan with her group, Divahn, a female quartet that presents traditional Middle Eastern music with contemporary arrangements. “I’m recording this project with a big grant from the Borns Jewish Studies Program at Indiana University and the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture. I’m looking at the piece with a new lens and insights into my grandfather that I didn’t have before I started working on a documentary film about him with my sister, Danielle.”

Details

Global Voices Weekend runs Friday-Saturday, Aug. 27-28, on the grounds of Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, where there will be a tent. Except for a possible catered lunch ($12) for the Saturday program, the events — 7 p.m. Friday, 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday — are free and open to the community. They also will be livestreamed. To order lunch, RSVP to nfortier@comcast.net. To stream, go to tbelive.org. (248) 851-1100. tbeonline.org. Galeet Dardashti

COURTESY OF GALEET DARDASHTI

ACADEMIC SIDE Although Dardashti started as a voice major at the University of Maryland, College Park, she decided to pursue a doctoral degree that would allow her to study music in a different context. “I could be the nerd that I am, get deep into research and continue my musical interests and studies,” explained Dardashti, married to a lawyer and the mother of two sons, ages 13 and 10. “I was a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin when I met a bunch of musicians who started Divahn, and I got more deeply into Middle Eastern music. The plan was to pursue an academic career with music on the side, but the music took over a little bit. I would go back and forth between being a musician and being an academic.” After moving to New York, Dardashti served as an associate professor of Jewish music at the Jewish Theological Seminary and was the recipient of musical grants. One was for a project called “The Naming,” which featured songs that represented women in the Middle East. “In all of my work, the unifying strand is broadening the concept of Jewishness, Jewish music and Jewish practice,” Dardashti said in echoing the intent of Global Voices. “North America is predominantly Ashkenazi in Jewish practice, so people’s understanding of Judaism is very Western. An important goal in the public work I do is to broaden people’s understanding of what Jewishness sounds like.”

AUGUST 19 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE ART

Freedom to Express A young artist with special needs creates Statue of Liberty inspired sculptures. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

AUGUST 19 • 2021

COURTESY OF TERRY MATLEN

rtist Mackenzie Matlen has had a lifelong fascination with the Statue of Liberty. To the 34-year-old, who has special needs, the international symbol represented freedom and hope. After learning about the statue in an American history class, something about it “stuck with her all these years,” explains Mackenzie’s mother, Terry Matlen of Birmingham. Mackenzie even spoke about the Statue of Liberty as a teenage girl during her bat mitzvah speech at the Birmingham Temple (now the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit). Fast forward more than 20 years, and Mackenzie is still passionate about making the Statue of Liberty a part of her life. While taking art classes at the Friendship Circle’s Soul Studio & Gallery, a creative space designated for adults who have special needs, Mackenzie decided to build an 8-foot-tall sculpture in honor of the famous statue. She assembled random items found at the studio to craft the towering figure, among others inspired by the Statue of Liberty, one of which Terry submitted to the 2021 Michigan Fine Arts Competition at Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. For Terry, who works as a psychotherapist but is also a fine artist her-

Mackenzie Matlen and her 8-foot-high Statue of Liberty.

“SHE LOVES GOING TO SOUL STUDIO AND MAKING ART. SHE’S EMBRACED BY EVERYBODY, AND THEY CELEBRATE HER DIFFERENCES.” — TERRY MATLEN

self, the joy of hearing that her daughter’s artwork had been accepted into the prestigious competition — alongside her own — was a surprise she never expected. A ‘SILVER LINING’ “This is a huge deal,” Terry explains. “This isn’t just a little show where everybody gets in. This is an inclusive art exhibition where I generally have not seen many people who have special needs get pieces accepted into the show.” Not only was Mackenzie’s Statue of Liberty sculpture accepted, but it was put into the very center of the art show as a statement piece. For the young artist, who Terry says has been walking around proud of her work and posting about her achievement on Facebook, being able to serve as a model for other artists who have special needs was a surprising silver lining of the experience. “Expressing herself verbally can be a challenge, but art is a creative aspect of her life where she can express herself,” Terry says. “She flies in the studio and pulls materials from all over to build and create.” Terry says her daughter Mackenzie has “come a long way” in her creative style. “She loves making things,” Terry continues. “She has to be busy to calm herself down and to calm down her nervous system. She has to keep her hands busy.” ROAD TO RECOVERY At 16 months, Mackenzie had a bad reaction to the MMR baby vaccine. “She was hospitalized, and nobody could tell what would happen to her,” Terry recalls. Mackenzie, who continued to have uncontrollable seizures, was put into a drug-induced coma to calm her brain activity. When she woke up, she was in a near-vegetative state.

“She lost her ability to talk and walk,” Terry says. “She basically lost all functions.” After three weeks in the hospital, Mackenzie began rehab. Doctor after doctor told Terry Mackenzie would never speak again and that the family should consider teaching her sign language. But Mackenzie pulled through, making a miraculous recovery and getting back most of her abilities. Now, she’s able to walk, talk and run, with Terry calling her daughter “very active” and “having a great sense of humor.” ART FOR COMMUNICATION Mackenzie’s art is a key outlet for the young adult to communicate. At Soul Studio and beyond, her work is praised for its creative and innocent nature. She even has two finished pieces on display at the gallery in addition to her work at BBAC, which will be displayed through August. “She’s made a name for herself over there,” Terry says, “particularly in the way she makes these Statues of Liberty.” Terry calls this milestone achievement a “significant moment” in the life of Mackenzie, who hasn’t often been included in inclusive events such as this one. For years, Mackenzie didn’t receive invites to birthday parties of friends who were neurotypical, simply because she has special needs. “Her self-esteem has shot up,” Terry says. “She loves going to Soul Studio and making art. She’s embraced by everybody, and they celebrate her differences.” With Mackenzie’s success, Terry hopes that the focus will shift away from her daughter having special needs, but instead lean into her daughter being a person who happens to have special needs who is also an artist. “I’m blown away by the progress she’s made,” Terry says. “She’s just really grown in great ways that have impressed me.”

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ARTS&LIFE THEATER

JET Theatre Is Back Live! The 1950s teen musical Grease will be performed outside.

Details

Grease will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Aug. 27-28, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 29, at the Walled Lake Farmers Market, 1499 E. West Maple Road. $16-$20. Bring your own chairs. Food and beverages on sale. (248) 788-2900. jettheatre.org.

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ike other theater companies in Metro Detroit, the Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET) is returning to the live stage — only moved outside with a musical production planned to attract family audiences. Grease, a romp about 1950s teens and the issues they face, features a cast numbering more than 20 and spotlights songs, played by a live band, that became popular beyond the show — “Shakin’ at the High School Hop,” “Freddy My Love” and “Summer Nights.” It will be staged Friday-Sunday, Aug. 27-29, on the grounds of the Walled Lake Farmers Market. Kevin Keller takes the part of Eugene, the class valedictorian, a supporting role in the show created by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The main characters, Sandy and Danny, are played by Sarah Kmiec and Grant Cleveland.

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Kevin Keller, who plays Eugene, studies the script.

The JET ensemble rehearses for Grease.

“Grease is just a ball of energy from start to finish so it’s a really nice step back into theater,” said Keller, 24. “We’re having a great time as a cast and glad to be outside in the summer. Beyond this production, I’m drawn to supporting parts that round out the show’s environment while the leads go off and do their heavy lifting.” Before graduating Wayne State University in 2020 as a theater major, Keller had been featured in the JET production Shame, which is one of the anti-bullying plays presented to groups of young people, and he is glad to be moving on to a mainstage show in addition to retaining that element of JET. Keller, who lives in Sterling Heights, was introduced to theater participation by a teacher at L’Anse Creuse High School–North. She asked if he would like to audition for a program that combined

OUTDOOR THEATER “The first time I actually directed and wrote was for the outdoors,” said Keller, whose day job has to do with freight forwarding, making sure that goods are handled according to customs regulations. “I self-produced a new translation of Spring Awakening performed in a courtyard at Wayne State. It was part of my thesis, but it was not attached to the university. Doing outdoor theater is a fun experience because there are the elements that also need attention.”

The musicians setting the play to music appeared for JET’s production of Cabaret — Stacy White (keyboards), Lee Cleaveland (guitar), Kevin DeClaire (saxophone), Jake Andrzejewski (bass) and Sam Andrzejewski (drums). “I’m excited to be outside for our first professional show since the pandemic and glad it is in conjunction with the Walled Lake Downtown Development Authority,” said Christopher Bremer, JET executive director. “What better way to end the summer than with community involvement?” JET SCHEDULE If it rains on Friday, audience members, asked to bring their own chairs, will be given tickets for Saturday. If it rains on Saturday, the tickets will be for Sunday. If it rains on Sunday, audience members can use their tickets for another upcoming production — The Rocky Horror Show (Sept. 30-Oct. 24), Same Time, Next Year (Nov. 4-28), The Full Monty (Dec. 9-Jan. 2) and Amadeus (March 18-April 10). “It’s been incredibly difficult during the pandemic even with Zoom readings,” Bremer said. “Theater is meant to be live in front of people gathering and having a shared emotional experience. “Still, we are very proud of one Zoom program we took to youngsters in other states who otherwise may not have the opportunity to ask questions about the Holocaust. It was an interactive experience with an actress portraying Anne Frank in hiding.” As Bremer looks forward to a return to live theater and the music of Grease, he said, “I’m hoping people get up and dance.”

ARTS&LIFE

LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP/TIMES OF ISRAEL

English and acting studies, and he entered his path for the future. “I’m attracted to theater by the collaborative process and getting to engage with a different person by developing a character,” he said. “I’m always the most thrilled when I’m creating together with others. The art of theater speaks to me in a way that no other art form has.” In working at JET, Keller also feels a connection to his Jewish roots explored only recently. He learned about some religious traditions through Hillel programs at Wayne. Keller’s most recent professional acting work has been in High School Musical at the Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale and It’s a Wonderful Life at the Riverbank Theatre in Marine City. Also a writer, he has had two plays produced through Wayne State programming: Something Gay: A Brief Hookup, which is about relationships and online dating, and Front of the House, which was a Zoom presentation about restaurant workers on the last day the restaurant is in business.

CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

OLYMPIC ROUND-UP The Tokyo Games featured 22 Jewish athletes from the diaspora as well as the 90-member (Jewish) Israeli team. The individual Israeli medal winners are Artem Dolgopyat, gold in artistic gymnastics; Linoy Ashram, gold, rhythmic gymnastics; Avishag Semberg, bronze, taekwondo. The Israeli mixed judo team (men/ women) won a bronze team medal. Its “one medal,” but all 11 team members get a medal to take home. The Diaspora medal winners are Australia, Jessica Fox, gold in women’s kayak slalom, (and) bronze in women’s canoe slalom; Ukraine: Elina Svitolina, bronze, women’s tennis singles; United States: Sue Bird, gold, women’s basketball; Alix Klineman, gold, women’s beach volleyball; and Nick Itkin, bronze, team foil (fencing). Do check out my articles on the Olympics posted on the Detroit Jewish News website on Aug. 5. (Meet the 2020 Olympic Members of the Tribe). I give credit to Jewish Sports Review, a print publication that shared its research with me. Linked to my “Meet” article is an article about the Review. It explains why Jewish sports fans should subscribe to the Review, a “labor of love.” Flag Day opens in theaters on Aug. 20. It stars Sean Penn, 60, as John Vogel, a big-time con artist who has been busted. Penn’s real-life daughter, Dylan Penn, 30, has a co-starring role as John’s adult daughter, an artist who struggles to come to terms with her father’s criminal past.

Linoy Ashram wins gold.

Sean’s other child, Hopper Penn, 28, has a much smaller supporting role. This film got so/so reviews when it played the Cannes Film Festival. The White Lotus, an original, six-episode HBO comedy/thriller series, concluded last Sunday, Aug. 15. It got quite good reviews. It follows, over the course of a week, a group of rich folks vacationing at a swanky Hawaii resort. Earlier this year, I noted that “newcomer” Fred Hechinger, 23, would follow his big roles in the Tom Hanks’ film News of the World and The Underground Railroad (an Amazon series), with a role in The White Lotus. But, due to an oversight, I didn’t “flag” him and White Lotus before it began streaming. He has a major role in Lotus as (guest) Quinn Mosbacher, the socially awkward 17-year-old son of (guest) Nicole Mossbacher, the CFO of a Google-like company. (Real-life) comedian Lenny Bruce (1925-1966), who was a fairly prominent character in the first two seasons of the fictional Amazon hit series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, will return in the upcoming season 4. Filming has been completed, but no release date is yet set. The principal cast will all be returning. Jackie Hoffman, 60, an actress and stand-up comedian who often does Jewish-themed material, will appear in Season 4.

AUGUST 19 • 2021

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

CELEBRATE HAVDALAH 5-6:30 PM, AUG. 21

RIDE FOR THE LIVING 10 AM-2:30 PM, AUG. 22 The first Ride for the Living, ready to depart AuschwitzBirkenau death camp for the JCC Krakow in 2014.

FILM SCREENING 7 PM, AUG. 26

Andy Kirshner

CELEBRATE HAVDALAH 5-6:30 PM, AUG. 21 At Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield. Celebrate Havdalah with the temple’s rabbis. Geared to babies and children 0-7 years old. Free. All are welcome. This event is going to be outside with COVID safety protocols in place. RIDE FOR THE LIVING 10 AM-2:30 PM, AUG. 22 Hosted by Jewish Federation’s Israel and Overseas Dept. This roundtrip ride from Ferndale to the Detroit Riverfront is for riders of all skill levels, beginner, intermediate and expert. The Krakow JCC’s Annual Ride for The Living is a 34.5-mile bike ride from Auschwitz to the JCC Krakow that commemorates Jewish history and celebrates the miraculous rebirth of Jewish life in Poland today. The local satellite ride — which is

AUGUST 19 • 2021

approximately 30 miles — is Jewish Detroit’s own way to commemorate and celebrate the living. Meet up and start at Ferndale High School, 861 Pinecrest, Ferndale, and finish at Ferndale Project for food and drinks. Registration fee ($36) includes a ride T-shirt and drink voucher. Info: jlive.app/events/523. BARK IN THE PARK NOON-1 PM, AUG. 22 Federation’s NEXTGen Detroit will take their pups to the park for some fresh air and face-to-face (albeit 6 feet apart) human interaction at Orion Oaks Dog Park, 2301 W Clarkston Road Lake, Orion Charter Township, MI 48360. This is a 24-acre fenced enclosure with small dog area, including two trails, field area, and access to Lake Sixteen for swimming (dogs only). Info: Mimi at mmarcus@ jfmd.org.

NOSH & KNOWLEDGE 1 PM, AUG. 28 At Temple Beth El. Performer and cultural anthropologist Dr. Galeet Dardashti will present an interactive and participatory program on Jewish Middle Eastern and North African piyyut traditions. Hosted by sisterhood. Boxed lunches by Paul Wertz are available for $12 each (or bring your own lunch and join us for free). RSVP by Aug 23 to Nancy Fortier at 248-495-5013 or nfortier@comcast.net. See story on page XX. FILM SCREENING 7 PM, AUG. 26| Join Jewish Historical Society of Michigan for this exclusive film screening and panel discussion. 10 Questions for Henry Ford, a film by Andy Kirshner, examines the troubling legacy of Henry Ford 100 years after the pub-

lication of The Dearborn Independent and The International Jew. This documentary art film follows the lingering ghost of Henry Ford through modern-day Detroit as he confronts a world that is both drastically different and disturbingly familiar. Award-winning filmmaker and University of Michigan Associate Professor Andy Kirshner carefully crafted this piece, using Ford’s own words, to explore the complex social and historical questions we face today. Register for the film and panel discussion. Cost: $10. Register by 9 pm on Aug. 25. A link to the panel discussion will be sent that day. Info@michiganjewishhistoiry.org. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews.com.

the exchange

FOOD

FROM THE HOME GARDEN OF CHEF AARON EGAN

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resh food is one of the most wonderful parts of summertime in Michigan, and since the dead of winter looms ever large in the distance, I’m always thinking about good ways to preserve those fresh flavors well past the snowy depths of January. Fresh thyme is one of my Chef Aaron favorite herbs. Egan I run my hands through the plant daily because it’s so evocative a perfume for me, reeking of kitchen work and simmering stocks. I also love the freshness of thyme, though we so rarely utilize it for this quality. Thyme is so frequently used as an herb in long-cooked, boiled, simmered or stewed dishes, let alone its place of honor for roasting and saucing; we don’t use fresh thyme as often as fresh parsley or cilantro or basil. Here’s a method to keep some thyme freshness along with you into the winter: THYME AND BLUEBERRY SHRUB 12 oz. (by weight) blueberries, washed 6-10 stems thyme (depending on size, a small bunch) washed 1½ cups granulated sugar

1 cup vinegar (white works, but if you have a champagne or a mild white wine vinegar, it can also be very good here) Directions 1. Combine berries and thyme in a glass or ceramic bowl, and mash them together gently. It’s just about bruising the thyme and opening the berries. 2. Add the sugar and mix well. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature to macerate. 3. Transfer the macerated berries, thyme and sugar into a nonreactive saucepan and add the vinegar. Heat over medium-high heat until just simmering when the sugar will dissolve fully. Immediately remove from the heat. 4. Strain through a finemesh sieve into a nonreactive container for storage. This mixture will be syrupy when cool and will keep for several months in the fridge. 5. Dose about 1-2 Tbsp. of shrub for an 8-10-oz. glass of seltzer and enjoy one of the original refreshers from before we called it pop. Chef Aaron blogs about his garden on the Facebook page of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. Reprinted with permission.

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OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

DR. SEYMOUR ADELSON, M.D., 95, passed away on Aug. 10, 2021. He served as a corporal in the U.S. Army during the Second World War and was a heavy machine gunner on the front line in Europe; he also served in the Philippines. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University and graduated from University of Michigan Medical School in 1951. Dr. Adelson practiced allergy and internal medicine for 35 years and was a clinical associate professor at Wayne State University Medical School. He served as chief of medicine at Crittenton Hospital and chief of allergy at Sinai Hospital. After leaving private practice, he worked for 12 years as a medical policy consultant at Blue Cross. Dr. Adelson was active in the community, serving as vice president of Congregation Beth Shalom and as a volunteer docent at the Holocaust Memorial Center. Dr. and Mrs. Adelson were patrons of the arts and have gifted fine art to five Michigan museums. After retirement, Dr. Adelson was a volunteer at Beaumont Hospital photography department, where he Photoshopped medical images for doctors; he also returned to college and took courses in subjects as diverse as art history and computer science, in which he was the only senior citizen in a class of undergraduates. Dr. Adelson was a loving and devoted husband and father, and he is remembered as gentile, kind and inspiring, a true gentleman and

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Sol Hammerstein Martin Schneider 14 Elul August 22 Marshall Harold Silverman Isaac Kresch Jack Carmen Lena Yaffe William Cern Ethel Mall Virginia Cole 16 Elul August 24 Harry Mitz Sam Faigenbaum Benjamin Berry 19 Elul August 27 Loretta Gilda Finkelstein Milton Burnstine Harold Lane Joseph Goldman George Coleman Lena Levine Fannie Lifshitz Sonia Dension Jacob Nosanchuk Morton H. Forman Arthur Schechter Max Lionel Raimi Rose Gold Jacob Steinbock Molly Schwartz Ruth Jacobson Bessie Weingarden Abner Wolf Samuel Miller Fred Weiss 15 Elul August 23 William Sandler Harry Weiswasser Lillian Barshtz Sarah Seigle Chana Bebczuk Robert Stern 20 Elul August 28 Gisa Bebczuk Anna Bloom 17 Elul August 25 Lazer Bebczuk Joseph G. Betansky Herman Diamond Leib Bebczuk Sam Dubin Sam Fenkel Mishke Bebczuk Louis Gottlieb Dora Esther Green Josef Glaser Esther Grossbard Harry Henigman Louis Klavons Rose Krise Lawrence Hyman Nechemia Lieberman Kay Topor Chana Dvora Kazerinski Bernice Osborne 18 Elul August 26 Samuel A. Klepfish Bertha Shear Sophie Blue-Bluestein Michael Liebman Edith G. Cohen Samuel Parel Israel Eizen Samuel Saks School for Boys • Beth Jacob School for Girls • Bais Yehudah Preschool Weiss Family Partners Detroit • Kollel Bais Yehudah • Maalot Detroit P.O. Box 2044 • Southfield, MI 48037• 248-557-6750 • www.YBY.org

AUGUST 19 • 2021

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 57

scholar as well as a dedicated physician. He was the son of the late William and the late Fanny Adelson; brother-in-law of the late Sanford (the late Rita) Kaplan. Dr. Adelson is survived by his beloved and devoted wife of 61 years, Barbara; sons, Barry and Daniel; brother, Irwin (Janet) Adelson, M.D.; Jill Kaplan and Kenneth Kaplan. Private graveside services were held. Contributions may be made to Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, holocaustcenter.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ADAIR CITRON BALL, 80, of Hazel Park, died Aug. 10, 2021. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Leslie and Edward Favier, Robyn and Thomas Schnetzler; son, Jay Ehrlich; grandchildren, Brian (Kelly) Favier, Kevin (Christy) Favier, Sarah Schnetzler and Trevor Schnetzler; great-grandchildren, June Marie, Hayley Marie and Brynlee Jo; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Mrs. Ball was the beloved wife of the late Donald Ball; mother of the late Mark Ehrlich; daughter of the late David and the late Rose Citron; sister of the late Edwin Citron and the late Byron Citron. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

DR. FRED BORSON, 97, of West Bloomfield, died suddenly from COVID related complications, Aug. 7, 2021. He leaves a legacy of being an extraordinary dentist of more than 50 years who cared about his patients. He was a dapper dresser whose whole life was centered around his family. Dr. Borson was the beloved husband for 20 years of Janet Abramson Borson and for 48 years of the late Frances Borson. He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Robert and Beth Borson, Dr. Richard and Carol Borson, and William and Suzanne Borson; daughter and son-in-law, Suzan and Dr. Jeffery Yucht. He is also survived by Janet’s children, Jay and Joanna Abramson, James Abramson; loving grandchildren, Lauren and Steven Bloom, Adam Borson, Josh and Dr. Jenna Borson, Jodi Borson, Allison Borson, Ilana and Eric Thomsett, Melanie and Zachary Bindler, Zachary Borson, Miles Yucht, Leo Yucht, Lindsay Abramson, Dr. Ashley and Steven Obey, Dr. Zachary and Dr. Erica Abramson, Karley Abramson and Phil Stadler, Cody Abramson, Joshua Abramson, Jacob and Olivia Abramson, Jonathan Abramson, Julia Abramson; great-grandchildren, Parker and Asher Bloom, Ava and Levi Borson, Olivia Thomsett, Stephanie and Lucas Obey, Eliana and Amelie Abramson, Rovie and Milo Stadler, Eliza and Emerson Abramson. He was the cherished brother of Seymour Borson and was the grandfather of the late Jacob Borson; also the stepfather of Janet’s son, the late Jeffry Abramson. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

MARCIA BOXMAN, 83, of Farmington Hills, died Aug. 11, 2021. She is survived by her daughters and son-in-law, Valerie Finberg, and Abigail Boxman and John Morrison; grandchildren, Nicole and Annie Finberg, and Brekken Morrison; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Joanne Silber, Melvin and June Boxman, and Barbara and Arnold Edelstein. She is also survived by her caregivers and close friends, Eric Daniels and Keith Wilkes. Mrs. Boxman was the beloved wife for 57 years of the late Dr. Donald Boxman; the loving sister of the late Paul Silber; the devoted daughter of the late Chaim Hertzl Silber and the late Ruth Silber Katz. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice

& Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice.org; Planned Parenthood, 3100 Professional Drive, P.O. Box 3673, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, plannedparenthood.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. DR. RICHARD BRATT, 72, of Bloomfield Hills, died Aug. 8, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Wendy Bratt; daughter and son-in-law, Marci and Daniel Bykat; son and daughter-in-law, Andrew and Jenny Bratt; grandchildren, Lilac and Mira Bykat, and Ryder and Ellison Bratt; sister and brotherin-law, Carol and Gary Robin; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Les and Joyce Epstein; niece and nephews, Elysa and Michael

Gillen, and Evan Robin; many other relatives and friends. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to any Jewish charity. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. FABRIZIO PIERO CASINI, 77, of Farmington Hills, died Aug. 7, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Cheryl Casini; daughter and son-in-law, Gabrielle and Brent Pohlman; son, Adam Casini; grandson, Grayson Pohlman; brother and sister-in-law, Mario and Vera Casini; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Richard and Leslye Goldin; many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Mr. Casini was the devoted son of the late Silvio and the late Irma Casini; the loving son-in-law of the late Belrose Harris Golding.

Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cardiac Center, 3401 Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. RUTH CHAFETZ, 86, of Birmingham, died Aug. 11, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Lori Chafetz, Kenneth and Tonia Chafetz, William Chafetz and Kathy Lyons; grandchildren, Alex Chafetz, Jessika Chafetz (fiancé, Adrian Rodriguez), Kasey Chafetz, Joey Chafetz and Danny Chafetz; great-grandchild, Carson; sisters and brother-inlaw, Harriet Becker, and Elaine and Dr. Elliott Klain; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. continued on page 60

Judaism embraces all facets of life . . . including death. Trust us to assist you with dignity and grace.

AUGUST 19 • 2021

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 59

Mrs. Chafetz was the beloved wife of the late Allan I. Chafetz; the sister-in-law of the late Dr. Robert Becker. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to any charity that benefits literacy for children. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. LOLA GOLDRING, 91, of West Bloomfield, died Aug. 8, 2021. She is survived by her beloved husband, Joseph Goldring; daughter and son-inlaw, Diane and Kenneth Jacobs; sons and daughter-in-law, Stuart and Bess Goldring, Michael Goldring; grandchildren, Loren Jacobs, Rebecca Jacobs (Brandon Tschida), Adam Jacobs, Michelle, Douglas,

AUGUST 19 • 2021

Richard, Laura, Jason, Jacob and Carly Goldring; great-grandchildren, Elliot and Jack Jacobs; many loving nieces, nephews, caregivers, other family members and friends. Interment took place at B’nai Israel Cemetery in Novi. Contributions may be made to the Holocaust Memorial Center, Hospice of Michigan or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. JUDITH GOLDSTEIN died June 15, 2021. She was a teacher at Detroit Friend’s and Winship Elementary schools. Judith was a local Yiddish and Hebrew folksinger, entertaining young and old. At 69, she realized her dream and moved to Israel. Mrs. Goldstein is survived by her daughter, Deborah Daskal; her son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Lilli Goldstein;

seven loving grandchildren in Israel. She was the sister of Arnie Cohen of Seattle, Wash.; the wife of the late Dr. Aaron Goldstein; and the daughter of the late Eve and Samuel Cohen. Interment was in Rehovot Cemetery, Israel. The family can be contacted at Kdu7765@ gmail.com. Donations may be made to Yad Ezra or Plant a Tree in Israel (usa.jnf.org).

Mr. Klein was the beloved husband of the late Ruth Klein; father of the late Michael Schoenfeld; dear brother of the late Shirley Jampolsky. Contributions may be made to Hebrew Benevolent Society, 26640 Greenfield, Oak Park, MI 48237. A graveside service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

MILT KLEIN, 86, of Oak Park, died Aug. 10, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Elaine Klein; sons and daughters-in-law, Sheldon and Terra Klein of Hazel Park, Mitchell and Marloe Klein of Keego Harbor; daughter, Mindy Ellis of Royal Oak; stepson, Bryan Levy of Oak Park; grandchildren, Julia, Thomas, Ruthie, Chris, Heather, Shelby; great-grandchildren, Dillon, Wendy; loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

DR. LEONARD LACHOVER, 82, of West Bloomfield, a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences for the Wayne State University School of Medicine, died July 23, 2021. Dr. Lachover was one of the longest-serving faculty psychiatrists at the Wayne State School of Medicine. He had served as a major in the U.S. Air Force

from 1968 to 1970 and as a medic in the Yom Kippur War in Israel. “He was an extraordinary member of our department who was held in the highest of esteem by his colleagues and friends,” said David Rosenberg, M.D., chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences. “He was beloved by the many residents and medical students he taught, and his colleagues and friends at Sinai Grace Hospital, where he trained residents and medical students and saw patients. He was a wonderful, humble, unassuming gentleman who loved working with our medical students and residents.” Dr. Lachover is survived by his wife of 36 years, Cookie Lachover; daughter and sonin-law, Rachel Lachover-Sadoff and Scott Sadoff; grandchildren, Asa and Sloane Sadoff; sister, Miriam “Mickey” Leib; sister-in-law and brothers-inlaw, Elinor and Robert Shook, and Michael Marks. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. Dr. Lachover was the devoted son of the late Dr. Morris and the late Gertrude Lachover; the loving son-in-law of the late Sam and the late Sara Marks; and the dear brother-in-law of the late Arthur Leib. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Friends of the IDF, Michigan Chapter, P.O. Box 999, Walled Lake, MI 48390, fidf.org/donate; or the Jewish National Fund, 42 E. 69th St., New York, NY 10021, jnf.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. SONIA LAKSBERGER, 89, of Rochester Hills, died Aug. 8, 2021. She is survived by her grand-

daughter, Symone (Matt) Van Eman; great-grandchild, Layla Van Eman; many nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Mrs. Laksberger was the beloved wife of the late George Laksberger; the mother of the late Michael Laksberger, the late Raymond Laksberger and the late Gerald Laksberger; sister of the late Anne Fink, the late Yetta Feldman, the late Goldie Berlin-Lieberman, the late Betty Green, the late Freda Grossman and the late Shirley Silber. Interment took place at the Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Holocaust Memorial Center or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. MARION R. LLOYD, 86, of Tucson, Ariz., died Aug. 4, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughter-in-law, Dr. Charles and Patty Leve of Baltimore, Md., Stuart Leve of Commerce Township; grandchildren, Ariella and Noah Schmutter, Allison and Adam Steinmetz, Adam and Elswianna Leve, Zachary and Stephanie Leve, Alex and Lauren Leve, Mitchell Leve; great-grandchildren, Simcha, Bella, Sarina, Elli, Judah, Evan, Joseph, Hilly, Yudi, Tori, Jessie, Lincoln. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. A graveside service was held at Machpelah Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. GARY STEVEN MICHAELS, 54, of Chicago, Ill., died on Aug. 5, 2021. He is survived by his parents, Dennis and Judy Michaels; brother and sister-in-law, Robert Michaels and Lisa

Brennan; brother and brother-in-law, Kenneth Michaels and Andrew Weaver; nephew, Henry V. Michaels. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. HELEN SCHNEIDER, 99, of West Bloomfield, died on Aug. 11, 2021. Helen’s loving husband was the late Sam Schneider. She is survived by her children, Dr. Jeffrey Schneider and Susan Schneider, Ted and Lesley Schneider, Barbara and Harvey DeWitt, and Marcy and Dr. Milan Pantelic. Her loving grandchildren are Diane and Tom Devendorf, Barbara and Joey Schneider, Alicia and Adam Acey, Niki and Ian Freed, Danielle and Dr. Brett Todd, Jessica and Jared DeWitt, Jamie and John Fidler, Molly Pantelic, Matthew Pantelic and Sammi Pantelic. She is also survived by 16 great-grandchildren. It was hard to leave all those wonderful children. Interment was held at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to Make Food Not Waste or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. ROBERTA STULBERG, 80, of Franklin, died Aug. 11, 2021. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Harold Stulberg; daughters and sons-in-law, Julie and Adam Rothstein, Sharon Stulberg and Jon Fish, and Wendy and David Nanasi; grandchildren, Katie and Ellie Rothstein, Caroline

and Sarah Fish, and Lila and Jessica Nanasi; brother, Martin Lipton; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Lois Stulberg, Barry and Elaine Stulberg, Marcia and Michael Cuttler, and Rochelle and Jim Fain; many loving nieces, nephews, friends, cousins and her beloved Jubilees. Mrs. Stulberg was the devoted daughter of the late Edith and the late David Lipton; the dear sister-in-law of the late David Stulberg. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202; Detroit Symphony Orchestra, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48201-2444; Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304; or Franklin Public Library, 32455 Franklin Road, Franklin, MI 48025. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. BARBARA SWANSON, 64 of West Bloomfield, died Aug. 12, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughter-inlaw, Greg (financee Lauren Klees) Swanson, Kenneth and Alley Swanson; grandson, Leo Swanson; brothers and sister-in-law, Robert and Anita Bank, Allen Bank; sisters and brother-in-law, Rhonda and Lance Segal, and Helaine Goodman; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. She was the dear sister of the late Howard Roseman. Interment took place at B’nai Israel Memorial Gardens in Novi. Donations may be made to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. AUGUST 19 • 2021

Looking Back

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

Memories of Sen. Carl Levin

his will be the second week in-a-row that I write about a legend. Sen. Carl Levin passed away on July 29 at the age of 87. Few people have had the impact that Levin had upon America. Shortly after his death, there were numerous articles in national media that related his many accomplishments and, more important, told of his personal integrity and his love for Detroit and Michigan. The longest serving senator in Michigan was also one of the Mike Smith hardest working senators with Alene and Graham Landau admirable intellectual skills. Archivist Chair From his election to the Detroit City Council and retirement as a U.S. senator, Levin’s career can be followed in the pages of the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. Enter “Carl Levin” into the search box and you will see that he is cited on nearly 1,500 pages in the Archive. Those pages demonstrate Levin’s contributions to the well-being of our nation and state while in Washington, D.C. They also show he was often “on-theground” in Michigan, whether speaking at a synagogue or traveling to the Upper Peninsula to meet with constituents. He continued to make presentations and attend community events until shortly before his death, all while he was waging a four-year battle with cancer. I cannot do justice to his accomplished career in this brief column. I relate two personal stories, instead. My first meeting with Sen. Levin was in 2009, when I was director of the Walter Reuther Library at Wayne State University. I was nominated for Archivist of the United States that year. I was honored to be nominated, but this meant that I needed support in Washington. Eugene Driker made the contact with Levin for

AUGUST 19 • 2021

me (for which I am still grateful). Soon, I had an appointment to meet the senator. I’ll admit, I was nervous. I was meeting a legend. Would he support me? Levin warmly received me like I was a V.I.P. But he treated everyone like that. I was impressed with how intently he listened. One of the best moments of my career came when I knew he would support me. His eyes sparkled and he simply said, “Okay. Let’s get to work.” In the end, I was not selected for the position, but the fact that Carl Levin actively supported me was a great reward and a great honor. Our paths crossed again a few years later, after he retired from public service. Levin placed his archives, more than 1,200 boxes of papers and numerous digital files, with the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan. Although I spoke with Carl several times by phone as he periodically sent records to the Bentley, I spent one Saturday with both him and his daughter, Kate, reviewing his archive. It was a most engaging day. “I’m still a lawyer at heart,” Levin said, as he proceeded to grill me about every detail regarding the future of his archive at the Bentley. It gave me a taste of how Levin handled his duties as a senator. He would leave no question unanswered. Carl Levin was a mensch of the highest order. I am particularly grateful to have known him. He will be greatly missed, especially by me. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

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DJN August 19, 2021

Articles inside

Looking Back

Community Calendar

Celebrity News

Exotic Songs of the Jewish Mideast

Special Ed’s Ardent Advocate

Torah portion

Essays and viewpoints

Moments

Hey, Teens

Suicide Prevention Group Plans Star-Studded Event

Special Ed Proponent Chaya Leah Tinman

How Shabbat Changes Us