DJN May 13, 2021 by The Detroit Jewish News

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS 200 May 13-19, 2021 / 2-8 Sivan 5781

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contents May 13-19, 2021 / 2-8 Sivan 5781 | VOLUME CLIX, ISSUE 15

PURELY COMMENTARY

SPIRIT 28

Torah portion

EVENTS

OUR COMMUNITY

Shavuot: A Celebration for Receiving the Torah

SPORTS

Synagogue Directory

4-10 12 17 18

Essays and viewpoints.

Thanks, Hebrew Free Loan!

Making loans, not interest for more than 125 years.

Helping Jewish Teens

“Collective Compassion” project promotes mental health, coping. Retiring WSU law professor looks back on a lifetime of accomplishments.

A Guiding Hand

Hug Buddies

24 26

New mapping system at Clover Hill makes finding gravesites easier. A 9-year-old’s drawing aims to erase mental health stigma. Pew study paints a picture of generational shifts in Judaism.

Best and Brightest

Two law students to be honored by Jewish Bar Association of Michigan.

Steven Ingber Named Federation CEO Moments

Top Journalist

Michigan native Rebecca Blumenstein rises to a new leadership role at the New York Times.

Break It to Fix It

Here’s To

Tech entrepreneur and author reimagines creative capacity in new book.

ARTS&LIFE 36

Jewish Americans in 2020

MAZEL TOV!

Legal Warrior

BUSINESS

Shavuot All-Nighter

Twelve-hour online international celebration to include efforts of local artists.

Community Calendar

A Doubleheader at Michigan and Trumbull Frankel Jewish Academy baseball team plays at historic site of Tiger Stadium.

ETC.

The Exchange Obituaries Danny Raskin Looking Back

44 46 53 54

Shabbat & Holiday Lights

Shabbat starts: Friday, May 14, 8:29 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, May 15, 9:38 p.m. Shavuot 1 begins: Sunday, May 16, 8:31 p.m. Shavuot 2 begins: Monday, May 17, 9:40 p.m. Shavuot ends: Tuesday, May 18, 9:41 *Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

After the Holocaust

Survivors faced many struggles in displaced persons camps.

Dairy, Anyone?

Book Review: War of Shadows

Celebrity News

Recipes for Shavuot.

ON THE COVER: Cover photo/credit: Photography provided by Hebrew Free Loan. Cover design: Kelly Kosek

thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews MAY 13 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY for openers

Have You Heard?

on’t you sit for a spell? No, I do not want you to just become comfortable; I need you to pay attention to your spelling. Yes, I know there is Spellcheck and now Autocorrect (“Did you mean Sy Manello Automatic?”). Editorial However, a lack Assistant of knowledge is causing us to miswrite our 140-plus characters due to homonyms/homophones. (And do not get me started on those wild abbreviations!) If you are wholly involved in accurate communication, you will not feel so holy if you get messed up with holly. You need to hear what you have written here and, except for the fact that you cannot accept criticism, do not

expect to be a clear communicator. Are word choices our only method of passing an hour? Your answer to that depends on whether you’re going to, despite the weather, brave it out with a dictionary. Bear in mind that you can bare your soul in writing, but also do it aloud so that you know the words you choose

are allowed. If you ail, some ale might be a remedy. Too much, however, might lead to an epithet being written for your epitaph. You will never get a medal if you meddle in other’s business. It takes nerves of metal to prove your mettle. Do not be so vain as to inject a vein of humor when

the weather vane of conversation indicates a serious mood. It is one thing not to waste food but you should not be over indulgent; be mindful of your waist. One idea that has won many hearts is to break bad news gently and to put a brake on overstepping bounds. If you can adapt to new ideas, then you can adopt new procedures. Never use a flower if you need flour; know that too much scent has often sent folks away from you; what you sow, so shall you reap. If all of this has proven too much to take in, remember two principles: Your principal investment in learning will get you through this phase of texting and nothing will ever again faze you.

guest column

Honoring the Past, Looking to the Future

Faith leaders call for passage of the Equality Act.

ella Abzug was a force of nature. She was the first Jewish woman elected to the U.S. Congress and a leader in the women’s movement. Abzug, who died 23 years ago, served three terms in the House of Rabbi Representatives Michael in the 1970s. Moskowitz Ahead of her time, she championed progres-

sive changes, co-authored and shepherded through passage of the Freedom of Information Act and the Right to Privacy Act. Abzug personified the beautiful Jewish tradition of tikkun olam by fighting for women’s rights and LGBTQ equality and nondiscrimination protections. On May 14, it will be 47 years since the first LGBTQ civil rights legislation was introduced into Congress. Bella Abzug launched that effort

with the Equality Act of 1974. With co-sponsorship of the bill by then-U.S. Rep. (and future New York City Mayor) Ed Koch, another venerated Jewish political and community leader, they pushed equality forward. Though this legislation has languished in the Senate, today, the LGBTQ and other progressive communities are urging Congress for protections following in the footsteps of the efforts of Abzug and Koch. Across our country, in the

absence of a federal law prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination, comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans have been passed state by state and city by city. While such progress is worth celebrating, a patchwork of civil rights laws is insufficient to guarantee consistent protections across the nation. That’s why I joined more than 200 faith leaders, including over 20 rabbis from communities across Michigan in signing continued on page 6

MAY 13 • 2021

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PURELY COMMENTARY continued from page 4

discrimination is a real problem, and a bipartisan solution is needed to address this injustice. We cannot and must not lose sight of that common ground. As diverse of a nation as we are, granted we won’t agree on everything, but we all can agree that inaction is not an option. SUPPORT GROWS Support across the country for a federal nondiscrimination law is at an all-time high. A recent Public Religion Research Institute survey shows that 76% of Americans favor laws that would protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination, up from 72% in 2019. Support for LGBTQ protections transcends party lines, with 62% of Republicans, 79% of Independents and 85% of Democrats favoring such laws. As we celebrate Abzug’s extraordinary life as a fierce and early defender of LGBTQ

equality, her life’s work offers important lessons for contemporary generations of elected officials, especially for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the first Jewish lawmaker to hold the title. The road to justice is not always easy. But if we can learn anything from Abzug, it is to be motivated by what the Torah demands, in teaching “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” and in so doing continue her mission

Publisher The Detroit Jewish News Foundation

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DIrector of Editorial: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@thejewishnews.com Associate Editor: David Sachs dsachs@thejewishnews.com Social Media and Digital Producer: Nathan Vicar nvicar@thejewishnews.com Staff Reporter: Danny Schwartz dschwartz@thejewishnews.com Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@thejewishnews.com Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin2132@gmail.com Contributing Writers: Nate Bloom, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Shelli Leibman Dorfman, Louis Finkelman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, Robin Schwartz, Mike Smith, Steve Stein, Ashley Zlatopolsky

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a public letter that calls on elected leaders to support comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans. The path toward LGBTQ equality is long, but a brighter and more equitable future is within reach. Today, Democrats and Republicans have introduced their versions of nondiscrimination protections that would update the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly ban LGBTQ discrimination in housing, employment, public education, federal funding and other areas of American life. In February, the House of Representatives passed the Equality Act for the second time, with bipartisan support. Most recently, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a historic first hearing on it. While senators sparred over the details of the bill at the hearing, there’s a consensus among senators that LGBTQ

Bella Abzug

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MISSION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will be of service to the Jewish community. The Detroit Jewish News will inform and educate the Jewish and general community to preserve, protect and sustain the Jewish people of greater Detroit and beyond, and the State of Israel. VISION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will operate to appeal to the broadest segments of the greater Detroit Jewish community, reflecting the diverse views and interests of the Jewish community while advancing the morale and spirit of the community and advocating Jewish unity, identity and continuity.

MAY 13 • 2021

to march forward on this path. We have a real opportunity to finish the job Abzug started nearly 50 years ago and secure comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people across the land. Sen. Schumer has a historic opportunity to bring together the bipartisan support needed to deliver equality for all LGBTQ Americans. Let us value bipartisanship. Let’s focus on the values that we all have in common in order to come to a solution combating the discrimination and marginalization of LGBTQ Americans. Thriving free from discrimination isn’t just a Democratic or Republican ideal — it’s an American value, focused on freedom and opportunity for all. Rabbi Michael L. Moskowitz is spiritual leader at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield.

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essay

hen I was very young, what motivated me to go to shul on Shabbat morning was the fire station two houses away from the synagogue. My dad was the rabbi of the only congregation in Annapolis, Md., and shul attenGary dance was a Rosenblatt family affair. If I JTA behaved during services, my big brother would take me to the fire station afterward, and sometimes the firemen let me sit at the wheel of the hook-and-ladder truck. That made my week. In recent days, I’ve been thinking a lot about my various experiences with shul attendance over the years. The sad truth is that though I am fortunate enough to have received my second COVID vaccine more than a month ago, I haven’t been back to shul, and I’m not sure why. But the weather is getting warmer, and I’m running out of excuses. It’s ironic because these last few years I’ve really enjoyed shul — the services, the rabbis, the people, the singing. In my early years, not so much. As kids, learning to read Hebrew and becoming familiar with the prayers, the goal at services was to be the fastest. When I was about 10, I

attended a family wedding in New York and stood in awe as I took in the sight of what seemed like hundreds of men in black hats and dark suits swaying fervently as they recited the afternoon Minchah prayer. I zipped through the silent Amidah and was waiting for the service to continue. A few minutes went by and then a few more minutes until it seemed everyone had finished. I asked my brother what the holdup was, and he pointed to a very short older man, eyes closed, still in fervent prayer. “That’s Rav Aharon Kotler, the head of one of the biggest yeshivahs in the world,” he told me. “What’s taking him so long?” I asked. “Can’t he read Hebrew?” As I got older, I learned about the importance of kavanah, or intention, putting one’s heart and mind into the words we were saying as we prayed. But during my teenage years, prayer for me was associated more with obligation than choice. MORNING MINYANS Starting when I was 11, I attended a yeshivah in Baltimore through high school and lived during the week at the home of my maternal grandparents. My grandfather, a European-born, Yiddishspeaking Talmudic scholar,

JTA

What Would It Take for Me to Go Back to Synagogue? had his own shul on the first floor of the large cottage house. I lived in the attic, and once I became a bar mitzvah, I was needed most mornings to help ensure a minyan of 10 men. I’d know my presence was required because one of the shul-goers would ring a loud buzzer and hold it down for what seemed like minutes while I got up, less than enthusiastically, and dressed in a hurry. I attended out of a sense of duty, and I admit that if an 11th person showed up, I was tempted to go upstairs and back to bed. The association of annoying alarms and shul attendance continued when I got to Yeshiva University. I soon learned that loud “minyan bells” were rung every weekday morning in the dorm to wake us up for services; attendance was mandatory. The first couple of weeks we would wake up with a jolt from those bells. But somehow, after that we didn’t seem to hear them anymore. One teenage bit of mischief came about in Annapolis on Rosh Hashanah when I was about 15. The shul was packed, and my friend Michael (whose father was the cantor) and I chose an arbitrary spot in the service and stood up from our front-row seats. There was a rustling and stirring behind us as, gradually, the entire congregation of several hundred rose,

following our lead. As soon as everyone was up, we sat down, and they did the same. We did this a few times before my dad, seated facing us in his white robe on the bimah, subtly signaled his displeasure Over the years as an adult, with shul attendance no longer coercive, I have been blessed to have belonged to three synagogues (in the three states where we lived) that were true houses of prayer. Each in its own way was special, but they all had active and devoted members committed to Torah and led by learned, exemplary rabbis. And in each of the shuls, what I have enjoyed most in the service is when our joined voices blend in song, stirring a kind of transcendent feeling of collective prayer and community. Those peak moments make the shul-going experience something to cherish. PANDEMIC WORSHIP Then came COVID. Houses of worship were closed, the virus was all around us, and we had no choice but to stay home. I missed the rhythm of walking to and from shul on Friday evening and Shabbat morning, feeling part of the spirit of the kehillah (congregation), and often lingering after services to catch up with friends. But I became accustomed to staying home, and that had its continued on page 8 MAY 13 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY commentary

continued from page 7

Israel Has No Choice but to Act on its Own to Stop Iran

U.S. MISSION/ERIC BRIDIERS.

he head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and the government’s national security adviser was in Washington late last month on an important mission that has failed even before it began. Jonathan S. White House Tobin spokesperson jns.org Jen Psaki made it clear that the Israelis are wasting their time. When asked if Israeli pleas about the danger to the region if the United States rejoins the 2015 nuclear deal would have any impact on President Joe Biden’s plans, Psaki answered, “No.” She went on to say that the Israelis are free to keep “challenging” the administration’s goal of returning to a weak pact that gives Tehran a legal path to a nuclear weapon by the end of the decade, but the best they could hope for is to be “kept abreast” of America’s plans. That contemptuous attitude was of particular significance because the day before the Israeli security officials arrived, news broke about how former Secretary of State John Kerry had shared intelligence with Iran about Israeli covert operations seeking to stop their nuclear program. According to an audiotape of comments made by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Zarif that was

Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2015.

obtained by the New York Times, he said, “It was former U.S. Foreign Secretary [sic] John Kerry who told me Israel had launched more than 200 attacks on Iranian forces in Syria.” There is a lot to unwrap in that one sentence and not just because the Times buried this revelation at the bottom of its story. Kerry, for whom Psaki served as spokesperson during the nuclear negotiations from 2013 to 2015, currently acts as Biden’s special presidential envoy of climate. We already knew that in 2018 Kerry consulted with Zarif, advising his former negotiating partner not to work with the Trump administration, which withdrew from the nuclear deal as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign to force the Iranians to agree to a new tougher agreement that would eliminate sunset clauses, as well as include bans on Tehran’s role as the world’s leading

state sponsor of international terrorism and its illegal missile-building. Kerry told Zarif to simply wait out Trump and then deal with a more pliant Democrat that he hoped would be elected in 2020. That’s exactly what happened, and now the Iranians are reaping the benefits. Biden’s foreign-policy team, composed almost entirely of veterans of the administration of former President Barack Obama, are again resuming their past practice of appeasing the Iranians with concessions in the works to entice Tehran to return to a deal with little hope of improving upon it. U.S. ISRAEL TENSIONS Kerry’s collusion with Iran is important because it comes in the context of the growing tension with Israel over its efforts to sabotage the Iranian nuclear program. Unlike in the past, when it was clear that the United States and Israel were coopercontinued on page 10

MAY 13 • 2021

own pleasant pattern: sleeping later, praying at home, spending more time with my wife and, when the weather allowed, meeting up with friends — 6 feet apart — on a bench outside. I know I’m not alone in my ambivalence about going back to shul now. I’ve talked to friends about it and they, too, seem a bit mystified about what keeps some of us home. We know that going back would be good for the congregation, and probably for us, even though the prospect of COVID-limited attendance, singing and socializing is less than appealing. Are we just lazy or fearful of becoming sick? Or have we become dependent on the safety and security of keeping close to home? What would get me back to shul? No, it’s not the prospect of visiting a nearby fire station after services. It’s the chance to ignite a spark of faith and commitment, and time to take the next step back on the long path toward normalcy. So, there I was on Saturday, back in synagogue. Sitting alone, at least 6 feet away from others, and wearing a mask, felt isolating at first, like praying alone in a room despite the others around me. But gradually the mood lifted and the familiar comfort of the prayers — and the warm (if muted) greetings from fellow congregants — made me feel at home again. I could get used to this. Gary Rosenblatt is a former editor of the Detroit Jewish News and editor and publisher of the Jewish Week, 1993-2019. Follow him at garyrosenblatt. substack.com.

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PURELY COMMENTARY letters continued from page 8

ating in a joint effort to derail the Islamist regime’s nuclear ambitions, the administration went out of its way to disavow any role in Israel’s recent successful attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. The implication of these off-the-record comments from “senior administration officials” is that the administration regarded Israel’s efforts as seeking to forestall an American push to re-engage with Iran. A news analysis published in the Washington Post filled with quotes from anonymous American and European sources, as well as some on-the-record potshots from former Obama administration figures, said the Jewish state was trying to play “the spoiler” to undermine Biden’s diplomacy. The liberal magazine Slate labeled the attack as an act of a “sneaky saboteur,” as if there was something inherently illegitimate about actions that sought to prevent a terrorist theocracy from acquiring a nuclear weapon that could fulfill the ayatollah’s genocidal threats against Israel. As Martin Peretz pointed out in Tablet, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s messaging on Iran has sounded a moderate tone, he has essentially outsourced the nuclear issue to Robert Malley, Biden’s special envoy on Iran. Malley was not only one of the chief architects of the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran; he is a veteran appeaser and critic of Israel. In essence, right now the United States is asking Israel to back off on its efforts to stop Iran and to trust Biden’s

MAY 13 • 2021

team to deliver a diplomatic solution to the problem. But given that Malley has demonstrated no interest in strengthening the nuclear pact so as to forestall an Iranian bomb or stop the regime’s terrorism, that’s a leap of faith that no responsible Israeli government can make. QUESTIONS REMAIN More to the point, Zarif ’s revelation about Kerry’s sharing of intel about their anti-Iran operations makes it clear to the Israelis that the administration isn’t merely wrongheaded in its approach but may actively be seeking to undermine their country’s security and that of its regional allies. Not only did Psaki refuse to answer a question about Kerry’s astonishing betrayal, she didn’t even make an attempt to say something that might reassure the Israelis that the administration regarded this as an issue of concern, let alone something about which an apology should be forthcoming. An investigation into this scandal is imperative. So is Kerry’s resignation from his current post. The implication here is something that advocates for Obama’s signature foreign-policy accomplishment have always been at pains to contradict. Democratic apologists for the deal have spent the last six years trying to claim that the agreement was the best way to safeguard Israel against an Iranian nuclear weapon. However, critics pointed to the way the deal empowered and enriched a rogue regime and asked whether the goal

was very different from the one Obama had discussed. Obama said it was a chance to give Iran the opportunity to “get right with the world” by giving up its nuclear ambitions. Instead, the deal may have been part of an effort to shift American policy in the region from one of an alliance with Israel and the Gulf states to one in which Iran would supplant them as America’s best friend in the region. Few would have believed this claim in 2015. And yet, the impact of the agreement on the region, coupled with Kerry’s actions and the efforts of Obama alumni to return to the deal on Biden’s watch, lend some credibility to this theory. Whatever Obama intended or what Biden may want now, the inescapable conclusion from these events is that the Israelis should be in no doubt about the fact that they are being abandoned by the United States with respect to Iran. This leaves Israel with no good options. Nevertheless, the Jewish state has no choice but to proceed as if its future safety lies solely in its own hands. If the Biden administration or the Democratic Party don’t like that, they can reverse course and start acting as if they take the Iranian nuclear threat seriously. Otherwise, they should pipe down and let the Israelis do what they must to stop an existential threat to their existence. Jonathan S. Tobin is editor in chief of JNS — Jewish News Syndicate. Follow him on Twitter at: @jonathans_tobin.

Get the Word Out

Doctors and scientists have recently discovered that many immunocompromised individuals, such as those undergoing treatment for cancer, develop zero antibodies in response to the COVID-19 vaccination. I am one of those people, and I have been informed that the only way I will be safe from this deadly virus is if and when we reach herd immunity. The pandemic era has been a challenge for us all. Many of us have protected ourselves by getting vaccinated. But those of us who remain unimmune are unable to go out into the public domain without fear of death. Many things can kill us, including food, or simply walking across the street. But vaccines prevent death. What we don’t know might kill us, but what we do know is that COVID-19 has caused far too many fatalities worldwide. If you are afraid of the vaccines because of our “government,” then research the “science.” This pandemic will not go away unless and until everyone is brave enough to vaccinate for the greater good. People waiting, or even choosing not to be vaccinated, are keeping people like me trapped and in danger. As I and many others remain on COVID house arrest, we are caged and deprived of fulfilling lives. I have always been an active person who loves being with people — social interaction is a psychological requirement for a healthy existence. Please help us all and get vaccinated now. Without your help to reach herd immunity, our nation will remain compromised, and we will continue to lose even more lives. — Cindy Ludwig Franklin

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Thanks,

Hebrew Free Loan! Making loans, not interest for more than 125 years. BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

t was 1895, and Detroit’s Jewish population was exploding with an influx of immigrants from Russia, Poland and other Eastern European countries. Most had few resources, but the Jewish community had only just begun to organize communal and charitable services. Looking for a way to help the newcomers, 10 Jewish businessmen and professionals met in the back room of Selig Koploy’s shoemaker shop on Hastings Street. They created an organization familiar to European Jews in even the smallest shtetls: one that would provide no-in-

terest loans. The impetus comes from the Book of Exodus (22:24): “If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them.” The men called the new association Gmilith Chasudim — usually translated as “acts of lovingkindness.” It was incorporated by the state on Dec. 11, 1895, and, almost immediately, became known in the community as “Hebrew Free Loan.” A humble organization historically not highly visible in the Detroit Jewish community, Hebrew Free Loan (HFL) is Hebrew Free Loan helped get the Nu Deli food truck on the road.

MAY 13 • 2021

marking its 125th anniversary — a year late, thanks to COVID. Instead of the celebratory event originally planned for last year, HFL will introduce a new logo and remake its website and social media pages. Donors, including TCF Bank, have underwritten the costs. “We understand how important it is for people and small businesses to have access to needed capital to grow their businesses, get through tough times, provide for their educational needs, repair and improve their homes, and celebrate lifecycle events,” said Gary Torgow, executive chairman of TCF Financial Corporation. A BRIEF HISTORY Detroit’s Hebrew Free Loan was the third in the United States, after Pittsburgh and New York. Today there are 50 members of the International Association of Jewish Free Loans. Hebrew Free Loan partnered with Detroit’s first Jewish communal organization, United Jewish Charities, in the 1920s. When United Jewish Charities was succeeded by

the Jewish Welfare Federation (now the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit) in 1924, Hebrew Free Loan became one of its founding member agencies. The idea was simple: make an interest-free loan, secured by collateral, and require repayment over a specified amount of time. As the funds are repaid, lend them out again. Initially loans were secured by jewelry owned by the applicant — a ring, a watch, a brooch. Items were appraised on the spot, so that one writer described the HFL offices as a “genteel pawn shop.” HFL also allowed promissory notes signed by local Jewish businessmen to be used in lieu of collateral, and the board often debated making that the only loan method. After a devastating burglary in 1925 (the $25,000 loss was covered by insurance, augmented by a public appeal), the use of jewelry collateral declined dramatically and soon disappeared. Hebrew Free Loan’s offices migrated northwest along with the Jewish community.

Eli Golshteyn:

Getting Resettled as a New Immigrant Eli Golshteyn was only 6 when he left Novosibirsk in southwest Siberia with his parents, Alexander and Rufina, and his older brother, Roman. Golshteyn’s father held a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering and his mother a master’s in civil engineering. They knew they’d have to learn English before they could get professional jobs here. His father enrolled in English classes at Oakland Community College while his mother cleaned houses to put food on the table. When his father got an

Housed in the 1920s in the Hannah Schloss Building near Downtown, the city’s first Jewish community center, the organization moved north to Kirby and Beaubien. In the 1930s, HFL operated from several buildings, including a former bank, in the DexterDavison area. Later the

entry-level technician’s job, his mother stopped working and took English classes. Hebrew Free Loan was an important part of their resettlement. After rent and other basic expenses, there was little left for the other things that are essential to a middle-class life. Small loans helped the family buy their first computer, a used car and to pay medical bills. Golshteyn’s father retired as a senior engineer at Bosch. His mother still works as a plumbing engineer. Roman Golshteyn became active in Federation’s NEXTGen program and invited Eli to be a “young liaison” for Hebrew Free Loan. For several years he was an adjunct (non-voting)

agency moved to the Jewish Community Center buildings in northwest Detroit and then Oak Park, and to the United Hebrew Schools building in Southfield (now the home of Yeshivas Darchei Torah). Now, Hebrew Free Loan’s office is in the Max M. Fisher Jewish Federation Building in Bloomfield

member of the Hebrew Free Loan board. He joined the board officially in 2018. Now 32, He is its youngest member. Golshteyn, of Birmingham, works as an internal auditor. He says his financial know-how makes him appreciate Hebrew Free Loan’s support for small business entrepreneurs. He sees the loans as a good way to retain Jewish talent in Detroit. Using his board position to help applicants, he said, gives him “a sense of immense joy and honor and belonging to the community.”

Township. The nature of HFL loans changed along with communal needs. So many emergency loans were made during the Depression — many to cover home payments and medical bills — that Hebrew Free Loan itself ran out of money in 1930. Then-President David Zemon

made a personal loan of $2,000 to keep the organization afloat. Unlike many banks, which tightened their lending practices during the Depression, HFL grew theirs, using a secured $50,000 line of credit from the National Bank of Detroit and an increased stipend from the Jewish Welfare Federation. continued on page 14

Julie Greenfield:

Starting a Family

Julie Greenfield and her husband, Robert, wanted to start a family and realized early on that they would need in-vitro fertilization to do so. “The medical expenses were mounting, and we were concerned about how we would pay for the treatments, medications and so on. A friend suggested we contact Hebrew

Free Loan,” said Greenfield, 50, of Huntington Woods, who works as a manufacturer’s rep in the commercial furniture field. The Greenfields borrowed the maximum available at the time, $7,500, which they paid off within a few years. The Greenfields now have twin 15-year-old sons. Julie realizes she and her husband can’t say their family would never have happened without Hebrew Free Loan, but the loan did a great deal to ease their financial burden. “Had we not gotten the loan from HFL we would have most likely found other resources that would have charged us interest, and honestly, we probably wouldn’t have paid it off as fast, resulting in more expenses over a longer period of time,” she said. Greenfield said she and her husband didn’t know much about Hebrew

Free Loan before they applied; they assumed it was for low-income families, especially immigrants. “Moving through the process, we were very impressed with their mensch-like approach to working with people,” she said. “Asking for a loan can be a daunting and humbling experience. They were so kind and compassionate. They instantly put us at ease and turned a potentially awkward situation into an inspiring one.” In 2014, Greenfield’s father, Mel Kalt, and uncles, Richard and Morse “Mike” Kalt, created the Pearl and Charles Kalt Evergreen Legacy Fund at Hebrew Free Loan in memory of their parents. Mel Kalt is now on the Hebrew Free Loan board. “It’s funny how an off-hand suggestion by a friend almost 20 years ago has affected the lives of so many people in our community,” Kalt said. MAY 13 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER

continued from page 13

In the run-up to World War II, Hebrew Free Loan aided Jews escaping from Nazi Europe and, after the war, aided survivors who made it to Michigan. In the late 1960s, Hebrew Free Loan helped businessmen whose properties were destroyed or damaged during Detroit’s racial turmoil. HFL also started making loans for tuition at Jewish day schools, enabling parents to make smaller monthly payments instead of one large one. Starting in the mid-1970s, the Detroit community absorbed thousands of Jews who left the former Soviet Union. Most needed help to pay for apartment security deposits, furniture, cars or work tools, and Hebrew Free Loan responded. In 1986, the Jewish Welfare Federation started the Neighborhood Project to stabilize the Jewish communities of southeastern Oakland County. Administered by

Hebrew Free Loan, the program offered no-interest loans of up to $6,000 for the purchase or improvement of homes in Southfield and Oak Park. By the time it ended in 2003, with the organized community feeling it had achieved its goal, the Neighborhood Project had made 1,200 home purchase loans and 153 home improvement loans. In 1989, the organization officially registered with the state as “Hebrew Free Loan,” finally jettisoning its original Gmilith Chasudim name. A MODERNIZED APPROACH As the 20th century ended, Hebrew Free Loan started modernizing its procedures and practices. Led by then-President Arthur Liss and Executive Director Mary Keane, HFL overhauled its accounting and record-keeping systems. A new board structure led to a larger

Jared Rothberger:

Becoming an Entrepreneur

After college, Jared Rothberger worked for a number of nonprofit organizations and then for KIG Insurance, which was run by his father-in-law, Ken Korotkin. But he was an entrepreneur at heart. In 2015, he and a friend, Bryan Lubaway, wanted to buy the Southeast Michigan rights to Jan-Pro, an Atlanta-based franchise company that provides commercial janitorial services and products. Pooling their personal financial

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Loan applicants have always been treated with respect at HFL.

Over 125 years, HFL’s proccesses have changed, but not its core values.

governing body — but one where members routinely rotated off so that new supporters — including more women and younger adults — could join. The board created committees, and all members were required to participate. “I’ve never been in an organization where the board members work so hard,” said Liss, 74,

resources wasn’t enough, so they applied to Hebrew Free Loan for a $90,000 small business loan. As part of the application process, Rothberger and Lubaway made a Shark Tank-style presentation to Hebrew Free Loan board members. “It was intimidating,” he recalls. “These were machers in the community, people who had already done what we want to do.” He said the board members spent an hour trying to tear down their proposal, poking holes in it to see how they would respond. Soon afterward, they were told their loan had been approved. The people they’d presented to complimented not only their business proposal but also the quality of their pitch. “We knew that $90,000 was going to make or break our effort,”

a trial attorney from Bloomfield Hills. His son, Dr. Zachary Liss, is also on the board. Fundraising efforts led by David Kirsch, Sam Bernstein and Michael Berke brought in new funds to increase the number of loans. HFL has continued business-as-almost-usual during the pandemic, said Carolyn Tisdale,

said Rothberger, 39, who lives in Bloomfield Hills with his wife, Lisa, and 8- and 9-year-old sons. “But in addition to the money, we also got the confidence that we had a good plan.” Hebrew Free Loan provided a mentor to the young entrepreneurs, Jon Dwoskin, a professional business coach. “He helped keep us on track and focused on growth and success,” said Rothberger. The partners put everything they earned back into the business; after six months, they paid themselves $300 each. The HFL loan was repaid after four years. In 2019, Rothberger bought out his partner who moved to Chattanooga and opened his own Jan-Pro franchise. The two are still good friends. Last year, Rothberger’s Jan-Pro had $9.5 million in sales.

Hanna Berlin:

Financing Medical School Hanna Berlin was thrilled to be starting medical school at the University of Michigan but a little concerned about how to come up with $36,000 for tuition, not to mention additional funds for living expenses. “My parents generously contributed to my undergraduate education, but we had agreed early on that I would be responsible for any post-graduate training,” said Berlin, 28. She is about to graduate with her M.D. degree and move from Ann Arbor to Royal Oak to begin a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at William Beaumont Hospital. She had a bit of an “in” at Hebrew Free Loan: Her mother, Cheryl Berlin, has worked there as a loan program officer for more than 10 years. There’s another family connection: Cheryl

Berlin discovered that her grandfather, Maxwell Berlin, took out a loan from Hebrew Free Loan in the 1930s to make a house payment. Hanna Berlin had borrowed $7,500 every year from Hebrew Free Loan’s William Davidson Jewish College Loan Program to pay for her undergraduate degree at U-M. “After graduating, I worked as a medical assistant and saved up money while applying to medical school,” Berlin said. “I was able to defer on paying my loans at that time, and thankfully did not have to worry about interest accruing while I worked on getting my footing in the professional world and pursuing my dream of becoming a physician.” For medical school, Berlin was able to borrow $10,000 a year from Hebrew Free Loan. It didn’t cover all her costs, but it gave her some breathing room. “I was able to focus on my studies and wellbeing rather than suffer under

Mongers Provisions gourmet cheese shop and more of Ferndale and Detroit got some “cheddar” from Hebrew Free Loan to start its business.

crushing financial stress,” she said. “Perhaps, even more importantly, I felt invested in by my community, and a duty to fulfill something larger than myself.” Berlin expects to pay off all her loans within 10 years. She looks forward to being able to give back to the Jewish community someday by contributing to Hebrew Free Loan herself.

who will complete her two-year term as president in June. She was impressed by how quickly staff and volunteers adapted to remote operations. “They didn’t miss a beat,” she said. “The office ran like clockwork, and we didn’t Carolyn have any layoffs or Tisdale furloughs.” And HFL gave borrowers a threemonth extension on repayments, if requested. One thing hasn’t changed over the years: David Hebrew Free Loan colKramer lects on 99 percent of its loans. Incoming president David Kramer of Bloomfield Hills is looking for ways to David expand HFL’s reach. He Contorer hopes to establish loan opportunities that will encourage young Jewish adults to remain in the

Detroit area — or to relocate here. Executive Director David Contorer, who succeeded Keane in 2011, agrees. He says Hebrew Free Loan wants the public to know that “interest-free loans are like stem cells. They can be used to help with almost anything.” HFL’S OFFERINGS The organization’s activities fall into four main categories, said Contorer: • Personal loans can help applicants buy a car, cover medical expenses, send a child to camp or celebrate a bar mitzvah or wedding. After the Detroit area’s big flood in August 2014, HFL made many loans for home repairs. In 2018, HFL launched a program to help applicants consolidate high-interest debt. Most personal loans are $10,000 or less, though HFL will consider up to $20,000 help with the cost of adoption or in-vitro fertilization. • The William Davidson Jewish College Loan Program offers stucontinued on page 16 MAY 13 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER

continued from page 15

dents up to $7,500 a year for fulltime undergraduate study or $10,000 a year for graduate work, with 10 years post-graduation to repay. The program grew out of the Jewish Educational Loan Service, started in the 1940s. It was renamed after the William Davidson Foundation made $12 million worth of grants. Applications decreased somewhat in 2020 because of COVID, but the program serves between 180 and 280 students every year. • The Marvin I. Danto Small Business Loan Program started in 2012 with a bequest from Danto’s estate and a grant from the Marvin and Betty Danto Family Foundation. While HFL had been making business loans since its inception, the Danto funds enabled it to increase loans to as much as $100,000 for

One of HFL’s earlier offices.

businesses that are at least 51 percent Jewish-owned. Applicants must make a pitch to members of the HFL’s Danto loan committee, who are experienced entrepreneurs. In its first nine years, the program has made 135 loans. • The Michigan Jewish Organization Loan Program, started in 2018 in partnership with the Ravitz Foundation, provides up to $100,000 for Michigan synagogues and other organizations. Ten loans, totaling $900,000, have been made to date, including to congrega-

Temple Beth S holom:

Relocating in Marquette

Temple Beth Sholom, a small Reform congregation in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, had the opportunity a few years ago to buy a building in Marquette, closer to its members. Cary Gottlieb, the congregation’s treasurer, and his wife, Carol, had borrowed funds from Hebrew Free Loan in 1985 to buy their first house, so he was receptive when fellow Beth Sholom board member Aaron Scholnik suggested they look into a loan for the temple. The two men approached Hebrew Free Loan Executive Director David Contorer, and within what seemed like just a few weeks, they had their loan for $100,000. The temple used it to turn the building into a house of worship. Ironically, it had been constructed in 1925 as a Christian Science church, but was later used as an event venue and then an apartment complex so it needed extensive

MAY 13 • 2021

tions and other organizations in Ann Arbor, Flint, Marquette and Petoskey, most for building purchase or repair. Although Hebrew Free Loan has always been modest about tooting its own horn, Contorer hopes to increase its visibility so that more Michigan Jews can take advantage of its services. “I know there are Jewish people out there who need help who don’t know about us,” he said. “If this reaches one more person, it’s a win for HFL.”

renovation. The congregation repaid the loan within 17 months, said Gottlieb, using donations from a capital campaign and proceeds from the sale of their previous building in Ishpeming where they had been since 1952. “The loan enabled us to move into the building quickly and easily,” said Gottlieb, a pathologist at St. Francis

Donations

Loans

Hospital in Escanaba. “Temple membership has grown, and participation is up, even with COVID,” he said. Gottlieb praised Hebrew Free Loan for making the process so easy, saying he never felt pressure or the need to grovel. “Dave Contorer actually made it a point to see the temple when he was visitng the UP. He’s a mensch and good person.” Members of Temple Beth Sholom outside their new building.

Helping Jewish Teens “Collective Compassion” project promotes mental health, coping. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

ollective Compassion, a project of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative takes place in May to acknowledge Mental Health Awareness Month. The organization is an innovative philanthropic collaboration where national and local funders work together to develop new approaches to teen engagement. Collective Compassion shares events and resources from more than a dozen partners to address the significant mental health wellness needs of the Jewish community. Pop-up programs, creative workshops, giving-

circles, screenside chats and wellness inspiration all draw on Jewish culture and wisdom to help address rising levels of loneliness, stress and anxiety. Events and trainings include Creativity for Coping, which helps build resilience through creative guides such as “Storytelling for Strength and Sanity,” breathwork and a comedy show to help people relax, center themselves and understand how these techniques tie to Jewish wisdom. Another highlight is Education & Awareness to learn and share practical tools for mental health, such as “iGen: Understanding the

Smartphone Generation with Dr. Jean Twenge,” an event for parents and educators of teens and tweens that will provide ideas for how to find a healthier balance with technology. Also included is CPR for Mental Health, an evidence-based course teaching adults how to support young people, ages 12-21. The Jewishly framed 6.5-hour training is a mix of self-paced and instructor-led workshops. The program also includes books, art, apps and quarantine playlists to

support positive mental health. “Events of the last year have left many reeling with a heightened sense of uncertainty, confusion and loss, and our community is responding in a powerful way” said Sara Allen, executive director of the Jewish Teen Education and Engagement Funder Collaborative. “We are inspired by the creativity and commitment of our partners, and hope people explore the dozens of offerings and learn self-compassion strategies, participate in practices that draw on Jewish tradition, and see that no matter what people are going through — you are not alone.” Collective Compassion partners include the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, BBYO, USY, NFTY, Repair the World and others. For further details, visit collectivecompassion2021. com.

Need to find help during a family crisis

¨ Call jhelp at 1-833-445-4357 ¨ Visit jhelp.org ¨ Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org ¨ Do all of the above X

We Have Answers. Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation.

MAY 13 • 2021

The Sedler family: Erik Sedler, Marla Sedler, Chole Sedler, Rozanne and Bob Sedler, Braden Sedler, Tom Foster, Beth Foster, Brielle Foster, Jayce Foster

OUR COMMUNITY

Legal Warrior

Retiring WSU law professor looks back on a lifetime of accomplishments. JACK LESSENBERRY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ou might not think Sens. Mitch McConnell and Gary Peters had anything in common. They are on opposite sides of nearly every important issue. The dour Senate minority leader is nearly old enough to be the hard-working Michigan Democrat’s father. Robert But they do share something Sedler no other two U.S. senators do: Both are former law students of Robert “Bob” Sedler, now Wayne State University’s Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law, who earlier taught at the University of Kentucky. They are far from the only famous lawyers to have been trained by Sedler, who has had an enormous impact on the legal profession and the law itself, nationally and internationally. However, while it is entirely possible that more of his former students will become famous in the future, there won’t be any more Sedler alumni after this year. This month, Bob Sedler is finally retiring. “It’s time — I’m ready to retire,” he said with a large grin during an interview in his Southfield home, decorated largely with furniture and art collected during a lifetime of world travel. That all started in 1963, when he and his wife, Rozanne, who had just earned a master’s in social work, went to Ethiopia as part of a Ford Foundation project to teach and help set up a law school in that country. “You know, I hadn’t really noticed

MAY 13 • 2021

because I’ve been so busy, but we are old!” he said with a laugh, “and I realize I want to be retired! I don’t want to do anything!” That seems hard to believe. Though on paper, Sedler turns 86 on Sept. 11, he doesn’t look, or act, his age. When Dana Nessel, another Sedler alum, was elected Michigan attorney general in 2018, she immediately made him an (unpaid) special assistant AG. When she heard her mentor was finally retiring, she said, “Bob Sedler’s impact is immense and far-reaching. He has instilled an understanding of the law in generations of students, many of whom now serve in this very department. The guidance and mentorship he provided to many young legal minds is beyond comparison.” She’s far from alone in thinking that. During his career, Sedler has argued and won two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, helped make same-sex marriage a nationally recognized constitutional right and successfully fought more civil rights cases than can be easily counted. He’s consulted with the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, met President Barack Obama at the White House, had a major impact on legal issues in Michigan and has spoken all over the world. “Rozanne and I have had an incredible life,” he said. His wife, and partner in everything, is a clinical and geriatric social worker who also recently retired from Jewish Family Service. Not bad for a man who was born during

the Great Depression in Pittsburgh to parents who came to this country as children by families who were escaping oppression in Czarist Russia. (The name was originally Seder, but, as often the case, was anglicized by immigration officials, probably at Ellis Island.) To say there was little money when Sedler was growing up in a tiny, crowded house was an understatement. His father never went beyond elementary school. But Bob was determined to become a lawyer; he competed successfully for scholarships and worked part-time and summers as a shoe salesman for nine years. MEETING ROZANNE But his hero as a student was not Benjamin Cardozo or Felix Frankfurter, but a lawyer who inspired thousands of idealistic young people of Sedler’s generation: Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson, who ran for president against Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956. Sedler was head of Students for Stevenson at the University of Pittsburgh in 1956 in his first year in law school. A picture appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette of Bob, in his first year of law school, standing on a soap box at a Stevenson rally. The former Rozanne Friedlander, then a student at Penn State, saw his picture. Stevenson was crushed in a historic landslide, but Rozanne and Bob did end up meeting — and marrying in 1960. Their son Erik now is the managing director and founder of Kivvit, a public relations and consulting firm that is the successor to a firm Sedler co-founded with Obama adviser David Axelrod. Their daughter Beth is a social worker in Los Angeles; each has two children. After a brief stint in the Army (“I was worried about the drill where we had to throw live grenades”), he taught briefly at Rutgers and then St. Louis University when the opportunity came up to go to Ethiopia. “All life is happenstance. I looked at Rozanne — we were 28 and 25; we had no children yet, and why not?” Two months later, they were lying in bed in Addis Ababa in the middle of the night when the phone rang. President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated they were told. No additional details were known. That was an era before television or trans-Atlantic phone calls were possible

Sedler received the Champion of Justice Award from the Michigan Association for Justice May 11, 2019.

“BOB SEDLER’S IMPACT IS IMMENSE AND FAR-REACHING.” — ATTORNEY GENERAL DANA NESSEL

Rozanne and Bob in Panama in July 2019

in Ethiopia. Not until the international edition Newsweek arrived did they really know what had happened. They ended up staying in Ethiopia three years. While there, Bob wrote a legal textbook for Ethiopian law students, which “as far as I know may still be in use.” When they returned, he taught at the University of Kentucky law school till 1977, where his students included McConnell, an Alabama native who went on to run Jefferson County, which includes Louisville, before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984. “I don’t know if he would remember me, but he might — if not from law school, probably from the school busing controversy in Louisville.” Indeed, Sedler battled successfully to desegregate the Louisville schools by getting the courts to approve cross-district busing with suburban school districts — something that the U.S. Supreme Court in Bradley v Milliken rejected for the Detroit area in 1974. He also battled in the courts on behalf of draft resistors and others who got in trouble for protesting the Vietnam War. In perhaps his most brilliant legal move, he figured out how to end discrimination in housing law in a socially conservative state where, despite the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964, politicians were unwilling to vote for anything called a “fair housing act.” Instead, he negotiated to get Kentucky to pass what was billed a “bill to regulate commercial real estate transactions.” It meant that homeowners were free to sell their homes to whomever they chose if they didn’t use a real estate agent. But since more than 95 percent of them did, it had the effect of getting discrimination out of the housing market. Despite his success, Sedler said, “I knew I was never going to stay in Kentucky. Detroit was a city that felt very much like home to me, like Pittsburgh, and I was very happy when the opportunity came up at Wayne State.” MICHIGAN ACTIVISM The Sedlers arrived in 1977, moved to Southfield and became and remain active members of Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park. Though not conventionally devout, both Sedlers are committed and active

members of social action and the Reform community. Though he was incredibly devoted to his students, Sedler, as he had in Kentucky, also plunged into social justice causes in Michigan, frequently working pro bono (as a volunteer) with the American Civil Liberties Union. He battled successfully against Dearborn’s attempt to prohibit “non-residents” (meaning African Americans from nearby Detroit) from using city parks. Sedler has opposed all religious displays on public property and fought successfully to stop Michigan from preventing a white couple from adopting a black child. Sedler hasn’t been afraid to raise eyebrows; he alienated some supporters by supporting Jack Kevorkian’s right to provide assisted suicide in the 1990s, and others by supporting the late Matty Moroun’s attempt to prevent another Detroit River bridge. But he made perhaps his greatest impact when a former student came to him to ask his advice on how to prepare a federal case involving two lesbian nurses, Jayne Rowse and April DeBoer, who wanted to jointly adopt three children but who were not allowed to do so by the state of Michigan. When it was over, Sedler’s advice not only helped them establish same-sex adoption but same sex marriage as a constitutional right throughout the nation. The young lawyer who came to him for advice is now Michigan’s attorney general, who said of her mentor that “his unyielding belief that our constitutional rights encompass more than just lines on pieces of paper” were her inspiration. Along the way, Sedler has received almost too many awards to count, from Phi Beta Kappa to the Order of the Coif; to State Bar and ACLU awards and the Michigan Association for Justice’s Champion of Justice Award “for his dedication to the cause of justice and making a real difference in people’s lives.” He has also written a book that has gone through multiple editions, Constitutional Law in the United States. Now, he has finally taught his last class. But when it comes to the public arena, will he really remain fully retired? In this case … there may, indeed, be reasonable doubt. MAY 13 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

A Guiding Hand New mapping system at

Clover Hill makes finding gravesites easier.

360, a California-based company, walked the grounds of Clover Hill, snapping a photograph every 5 feet. Having these images online is particularly useful for family members living out of state or those unable to get to the cemetery, allowing them to make a virtual visit. “While I prefer to go to the cemetery, it’s nice to know I can see my daughter’s gravesite online for the times when I can’t physically get there,” said Lisa Ziff of Bloomfield Hills. Ziff ’s daughter Shay passed away in April 2019. A cemetery 360 image that allows viewers to read grave markers.

JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

rying to locate the gravesite of a loved one at Clover Hill Park Cemetery, a 60-acre cemetery with more than 15,000 burials, could make an already emotional situation even more stressful. Until last year, visitors to Clover Hill had to rely on their memory or a cemetery employee to help locate a gravesite. Now visitors can get driving or walking directions directly to a plot in the same way they would get directions from Google Maps or a similar platform. A computer, cell phone or kiosk located at the cemetery entrance can be used to access this information. The technology utilized by Clover Hill allows users to search the database with as little information as the last name of the deceased. Users are then able to locate the burial site on a map and get directions. They can also see the area with a 360-degree ground view, including images of surrounding graves and landscaping and the ability to read the headstones. “We wanted to make a strong commitment to our families by using this technology. When people are here initially, it’s usually very traumatizing and emotional, and they tend to forget or not pay attention to how they got there,” said Kim Raznik, the executive director of the Clover Hill Park Cemetery. “There are also those who haven’t been to the cemetery before and don’t know how to find their relatives or friends.” She described the software as “an unbe-

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lievable tool in helping families navigate the cemetery in person or virtually.” Raznik told the story of a recent visitor who was convinced the gravesite of a loved one was somehow moved. After locating the site on the kiosk and printing out directions, they discovered that the woman was looking on the wrong side of the cemetery. Raznik said that as far as she knows, Clover Hill is the only local cemetery using this but declined to discuss the cost of the project, which was approved by the board of directors in 2019. To get all the necessary data online, Clover Hill hired a company to do something called ESRI mapping. It’s what cities use to map their communities, and it provides a longitude and latitude point for every gravesite and interfaces with Google to provide turn-by-turn directions. Additionally, more than 500,000 pictures were taken to offer 360-degree views of every inch of the cemetery grounds. For a week-and-a-half in August 2019, Cemetery

SALES AID The software is also a valuable sales tool by allowing users to view available burial sites without visiting the cemetery or see examples of headstone options by searching within the cemetery. This has been especially helpful early on during COVID when people were not leaving their homes. Although the software wasn’t a response to the ongoing pandemic, its usefulness has been an unintended benefit. Raznik doesn’t know how they could have managed without it during the height of COVID when the cemetery saw a 50% increase in burials. Families needing to select a plot or order a grave marker could do so online. Established by Congregation Shaarey Zedek in 1918, Clover Hill has approximately 200 burials per year. It’s the final resting place for many of Detroit’s most prominent Jewish leaders, including Mandell “Bill” Berman, Al Taubman, William “Bill” Davidson, Max M. Fisher, David Hermelin and Rabbis Morris Adler and Irwin Groner. “The cemetery has a garden-like, parklike feel to it,” Raznik said. “We want it to be a serene place, and this helps make that happen by taking away the stress of trying to find a loved one.” For information, visit cloverhillcemetery.org. ESRI mapping documents the location of every gravesite, by longitude and latitude and interfaces with the cemetery’s database.

t was the brainchild of a 9-year-old boy. When Avery Schwartz of Commerce, who attends Hillel Day School, wanted to give his Nana Margaret Garvin a hug, he created a “Hug Buddy.” Since Avery couldn’t hug Nana in person because of pandemic distancing, he instead created a two-dimensional “hug” figure that was drawn on paper and mailed to Nana, who was moving to Traverse City. For Avery’s father, Glen Schwartz, co-owner of the West Bloomfield-based mental health clinic Viewpoint Psychology & Wellness, his son’s creation was a way for people to connect at a time when many families had become disconnected due to social distancing. Avery’s “hug” drawing soon became a Hug Buddy, and Hug Buddy turned into the mascot for “Viewspire.” Viewspire aims to do exactly as its name says: to inspire through views. It’s a platform developed by Schwartz and Viewpoint Psychology & Wellness child psychologist Nikki O’Donnell, in collaboration with 9-year-old Avery, to help decrease stigma against mental illness and encourage people to ask for help when needed. Just launched in early April, Viewspire includes clothing, art and other items that promote acceptance and healing. It’s also the outlet where people can create and send their own Hug Buddies, just like Avery sent to his Nana. “There’s a need for an approach to mental health that’s accessible and friendly,” O’Donnell, 39, says. “An approach that’s not clinical.” O’Donnell says that the concept for Viewspire had been in the works for about a year. Previously, the mental health practice was creating calming jars. These jars could be shaken alongside special breathing

Avery Schwartz, 9, is the creator of the Hug Buddy.

Hug Buddies A 9-year-old’s “hug” drawing aims to inspire love and healing. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

techniques that were designed to reduce anxiety and stress. Avery’s Hug Buddy, she says, was the missing piece of the puzzle that pulled the concept for a positive mental health platform together. BOY’S EFFORTS Avery’s small act of kindness turned into a movement. Glen Schwartz says his son devoted all his spare time to make Hug Buddies available to everyone. Avery created a Pinterest board, spent hours working on graphic design programs and told everyone that he knew — from friends, to family, to even his principal at Hillel — about his idea for Hug Buddies.

As his father and O’Donnell worked on building Viewspire, Hug Buddy grew to be the face of the platform. Now, with the launch of the site officially underway, Hug Buddies can be sent by anyone, anywhere via postcards that cost $2. Each postcard also comes with the option to make a nominal donation toward mental health causes. “It’s a new way of viewing mental health,” Glen Schwartz says. “It puts a really positive spin on it.” While the adults manage Viewspire inventory — which they say they’ve had an overwhelming response for since its recent launching — Avery, along

with O’Donnell’s son, 8-year-old Zane, hand-color each Hug Buddy that goes out by mail. “If you know somebody in your class is being bullied, or you have a relative in the hospital, or you just miss someone because you haven’t been engaged in the community for a while, you’ll be able to send these Hug Buddy postcards,” Glen Schwartz says. Hug Buddies are the perfect connection to Viewspire, he says, because they also inspire people through views (or in this case, hugs). Many of the images used in Viewspire’s products are created by patients, including pictures of birds and flowers. “One of [O’Donnell’s] patients actually created a bird one day in session,” Schwartz describes. “It was his way of expressing himself.” After the patient was able to convey his feelings through the drawing of the bird, Schwartz says the patient began to develop a more positive mindset. It was a key motivating factor for Viewspire, but the only thing missing was a mascot. “I was driving home one day with Avery,” Schwartz recalls, “and he said, ‘How come we’re not using my Hug Buddy?’” The lightbulb turned on. “I sent the picture of the Hug Buddy to O’Donnell,” Schwartz continues, “and within 10 minutes, she digitized it and she was like, ‘This is it! It’s totally it.’” Yet it’s only the beginning for Viewspire and its Hug Buddy mascot. “Our dream is that this goes into a brand where the Hug Buddy is the recognized symbol for positive viewing of mental health,” O’Donnell says. “It shifts the whole experience of how we view it and ask for help.” To see more, visit shopviewspire.com. MAY 13 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

U.S. Jews Under a Microscope Pew study paints a picture of generational shifts in Judaism. JACKIE HEADAPOHL DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL

he new survey from the Pew Research Center released May 11 paints a portrait of Jewish Americans in 2020 that is not dramatically different from 2013, when the survey was last taken. For the survey, a total sampling of 4,718 people were counted as Jewish Americans, defined as having at least one Jewish parent or having been raised Jewish. Counting all Jewish adults — young and old, combined — the percentages who identify as Orthodox, Conservative and Reform are little changed. The size of the adult Jewish population is also stable, rising roughly in line with the total U.S. population. According to the data, as of 2020, 2.4% of U.S. adults are Jewish, compared to 2.2% in 2013. In absolute numbers, the 2020 Jewish population estimate is approximately 7.5 million, including 5.8 million adults and 1.8 million children (rounded to the closest 100,000). The 2013 estimate was 6.7 million, including 5.3 million adults and 1.3 million children. DEMOGRAPHIC/POLITICAL TRENDS Jewish Americans, on average, are older, have higher levels of education, earn higher incomes and are more geographically concentrated in the Northeast than Americans overall. The U.S. Jewish population is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Overall,

MAY 13 • 2021

92% of Jewish adults identify as White (non-Hispanic), and 8% identify with all other categories combined. Among Jews ages 18-29, that figure rises to 15%. Already, 17% of U.S. Jews surveyed live in households in which at least one child or adult is Black, Hispanic, Asian or multiracial. Some 42% of all currently married Jewish respondents said they have a non-Jewish spouse. Among those who have gotten married since 2010, 61% are intermarried. However, intermarriage is very rare among Orthodox Jews: 98% of Orthodox Jews who are married say their spouse is Jewish. According to the survey, 72% of non-Orthodox Jews who have gotten married since 2010 are intermarried, and “it appears that the offspring of intermarriages have become increasingly likely to identify as Jewish in adulthood,” the survey says. Politically, U.S. Jews on the whole tilt strongly liberal and tend to support the Democratic Party. When the new survey was fielded during a highly contentious political period, from late fall 2019 through late spring 2020, 71% said they were Democrats or leaned Democratic. Among Jews of no religion, roughly three-quarters were Democrats or leaned that way. But Orthodox Jews have been trending in the opposite direction, becoming as solidly Republican as non-Orthodox Jews

are solidly Democratic. In the run-up to the 2020 presidential election, 75% of Orthodox Jews said they were Republicans or leaned Republican, compared with 57% in 2013. Concerns about antisemitism among American Jews are on the rise. Three-quarters say there is more antisemitism in the United States than there was five years ago, and just over half (53%) say that “as a Jewish person in the United States” they feel less safe than they did five years ago. Yet, even among those who feel less safe, only 5% of all U.S. Jews report that they have stayed away from a Jewish event or observance as a result. The survey also finds that many Jewish Americans participate, at least occasionally, both in some traditional religious practices — like going to a synagogue or fasting on Yom Kippur — and in some Jewish cultural activities, like making potato latkes, watching Israeli movies or reading Jewish news online. RELIGIOUS GENERATIONAL TRENDS Among young Jewish adults, however, the survey finds that “two sharply divergent expressions of Jewishness appear to be gaining ground — one involving religion deeply enmeshed in every aspect of life, and the other involving little or no religion at all.” Jewish adults ages 18-29 are much more likely than Jews older than 65 to identify as

Orthodox, 17% to 3% respectively. One-in-10 U.S. Jewish adults under 30 are ultra-Orthodox (11%), compared with 1% of Jews 65 and older. At the same time, 40% of Jewish adults under 30 identify as Jewish culturally, but describe themselves religiously as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” rather than as Jewish. This is compared to 27% of all Jewish adults who do not identify with the Jewish religion. The survey also shows that two branches of Judaism that have long predominated in the U.S. have less of a hold on young Jews than on their elders. Roughly four-in-10 Jewish adults under 30 identify with either Reform (29%) or Conservative Judaism (8%), compared with seven-in-10 Jews older than 65. According to the survey: “In other words, the youngest U.S. Jews count among their ranks both a relatively large

share of traditionally observant, Orthodox Jews and an even larger group of people who see themselves as Jewish for cultural, ethnic or family reasons but do not identify with Judaism — as a religion — at all.” And even though people in both groups participate, at least sometimes, in the same cultural activities, such as cooking traditional Jewish foods, visiting Jewish historical sites and listening to Jewish or Israeli music, the two groups report feeling little in common with each other, the study notes. The survey’s authors say these generational shifts toward both Orthodoxy and secular Jewishness have the potential, in time, to reshape American Jewry. DENOMINATION TRENDS In the 2020 survey, 37% of American Jews identify as Reform and 17% as Conservative, essentially

unchanged from 2013. The share of all Jewish adults who describe themselves as Orthodox is also about the same in 2020 (9%) as it was in 2013 (10%). Other branches, such as the Reconstructionist movement and Humanistic Judaism, total about 4%, very similar to in 2013 (6%). And the share of Jewish adults who do not identify with any particular stream or institutional branch of Judaism is now 32%, roughly on par with the 2013 survey (30%). Conservative and Reform Jews tend to be less religiously observant in traditional ways, like keeping kosher and regularly attending religious services, but many participate in Jewish cultural activities, and most are at least somewhat attached to Israel. Demographically, they have high levels of education, small families, higher rates of intermarriage than the Orthodox and skew older (median age

of 62 for Conservative, 53 for Reform). Those who consider themselves culturally but not religiously Jewish, have low levels of synagogue membership and attendance with comparatively weak attachments to Israel, feelings of belonging to the Jewish people and engagement in communal Jewish life. They tend to be politically liberal and highly educated, with relatively high rates of intermarriage and a low median age (38 years). The survey’s authors also conclude that although the data show some signs of religious divergence and political polarization among U.S. Jews, it also finds large areas of consensus. For instance, more than 80% of U.S. Jews say that they feel at least some sense of belonging to the Jewish people, and 75% say that “being Jewish” is either very or somewhat important to them.

MAY 13 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

Best and Brightest

Two law students to be honored by Jewish Bar Association of Michigan. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

wo exceptional Jewish law students will receive $1,500 scholarships from the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan (JBAM) at a free Zoom event on May 25. Jessica Davidova of Wayne State University Law School and Chase O. Yarber of University of Detroit Mercy School of Law will each receive JBAM’s Charles J. Cohen Scholarship, which recognizes law students who have demonstrated a commitment to making a positive contribution to the legal and general communities. JESSICA DAVIDOVA Davidova, of Farmington Hills, was born in West Bloomfield to a family that immigrated from Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority nation north of Iran that is friendly to Israel. As an undergrad at Wayne State, she experienced an antisemitic incident for the first time that greatly affected her. While president of Students for Israel, she coordinated an event that used henna to celebrate peace, culture and diversity — but was met by an angry mob that claimed she was appropriating their culture. Davidova was perplexed because henna does not belong to any particular culture. In Azerbaijan, henna is used at the end of wedding receptions, even Jewish ones. However, she understood that the students’ anger was due to ignorance and wrong assumptions that are held between different communities. The incident inspired her to help educate people on the importance of diversity. Davidova created a platform within Students for Israel where students could learn about issues that minorities face globally. Through her advocacy, she was also able to meet with ambassadors, lawyers and government representatives to discuss the importance of international politics. Before starting law school, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship from the United States government to go to Tel Aviv

MAY 13 • 2021

Jessica Davidova

to find ways to improve the intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy and intercultural competence between the United States and Israel. Currently, Davidova serves as president of Wayne State’s International Law Student Association and is an editor of the Michigan International Lawyer, a publication for attorneys by the State Bar of Michigan. She also serves on the Board of Governors of Hillel of Metropolitan Detroit and is a fellow at the Detroit Center for Civil Discourse. “I returned to Detroit because I realize the value of being part of the Jewish and legal community focused on bettering the city,” Davidova said. “I definitely want to practice law here. I feel like Detroit is a big enough city where it matters — but it’s small enough to feel like you matter in it. That’s the beauty of Detroit.” CHASE YARBER Scholarship awardee Chase Yarber of West Bloomfield has always had a keen interest in the field of law and the Jewish community. Following his bar mitzvah, Yarber dedicated his time to furthering Jewish studies and helping teach others about Jewish life and identity. Between the ages of 13-18, he worked as a teaching assistant at Temple Shir Shalom Sunday school.

Chase Yarber

After graduating high school, Yarber was inspired to learn more about Judaism. His older brother Grant at the University of Michigan was going on a trip to Poland sponsored by the Jewish Resource Center at U-M, and he arranged to go, too. There, he visited Jewish historical areas, witnessing the horrors of Auschwitz and other sites from the Holocaust. “The experience changed my life and compelled me to grow my Jewish identity,” Yarber said. “Attending Michigan State University, I worked with the Jewish Resource Center at Michigan to install our own JRC at Michigan State. Within a year, I worked with a rabbi, and we successfully started our own JRC, where I served as president. We amassed over 20 members and organized a three-week trip to Israel.” Aside from his passion for Jewish life, Yarber shares an equally important love for the field of law. Over the years, he’s gathered experience at numerous law firms, most recently at Honigman LLP, and an externship with Justice Brian K. Zahra of the Michigan Supreme Court. At U-D Mercy, Yarber ranks near the top of his class. He is a member of Law Review and Moot Court and serves as a teaching assistant. “These opportunities have all furthered

my commitment to the field of law,” Yarber says, “and my growth as a future attorney.” He says his experiences in Judaism have taught him passion, leadership and the importance of community. His mother, Judy Yarber, bravely fought leukemia for three years, and Chase was a bone marrow donor for her. Sadly, she died on May 4, and Chase is dedicating his award to his mother to honor the love and support she provided their family throughout her life. HIGH ACHIEVEMENT Southfield attorney Andrew Cohen, the son of the late Charles J. Cohen, whom the award will be given in memory of, says JBAM is thrilled to award Davidova and Yarber with its first-annual scholarships. “My father, Charles, cared

tremendously about ethics in the practice of law and believed that the way to improve ethics was through education,” Cohen says. It is only fitting that this year’s awardees demonstrated not just educational achievement and community involvement, but the highest of ethical standards.” The May 25 Zoom event is free and open to the community. Also at the event, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel will receive JBAM’s inaugural Ruth Bader Ginsburg Champion of Justice Award and retired U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn will be honored with the organization’s first Lifetime Achievement Award. To register for the free event, visit jewishbar.org. Associate Editor David Sachs contributed to this report.

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MAY 13 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

Steven Ingber Is Named New Federation CEO

he Jewish Federation/ United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit (JFMD/UJF) announced that it has named Steven Ingber as its new chief executive officer, effective immediately. Ingber has served as the organization’s chief operating officer since 2016. He succeeds former JFMD/UJF CEO Scott Kaufman, who stepped down from the role at the end of 2019 after nine years. The announcement comes following the completion of a national executive search, led by a committee of Federation volunteer leaders. Over the past 18 months, Ingber has been the JFMD/ UJF’s lead professional, guiding the organization throughout the

COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most challenging times in the history of the century-old organization. “There could have been no greater test for a leader,” noted Matthew B. Lester, JFMD president. “The health and welfare of the Detroit Jewish community depends on the Federation, and it is clear that Steve is doing an extraordinary job. “He has skillfully managed the complex response to the crisis while continuing to strengthen the Jewish Federation for the future. Steve has also built strong, collaborative relationships with individuals across all levels of the organization, as well as with leaders and stakeholders throughout the community. We are confident that he is the right individual to

Steven Ingber

lead the organization forward as our chief executive.” Dennis S. Bernard, president of the UJF, the fiduciary arm of the organization, said, “Steve brings a unique combination of business skills, commitment and passion to serve others in his efforts on behalf of the Jewish community. “He has an intuitive understanding of both the mission and operational aspects of the Jewish Federation, and he has been extremely successful at working to solve both immediate and longstanding challenges. I

know his impact on our Jewish community will only expand as he assumes this well-deserved new role.” Prior to joining the Jewish Federation, Ingber was an entrepreneur who owned and operated an automotive wholesale distribution business in the Metro Detroit area. He graduated from the business school at the University of Michigan in 2001 (now the Ross School of Business). He lives with his wife, Jill, and four sons in Huntington Woods. “I am beyond thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to serve the Detroit Jewish community in this role,” Ingber said. “It is humbling to follow in the footsteps of the many great leaders in Federation’s history, but I’m fortunate to be working with a tremendous team of lay leaders and professionals in our efforts to support and strengthen this amazing community.” Look for an in-depth profile of Ingber in an upcoming issue.

Wedding Dress Designer Headlines Event

State of Michigan’s Kosher Food Fight

The Sisterhood of Congregation Shaarey Zedek will host couture and wedding dress designer David Josef for a fundraising event: “Adventures in Fashion” on May 25 via Zoom. A designer for stars, brides and every woman, Josef ’s long career has taken him from humble Italian Catholic roots to become the go-to designer for the Boston Orthodox community. His ability to create gowns that are stunning, modern and modest sent his business off in a surprising direction. Josef ’s designs meet the demands of tznius, translated from Hebrew as modesty, which usually means sleeves to the elbow, no visible cleavage and hems that cover the knee.

If observant Jewish inmates want to eat kosher meals, they should do so on their own dime, according to arguments from the Michigan Department of Corrections last month in an appeal to a federal judge’s decision that granted kosher food to observant inmates at the state’s expense. A 2013 class-action suit by Jewish inmates alleged the MDOC was required to provide kosher meat and dairy since the “universal vegan meal” the state offered fell short of being considered kosher. Following a bench trial, a federal judge ruled in 2020 that the vegan meal policy violated Jewish inmates’ rights. MDOC disputed the sincerity

MAY 13 • 2021

David Josef

“No one wants to look old and schlumpy,” Josef told the Boston Globe. “They are all fabulous … They want to be fashionistas, even in the rules of their religion.” Adventures in Fashion also features “shopportunities” and door prizes. Register for the 7 p.m. May 25 Zoom program by emailing sisterhood@ shaareyzedek.org.

of the lead plaintiffs’ religious beliefs in its appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. The lead attorney for MDOC urged the panel to overturn the lower court’s order and told the judges “cost could be a substantial burden” to the state if it is required to provide kosher meat and dairy on every Shabbat, although when asked, he replied that MDOC is currently providing kosher meat and dairy at mealtimes for Jewish inmates. “The district court ruled the Jewish prisoners were to get meat and dairy on Shabbat and four Jewish holidays,” said plaintiff ’s counsel Dan Manville. “The appeal is just a natural part of the legal process and is done in most civil litigation.”

MAZEL TOV! MARCH 25, 2021 Kelly and Brett Kifferstein of Chicago, Ill., are thrilled to announce the birth of daughter Shiloh Harley Kifferstein. Big sister, Saylor, welcomed her with open arms. Loving grandparents are Marsha and Warren Kifferstein of Bloomfield Hills, and Judy and Jeff Silver of Moreland Hills, Ohio. Shiloh’s middle name, Harley, is in loving memory of her great-grandfathers, Harold, Harry and Leo.

Blake Noah Barish will lead the congregation in prayer as he becomes a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, May 15, 2021. He will be joined in celebration by his proud parents, Jennifer and Ryan Barish, and his brother Max. Blake is the loving grandchild of Rhona and Allan Anchill, and Rita and Sidney Barish. He is a student at Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills. As part of his mitzvah project, Blake took part in the Warm Wraps, Warm Hearts program, where he made blankets for the elderly in nearby senior living facilities. He found it very meaningful to help those who might be most vulnerable in our community during what might be a lonely period. Brady Albert Chandler (Doron Sar) of Birmingham will become a bar mitzvah at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township on Saturday, May 15, 2021. He is a devoted son of Jeff and Alicia and an adven-

ture partner for his sister Morgan. His grandparents are Elaine and Mark Blumenfeld, and Patricia and Alan Chandler. Brady is a seventh-grader at Derby Middle School in Birmingham. He is raising money for Lighthouse as his mitzvah project and looks forward to volunteering in person once the pandemic allows. Jillian Danielle Dickman (Yosefa Davida), daughter of Doreen and Jason Dickman, was called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah on Saturday, May 8, 2021, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. She was joined in celebration by her older sister Evie and proud grandmothers Rena Tepman, Marilyn Wolf and Ellen Dickman. She is the granddaughter of the late Jerry Tepman and Robert Dickman. Jillian attends Warner Middle School in Farmington Hills. For her mitzvah project, she is raising money for Tamarack’s Send a Kid to Camp and collecting items for their Gear Share program.

Aiden David Felhandler will chant from the Torah as he becomes a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, May 15, 2021. He will be joined in celebration by his proud parents, Craig Felhandler, and Amy and Matthew Fraiberg, and his siblings Avery, Michael and Ryan. Aiden is the loving grandchild of Marcia and Stuart Felhandler, and Teri and Mark Goodman. He is a student at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. For his most meaningful mitzvah project, Aiden collected funds for donation to support programing at JARC. Noah Hayden Freedland will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on Saturday, May 15, 2021, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. He is the son of proud parents, Jennifer and Stuart Freedland, and the brother of Rachel. He is the grandson of Sydell and the late Michael Zimmerman, and the late Rona and the late Herbert Freedland. Noah is a student at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. For his mitzvah project, he helped deliver meals to JARC residents during the pandemic.

Jillian Tate Mellon, daughter of Marla and David Mellon, chanted from the Torah on the occasion of her bat mitzvah at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield on Friday, May 7, 2021. She was joined in celebration by her sister Colette and proud grandparents Rochelle and Arthur Lieberman, and Kim Mellon. She is also the granddaughter of the late Joseph Mellon Jr. Jillian attends Berkshire Middle School in Birmingham. For her tzedakah project, she collected more than 5,000 books by hosting a book drive for Rx for Reading Detroit, nonprofit children’s literacy initiative sponsored by the University of Detroit Mercy. Rylie Madeline Wolgin, daughter of Renee and Jay Wolgin, will lead the congregation in prayer on the occasion of her bat mitzvah on Friday, May 14, 2021, at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. She will be joined in celebration by her brother Alexander and proud grandparents William Rubenfaer, Carol Rubenfaer, and Beverley and Dennis Wolgin. She is a student at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. As part of her mitzvah project, Rylie organized a drive to collect diapers/pullups and baby wipes as well as monetary donations in support of Lighthouse of Oakland County. MAY 13 • 2021

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Everyone Counts

e’ve now arrived male of every regular at the fourth (non-Kohein) Israelite fambook of the ily is consecrated to God Torah, Bamidbar, “in the and needs to be redeemed wilderness.” We refer to from service by a ceremony this book as Numbers. Both with a descendant of the names are accurate priests and five silver since the narrative coins, or its equivalent. takes place in the The ceremony can be desert, and there are understood as not only many censuses taken a reminder of the deep through the story. history of our people, The Torah porRabbi Jason but also as teaching a Miller tion opens with powerful theological the scene of the idea, namely that we Parshat Israelites organizing do not “own” our posBamidbar: themselves for the sessions — not even Numbers 1:1long journey to the our children. 4:20; Hosea Promised Land. Since “Redeeming” a 2:1`-22. the text is focused child is a way of riton preparation to ualizing the idea of cross the wilderness, stewardship; that we which includes taking a are entrusted with precious census, there are no explicit things, yet have a responsipermanent mitzvot found bility beyond our own perhere. However, we can sonal preferences, desires understand one of the com- and ambitions. mandments based on its Even though pidyon connection with a verse in ha’ben is not an “every day” our Torah portion: mitzvah; and even though “The Lord spoke to we can, and should, raise Moses, saying: ‘I herequestions about a mitzvah by take the Levites from that seems to privilege the among the Israelites in birth of one sex over anothplace of all the first-born, er, we can still learn what the first issue of the womb I believe the mitzvah is among the Israelites: the trying to teach. Ownership Levites shall be Mine. For is only an illusion; and, every first-born is Mine: at in a spiritual sense, we all the time that I smote every belong to God. That is true firstborn in the land of not only of the firstborn but Egypt, I consecrated every of every human because we first-born in Israel, man are all created in the holy and beast, to Myself, to be image of God. Mine, the Lord’s’.” The mitzvah connected to Rabbi Jason Miller officiates at bar these verses is the redempand bat mitzvah ceremonies around tion of the first-born, or the country — both in person and pidyon ha’ben. The general virtually. More information can be found at mitzvahrabbi.com. idea is that the first-born

Shavuot:

A Celebration for Receiving the Torah PHILLIP APPLEBAUM FROM THE JN ARCHIVES MAY 20, 1988

top counting and pass the cheesecake; it’s Shavuot! Shavuot — Z’man matan Torateinu — is “The time of the giving of our Torah,” when Moses ascended Mount Sinai to meet the Almighty “face to face” and bring back the divine teachings to the Children of Israel. That’s the historical side of the holiday. But what’s all this about counting and cheesecake? Counting refers to the fact that we determine the date of Shavuot by counting 50 days after the first day of Pesach (Passover). Why do we count? The Torah in the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus 23:15-21) commands the Jewish people to begin counting off the days and weeks beginning with the second day of Pesach “until seven full weeks have elapsed; you shall count 50 days, until the day after the seventh week.” The 50th and last day of this period becomes the holiday of Shavuot.

All of this counting is referred to as Sefirat HaOmer (the counting of the omer), because during this period, an omer (a specific dry measure) of barley was offered up as a sacrifice in the Temple in Jerusalem. Thus, Shavuot is the only major holiday on the Jewish calendar whose observance is not established by a fixed date, but by calculation from another holiday. During the Hellenistic period of Jewish history, Greek-speaking Jews began to call the holiday “Pentecost” (“50”). In Hebrew, Shavuot means “weeks.” It’s interesting to note that there is also a Christian Pentecost: the 50th day after Easter (usually called Whitsunday), a direct copy of our Shavuot. Shavuot is also known as Yom HaBikurim (Day of the First Fruits) and Chag HaKatzir (Harvest Festival) because the holiday marked the offering of new produce in the Temple, and also the

end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. DAIRY DINING Now, what about the cheesecake? There is no precise reason why we eat dairy foods on Shavuot, but among the explanations is the fact that in the Book of Shemot (Exodus 23:19), the laws of first fruits and the separation of meat and milk are stated in the same verse. Also, the rabbis point out that it was not until after Sinai that Jews were permitted to eat nonsacrificial meat. On Erev Shavuot — the first eve of the holiday — many observe the custom of staying up all night and studying Torah to commemorate the vigil our ancestors kept the night before the theophany at Sinai. There are also a number of Shavuot synagogue traditions. We read the Book of Ruth, which describes her conversion to Judaism, for

likewise, when the Israelites received the Torah, they too, were “converted.” Also, the main story in the book centers on the harvest, and Ruth is an ancestor of King David, whose yahrtzeit is traditionally observed on Shavuot. In fact, many people recite the entire Book of Psalms on Shavuot (in light of the tradition that David was its author). The synagogue is adorned with greenery, flowers and trees, because tradition tells us that Mount Sinai was lush with vegetation. The Torah portion on the first day of Shavuot includes the Ten Commandments. And, on the first and second days, we chant two Aramaic hymns in praise of the Torah: Akdamut and Yatziv Pitgam. In memory of the departed, we recite Yizkor on the second day. Many congregations use this opportunity to hold an appeal for a worthy cause. In many Reform and Conservative congregations, Shavuot is the time for confirmations. So, try to stay awake the first night, listen attentively to the story of Ruth, respond generously to your local appeal, and ladle the sour cream on the blintzes as thick as you like. Enjoy Shavuot! At the time this was originally published, Phillip Applebaum was a past president of Young Israel of OakWoods. This year, Shavuot begins the evening of Sunday, May 16, and ends the evening of Tuesday, May 18.

MAY 13 • 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 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

MAY 13 • 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

Chabad Jewish Center of Novi-Northville (248) 790-6075 novijewishcenter.com Chabad-Lubavitch of Bingham Farms Bloomfield Hills (248) 688-6796 chabadbinghamfarms.com

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

Bais Haknesses Hagrah Oak Park (248) 542-8737

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

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

Balfour Shul – K’Hal Rina U’Tefila Oak Park (732) 693-8457

Etz Chayim of Toledo Toledo, OH (419) 473-2401 Etzchayimtoledo.org

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

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 Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Israel Lansing (517) 882-0049 kehillatisrael.net

Temple Beth El Battle Creek (269) 963-4921

Temple Jacob Hancock templejacobhancock.org

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

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

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

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

ANN ARBOR

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

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

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

Temple Beth Israel Bay City (989) 893-7811 tbi-mich.org Temple Beth Israel Jackson (517) 784-3862 tbijackson.org

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

Temple B’nai Israel Kalamazoo (269) 342-9170 Templebnaiisrael.com

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

Temple B’nai Israel Petoskey (231) 489-8269 templebnaiisraelofpetoskey.org

REFORM Bet Chaverim Canton (734) 480-8880 betchaverim@yahoo.com Temple Benjamin Mt. Pleasant (989) 773-5086 templebenjamin.com Congregation Beth El Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca

Temple Beth Sholom Marquette tbsmqt.org Temple Emanuel Grand Rapids (616) 459-5976 grtemple.org Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org Temple Israel West Bloomfield (248) 661-5700 temple-israel.org

REFORM/RENEWAL Congregation Shir Tikvah Troy (248) 649-4418 shirtikvah.org SECULAR/HUMANISTIC The Birmingham Temple Farmington Hills (248) 477-1410 birminghamtemple.com Jewish Parents Institute West Bloomfield (248) 661-1000 jccdet.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

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.

MAY 13 • 2021

business SPOTlight

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Michigan native Rebecca Blumenstein rises to a new leadership role at the New York Times. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ichigan-born reporter and editor Rebecca Blumenstein is stepping into a new role. After a long and storied career in journalism that has taken her from Newsday to the Wall Street Journal, Blumenstein, who grew up in Essexville outside of Bay City, is transitioning into a top leadership position as deputy editor in the publisher’s office at the New York Times. Blumenstein, 54, of Maplewood, N.J., is a University of Michigan alumna and previously served as Michigan president of Young Judaea, a peer-led Zionist youth movement with programs throughout the U.S. Now, after four years at the Times growing their newsroom and coverage, Blumenstein is ready to embark on a new chapter. The Jewish News spoke to her about the transition, her goals in her new role and building a career at the historic publication. Can you tell us about your 2017 transition to the Times? My first job when I arrived at the Times was to reinvigorate and elevate our business

MAY 13 • 2021

coverage. The Times had a long tradition of great investigative business journalism, but it was not enough of a daily must-read. I hired Ellen Pollock, the former editor of Business Week, to be the business editor, and we significantly expanded our team, particularly in Silicon Valley and Washington. ‘Business’ is now one of the biggest staffs at the Times and because

live, continuously updated briefings during major news events. During the relentless news cycle of 2020, with the pandemic, the unrest following the death of George Floyd and the presidential election, I headed a major expansion of our live coverage. As a deputy managing editor, I am part of the masthead of the Times and weigh in on other

“WE FACE MANY CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY HOW TO COVER A COUNTRY AS DIVIDED AS THE U.S. IS RIGHT NOW.” — REBECCA BLUMENSTEIN

of our traditional strength in politics, we are uniquely suited to cover the increasing number of stories and issues at the intersection of business and politics. From there, I took a role managing the digital news desk, which runs the website and NYT app 24/7 around the world. We saw historic gains in readership as we increased our news metabolism and launched more

issues facing the organization. I am also head of NYT’s events, which have completely shifted to remote formats during the pandemic, which has allowed us to reach bigger audiences than ever before. What are some memorable stories your newsroom has worked on during the past few years that you’re particularly

Rebecca Blumenstein

proud of? We have led the way in writing about how technology and the increasing influence of the tech giants is reshaping our world. From the sexual harassment issues at Uber under Travis Kalanick to the spread of misinformation, the Times is a leader in the highly competitive coverage of technology. During the election, we developed a feature called “Daily Distortions” that debunked highly misleading and viral information. Because of the Times’ authority on search, our reporting outranked that of the misinformation on issues like the incorrect reports of problems with Dominion voting machines. I’m also proud of our breaking news operation. We are aiming to be the most trustworthy destination for breaking news, and with a newsroom of 1,700 reporters and editors around the world, we can do more original reporting in more places than almost any other news organization. I must add that a story that is particularly memorable is a rare one that I wrote — a look at the changing politics

and economics of my hometown, Bay City, which flipped from a Democratic stronghold to support Trump in 2016 and again in 2020. Can you tell us about your new role with the Publisher’s Office? I recently stepped away from the newsroom to take on a role as deputy editor in the Publisher’s Office. A.G. Sulzberger, who took over as the paper’s publisher in 2018, needed someone to work as his day-to-day partner, especially when he took on the additional role of chairman of the board of the Times earlier this year. I am helping A.G. on a range of issues, from our plans to return to the office to how to improve our workplace and our culture. I will chair a newly formed committee of newsroom lead-

ers who will evaluate every request for outside projects, from TV gigs to book and movie leaves. Times reporters are getting increasingly approached for such work, as they are often the first ones to find stories. But we need to be consistent in how we decide who gets to do what, which wasn’t always the case.

ing that the Times continues to publish voices, experiences and viewpoints from across the political spectrum in the Opinion report. We see every day how impactful and important that approach is, especially through the outsized influence the Times’ opinion journalism has on the national conversation.

Last year, a Times op-ed editor and writer, Bari Weiss, resigned, claiming a cancel culture for NYT journalists who deviate from “progressive” orthodoxy. Also, she alleged bullying and harassment from fellow employees, including criticism for “writing about the Jews again.” How is the NYT responding to these allegations? We appreciate the many contributions that Bari made to Times Opinion. I’m personally committed to ensur-

Can you tell us about the public-facing side of your role? I already represent the Times when I moderate panel discussions, which I do on a regular basis for either NYT events or organizations like the World Economic Forum. But there is more opportunity for the Times to engage with leaders from across business, politics and culture. I hope to restart Publisher’s Office sessions, convening the most prominent leaders from around the coun-

try, the city and the world with reporters and editors from across the newsroom. Likewise, we will aim to meet with prominent leaders in places when traveling around the country and the world. This will all be much easier when the pandemic recedes, of course. What does it mean to you on a personal level to grow with the Times? I’m incredibly honored to work for the Times. Our mission, to cover the world without fear or favor and seek the truth, is essential to our democracy and more important than ever. We face many challenges, especially how to cover a country as divided as the U.S. is right now. But I’m excited to contribute and think that my perspective of being from Michigan helps both root and guide me.

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MAY 13 • 2021

BUSINESS

Break It to Fix It Tech entrepreneur and author reimagines creative capacity in new book. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Josh Linkner

ech entrepreneur and innovation speaker Josh Linkner believes anyone can achieve personal or career milestones by taking small creative steps. This mindset is the focus of his new book, Big Little Breakthroughs, which launched April 20 via independent publishing house Post Hill Press. For Linkner, 50, of Franklin, who grew up in Detroit and is affiliated with Temple Shir Shalom, his fourth book speaking to creativity and innovation is a personal one. It is available in hardcover or e-book form. “This book is special to me,” he says. “I wanted to make it for a wider audience. It’s not only for CEOs and business leaders.” Linkner says anyone can learn from the lessons of Big Little Breakthroughs, which has been positively hailed by CEOs of tech giants and bestselling authors. The book is shaped not only by his own career as CEO of five tech companies and top-booked keynote speaker, he explains, but by the expert opinions of everyone from celebrity entrepreneurs to award-winning physicians. “It’s about how small, everyday innovations drive oversized results,” Linkner says. “The whole notion of the book is that it’s flipping the way we think of creativity upside-down.” He says people often think of innovation as a billion-dollar idea that changes the

MAY 13 • 2021

world. His book counteracts that, painting a picture that everyday innovators can cultivate small daily acts of creativity — “micro-innovations” — to build creative capacity. One way is to implement a 5% “creativity upgrade.” “Building your skills can yield a very high creative result,” Linkner said. “In other words, 5% more creativity can yield 100% better business results.” Instead of believing there’s not enough time, money or material to achieve a goal, he says to challenge those beliefs by giving just 5% more, whether that’s mentally or physically. The first half of his book, Linkner explains, makes the case for everyday creativity. He highlights the latest research in neuroscience and organizational behavior alongside stories of people who are using creativity to level the playing field. In the second half of the book, he then shares eight “obsessions” of everyday innovators that serve as principles people can apply to their own lives. “What I discovered is that all of these amazing people that I interviewed around the world all tend to follow similar patterns,” Linkner says. Over the past two years, he spent 1,000 hours assembling research and expert opinion to include in this, his fourth book. “I share these patterns in each chapter with lots of rich stories, examples and techniques.” Mindsets like “use every drop of toothpaste” and “fall seven times, stand up eight” serve as metaphors that readers can live by. Others, like “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” should be ditched, Linkner says. “They’re not the obvious cliche approaches,” he describes. “They’re really fresh and different and give people a new approach to cultivate a skill.” WHY WAIT? ACT NOW As for not fixing things unless they’re broken, Linkner advises doing the exact

opposite by using the principle of “break it to fix it.” “Why would you wait until something’s broken?” he questions. “The notion here is proactively examining what you’re doing and how you’re doing it in a deliberate way.” Then, Linkner explains, the key is to deconstruct one’s pattern to successfully rebuild it. Linkner believes these principles among others can be used by everyone, from dentists looking to grow their practices to trial lawyers who want to be more effective in front of a jury. “All human beings have creative abilities,” he says. “We were just born that way. It’s our natural state.” Now, he says this way of thinking is more important than ever as patterns are broken by a new world shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic that requires people to learn different ones. “We can no longer rely on what worked in the past and expect the same results,” says Linkner, who plans to promote his book over the next few months. “There’s a timeliness to the book that’s also helpful. I just know it’s going to make a difference in people’s lives.”

HERE’S TO! Jim Newman, owner and managing partner of Newman Consulting Group LLC (NCG) in Farmington Hills, was honored as a Fellow of the international ASHRAE organization, which recognizes members who have attained distinction and made substantial contributions in HVAC&R and the built environment such as education, research, engineering design and consultation, publications, presentations and mentoring.

Dr. Helen Edelberg joined the Office of New Drugs (OND)/Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as deputy director for safety. This is a new position, focused on helping the FDA to further develop its post-market safety efforts. Edelberg, is a past member of Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, where her parents, Adrian and Mynetta Christie, still belong.

Pam Cooper is vice president of the Escalent Energy division, based in Livonia, and serves as the company’s Qualtrics partnership manager. She is a valued adviser to clients in the solar energy, electric vehicle and energy efficiency industries and oversees key business development activities, for electric, gas and water utilities in the U.S.

The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute announced the winners of its 2021 Heroes of Cancer Awards. The Geri Lester Courage Award honors an individual, living or deceased, whose battle with cancer has been an inspiration to family, friends and community. This year’s honoree is the late Jeffrey D. Forman, M.D., FACR. He spent his life and career helping people with cancer, working for 35 years as a radiation oncologist and holding multiple professional appointments during his 14-year career at Karmanos. He loved his role as a physician and treated every patient with kindness, respect, understanding and humor. After becoming a cancer patient and undergoing a bone marrow transplant, he had a whole new outlook on cancer. He

The firm of Howard & Howard announced that attorney Lisa S. Gretchko has been appointed to serve as a judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit. She joined Howard & Howard in 2003.

became a part of the Karmanos Cancer Institute’s fundraising team to help inform community members about the important lifesaving work being done at Karmanos. His passion for helping patients, informing the community and raising funds to further cancer research was inspiring. The Third Judicial Circuit Court (Wayne County) announced the Michigan Supreme Court has appointed the Hon. David A. Groner to the Third Circuit Court’s Business Court. He will serve as a Business Court judge for a term expiring April 1, 2025. He served in the Criminal Division for 14 years; for the past four years, he has served in the Civil Division, where he has handled specialty dockets such as structured settlements in addition to the traditional docket. Judge Groner was the University of Michigan Mentor of the Year 2007 and received the State of Israel Bonds Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award in 2006. Honigman LLP announced Richard Zuckerman has rejoined its White-Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group as a partner in the firm’s Detroit office. He most recently served as head of the Tax Division at the U.S. Department of Justice.

Zuckerman has represented executives in national and international civil and criminal antitrust matters involving a variety of industries, from computer software and pharmaceutical to financial services, among others. Frankel Jewish Academy alumnus (class of 2015) Ami Zuroff was nominated as an excellent soldier by the president of Israel. President Reuven Rivlin hosted the annual Independence Day ceremony at his official residence on Yom HaAtzmaut to award the army’s annual citations for distinguished service to 120 Israel Defense Forces soldiers. Sara Gorman Rajan has joined the legal team as associate attorney and mediator at Transitions Legal, a family law firm with specialties in collaborative divorce, gray divorce, and mediation in Bloomfield Township. With 17 years of experience as a family law attorney with an expertise in litigation, Rajan has worked at firms throughout Metro Detroit, served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Helene J. White at the Michigan Court of Appeals and in law school, interned with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office under Nancy J. Diehl.

MAY 13 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE

DIGITAL PROGRAM

Shavuot All-Nighter Twelve-hour online international celebration to include efforts of local artists. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

singer-songwriter, a playwright-author and a producer — all raised in Metro Detroit — will be part of an international digital program celebrating the holiday of Shavuot. They will be helping to navigate an all-night event remembering what occurred before the sunrise presentation of the Ten Commandments. Francine Hermelin Levite

DAWN: A Cosmic Reunion spotlights singer-songwriter Ethan Davidson performing two songs with his wife, Gretchen. Also featured will be playwright-author Brooke Berman, who will recite a narrative she created just for the holiday event. Francine Hermelin Levite participates behind the scenes as executive producer of 12 hours of music, film, comedy, dance and instruction that run 9 p.m.-9 a.m., Sunday night to Monday morning, May 16-17. It is sponsored by Reboot, a New York-based arts and culture nonprofit that reimagines and reinforces Jewish thought and traditions. “I love this idea for Shavuot recalling the anticipation of the Torah being received,”

Davidson’s New Book Soon after Ethan Davidson appears with DAWN: A Cosmic Reunion to celebrate Shavuot, he will appear at two events to introduce his new book, These are the Developments of the Human, which also references Shavuot, among many topics. The book, a compilation from notes taken over many years, expresses thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness style as Davidson combines excerpts from religious teachings, study explorations with Jewish scholars and personal experiences unrelated directly to Judaism. Because of the depth of subject matter, the book cannot be labeled a fast read. Passages are not declarations or

MAY 13 • 2021

Ethan Davidson

said Hermelin Levite, a New Yorker who went to Hillel Day School and the University of Michigan while being active in Congregation Shaarey Zedek. “Spending a night in contemplation mixed with the anticipation of newness is an exciting concept.” The Davidsons will present two songs: Davidson’s “Till the Light Comes Shining In”

answers; rather, they are starting points for contemplation. Readers can decide whether they want to read from cover to cover or pick out topics that have personal impact. The book will be discussed digitally from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 26, during a conversation hosted by the Jewish Theological Seminary, and in person starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 27, with a reading and book signing at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. “The first word of the Ten Commandments is ‘Anochi,’ which means ‘I am,’” said Davidson, channeling scholarly thought on Shavuot. “I wrote a little bit about the Chasidic masters and the [significance of that] first letter — hearing the aleph with the vowel under

and John Prine’s “Angel from Montgomery.” “The first song is like waiting for the sunrise at the foot of Sinai,” said Davidson, who is a director and Grants Committee chair of the Birmingham-based William Davidson Foundation and board chairman of the Michigan Opera Theatre. “Also, we’re waiting for the sun

it and maybe [hearing] the stillness that exists at the core of being.” The diversity of thought can be sensed by reading through the table of contents and introductory remarks by Rabbis Asher Lopatin and Benny Lau. Just four examples from about 35 topics include “Don Quixote Tells Us How to Read Torah,” “Yukon River,” “The Mind is a Burning Bush” and “Your Evil Inclination.” “I wanted to organize all my notes, and then COVID-19 hit,” Davidson said. “We were all locked in our homes, and there was no excuse but to organize.” Because of the stream-of-consciousness approach, dominant English is mixed with Hebrew and Hebrew transliterations without grammatical conventions.

“WE WERE ALL THERE AT THE FOOT OF SINAI WAITING TO HAVE OUR COLLECTIVE ENCOUNTER WITH THE DIVINE.” — ETHAN DAVIDSON

Brooke Berman

to rise after this pandemic, and we hope that will be soon.” Davidson is performing the second song because Prine was a hero of his, one of his favorite singer-songwriters. Prine died of COVID-19 fairly early on in the pandemic, but lyrics he left behind relate to the purpose of Shavuot: “Just give me one thing that I can hold on to” is repeated throughout the song. SOUL OF SHAVUOT “Shavuot is [thought to be] when all of us were alive at the time or were Jewish souls waiting to be born,” Davidson said about ideas associated with the holiday. “We were all there at the foot of Sinai waiting to have our collective encounter with the

“When I was an undergraduate [at the University of Michigan], I was a literature major interested in 20th-century American literature,” Davidson said. “You find a lot of stream-of-consciousness literature among the Beats and even before the Beat writers, and I was trying to tap into a Beatnik version of Torah study.” As he put together the book, which he is distributing with only the cost of postage and the suggestion of a charitable contribution to a Jewish organization, Davidson wants readers

Divine. “It’s something that’s always accessible to us whether it’s through Torah study or acts of chesed [giving of oneself with compassion]. We can always hear an echo of that voice from Sinai. We carry it with us through our lives as Jews. “In another sense, it’s kind of fun to stay up all night with friends, study and wait until the sun comes up.” Berman, now a New Yorker who joined her family at Temple Beth El while growing up in Michigan, is thinking about all the metaphors that can be used in this presentation. “I haven’t unpacked the metaphors yet,” said Berman, whose personal experiences are recalled in her book No Place Like Home: A Memoir in 39 Apartments published by Harmony Books and whose play 1300 Lafayette East was premiered at the Jewish Ensemble Theatre. Berman is thinking about who we need to be when the sun rises. “The older I get, the more I become interested in time,” said Berman, who has

to bring their own individuality to religious content. He relates that to his own life, establishing identity as the son of the late William Davidson, a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist defined by his son as “the world’s best father.” WRESTLE WITH ISSUES “We’re supposed to continually examine our lives and wrestle with these issues and be more fully actualized as people,” Davidson explained about what he has gleaned from religious studies. “I think it’s true of all peo-

two plays and two films in development and teaches playwriting at New York University and Bard College. Reboot is producing DAWN in partnership with the Jewish Emergent Network, which promotes collaboration among seven communities across the United States, and LABA, a global laboratory for Jewish culture, as participants mark the breaking of the holiday dawn in each of the distant locales offered the festival. “Shavuot is a huge, incredible holiday and so intrinsic to the Jewish experience … [with] so many ways to interpret it and inspire,” said David Katznelson, Reboot CEO. “By reimagining the all-night study and presenting it in this new and magical way, we provide a portal of entry to this mighty holiday.”

Details

To get a link to the program, with an entertainment schedule, go to DAWNFestival.org.

ple, not just for Jews. I think it’s particularly true for Jews because we call ourselves Israel, the people who wrestle with God, which means we’re supposed to be the people who wrestle with these questions. “We might not find the

answers, and maybe that’s not the point. Maybe the point is to continue to ask ourselves these questions and check in on ourselves to find out what the tradition has to teach us about how to be more fully actualized.” — Suzanne Chessler

Details Ethan Davidson’s book will be discussed digitally from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 26. Registration is available at jtsa.edu/ developments-of-the-human. He will appear in person starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 27, at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Registration is available at temple-israel.org/ethandavidson. To order the book, go to ethandavidson.com.

MAY 13 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE BOOKS

After the Holocaust Survivors faced many struggles in displaced persons camps.

Ben and Ann Fisk

ALAN FISK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

beat-up, 75-year-old black-and-white photograph hangs over my desk at home. It shows a thin young man in a misshapen suit and a pretty young woman in a Bavarian dirndl outfit holding hands and gazing at each other. It was taken in 1946 in the Landsberg Displaced Persons camp in Germany. The couple are my parents, Berek Fiszlinski and Hanka Monczyk, newly freed from Hell. Berek survived several concentration camps and was finally liberated at Auschwitz, a 70-pound shell of a man. Hanka worked for years in a slave labor factory with hundreds of other Jewish women, making uniforms for the Nazis. Like thousands of survivors, they met and married at camps like Landsberg; and children, like me, followed quickly. In 1949 we came to the U.S. on a Liberty ship, eventually ending up in Detroit, where my parents built a life, changed their names to Ben and Ann Fisk, and had two more children. My family is a tiny piece of the diaspora of displaced persons. Growing up, I thought I knew much of the dramatic story. But a compelling, comprehensive new book, The Last Million: Europe’s Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War (Penguin Press, 653 pages, $35) by historian David Nasaw, opened my eyes to a world my parents shielded from me. Much of the saga of the DPs has been written about before by

MAY 13 • 2021

historians, novelists, Jewish organizations and survivors. But for Jews of my Baby Boom generation, comfortably assimilated in Western nations and Israel, Nasaw’s story of antisemitism, suffering and often-miraculous survival and renewal may open many eyes. AFTER THE NAZIS Last Million starts by exploring the human disaster that greeted the Allied armies with the defeat of Nazi Germany. Millions whose lives had been upended — concentration and death camp survivors, prisoners of war, civilians enslaved to work in Hitler’s factories and foreigners who fought for the Nazis — went back to their homelands. But, Nasaw writes, the Jews from Poland and other Eastern European countries who returned home found that their families had been slaughtered and their property often confiscated. Many were greeted by antisemitic pogroms. The survivors longed to leave the horrors of Europe behind. Yet many of the horrors followed them to the DP camps set up in Germany, Austria and Italy by the Allied powers and United Nations agencies, Nasaw writes. Initially, many of the camps were crowded and chaotic. The housing and food were poor with little health care for the often desperately ill survivors. Jews and non-Jews were thrown together in many camps — shockingly including former Nazis fleeing arrest by military

authorities. After protests by Jewish organizations, the camps were reorganized and non-Jews separated out, Nasaw writes. Living conditions improved. The Jews set up their own governing councils, schools, orchestras, synagogues, theaters, sports programs, hospitals, newspapers. But life was hardly perfect, Nasaw makes clear. The black market and crime were rampant, and many Jews who suffered unspeakable trauma could not get adequate care in the new camps. They were still in lands that didn’t want them. STARTING OVER My Polish-born uncle, Irving Monczyk, told of encountering German children near his DP camp. They asked to see his head. “We heard Jews are all devils,” explained one child. “We want to see your horns.” As they waited to start life elsewhere, especially in Palestine, the Jews desperately searched Red Cross survivor lists for family members. Many married and had children in the camps. My only surviving aunt, Rose Fiszlinski, married a French POW she met while escaping from a Nazi death march. Fred Ferber, now a Detroit businessman with many grandchildren, was in the Krakow ghetto in Poland when he was sent to a concentration camp at age 13. Liberated in 1945, he searched fruitlessly for relatives who survived the Holocaust. In

1947, alone, he was sent to a San Francisco orphanage. In 1949 he was once again reunited with his mother, in Detroit, though 86 family members had perished. Nasaw tells many heartbreaking personal stories, though much of his book is focused on the world political, social and legal issues that swirled around the DPs. Survivors who sought to leave Europe quickly became political footballs, Nasaw writes. The British, who controlled Palestine, severely restricted Jewish immigration to placate the Arab world. In the U.S., antisemitism at the highest levels of the government and Congress, spurred by the canard that Jews were communists, led to harsh laws excluding many survivors. Despite the hurdles, some 140,000 Holocaust survivors left Europe for the U.S. between 1945 and the early 1950s. As many as 4,000 are believed to have settled in the Detroit area. There is a second photo of my parents hanging above my desk. They are with a dozen friends at a dinner dance in Detroit in the 1960s. The partiers, all former DPs, are members of the social welfare group Shaarit Haplaytah, the “Remnant of 1945.” The men are in fine suits, the women in fancy dresses. They are laughing, schmoozing — in a new land. Displaced, as Nasaw might say, no longer. Alan Fisk is a novelist, journalist and former professor of journalism. He lives in St. Clair Shores.

ARTS&LIFE DINING IN

Dairy, Anyone?

ext week is quite a week. On Sunday, May 16, we begin the two-day festival of Shavuot, a harvest holiday. Like Sukkot, homes are festooned with fruits, flowers, branches and greenery. And for many reasons, it’s long established that dairy foods are served during this holiday along with seven-species of foods, including wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranates, olives (and olive oil), and dates (or honey). It truly Annabel is the land of milk and Cohen honey. Contributing writer In the USA, we celebrate Shavuot for two days, so there is more opportunity to experience the holiday’s many traditions.

BAKED MARINATED GOAT CHEESE APPETIZER WITH HONEY AND FIG Ingredients 1 log (about 10-ounces) soft goat cheese, such as Chevre 1 tsp. coarse ground black pepper 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 Tbsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. grated lemon peel 4 fresh or dried figs, chopped or diced ¼ cup honey or date syrup Directions Place the cheese log in a small attractive glass or ceramic baking dish and mash it down with a spoon (do not smooth it). Sprinkle the pepper, pepper

flakes, garlic, thyme and lemon peel over the cheese. Drizzle the olive oil over the cheese. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate for up to 5 days. To serve, preheat the oven to 300ºF. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cheese for about 20 minutes, or until it is bubbly and hot. Top with fig pieces and drizzle with honey and serve as a spread for gourmet crackers or French bread rounds. Makes 6-8 servings. FOUR CHEESE MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH TOPPINGS BAR Ingredients 1 quart half-and-half 1 Tbsp. salt 1 lb. of pasta (Campanelle is good), cooked very al dente (do not overcook) 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 cup shredded Havarti cheese, 1 cup shredded White Cheddar cheese 1 cup Mascarpone cheese 2 cups panko bread crumbs ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted Topping Suggestions: Minced scallions or chives (white and green parts); more cheese — any flavor; minced jalapeno peppers; hot sauce; sun-dried tomatoes; fresh chopped tomatoes; roasted bell peppers; sauteed mushrooms; pitted olives; diced avocado; sauteed spinach, pepitas (squash seeds) or any other nut or seed. Directions Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray and

9x13-inch baking dish (or equivalent) with nonstick cooking spray. Bring a pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 6-9 minutes (should still be somewhat hard). Drain well and set aside. Do not rinse. Simmer the half-and-half and salt in a large saucepan over medium-heat for 10 minutes, until very hot. Add the cheeses and stir until smooth. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and stir well. Adjust salt to taste. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Combine the crumbs and butter in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle this mixture over the pasta and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot with the toppings in bowls, on the side. Makes 10 servings, KALE FETA SALAD WITH CHERRIES, POMEGRANATE AND PINE NUTS Ingredients SALAD: 8 ounces fresh kale (1 bunch), large stems removed and torn or into bite-sized pieces ½ cup uncooked barley (cooked according to package instructions, drained and cooled) 1 cup diced ½-inch cucumber (with or without peel) ½ cup crumbled feta cheese ¼ cup dried sweetened cherries or cranberries ¼ cup pomegranate seeds or arils ¼ cup pine nuts Salt and pepper to taste DRESSING: 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar or Balsamic vinegar 1 Tbsp. honey ¼ cup olive oil Directions Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add about half the dressing to the salad and toss well. Adjust dressing amount and salt and pepper to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature. Makes 6-8 servings.

MAY 13 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE BOOKS

Review: War of Shadows

hat would happen to the estimated 450,000 Jews living across North Africa, from Morocco to Jerusalem, if Germans won the battle for North Africa during World War II? This theater Mike Smith of war is usually Alene and Graham Landau depicted as a Archivist Chair contest between Germany’s General Irwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox,” and British Commonwealth forces: Australians, New Zealanders, Indians, Scots, Welsh and English. What is often not discussed are German efforts and plans to overrun Palestine from the

west via Egypt, and from the north through modern day Turkey and Syria. But what if Rommel wasn’t all that crafty, not really sly as a fox? What if much of his early success was due to a secret source of precise intelligence about British forces? In War of Shadows: Codebreakers, spies, and the secret struggle to drive the Nazis from the Middle East, American-Israeli author Gershom Gorenberg provides the answers. Gorenberg has written the best book on the subject. Based upon superb archival research, including evidence from recently opened secret files, it is a well-written, insightful investigation of how the Allies won the war

in the Middle East because of better intelligence. Moreover, in doing so, they saved thousands of Jewish lives and laid groundwork for the future Israeli Defense Forces. Ironically, as critical as the War of Shadows was for Jews living in Palestine and North Africa, they are not prominent actors in the narrative. Gorenberg does discuss a few important roles for Jews that had lasting effects. Some Jews fought in British military units. Others, such as future leaders of Israel Yitzhak Rabin and Moshe Dayan, gained experience in the Britishsupported Palmach, the Haganah’s elite fighting force. The result of the war was, however, crucial for Jews.

SPIES, CODEBREAKERS Very little of Gorenberg’s narrative is about battlefield action. Instead, he goes behind the scenes, into the shadows, where the war was fought among code breakers, spies and espionage. Gorenberg demonstrates that much of Rommel’s early success was due to outstanding intelligence from a “good source.” The British finally discovered the

CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

2ND-GEN FUNNY WOMEN Hacks’ is a 10-episode dramedy series that premieres on HBO May 13. Jean Smart (Designing Women) plays Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian whose career is tanking. She’s reduced to promotional appearances, like store openings. Vance hires Ava, a 25-year-old struggling comedy writer to freshen up her act. In Hacks’ amusing trailer, it’s made clear that Vance has an imperious personality and a fierce tongue. So, Ava is in for “quite a ride.” Ava is played by newcomer Hannah Einbinder, 26. She has quite a backstory: her mother is original SNL cast member Laraine Newman, 69. Her father

MAY 13 • 2021

Hannah Einbinder and Jean Smart in Hacks

is Chad Einbinder, 57, a little-known actor. Hannah is a real-life stand-up comedian. In March 2020, she did a set on Stephen Colbert’s show just before production was shut down (view on YouTube). She has an arty stand-up style that is funny, if not hilarious. In another YouTube video, she referred to herself as Jewish. In 2003, Newman was profiled by the Jewish Journal. She grew up in a secular Jewish household in Beverly Hills. She told the Journal that it wasn’t until she enrolled her oldest daughter in Temple Isaiah’s preschool (Los Angeles) that she joined a tem-

JAKE GILES NETTER/HBO MAX

continued on page 42

ple, learned Hebrew and brought ritual home. Newman has two daughters. The eldest is Spike Einbinder, 30 (born Lena Einbinder). Spike, too, is an actress. Her current gig is her best: she’s a regular cast member in the comedy series Los Espookys on HBO. The first season streamed in 2019. Oxygen, an original Netflix film, began streaming May 12. Melanie Laurent, 38, stars as a woman suffering from severe memory loss as she wakes up inside of a cryogenic chamber. Trapped inside and rapidly losing oxygen, her memory is the key to her survival. The movie is billed as an American-French production, but it’s largely a French-Jewish production. Laurent is a well-known French Jewish actress. Her father, a voice actor, is an Ashkenazi Jew whose

family originally was from Poland (her paternal grandfather died in the Holocaust). Laurent’s mother, a former ballerina, is of Tunisian Sephardi descent. Laurent is best known for her co-starring role in Inglorious Basterds (2010). She played Shosanna Dreyfus, a Parisian Jew who seeks revenge on the Nazis. Oxygen, which only has three actors, co-stars Mathieu Amalric, 55 (Amalric’s late mother was Jewish). He had a supporting role in Munich and co-starred as bad guy Dominic Greene in the Bond flick Quantum of Solace. The film was directed by Alexandre Aja, the son of an Algeria-born French Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother. Aja, 42, is a top horror/thriller filmmaker (High Tension, The Hills Have Eyes).

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

WHY WE DRUM 7 PM, MAY 14

SHABBAT WITH FRIENDS 6:30 pm, May 14 Join Rabbi Jeff and Steph of The Well and special guests to celebrate Shabbat. A short Kabbalat Shabbat service will be followed by Shabbat rituals led by guests. Participate on The Well’s Facebook page. WHY WE DRUM 7 pm, May 14 The Great Lakes Taiko Center will share the art and spirit of Japanese taiko drumming through Raion Taiko & Godaiko Drummers. This free performance may be seen on the DIA’s You Tube channel. FAMILY ROOM SERIES 8 pm, May 15 The Ark in Ann Arbor will present the Yellow Room Gang, Michigan songwriters. Streamed on The Ark Facebook page. Donations to the “virtual tip jar” support The Ark and participating artists. SHAVUOT PREP Noon, May 16-17 Jewish Theological Seminary will co-sponsor this online, movement-wide learning extravaganza. Rabbi Gordon Tucker, vice chancellor for Religious Life and Engagement, will teach along

with several JTS alumni. Free: rabbinicalassembly.org /story/schedule-tikkun-leilshavuot-5781. SHAVUOT SCHMOOZE 3-5 pm, May 16 Pack up your picnic basket and join The Well for Shavuot in Harding Park in Ferndale, complete with lawn games, a Shavuot-themed photo scavenger hunt and ice cream tickets redeemable for a free scoop at Treat Dreams a few blocks away. This is a drop-in event. Advance registration is not required but a COVID19 screening and contact tracing form will be required upon arrival. Masks required. Info: Marisa at marisa@ meetyouatthewell.org. CHADD PARENT MEETING 7:30-8:30 pm, May 17 All meetings for Children and Adults with ADHD will take place online with Zoom. The link for each meeting will be

listed on the Events section of its website: chadd.net/ chapter-events/527. The link will open at 7:10 pm. HEALTH WORKSHOP 1-2:30 pm, May 19 Jewish Family Service is presenting “The Powerful Impact of Music on the Brain” with Jody Conradi Stark, music therapist, and Adrienne Ronmark, violinist with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Music is pervasive in our society, affecting the physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual aspects of our lives. This presentation will provide insight into the way music influences our brains and behavior. To register: jfsdetroit.org/ find-help/older-adults/ mind-university or call 248592-2674. PEOPLE’S ATTORNEY 6 pm, May 20 “The Role of Michigan’s Attorney General in Today’s World” is made available by Legal Referral Service, a program of Jewish Family Service. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel will discuss how her role impacts us as citizens of Michigan. Q&A to follow. To register for this Zoom event and submit a question, visit jfsdetroit.org/ LRS or contact Emily Croitori at 248-592-2317 or ecroitori@jfsdetroit.org.

FAMILY ROOM SERIES 8 PM, MAY 15

VIRTUAL AUTHOR TALK+ 6:30-7:30 pm, May 20 The Jewish Museum will sponsor “Edmund de Waal and Adam Gopnik in Conversation,” a YouTube premiere. The writers are celebrating the launch of de Waal’s Letters to Camondo, the follow up to his 2010 bestseller The Hare with Amber Eyes. RSVP for free: thejewishmuseum.org/ calendar/events/2021/05/05/ author-talk-052021. GENOCIDE 7-8 pm, May 20 The Holocaust Memorial Center will present on Zoom Professor John Ciorciari discussing “Preventing Cambodia’s Genocidal Past from Becoming Afghanistan’s Future.” holocaustcenter.org. DFT@HOME Through May 21 The DIA/Detroit Film Theatre will offer Downstream to Kinshasa, first Congolese film to become an official selection of the Cannes Film Festival, as well as the country’s official submission to the Academy Awards. Cost: $12. Visit dia.org/events. DADDY-DAUGHTER DANCE 2 pm, May 23 The Adat Shalom Men’s Club will hold its annual Daddy Daughter Dance at the synagogue parking lot. Look forward to DJ & dancing, food and a special commemorative photo. Designed for girls ages 3-13 and their dads and grandfathers. Cost: $13 for Men’s Club members and their guest; $16 for all others. The community is welcome. Register by May 19 at: adatshalom.org/ddd2021. For info, call 248-851-5100. continued on page 42 MAY 13 • 2021

Preventing Cambodia’s Genocidal Past from Becoming Afghanistan’s Future

Virtual program Thursday, May 20, 2021 at 7 pm EDT www.holocaustcenter.org/upcoming

John Ciorciari, director of the International Policy Center at U-M’s Ford School of Public Policy, discusses lowering the risk of Taliban mass atrocities in light of the U.S. withdrawal.

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS CALENDAR continued from page 41

Saeed Khan

Howard Lupovitch

MUSLIM-JEWISH RELATIONS 7 pm, May 20 (May 27, June 3) The Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies will present this free lecture series on Zoom, with Wayne State University Professors Howard Lupovitch and Saeed Khan. This year’s topic is “Exploring Muslim-Jewish Relations Domestically and Internationally.” Advance registration is required at bit.ly/2OaZJNY. Info: Michael Kuper at kuper@jfmd.org.

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER • ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS

248.553.2400 • www.holocaustcenter.org Photo Credit: Afghan National Police, ‘America’s Battalion’ Marines maintain security in Garmsir by DVIDSHUB is licensed under CC BY 2.0

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WAR OF SHADOWS continued from page 40

source. An American, Maj. Bonner Fellers, liaison to the British military, had intimate knowledge of operations. Unfortunately, his communications were being read by the Nazis. The British warned Americans just in time. Indeed, the bulk of the book deals with the critical role of codebreaking in military operations. Gorenberg recognizes the work of three Poles, Marian Rejewski, Jerzy Różycki and Henryk Zygalski, whose brilliant contributions to breaking Germany’s Enigma code, he believes, have been neglected. The famed Bletchley Park gets its due as the center for England’s premier codebreakers. Gorenberg also presents fresh stories about

critical players, such as the unknown Margaret Storey, who relentlessly pursued the “good source.” Gorenberg also discusses the potential for a Holocaust in the Middle East. The Nazis had already rounded up Jews in areas they controlled, but anticipating a complete victory, the notorious SS commander Walter Reuff was ordered to develop Operation Atlas, a comprehensive plan to deal with Jews in North Africa. Had the Allies failed, the Holocaust would have been extended to Palestine. War of Shadows is an excellent book. Readers interested in spy work, critical moments in World War II, the Middle East or the pre-history of Israel will find it fascinating.

SPORTS

IMAGES BY BRIAN SEVALD

FJA’s Ari Michaels fouls off a Cristo Rey pitch.

FJA third baseman Ethan Baker snares a ground ball hit by a Cristo Rey batter with his bare hand.

A Doubleheader at Michigan and Trumbull Frankel Jewish Academy baseball team plays at historic site of Tiger Stadium. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

hey weren’t born in 1999, when the Detroit Tigers played their final game at Tiger Stadium after calling the iconic ballpark home since 1912. But the 14 players on the Frankel Jewish Academy baseball team experienced the aura of the magical place at Michigan and Trumbull on a warm spring afternoon and evening April 27 when they faced Detroit Cristo Rey at The Corner Ballpark, where Tiger Stadium once stood. The Jaguars were swept in the Catholic League doubleheader at the Willie Horton Field of Dreams. They fell 11-9 in the first game despite coming from behind several times. Cristo Rey won the nightcap 22-5 as FJA ran out of pitching. The scores really didn’t matter. “After the second game, under the lights there, we gathered as a team and I told the guys to take it all in, take a breath,” said FJA coach Joe Bernstein. “I think their parents were more excited

about being where Tiger Stadium once was than they were. “So I told the guys they just played where Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg played. Where the Tigers won the final game of the 1984 World Series. Who else can say that? “For me, it was great seeing people who live in the apartments down the right field line watch us play from their patios. There they were. Spending their afternoon watching Frankel Jewish Academy play Cristo Rey in a high school baseball game.” Junior Benji Schmeltz pitched and played shortstop for the Jaguars during the doubleheader. Junior Daniel Bernstein, the coach’s son. played first base for FJA. Not surprisingly, the teens were more impressed with the ambiance of The Corner Ballpark — the turf, below-field-level dugouts and views of the city — than the history of the site. “It was so different than any high school field I’ve played on,” Schmeltz said. “It was cool seeing Downtown Detroit

all around us. I also liked the dugouts. You only see those kind of dugouts at a major league or collegiate stadium.” Daniel Bernstein’s biggest memory from the day was when the FJA team first took the field after arriving The Corner Ballpark quite a while before game time. “It was great soaking it all in,” he said. Joe Bernstein isn’t a native Detroiter. He’s from St. Louis. He made just one trip to Tiger Stadium before it was shut down in 1999 and demolished in 2009. That was in 1995, when he and his wife were visiting his wife’s family. He doesn’t remember the game, but he does remember, like many Detroiters, “walking across the bridge over the freeway to get to the stadium, and my feet sticking to the ground at our seats.” FJA was supposed to play Cristo Rey last spring at The Corner Ballpark, which opened in 2018, is home to Detroit Police Athletic League teams, and next to the PAL headquarters. But spring high school sports were canceled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the MHSAA because of the COVID-19 pandemic, wiping out the Jaguars’ first game at The Corner Ballpark and Bernstein’s first season as FJA’s coach. “Getting to play there [last month] was Cristo Rey’s doing. We’re very thankful to them,” Joe Bernstein said. “We hope we can play there again, maybe as the home team. We don’t have a home field. We’re always searching for a place to play our home games.” While there are 14 players on the FJA roster, only 12 played in the doubleheader vs. Cristo Rey because two players were injured. This is a young Jaguars team, with only two seniors and two juniors, and the rest sophomores and freshmen. Ari Partrich, one of the seniors, had two hits in the first game against Cristo Rey. So did Schmeltz. Freshman Ryan Schmeltz pitched four strong innings. The Jaguars won their first game in two years May 3, beating Royal Oak Shrine 17-11 to improve their season record to 1-3. “We’re building our program the right way. We’re not taking shortcuts,” Joe Bernstein said. “I’m seeing leadership starting to emerge, which is important.” MAY 13 • 2021

SPOTLIGHT

Volunteer Connection

SHARE Detroit’s volunteer recruitment and donation platform gives nonprofits a boost.

Sam Rozenberg

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

new, free web-based platform linking the needs of Detroit’s nonprofit organizations with residents who are interested in volunteering their time and skills or donating financially has launched. SHARE Detroit is a community engagement conduit offering simple ways for neighbors, nonprofits and businesses to come together and strengthen the local community. The platform makes it easy for people to find local nonprofits that align

with their personal interests and engage with them how they choose, through donating money, volunteering time, attending an event or buying items from nonprofit wish lists. “What we’re trying to do is align the personal interests of people who want to help and allow a forum for the charities to explain what they do and find a match,” said Sam Rozenberg, a founder of SHARE Detroit along with Paul Vlasic. Rozenberg, of West Bloomfield, is founder and

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CEO of Keeping IT Strategic and a board member and past president of Yad Ezra, one of the nonprofits on board with SHARE Detroit. Other nonprofits involved include Friendship Circle, Brilliant Detroit, SAY Detroit, Forgotten Harvest and more. The nonprofits are divided into categories of interest, such as “children,” “veterans,” “education” and “animals.” Still fairly new, SHARE Detroit already has 124 nonprofits on the site, with Hebrew Free Loan and roughly 30 other non-

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25 MAY 13 • 2021

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY

HOWARD GARVIN, 83, of Boca Raton, Fla., formerly of West Bloomfield, died May 2, 2021. c. 2000 He is survived by his son and daughter-inlaw, Larry and Robin Garvin; daughters and sons-in-law, Jillian and Paul Frankel, Margo and John Lansat; grandchildren, Hannah, Phillip and Sammy Garvin, Judah and Ava Frankel; sister, Beverly Peterson; many other loving family members and friends. Mr. Garvin was the beloved husband of the late Maureen Garvin. Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. MIRIAM “MICKEY” GOLD, 83, of Commerce Township, died May 2, 2021. She is survived by her children, Shelly and Mark Rubenfire, and Denise Gold and Brie Jeweler; grandchildren, Jason, Adam and Brett Rubenfire; other loving relatives and friends. Mrs. Gold was the dear sister of the late Dr. Nathan and the late Ardell Firestone; the devoted daughter of the late Saul and the late Sonia Firestone. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to ORT America, Michigan Region, Max M. Fisher Federation Building, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 350, Bloomfield Township,

MI 48301, ortamerica.org; or Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48202, dia.org/support/donate. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. DR. DAN G. GUYER, 74, of Huntington Woods, died on May 1, 2021. As a psychiatrist, Dr. Guyer served in private practice in Grosse Pointe and as the longtime director of the Partial Hospitalization Program at Henry Ford Cottage Hospital, where he previously served as chief of psychiatry. He trained residents through the hospital and Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Guyer served as a member of the boards of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and the Jewish Federations of North America. He was president of the Jewish Home and Aging Services, co-chair of the Commission on Jewish Elder Care Services and president of Hillel Day School. In recognition of his contributions to the Jewish community, he received the Frank A. Wetsman Young Leadership Award in 1986 and the William Davidson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. Dr. Guyer is survived by his wife of 52 years, Cheryl Guyer; his children, Sara Guyer (Scott Straus), Erica Guyer (Daniel Franklin) and Jonathan Guyer; six grandchildren, Sadie Straus, Solomon Straus, Anna Franklin, Jacob Franklin, Samuel Franklin and Aerin Franklin; sister, Annie (Benjamin) Friedman; sisterin-law, Elise (Marty) Levinson;

brother-in-law, Neil Chapin (Diana Staneva). His brother, Martin (Sheila) Guyer, passed away in 2009. Dr. Guyer was the son of the late Edith and the late Abram Guyer; son-in-law of the late Anna and the late Samuel Chapin. Contributions may be made to Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, 6735 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303; or to a Jewish charity of your choice. A graveside service was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park in Livonia. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. RHODA JONAS, 86, of Oak Park, died May 3, 2021. She is survived by her daughters and sons-inlaw, Wendy and Gary Bice, Michelle E. Rose, and Marilyn and Chris Schulte; grandchildren, Sarah and Ryan Mather, Brian Schulte, Abigail Bice, Jacob Bice and Emily Bice; great-granddaughter, Zoe Mather; brother, Mark Rubin; many loving nieces and nephews. Mrs. Jonas was the devoted daughter of the late Louis and the late Frieda Rubin; the dear sister of the late Myra Rubin. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Jewish Senior Life, ”Rhoda’s Perch”the Coville Aviary Tribute Fund in memory of Rhoda Jonas, Attn. Jo Rosen, 6710 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jslmi.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

JUDY RIVA KAUFMAN, 84, of West Bloomfield, died May 3, 2021. She graduated from Wayne State c. 1955 University, majoring in languages and taught Latin, Spanish and English at Lederle Middle School in Southfield. Judy and her late husband, Jack, had traveled to Spain, where she looked forward to speaking Spanish and touring the country to bring the history she had studied back to life. Mrs. Kaufman is survived by her cousins, Beverly and Robert Rosenfeld; other family members and friends. She was the devoted daughter of the late Clara and Ruben Alzofon; and wife of the late Jack Kaufman. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the Marcus National Blood Center or the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund at Temple Israel. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. BARBARA KREKUN, 76, of Farmington Hills, died April 12, 2021 She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Jack Krekun; brother and sister-in-law, David and Carolyn Blatt; Jack’s sisters and brother-in-law, Diana and Sam Berlinberg, and Minna Katz-Brown; many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Mrs. Krekun was the cherished mother of the late Darryl Krekun; the devoted daughter of the late Norman and the late Evelyn Blatt; the daughter-inlaw of the late Nathan and the late Dora Krekun; the sistercontinued on page 48

MAY 13 • 2021

Michigan’s Theater Pioneer SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

oseph Z. Nederlander, raised in a family of theater entrepreneurs and a key force in the Detroit theater scene, died May 1, 2021, after a battle with Parkinson’s disease. It was exactly one month before he could celebrate his 94th birthday and one month after the family-owned Fisher Theatre was sold to International Entertainment Holdings Limited, parent company of Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), a live theater and ticketing organization based in the United Kingdom. Nederlander, who continued to frequent Fisher Theatre productions after his retirement years ago, was described as a “theater innovator” and “really nice guy” by his brother Robert during the May 4 private graveside service. “He provided this country with opportunities for entertainment,” Robert said. While outlining the family history that preceded the entry of their father, David Tobias Nederlander, into stage interests and production spaces, Robert Nederlander credited Joseph as being responsible for establishing the Pine Knob Music Theatre, now DTE Energy Theatre, as the first private amphitheater in the United States and accelerating the growth of outdoor entertainment. Joseph, also responsible for innovating the ultimately widespread use of subscription ticketing, remained in Michigan after brothers Robert and James moved to

New York in 1964 to extend family operations through theater spaces around the country and into England. “Deep love for the theater has been [the driving force] for the family’s success,” Joseph Nederlander told the Detroit Jewish News in 2017, when he described Fiddler on the Roof as holding the top spot in his list of favorite shows. Metro Detroiters were introduced to many hit productions through the work of Joseph Nederlander. Fiddler and Hello, Dolly! were among the productions he championed through pre-Broadway tryouts at the Fisher, now in its 60th anniversary. Joseph remembered spending lots of time with lyricist Sheldon Harnick as Fiddler was being revised and recalled his friendship with Jerry Herman, Hello, Dolly! composer-lyricist, who invited Joseph to home parties. When the Detroit Jewish News was celebrating its 75th year, Joseph Nederlander commented on his family’s business developments and its use of the newspaper as part of family members’ interest in their Jewish heritage. “Actors coming to Detroit for the first time have been told to read Danny Raskin’s [column],” Nederlander had said. “Danny would help them decide where to eat. He was a big help to us. His column was important as we sent newspapers ahead of bookings. A lot of people wanted to know where to get a good corned beef

sandwich.” A BIG HEART Nephew Steven Nederlander eulogized his uncle as a “second dad” with “a heart the size of Texas.” He commented about his uncle’s ability to establish close relationships with everyone from stars to stagehands and his skills in helping the family with union negotiations. “He was a loving man, and a loved man,” said Steven, who referenced the range of emails expressing condolences. Alan Lichtenstein, 40-year executive director for Nederlander programming in Detroit and sometimes San Francisco, has recalled that Joseph had been a voter for the Tony Awards and offered the use of his New York apartment when Lichtenstein went to scout shows to bring to Detroit. Rabbi Daniel Syme of Temple Beth El, who officiated at Joseph’s marriage to Carol Jacoby 21 years ago, outlined Joseph’s history in graduating from Pontiac High School, very briefly attending Wayne State University and serving in the Navy before joining the family enterprise. The rabbi told how Joseph invited personal friends backstage to meet favorite entertainers and once cast a doctor friend in a bit part to fulfill the man’s dreams of being an actor. The doctor, also acting out Joseph’s humor, became a stiff in Arsenic and Old Lace. “Joey was a people person,” Rabbi Syme said, describing

Joseph Nederlander

him as a “giant of the theater” and “a beloved friend.” Joseph Z. Nederlander is survived by his wife, Carol Jacoby Nederlander; children, John J. “J.J.” Nederlander and Penelope Nederlander (Lisa Gauger). He was Papa Joe of Andrea Jacoby (Roger) Sherr and their children, Mitchel Sherr, Valaire Sherr, and Spencer Sherr; Corey (Suzanne) Jacoby and their children, Katlin Jacoby, Emily Jacoby, Michael Jacoby; Jenny Jacoby (Dennis) Finos and their children, Kyle Finos and Eddie Finos; T.J. Nederlander, David Nederlander, the late Joey Nederlander, Alexis Nederlander and Jaclynne Nederlander. He was the brother of Robert (the late Gladys) Nederlander, the late Harry (the late Margie) Nederlander, the late James (the late Charlene) Nederlander, the late Frederick (the late Betty) Nederlander, and the late Frances (the late Stanley) Kohn. Interment was at Clover Hill Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to the Michigan Parkinson Foundation, 30400 Telegraph Road, Suite 150, Bingham Farms, MI 48025. (248) 433-1011, parkinsonsmi.org. Arrangements were by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

MAY 13 • 2021

OBITUARIES

continued from page 46

OF BLESSED MEMORY

Builder, Art Aficionado and MSU Benefactor RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

MAY 13 • 2021

JEREMIAH GARCIA VIA WIKIMEDIA

li Broad, former Detroit businessman and philanthropist whose generosity was as vast as his fortune, died April 30, 2021, in Los Angeles, where he resided for the past six decades with his wife of 67 years, Edythe. He was 87. Eli Broad was born in the Bronx in 1933, the son of Jewish immigrants from Lithuania. When he was 6 years old, his family moved to Detroit, where he attended Central High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the Michigan State University business school that now bears his name. Graduating cum laude after only three years, he became Michigan’s youngest certified public accountant at the age of 20. In 1954, he married Detroit native Edythe “Edye” Lawson, who inspired his passion for the arts and shared his commitment to supporting education, medical research and other charitable pursuits during their long and loving marriage. In his early 20s, he started the Kaufman & Broad Building Company with local developer Donald Kaufman. The company quickly became successful selling no-frills homes, starting in the Detroit suburbs and expanding to Phoenix and Los Angeles,

Eli Broad in 2008

where the Broads moved in 1964. His next business move was acquiring Baltimore-based insurance company Sun Life, which he later renamed SunAmerica and sold to American International Group (AIG) for $18 billion. The Broads’ fortune enabled them to expand their ongoing philanthropic endeavors through The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, which provides grants that support education, scientific and medical research and the arts. To date, the foundation has donated more than $4 billion to a variety of causes and organizations. In Los Angeles, Mr. Broad was instrumental in enhancing the downtown area and transforming the city’s art world. After he and Edythe amassed a renowned contemporary art collection, they established

the Broad Art Foundation, a global “lending library” designed to increase public access to private art collections. In addition, they provided funding for many Los Angeles cultural institutions, culminating with the opening of the contemporary art museum The Broad in 2015. Ever the loyal Spartan, Eli Broad donated more than $100 million to his alma mater, Michigan State University. Numerous buildings and programs on the East Lansing campus bear his name, including the Eli Broad College of Business, the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management and the 46,000-square-foot Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum and the MSU Broad Art Lab. Mr. Broad is also the author of the 2012 New York Times bestseller The Art of Being Unreasonable: Lessons in Unconventional Thinking.” In a statement on the MSU website, College of Business Dean Sanjay Gupta described Eli Broad as “unreasonable and unforgettable,” a generous benefactor who left an “extraordinary and unparalleled legacy” to the university. Eli Broad is survived by his wife, Edythe, and their two sons, Jeffrey and Gary.

in-law of the late Marvin Katz and the late Trevor Brown. Interment was at Hebrew Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Jewish Community Center, Darryl Lawrence Krekun Memorial Fitness Fund, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, Michigan 48322. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. REVA DORIS NYMAN KURTIS, 89, former Detroit of Dallas, Texas, passed away on May 3, 2021. She was born on July 3, 1931, in Detroit. For the first part of her life, she lived in Michigan then moved to Dallas to help her husband reach his dream job of opening a golf store. Reva was a very loving, independent women who never backed away from any challenge. She loved to be around family and friends, always wanting to know what was going on in their lives and if there was any way she could help, offering encouragement and support almost to the point of being overbearing. Reva loved to compete in sports: bowling where she won many trophies, golf (she had a hole in one) and many others. She loved to cook, especially during the holidays when family members would come to enjoy the great food she made. She was also a skilled seamstress, making clothes for herself, and Halloween costumes for the kids. In addition, she enjoyed knitting, doing needlepoint and gardening. She will be missed by all the people whose lives she touched. Mrs. Kurtis is survived by her husband of 69 years, Gerald Kurtis; daughter, Julie;

son, Marc; grandchildren, Matthew, Elizabeth, Rachel, Garrett, Abigail and Rose; great grandchildren, Lilee, Jasmine, Gavriel and Aria; nieces, cousins, other loving family and friends. She was preceded in death by her mother, Miriam Nyman; her father, Max Nyman; and brother, Erwin. DOLORES ROBERTA MANDELL, 92, of West Bloomfield, died May 3, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Leonard Bale and Barb Goode, Charles “Chuck” and Hillary Bale, Gary and Linda Bale, Sanford and Donna Mandell; daughter and sonin-law, Phyllis and Steven Slater; grandchildren, Kali and Daniel Venuti, Andrew and Becky Bale, Shawn Bale, Stewart and Shelby Bale, Sydney Bale, Alex Bale, Mitchell Mandell and fiancee, Annie Wolfe, Erika and Nicholas Kozlowski, Michael and Diana Leslie; great-grandchildren, Max Venuti, Brayden Bale, Corey Kozlowski, Connor Kozlowski, Aaron Leslie, Shelby Leslie; great-greatgrandchild, Brantley Leslie; sister-in-law, Diane Bernstein. Mrs. Mandell was the beloved wife of the late Theodore Bale and the late Ben Mandell; dear sister of the late Melvin Bernstein. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. A graveside service was held at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

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MAY 13 • 2021

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 49

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OBITUARIES

CAROLYN MAE MARTIN, 75, of Farmington Hills, died April 30, 2021. She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Joel and Shana Kruger of Miami Beach, Fla.; daughters and sons-in-law, Anne Goldman and Mark Flemming of Commerce Township, Miriam Kruger of Berkley; grandchildren, Molly Goldman, Ozzie Kruger, Uri Kruger, Dani Kruger; nieces and nephews, Charlie and Jodi Fried, Heshy and Chaya Miriam Fried; brother-in-law, Ziggy Fried; many other loving relatives, and friends; her fur baby, Louie. She was the loving daughter of the late Ida and the late Oscar Wolfe; dear sister of the late Gayle Wolfe Fried. Contributions may be made to the Humane Society of Michigan, michiganhumane.org. A graveside service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. ROBERT DAVID STEIN, devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, died April 30, 2021, at 83. Bob earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from University of Michigan. He loved time with his family and visiting Algonquin Park. He practiced real estate and bankruptcy law. During Freedom Summer, he volunteered for SNCC, providing legal defense for people trying to vote.

Mr. Stein is survived by his wife of 48 years, Frani; children, P’ninah, Lysa and Brian (Jessica); grandchildren, Samantha, Benjamin, Sasha, Elena and Leo; sister, Gari (Ira); in-laws, Mark (Patricia) and Janice (Kenneth). Contributions in Bob’s memory may be made to the Michigan Parkinson Foundation or Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network. JUDY YARBER, 63, of West Bloomfield, died May 4, 2021. She is survived by her beloved husband, Terry Yarber; daughter, Rita Yarber; sons and daughters-in-law, Clark and Alex Yarber, Grant and Natalia Yarber, Chase (Danielle Sherman) Yarber; sisters and brother-in-law, Wendy Jaffe, Nancy Bronstein and Andy Moudy, and Peggy Bronstein; stepmother, Janice Bronstein; many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Yarber was the loving daughter of the late William and the late Rita Bronstein. Interment took place at the Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to Jewish Vocational Service or to Be the Match Foundation. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. Correction The obituary for Eva Wimmer (April 29) should have indicated that she was the loving mother of the late Shirley Wimmer.

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MAY 13 • 2021

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY VINCE TALOTTA/TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGES

Holocaust Survivor Whose Photographs Documented the Partisan Resistance Dies At 101 SHIRA HANAU JTA

aye Schulman, a Holocaust survivor who lost most of her family to the Nazis but joined a group of partisan fighters and documented their work in photographs, died April 24, the Washington Post reported Saturday. She was 101 years old. Schulman’s photographs often depicted the smiling faces of young partisan fighters, with Schulman at times at the center in a stylish leopard print coat. Michael Berkowitz, a professor of Jewish history at University College London, told the Post

MAY 13 • 2021

that her photos were “extremely important in documenting the history of the resistance.” Schulman was born in Lenin, Poland, a town that bordered the Soviet Union. Her family was killed in 1942 when the Nazis liquidated the ghetto there, marching most of the town’s Jews to trenches outside the town and shooting them. Schulman was saved due to her occupation — she was put to work photographing Nazi officials and developing prints for records. She joined the partisans after

Faye Schulman lights a candle at a ceremony commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising at a UJA Federation building in Toronto in 2013.

escaping to the forests and became a nurse to wounded partisan soldiers. She developed her photographs by night. She was liberated by Soviet troops in 1944 and later that year married a fellow Jewish member of the partisans, Morris Schulman. They lived

in a German displaced persons camp after the war until moving to Canada in 1948, where Schulman lived until her death. In 1995, Schulman published a book, A Partisan’s Memoir: Woman of the Holocaust, that included many of her photographs.

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ho was that fellow sitting with owner Pat Archer at his now-closed Excalibur Restaurant on Franklin and Northwestern Highway? He was the spitting image of Frank Sinatra … and Ol’ Blue Eyes himself enjoyed a stack of bar-b-q ribs after his show at the Fox Theatre … compliments Danny of then-Executive Raskin Senior Columnist Chef Marty Wilk who also sent some ribs to Sinatra at his hotel suite. Marty didn’t know it then, but he would eventually also become Excalibur’s excellent owner … at the favorite show biz place for celebrities who were appearing in this region … as well as many locals who had made Excalibur a day and night fun stop. He had been a favorite London Chop House chef before coming to Excalibur in Southfield … and after taking

Sinatra was a happy patron of Excalibur.

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crumb mixture and baked to a nutty brown. Music of the Billy Rose Trio was a dancer’s delight and Fred Astaire’s dancing elegance. Having a premier fine dining restaurant like Excalibur almost in your backyard was a major plus. MAIL DEPT. … “The lobster featured when I ate at the Clam Shop was a pound and a quarter and the $9.50 dinner included soup, salad, shrimp cocktail, coffee or tea or milk or Vichy water” … Sid Luderman. IF YOU BELIEVE some people who say that fine dining is doomed, you’ll believe anything … Back in the late 1980s, the death knell was again being sounded for fine dining restaurants … Dire observations were being voiced about value and extinction … Not only did white tablecloth restaurants not vanish from the landscape, but they have enjoyed a powerful resurgence over the past several years … Take the dining pulse of any major areas or cit-

ies and you will find tablecloth restaurants thriving very well. OLDIE BUT GOODIE … A Jewish town had a shortage of men for wedding purposes, so they had to import men from other towns … One day a groom-to-be arrived on a train, and two potential mothers-inlaw were waiting for him, each claiming ownership of him … A rabbi was called to solve the problem. After a few moments of thought, he said, “If this is the situation, you both want the groom, we’ll cut him in half and give each one of you half of him.” To this replied one woman, “If that’s the case, give him to the other woman.” “Do that,” said the rabbi. “The one willing to cut him in half is the real mother-in-law!” CONGRATS … To Michael Hermanoff on his birthday … To Warren Pierce on his birthday. Danny’s email address is dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

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Looking Back

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

Jewish Heritage Month

n April 30, President Joe Biden proclaimed May to be Jewish American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate all the Jewish contributions to American culture and history over the past 370 years. Americans have been doing so every May for the past 15 years. The idea for an official Jewish American Heritage Month originated in resolutions introduced in 2005 by Reps. Deborah Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Henry Hyde of Illinois in the U.S. House, and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania in the Senate. Mike Smith Impressed by a highly sucAlene and Graham Landau cessful national celebration Archivist Chair in 2004-2005 of the 350th anniversary of Jews in America, they decided to act to make this an annual affair. With strong support in Congress, their resolutions passed in 2005. On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May to be Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM). Every president since Bush has also issued proclamation every year for JAHM. This year, upon declaring JAHM, President Biden said: “The Jewish American experience is a story of faith, fortitude, and progress. It is a quintessential American experience — one that is connected to key tenets of American identity, including our nation’s commitment to freedom of religion and conscience.” Biden also noted two recent Jewish milestones: “This year, we also recognize two historic firsts, as America saw the vice president take the oath of office alongside her Jewish spouse [Doug Emhoff] and a Jewish American became the first majority leader of the United States Senate [Chuck Schumer] and the highest-ranking Jewish American elected official in our Nation’s history … “During Jewish American Heritage Month, we honor Jewish Americans, who, inspired by Jewish values and American

MAY 13 • 2021

ideals, have engaged in the ongoing work of forming a more perfect union.” This is all good to hear, especially, since Biden also noted the unfortunate rise in antisemitism in America. It seems to me that Jewish American heritage is the foundation of your weekly JN. Each issue usually has a report about an aspect of Jewish history, which will eventually be added to the William Davidson Digital Archive of Detroit Jewish History. It is my privilege and honor to write about the history of Jews in Detroit and Michigan. As Associate Editor David Sachs said, “Every month is Jewish heritage month at the JN!” I searched the Davidson Archive for articles about JAHM. I was surprised to see the first reference in the April 7, 2000, JN, five years before the national proclamation. That year, Wayne State President Irvin Reid designated April as Jewish Heritage Month at the university. The opening event featured art by WSU senior Talya Drissman of Farmington Hills. There was an interesting report about JAHM in the June 12, 2010, JN JN. That year, on May 27, President Barak Obama hosted the first-ever White House reception for JAHM. Two local international presidents of BBYO, Jeremy Sherman and Arielle Braude, attended the event. Finally, there were two other pages you may enjoy. The May 1, 2014, JN had a great list of things to do for JAHM. And, although the story, “Why Are You Proud to Be Jewish,” was published much earlier on Aug. 15, 1997, it is a perfect fit for JAHM. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS 200 Feb. 11-17, 2021 / 29 Shevat-5 Adar 5781

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36 36

Meet the cohort of 2021 — young Jews making a difference in our community. See page 8

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS

200 Feb. 18-24, 2021 / 6-12 Adar 5781

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Sense of

Duty Young Detroiters serve in the IDF to “give back” to Israel. See page 12

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS 200 Feb. 25-March 3, 2021 / 13-19 Adar 5781

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THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS

200 March 4-10, 2021 / 20-26 Adar 5781

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Floating Cloud ON A

With Detroit’s help, Israeli firm creates app to give your car a smoother, more efficient ride. See page 12

Todah Morim! Thank you, teachers! An appreciation of our day school educators during this pandemic. See page 13

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DJN May 13, 2021

Articles inside

A Doubleheader at Michigan and Trumbull

Dairy, Anyone?

After the Holocaust

Community Calendar

Break It to Fix It

Shavuot All-Nighter

Here’s To

Top Journalist

Helping Jewish Teens

Legal Warrior

Jewish Americans in 2020

A Guiding Hand

Hug Buddies

Shavuot: A Celebration for Receiving the Torah

Steven Ingber Named Federation CEO

Essays and viewpoints