DJN October 22, 2020 by The Detroit Jewish News

200 Oct. 22-28, 2020 / 4-10 Cheshvan 5781

Dynamic Duo

Matt Lester and Dennis Bernard begin a new era as leadership at the Federation and Foundation. See page 14

OCTOBER 22 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020

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contents Oct. 22-28, 2020 / 4-10 Cheshvan 5781 | VOLUME CLVIII, ISSUE 12

20 33

22 VIEWS

YBY’s Unity Event Recap

Teen Baker Takes the Cake

Faces & Places

Matt Lester and Dennis Bernard begin a new era in communal leadership.

Sports Quick Hits

Election Day Heroes

MOMENTS

Poll workers persevere despite COVID, citing safety measures and civic duty.

6-12

JEWS INTHED 14

ETC.

Dynamic Duo

A Vote for the Ages

JSL, JFS and West Bloomfield Clerk’s office offer support to senior voters.

ARTS&LIFE 32

Nobel Prize Winner

33 22

Religious Schools Confront COVID Congregations adapt to the pandemic.

How Are People Taught to Hate? “Poisonous pedagogy,” one doctor says.

Torah portion

37 40 45 46

Shabbat starts: Friday, Oct. 23, 6:19 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:19 p.m. * Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

Creative Discussion Meet singer Alexandra Silber in upcoming SOAR program.

Jewish economist with Detroit roots wins for his work on auction theory.

The Exchange Soul Raskin Looking Back

Shabbat Lights

SPIRIT 20

ONLINE EVENTS

Sex & Judaism

ON THE COVER: Cover Photos: John Hardwick, Jewish Federation Cover design: Kaitlyn Schoen

Dr. Ruth tackles how the Jewish tradition approaches sexuality.

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Celebrity Jews

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OCTOBER 22 • 2020

A Discovery of Witchcraft Witches, Witch-Hunting & Magical Practice in Early Modern Europe

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10.28.20 6:00p .\LZ[ 3LJ[\YLY +Y 1\Z[PU :SLKNL It has been argued that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;witch crazeâ&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D; stretching from roughly the mid-15th to the mid-17th centuries and claiming the lives of over 50,000 people, overwhelmingly womenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;was [OL Ă&#x201E;YZ[ JVUJLY[LK HUK [O\Z [Y\S` WHU ,\YVWLHU cultural undertaking since the eclipse of the ^LZ[LYU 9VTHU ,TWPYL -YVT JVSVUPHS 5VY[O and South America, to Iceland, through western HUK JLU[YHS ,\YVWL [V [OL NH[LZ VM 4VZJV^ [OL witch trials of this period are marked by their historical, cultural, and religious complexity. What precipitated this continent-wide outbreak of violence? What did a witch-trial look like? How did so-called â&#x20AC;&#x153;witch-huntersâ&#x20AC;? operate? Did witches even exist? How were these trials depicted in early printing? What did sorcery and magical practice actually look like in the medieval HUK LHYS` TVKLYU ,\YVWLHU JVU[L_[& 1VPU +Y 1\Z[PU :SLKNL ]PY[\HSS` HZ ^L L_WSVYL [OLZL questions to better discover witchcraft together. Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, Spanish, 1746â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1828, Witchesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Flight, ca. 1798, Oil on canvas. Copyright ÂŠ Museo Nacional del Prado.

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1120 E Kearsley St, Flint ĂąLQWDUWV RUJ The Sheppy Dog Fund, Dr. Alan Klein, Advisor, presents topics of art, religion, and history through its funded lecture series.

OCTOBER 22 â&#x20AC;˘ 2020

VIEWS

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OCTOBER 22 • 2020

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VIEWS editor’s note

letters

Then And Now

n 1939, the FBI infiltrated a violent militia plotting to overthrow the U.S. government. This group was called the Christian Front. They and their even more extreme offshoot, the Christian Mobilizers, met secretly to discuss what they believed was the hostile takeover Andrew of America Lapin by radical, Editor anti-Christian left-wing groups. By this description, they were really referring to Jews. They blamed Jews both for Communism in Europe and the unchecked capitalism that led to the Great Depression they were only just recovering from. This was incoherent, but it didn’t have to make sense. It just had to unite them against a common enemy. The Christian Front considered Hitler and fascism, and its potential to destroy Jewry, to be the true torchbearers of American values. And they believed President Roosevelt was opposing this new world order because he was a puppet of the Jews (or maybe secretly a Jew himself). So, they trained new recruits in firearms in preparation that, one day, they would take their country back. The Christian Front existed far outside the political two-party system. But they were taking advantage of a certain hostile climate in America — a time of extreme polarization and division as people struggled under the Great Depression — to push their

hateful agenda. And they were egged on by prominent figures in politics and the media — most significantly, Detroit’s own Father Charles Coughlin at the Shrine of the Little Flower Catholic church in Royal Oak. The “radio priest,” with an audience of millions, went allin on the Christian Front and devoted many episodes of his national broadcasts to them. He praised them for standing up to the far-left Communist sympathizers he said were roaming our streets. When the FBI arrested and charged them with sedition, Coughlin used his show in the weeks leading up to their trial to defend them as protectors of American values. The jury returned no verdict, and all charges were eventually dropped. Still, American attitudes were beginning to shift away from the far-right ideologues that had run rampant across the airwaves in the years prior. A semi-united front was being presented against fascism. Coughlin had at one point been the most powerful voice in the country, but he was falling out of mainstream favor the more he chose to embrace the paranoid right-wing fringe that constituted his “base.” But this fringe, though small in number, was still large enough to fill rallies at Madison Square Garden and violent enough to do serious damage to the country. And these American fascists (for that is exactly what they were) hung on their hero’s every word. They didn’t trust other media; only Father Coughlin told “the truth.” He

was their filter bubble. In those secret meetings the FBI witnessed, Coughlin’s followers would play his show and cheer, delivering “sieg heils” all the while. “We will fight shoulder to shoulder and be content to use your weapons,” Coughlin said on one episode. “Rest assured we will fight, and we will win.” RETRACING OUR STEPS I often hear that we are living in “unprecedented” times. But I disagree. Recently, the FBI arrested members of a new antigovernment militia right here in Michigan. They called themselves the “Wolverine Watchmen,” and they were plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer because they believed her COVID-19 lockdown protocols were an affront to American values. Very little separates these new extremists from those of Father Coughlin’s time, except for 81 years. Like the Christian Front, these men do not fit neatly into our Democratic-Republican orthodoxy. Their politics are unmoored from the mainstream. A Detroit Free Press investigation found that some are vocal Trump supporters, while at least one called the president a “tyrant.” However, also like the Christian Front, our new generation of domestic extremists are plainly taking advantage of an already violent, heightened climate in America. This is a time when half of the country so deeply distrusts and despises the other half that there is an opening for this kind of terror. continued on page 10

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

Thanks For Making Holidays Awe-some The Jewish holidays which occur in the first 10 days of the month of Tishri are called the Days of Awe. Similarly, I, and I am sure this is how most of us in the Jewish community feel, am in awe at the hard work, dedication and creativity of our religious leaders to make a bad situation, the worst in memory, as palatable and meaningful as possible. I experienced it in my own B’nai Israel of West Bloomfield congregation, but I know it took place all over our Metro Detroit area and actually all over the country. To them all I say wholeheartedly: yishar koach, it is appreciated beyond words. — Rachel Kapen West Bloomfield

Corrections: In “A Place of their Own, (Oct. 8, page 22), Melanie Cohn, Jonathan Reinheimer and Reed McAlpin’s names were misspelled. In “Lawsuits Target White Supremacists,” (Oct. 8, page 24) the sentence about two defendants facing civil arrest should have said that this is “fairly unheard of in a civil suit.” Also, Integrity First for America does not claim that the defendants hid weapons around Charlottesville but had weapons with them for their rallies in the city.

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۬xXhƺɯǣɀǝ(ƺȅɀ OCTOBER 22 • 2020

VIEWS essay

JCC Memories

was truly caught off guard by the emotion that overcame me as I cleaned out my locker of the JCC Health Club. I never really thought of myself as a writer, but there were so many memories I just had to set them all on paper. My life has revolved around the JCC (mostly Karen because of the Gordon gym) and while I am sad to see this part of the building go, I know that we will experience new and just as meaningful memories with all that the JCC still has to offer. The closing of the fitness portion of the JCC has had a profound impact on anyone who ever stepped foot into that

part of the building. Decades of memories fill every wall, floor and hallway. And while it is sad that the footprint of the JCC may be changing, there will still be so much that the JCC will have to offer. As we move ahead through these challenging times, the JCC will soon be a place to meet with friends and make new ones, take our kids to preschool and camp, learn and be entertained, celebrate simchahs and community. Our memories of what we have experienced in the gyms and the locker rooms, will only be enhanced by what will be to come. Back in the early or mid-’70s I remember walking through the halls of the massive Jewish Community Center on Maple and Drake still under construc-

tion. My parents and I were on a tour of the new facility. I distinctly remember stopping to (try and) take a drink at a dusty water fountain, but it was not yet operational. It was the fountain near the windows to the gym. Looking down from that spot was the coolest vantage point to a gym I had ever seen. There was just so much to see from there. Who would have thought that years later, that gym would play such a huge role in my life? I spent hours at the JCC. In the gym. In the pool. Wandering around the building. I would patiently wait until 1 p.m. on Saturday to get in. Chatted with Mildred and Fritz, well, he didn’t chat much … Ate french fries at Sperbers. Hung out in Room 333. BBYO events

in Shiffman Hall. Oddly, I pride myself on the ability to have been able to sneak into not only the Health Club, but also most other parts of the building. I have been in the stairwells to the roof. The backroom of Building Services where you could smell the stench of stale cigarettes long before you got there. Meandered up and down through different elevators on a wheelchair just to get to the pool. I have been in the building by myself at 3 a.m. I was a camper … a counselor … bus duty. I gave my first pint (of many) of blood at a JCC Red Cross event in 1984. I would play in the gym while my parents worked out in the Health Club. We’d meet for dinner in the HC dining room. Does anycontinued on page 12

continued from page 8

Any action is justified when you believe the other side is evil. Their extreme voices are being amplified on social media, where we are all siloing ourselves inside increasingly extreme echo chambers (watch the new Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma for more). But they’re also being emboldened by current political discourse — loaded phrases like “Liberate Michigan” can be just as intimidating as loaded weapons in public spaces. And, unsurprisingly, more and more of these strands lead back to antisemitism. To take just one example: the QAnon conspiracy theory, a series of incoherent beliefs about President Trump waging a secret war on the “deep state,” has found a wide audience via

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

social media. A recent story in the New York Times reports that QAnon has found a toehold in Germany — where Attila Hildmann, a far-right YouTuber (who is also a celebrity vegan chef), attaches Q to his own beliefs that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a “Zionist Jew” who has aligned with the Rothschilds to establish a “new world order.” Here’s another example: During the racial justice protests this summer, mobs of people in Los Angeles vandalized synagogues, Jewishowned businesses and a statue of Raoul Wallenberg, the diplomat and University of Michigan alum who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust. Just like in 1939, none of this needs to make perfect sense to

the people who believe it. The theories just need to promote a broader atmosphere of fear and distrust and unite their followers against a common enemy (and the Jews are always a convenient common enemy). Such mindsets also convince people that any other news source is “biased,” deceitful or just outright making things up. They push their followers to go further and further into their own filter bubbles to find the “real” answers — just as Coughlin did to his followers. There is clearly an undercurrent of anger and hostility here, and it’s bubbling over in terrifying ways during an already inflamed election cycle. When I read about these new militias, I can feel my sense of time collapsing. Very little of the arguments have changed. But that is

also what makes this moment slightly more bearable: the knowledge that we have been here before. I don’t know what’s coming for us on Election Day or the weeks after. But I do know that the JN strives to remain, as always, a source of strength and support for our community, to hold the line against misinformation and violent outbursts while championing our shared Jewish values. We know that fear and paranoia do more harm than good, and that we need to take such violent incursions into our lives with the utmost seriousness. We are walking a path our people have walked many times before. As long as we can see that path, and trust each other as we venture through it, we can see the way out.

OCTOBER 22 â&#x20AC;¢ 2020

VIEWS guest column

Voting: The Most Important Community Role

egardless of what type of role you play in the community, we all have an opportunity to play the most important role of all — voter — in the coming weeks. This includes our neighbors and family members with disabilities. Especially in this pandemic, Ronald everyone who Hodess wants to vote in Michigan has the constitutional right to accessible voting through secure mail-in ballots and safe in-person voting. In my role as chairperson of the Friendship Circle of Michigan, I see the challenges often faced by people with disabilities and support efforts to provide accessible voting to them as a basic democratic right.

Prior to the pandemic, voting for many people with physical or developmental disabilities was often difficult or not possible. This includes people with mobility issues, hearing and visual impairments and those with autism. This year with the pandemic, the barriers are even greater. That is why safe options are so important for our neighbors with disabilities. In my role as an attorney, I have studied how the democratic process is most effective when everyone is able to participate. In 1973, the federal Rehabilitation Act provided that it is unlawful to discriminate against people on the basis of their disability. This was expanded in 1990 under the Americans with Disabilities Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, government, public accommodations, commercial

facilities, transportation and telecommunications. Then in 1993, the National Voter Registration Act provided for more accessible voting for people with disabilities. In Michigan, new for 2020, all voters, even those without an excuse, now have the option of using an accessible absentee ballot. In addition to mailing them in, they can be dropped off at clerk’s offices and drop boxes. For voting in person, Michigan law also mandates that each municipality provide an accessible polling location and accessible voting machine. The law also requires that each polling place have a voter assist terminal available. That is all in addition to the PPE and social distancing that cities and townships plan to provide to keep in-person voting safe. The Friendship Circle is now in its 25th year of operation. I

have seen children with all different abilities and skills grow into adulthood with many challenges. Providing accessible voting to them now that they are of voting age is one right that is not taken for granted. In my role as a father, I look forward to seeing my two sons, now old enough to vote, participate in the process, safely and conveniently for them, despite their special needs. Because of all of my roles, I have endorsed the bipartisan VoteSafe Michigan campaign because I strongly believe in the basic principles of allowing all of us to vote safely and securely. I hope you and your family and friends will join me in voting safely on or before Nov. 3.

JCC Maccabi tryouts. Fast forward to coaching my children in Kenny Goldman, celebrating birthdays and cheering them on during their RC. Thousands of participants streamed through that gym as part of the JCC Maccabi Games and ArtsFest. It was as if I was personally escorting them through my home. I was part of the Health Club committee. It was because of that connection that my husband and I ran the snack bar at the pool for two summers. I was asked to be the Young Adult Division liaison to the JCC board in 1996 and, ultimately, became a full-fledged board member. I felt as if I got a huge promotion when I became part of the Executive Board. I

was recognized by the board in 2006 as a recipient of the Susan Alterman Leadership Award. I was honored by the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation as a Pillar of Excellence, and my plaque hangs on the walls with so many other notable Jews in our community. I have literally given my blood, sweat and tears for the JCC. I am so thankful. Today, I emptied my locker for the last time. I was surprisingly emotional. Afterward, I worked my way down to the gym. But first, I had to take a photo with the famed KG logo written on the glass case in the stairwell going down to the gym from the baseball display. That was tagged by my Assistant Games Director Lindsey Fox in

2008. Do the math. As I walked into the gym, so many more memories came back. I could see my mom running the track above, “kvelling” at her daughter keeping up with the guys below. I was “kvelling” that my mom was such a runner. I could see packed gyms with fans from all over the world cheering on their teens during a close Maccabi volleyball game. As I walked out of the gym, I looked up through the windows as if I was looking back on me as a young girl. That brand-new water fountain then, since replaced by touchless faucets to fill water bottles, will soon be dusty again.

Ronald Hodess is chair of the Friendship Circle of Michigan and a principal at the law firm Miller Canfield.

continued from page 10

one even remember there was a dining room for HC members? I thought we were so cool. I learned to play basketball from Burt Hursche when I was about 8 or 9. I honed my skills with Greg Kelser as I got older (and better). Eventually, I became a counselor with John Long, Earl Cureton and Lindsey Hunter in their basketball camps. I was “the girl” that played countless 4 on 4 games under the famed windows. That gym is where I blew out my knee for the first time. Spent hours trying to help Dennis Rodman shoot free throws (didn’t help). Met my first real boyfriend. Played BBG volleyball during Regional Convention. Watched countless

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

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Matt Lester was born and raised in Franklin, leaving Michigan for only three years during college. He shares Bernard’s philosophy of a life based on family, business and community. Lester said he comes from a family that always emphasized giving back, and he’s involved in many community organizations, including the DIA, DSO and Forgotten Harvest, among others, in addition to Federation. “For me, I found meaning and enjoyment in living a Jewish life and getting involved in the Jewish community,” he said. His Jewish journey began, he said, with a Federation young adult mission to Israel in 1999. Later, he participated in the Grosfeld Mission, which he eventually went on to lead. Then he was asked to join Federation’s Israel and Overseas Committee, the Blumenstein Leadership Institute, the Sherman Leadership Institute, Federation’s Annual Campaign Chair, numerous boards, including the American Joint Distribution Committee, Jewish Senior Life, Kadima, the Jewish Fund, BBYO, Yad Ezra, Forgotten Harvest, Tamarack Camps, United Jewish Foundation, etc. The list is long. “I doubt there’s a Federation president who has had more or better mentorship and opportunity to grow as a Jew and to get to know, understand, and love and care about

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

their Jewish community than I have,” Lester said. “And it’s thanks to a countless number of Jewish leaders too numerous to mention, although I often start with Jane Sherman, Nancy Grosfeld and Penny Blumenstein, three matriarchs of our community.” He and his wife, Nikki, have two children: Ella Rose, a senior at Cranbrook, and son Richard, a freshman at Cranbrook. Lester is founder and CEO of Princeton Enterprises, a real estate company that has expanding property operations in 16 states across the Midwest and Southeast and employs 1,000 people. Lester said he considers his business to be “like a third child.” A former competitive skier, Lester is working on becoming one again at 55, which is “a new trick for me,” he said. “I’m literally training with a senior champion world-class cross-country ski racer, but I’m a downhill skier.” Lester says his priority is spending quality time with his family and enjoying the outdoors on their family lifestyle farm in Charlevoix, where they grow all kinds of crops and raise chickens. The farm can house more than 30 people. “The best part about the farm is being able to share it with others, which we do every year,” he said. “It’s most fun for me when the farm is packed with families and kids running around and learning about the farm and exploring.”

COURTESY OF FEDERATION

MEET MATT LESTER

JEWSINTHED ON THE COVER

Dynamic Duo Matt Lester and Dennis Bernard begin a new era as leadership at the Federation and Foundation. JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN HARDWICK

n Oct. 1, Matt Lester and Dennis Bernard were installed as presidents of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and the United Jewish Foundation, respectively. In their roles, they will work to ensure the needs of Detroit’s Jewish community are met and its assets safeguarded. But this is not the first time the two have worked together. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, the two men have co-chaired Federation’s COVID emergency taskforce. Lester led the campaign to raise more than $7 million to meet the community’s needs, allocating money to both Federation and non-Federa-

tion agencies. “Even though we’re going through a traumatic period, our community opened up with their hearts, their brains and their wallets,” Bernard said. “We raised a lot of money from very good people and foundations to do emergency funding. Bernard added that the taskforce continues to work with agencies to ensure efficiencies of both dollars and services, including child care, food and mental health care for those who need it. The COVID emergency campaign still has significant resources to meet the community’s needs. “We are going to need them, make no mistake about it,”

COURTESY OF FEDERATION

MEET DENNIS BERNARD

Lester said. According to Bernard, the crisis provided Federation and the Foundation with a shining moment. “We were hit with a once-in-a-generation pandemic. This community quickly pulled together,” he said. “Everyone was focused, and everyone was committed to the right ideas. People who had historically been involved and people who’d been less involved in the Federation process stepped up.” Lester added, “COVID demonstrated and reaffirmed that Federation is the central address for the community. I did not imagine the degree to which this community would engage in collaboration with one another, sharing ideas, sharing resources.” In addition to co-chairing the COVID Taskforce, Bernard and Lester have been friends for more than 20 years. “We’ve done business. We’ve argued together. We built things together,” Bernard said, adding he hoped their friendship would

enhance collaboration between Foundation and Federation. “Dennis is a man of the highest intellect and integrity and passion for our Jewish community,” Lester said, adding that they have complementary skillsets. “He is very detail-oriented. I’m more big-picture.” FEDERATION’S ‘THREE-LEGGED STOOL’ “I have believed, truly, in my kishkes, that Federation was the best place for me to have a positive impact on our Jewish community, the Jewish people and the world,” Lester said. “If more people believe that, if more people feel that way, then we are going to grow the tent.” Lester said he sees the Federation as a “three-legged stool.” One leg of that stool is Federation’s role as the central fundraiser for the Jewish community. While Lester was raising funds for the COVID emergency campaign, he said he made it clear that gifts to the emergency

Dennis Bernard, who was born and raised in Cleveland, moved to Detroit 34 years ago to be with his eventual wife, Hadas. He said he was inspired by his greatuncle, a role model, who told him a successful life was “built like a three-legged stool — family, community and business — and to try and give equally and in a coordinated way to each one.” He took his uncle’s advice and was involved in Cleveland’s Federation before moving to Detroit. A few years later, he became involved in Federation’s Young Adult division and began to join agency and community boards. One of the first people he met was the legendary David Hermelin, Detroitarea philanthropist and U.S. ambassador to Norway. Hermelin was “the godfather to so many young men and women to help them become part of the community,” Bernard said. “David took me further and helped me build my business by giving me an opportunity early on, but also teaching me that at the same time to give back, to be involved, to use the skillset I have to help others.” Bernard is the founder and CEO of the Bernard Financial Group, Michigan’s largest commercial mortgage banking and servicing firm, which has been

intimately involved in the comeback of Detroit. He lives with his wife, Hadas, in Birmingham. They share an interest in philanthropy, focusing on at-risk people, such as those with developmental disabilities, chronic mental illness, drug addiction and suicide risk. Bernard has served on a state task force on community mental health funding now for three governors. He and Hadas have three grown children, who call them every day wherever they are in the world. They have a close family, who spend time together often. “We are all big personalities. We fight, we argue, we laugh, we make fun. We play tricks on each other and nobody takes it personal. We have a riot.” Bernard, who used to be an avid mountain biker, says he has two hobbies that helped keep him busy during the lockdown. “I have a large train room in my attic that I started building with my kids when they were young, that I continue to build, and it gives me a lot of time to get away from business, community and family issues,” he said. “The other thing I do is make Shutterfly books for the family. I digitized all these old photos from 32 years of marriage and family am in the process of making a Shutterfly book for every year, a legacy for my family.”

continued on page 16 OCTOBER 22 • 2020

JEWSINTHED ON THE COVER

continued from page 15

fund could not impact gifts to Federation’s annual 2021 campaign to ensure there would be no funding shortfalls for agencies’ ongoing needs. Another leg on the stool is allocations. “Our allocations assist agencies and their mission to take care of the most vulnerable and to provide for welfare, education or identity within our community,” Lester said. The third leg of that stool is something Lester calls “stewardship”: “helping members of the Jewish community to enhance their identity, enhance their participation, come into the tent, not feel as though the tent was reserved for the big-bucks donors only.” One of his main goals as Federation president is to enhance the “return on philanthropy.” “I want Federation and our agencies to be the primary institution by which people can have a positive impact on the Jewish world,” he said. Another short-term priority for Lester is building the bench of talent and leadership at Federation. “We’ve got a lot of talent at Federation,” he said. “I want them to, in some ways, create their replacements. Over the next five-plus years, people

who hold important positions are going to retire. I don’t want there to be a void.” FOUNDATION’S ‘ROLLERCOASTER’ The United Jewish Foundation is the steward of the Detroit Jewish community’s money and assets, totaling more than $450 million, including real estate assets and community endowment funds. It is also the steward of Federation’s general fund, the rainy-day fund for the community. The Foundation is responsible for investing that money safely and making sure the proceeds from those investments are sent to the proper agencies. “We’ve been on an investment rollercoaster,” Bernard said. “In March, the market was hitting new highs, then by April and May, new lows. And now it’s climbing back up again. So we’ve had the challenge of making sure we allocate our assets appropriately in different kinds of investment funds.” Bernard said he follows the words of Winston Churchill, who said, “Never waste a good crisis.” “We’re taking the COVID crisis as an opportunity to relook at all our investment strategies

and investment partners, to ensure our endowment funds are secure and going to the right places, and they are,” he said. “Now we’re working with all the agencies and Federation to make sure all our real estate is still relevant, in good condition and still serving its purpose. It was a great opportunity for us to do a gut check.” According to Bernard, the community’s real estate has never been in better condition. “We’ve done a lot of capital improvements,” he said. Bernard has also spent time ensuring funds are secure. Earlier this year, hackers stole $7.5 million in funds from Washington, D.C.’s Jewish Federation. That incident weighs on his mind as he thinks about Foundation safeguards. “There has been an increase in cybertheft during COVID, and we were constantly updating our cybersecurity, our insurances, our protocols,” Bernard said. “We brought in an expert and were fortunate to learn we didn’t require any changes.” SHARED PRIORITIES Lester and Bernard speak daily as co-chairs of the COVID taskforce. “It’s second nature for us to include each other on each decision. We have come up with combined strategic goals for our presidencies,” Bernard said. Both the Federation and the Foundation continue to work with various agencies on opportunities to collaborate or consolidate. “Everything’s on

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

the table,” Bernard said. “We’ve made a list of lingering issues in this community that need to be solved,” Bernard added. “We’re going to tackle problems that need to be tackled. We hope by the end of our combined presidency to check off many issues that involve hard decisions.” Another shared priority is “widening the tent,” Lester said, “empowering our contemporaries, as well as young people, to support Federation with their own type of energy and way of expressing their Judaism. “There are countless examples of people who influence the direction of Federation and our Jewish community in wonderful, positive ways through passion and volunteerism as much as through dollars,” Lester added. “ I can tell you, unequivocally, that those people who roll up their sleeves and come to work with a love of the Jewish people and a love of the Jewish community and a passion for our Federation will find themselves in positions of influence and power and steering the ship as much as anybody.” Lester summed it up like this: “We want people to find joy in being Jewish and, in turn, live an enhanced Jewish life. “The way to do that is through meaningful participation in our agencies and those organizations underneath the Federation umbrella that do incredible work on behalf of the Jewish people and on behalf of all mankind.”

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OCTOBER 22 • 2020

JEWSINTHED

Election Day Heroes Poll workers persevere despite COVID, citing safety measures and civic duty. SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ligible voters are being besieged by many sources to plan their November vote — especially since a new state law permits early voting by mail or in person by filling out an absentee ballot at the local clerk’s office. Record turnouts have been forecast with concern about crowded polling places being a health risk during the pandemic. Election officials were concerned that poll workers, who tend to be older adults, might not want to participate this year. However, some individuals and elected officials from the local Jewish community are working hard to

ensure that Election Day and the absentee ballot count go smoothly. The August primary provided a “trial run” and officials in several local communities reported some Debbie difficulty recruitBinder ing sufficient poll workers. Debbie Binder, West Bloomfield Township clerk, said, “We were losing them as fast as we found them.” However, since August, West Bloomfield has recruited 200 workers and hopes to staff two shifts on Election Day and into the night. Individuals who are interest-

ed in working at the polls or processing absentee ballots in West Bloomfield can email electionworker@wbtownship. org. Bloomfield Township, Farmington Hills and Southfield have been able to fill their positions for Nov. 3. This year is the first time that all eligible, registered Michigan voters can request a mail-in ballot without providing a reason for not being able to vote in person. As of the week of Oct. 15, 2.8 million Michigan voters had requested a mail-in ballot according to Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s secretary of state. This means that election officials face the dual challenge of COVID and

a potentially large volume of absentee/mail-in ballots to verify and tabulate. While some poll workers chose not to return this year, probably due to COVID, others were inspired to work for the first time during this particular presidential election. “It sounded like they would need Janice extra people Allweiss because of all of Young the absentee ballots. I want to do my part. This is very important to me,” said Janice Allweiss Young, 66, of Farmington Hills. She expected it to be a volunteer continued on page 19

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

JFS

Fall Fix Up

oin i JJewish i hF Family il Service’s 24th annual Fall Fix Up, when the community serves homebound older adults by preparing their homes for winter. Now, more than ever, it’s important for everyone to be safe at home and prepared for the winter months. For everyone’s protection, this will be an outdoor-only event and COVID precautions are being taken. There are two options to help out. All ages are welcome to head to Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield

Nov. N 8 for drive-through contact-less supply pickup by appointment starting at 9 a.m. Young adults are asked to head to B’nai David Cemetery, 9535 Van Dyke, Detroit, where community service will begin at 10 a.m. Nov. 8. Register for either of these opportunities by Oct. 30 as worksites are pre-assigned. For more information, contact Sarah Strasberger at (248) 592-2267 or sstrasberger@ jfsdetroit.org. If you would like to make a donation to support Fall Fix Up, call (248) 592-2339.

Limmud Goes Virtual on Nov. 1 COVID has transformed Limmud Michigan’s annual conference from a daylong gathering to a pared-down all-Zoom program with 16 sessions. Limmud welcomes everyone from the “Jewish-adjacent” to the Talmud scholar. Limmud 2020 will be Sunday, Nov. 1, starting at 11:30 a.m. Jacob Spike Kraus of Temple Israel will introduce it with a set of songs. Individual 50-minute sessions, on Arts/Culture, Text/ Thought, History, Social Justice, Identity, Israel, Current Events, and Body and Soul, start at noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Special guests include MaNishtana from Brooklyn, N.Y., a nationally known African American Orthodox rabbi, activist and writer; and Renana Ravitsky Pilzer from the Shalom Hartman Institute in New York. Also featured are a panel on Jews of Color led by Detroit Jews for Justice’s Kendra

Watkins; Rabbi Mitch Parker on barely mentioned Bible characters with big stories; Ruth Bergman on the Holocaust in graphic novels; Saeed Khan and David Polsky on distorting religious passages for bigoted use; Howard Lupovitch on white nationalism and how to respond to it; Justin Sledge on the apocalypse in Jewish literature; Rabbi Tamara Kolton on connecting to the power of the feminine divine and more. Register at $18 per person at www.limmudmichigan.org any time until the program starts. Sue Birnholtz is chair of this year’s Limmud. Working with her are Leslie Black, Nicole Caine, Nancy Goldberg, Irv Goldfein, Sandy Lada, Rabbi David Polsky, Rabbi Steven Rubenstein and Mira Sussman. The event is sponsored by the Ravitz Foundation, Barbara and Dr. Ed Klarman, and Sue and Dr. Sandy Birnholtz.

protective equipment and that only one voter out of 194 in August refused to wear a mask. The precinct had a separate area for voters without masks. “I love it. I’ve been a political junkie since college. I feel like I’m doing my civic duty and helping my community. It’s a long day but fulfilling,” she said.

other townships and cities in the county handle their own. County Clerk Lisa Brown said that the county has a highspeed scanner and tabulator and as a result, their tabulation of more than 50,000 absentee ballots was completed early for the August primary. She anticipates an increase in absentee voting in November — perhaps as many as 125,000 absentee ballots. All ballots are checked against the qualified voter file and “nothing touches the internet,” Brown said, both of which strengthen election integrity. A video with tips for voting is available at oakgov.com/ clerkrod/elections/Pages/ default.aspx.

continued from page 18

position, but election workers are paid — generally about $230 for training and Election Day work. “I wanted to do my part to make sure that this is safe and fair. I needed to be part of it. I didn’t want to be passive,” said Nancy Silverman, 69, of Bloomfield Township. She was initially hesitant because of COVID but was reassured by safety precautions at the precinct during the primary. Poll workers were spaced out, given masks and face shields and there was a “sanitation station” along with masks for any voter who didn’t bring one. Pens were wiped off after each use. West Bloomfield has many returning poll workers who consider their efforts to be both enjoyable and worthwhile. Bruce Sitron, 65, of West Bloomfield is an

Election Day chair who has worked the polls for about 15 years. “I enjoy doing it. I’m doing something good — it’s a mitzvah. Voters like to see continuity — they like to see the same people every time,” he explained. During the August primary, Sitron said that there were two voters who refused to wear masks so “we got them in and out as fast as we could.” On Nov. 3, “we’ll be prepared and ready for it as we always are. We’ll be safe,” Sitron said. Mimi Markofsky, 64, of West Bloomfield is also a returning chairperson for the township’s polls. Because of family health issues, she had some concerns about working this year due to COVID. However, Markofsky said that the state, county and township provided extensive

DON’T DELAY MAIL BALLOTS Binder urges absentee/mailin voters not to delay so that there is time for notification if there is a problem with the signature on their ballot envelope. A considerable number of absentee ballots in the primary election lacked signatures or had other issues. Oakland County will provide absentee voter tabulation for 16 local municipalities;

For information about where and how to vote, visit mi.gov/vote or call the clerk for your city or township.

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

JEWSINTHED

A Vote for the R

COURTESY OF JSL

achel Fox is, to say the least, a very experienced member of the electorate. With her absentee ballot already mailed in, she can now say that since she was 21 years old, she has voted for president 23 times. No, she didn’t fraudulently vote more than once for the same candidate. The fact is, when you’re over 105 years old, you get a lot of opportunities to cast your vote. Rachel was born on June 11, 1915, five years prior to women having the right to vote and three years prior to the first pandemic of her lifetime. Unfortunately, some Black women would have to wait another 50 years for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to secure their rightful place in the voting booth. When I spoke to Rachel on the phone a few days ago, I learned that she’s participated in every election since she voted in 1936 to re-elect FDR to a second term. My brain is not very big, but I’m still having trouble wrapping that fact around it.

Rachel Fox

ALAN MUSKOVITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For Rachel, the current voting process actually began months ago, pre-coronavirus, when Debbie Binder, West Bloomfield Township Clerk, paid a visit to Jewish Senior Life (JSL) residents on the Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus. “I routinely visited our senior housing facilities to ensure residents were registered and/or had the opportunity to complete their absentee voter applications,” Binder said. “Our goal is to enable access to the ballot for all of our residents, and we will do whatever is permissible in adherence to state and federal election law to ensure our residents have access to free and fair elections. That includes curbside service to seniors who are able to secure a ride to Town Hall.” [Call the West Bloomfield Clerk’s office for more information: (248) 451-4848.] Rachel, who lives in the Fleischman Residence, took advantage of signing up for a ballot, and the rest is presidential election history. By the way, the 105-year old told me she does more than just exercise her right to vote — she literally still exercises in the comfort of her own apartment. She takes advantage of Touchtown, an exclusive in-house program offered to residents throughout JSL communities to stay connected, especially during these difficult times. CENTENARIAN VOTES Rachel Fox is not JSL’s only civic-minded centenarian. The day I spoke with Meer resident Jean Becker, she was waiting for a driver to take her to the West Bloomfield Township Hall to drop off her ballot in person. Born on April 29, 1920, she was a 100-year-old on her way to cast her vote at the West Bloomfield Clerk’s office over 100 years after the 19th Amendment was rati-

COURTESY OF JSL

Ages

JSL, JFS and West Bloomﬁeld Clerk’s office offer support to senior voters.

Jean Becker

fied. Incredible. Jean is a firecracker of a personality. She is always dressed to the nines and it turns out, like Rachel Fox, exercising her right to vote is not her only exercise regimen. Jean recently resumed her Monday through Friday routine of being dropped off at the Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield to walk for an hour and a half. Jean did offer some comforting words when I asked her what it was like at 100 years old to be voting in what is arguably the most contentious and divisive election in our nation’s history. “We have to accept what we get,” she said of the outcome of the election. “Unless you want to be miserable, and you want to go off the deep end. I mean, we will have to get along with that, there’s nothing else we can do.” Sage advice. But what would you expect from a woman with 100 years of life experience? Seniors at all JSL residences, on both their West Bloomfield and Oak Park continued on page 21

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Nobel Prize Winner Jewish economist with Detroit roots wins for his work on auction theory. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

aul Milgrom, a Jewish economist born and raised in Detroit, is one of two men to win the 2020 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for “improvements to auction theory and inventions of new auction formats.” Milgrom, who has been the Shirley and Leonard Ely Jr. Professor of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University since 1987, jointly received the honor along with Robert B. Wilson, an emeritus professor at Stanford. Wilson was originally Milgrom’s thesis adviser and eventually became his collaborator.

Milgrom’s primary research has consisted of studying how auctions work and using that to design new auction formats for goods and services that are “difficult to sell in a traditional way,” such as radio frequencies, according to the Prize Committee. Milgrom and Wilson famously designed the auction protocol the Federal Communications Commission uses to determine which phone company gets what cellular frequencies. “Milgrom formulated a more general theory of auctions that not only allows common values, but also private values

Paul Milgrom

that vary from bidder to bidder,” the Nobel committee said in the release, “demonstrating that a format will give the seller higher expected revenue when bidders learn more about each other’s estimated values during bidding.” Milgrom was born in Detroit in April 1948, had his bar mitzvah in March 1961 at Congregation Beth Yehudah and graduated from Oak Park High School.

The Jewish News archives indicate that in 1965, Milgrom graduated from United Hebrew Schools High School in Detroit. That same year, he received a youth award from the Women’s Auxiliary of United Hebrew Schools. Milgrom was also a United Synagogue Youth (USY) freshman adviser at B’nai Moshe in 1966. In 1970, Milgrom graduated from the University of Michigan with an A.B. in mathematics, and received both his M.S. in statistics in 1978 and his Ph.D. in business in 1979 from Stanford University. The prize amount is 10 million Swedish Kronor (about $1.1 million) and will be shared equally between the laureates.

continued from page 20

campuses, have received tremendous support from their building administrators when it comes to safe and timely voting. “We have a lot of civic-minded residents, and we send a lot of letters,” says Tracey Proghovnick, director of residential marketing for Jewish Senior Life. The letters remind residents they should have received their absentee ballot by Oct. 16, that there are strict rules to adhere to about who can handle their ballot, that no postage is necessary to mail your ballot back, and that shuttles will be made available for those residents who want to deliver their ballots in person. “We also have something called ‘Voice Friend,’” said Tracey, “a phone call system where we can inform residents and families via voicemail about things going on at JSL, and voting is a topic.” Residents

“WE HAVE A LOT OF CIVIC-MINDED RESIDENTS.” — TRACEY PROGHOVNICK OF JEWISH SENIOR LIFE are always encouraged to call their building’s administrators or their clerk’s office with any election-related questions. JFS OFFERS RIDES Jewish Family Service (JFS) is also offering support. To that end, JFS is offering free rides to Oakland County residents to drop off their absentee ballots at designated drop-off points prior to Election Day. Rides are subject to availability. Call JFS at (248) 592-2266 for further details. Helping their residents legally vote is, of course, only one of many challenges senior communities have had to face during the coronavirus crisis.

There’s also the ever-evolving effort needed to maneuver around recent Michigan Supreme Court rulings invalidating Gov. Whitmer’s COVID19 executive orders protecting residents and staff. On the heels of that, there are new, recently issued regulations by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to help shore up the holes in regulations left by those rulings. Understanding all of that in this tumultuous election year has to be like trying to navigate around bumper cars in a carnival ride — absent the same level of fun. Rachel Fox is fully aware of the drama surrounding this

year’s election. “People are so confused,” she told me. “They don’t know where to turn.” Fortunately, at 105 years old she has remained patriotic and not apathetic as evidenced by her casting a vote in her 23rd presidential election, an effort West Bloomfield Township Clerk Debbie Binder never takes for granted. “Our seniors are critical in modeling the importance of voting to the next generations,” said Debbie. “They truly understand the value of their voice.” That sentiment was further reinforced just prior to my submitting this column. That’s when I received confirmation that Rachel’s 100-year old brother Max Elkin, of Minneapolis, who still drives, had mailed in his absentee ballot, too. Need any further incentive to do your civic duty? Vote. Now. OCTOBER 22 • 2020

TEMPLE BETH EL

Young people gather at Temple Beth El.

Religious Schools Confront COVID Congregations adapt to the pandemic to ensure young people can grow and thrive Jewishly. BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

rive-in Havdalah. Programs in the park and on driveways. Teaching in tents. Camp-style learning in an actual camp. Detroit’s religious school educators are pulling out the stops on creativity to engage their students in the age of COVID. While several have opted for all-virtual programming, others took advantage of Michigan’s mild autumn weather by holding classes and other educational programs outdoors as long as they could. Congregation Shir Tikvah in Troy has gone primarily online but kicked off its school year with an in-person, drive-in-style

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

Havdalah program with camp crafts and songs. The program also gave the community a good opportunity to meet their new rabbi, Alicia Harris, in person. Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield used its spacious outdoor William Saulson Pavilion for several pop-up programs, with participants appropriately distanced. Temple Israel in West Bloomfield put up a large tent over the summer and planned to use it through October. “Students and parents were thrilled that we were offering safe options to be together in person, and everyone was so happy to see one another,” said

Bailey Columbus and Josephine Frank at an outdoor Shir Shalom program.

SHIR SHALOM

Liam and Alice Moser attend an online Yachad program.

YACHAD

JEWSINTHED

Rabbi Arianna Gordon, director of education and lifelong learning. In the JEMS (Jewish Education Matters) program at The Shul in West Bloomfield, instructors visited pods of children on their home driveways, with lessons that engaged the whole family. Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield was one of several schools that offered families a choice of in-person and online programs. For the in-person programs, they used the fields and shelters at the Jewish Community Center day camp. “A number of years ago, we moved to a camp-style model of programming. Walking down the gravel road at the JCC has made our program feel even more like being at camp,” said

a tent. Students can choose to enroll in both tracks. “The in-person programs have been more popular, especially since so many of our students began the year doing their secular schooling exclusively online,” said Deborah Morosohk, director of education. More than a few have chosen to do both the virtual and in-person programs. Like public and private schools, religious schools had to scramble when COVID shut down all but the most essential services in the state in midMarch. Administrators and faculty started planning then for what they would do this year. Yachad, the joint school for Congregation Beth Shalom and Temple Emanu-El, both in Oak Park, decided to delay the start of the school year so that

“STUDENTS AND PARENTS WERE THRILLED THAT WE WERE OFFERING SAFE OPTIONS TO BE TOGETHER IN PERSON.” — TEMPLE ISRAEL RABBI ARIANNA GORDON Rabbi Daniel A. Schwartz, who expects the outdoor programming to continue until Thanksgiving and then start up again in early March. Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township offered families a choice of weekly online sessions or a series of six in-person workshops held outdoors under

families could settle into their new secular school routines. The school offers two options, one with Zoom classes and one where students learn in small pods, said Abi Taylor-Abt, educator rabbi. Melissa Ser, director of education at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, said she

sessions online. Saturday morning classes at the synagogue have been canceled for now. Schools have been helped by the Hermelin Davidson Center for Congregation Excellence, which set aside $100,000 to help congregational schools adapt to the new COVID reality. The center paid for all members of the Metro Detroit Board of Jewish Educators to attend the month-long virtual NewCAJE conference for Jewish educators over the summer. The Hermelin Davidson Center also awarded technology grants of up to $550 per congregational classroom to help schools cover the cost of computers, software, subscriptions and learning platform memberships, said Brian Rothenberg, director of planning and agency relations for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Professional development for religious school educators this

SHIR SHALOM

started working with her faculty in mid-June to develop best practices for online teaching. Administrators opted for online-only classes after realizing their students came from more than 50 different schools, making the potential for community spread by meeting in person just too high. Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield started planning in spring and initially developed a hybrid program, with learning online on Wednesdays and in person on Sundays. “In light of changes with COVID numbers and decisions by local school districts, we then chose to be totally online,” said Gail Greenberg, director of lifelong learning. Greenberg is also educator director at Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield, which is continuing its program of individualized learning for students and their families, with all

The Black family, Nickole, Liam, Mollie and Dr. Evan Black, attend a Sunday Tailgate Tefillah service at Shir Shalom.

year has focused on technology, especially getting teachers familiar with new platforms and apps. “An educator cannot simply teach how they taught last year, just on Zoom,” said Lisa Soble Siegmann, senior director of development, innovation, collaboration and education at the Jewish Community Center. Curricula, whether in person or online, are flexible, with students, and often their families as well, having choices about subjects ranging from prayer and holiday observance to Jewish history, Jewish values, social justice and community service,

Israel, art, music and more. Several of the schools, including Shaarey Zedek, Shir Shalom, Temple Israel and Yachad, offer one-on-one instruction, especially in Hebrew language, in addition to group programs. Overall enrollment has slipped a bit since last year, but many schools reported new registrations well into October. “Pandemic or not, our children still need to learn, grow and thrive Jewishly. Pandemic or not, directors and educators have learned how to pivot to meet the needs of their students,” Siegmann said.

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OCTOBER 22 • 2020

UTILISATEUR BOOTBEARDBC DE FLICKR

JEWSINTHED

National Socialists at the nation’s capital in 2008

the

How Are People Taught to Hate? “Poisonous pedagogy,” one doctor says. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

hen JN Editor Andrew Lapin wrote about neo-Nazis as part of the JN’s Antisemitism Project, Dr. Gerald Katzman reached out to share his findings regarding what can happen in a child’s development that might lead someone down a path of hate. Katzman, of Farmington Hills, believes the answer may lie in “poisonous pedagogy,” a term that originates from Swiss psychologist Alice Miller in her book For Your Own Good. The term refers to an authoritarian upbringing that sets the stage for malevolence later in life. Katzman has been a clinical associate professor at Wayne State University School of Medicine in the Department

of Pediatrics since 1986. He is retired from clinical practice, but still occasionally lectures to medical students. His interest in human relations programs for children in the 1980s evolved into a concerted effort to understand the ways children are taught to hate and how such indoctrinations can be prevented. He has published several papers in peerreviewed journals over a 15-year period starting in 2005. Although manipulative and violent parenting, potentially including corporal punishment, can be a factor in poisonous pedagogy, they are not the sole factors, Katzman says. His findings indicate while most practitioners of hate

AntiSemitism

come from difficult or outright abusive family backgrounds, others do not. In these latter cases, research finds that a lack of coaching on good behavior, combined with an authoritarian culture and repressed emotions, can steer otherwise well-adjusted children on a pathway to hate. “They’re susceptible to indoctrination because they haven’t gotten coaching on what good behavior is, and they haven’t gotten any secondary gain from doing good things for other people,” he says. Katzman says it is genuinely possible for an individual to turn from hate because of the brain’s neuroplasticity, the ability of the neural networks in the brain to change over time. Unfortunately, once indoctrinated, only a tiny minority of those filled with hate are able to turn it around in that way, Katzman says. According to Katzman, the majority those who go down the path of hate

Project suffered abusive or neglectful upbringings — or were raised in authoritarian cultures like Nazi Germany. Those cultures repeatedly push narratives that promote militancy and dehumanization of other groups and provide opportunity for violent expression of repressed emotions. “It begins with abuse or neglect in the early years followed by the internalization of false narratives,” Katzman says. “These false narratives provide the target onto which the repressed emotions are projected and subsequently violently expressed. Because of the abusive upbringing and the fact that the kids were just trying to survive and get to the next day, there was very little chance of them developing emotional empathy, and if you can’t continued on page 25

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

Trump, Biden Appear at Beth Yehudah Virtual Dinner Netanyahu, the scheduled featured guest, was absent from the event.

SCREENSHOTS

Dr. Gerald Katzman

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER continued from page 24

feel the pain of somebody else, there’s very little hesitation to commit any sort of atrocity.” Katzman says that the fear and anger children endure because of maltreatment causes them to repress their emotions. “That fear and anger sits as a time bomb that is often ignited at a later time,” Katzman said. To avoid this perfect storm for hate and violence, attentive and responsible parenting is crucial, Katzman says. He suggests that early literacy, daily readings with stories that have morals, and role models in schools, religious institutions and community would contribute further to a child’s character development. Katzman recommends non-abusive methods of discipline, such as “time outs.” “The hopeful result of this sequence of events is a significant capacity for emotional empathy,” Katzman says. “Promoting healthy child development is work that involves parents, peers and community. There is much that all of us can do to facilitate the process by making sure that support and resources are available to all children.”

resident Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden made surprise back-to-back appearances Sunday, Oct. 18, at “An Evening of Unity,” the annual fundraiser event for Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Oak Park. The two presidential nominees were the highest-profile guests at the star-studded event, held virtually this year due to the pandemic. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had been advertised as the featured guest, did not appear. A brief message during the event said Netanyahu’s absence was “due to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances.” Rabbi Shragie Myers, the executive director of the Yeshiva, could not be reached for comment. In brief recorded speeches, Trump and Biden both delivered greetings to the school. Trump listed his administration’s accomplishments in Israel, including pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, opening the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem and the Abraham Accords. “I wish you a safe and successful evening of unity all in support of our children and their education,” Trump said. Biden, who had also been a featured guest at the dinner in 2011, noted how different the current situation was. “A lot has changed since we were last together, but we remain united in our appreciation for this extraordinary institution and the students it serves,” he

said in his video. Biden also mentioned the work that needs to be done to stop the rise of antisemitism. The Yeshiva Dinner historically pays tribute to the 106-year-old educational institution, gathering thousands of guests and local and national luminaries to address Jewish Detroit. Additional speakers this year included Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters; Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan; the Reverend Dr. Wendell Anthony, president of NAACP Detroit; JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon; and Gary Torgow, chairman of TCF Bank and president of YBY. This year’s dinner was free to “attend.” Groups including The ArabAmerican News and IfNotNow Detroit had criticized the event for advertising Netanyahu as the guest while promoting “An Evening of Unity” as its theme. “We are outraged that any community organization would honor Netanyahu,” an unsigned Arab-American editorial said. “There is nothing about him that screams ‘unity.’” In her speech, Whitmer praised YBY for its kosher meals program. “I’m grateful that you’ve helped provide hundreds of thousands of meals during the COVID-19 pandemic for kids in your area,” Whitmer said. “Your gathering in celebration of unity

President Donald Trump

Vice President Joe Biden

only serves to strengthen the message that you’ve lived out for years.” Yeshiva Beth Yehudah is the largest Jewish school system in Michigan, providing a Torahbased education to more than 1,000 students from pre-K through grade 12. The school has offered in-person classes during the pandemic. Yousef Al Otaiba, the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the U.S., made an appearance to comment on the signing of the Abraham Accords. “Two countries who weren’t talking to each other are now talking to each other,” he said. “I know Emiratis are very excited to learn about Israel and get to visit, and I hope Israelis are equally as excited about getting to know us.” Steve Steinour, president, chairman and CEO of Huntington Bank, received the Outstanding Leadership Award at the virtual event. The event ended with an announcement promoting next year’s annual YBY dinner, in person, on Oct. 24, 2021. OCTOBER 22 • 2020

Teen Baker

Eliana Schreiber and her cakes.

Cake

takes the

High schooler creates fancy bakery business while stuck at home. BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ooking for something fun to do during the lockdown, Eliana Schreiber thought she’d bake a cake for her family. Then she thought she’d decorate it. Several creations later, her family convinced her this could be more than a hobby, and Eliana’s Cakery was born. Eliana, 17, of Huntington Woods, a senior at Berkley High School, said she’s self-taught as a baker, though she picked up lots of ideas and tips from blogs and YouTube. She sold her first cake to a family member, and when family and friends started sharing photos of her creations on Facebook and Instagram, orders started rolling in. Over the summer she made four to seven cakes a week, which she sold for $30 to $60 depending on size and decoration. “Eliana has always been creative and artistic from a very young age,” said her mother, Lynne Golodner, who owns Your People, LLC, a marketing and public relations firm. Eliana’s father, Avy Schreiber, a singer and band leader, lives in Southfield.

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

When she was 10, Eliana entered the Huntington Woods Independence Day baking contest. “It was her first baking contest ever, and she made chocolate cake pops with white chocolate coating and red and blue sprinkles,” said Golodner. Her entry won not only the children’s contest but the overall contest as well. “That’s just Eliana,” said her mom. “Whatever she does, it’s 110 percent, and for her, it’s effortless. When I exclaim over the beauty and deliciousness of her cakes, she usually says something like, ‘It’s not hard, Mom.’ It’s not hard for her. She has an eye and a sense about what flavors go together, and the patience to create artistic designs that elevate the entire experience.” Eliana’s favorite subject is math, and now that COVID-19 has limited extracurricular activities, she misses participating in HOSA, Health Occupations Students of America. Since school started, she quit her summer job at an ice cream shop, where she worked 20 hours a week, and started babysitting 10 hours a week. Eliana makes all her cakes “from scratch,”

using recipes she finds online. Her favorite is her basic chocolate cake, which is, she says, super-moist and rich. In the decorating department, the hardest thing for her to learn was lettering, which she says she’s still working on. Golodner says Eliana started baking late at night, probably as a distraction during the COVID lockdown. She shared her creations with her mom, stepdad Dan Golodner, and siblings Shaya Schrieber, 14, Grace Golodner, 17, and Asher Schreiber, 18. “We’d wake up in the morning and come down to beautiful and delectable cakes,” she said. “I posted pictures on social media and people started suggesting that she start a business. She has built quite a following. It’s gotten to the point where she sometimes has to turn away orders because she’s so busy.” Customers should order at least a week before the desired delivery date. Eliana can be reached through her Facebook page, Eliana’s Cakery, or by phone or text to (248)-977-6481.

COURTESY OF LYNNE GOLO DNER

JEWSINTHED

Rabbis Revise COVID Rules JN STAFF

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS

he Michigan Board of Rabbis (MBOR) has revised its policies regarding funerals and simchahs based on the ever-evolving pandemic conditions, the change in season and updated guidance from state authorities. Excluding clergy and staff, attendance shall not exceed 36 people in communal spaces that hold more than 150 people — an increase from MBOR’s previous guidelines of 25 people. Also excluding clergy and staff, attendance shall not exceed 18 people in smaller communal spaces. Regarding funerals, MBOR President Rabbi Daniel Schwartz of Temple Shir Shalom said the board wanted to provide this indoor option for bitterly cold weather. Outside services and events are still preferred. But under certain guidelines backed up by medical advice, congregations are able to offer both indoor and outdoor ceremonies. Everyone present must wear a face covering at all times, except while speaking/leading the ceremony. Social distancing guidelines will be followed, including at least 6 ft. between attendees and at least 20 ft. from a leader to the closest attendee. Contact tracing, temperature/symptom checks, sanitation stations and limited access to restrooms are all recommended. It’s preferred that the length of time inside buildings is limited and that windows be kept open to increase ventilation. Greeting lines and the handing out of books will not be allowed. Since Aug. 1, synagogues affiliated with MBOR began offering private, in-person simchahs (weddings, baby namings, b’nai mitzvah) with specific guidelines.

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OCTOBER 22 • 2020

FACES&PLACES

Senior Assembly Farber students build a successful Sukkot fundraiser. SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ith a few safety-guideline modifications, seniors at Farber Hebrew Day School –Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield grabbed their tools, umbrellas and masks and forged ahead with the class’s annual sukkah-building fundraiser. Eighteen classmates hammered, measured, carried and lifted supplies to construct 38 sukkahs, many of them amidst a nearly October downpour. Organized by 17-year-old Lev Ershler of West Bloomfield and Joseph Korman, 18, of Southfield, the group built sukkahs ranging from canvas to wood and

free-standing to those anchored to the sides of area houses. “Because of COVID social distancing restrictions this year, the senior class had to be creative with how we built the sukkahs,” Ershler said. “Each person would be assigned a different part of the sukkah and was responsible for that part unless someone else needed help with theirs. We often used either wooden planks or metal poles to keep distance between each other.” Following the end of the holiday, the students returned to the sites of their pre-Sukkot construction under clear skies, for part two of the fundraiser: take down.

TOP LEFT: Sima Stein, 17, of Southfield, colorfully blends right into the space where a sukkah is being built. TOP RIGHT: Joseph Korman, 18, and Dani Lerman, 17, both of Southfield, look on as Shira Schon, 17, of West Bloomfield/ Huntington Woods and Sima Stein of Southfield, both 17, do some DIY sukkah-space measuring.

ABOVE: Cara Lopatin of Huntington Woods, Joe Kornblum of Southfield and Cobi Smith of Southfield, all 17, in front of their newly constructed sukkah.

NCJW Honors RBG

LEFT: NCJW State Policy Adviser Irma Glazer said, “I can't fill RBG’s shoes, but I can wear her socks.” RIGHT: NCJW Chair Suzanne Simon welcomes Mayor Ken Siver.

Participants walk around the courthouse in honor of RBG.

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

ELLIE SLOVIS

LEFT: Sandy Collins and Maxine Sherman at the walk. RIGHT: Randi Levin wears a mask decorated with RBG’s famous collar.

n many Jewish communities, there is a custom that at the end of the shivah period (the seven-day period of initial mourning following burial), mourners take a walk around the block to symbolically mark the end of an intensely inward time and a return to the world. Oct. 2 marked this symbolic ritual shift in mourning for the first Jewish woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. To honor her memory and her legacy, National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW|MI) joined with others to symbolically walk back into a world that

demands a fair and impartial judiciary. NCJW|MI walked — in silence holding banners — to honor a justice who worked tirelessly for women’s rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights and for justice, freedom and equality for all. The socially distanced walk took place behind the Southfield 46th District Court and included Southfield Mayor Ken Siver; Sue Simon of Courts Matter Michigan, a nonpartisan coalition of organizations working for a qualified, fair and independent Federal judiciary; and Amy Cutler, president of NCJW|MI.

SPORTS QUICK HITS

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

There wasn’t a Howard Weingarten Memorial Baseball Outing this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but three awards were presented in his honor. Three players from the Detroit PAL Diamond Sports Program’s Tiny Tigers program for youngsters ages 4-8 received Howard Weingarten Memorial Awards for leadership, teamwork and responsibility. The award winners were selected by coaches. The awards presentation were presented Oct. 15 on Zoom and included a video made by PAL of the Tiny Tigers program. “The video was adorable and touching,” said Deby Lebow, Weingarten’s longtime significant other, who organized the inaugural outing last year. She said the awards will be presented annually. Lebow and Robert Jamerson, Detroit PAL’s CEO, spoke during the awards cer-

Howard Weingarten

emony. “We wanted people to see how their donations last year in Howard’s honor benefited the Tiny Tigers program,” Lebow said. The inaugural outing was held Aug. 31, 2019, at The Corner Ballpark, former site of Tiger Stadium. Donations can be sent to Detroit PAL-Howard Weingarten Memorial, 1680 Michigan Ave., Detroit, MI 48216, or made online at detroitpal,org/givenow/, adding “Howard Weingarten Memorial” in the comments section. Weingarten, a West Bloomfield resident and Detroit Tigers fan, died in a car accident in late 2018 at age 65.

School, University of It’s been a busy few Michigan and Detroit weeks for Mike Stone. Lions football player Jon He won the Michigan Jewish Sports Jansen is Stone’s new Foundation’s raffle for a radio partner on the trip to the 2021 Masters Mike Stone “Stoney and Jansen with golf tournament, and Heather (Park)” show he got a new partner for his from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on sports talk radio show on 97.1 The Ticket. Jamie Samuelsen, Stone’s former radio show The Ticket. partner and longtime close “I didn’t watch the raffle friend, died of colon cancer drawing online. I was floored Aug. 1 at age 48. and thrilled when I found out “Nobody can replace Jamie I won,” he said. “I’ve covered on the show, but I’m excited to a lot of sports events in my work with Jon,” Stone said. “He career, but I’ve never been offers a different perspective to the Masters. If fans are than I can because he’s played allowed, I will definitely be sports at the highest level.” there.” Stone and Samuelsen did the Stone said he enters the “Jamie and Stoney Show” for Masters raffle each year. He’s a foundation board member. four years on The Ticket. Former Clawson High

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MOMENTS MAZEL TOV! Riley Ian Agrest will lead the congregation in prayer on the occasion of his bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. He will be joined in celebration by his proud parents, Sandra and Kevin Agrest, and brothers Gabriel and Grayson. Riley is the loving grandchild of Maria and Michael Kallen, Irene and Marty Agrest, and the late Gary Greenfield. Riley attends Clifford Smart Middle School in Commerce Township. As part of his most meaningful mitzvah project, he raised funds to donate to No Kid Hungry, which supports kids who lost their access to school lunches due to school closures from the coronavirus. Joshua Levi Greenblatt (Simcha Nissan), together with his parents, Susan and Phillip Greenblatt, was called to the Torah to become a bar mitzvah Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, in a Zoom service officiated

by Adat Shalom Synagogue clergy. Proud best friend is his big brother Jonah, who joyfully celebrated the occasion. Ecstatic bubbie and papa are Elaine and Harvey Aidem.Â Joshua attends Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. As part of his favorite mitzvah project, he hand-made individual birthday cards for residents who live at Jewish Senior Life to brighten the special day. Ruby Claire Harwin (Chava Rachel), daughter of Elisa Zabel and Marc Harwin, became a bat mitzvah, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, at Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield. She was joined in celebration by her big sister Lillian, grandparents Rochelle and Jerry Zabel, and Larry Harwin. Ruby is also the granddaughter of the late Maxine Harwin. Ruby is a seventh-grader at Walnut Creek Middle School in West Bloomfield. For her most meaningful mitzvah project, she will be

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donating a portion of her gifts to the Multiple System Atrophy Coalition in memory of her grandmother. Jack Seth Soble (Yaakov Shet) of Bloomfield Hills will become a bar mitzvah at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. Participating in the ceremony will be proud parents, Jennifer and Ryan Soble, and sister Charlotte Soble. Proud grandparents are Karen and Allen Amber of Bloomfield Hills and Doree Soble of West Bloomfield. He is also the grandson of the late Kenneth Soble. Jack is a student at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. He volunteered at JARC and

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Cole Tyler Warren, son of Eileen and Gregg Warren, will chant from the Torah on the occasion of his bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020. He will be joined in celebration by his siblings Ryan and Olivia. He is the loving grandchild of Muriel and the late Richard Warren, Martha Montiel and the late Rafael Montiel. Cole is a student at West Hills Middle School in Bloomfield Hills. For his most meaningful mitzvah project, he enjoyed giving his time helping at Temple Israelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Free Fresh Food Pantry. Â

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

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SPIRIT TORAH PORTION

Why Canaan?

he name Canaan but never really arrived. appears for the first At the opening of the next time in this story of the Torah portion, God appears degradation of Noah. to Abram, commanding him Canaan was not one of to “go away from your land, his sons, but his grandson, a your relatives and your father’s son of Ham. The truth is that house [in Haran] to the land mentioning Canaan that I will show you [the here seems totally out Land of Canaan].” of place and superfluThe Ramban suggests ous. Noah becomes that in mentioning drunk; his son Ham Canaan, the Bible is does nothing to hide setting the stage for an Rabbi his father’s shame but Abrahamic takeover Shlomo serves as talebearer, of the Canaan, soon Riskin reporting his father’s to become the Land of nakedness to his brothAbraham — Israel. Parshat Noach: ers outside. Shem and Canaan is pictured as Genesis 6:9- a special location, with Japheth cover their 11:32; Isaiah specific ethical requirefather to protect their 54:1-55:5. father’s honor. Ham is ments. Only those who the villain; Shem and truly aspire to ethical Japheth are the heroes. Why monotheism will be worthy of mention Canaan? making Canaan (Israel) their More to the point, Canaan eternal homeland. Canaan, the is a super-charged name; grandson of Noah, forfeited after all, the Land of Canaan his right because, instead of is the Land of Israel, which following in his grandfather’s will ultimately be taken over paths of righteousness, he by Abraham and his progeny, chose to destroy his granddescendants of Shem. There father’s ability to pass these must be a special significance values on to succeeding to the mention of Canaan pre- generations. (Commentators cisely at this biblical juncture, suggest Canaan castrated his just before the text records the grandfather.) Abraham, unlike descendants of Noah and the Noah, succeeded in parenting nations they generate. a grandson — Jacob-Israel — In order to further underdedicated to righteousness. stand the biblical text and its Herein may well be a significance today, we must warning: The descendants of take a look at the next time Abraham will be privileged to the Land of Canaan appears live in Israel only for as long as in the Bible, right at the end they subscribe to such an ethof our Torah portion: “And ical lifestyle. Their return will Terah took his son Abram … always be dependent on the and they departed with them ethical quality of the daily lives … to set out for the Land of they lead. Canaan; they arrived at Haran and settled there.” It is curious that the text Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is chancellor tells us Abram’s father meant of Ohr Torah Stone and chief rabbi of to go to the Land of Canaan Efrat, Israel.

DETROIT MAGEN DAVID CELEBRATES ADOM Thank You! To our generous sponsors for making this event so special and supporting the heroic lifesaving work of MDA’s EMTs and paramedics! LIFESAVER Frankel Health and Research Foundation Karp Family Foundation HERO Nancy and Jim Grosfeld Nina and Bernie Kent Shelly and Jody Mendelson Drs. Margo and Doug Woll PARAMEDIC Lori and Steven Weisberg DISPATCHER Arie and Karolyn LeibovitzˏȖ Family Benard L. Maas Foundation Bruce H. & Rosalie N. Rosen Family Foundation Rosalind Sell EMT Dr. Allan Chernick Dr. Elon Granader Sue and Alan Jay Kaufman Sharon and Ernest (z”l) Klein Betsy and Dr. David Madorsky Soozan and Todd Mendel FIRST RESPONDER Beaumont Health Esther and William Icikson Penny and Harold Blumenstein Shari and Alon Kaufman Brodsky Charitable Foundation Jackie and Larry Kraft Helen Brown Lisa and Hannan Lis Cheryl and Alex Goldis Anita and Bob Naftaly David Grossman Dorothy and Dr. Hershel Sandberg Rose and David Handleman Fran and Phil Wolok Amy Helman *As of October 14th

CO-CHAIRS Judy Grant and Dr. Margo Woll HONORARY CO-CHAIRS Lori and Steven Weisberg

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OCTOBER 22 • 2020

ARTS&LIFE MUSIC

DETAILS

Alexandra Silber

Alexandra Silber will discuss “A Creative Life: Finding Meaning in Theater” at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6. $10. For reservations, go to soarcontact@gmail.com or call (248) 626-0296.

Meet singer Alexandra Silber in upcoming SOAR program. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

f you want to watch Michigan-raised Alexandra Silber perform musical numbers, turn to YouTube, but if you want to learn about her experiences on and off prestigious stages, turn to a digital program offered by the Society of Active Retirees (SOAR) — “A Creative Life: Finding Meaning in Theater.” Silber, who also has written both a novel and memoir, invites viewers into her home at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, for an informal conversation. “I’ll take any questions and

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

discuss the role of artists in the world — and, of course, our brand-new world — which I think is a very important part of interpreting life’s meaning,” said Silber, who lives in New York City. She has appeared with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and for Cabaret 313. “I’m excited to present for SOAR and especially for [participants] Elaine and Barry Yaker, who were friends of my deceased father, Michael,” she said. “It feels like a way to connect to a part of him I didn’t know.

MICHAEL KUSHNER

Creative Discussion

“They were friends before I was born ... Even though I’m an adult, I think there’s a constant awe all children have of their parents as people before them.” Silber, 37, who grew up in Birmingham and graduated from Groves High School, had some stage training at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit and studied theater at Interlochen Center for the Arts. She earned a degree in acting from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, and her theater work includes Carousel on a London stage and Master Class on Broadway. Even amid the pandemic, she has managed live performances while adhering to health guidelines — a Rodgers and Hammerstein summer concert for the Barrington Stage in Massachusetts and a wider musical program for the Kimberly Hotel in New York. “The hotel has balconies outside their rooms,” she described as the setting. “They asked me to sing live on a balcony while people three stories below me ate dinner. “For the first time in many months, I could make music in New York City, and it was magical.” Silber has come to feel more comfortable with digital commitments. She and her partner, Alec Silver, also a stage per-

former, are spending most of their work time teaching. She focuses on professional coaching and mentoring. CORE VALUES “Hopefully, this SOAR presentation will reveal that I’m a person who, in all areas of my life including my artistic self, endeavors to live by my core values, which are courage, integrity and service,” said Silber. “I try to do things that scare me or do the right thing when it’s scary or challenging, which is how I define courage.” Silber has demonstrated her values with her book White Hot Grief Parade, which describes her experiences in coping with her father’s death when she was 18. Her other book, After Anatevka, imagines what happens to Fiddler on the Roof characters after the end of the musical in which she has appeared. Talking about getting through the difficulties brought about by the pandemic, Silber refers to some positive experiences — quiet intervals for reading and an appreciation of the outdoors. She’s currently reading This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared: The Days of Awe as a Journey of Transformation by Rabbi Alan Lew. The ideas implicit in celebrating Chanukah give Silber inspiration. “Chanukah has been one of my favorite holidays for the metaphoric reason that it’s based on the story of fuel running out,” she explained. “I take it to mean that during the times in our lives that seem completely empty, when we don’t feel we have any literal or spiritual fuel left, we can take a leap of faith and continue on for one more minute, hour or day. We discover that the fuel is there.”

COURTESY OF AMAZON PUBLISHING

ARTS&LIFE BOOKS

Dr. Ruth

Sex & Judaism Dr. Ruth tackles how the Jewish tradition approaches sexuality. HOWARD LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

D “NEVER, IN THE JEWISH TRADITION, IS THERE ANYTHING PROHIBITING SEX IN ANY POSITION.” — DR. RUTH

r. Ruth Westheimer is one of only a few writers of any faith whose name universally evokes smiles. What may not be as well publicized is the sex therapist’s grounding in Judaism. In fact, with all her talk about sex, she says there is nothing in what she has written or said that contradicts the Bible. She presents her case in the new paperback edition of Heavenly Sex: Sexuality and the Jewish Tradition (NYU Press, Nov. 3, 2020), cowritten by Jonathan Mark, associate editor at the Jewish Week. I recently interviewed Dr. Ruth to see how the 92-year-old therapist is doing and to talk about sex and Judaism.

YOU WERE A HOLOCAUST ORPHAN AND WERE WOUNDED WHEN YOU WERE A SNIPER FOR THE ISRAELI ARMY. DO YOU THINK YOU, OR YOUR GENERATION, WHICH LIVED THROUGH SO MANY HORRIBLE THINGS EARLY IN LIFE, MADE YOU APPRECIATE LIFE, AND SEX, A LITTLE MORE? RW: Definitely, in my case, the appreciation of life is no question. But I’ll tell you also, since I’m one of the few children that did survive — one-and-a-half million Jewish children were killed — I knew I had an obligation to make something out of my life. But I did not know that it would be talking about sex. That, I did not know. LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX AND THE BIBLE. THERE’S A LOT OF IT GOING ON, AND NOT ALL OF IT BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE. WHY DO YOU THINK THE BIBLE, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO

CONTAIN MANY LESSONS FOR HOW TO LIVE OUR LIVES, IS SO FILLED WITH SEXUAL ELEMENTS? RW: Because sex is an important part. You and I would not be in this world without sex. However, you are absolutely right. For example, the Book of Ruth talks about how she kind of seduced Boaz. They are such interesting stories because what they wanted to make sure is that there are next generations. On Friday night, the husband says “A Woman of Valor.” In that prayer, toward the end, is one sentence that I believe is the most sexually arousing in the world. The husband says to the wife, “There are many wonderful women out there who do wonderful things, but you are the very best.” And in my experience as a sex therapist, there is nothing better for a woman to hear than that. And really, that book is the best sex manual of all time. But I want to tell you something with a hypothesis that continued on page 34 OCTOBER 22 • 2020

ARTS&LIFE continued from page 33

I cannot prove. In the Jewish tradition, it says that if a husband brings his wife to sexual satisfaction before he ejaculates, she will bear a son. I would like to see a scientifically validated study. It could be that if there is more wetness in the vagina, maybe the male spermatozoa have an easier time to get to the ovum. I don’t have any proof of that, but we know that Jews wanted to have sons. IN OTHER RELIGIONS, SEX IS ASSOCIATED WITH GUILT, BUT JUDAISM EMBRACES IT. IS IT CULTURAL? GENETIC? RW: A very important point. Never, in the Jewish tradition, is there anything prohibiting sex in any position. They wanted people to have sex. Never is it associated with guilt. On the

contrary, it is an obligation on a husband to satisfy his wife, which is fascinating if you look at other religions that have many more problems. HOW INTERTWINED ARE SEX AND SPIRITUALITY? SHOULD SEX BE A RELIGIOUS OR SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE? RW: I’m a sex therapist, and I’m saying sex should be sex. Period. If you want to make it spiritual, make it spiritual. If you want to just make it bodily, make it bodily. The important thing is to be sexually literate, to know when there is a problem to go for help and to make sure to keep sex alive even in older age. Now, I’m not saying that everybody can have a baby, like Sarah, at the age of 90. Not likely.

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WHO WOULD YOU VOTE FOR AS THE SEXIEST MAN OR WOMAN IN THE BIBLE? RW: I don’t know. But if you ask me if there is a man who is not alive anymore, who I would have liked to have spent more time with when I was in Israel, it’s certainly [David] BenGurion. I don’t want to say that I would have liked to sleep with him. It’s not appropriate. First of all, he was short; second, he had that wonderful smile when he looked at Golda Meir. I had never met him, but in 1948, when Israel was declared a state, I was in Jerusalem, dancing the whole night. So, if you ask me anybody in history that I would have liked to know better, which is also interesting, the verb “to know” in Hebrew is “ladá’at” — “ladá’at” is “to know.” Interesting because that’s

what I’m talking about from morning to night. It’s not just a sex act. WHAT IS THE MOSTIMPORTANT MESSAGE THE BIBLE, OR JUDAISM, TEACHES US ABOUT SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS? RW: The most important sentence in there, in my opinion, is that God did not want man to be alone. Period. I think this is true even today, when so many people, young people and older people, have trouble committing to a relationship because they always think there’s something better out there. So, I think that is one lesson to be learned. The Bible, and certainly the Jewish tradition, wanted people to be in a relationship.

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UNDOING, BOOGALOO AND CHLOE FINEMAN The Undoing is a six-episode HBO mini-series that begins on Sunday, Oct. 25. It is based on You Should Have Known, a 2014 novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz, 59. Basic plot: The main character in the series is Grace Reinhardt Fraser (Nicole Kidman), a successful therapist. Just before her first book is to be published, a series of very bad things happen to her. Hugh Grant plays Dr. Jonathan Fraser, Grace’s husband. Donald Sutherland co-stars as Grace’s father, Franklin Reinhardt. All six episodes were directed by Susanne Bier, 60, a Danish Jew. Her career has soared

in the last decade, with an Oscar for best foreign language film (In A Better World, 2011) and an Emmy for The Night Manager (2019), a limited series. In the novel, Grace is described as the secular child of secular Jewish parents. Grace’s husband in the novel is Dr. Jonathan Sachs, who is supposed to be Jewish, too. Without spoiling things much, just let me say that Dr. Jonathan is not a good guy. So, giving him the last name “Fraser” in the movie may have been intended as a “good thing” for the Jewish community. The Boogaloo Boys are making headlines in Michigan and nationwide. The group sort of took its name from the 1984 film Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo. The film’s Israeli-born director, Sam Firstenberg, 70, spoke to the

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ARTS&LIFE

Hollywood Reporter in June about his shock that his film’s title had morphed into the name of a hate group. According to the Reporter, until recently, “Electric Boogaloo” was a lighthearted meme that came to mean “sequel.” Firstenberg said he loved the trend, which repopularized his movie. But now that two people have been killed by the movement’s followers, the phrase is no longer fun. “It’s impossible to wrap my mind

around,” Firstenberg says. (A Boogaloo member murdered a federal officer in California in May and a California deputy sheriff in June.) Chloe Fineman, 32, joined the cast of Saturday Night Live last year and emerged as a break-out star. She has done great impressions of Timothee Chalamet, 24, Drew Barrymore and Reese Witherspoon. I long knew she attended a Jewish day camp, but she also referred to herself as “half-WASP” (referencing her mother). So, what’s the story? Well, here’s what she recently told the Washington Post: “I have a really funny Jewish family. My dad is hilarious and extremely unfiltered.” Trust me, in time, we’ll get even more details. It’s possible that Fineman’s mother is a Jew-by-choice (like the mothers of Amy Schumer and Pamela Adlon).

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HARVEST & HOPE 7 PM, OCT. 23 The Michigan Chapter of the Cohnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s & Colitis Foundation will combine their largest fall events online, allowing patients, caregivers, physicians and the entire Michigan IBD community to participate from home. Tickets are $100. Info: visit facebook.com/ CCFAMichigan or TinyURL. com/CCFHarvestHope. EDGEFEST 7:30 PM, OCT. 23 Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor will present an evening of music, featuring Skeeter Shelton, woodwinds, and Djallo Djakate on drums. Featured set will be Purple Gums. Virtual concert is free. View on kerrytownconcerthouse.com. Info: call 734-709-0697. SWEET TREATS AFTER NOON, OCT. 24 The Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association Michigan Chapter 36th annual Chocolate Jubilee to support Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and dementia care, support and research. Purchase and send sweet treats to loved ones, enter to win a one-week stay for four at a beautiful condo in Siesta Key, Fla., and honor a loved one through the eventâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sweet Memories video segment. The presentation takes place virtually at CJ2020.givesmart.com. FILM SCREENING 6:30 PM, OCT. 24 The Windsor Jewish Film Festival presents an online screening of Witness Theatre. Info: communications@jewishwindsor.org.

FALL BOUTIQUE OCT. 25 Join the Temple Israel Sisterhood for its virtual shopping event with unique merchandise from around the country. Items can be picked up the week after the event or mailed to you. templeisraelgiftshop.com. PROGRAM FOR TEENS REGISTER BY OCT. 25 The Center for Israel Education in Atlanta is holding its fourth Teen Israel Leadership Institute over two Sundays, Nov. 8 and 15, from 1 to 4 p.m. Applications from teens are due Oct. 25. Participants pay a $54 fee for the program. If interested, email michele.freesman@israeled.org. TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA 2 PM, OCT. 26 American Technion Society will present a discussion led by Professors Ron Brachman, Mor Naaman, and Nicola Dell, and Ph.D. candidate Hana Matatov. Info: ats.org. GALA 2020 7-8:30 PM The American Technion Society will present â&#x20AC;&#x153;Innovation & Inspiration. Socializeâ&#x20AC;? at a virtual table. Keynote speaker will be celebrated Israeli-Canadian architect Moshe Safdie. Honorees include Irwin and Sara Tauben. This event is co-hosted with Technion Canada. Entertainment by Klez Kanada. Tickets: $180. Register: info@ats.org. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews. com.

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SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY

Philanthropist Touched Many Lives RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

dward Meer was renowned for his generosity to the Detroit Jewish community, his exceptional business acumen and his unflagging devotion to his family. The Bloomfield Hills resident, who enhanced many lives with his philanthropy, kindness and integrity, died on Oct. 5, 2020, at age 95. The son of immigrant parents Harry and Tillie, Ed was born in Detroit in 1925. He attended Central High School, where he met his first wife, Norma Jean. Soon after graduation, he was drafted into the Army and sent to the Pacific during WWII, and the two continued their courtship by mail for the next two-and-a-half years. Finding himself in the thick of front-line combat, the 18-year-old’s wartime experiences made him grow up fast and realize what was important in life. When he returned, Ed married Norma Jean and together they raised three sons. Over 52 years, they watched their family grow, happily welcoming daughters-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. The phenomenal success story of Meer Dental Supply is a testament to Ed’s character and remarkable business skills. After the war, he joined his father’s small dental business in Detroit and built it up gradually through

personal relationships and persistence. He held seminars for local dental students, advising them on setting up their offices and offering financing at favorable terms. “If a young dentist wanted six chairs, Ed would tell him to start with two,” said Rabbi E.B. “Bunny” Freedman, who officiated at the funeral. “He nurtured a whole generation, and when they expanded, they went to Ed. “To sit with him at lunch was to study what it means to be a mensch.” Ed’s instinct to be honest and helpful with customers resulted in Meer Dental Supply becoming the third largest dental supply company in the country. After Norma Jean passed away, Ed eventually met and married Gloria. Together, they enjoyed traveling, theater and spending time with their blended family, which includes Gloria’s three sons, their wives and grandchildren. A GENEROUS SOUL As a philanthropist, Ed’s generosity was legendary. When two of his sons, Jeffrey and Robert, adopted an Orthodox lifestyle, Ed became interested in helping synagogues and schools. He funded many construction projects, including a science lab at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah’s Beth Jacob School for Girls in Oak Park and gymnasiums at Farber Hebrew Day School and Yeshivas Darchei

Edward Meer

Torah in Southfield, and Yeshiva Gedolah of Greater Detroit Lubavitch Cheder in Oak Park. Impressed by the work of Yad Ezra kosher food pantry, Ed bought and helped redesign a building for the organization. He played an instrumental part in building Jewish Senior Life’s Norma Jean and Edward Meer Apartments in West Bloomfield. He provided funding to Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network for office space in the Orley Jewish Family Service building in West Bloomfield. “There are not many people in this community that haven’t benefited from one of the organizations Ed supported,” said Rabbi Freedman, who is also CEO and founding director of Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network. One of Ed’s most transformational gifts was the Meer Family Friendship Center in West Bloomfield, home to Friendship Circle

of Michigan. Executive Director Rabbi Levi Shemtov remembers the annual dinner in 1999, where he shared his dream of creating 5,000 square-foot facility to house the organization’s many programs, classes and activities. After dinner, Ed approached Rabbi Shemtov and said three words that would have a lasting impact on hundreds of children with special needs and their families: “I’ll do it.” Ed Meer is survived by his wife, Gloria Meer; children, Reuven “Robert” and Shani Meer, Dr. Aaron “Jeffrey” and Phyllis Meer, Brian and Lisa Meer, Howard and Jill Labe, Robert and Mary Lou Labe, and Eric and Monica Labe; sister and brother-in-law, Norma and Herbert Handelsman; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his devoted caregiver, Elaine Johnson. Ed was also the beloved husband of the late Norma Jean Meer; dear brother and brother-in-law of the late Marion and Arnold Wisper. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Friendship Circle of Michigan, 6892 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; Yad Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072 or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY

ARNOLD BERMAN, 93, of West Bloomfield, died Oct. 13, 2020. A Marine veteran, Mr. Berman served his country in World War II. He was honored and featured in a movie by Sky Bergman. One of the original members of Congregation Beth Moses, he was a lifelong member of Beth Ahm and a past president of its men’s club. Mr. Berman was active with Yad Ezra, and he delivered meals on Sundays; he was also a member of B’nai B’rith and in their bowling league. He had an incredible marriage and a good life. He was a very social individual. Mr. Berman is survived by his daughter, Janice (Aaron Allen) Watzman of West Bloomfield; grandchildren, Brandon Watzman, Taryn and David Leib, Stephen and Allison Watzman; many great-grandchildren, other relatives and many friends. Mr. Berman was the beloved husband of the late Ethel Berman. Contributions may be made to Congregation Beth Ahm, 5075 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or Yad Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072. A graveside service was held at Beth Moses Cemetery in Roseville. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. MORRIS BRUCK, 92, Novi, died Oct. 9, 2020. He is survived by his beloved wife, Helen Bruck; daughter, Susan Bruck; sons and daughters-in-law, Martin and Mary Bruck, Andrew Bruck and Cynthia Kempf; grandchildren,

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

Rachel and Gabrielle Anspach, David, Alexander and Thomas Bruck; many other loving family members and friends. Mr. Bruck was the brother of the late Max Bruck. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. MARJORIE COREY, 90, of Farmington Hills, died Oct. 8, 2020. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Raiselle and Kenneth Resnick, Elizabeth Wasserman, and Michelle Corey Paul and Ezra Paul; son and daughter-in-law, Louis and Lisa Corey; grandchildren, Benjamin and Philissa, Rachel and her fiance, Paul, Rebecca and David, Haddas and Thomas, Sam, Hannah and Andy, Isabella and Jacqueline; great-grandchildren, Cameron, Jonah, Caleb, Gabriel, Arthur and Quinn; sister, Ruth Escalante. She was the beloved wife for 42 years of the late Joseph Jack Corey; the devoted daughter of the late Linda and the late Peter Albanese; the loving sister of the late Dorothy Albanese and the late Bill Albanese. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Schools Offer Support, c/o Beth Keifer, 1480 Pierce St., Birmingham, MI 48009, birmingham.k12.mi.us/ domain/2282; or Detroit Public Library Bookmobile, 313-4811300, detroitpubliclibrary.org/ services/library-on-wheels. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

OUR FUNERAL HOME MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. RAE GLICKOFF, 92, of Dearborn Heights died Oct. 10, 2020. When Rae walked into a room, she lit it up. She was vibrant and full of optimism. Everyone that met her loved her. Rae adored her family and always had words of encouragement and support. She was compassionate and kind to all people and animals. Rae had a great sense of humor and was fun to be around. She was cherished by all her family and friends. Rae will be greatly missed and always loved. May her memory be a blessing to us all. She is survived by her daughters, Belinda Morales, Denise Goodman, Gay Glickoff; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mrs. Glickoff was the beloved wife of the late Isaac Glickoff. Contributions may be made to Detroit Dog Rescue or Detroit Animal Care and Control. A graveside service was held at Nusach Hari Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. LAWRENCE A. GOLDSTEIN, 81, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died Oct. 8, 2020. He followed in his father’s footsteps and became a pharmacist, owning a pharmacy in Detroit for many years. In 1988, he moved to Arizona and became a pioneer in holistic and compounding pharma-

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OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 41

Monuments and Markers Bronze Markers Memorial Duplicating Cemetery Lettering & Cleaning

7 Cheshvan Oct. 25 Julius Cholodenko Gertrude Fine Sadie Frankfort L. Simon Gorenstein Samuel Gula Esther Lipson Sally G. Mason Lorette Rashken Louis I. Shaer Hersh Shorr Ida Stein Harry Weingarden 8 Cheshvan Oct. 26 Sarah Gendelman Clara Gold Aron Hyman Hannah Newman Moshe H. Sachs Morris Silver David Silverstein Herbert L. Tennen 9 Cheshvan Oct. 27 Yitzchok Baruch Zelda Baruch Minnie Berman Mordechai Burkow

SOUL ceuticals. He also loved the arts, specifically jazz music and oil painting. Mr. Goldstein is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Wendy and Steve Faberman, Lisa and Adam Cohn; grandchildren, Rachel and Allyson Faberman; longtime girlfriend, Myrna Weinstein; many other loving family members and friends. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park CemeteryÂ in Birmingham.Â Contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, the Alzheimerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association or the American Heart Association.Â Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. ABRAHAM J. HITOW, 90, died on Oct. 10, 2020, in York, Pa. He was born in Bay City and spent most of his life in the Detroit area before moving to Pennsylvania four years ago. He was a proud Army veteran of the Korean War. Mr. Hitow is survived by his daughters, Tobi Hitow Karch, Rhonda (Gary) Golman and Marla (Bruce) Speir; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. His loyal cat companion, Nikki, remained by his side through his last moments. He was preceded in death by his wife, Annette, and son, Michael. A graveside service was held at Bay City Community Jewish Cemetery. EUDOKIA HOCHBERG, 99, of Queens, N.Y., died Oct. 8, 2020. She is survived by her daughters, Antonina H. Victor

and Elizabeth Hochberg; grandchildren, Natalie and Dr. James Shirley, and Nadine and David Farbman; great-grandchildren, Hunter, River, Fischer and Beau Farbman, and Chloe and Connor Shirley. Mrs. Hochberg was the beloved wife of the late Abraham Hochberg. A private graveside service was held in Suffolk County, N.Y. Contributions may be made to Temple Beth El, 7400 Telegraph, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, tbeonline.org/ donation-page; or to a charity of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice. Local arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. MARVIN A. KAHRNOFF,Â 91, of Jacksonville, Fla., formerly of West Bloomfield, died Oct. 8, 2020.Â He is survived by his beloved wife, Joyce Kahrnoff; daughter, Susan Rorer; grandchildren, Justin Rorer and Jessica Rorer; many other loving family members and friends.Â Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made toÂ the American Heart Association.Â Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. HARVEY S. LIPSKY, 87, of West Bloomfield, died Oct. 12, 2020. He is survived c. 1958 by his beloved wife, Etta Lipsky; daughters and son-in-law, Evelyn and Matt Mervis, Patti Lipsky; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Jeffrey and Ronit (Marom)

Lipsky; grandchildren, Jacob (Scarlett) Mervis, Michael Lipsky, Daniel Lipsky and Eric Lipsky; great-grandchild, Lucas Mervis; sisters, Rhea Blum, Jane Williams, Shirley Weingrot; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Mr. Lipsky was the brother of the late Sam Lipton and the late Audrey Penskar. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to Hospice of Michigan or Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

LEON SHY, 88, of Commerce Township, died Sept. 28, 2020. He was the beloved husband for 54 years of Phyllis Shy; cherished father of Michael and Lori Lieberman, Sharon Firsht, Scott Shy, Faye and Marc Scher, and Edward and Tonya Shy; adored “Papa” of Andrew Lieberman, Marni Lieberman, Alana Lieberman, Matthew and Elizabeth Firsht, Jennifer Shy and her fiancé, Michael Linde, Joseph Shy, Jacob Scher, Sara and Matthew Bodzy, Fred Shy, and Natalie Shy. He was blessed with his great-grandchildren, Alexander and Haley Bodzy. He was the loving brother of Norman

and Carolyn Shy; dear brother-in-law of Ceil and the late Sol Cicurel, June and the late Seymour Rubenstein, and Judge Bryan Levy and Diana Trivax. Interment was at Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Forgotten Harvest, 21800 Greenfield Road, Oak Park, MI 48237, forgottenharvest.org; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, stjude. org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. FAY STEINBERGER, 95, of Traverse City, passed away on Sept. 10, 2020. She was born and lived in

Detroit until she moved to Northern Michigan with her husband after retirement. She was a kind, gentle, loving soul, who will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Mrs. Steinberger is survived by her cherished daughters and sons-in-law, Susan (O. William) Brown, Carol (Keith) Adler, Eileen (Donald Ross) Steinberger, and Laura (Robert) Otwell; grandchildren, Rachel (Steve Meltser) Brown, David (Erica) Brown, John (Lauren) Ross, Emma (Nate Gilmore) Ross, Claire (Jesse) Karner, Annie (Maxim Kostylev) Otwell, and Julia Otwell; great-grandchildren, Hannah, Avi, Judah, Noa, Eleanor, Wesley, Blaise, Dimitry; many beloved nieces and nephews. continued on page 44

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OCTOBER 22 • 2020

SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 43

She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 64 years, Bill. She was the devoted daughter of the late Lena and the late Harry Berman; the dear sister of the late Frank Berman and the late Esther Raminick. A graveside service took place at Oakwood Cemetery in Traverse City. Contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by ReynoldsJonkhoff Funeral Home. GARY STOTSKY, 55, of Macomb, died Sept. 30, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Lisa; sons, Logan and

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

Noah; father and stepmother, Alan and Joanne Stotsky; brother, Mark; sisters, Bonnie (David) and Brooke (Steven); aunt and uncle, Harriett and Fred Rosen; many other loving family members and friends. A private service was held on Oct. 4, 2020. Contributions may be made online to Friendshipfl.org or mailed to Friendship Circle, 1302 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33301. FAYE SYNER, 79 of Delray Beach, Fla., passed away Oct. 12, 2020. She is survived by her beloved husband shy of their 60th wedding anniversary (Oct. 16),

Robert Syner (both were formerly of Detroit); sons, David Syner of Los Angeles, Calif., and Mark Syner of Atlanta, Ga.; sisters, Winnie (late Harvey) Wechsler, and Barbara Gooze Ephraim; brother-in-law, Michael Ephraim; many loving nieces, nephews and cousins. Mrs. Syner was the devoted daughter of the late Sandy Bellock Meltzer Gooze and the late Dave Gooze; daughter-inlaw of the late Lester Syner and the late Sylvia Berlin Syner Bell. Correction The obituary for Harold Blair (Oct. 8) should have indicated that he was the treasured son of the late Minnie and the late Joseph Bloom.

OBITUARY CHARGES The processing fee for obituaries is: $125 for up to 100 words; $1 per word thereafter. A photo counts as 15 words. There is no charge for a Holocaust survivor icon. The JN reserves the right to edit wording to conform to its style considerations. For information, have your funeral director call the JN or you may call Sy Manello, editorial assistant, at (248) 351-5147 or email him at smanello@ renmedia.us.

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING

Who Remembers Sammy’s Wonder Bar?

ooking back to the future … The wonderful Wonder Bar, and that it certainly was, on Washington Boulevard … enjoyed a beautiful reputation as one of Detroit’s most cosmopolitan restaurants Danny Raskin … considered a Senior Columnist direct heir of one of the city’s most elegant “clubs” in the 1920s. Sammy Sofferin, affable proprietor of the Wonder Bar, parlayed a cigar stand, an apartment house and the old Powatan Club into the very successful Washington Boulevard supper club. In addition to an excellent menu, the Wonder Bar featured a delightful cocktail bar, dancing on an intimate floor to the music of the orchestra and a glittering clientele. In keeping with his belief that “good soups and sauces

EBAY

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RASKIN

Hank Greenberg would go to the Wonder Bar after a Tigers’ game.

are the hallmark of a good restaurant,” Sofferin’s Wonder Bar listed black bean soup on its daily luncheon menu and turtle soup spiked with brandy on the dinner menu. Other specialties of the house included shrimps a la Powatan, which consisted of bread shaped into a pyramid to which were attached fried shrimp, chicken livers, anchovies and scallops. Around the base were frog legs. Sammy insisted that prime rib was another key to running a successful restaurant … The Wonder Bar was the first restaurant in Detroit to introduce the boneless strip sirloin, known as the New York, and this entrée continued as one of its biggest sellers. Sammy was the first to admit that the success of the Wonder Bar was in a great measure, due to his wife. In fact, the business was pretty much a family affair…

Wonder Bar memorabilia

In addition to Sammy and Margaret, sons Sammy Jr., Lee and Don were also employed there. Margaret’s role was traditionally that of a taster… All food had to pass her inspection. Many will always remember the very fine Sammy Sofferin’s Wonder Bar for the many athletes who loved its famed Powatan Salad … But mostly, other than loving it, Hank Greenberg hitting his leaguehigh home runs for the Tigers at old Navin Field … After the game, Greenberg was almost sure to be at the Wonder Bar for his regular steak dinner. THERE IS NO STOPPING him … Now Joe Vicari will open three more restaurants in this area the end of the year … remodeling and taking them over in Birmingham, Grosse Pointe and Shelby Township … He’ll also open a couple more in Las Vegas, where Joe already has two, and Nashville … The

future begins? OLDIE BUT GOODIE … (Still another version of a favorite) … A Reform rabbi, direct from the golf tee, was so compulsive a golfer that once, on a very sacred high Jewish holiday, he left the house early and went for a quick nine holes by himself. An angel, who happened to be looking on, immediately notified his superiors that a grievous sin was being committed on Earth. On the sixth hole, God caused a mighty wind to take the ball from the tee to the cup for a hole in one … The angel was shocked! “Look, Lord,” he said, “you call this punishment?” “Sure,” said God with a smile. “Who can he tell?” CONGRATS … To David Wechsler on his birthday. Danny’s email address is dannyraskin2132@gmail.com.

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thejewishnews.com/subscription OCTOBER 22 • 2020

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

The Standard Club

ecently, I have written about several historic Jewish clubs in Metro Detroit. There is the Franklin Hills Country Club, which boasts an outstanding golf course and club house. It is also a prime meeting place for local Jews. The Great Lakes Yacht Club is another largely Jewish club based upon a sport that also provides financial support for Jewish organizations. Both clubs are still thriving today. In addition, there have been many historic Jewish social clubs. The first, and perhaps the most significant Mike Smith in early Jewish Detroit, was Alene and Graham Landau the legendary Phoenix Club Archivist Chair (1872-1942). While researching the above-mentioned clubs in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History, I found references to many similar organizations. One name, however, stood out from the rest: The Standard Club. The Standard Club was a prominent Jewish organization for nearly 50 years, from 1934 until 1981. A group of Jewish businessmen developed the idea of the Standard Club. Many of these founders of the Standard Club were also members of the historic Phoenix Club. Harry Grant was the Standard Club’s first president and Louis C. Blumberg served as its first secretary. More than a luncheon club, invitation to membership in the Standard Club was based upon contributions to charity. The club motto was short and sweet: “Less Talk, More Action.” From the evidence I found on various pages of the JN and Detroit Jewish Chronicle, the club lived up to its motto. The club’s first project was the rebuilding of the Jewish Old Folk’s home. During World War II, it held weekly USO shows and programs for members of the military. The club also sponsored Israel Bond fundraisers and hosted prestigious speakers such as Chaim Weizmann.

OCTOBER 22 • 2020

The Standard Club held itss first meeting at the Leland Hotel in Detroit. It moved to the Bookk Cadillac in 1940 and met at the Renaissance Center several years before disbanding. Over er the decades, the club roster included such Detroit Jewish h leaders as Max Fisher, Avern Cohn and Alfred Taubman, to name just a few of the more prominent members. The club, while always remaining predominately Jewish, did eventually open its membership bership to women and gentiles. Like many organizations in Downtown Detroit, the Standard Club felt the pressures of economic decline and demographic change in the 1960s and 1970s. It closed in 1981. The Feb. 27, 7, 1981, issue of the JN features an editorial al by Philip Slomovitz that notes the closing ng of the club and what the Standard Club had meant to Jewish Detroiters. It should also be noted that, among the he 546 pages in the Archive that mention the Standard Club, a number of them relatee to the Standard Club of Chicago, found-ed in 1869. This was the granddaddy off Standard Clubs in America, and there are many references to Detroiters, especially ally prior to 1934, holding weddings and receptions there. In the midst of declining membership and revenue in recent years, it closed in May 2020.. The heyday of Jewish and non-Jew-ish social clubs and fraternal organizations has passed. Nevertheless, the Standard Club, the Phoenix Club and d other clubs played important, historicc and, I might add, very interesting, roles les in the growth of Jewish Detroit and America. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation tion archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation. ation. org.

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