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The Well Digs Deeper Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh takes over as executive director of the celebrated Jewish young-adult group. See page 14 NOVEMBER 19 • 2020

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contents Dec. 17-23, 2020 / 2-8 Tevet 5781 | VOLUME CLVIII, ISSUE 20

NOSH 26

Prime 10 Greenhouses

Kosher restaurant makes its customers comfortable, despite COVID.

Kosher Dessert Bars Get tasty gluten-free treats from Ethel’s Baking Co.

20 VIEWS 6-10

MOMENTS 33

SPIRIT 34

Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh takes over as executive director of celebrated Jewish young-adult group.

Chanukah in the D

Menorah lighting and a colorful mural brighten Downtown Detroit.

FJA teacher leads Zoom class in costume.

SCOTUS Hears Holocaust Restitution Case Local attorney who works to help victims recover stolen art is confident plaintiffs will prevail.

Zoom World Record

Royal Oak rabbi helps break the record on longest Zoom call.

ERETZ

Israel and Morocco to Establish Diplomatic Ties

Celebrity Jews

SPORTS 40

The Sands of a New Time

ONLINE EVENTS

Virtual Fun

Torah Portion

Pandemic challenges result in fun DIY art options and gift items.

The Well Digs Deeper

ARTS&LIFE

JEWS INTHED 14

Moments

Michigan Senior Olympics Stars Make the Most of a Bad Year

Quick Hits

From the Soccer Field to the Sidelines and Back Again Berkley team manager plays for the Bears on Senior Night.

ETC.

The Exchange Soul Raskin Looking Back

REMEMBERING EVELYN ORBACH 48 Shabbat Lights

Shabbat starts: Friday, Dec. 18, 4:43 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, Dec. 19, 5:50 p.m. * Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

ON THE COVER: Cover photo/credit: Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh and Stephanie Belsky /Photo by Jerry Zolynsky Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

44 45 53 54

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Borrowed Time: Brain Surgery is Not Rocket Science

The Jews of Ethiopia Need Our Support

rain surgery is not rocket science. You’d think it would be a complicated diagnosis and a difficult decision, but the picture of the tumor developing on my brain was uncomplicated and the oncologist’s recommendation Ben Falik to operate wasn’t really a recommendation. Launching a rocket involves a countdown and then … something happens. Everyone in my large extended family agreed a Tigers game was as good a way as any to pass the time the night before surgery. Some of them probably would have said they were confident about the prognosis, others less optimistic, but the main benefit of going to the game was not having to talk about the brain. Earlier that day, I went to Ann Arbor for a functional MRI. Because I was going to be awake during the operation — like the guy in the game Operation — the MRI would allow the doctor to assess my brain while it was still fully enclosed in my head. Like the dream where you show up for a test you didn’t

Marc Rosenzweig, his family and friends among the 30,316 fans in attendance August 2, 2016, for the Tigers vs Whitesox.

study for, except instead of having no pants on, I had no pants on and had to lie perfectly still in a tube for an hour and a half while taking the test. “Name adverbs that begin with the letter ‘R.’” “OK.” “Are you humming?” “Schoolhouse Rock. Is that cheating?” The next test was finding a parking spot downtown before the baseball game. This was back when people both could and did attend Tigers games. The Tigers had just swept Boston at Fenway Park and Houston at home, all for crowds of more than 30,000. In the second game against the Astros, Jose Iglesias had a walk-off single. The next day, Miguel Cabrera hit two home runs. As I was navigating the parking structure, a 734 number called. The surgeon had my MRI in front of him, having reviewed it rigorously. The mass on my brain was shrinking rapidly — yes, really

— and, rightly, the surgery was canceled. Lolly Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here I experienced a floating sensation, having little to do with the high altitude of the parking spot or seats. Seeing 20 family members and friends gathered there was like a cross between spoiling your own surprise party and getting to your own shivah while there’s still lox. The Tigers beat the White Sox 11-5. We celebrated at Lafayette Coney Island. A month later, the Lions kicked off their season in Indianapolis. It was the first for General Manager Bob Quinn and the first time the team had cheerleaders since I was a kid. I was home watching the game when I had my own first — a seizure. EMS came and took me to Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield. I was discharged later that day, but not in time to see the final minute — a 50-yard field goal and Colts safety — that would usher in the start of the Lions continued on page 10

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

BEN FALIK

My brother-in-law Marc Rosenzweig was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2012 and Stage 4 ALK lung cancer in 2013. Borrowed Time is a storytelling project about his journey to the present as told to me by him.

As 2020 draws to a close in the U.S., we can look forward to better times with vaccines for COVID-19 and a president who will return the country to normalcy. Unfortunately, for Jews living in Ethiopia, the future remains bleak. While Israel has agreed to allow 2,000 of the 8,000 Jews waiting in Gondor and Addis Ababa to immigrate, 6,000 remain, and their families in Israel have no idea when or if they will be allowed to join them. In addition, 150,000 members of the ancestral Jewish Beta Israel community of North Shewa, Ethiopia, struggle for their Jewish identity. Discriminated against by their Christian neighbors, they suffer from the calamity of ancient superstitions of being called budas, sorcerers who eat the flesh of living people at night and turn into hyenas to kill neighbors’ cattle during the day. This year brought a locust infestation to North Shewa resulting in famine. Israel is supplying food packages to the elderly. The COVID pandemic has not spared this community, as they make and distribute facemasks, thermometers and hand sanitizer to remote parts of the region. Now a civil war in neighboring Tigray province has resulted in 600 people being murdered in a genocide last week. The world remains silent, and the fear that the genocide could spread to other areas of the country remains. You can help by going to our website, www.beta-israel.org. — David Goldberg, Suzi Colman, Rabbi Joshua Bennett Friends of the Beta Israel of North Shewa

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VIEWS guest column

Everyone’s December Dilemma

very year on Christmas Eve, I serve my husband, children, and in-laws a Polish feast consisting of dill pickle soup, pierogis, and several other dishes that have many silent letters and strange consonant-to-vowel ratios. Among these dishes is Alicia Chandler the bane of my December — czernina. Czernina is the Polish word for duck blood soup. Yes, there really is duck blood in the soup. Not one for handling blood, I instead go down to Hamtramck and just buy the soup. Except every year there is some crisis. The grocery store is sold out. The restaurant is unexpectedly closed. The czernina has noodles instead of dumplings. The only one available has dried fruit in it (a common point between Polish and Jewish cuisines). At least once in this horror show I will likely be on the verge of a panic attack, wondering what a Jewish girl is doing running around to every Polish

establishment in 20 squares miles in an attempt not to ruin Christmas. But this annual crisis has nothing to do with me being Jewish, and the Polish feast has nothing to do with Christianity. This is about recreating my husband’s holiday memories of Christmases past and passing down these holiday traditions for our children. For other holidays, we have aspects that are traditional — such as the gefilte fish for Rosh Hashanah that we make at my mother’s house using my Bubbie’s recipe as my father complains about the fish making the house smell. We also have aspects that we created ourselves — such as our Passover seder complete with singing the story of the Exodus to the tune of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Holidays come with tension — when do we stick with tradition, when do we create something new, what do we do when something inevitably goes wrong, and how do we agree as a couple what each holiday should look like for our family? And then, what happens when a

parent or sibling disagrees with the choices we have made? Do we stick with our decision or is it back to the drawing board? This dilemma may be more apparent when you see both a Christmas tree and a menorah in the window, but it exists for everyone in ways big or small. Do you celebrate Chanukah with latkes or sufganiyot? Do you prefer sour cream or applesauce? Light candles on the first night with his family or hers? Do you go with the traditional gifts of gelt, books and socks or do a Chanukah filed with an abundance (or overabundance) of toys? Marriage can be a negotiation of making two lives into one — and holidays are often the lynchpin of the negotiation. Maybe the disagreements are religious in nature, but more likely they are conflicts about the expectations around holidays and the vision for what family life looks like. This is true no matter which holidays you are celebrating this December. The true dilemma is trying to celebrate the holidays in an authentic and meaningful way

a new MRI with a new spot, lodged deeper in my brain. Once again, I prepared for surgery, this time at Karmanos Cancer Center. I didn’t pray, at least not readily or ritually. God appeared to be busy that week bringing a biblical amount of rain down on Detroit, flooding freeways and stranding cars. The downpour continued the morning of my surgery, but that didn’t keep all the “Rosenzweiggers” from getting

to Harper Hospital at 5:30 in the morning. Unlike sports or seder, medical procedures might be the only events the peanut gallery shows up for on time. The surgeon greeted me with the calm, reassuring tone I had become accustomed to. “We just have to let them finish mopping and get everything sanitized.” Rain had overwhelmed the hospital’s drainage system. I pictured the crew rolling tarps across the infield and my family

while coping with the expectations of families and communities. Traditions may evolve over time as people come and go from our families. But the heart of the holidays remains: gathering with family, friends and food to celebrate miracles. Through give and take, communication and compromise, I hope that we can create a December that is full of meaning, light on stress, and — in my case — abundant in both czernina and latkes. Alicia Chandler is the founder of Multfaith Life LLC, which helps institutions and the Jewish community adapt to interfaith families.

BORROWED TIME from page 8

championship dynasty. The following week, I was home watching the Lions when I had a familiar sensation that was different from the usual familiar sensation of watching the Lions. Another seizure, another trip to the ER. Same Honolulu Blue hooded sweatshirt, same ambulance driver. “Maybe you should find something else to watch next Sunday.” I missed the end of the 16-15 loss to Tennessee. Instead, I saw

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

waiting restlessly in the dugout during the seventh inning stretch. … I don’t care if I never get back I heard a voice from outside the prep room say “Don’t shave his head yet” — but not before they put the IV in my groin. The rain eventually let up. The Tigers lost their last two games and their bid for the wild card. I redeemed my rain check for a surgery that reliably occurred and resoundingly succeeded.

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HONORARY VICE CHAIRS Barbara & Harold Beznos Ilene & Greg Bischer Penny & Harold Blumenstein Michelle & David Carroll Sandy & Jim Danto Gretchen & Ethan Davidson Marsha Eisenberg Robin & Leo Eisenberg Carolynn & Aaron Frankel Rozie & Bernie Friedman Lindsay & Adam Grant Maran & Josh Grant Marci & Steven Grant Nancy & James Grosfeld Amy & Eric Grosinger Barbara & Bernard Groveman Doreen Hermelin Susan & Nelson Hersh Judy & Samuel Jassenoff Mark S. Kahn Gabriella Karp Judy & David Karp Brenda Wayne & Gary Karp Shari Ferber Kaufman & Alon Kaufman Susan & Stuart Kaufman

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Eleanor Jackier Larry Jackier Chair

Nina & Bernie Kent Advisors

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D E S S E RT S P O N S O R

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HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER • ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS c

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THANK YOU

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HONORARY CHAIR COMMITTEE Mary & Jonathan Aaron Debbie & Eric Abramson Barbra & Peter Alter Kari & Edward Alterman Marcia Applebaum, Pamela Applebaum & Gaal Karp Ascension Michigan Kathy & Bruce Ballard Dorothy & Eddy Barak Net Gingras & Bruce Barget Henry Baskin The Baum Family Lauren & Eric Bean Carolyn & James Bellinson Hadas & Dennis Bernard Helen Charlupski & Joseph Biederman Eric Billes Janet & James Blanchard Roz & Stanford Blanck Doris & Frederick Blechman Jean & Howard Bleiwas Pam & Ken Bloom Stacey & Alan Borsen, Sue & Gordy Leff Lisa & Richard Broder Dina Brodsky Susan & Matthew Burnstein Marla & Larry Butler Linda Katzman & Fred Cahn Elyn & Larry Charlupski Susan Chyette Marlene & Jeffrey Cohen Annie & Rob Cohen Lois & Avern Cohn Harry Colburn Connie & James Colman Barbara & Jerry Cook Couzens Lansky Suzan & Michael Curhan Gail & William Dauer David Horodoker Organization Margie Dunn & Mark Davidoff Suzi & Larry Dell Tammy & Steven Dines

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Julie & Ed Hersch Jessie & Aaron Hodari Nancy Hodari Joan & David Hoese Hour Detroit Magazine Hunter Pasteur Homes Huntington National Bank Renee & Earl Ishbia Ariana Jackier Corey & Seth Jackier Jackier Gould Andrea & David Jacobson Lilly & Howard Jacobson Nancy & Joseph Jacobson Linda & Stephen Jacobson Sheri & David Jaffa Brenda & Ira Jaffe JP Morgan Terry & David Kahan Garry Kappy Ilse & Ira Kappy Barbara & Irvin Kappy Kathy Broock & Company Rhoda Katzman Sue & Alan Jay Kaufman Sandra & David Kirsch Barbara & Edward Klarman Lisa & Daniel Klein Linda Z. Klein Stacy & Ron Klein Sharon Klein Sally & Richard Krugel Dawn & Jason Kulongowski Lisa & Daniel Kurzmann Ellen & Jerry Laker, Renee & Marty Laker Liz LaKritz Alene Landau, Julee & Robert Shahon Judy & Michael Layne Gloria Leader Nathan Leader Lederman Kwartowitz Annie & Michael Lehmann Nicole & Matt Lester

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HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER • ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS Eleanor Jackier | Honoree | November 15, 2020 HONORARY CHAIR COMMITTEE (continued) Susan & Richard Roth Stewart Shear Karen Meyers & Morris Rottman Abbe & David Sherbin Peggy & Mark Saffer Ellen & David Sherman Jeff Sakwa Suzanne & Burton Shifman Rose & Steven Sallen Carole Shifman Dorothy & Hershel Sandberg Betty Chu & Navot Shoresh Bluma Schechter Renee & David Silbert Susie & Marc Schechter Susie Sills Eli Scherr Jennifer & Paul Silverman Elyse Schostak Carol & Woody Simon The Schostak Family Jackie & Joel Smith Sandy & Alan Schwartz Susu Sosnick Serta Janie & Rob Starkman Shaarit Haplaytah Jayne & Larry Steel Nancy & Sam Shamie Karen Robinson & John Stein Patti Finnegan Sharf Ruth & Owen Stern

Richard K. Stoler Debra & Jeffrey Supowit Tama, Budaj & Raab Tapper’s Fine Jewelry Shelley & Joel Tauber Temple Israel Tietex International Suzanne Tyner Rosalind Zukowski & Nathan Upfal Elana & Avi Varkovitzky Carol & Sandy Vieder Anita & Kenneth Volk Dottie & Don Wagner Lewis Wagner Barbara & David Wallace Lori & Michael Wayne

Robin & Mitchell Wayne Gwen & Evan Weiner Trudy & Arthur Weiss Arthur Jay Weiss Sandra & Michael Weitz Nancy Katzman & Randy Wertheimer Margo & Douglas Woll Kathy Yaffe Sheldon Yellen Esther & Neal Zalenko Carol & Gene Zamler Cathleen Zepelin Linda Zlotoff Cynthia & Marvin Zucker

HONORARY HOST COMMITTEE Nina Abrams Lynda & Conrad Giles Allied Printing Company Gold Star Products Lisa & Robert Aronson Harriet & Walter Goodman Julie & Larry August Monica & Scott Goodwin Robin & Brad Axelrod Caryn & Steve Gross Nora & Guy Barron Fenei Greenwald & David Gumenick Ruth & Aaron Bergman Charlene & Howard Handelman Michele & Mitchell Bleznak Hope & Eric Haron Lee & Paul Blizman Gordon Hollander Marlene & Paul Borman Constance Jacob Kathleen & Richard Brown Jewish War Veterans of America – Robyn & Robert Canvasser Department of Michigan C.H.A.I.M. - Children of Sharon Katz Holocaust-Survivors in Michigan Laurie & Robert Kimmel Susan & Robert Citrin Zieva & Marc Konvisser Comerica Bank Michal & Howard Korman DeMaria Building Company Zina & Michael Kramer Cathy & James Deutchman Donna & Ernest Kreger Laurie & Scott Dubchansky Lisa & Gary Langnas Jean & Howard Dubin Judy & Noel Lawson Barbara & Mark Eisenberg Adrienne Ruby-Fink & Herschel Fink Legacy Heritage Fund Leggett & Platt Kathy & Paul Finkel Anna & Yale Levin Elyse & David Foltyn Dottie & Dan Levitsky Lainie & Larry Freed Evie & Allen Lichter Pola & Howard Friedman Andrea & Mark Light Clara Garbon-Radnoti

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JEWSINTHED

JERRY ZOLYNSKY/JEWISH NEWS

ON THE COVER

Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh and his wife, Stephanie Belsky, of Royal Oak demonstrate how to make sufganiyot over Zoom.

The

F Well

Digs Deeper

Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh takes over as executive director of celebrated Jewish young-adult group. ANDREW LAPIN EDITOR

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

or the time being, Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh is still uncomfortable with being referred to as The Well’s new executive director. “Who am I to embody this thing?” he asks. “I’ve only just arrived. I’m trying to keep it floating. I haven’t actually built anything yet.” But Stombaugh is, indeed, the new head of this Metro Detroit initiative for Jewish young adult social activity, an organization that has earned national accolades for its innovative approach to living Jewishly and just wrapped its annual “Build the Well” fundraising campaign. The Seattle native arrived in Detroit this summer to start his new job fresh from a two-year rabbinical fellowship in Chicago and has faced three daunting challenges at once. First, he and his wife, Stephanie Belsky, are starting over in a new

city; second, they’ve been handed the keys to a still-young and experimental young Jewish group directly from its beloved founding director; and third, they’ve had to do all this as COVID-19 has severely restricted their ability to conduct outreach or even familiarize themselves with their new home. “Stephanie and I are equally eager for this chapter of the pandemic to end so that we can really be present,” Stombaugh said. “In a community where everybody seems to know everybody, we are the new kids — and we just can’t wait to meet everybody.” A MISSION IN TRANSITION When Rabbi Daniel Horwitz first partnered with Rabbi Paul Yedwab at Temple Israel to form The Well in 2015, they had grand ambitions at play. Among them: If The Well proved to be a success with its

unique model of formvision off the ground. ing informal Jewish But “I was ready for a communities around new challenge,” Horwitz “shared interest groups,” told the JN. they believed its model More than that, the could be exported to 36-year-old Horwitz felt Rabbi Dan other metropolitan that he was moving out Horwitz areas around the counof the key life stage The try. Well was set up to attract. By 2019, The Well His children are now was turning out more school-aged, and The than 1,700 unique Well intentionally doesn’t attendees per year to provide Hebrew school. its gatherings, of which Rabbi Paul “I believe one of the there were 350 in a sin- Yedwab reasons I was successful gle year. in the role was that I So, it was a surprise was in a shared life stage with to many when Horwitz many of the participants and announced, in January of this could completely relate to the year, that he was leaving The challenges and opportunities Well and Detroit to become present in their lives,” he said. the CEO of Alper JCC in “Given that The Well’s design Miami. is not to continue on through The announcement came the life-stages, but rather to amid a huge honor for The serve a young adult and young Well, as it was selected as a family population, knowing “10 to Watch” organization by that my own family was ‘aging Slingshot, a national group of out’ helped me know it was young Jewish philanthropists. time to take the next step.” The Well had also secured a The Well, arguably five-year continuation grant Horwitz’s biggest legacy in from local philanthropist Lori Detroit, would now have to Talsky, which would ensure figure out a way forward withits survival after the expiraout its founding director. But tion of the initial four-year operations manager Marisa pilot grant that got Horwitz’s Meyerson, who has stayed on

COURTESY OF THE WELL

continued on page 16

My STORY Adam Pogoda is the third generation of his family to be involved with Hebrew Free Loan as a member of the Board, following in the footsteps of his mother, Lori, and her father, Peter Helman. “I’m involved in HFL because of my mom,” Adam said. “We would talk after she would do borrower interviews, and, without breaking confidences, she would share stories. My parents are very philanthropic, but of all her philanthropy, I think she found HFL the most personally fulfilling, and felt she was making such a difference.” The Pogoda family thought highly enough of HFL to help tackle one of the most prevalent requests that came through the agency: personal debt. They established the Debt Consolidation Program at HFL, providing funding to help Jewish residents in the State of Michigan get out of debt while improving cash flow and credit scores. The one-time only loan with a maximum amount of $15,000 requires credit counseling, and can assist with debt due to credit cards, cash advance and similar high-interest commercial debt. “It takes a village to care the way HFL does, especially because we’re all human, dealing with our own lives and concerns, and all of the change of the last few months. But there’s an amazing positive effect, knowing you can make a big impact on a family, a business, supporting them through issues, a wedding, college, home improvement, or through teaching someone financial literacy. Being a member of HFL is about more than the money, it’s about who we are, and what we want our community to be.”

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ON THE COVER

continued from page 15

for both Horwitz’s tenure and Stombaugh’s, knew the transition was part of the mission. “As an organization that really champions the idea of innovation, we are always interested in change,” she said. “Anyone who’s in that role is going to champion innovation and progress.” To replace the passion and vibrancy that Horwitz brought to the role, The Well would need a singular figure to step up into the director’s seat. When the 35-year-old Stombaugh came in for an interview, Yedwab said, it was clear from the outset he was that figure. “It’s like getting someone from the major leagues,” Yedwab said. “Jeff is the opposite of an alienating personality. It’s hard not to be drawn into his sphere.” A NEW LEADER Stombaugh grew up in an interfaith household in the Seattle suburb of Kenmore. His Jewish mother founded an independent Jewish day school in Seattle, where Stombaugh himself would work as an educator after college; his father was originally from Garden City, Mich., and converted to Judaism later in life. Stombaugh had a strong Reform Jewish upbringing that was also interspersed with spiritual aspects from Buddhism and Daoism. After participating in the Alexander Muss High School in Israel program, his Jewish identity “blossomed,” and he set off on a path toward professional spiritual leadership that took him through Hebrew Union College and a stint in Los Angeles working at the University of Southern California Hillel.

JERRY ZOLYNSKY/JEWISH NEWS

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Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh and Rebbetzin Stephanie Belsky host a virtual sufganiyot-making session via Zoom as part of The Well’s “Chanukah in a Box.”

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT THINGS, YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW ALL THE WORDS TO BE JEWISH.” — RABBI JEFF STOMBAUGH

While in LA, Stombaugh met Belsky on the dating app Hinge. Stephanie, an expert in digital media outreach, had helped launch the marketing department for the popular online comedy platform CollegeHumor. They matched right before the High Holidays, every rabbi’s busiest time of year, so their second date was breakfast on Erev Rosh Hashanah morning. That was also when Stombaugh told her he had been selected to become a rabbinical fellow at Mishkan Chicago, a progressive experimental congregation that was seeing rapid expansion among young adult Jews looking for an alternative to the traditional synagogue model. That could have been the end. But ultimately, Belsky decided to come to Chicago with Jeff. The rest, as they say, is history.

At Mishkan, Stombaugh’s talent for connecting with people shone through. “He’s really easy to talk to,” Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann, Mishkan’s founder and spiritual leader, told the JN. “He genuinely does care about people’s lives.” Heydemann noted Stombaugh was especially adept at crafting videos and web content for Mishkan — an important skill for maintaining Judaism during a pandemic. In 2020, as Stombaugh’s fellowship with Mishkan was wrapping up, the position at The Well became available. He and Belsky paid a visit to Detroit for the interview, where, says Yedwab, both of them wowed the selection committee. At the airport on the way back, Stombaugh recalled, “both of us were really looking at each other and felt, in our kishkes, like there’s something

here that we really like … This is the next place to be.” Stombaugh accepted the job. The couple moved to Royal Oak in the summer and Belsky now works for Gyro Creative, a PR agency based in Detroit. They have begun their new lives as Jewish Detroit leaders. “DOING JEWISH” Those involved with The Well say that, while Horwitz and Stombaugh have very different visions and leadership styles, they are united in their desire to make The Well great. And the two have become friendly, too — bonding over the shared experience of moving to new cities mid-pandemic for jobs that involve Jewish relationship-building. Central to Stombaugh’s approach? A belief in lowering the barrier to entry for Jewish life. continued on page 18

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

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JEWSINTHED

COURTESY OF THE WELL

ON THE COVER

The Well held a “Paint the Torah” event in Detroit for Simchat Torah. continued from page 16

“You don’t have to have the right things, you don’t have to know all the words to be Jewish,” he says. “You can create meaningful Jewish experiences with the things you have around you.” This is the kind of messaging that Yedwab believes will resonate with young Jewish adults who may see traditional membership as too old-fashioned or too regimented. He views The Well as “a feeder system” for eventual synagogue membership: a chance to convince Jewish young adults that there is value in gathering somewhere as a Jewish community and encourage them to explore traditional membership once they start raising families. Though The Well is “a project of ” Temple Israel, the two take pains to distance from each other in most of their branding — they don’t refer to The Well’s participants as “members,” and they don’t want anyone to get the impres-

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

sion it is a synagogue or affiliated with any specific one. Though Yedwab expects that Temple Israel would “get our fair share” of The Well’s graduates, he says the program is intended to lift all Detroit-area congregations. “We hope every congregation grows, 10 years or 15 years down the line, because there was a Well to keep those Jews interested in Judaism.” An eye on membership is also why Yedwab gives The Well two stipulations about their programming: no High Holiday services and no bar mitzvahs. Those, he says, are the domain of formal congregations. Everything else, though, is fair game. That’s no problem for The Well, which under Horwitz built its model around nontraditional ways to “do Jewish.” The program’s core model is “shared interest groups,” in which a group of people can come together with The Well’s guidance over just about any

passion, so long as they can find a way to incorporate Judaism into it. Shared interest groups were designed to reinvent the concept of a chavurah, a small group of like-minded Jews, and can include anything from bagel-making to one of Stombaugh’s passions, mixology. But they’re all really a means to an end to “do Jewish.” Meyerson said The Well treats the interest itself as “the mechanism that gets certain people in a room together, where then the interest becomes spending time with each other and learning about each other.” The Well also hosts some traditional worship services. Stombaugh has organized events including a virtual “Friendsgiving Shabbat” and an in-person “Tiny Tashlich” for Rosh Hashanah. There is a monthly “Tot Shabbat” service geared toward families of young children who are not yet school-age. In a sign that young families will continue to play a crucial role in The Well, the organization recently hired Marni Katz as its new family educator. Yedwab says he hopes to add an outreach director once fundraising comes through. Previously, The Well shared office space with the Jewish News in Southfield, but that ended with Horwitz’s departure and the staff currently has no formal office space. CHANUKAH IN A BOX Of course, like every other organization built on in-person interaction, The Well has struggled to continue connecting its participants due to COVID-19. “Here, I hired this amazing cheverman (a Yiddish term for

an active, social leader). And he’s stuck not being able to do what he does best, which is drawing people to him,” Yedwab said. Stombaugh and Meyerson have done what they can to keep The Well’s communal spirit going. When the weather was warmer, Stombaugh held Shabbats and other small gatherings in his backyard. For Chanukah this year, they made and distributed “Chanukah in a Box,” packages containing goodies and activities to keep folks busy for all eight nights, with a social component, as well. Among them: a set of Bananagrams for a virtual tournament of the word game, and a kit for making sufganiyot (with Stombaugh and Belsky hosting a virtual cooking demo in their kitchen). The Well’s team handdelivered many of the boxes to the community themselves. Meyerson says they are exploring a similar model for Passover. At the core of The Well’s strategy is working to counter the perception of a larger generational anxiety about the future of Detroit’s Jewish community, as synagogue membership declines and mainstream Jewish institutions struggle to engage young adults in the post-college demographic. But Stombaugh says this isn’t a new concern. “The Jewish people are always worried about the next generation of Jewish people,” he said. “And so it’s on us, the Jewish community, to educate and curate and be present for and relate and translate this tradition to the next generation, as we have always done.” And the building is just getting started.

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Chanukah in the D Menorah lighting and a colorful mural brighten Downtown Detroit. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

The giant menorah at Campus Martius Park

DANNY SCHWARTZ/JEWISH NEWS

wo events, five minutes away from each other in Downtown Detroit, marked the first night of a reimagined Chanukah. Menorah in the D, the yearly event that usually draws thousands to Cadillac Square to watch local luminaries light a giant menorah to ring in the holiday, took place mostly virtually Dec. 10 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The hybrid event took place in Campus Martius Park like usual as hundreds of Jewish Detroiters watched the music, games and speeches from afar. Michigan chapters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, including ChabaD of Greater Downtown Detroit, staged the event in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, with the Jewish News serving as a streaming media partner. Hosts of the event were ChabaD of Greater Downtown Detroit Executive Director Rabbi Yisrael Pinson, Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan Vice President Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov and Rock Ventures Detroit Ambassador Bruce Schwartz. Few people attended in person beyond a small crowd of media and invited guests, following concentrated efforts

by the event’s organizers to encourage Detroiters to stay home and watch the event online. At a few points, the broadcast cut to a large group of Zoom participants lighting their menorahs at home. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson made a quick in-person appearance at the event, saying that Menorah in the D is “such a great celebration of our community, our diversity and our commitment to ensuring we recognize we’re all in this together.” Benson made her appearance following days of tight security detail after armed protesters opposing the Michigan election results marched outside her home. Guests delivering virtual pre-recorded messages for the event included Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Gary Peters, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Congresswoman (MI-14) Brenda Lawrence, State Rep. (MI-39) Ryan Berman, Michigan State Sen. Jeremy Moss, Oakland County Treasurer-elect Robert Wittenberg, former JFMD CEO Scott Kaufman, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein and 2020 Nobel Laureate Paul Milgrom, a native Detroiter. Joshua Goldberg continued on page 22

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

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FJA teacher leads Zoom class in costume.

Margaret-Ann Wommer as Dorothy

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

n this new virtual world where every day can look the same, one local teacher has decided to mix things up for herself and her students. Margaret-Ann Wommer, a social studies teacher at Frankel Jewish Academy, has been dressing up in costumes during her classes ever since FJA shifted back to virtual lessons Nov. 18. The birth of the idea stemmed from Wommer growing concerned for herself and

her students that virtual school was going to feel monotonous. ”One day to the next you’re rolling out of bed and you’re going to your computer and you’re just looking at a screen all day, and I thought, ‘How can I make this fun or interesting,’” Wommer said. When Wommer was a child, her mother was a district manager for a retail chain as well as involved with Girl Scouts and PTA. Her mother would have themed incentives at work and

CHANUKAH IN THE D continued from page 20

of NEXTGen Detroit was also an in-person guest and speaker. Lighting the menorah was Scott Sherman, representing the Fisher Foundation, and the president and CEO of United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Dr. Darienne Hudson. “I’m afraid of heights, but it was a great moment and honor,” Sherman said after the lighting. REIMAGINED JEWISH STREET ART FESTIVAL ARRIVES IN DETROIT After the first-ever Jewish Street Art Festival took place in 2019 in Jerusalem, the 2020 version of the festival has been reimagined as a decentralized art event in which Jewish artists create public art pieces in their respective cities. Each artist

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

or artist team is painting a Chanukah menorah, linking the eight participating cities through the art. Detroit joined a list of participating cities that also included Washington, D.C., New York City, Charlotte, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Toronto and Chicago. Metro Detroit native and current Chicago-based artist Rachel Gluski created a menorah mural on the wall of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue over the span of two days, wrapping up on Friday, Dec. 11. For Gluski, who attended Hillel Day School and recently finished her undergraduate studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, her first attempt at a mural was particularly meaningful. “I think my work in general

dress up, bringing her energy to related events. “She knew how to motivate people and make them enthusiastic about their tasks,” Wommer said. “I was kind of like ‘let’s give this a shot’ because I’m a former theater person so I had a ton of costumes lying around.” Wommer’s first costume was Rosie the Riveter. Other costumes include a student at Hogwarts from Harry Potter, Wonder Woman, Lilo from Lilo & Stitch, Princess Leia, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins, Flo from the Progressive commercials, Katniss from The Hunger Games, Wednesday Addams and Minnie Mouse. Last week, Wommer dressed up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and as Cruella de Vil. Wommer said there’s been growing excitement from her students, with them wanting to know what the theme of the day

will be. Wommer has no plans to wear the costumes once in-person learning resumes, though. “We’re now extended until next week from home and then we’ll be on winter break, so I’ve got seven more days ahead at the bare minimum,” Wommer said. “We’ll see what happens in the new year.” While also hoping to break up the monotony, Wommer hopes to also help break up the tension in these stressful times by partaking in the fun. “It’s a nice way to start class, we’re not just jumping right into content and [the students] seem to be in better spirits,” Wommer said. “Engagement is so crucial, and sometimes it’s easier to engage if you feel like you’ve had a moment to bond. These C are such weird circumstances, M and I think we just have to give ourselves the license to have a Y little fun and maybe take a few CM minutes to ‘just be.’” MY

is about creating more CMY of an open dialogue to K explore all sides of things in a way that’s safe and comfortable. I’m hoping people feel a little uplifted when they look at it,” Gluski said. “Growing up I don’t think I saw a lot of Jewish art, so the idea of a Jewish Street Art Festival and actually Mural by Rachel having it on the street Gluski for the is kind of exciting and Jewish Street cool.” Art Festival. Gluski received support Detroit. With the closures and and live reactions from cancellations of Jewish and people walking by while creating the mural, which she arts programming because of COVID-19, this project has and her mother, artist Cheryl allowed artists to engage their Widener, appreciated greatly. local communities. Los Angeles-based artist The Festival is supported Hillel Smith and NEXTGen by the Charles and Lynn Detroit executive board member George Roberts were Schusterman Family both instrumental in bringing Foundation’s Grassroots Events program. the Chanukah mural to COURTESY OF RACHEL GLUSKI

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Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, seen delivering remarks in 2017, asked during oral arguments at the court why descendants of German Jews should be forced to seek remedies in Germany in the first place.

SCOTUS Hears Holocaust Restitution Case Local attorney who works to help victims recover stolen art is confident plaintiffs will prevail. JACKIE HEADAPOHL ASSOCIATE EDITOR

n a case argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 7, the Trump administration argued that Holocaust restitution claims should be heard outside the United States, claiming that the Foreign Sovereignty Immunities Act protects foreign governments from having to defend claims in U.S. courts. Local attorney Jonathan Schwartz, a partner at Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss P.C., believes the administration’s Jonathan argument is wrong Schwartz and says that based on the oral arguments, he is “optimistic that a majority of the Supreme Court

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

Justices will agree.” In the two cases currently before the court, Holocaust survivors and their heirs are seeking restitution for thefts of artwork incurred during the Holocaust. One case involves Germany, and the other involves Hungary. Schwartz leads a local effort by the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan known as the Holocaust Art Recovery Initiative. It aims to combat the “ongoing injustice of unreturned artwork looted by the Nazis and their collaborators, which has been called the greatest displacement of art in human history.” The effort was launched last year in response to passage of a federal law that allows more

time — until Jan. 1, 2027 — for Holocaust victims and/or their descendants to file for the return of valuable artwork stolen from their families during the Nazi era (1933-1945). Schwartz said he advised Hadassah’s director of governmental relations to co-sign an amicus curiae brief authored by the American Association of Jewish Lawyers and Jurists supporting the ability of Holocaust victims and their descendants to file claims in the U.S. “The facts, law, morality and justice require opening U.S. courts to these lawsuits, especially claims for recovery of stolen art,” Schwartz said. According to Schwartz, there is a long history of plaintiffs suing foreign countries in U.S. courts, including for claims related to the Holocaust. He said there are “various legal arguments that justify allowing these lawsuits to proceed here, but the most compelling reason to me is that victims and their descendants, many of them U.S. citizens, will not receive a fair hearing in Germany, and especially not in Hungary.” Schwartz shared that Clara Garbon-Radnoti, a local Holocaust survivor, recently discovered “smoking gun” evidence stored in the archives of the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills that exposes the massive theft of important and valuable artwork from Hungarian Jews by the government and museums, which have still never been returned. That evidence includes 180 microfilm reels related to Jews in Hungary during World War II from Hungarian government agencies, Office of Military Chief of Staff, county/district/ city/town/village administrations, police, courts and local Jewish communities. According to Schwartz, the materials document the legal and illegal means by which the Hungarian,

German and local authorities accomplished their goals and include thousands of documents showing theft of artwork (inventories), transit documents and acknowledgement of receipts from Hungarian museums. Schwartz added that Donald Blinken, former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary from 1994-97, publicly accused the Hungarian government of backtracking on promises to take responsibility for the looting of art from Jewish citizens. “To be blunt,” Schwartz says, “victims of the Holocaust cannot expect any justice in biased court systems located in countries that are still unwilling to take full responsibility for their misconduct.” He said a related compelling point was made by Justice Neil Gorsuch, who remarked during oral arguments that: “If Jewish victims of the Holocaust were deemed noncitizens, stripped of their citizenship, at least in Germany, why should they then have to go exhaust remedies elsewhere” [than the U.S.]? The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in June, and Schwartz is hoping it will be in favor of the Holocaust victims and their heirs in both cases, which will allow them, as well as many other cases, to proceed in U.S. federal courts. Schwartz continues to work with Garbon-Radnoti and the Holocaust Memorial Center to ensure the “smoking gun” Hungarian documents are available to all potential claimants. “The Jewish people deserve a fair hearing to right this historical wrong and reclaim an important part of our cultural heritage,” Schwartz said. “The arguments for recovery are compelling, although I anticipate Germany and Hungary will continue to obstruct, which is unfortunately consistent with their behavior for so many years.”

JOHN HARDWICK/MYJEWISHDETROIT

Rabbi Moishie and Mushky Glitsenstein.

Zoom World Record DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

hat began as a virtual Melaveh Malka, the traditional communal meal held at the close of Shabbat, ended up as possibly the world’s longest Zoom meeting. The call, part of November’s International Conference of Chabad-Lubavitch Emissaries, was only supposed to last a day. Due to the pandemic, for the first time in 40 years, the conference was held virtually and included 5,000 rabbis tuning in from more than 100 countries.

The call began after Shabbat ended in Melbourne, Australia, and continued with ChabadLubavitch emissaries tuning in to speakers all the way from Bangkok to Jerusalem and London to Los Angeles, culminating with the end of Shabbat in Hawaii, when the Chabad emissary in Honolulu joined 24 hours later. As the time zones rotated and rabbis joined and left the call, the Zoom continued well after Shabbat had ended in Hawaii and into the next after-

noon in Australia. Anywhere between 200 to 1,000 rabbis were on the call at any given moment. Rabbi Moishie Glitsenstein, co-director of the Royal Oak Jewish Center, joined the virtual event for a few hours each day. Glitsenstein said the history-making event was reflective of the Jewish people’s values and the message of Judaism to find the good in every situation in times of hardship. “I believe this Zoom meeting was an example of how we could take this pandemic time and turn it into something meaningful,” Glitsenstein said. Gaining momentum, the Zoom event continued for days and lasted a total of 136 hours and 45 minutes, according to Glitsenstein. The overlapping time zones allowed the rabbis to not violate Shabbat law, with each time zone initially joining the Zoom event once Shabbat ended in their respective locations. The conversations and cele-

brations had among the rabbis over the nearly weeklong event included the sharing of inspiration and ideas in how to lead one’s community during the pandemic, as well as spreading words of Torah while sharing song, food and drinks. The Jewish values that Glitsenstein believes allowed for history like this to happen are also values the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, subscribed to, the Royal Oak-based rabbi said. “I think it’s something the Rebbe was also very into — that any situation we have, if it’s good or bad, to find out how to live in every situation and use it as an opportunity,” Glitsenstein said. “It’s not, ‘Oh, a pandemic, everything is stopped.’ No, we have to recreate it and see how in these times we can have community and everything we had before and even better, just in a creative and safe way.”

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DECEMBER 17 • 2020

A view of Rabat, Morocco’s capital city.

Israel and Morocco to Establish Diplomatic Ties BEN SALES JTA

srael will establish diplomatic relations with Morocco, the fourth Arab country to announce it will recognize Israel in the past year. President Donald Trump announced the development Dec. 10 on Twitter. He also said the United States would recognize Moroccan sovereignty over

Western Sahara, a territory to Morocco’s south that the northwest African kingdom has controlled since the 1970s. “Another HISTORIC breakthrough today!” Trump tweeted. “Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Morocco have agreed to full diplomatic relations — a massive break-

through for peace in the Middle East!” Israel is in various stages of establishing relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan. Israel also has relations with Egypt, the first Arab country to make peace with the Jewish state in 1979, and Jordan, which signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Like the rest of the Arab world, Morocco opposed Israel’s creation in 1948 and did not recognize it thereafter — though like several Arab states, the kingdom maintained a clandestine relationship with Israeli intelligence. An adviser to King Mohammed VI, Andre Azoulay, is Jewish, and the country opened a Jewish culture center earlier this year. There are approximately 3,000 Jews in the country, down from the 200,000 who lived there before Israel’s establishment. Morocco also has

NOSH

a centuries-old community of farmers who grow etrogs, the citrus fruit Jews use ritually on the holiday of Sukkot, and have exported them to Israel despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties. Western Sahara has been the site of decades-long conflict with local militants seeking to establish an independent state. In a resolution last year, the United Nations called for a solution that would “provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.” Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, said the administration wanted to “break the logjam” in the Western Sahara conflict, according to PBS correspondent Nick Schifrin. Tying the Morocco announcement to Chanukah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted that the announcement was “a great light of peace, today with Morocco.” Prime Ten has six greenhouses patrons can reserve.

EATS | DRINKS | SWEETS

Prime 10 Greenhouses

Kosher restaurant provides comfortable outdoor dining.

PRIME 10

GETTY IMAGES VIA JTA

ERETZ

Nichole and Scott Cohen

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

n the wake of Gov. Whitmer’s orders limiting restaurant service to carryout or outdoor dining only, those looking for options in chilly weather have limited choices available. Local eateries have needed to be extra creative if they want to stay in business. One such example is Prime 10, the “upscale casual steakhouse” as per its website, located at 10 Mile and Greenfield in Southfield. Owner Scott Cohen came up with an innovative solution: six heated outdoor greenhouses that seat up to four people at a time.

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

“They look like mini igloos,” said Scott’s wife and general manager, Nichole Cohen. “They look so nice and pretty all lit up at night, like a little village. You can see them from 10 Mile.” Funnily enough, Nichole said, igloos started trending last year, but when COVID hit, she saw their practical side. Prime 10 set up their igloos Oct. 1. They do recommend reservations. Prime 10 has always been vigilant about sanitation, but with the pandemic they’ve climbed to a new level and are meticulous in following the ever-changing

state standards. That includes staff wearing masks at all times, taking patrons’ names for contract tracing, sanitizing surfaces regularly, and the addition of more soap dispensers and hand sanitizers. Prime 10, the only kosher restaurant of its kind in Detroit, under the auspices of the Vaad of Greater Detroit and with a fulltime mashgiach, has remained open throughout the pandemic — a fact they do not take for granted. The Cohens are deeply

grateful for their loyal customers who have been so supportive. “We have been going above and beyond to give our customers the best service, the best food of the highest quality because we appreciate their business,” Nichole said. Prime 10 trys to make people feel comfortable, including the new COVID-normal curbside pickup. “Customers understand we’re really listening to their concerns and are taking COVID very seriously, Nichole said.

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DETAILS

NOSH

EATS | DRINKS | SWEETS

Kosher Dessert Bars

Get tasty gluten-free treats from Ethel’s Baking Co.

Plum Market was the first local retailer to carry Ethel’s Baking Co.’s dessert bars. Ethel’s is also found in the bakery section at Whole Foods Markets, Fresh Thyme Market in Farmington, Meijer Woodward Corner Market in Royal Oak, Meijer in Southfield, Nino Salvaggio International Marketplace in Bloomfield Township, Westborn Market in Berkley and Western Market in Ferndale. Ethel’s bars are available online at ethels.com and amazon.com.

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

he homemade taste of baked goods from her own grandmother’s kitchen inspired Jill Bommarito to found Ethel’s Baking Co. The Michigan-based company specializes in baking individual dessert bars in a variety of flavors. The bars are uncommonly delicious — I’ve tried a few! — and that seems remarkable for commercially prepared food. Adding to their appeal, the treats are gluten-free. They may be enjoyed by those with celiac disease or sensitivity to wheat, barley and rye. Some potential customers will appreciate that the bars are also kosher. Packaging bears the widely accepted hechsher of the Orthodox Union. The “circle U” and “D” indicate that the dessert bars are certified kosher

dairy products. Rabbi Simcha Smolensky is the O.U.’s rabbinic field representative conducting regular inspections of Ethel’s Baking Co. in St. Clair Shores. The facility opened in December 2012. With Ethel’s growing success in achieving “No. 1 in the dessert bar category,” according to CEO Bommarito, the company is opening a new 19,000-squareft production facility in Shelby Township. The larger facility will allow Bommarito and her team — including daughter Lily, director of marketing and sales — to keep up with demand and expand distribution of Ethel’s “handmade with love” dessert bars. Additional flavors will be developed. “We’re available from coast to coast in the United States and

Atlas Wholesale Food Company Matches $100K to Benefit Local Restaurants

s Michigan’s COVID-19 restrictions continue to be extended, Atlas Wholesale Food Company, a 71-year-old Detroit-based food distributor to local restaurants and casinos, has launched “Rescue MI Restaurants,” an initiative to help support locally owned restau-

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

rants by further encouraging Metro Detroit residents to order carryout and delivery. The program is simple: Support local restaurants by ordering carryout or delivery. Take a photo of the receipt, post it publicly on Facebook with the hashtag #RescueMIRestaurant.

Canada,” said Bommarito, whose immediate family also includes husband, Vince, and their son Joseph. Her first product starting out in 2011 was Pecan Dandy. Like most of the bars, it begins with Ethel’s signature buttery shortbread crust. “We cover the crust with layers of flavors — such as caramel or pecans,” Bommarito said. “Our homemade cinnamon filling is topped with streusel and a glaze.” Each layer is baked separately before adding another. A reading of ingredients on the label shows nothing artificial. “You wouldn’t find any corn syrup in our products. We make our own caramel,” she said. The locally sourced ingredients include hormone-free butter and cage-free eggs. All posts must properly tag the correlating restaurant, list the date of the order and total amount, including tax and tip. Upon seeing the post, Atlas will match, dollar for dollar, the total amount of the receipt to the restaurant in the form of a product credit. For example, if a customer spends $100, that restaurant receives twice the amount in the form of $100 in supplies, at no cost, from Atlas. The program runs through

Other Ethel’s varieties include a fresh-tasting Raspberry Crumble and Cinnamon Crumble, both pastry bars. Blondies are buttery chunk bars. Turtle Dandy — featuring chocolate, crushed pecans and caramel — sounds downright decadent. Only the crusty, very chocolaty Brownie, is almost flourless. Prepared in small batches using mixers, dessert bars in a package of three (2.4 ounces each) retail for $9.99. A single-serve bar costs $2.99. Supermarkets determine the products’ expiration dates. Bommarito said protected bars can be left on the counter or stored in the pantry for up to 10 days. Then they could be refrigerated or even frozen. But why wait so long? Dec. 25 and Atlas will support up to $100,000 in total. A sample of participating restaurants include: Ahmo’s Gyro, Detroit Wing Company, Fishbones, Kalamata, Kerby’s Koney Island, Kouzina, Leon’s, Lou’s Deli, National Coney Island, Pita Café, Red Olive Restaurants, Senate Coney Island, Shields Pizza and The Great Greek. A full list of restaurants can be found on the Atlas website, www. atlaswfc.com.

Healthy You

A DETROIT JEWISH NEWS SPECIAL SECTION

Something to Smile About BY KIM KISNER

enjoyed the office visits so much I was a little disappointed when they came to an end” is not at all something you would expect to hear about an orthodontist practice. That’s exactly what makes Spillane & Reynolds Orthodontics drastically different. From the remarkable and friendly customer service to the most advanced procedures and treatment available, to the flexible financing options and the people who deliver it all, there’s no doubt that Spillane & Reynolds Orthodontics will give you a lot to smile about. Established in 1991, Spillane & Reynolds now has four locations — Novi, Rochester, West Bloomfield and Troy. Each office uses the most innovative technology and equipment in the industry, offering digital radiography, digital photography, impressionless digital

scanning, and more in-house so that patients have access to the technology necessary to keep treatment comfortable and conservtive. Yet another thing to smile about! “Combining the right mix of personal care, high technology and continuing education, we strive to maintain the highest level of commitment to our patients in every facet of our practice,” said Dr. Jamie Reynolds. This high level of commitment is certainly exhibited in their use of groundbreaking wires, brackets, and procedures. In fact, one could say they are pioneers in their field. The practice is proud to be the only certified Damon Educators and administrators in metropolitan Detroit. Damon braces, a thoughtfully designed and innovative braces system, are a revolutionary take on traditional braces, fully harnessing their

effectiveness while making the process quicker, easier, more comfortable and more attractive. The practice is also among the top 1% of Invisalign providers nationwide. Attributing to their success are the highly trained doctors and staff. Author, world-renowned speaker and relentless innovator Dr. Jamie Reynolds is one of the nation’s leading voices on high-tech and accelerated orthodontics. He has also been featured as Hour Detroit Magazine’s “Top Orthodontist” every year from 2009-2018. The doctors and staff are passionate about bringing their services to as many people as possible and will work to find a plan that works for any budget. To that end, Dr. Reynolds co-founded OrthoFi, offering flexible spending and flexible payment planning. Also in that spirit, Dr. Reyn-

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riday evening Shabbat • Ephraim and Menashe dinners overflow with represent continuity of family blessings. It’s a wonderful heritage and values. On Jacob’s once-a-week opportunity to death bed, when he offers blessstep back from our busy lives, ings to his sons, he elevates his express gratitude and count our two grandsons Ephraim and blessings. Menashe to the same level as We bless candles, our chiltheir uncles, the literal children dren, spouses, wine and of Israel. From dor l’dor, challah. When we bless from generation to genour children, we ask eration, the family legacy that our girls grow up to continues. be like the matriarchs, • Ephraim and Menashe Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel represent two very posiand Leah, and that our tive, yet different types of Jeffrey boys grow up to be like personalities. Ephraim is Lasday Ephraim and Menashe. perceived as being spiritual Parshat We can understand why and a Torah scholar. On Mikketz: we would look to the the other hand, Menashe is Genesis matriarchs as strong role described as more of a man 41:1-44:17; models for our daughof the world who cared for I Kings ters; however, by what and took care of his com3:15-4:1. merits were Ephraim and munity. Scholarship, spiriMenashe chosen to be the role tuality, worldliness, compassion models for our sons? and active disposition of caring In this week’s parshah we for others, all attributes we meet Ephraim and Menashe, would wish for our children. Joseph’s two sons, born shortly As parents, we raise up our after Joseph becomes Pharaoh’s children with the hope that they second-in-command. We are will grow up not only as siblings, given four reasons why Ephraim but as lifelong friends. In a world and Menashe are chosen for the of peer pressures to conform, we Friday night blessing. hope to raise children who have • Ephraim and Menashe are the strength to be their best, the first siblings in the Torah unique selves. We model values narrative who do not see each and family traditions for our other as rivals. Even when Jacob, children with the hope that they their grandfather, provides are inculcated and passed down the preferential blessing to the to future generations. younger Ephraim over the older When we envision the adults Menashe, there is no jealousy our children will grow up to be, and the brothers remain friends. we hope that they will be wise, • Though Ephraim and spiritual, worldly and compasMenashe grew up in a world sur- sionate for others. This is the rounded by foreign cultural and heritage, the characteristics of religious beliefs, values and prac- Ephraim and Menashe, with tices, they were strong enough which we bless our sons. to maintain and hold onto their own unique identity. They didn’t Jeffrey Lasday is the COO of the Jewish give in to peer pressure just to fit Community Center of Metro Detroit and the acting COO of Farber Hebrew Day in and be like everyone else. School.

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DECEMBER 17 • 2020

ARTS&LIFE DIY

The Sands of a

New Time

Pandemic challenges result in fun DIY art options and gift items. SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

hen local artist Gail Rosenbloom Kaplan’s community and person-to-person professional immersion came to a halt because of COVID-19 restrictions, her talent and innovation aimed her in a new direction. She turned her focus to the creation and sales of multi-colored, multi-design, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) sand art sets. “The kits came to life as a result of the pandemic and not being able to continue my job at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, where I do bedside art and also my work in the schools, camps and the community,” Kaplan said. “I ABOVE: Gail Rosenbloom retreated to my studio Kaplan TOP LEFT: Multi- to develop the new kits colored DIY sand art elephant. as a way to stay engaged TOP RIGHT: DIY sand art unicorn. with bringing art to

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

people to do on their own.” The boxed-set selections are offered in various shapes and sizes for both kids and adults — from superheroes, astronauts and butterflies to Judaic themes like a set of chamsahs and Chanukah designs, including a pair of 3D dreidels. Each kit has 10 colors of sand and a sticky board with a laser-cut image covered with removable stickers. As each sticker is removed, the sand sprinkled on it will stick only to that section. Excess sand is then poured back into a working-cup and the board is ready for the next section. “A sticker on the outside of the packaging is an example of the final art project,” Kaplan said. “By choosing their own color application, no two projects are the same.” Referring to Kaplan as both talented and creative, Jodie Krasnick of Huntington Woods said, “It’s great to carve out some relaxing time to do Gail’s sand art projects and so fun to see the final product. My kids

(now 19, 24 and 26) have done art projects with Gail since they were little at family workshops, for Jewish holidays and yad-making for their bar and bat mitzvahs.” ARTIST IN THE BLUE SMOCK Kaplan began designing sand art projects for her children 35 years ago and, in recent years, brought her ideas to workshops, corporate events, fundraisers and other large gatherings. But the idea for selling the DIY kits came when she realized this was a type of art that could be done in small groups without her being present, offering simple, YouTube instructional video demonstrations for each new kit on her website. For the past nine years, she also brought the project to Children’s Hospital of Michigan, working there twice a week — with patients and their siblings — through a grant for healing arts from the Children’s Foundation. “As ‘artist in residence’ I had the opportunity to educate and engage patients by teaching them how to make art, exposing them to new artistic techniques,” Kaplan said. In a small studio at the hospital, children joined her to paint T-shirts and do sand art, something she described as calming, healing, distracting and empowering for the kids.

Joey Boyer, Madison Friedman, Jenna Acker, all 5, and Sadie Alekman, 6, all of Huntington Woods, display their RBG sand art creations at a JCC PJ Library Detroit workshop.

“I incorporate art as both an avenue for self-expression and a way to cope with their hospital experience,” Kaplan said. Her face-to-face work ended when she was furloughed in March. Kaplan found a way to continue providing pediatric patients access to art, even when she couldn’t be with them. “I approached the hospital with the newly released kits, and they realigned the grant guidelines.” In addition to her new venture into the frameable and 3-D sticky board sand art kits, Kaplan, who describes herself as “the artist in the blue smock,” has a website filled with other DIY sand art sets including challah boards, apple and honey trays and mezuzah designs whose sand creations are topped by a Lucite cover or case, with some connected by beads. She also sells Judaic items, focusing on b’nai mitzvah gifts, Jewish ceremonial art and ketubahs, along with personalized artwork and custom-designed T-shirts. Her non-sand art DIY sets include anodized aluminum, polished chrome, metalized plastic and glass bead Judaica including candlesticks, Kiddush cups, menorahs and mezuzahs. They also include yads, which were initially funded to Jewish day schools and synagogue religious schools through Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education, DeRoy Testamentary Foundation’s Artist in the Schools grant, as a way to bring the arts into the curriculum.

OUT IN THE WORLD “My DIY business started with the Judaica kits, but the scope of my business has evolved to incorporate individual art projects with themes and installations for a larger audience,” Kaplan said. For Chanukah this year, she designed a DIY kit to create a menorah of beads and anodized aluminum candleholders on a Lucite base for the JCC’s PJ

help — for the kids to complete the project. Among the group’s members was Friedman’s daughter, whose completed work her mom refers to as a gorgeous piece of art to hang in their home. Next up, says Friedman, will be a family project to make one of Kaplan’s sand art challah boards. Kaplan’s portfolio includes trompe l’oeil clay, glass mosaics, printmaking and mixed media.

JCC’s PJ Library and JFamilysponsored DIY menorah

To purchase art kits and artwork, go to:

www.grkartcreations.com For information on Gail Rosenbloom Kaplan’s corporate projects and events, go to: https://gailrosenbloomkaplan.com/ Contact Kaplan at: (313) 410-0961 or gail@gailrosenbloomkaplan.com Local porch pick up or shipping at additional cost are available.

Library and JFamily-sponsored project to be delivered and created at home. Natalie Friedman recently oversaw a sand art project with a group of kindergartners through the JCC’s PJ Library Detroit. “We wanted to do something to honor the life and legacy of the great Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Gail’s sand art was the perfect way to create something beautiful and meaningful to accompany (Debbie Levy’s children’s book), I Dissent,” said Friedman, a PJ Library parent connector. She said it took about an hour — along with some adult

Her award-winning pieces, created in her Farmington Hills studio, are exhibited worldwide. She has worked, along with fellow artist Dani Katsir on mosaic art installations at area hospitals, schools, libraries, community and senior centers and nonprofit organizations, including those created for Kids Kicking Cancer, Starfish Family Services and Brilliant Detroit. Members of the participating agencies and facilities are involved in the design and execution of the work. She is now spearheading community sand art installations on her own.

INTO THE FUTURE Kaplan continues to adapt to her new work direction. “I am presently doing Zoom workshops,” she said. “The DIY Ruth Bader Ginsburg sand art kit has been successful for team building and has been purchased for events, and I am able to create unique designs for specific events, celebrations, holiday parties and family events, which are now being done virtually and I am able to lead by Zoom.” Kaplan said, “I reinvented my business strategy with the help and encouragement of my three children, and my eldest daughter’s significant other.” They told her, “You have to go virtual.” “As an artist I am lucky to bring a different, more creative perspective to most problems than the average person,” Kaplan added. “The pandemic presented me with a host of challenges; chiefly that much of my work in the community involved me being on site, in person, leading workshops and other live events. With that off the table for now, I was forced to rethink how I could still get my projects out into the world. “I asked myself, ‘Why not turn people’s homes into more of a ‘home studio?’” she said. “As the pandemic limited the demand for in-person art experiences, I hunkered down and launched a new website and a host of new at-home kits.” And as far as how much more she can add to her new site, Kaplan said, “Looking ahead: I think the sky is the limit.” DECEMBER 17 • 2020

COURTESY OF SOPHIE ELGORT/ DISNEY CHANNEL

ARTS&LIFE CELEBRITY JEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

PUPPY LOVE. STEWART IS KOSHER? A FICTIONAL PANDEMIC (OY!) As I’ve noted before, actor/ writer Daveed Diggs, 38, is the son of an African American father and a (white) Jewish mother. He was raised Jewish. On Dec. 5, a video he created, Puppy for Hanukkah was released on the Disney Channel and YouTube. It is great in so many ways. It features several children, all of whom appear to be biracial and Jewish, singing and dancing to what I’d call “melodic hiphop.” As you might guess, one of the kids really wants a puppy for Chanukah. I don’t cover most Christmas movies, and I didn’t write about The Happiest Season, an original Hulu film that began stream-

11-year-old actor Ethan Hollingsworth performing in “Puppy for Hanukkah” music video.

ing on Nov. 25. Several things make me mention it now. The film has an unusual theme, has several Jewish actors and has received very good reviews. Also, I just learned that Kristen Stewart, the film’s co-star, recently disclosed her Jewish background. Here’s the film’s basic plot: Stewart plays a member of a lesbian couple. They travel to her partner’s family home for Christmas. Problem is that Stewart’s character doesn’t know her partner hasn’t come out to her conservative par-

ents. Alison Brie, 37, Victor Garber, 71, and Dan Levy, 37 (Eugene Levy’s son) have big supporting roles. Just before the film opened, Stewart, 30, spoke to Howard Stern, 66. She said her father isn’t Jewish, and her mother was adopted by a Jewish couple. She added that she recently took a DNA test and found out that she is 24% Ashkenazi Jewish. So, it is clear that one of her biological maternal grandparents is Jewish. A friend really dug into this info — and we agree that it

THE ONLY WAY TO BEAT COVID-19 IS TO FACE IT. We can’t forget the danger. Wear the mask. Wash your hands. Practice physical distancing. Consider virtual gatherings. Curbside food pickup. For more holiday safety tips, visit oakgov.com/covid..

Paid for by Oakland County Health Division.

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

is virtually certain that her maternal grandmother was Jewish (which makes Stewart a “halachic” Jew). There is an online reference to Stewart’s mother belonging to a B’nai Brith youth group. Stewart’s many Jewish fans should pause before kvelling too much. In 2011, she said a talent agent signed her after hearing her sing “The Dreidel Song” at a grade school event, but she never celebrated Chanukah in her home. On Dec. 17, CBS All Access will start streaming The Stand, a mini-series based on a Stephen King novel. Basic plot: most of the people in the world die in a pandemic, and the ones left are psychically drawn to a religiously devout African American woman or to an evil white man who may be the devil incarnate. Nat Wolff, 25, plays Lloyd, a petty criminal who becomes Mr. Evil’s smartest and most loyal lieutenant.

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

5:30 PM, DEC. 17

PRO MUSICA LIVE 7 PM, DEC 17

COME PLAY, DETROIT DEC. 17-18 The Well presents “A Bananagrams Holiday Tournament.” Whether you’re receiving Well-AGrams in your Chanukah box or using your own Bananagrams from home, we’re partnering up with Come Play Detroit for a two-day virtual tournament. Brush up on those Chanukah vocab words and you’re in for a treat. Solo player and team registration available; check The Well’s Facebook page. LAUGHTER AT THE HAPPY HOUR 5:30 PM, DEC. 17 As part of Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown Concert series, view this free presentation of Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano “Live from the Red Wall Saloon.” Visit kerrytownconceerthouse. com. PRO MUSICA LIVE 7 PM, DEC 17 World-renown cellist, conductor and pedagogue Amit Peled will perform and discuss his work. The multitalented Israeli-American artist stars, accompanied

LIVE @ THE 415 4:15 PM, DEC. 20

EXHIBIT ONLINE THROUGH JAN. 16 by pianist Noreen CassidyPolera. Hosted by Cecelia Sharpe of WRCJ 90.9 FM, the program includes musical selections, conversations with the artist and Q/A from the audience. Visit promusicadetroit.com for the link to the free webcast. EDGEFEST 7:30 PM, DEC. 18 Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor will present this virtual musical evening, Performers: Joe Baker, trombone, and Dave Douglas, trumpet. Free; donations will go to support the Edgefest festival. View on kerrytownconcerthouse. com.

LIVE @ THE 415 4:15 PM, DEC. 20 Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor will present Alvin Waddles “Rhapsodising on Gershwin.” From Porgy and Bess to Rhapsody in Blue, this free tribute to George Gershwin is both a salute and an opportunity for Waddles to showcase his love and dexterity at the piano. Visit kerrytownconcerthouse.com. EXHIBIT ONLINE THROUGH JAN. 16 Mark Beltchenko is a Detroit-area sculptor highly skilled in multiple media. Equally comfortable working in stone,

steel, aluminum, wood and the non-ferrous metals, his work serves as a meditation on the good and bad in our current lives: the environment, political hypocrisy, positive growth, greed and human narcissism. His imagery communicates messages in ways that are both primitive and profound; both sweeping and diminutive. View at MarshallFredericks.org. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@thejewishnews.com.

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

sports HIGHlights

brought to you in partnership with

LORI ELLIS

Senior Olympians Make the Most of a Bad Year

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STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

im Berk and Jeff Ellis have won multiple medals at the Michigan Senior Olympics, but they didn’t add to their totals this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person swimming and powerlifting events weren’t held, and Berk and Ellis didn’t want to compete in the virtual versions.

TINA FRIEDMAN

Jim Berk swam in this wetsuit when Walled Lake water temperatures were chilly.

“The virtual swimming competition didn’t appeal to me,” Berk said. “I mean no disrespect to those who did it.” With no competitions, the West Bloomfield residents did the next best thing. They combined creativity with safety so they could stay in shape and hopefully compete next year in the Michigan Senior Olympics. With pools closed, Berk swam in Walled Lake from late May until mid-September, often with longtime friend and fellow “swimaholic” Sharon Carter, hugging the shoreline about 100 yards offshore in 4-to-5-feet deep water. The two wore wet

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

suits when the water was chilly. Berk, 66, swam 1½ to 2 miles in his workouts. He normally Powerlifter Jeff Ellis works swims a mile during a pool out in his workout. basement gym Ellis, 61, added equipment to on a 32-year-old his basement home gym, where apparatus. he has worked out exclusively since the pandemic began this Carter, 62, a Farmington resident, also spring. was an infrequent lake swimmer before this Going to the gym isn’t an option for the summer. cancer survivor. “I agree with Jim. I should have done “I wouldn’t feel comfortable there,” Ellis more lake swimming years ago,” Carter said. “I’m a CPA. I do my best to minimize said, even though “you need to be cognirisk for my clients. Going to the gym would zant of boats, jet skis and fish.” be a health risk for me.” And turtles. Swimming in Walled Lake became a “I reached down into the water (in making lemonade out of lemons scenario Walled Lake) to pick up what I thought was for Berk. a rock and the rock moved. It was a turtle,” “This summer was the first time I swam Carter said. in a lake on a regular basis (three days a Berk and Carter are getting in some pool week),” he said. “If there’s a silver lining in swimming these days at the Farmington this mess we’re in, I feel I got much better Family YMCA, which has opened for limitworkouts in the lake than I would have in a ed individual swims. pool because you’re fighting the wind and This year’s Michigan Senior Olympics waves and watching out for boat traffic.” was supposed to be a qualifier for swimAnd watching out for police officers. mers the 2021 National Senior Games in / A Walled Lake officer questioned Berk Fort Lauderdale, Fla. one day during a swim session. Berk told Instead, swimmers who qualified the officer why he was swimming in the for the 2019 National Senior Games in lake even though the beach was closed and Albuquerque, N.M. are now eligible to surrounded by yellow police tape so crowds compete in the 2021 National Senior wouldn’t gather. Games. “Once the officer learned what I was So Berk can compete in the 50, 100 and doing, he was cool with it, and I didn’t get 200 breaststroke in the 65-69 age group stopped by law enforcement the rest of the next year in Fort Lauderdale. summer,” Berk said. “I plan to do a lot of lake swimming next “The officer joked with me a little. He summer leading up to the nationals,” said said he saw me swimming in my wetsuit, Berk, who competed in the 2015, 2017 and and it looked like a trash bag floating on 2019 National Senior Games, winning a the water. He couldn’t make out what the silver medal in the 100 breaststroke in 2015 wetsuit was at first.” in Minneapolis.

quick hits

BY STEVE STEIN

B’NAI B’RITH BOWLING LEAGUES FACE UNCERTAINTY

JUSTIN KAPLAN

GARY KLINGER

Facebook page just before Bowling establishments across the state were ordered Thanksgiving: “So much has changed by the Michigan in a short period of time Department of Health -- the world around us, and Human Services our neighborhoods, to close Nov. 18 to help gathering spaces, stop the spread of the places we work and COVID-19 virus. call home. Life in the The shutdown was Gary Klinger midst of COVID-19 has supposed to end Dec. sparked fear, frustration 8, but it was extended and anxiety all around. until at least Dec. 20. “Now, more than That has left the ever, we must focus Brotherhood-Eddie all of our energy on Jacobson B’nai B’rith defeating this pandembowling league season ic and the challenges in limbo. It appears the Justin associated with it. Downtown Fox-MLZG Kaplan “Nothing is more B’nai B’rith bowling important than ensuring the league season is a goner. health and safety of our mem“We’re planning to start bers/bowlers and your loved bowling the first week in ones. That is why at this time, January, but that’s way up in it’s not looking promising for a the air,” said Brotherhoodpartial 2021 bowling season.” Eddie Jacobson spokesman The league planned to bowl Gary Klinger. once again on Tuesday nights If the season happens, at Hartfield Lanes in Berkley. the league will bowl Monday Each league was shut down nights at Country Lanes in in March because of the panFarmington Hills, returning demic. There were 18 teams to its longtime home after in the Brotherhood-Eddie bowling the last two years at Jacobson league and 16 the 300 Bowl in Waterford teams in the Downtown FoxTownship. MLZG league last year. Justin Kaplan, Downtown Klinger said he’s hoping Fox-MLZG president, sent there will be 12 to 14 teams this message to league this year “if we do start.” bowlers on the league’s

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the Jewish Standard, based in Sammy Elias didn’t throw Teaneck, N.J. a pitch for the Los Angeles Elias was a Division III Dodgers this season, All-American pitcher at but he contributed to Wesleyan University in the Dodgers’ World Connecticut. He wasn’t Series championship. drafted by a major Elias, who pitched league team, but his for the fourth-place degree in economics Kaplen JCC on the Palisades (Tenafly, N.J.) Sammy Elias and passion for baseball statistics and analytics baseball team in the landed him a job in early 2019 2008 JCC Maccabi Games in the Dodgers’ front office. hosted by Detroit, is a baseHe was promoted to his ball operations specialist for current job nine months later. the Dodgers. He specializes in defensive The New Jersey native was positioning. featured in a Nov. 26 story in

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DECEMBER 17 • 2020

From the Soccer Field to the Sidelines and Back Again

STEVE WLOSZEK

SPORTS

Berkley team manager plays for the Bears on Senior Night.

Seger Hoff (10) and his Berkley boys soccer teammates gather for a Senior Night photo.

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

eger Hoff ’s promising soccer career came to an untimely end, but not his love for the sport or the Berkley High School boys soccer team. Hoff suffered a torn ACL in each knee during a six-month stretch while playing for club soccer teams before his junior year at Berkley and needed surgery twice. He could have felt sorry for himself, but the outgoing teen took another path and it led him to the fulfillment of a dream. Hoff became the Berkley boys soccer team’s No. 1 fan, and he was the team manager, de facto goalie coach, pre-game hype man and social media guru this fall during his senior season. The 18-year-old Huntington Woods resident, named for Detroit-born legend Bob Seger, also was a mentor for the younger players on the Berkley roster. “Everyone on the team respected Seger,” said Berkley coach Steve Wloszek. “Every coach will tell you he wishes he had more guys like Seger on his team.” Even though his soccer playing days were over, Hoff played for Berkley on Senior Night. He played about 15 minutes in each half in the Bears’ 4-0

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

win over Dearborn Heights Crestwood on Oct. 8 at Hurley Field. It was the first and only time Hoff played for the Berkley varsity boys soccer team. He was on the junior varsity team as a freshman and sophomore. Hoff wore a brace on his right knee, which has still not fully recovered from surgery, when he played on Senior Night. It was Wloszek’s idea to have Hoff play once he got the OK from his parents, doctor and the Berkley athletic coordinator. “I’m so happy that Seger stayed engaged with our program and created memories with his friends that he’ll have forever,” Wloszek said. The feeling was mutual. “I told the guys before the Senior Night game that it was an honor to play one final time with my brothers,” Hoff said. “They’ll be in my heart always and forever. They mean the world to me. I hadn’t played soccer in two years, but I went all out.” Hoff was in Berkley’s starting lineup vs. Crestwood. He kissed the Bear paw in the middle of Hurley Field before the game. “I also did the pre-game ritual I’ve done since I was about 10 years old,” Hoff said. “I rub my

hands on the goal posts and kiss them. For my team’s goal posts, I pray that no balls will pass through them. I pray for invincibility. For the other posts, I pray for many goals and many mistakes.” Hoff was a defender before he suffered his knee injuries, but Wloszek played him at striker against Crestwood to give him a chance to score. He almost did. “I was hanging out in the penalty box on a corner kick and the ball came to me,” he said. “I took a whack at it and it was going into the corner of the net before a defender got his toe on it. The keeper wasn’t going to get it.” Wloszek said he needed someone to work with the team’s four goalies and he thought Hoff was the perfect person for the job, so he asked him to take on the role. “Seger went on YouTube to learn about teaching goalie skills, and he did a great job with our goalies,” Wloszek said. “He knew what he was doing.” Ryan Serwa, one of the Bears’ goalies, was an honorable mention All-State selection during a season in which Berkley (114-4, 2-2-3 OAA Red) made its furthest advancement ever in the state tournament.

The Bears lost 3-1 in the Division 1 quarterfinals to eventual state champion Novi Detroit Catholic Central, which went undefeated (13-0-3) this fall. Hoff ’s love for soccer helped him in his coaching role. “I’m obsessed with soccer,” he said. “I understand the tactics, and I feel I can communicate them.” Hoff plans to do more communicating when he heads out into the world after college. He wants to be a lawyer, and perhaps a congressman or U.S. senator someday. He wants to be team manager for the men’s soccer team at whatever college he attends. “I know soccer, and I’m enthusiastic about it,” he said. “I know I can get that job.” When high school sports resume, Hoff hopes to compete with the Berkley boys swimming and diving team this winter. Hoff is president of the Kishon AZA chapter and became a bar mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park. His parents are Michael Hoff and Theresa Tarrant. His brother Elliott Hoff played on the Berkley JV boys soccer team this fall.

quick hits

BY STEVE STEIN

continued from page 41

NORTH FARMINGTON’S HISTORIC FOOTBALL SEASON STOPPED BY PANDEMIC Department of Health and Human Services and play at Traverse City Central on Dec. Billy Slobin 15, but the pause has been extended until at least Dec. 20. It isn’t known when or if the playoffs will resume. “Our kids have been awesome this season. They’ve made the best of it. They’ve been compliant. They’ve followed all the rules. We haven’t had one positive COVID test,” said Billy Slobin, North Farmington’s strength BILLY SLOBIN

It’s been a memorable season for the North Farmington High School football team. The memories are both good and bad. The Raiders won their first playoff game and first district championship since 1978 and have advanced to the Division 2 quarterfinals. But their already-shortened season has come to a screeching halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. North Farmington was supposed to resume practice Dec. 8 after a three-week “pause” on high school sports called by the Michigan

and conditioning coach. “If our season is over, we at least got to play nine games, we had three postseason wins [one by forfeit against South Lyon in the district finals] and our seniors have game film they can use if they want to go further in their football career,” Slobin said. The Raiders are 6-3. They were 9-1 last season, the first in which several coaches, including Slobin and the legendary John Herrington from now-shuttered Farmington Hills Harrison High School, went to North Farmington.

“We had a much tougher regular-season schedule this season, and we moved up from the Blue Division to the White Division in the OAA,” Slobin said. North Farmington beat Waterford Kettering 44-7 and Flint Metro League champion Fenton 44-28 in its first two postseason games this year before getting the forfeit win over South Lyon. Slobin, who played football at Harrison, became the Hawks’ strength and conditioning coach in 1986. He hasn’t missed a season since then.

counties will be used for the Motor City Classic. Seven fields have been confirmed already, including diamonds at Oakland University, Northville High School and West Bloomfield High School. “It’s best to have one field for every six teams in a tournament,” Birnberg said. Birnberg is a West Bloomfield resident. Sandles lives in Novi. “We’ve been talking about putting together a tournament like this for a few years,” Birnberg said. “We have some extra time on our hands because of the pandemic, so we thought we’d make good use of it.” There’s a five-game guarantee (weather permitting)

for each division of the Motor City Classic except 13U, which has a three-game guarantee (weather permitting). Schedules and rosters will be sent to college baseball coaches and pro baseball scouts. The champion and runner-up in each division will receive individual and team awards. Fee is $575 per team for the 13U division. It’s $1,250 per team for the other divisions, with a $250 discount for early signups with a $50 deposit by Jan. 1. Birnberg can be reached at (248) 303-6732 or CoachJoshBirnberg@ gmail.com. Sandles can be reached at (248) 752-8185 or Novisandles@aol.com.

HUNDREDS OF TEAMS INVITED TO TRAVEL TO MOTOR CITY CLASSIC

ELIJAH SCOTT

WENDY BIRNBERG

Josh Birnberg and Matt Sandles have given travel baseball teams something to look forward to Josh next summer. Birnberg The friends have organized the inaugural Motor City Classic. If the initial response to the July 21-25 Matt Sandles competition is any indication, the tournament with 13U, 14U, 15U and 17U/18U divisions will be a home run. “Our original goal was 200 teams. In less than three weeks, we signed up 115 teams,” said Birnberg, the

West Bloomfield High School baseball coach and coach of the 18U DBacks Elite travel baseball team. Only one Canadian team, from Ontario, had registered as of Dec. 8, most likely because of the COVID-19 ban on nonessential travel between the U.S. and Canada. Teams from Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have registered. “Our expectations have been blown out of the water,” said Sandles, who was the coach of the 18U Michigan Jets travel baseball team for five years and has been organizing travel baseball tournaments for seven years. From 25 to 30 fields in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

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FAYE BENENSON, 96, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 5, 2020. She is survived by sons, Alan Benenson, Howard (Robert Beiser) Benenson; daughters and sons-in-law, Deborah and Howard Ball, Hedda and William Panzer; grandchildren, Jessica (Robert) Fink, Larry (Sarah Lamoree) Benenson, Alyse Benenson, Lauren (Nick SanFilippo) Ball, and Ashley Ball; great-grandchildren, Leo, Sam, Sophie, Charlotte, Avery and Ella; many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Benenson was the beloved wife of the late Laurence Benenson. Contributions may be made to Hadassah. Interment took place at Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery in Clinton Township. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. DR. LARY BERKOWER, 83, of Southfield, died on Dec. 4, 2020. He was born in Detroit, on Sept. 10, 1937. Dr. Berkower received his B.A. from Wayne State University and M.D. from Wayne State University School of Medicine in 1962. He was a psychiatrist in private practice since 1968 in Southfield. He had served as a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Wayne State University School of Medicine at the Detroit Psychiatric Institute. He had also been an attending psychiatrist at Ferndale’s Kingswood continued on page 46 DECEMBER 17 17 •• 2020 2020 DECEMBER

45 || 45

Ellen Glazer (Nelson) Ellen Glazer (Nelson), 73 of Detroit, MI, passed away on December 6, 2020 in Gilbert, AZ. Ellen was born in Detroit, MI to Herman and Goldie Nelson on May 12, 1947. She was a graduate of Henry Ford High School. She was a loving Mother, Sister and Grandmother. Ellen is preceded in death by her Grand Mother, Anne Silverstein, her Father, Herman (Bill) Nelson and her Mother, Goldie Nelson. Ellen is survived by her daughter and Son-In-Law, Sherri and Kevin Robinson, her Son and Daughter In-Law, Scott and Jackie Glazer, her Brother and Sister In-Law, Joel and Marilyn Nelson, her Grand Children, Brendan and Bryanna Robinson and Quintin, Logan, Griffen and Hunter Glazer. The Robinson family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to BenZen Healing Group Home and Americare Hospice for their compassion, patience and assistance for the last couple of years. In lieu of flowers you may donate to: The Lewy Body Dementia Association (LBDA) so that hopefully one day we can rid the world of this horrible disease.

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OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 45

Hospital. Dr. Berkower held many professional memberships and participated in numerous lectureships. In addition to his distinguished medical career, Dr. Berkower served in the U.S. Air Force as a captain at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan from Sept. 1963 to Sept. 1965. He will be remembered for his devotion to his family and the outstanding psychiatric care he gave to his patients over the years. Dr. Berkower was a lifelong supporter of Jewish causes and was a proud Zionist. He enjoyed classical music, attending the theater and was an avid fan of the Detroit Tigers. He will be sorely missed. Dr. Berkower is survived by his beloved wife, Janice Berkower; daughters and sons-in-law, Tammy and Lawrence Adler, Sarah and Martin Kornblum; son and daughter-in-law, David and Chava Berkower; sister, Linda Merkle of West Bloomfield. He was especially proud of his 11 grandchildren, Allison, Michael and Zachary Adler, Jacob, Joshua, Joe and Jonny Kornblum, Elanit, Isaac, Atara, and Ayelet Berkower. Dr. Berkower was the son of the late Saul and the late Alice Berkower. Contributions may be made to Congregation Shomrey Emunah, Young Israel of Oak Park, Farber Hebrew Day School, AIPAC or a charity of one’s choice. A private family graveside service was held at Beth Abraham Cemetery in Ferndale. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.

ESTHER FREEMAN, 100, of Bloomfield Hills, died Dec. 4, 2020. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Shelly and Don Jones; daughter-in-law, Lois Freeman; grandchildren, Shari (Bob) Mills, Judi (Mike) McDonald, Doug (Kim) Jones, Heidi (Tom) Bishop, Amy (Bill) Vertes, Marci (Steve) Bean, and Howard (Aleza) Freeman; great-grandchildren, Andria (James) Trumble, Jason (Rene) Mills, Jean (Bill) DaLeure, Valerie (John) Proctor, Kyle (Erica) McDonald, Kayla (Jeremy) Zinn, Tyler Jones, Drake Eaton, Devon Eaton, Nathan Vertes, Trey Bishop, Cooper Bishop, Case Bishop, Amanda Bean and Matthew Bean; great-great-grandchildren, Landin, Lia, Lily, Lucy, Jack, Kayleigh, Daniel, Rory, Laney and Evan. Mrs. Freeman was the beloved wife of the late Hyman Freeman; mother of the late Earl Freeman. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to the Medical Team Hospice or a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. BEVERLY GOLDBERG, 77, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 4, 2020. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Stacey and Bob Shelton, Amy and Robert Singer, and Alyssa and Joshua Tobias; grandchildren, Seth and Samantha Byck, Zachary,

Jordyn and Olivia Singer, and Cady and Charlie Tobias; brother and sister-in-law, Peter and Marge Fein; sisters and brothers-in-law, Susan and Bruce Sitron, and Penny and Vernon McGarity; nieces and nephews, Hayley and Pat Greenleaf, and Jessica McGarity and Keith Nichols. Mrs. Goldberg was the beloved wife of the late Howard Goldberg; the devoted daughter of the late Mildred Wise; and the loving aunt of the late Emily Sitron. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Michigan Humane Society, 30300 Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, michiganhumane.org/ tributes; Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 432 Park Ave. South, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10016, jdrf.org; or JARC, 6735 Telegraph, Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, jarc.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. SHELLEY BRONTMAN KLEIN, 74, of Keego Harbor, died Dec. 3, 2020. She is survived by her sister, Marcy Brontman; cousins, Robert (Katherine) Jacobs, Sheldon Eskow, Monnie (Joel) Must; nieces, Sabrina, Casey, Britni, Pam, Liz; special friends, Mary Lou, Elyse, Laura, Anita; dog, Dexter; many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Klein was the beloved wife of the late Charles Klein; aunt of the late Maya. Contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Research Hospital. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

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SOUL

COURTESY OF JET

OF BLESSED MEMORY

Evelyn Orbach, right, performing in Fiddler on the Roof

Evelyn Orbach

The founder of JET lived for theater. SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

velyn Orbach, who was at the helm of founding and developing the professional theater company that has staged more productions of The Diary of Anne Frank than any other theater in the world, died Dec. 4, 2020, from COVID-19. She was 88. Orbach, longtime artistic director of the 31-year-old Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET), spent decades spotlighting seasoned and new dramatizations exploring ethnic aspects of issues, joys, history and assimilation. Based in the Aaron DeRoy Theatre at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield, she attracted audiences beyond the religious designation of the company name by scheduling performances in schools and satellite venues years before JET established permanent headquarters in Walled Lake. Orbach’s devotion to theater was instrumental in leading JET to become the longest continuously running Jewish theater

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

company in North America, and she often used the stage as a platform to oppose discrimination and bullying. Long-running initiatives for young people include Mean Girls by Maddee Sommers and I Was Just Kidding by Marshall Zweig. An updated version of Romeo and Juliet was planned after 9-11 to promote understanding between Jewish and Muslim communities. “I didn’t have a motherin-law; I had a theater-inlaw,” asserted son-in-law Ed Fernandez, who learned about real dramatic issues brought into the home. When farmworkers were striking, for instance, Orbach joined the protest by not serving grapes to family or guests and letting them know why. Sometimes, Orbach played out her own talents first demonstrated in New York, where she grew up honing her skills at the High School of Performing Arts and Brooklyn College. Multiple stage experiences were rekindled as she directed a run

Evelyn Orbach

of Arthur Miller’s The Price and cast herself in Fiddler on the Roof. “We ask audiences to think about identifying with the characters, finding elements that are redundant, offering something that was missing, deciding the way the whole play works and just reacting to what they have seen,” she told the JN in 2001. TREASURED MEMORIES After being memorialized at private religious services confined to immediate family on the Friday of her death, Orbach was remembered the next evening during a Zoom meeting hosted by her four children: Lila Lazarus, Sharon Quarters, Judy Chamberlin and Richard Orbach. Members of her extended family, friends and colleagues — some 90 people — voiced their love and admiration for the woman so important to their lives offstage. Laughter and tears punctuated remembrances from as far away as Germany and France. Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple Israel introduced the discussion and spoke of personal recollections shared with his wife, Susan, who often had enjoyed gatherings at the Orbach home. “My mother had a great energy like no other and an ability to

multi-task,” said Lazarus, who followed in her mother’s professional direction with a public career as a broadcast journalist and corporate spokesperson. “Both my mom and dad (the late Cantor Harold Orbach) taught us that God was the Creator, and to follow that, people should be creative as well. My mom also showed us how to [enact the Jewish values of being] forgiving and resilient.” Creativity was every day for Evelyn Orbach and those whose careers she encouraged. Part of that was bringing a variety of presentations to audiences, such as Ira Levin’s Cantorial, Diane Samuel’s Kindertransport and Side by Side by Sondheim. Her boost of locally based playwrights featured scripts by Kitty Dubin, a theater lecturer at Oakland University. “I met Evelyn in 1985, when she acted in my first-produced play, Mirrors, at the State Fair Theatre in Detroit,” Dubin said. “At that time, she shared a dream she had with me — to start a Jewish theater. Four years later, she did just that. “In 1989, I had a play, The Last Resort, produced in Texas. The Detroit News reviewed it, and Evelyn included that play in JET’s first full season in 1990. She went on to produce other

plays I wrote, including Change of Life and The Day We Met. “Evie had enormous faith in me as a playwright when I was just starting out. Her faith in me made me believe in myself, and I will be forever grateful to her for that. She was a dynamo who could make things happen, a can-do person who, in spite of what the obstacles were, always plowed ahead.” Henrietta Hermelin Weinberg and Mary Lou Zieve (a continuing board member) got to know Orbach through associations with Michigan theater companies and broadcast programming. They were glad to offer their artistic suggestions and business introductions to establish JET and remained impressed by Orbach’s perseverance — both artistically and in seeking out private donors and public grant providers, first to launch and later to supplement ticket prices. “Evelyn had tenacity and vision,” said Weinberg, who had worked in New York before moving back to her hometown and starring in JET plays as well as other local productions. “She had a vision for the arts in the Jewish community and sometimes could be overwhelming. She got ahold of something and didn’t let go.” A MENTOR TO OTHERS Orbach’s personality motivated young performers chosen to showcase their talents. One was Jaime Ray Newman, whose early acting experience at JET helped prepare her for work that went beyond theater and into television and film. She won an Oscar in 2019 for producing the Best Live Action Short Film. “Evie was a powerhouse teacher, producer and director, and I credit her for giving me my first acting job at age 12 in JET’s second-ever play,”

Newman emailed from her California home. “She believed in me as a young girl and proved that a career in the arts was 100 percent possible. “My love of the theater and the life I’ve committed myself to is in large part due to Evie’s infectious rapture with the stage. I will remember her always. The Detroit [area] is a better [place] for having her talents shine there.” Daniel Kahn, who appeared with Newman in the plays A Rosen by Any Other Name by Israel Horovitz and First Is Supper by Shelley Berman, went on to build an international career with his Painted Bird music group. He was cast in the Yiddish version of Fiddler on the Roof staged in New York. “There are few people in my life who have had as profound an impact on me as Evie,” Kahn wrote from Germany. “When I was 11, she saw me recite a poem at Temple Israel and asked me to audition at JET. “For the first time, I found myself working under Evie’s caring direction and alongside professional actors. That experience and the relationships that grew from it completely changed my life’s trajectory. “I gained a community of creative mentors, free spirits, wise artists, thoughtful craftspeople, working humanists and cultural warriors who continue to inspire me. I owe it all to Evie.” Also grateful to Orbach is Christopher Bremer, JET executive director who was hired by Orbach for temporary responsibilities and later promoted. He anticipates an in-person memorial once the pandemic has been defeated and programming named in her honor. “I met Evie on a Greek island, where she had come to do a play with artists and

actors from all over the United States,” Bremer recalled. “She played a role in the chorus of a Greek tragedy. “I started working at JET about a year later, and virtually every day, I think about the things I learned from her. She had respect for everybody and showed no fear. Evelyn taught me to have ambition, determination and courage. “She chose plays with the guiding philosophy that evil should not win. She was a pro’s pro and championed the JET mission statement of producing theater according to the highest professional standards. This will always be the guiding principle of the institution she founded.” Beyond the romance of captivating audiences during her active years in theater into 2009, Orbach’s retirement years brought some unstaged romance. On a cruise, she met Melvin Dalbow, who, at 90, converted to Judaism in honor of their marriage. “Mel saw her on that cruise and asked her to dance,” Lazarus said. “They danced for three years.” Evelyn Orbach is survived by four children and their spouses, Richard (Leda Meredith) Orbach, Sharon (Howard) Quarters, Judy (Paul) Chamberlin and Lila (Ed Fernandez) Lazarus; nine grandchildren; four-great-grandchildren; and sister Anita Blank. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's AssociationGreater Michigan Chapter, 25200 Telegraph Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48033, (248) 351-0280, http://www. alz.org/gmc; or JET Theatre, 1124 E. West Maple Road, Walled Lake, MI 48390, (248) 788-2900. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

continued from page 47

MICHAEL LIPSHAW, 63, of Roseville, died Nov. 26, 2020. He was an alumnus of Oakland University and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Cruz. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Jeffrey and Alene Lipshaw; sister and brother-in-law, Leslie and Robert Hawring; nieces and nephews, Arielle Lipshaw Latour and Jeremy Latour, Matthew Lipshaw and Kiti Ho, James Lipshaw and Lauren Zawanda, Stephen Hawring, and Scott Hawring; great-niece and great-nephew, Harper Lipshaw and Calvin Latour. Mr. Lipshaw was the devoted son of the late Harold M. Lipshaw and the late Renata (Gruenebaum) Freed; the loving brother of the late Pamela Lipshaw. Contributions may be made to Kadima, 15999 W. 12 Mile, Southfield, MI 48076, kadimacenter.org; or Michigan Animal Rescue League, 790 Featherstone, Pontiac, MI 48342, marleague.org/donate/ donate-now. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. IRVING MENDELSON, 92, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 3, 2020. He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law, David and Barbara Mendelson, and Marc and Lisa Mendelson; grandchildren, Jason and Rebecca Weiner, Adam and Ashley Weiner, Rachael Mendelson, Jaclyn Mendelson, Melissa Mendelson, Kari Broder, Dayna Broder; Amelia Mendelson, Isla Mendelson, Auguste Mendelson; great-grandchildren, Ronen continued on page 50 DECEMBER 17 • 2020

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SOUL

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 49

Weiner, Lior Weiner and Layla Weiner. Mr. Mendelson was the beloved husband for 57 years of the late Judith Carole Mendelson; the cherished father of the late Lisa Sue Weiner. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be to Wounded Warriors, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka KS, 66675, woundedwarriorproject.org; or Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jccdet.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. STANFORD MORRIS, 88, of Florida, formerly of Detroit, died Nov. 22, 2020. He was born in Detroit in 1932. A successful entrepreneur, he was also an avid pilot since age 16, an enthusiastic golfer, a veteran of the Korean War and a generous philanthropist. Mr. Morris was known for his great sense of humor and positive life attitude, even throughout a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Sydney; sister; Charlotte; children, Howard, David and Rona and their spouses; grandchildren, Daniel and Shayna; great-grandchild, Corey; stepchildren, Jonathan, Michael and Kevin and their spouses; and stepgrandchildren, Emma, Maurice and Sophie. He was surrounded by his family at his funeral in Boca Raton, Fla., and was buried at the Eternal Light Cemetery in Boynton Beach, Fla.

DR. DONALD POLK, 96, of Bloomfield Hills, died Dec. 6, 2020. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Linda Polk; daughter and son-in-law, Ellen Craw and Dave Hoke; sons and daughter-in-law, Gary and Tammie Polk, and Ken Polk. He was the brother of the late Sandra and Herman Teitel; uncle and cousin to the family of the late Jack and Olga Lewis, Sam and Esther Wittus, and Ann and Rubin Galchinsky. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI 48076, cancer.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. SALLY SHERMAN, of Washington, D.C., died on Dec. 7, 2020. She was born in Monroe, Mich., graduated from the University of Michigan and then moved to Washington, where she worked for the U.S. government until her retirement. She was an active volunteer at the Kennedy Center and in the White House mailroom. An accomplished oboist, she played in various orchestras and chamber groups in the D.C. area. Sally is survived by her sisters, Sylvia Starkman and Miriam Clubok; nieces and nephews, Miriam Starkman, Joseph Starkman (Melissa Joseph), Alisa Clubok, Andrew (Holly) Clubok, continued on page 52

A Zest For Life

thel R. (Kimmel) Ellis, 100, of Ann Arbor, died Dec. 6, 2020, of nonCOVID natural causes, two weeks after her 100th birthday. Born in Detroit, she grew up in Royal Oak and attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Hillsdale College. She lived in Hillsdale, Mich., from 1941 to 1990. Ethel and her husband, Sheldon Ellis, who practiced law in Hillsdale, were widely known in the Hillsdale area and participated in numerous charitable, civic and social affairs. They retired to Ann Arbor in 1990. Sheldon died in 2013 and Ethel lived in Ann Arbor for the rest of her life. Ethel was a wonderful cook, accomplished bridge player and dear friend to all who knew her.

She would stop at a table in a restaurant and strike up a conversation with the diners, especially if they had young children with whom she could chat. She would freely talk with the people Ethel R. Ellis around her in line while shopping or entering a concert. She and Sheldon loved to eat out and quickly became friends with local restaurant servers, managers and owners. While living in Hillsdale, Ethel and Sheldon were fans of Hillsdale College football, attending home and away games. Until her final days, she devotedly watched and commented on U-M football and basketball games.

Ethel’s zest for life was equally matched by her love for her family. She was a devoted wife to Sheldon, took great pride and joy in her twin sons and their wives, and adored her grandson, Jonathan and his wife, Aly. Mrs. Ellis was the cherished mother of twin sons, Dr. James Ellis (Dr. Jean Lawton) and Dr. Charles (Julie) Ellis, all of Ann Arbor; beloved grandmother of Jonathan (Aly) Ellis of South Orange, N.J.; dear sibling of brother, Dr. Bernard (the late Sally) Kimmel of West Palm Beach, Fla., and sister, Arvene “Kim” (the late Dr. M. Kenneth) Dickstein of West Bloomfield. She was preceded in death

by her husband of 72 years, Sheldon Ellis; sister, Sylvia (Sam) Goldstein; sister-inlaw, Shirley (Dr. Paul) Singer; and parents, Hilda and Louis Kimmel. Interment was at Oakview Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to University of Michigan, Hillsdale County U of M Scholarship-302131, c/o Office of University Development, 3003 S. State St., Suite 9000, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, leadersandbest. umich.edu; Food Gatherers, P.O. Box 131037, Ann Arbor, MI 48113, foodgatherers. org; or Arbor Hospice, 2366 Oak Valley Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, arborhospice.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

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SOUL

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Kenneth (Laura) Clubok, and Mark Cohen; great-nieces and great-nephew, Rebecca Starkman, Danielle Starkman, Nathan Starkman, Rose Clubok and Sarah Clubok. She was the sister of the late Mayda Cohen; sister-in-law of the late Henry Starkman, the late Arthur Clubok and the late Aaron Cohen. Services and shivah were private. Contributions may be made to Hillel of Metro Detroit, hillel-detroit.org; or to the Maisel Memorial Fund for Housing the Homeless at Adat Shalom Synagogue. MARTIN WEBERMAN, 70, of Wyandotte, died Dec. 9, 2020. He is survived by his sons and daughter-in-law, Joshua and

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

Jessica Ricksgers Weberman, Hal Weberman; brothers and sisters-in-law, Philip and Peggy Pollack Weberman, Abraham and Barbara Weberman. He is also survived by Karen Weberman; loving nieces and nephews; dear friend, Abe Schwartz. Mr. Weberman was the dear son of the late Herman and the late Ann Weberman. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. A graveside service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. GARY ALAN WEISS, 75, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 7, 2020. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Annie Jablonka Weiss; daughters and son-in-law, Jodi Mills, and Ilyse and Aaron Fox;

sons and daughter-in-law, Ryan Weiss, and Marc and Kacey Weiss; grandchildren, Jacob Mills, Rebecca Mills, Jared Fox, Sean Fox, Joshua Weiss and Alexis Weiss; sister, Judi Shapiro; nephew and nieces, Ian Shapiro and Alyssa Shlensky, and Hillary Shapiro. Mr. Weiss was the cherished father-in-law of the late Robert Mills; the devoted son of the late Irving and the late Helen Weiss; the dear son-in-law of the late Jack and the late Regina Jablonka. Contributions may be made to Temple Israel, Esther and

Jack Gorback Fund, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, temple-israel.org/tributes; Temple Israel, Anne and Edward Fienman College Scholarship Fund, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, temple-israel.org/tributes; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 3 International Drive, Suite 200, Rye Brook, NY 10573, donate.lls.org/ lls/donate; or Be The Match Foundation, NW 5948, P.O. Box 1450, Minneapolis, MN 55485. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

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.

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Looking Back

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

The Camp David Accords

he historic “Abraham Accords” were announced on Aug. 13, 2020. Israel signed “normalization agreements” with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Later, Sudan and Morocco joined the process. This event was significant and a source of reports and essays for media in the U.S., Israel and around the world. Two weeks ago, the JN featured an analysis of the Accords by Dana Regev and an essay from Mike Smith former managing editor Alene and Graham Landau of the Jewish Telegraph Archivist Chair Agency, Howard Lovy. The overwhelming majority of observers believe that the Accords constitute a positive step forward for Israel; however, the magnitude of the agreements is still unknown. Will the accords spur other Middle Eastern nations to normalize relations with Israel? Will the participants fulfill their commitments? How does this affect Israeli-Palestinian relations? Regardless of the many questions surrounding the implementation of the agreements, the Abraham Accords are indeed a historic moment in time. The Accords represent the first peace agreements for Israel with Arab nations since it signed pacts with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. This raised a question — how were those two historical events covered in the JN? So, I dove into The William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History for answers. The blockbuster, pathbreaking agreement was the one between Israel and Egypt, the largest Arab nation in the Middle East and the nation that fought several major wars with Israel beginning in 1948. This agreement, the “Camp David Accords,” was reached during negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, led by President

DECEMBER 17 • 2020

Jimmy Carter at the presidential retreat, Camp David, in 1978. The normalization pact was formally signed in 1979. The JN covered the Camp David Accords from start to finish. The front pages in September 1978 were dominated by headlines and photographs related to the negotiations: “Wishes for Continuing Talks Dominate Camp David Drama” (Sept. 1); “Jimmy Carter Hails Begin Before Camp David Summit” (Sept. 8); “Optimism Echoes at Camp David Summit”(Sept. 15); and finally, on Sept. 22, the front page had a photo of Carter, Begin and Sadat signing the agreements, and page 2 featured an in-depth report about the statements from each participant and an essay from editor Philip Slomovitz. The JN editorial for that week was “‘Shalom, ‘Salaam,’ ‘Peace,’ Reality.” The front page of the JN for Oct. 3, 1979, was devoted to the formal signing of the agreement. It is interesting that, while certainly important, Israel’s peace agreement with Jordan did not receive extensive coverage. Of course, Jordan is a much smaller, decidedly less powerful nation, and Israel had already ongoing relations with Jordan’s King Hussein. The first mention of formal negotiations was a small item on page 35 of the June 24, 1994, issue of the JN: “Israel, Jordan Eye Agreement.” Peace negotiations only made one appearance on the front page of the July 7 issue of the JN.. Otherwise, only a few small items on the agreements can be found. Nevertheless, despite occasional issues, peace between Israel, Egypt and Jordan has held for many years. Let us hope that the Abraham Accords do as well, and that they are just the tip of the diplomatic iceberg toward normalization in the Middle East at-large. Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

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