My Hero
My Best Friend
As small children, we look to our fathers to
be our heroes. They tuck us into bed at
night, make the hurt go away and carry us
on their shoulders so we can better see the
passing parade.
Growing into adulthood, we learn our
heroes are what we make them. They are
real people with strengths and weakness-
es who teach us about life, real life.
My Dad, Ely Katz, is one of those real
people. He's the guy who always was at the
ball field, umpiring my baseball games and
cheering me on even when I didn't do so
well. He's the guy who taught me to bowl
and how to drive (with both feet, no less).
He's the guy who wanted nothing more
than to provide for his family and give his
kids a better childhood than he had. He's
the eldest of 10 children, from a family torn
apart during the Depression years. His fam-
ily would have better, and he worked tire-
lessly to make it that way.
My Dad is a simple kind of guy. Never
asked much from anyone, but gave so much
of himself to us all. In fact, that giving na-
ture is the greatest gift any parent can in-
still in a child. He taught me, by his own
example, the importance of knowing and
remembering who we are and from where
we came. His deep sense of both family and
communal commitment is the legacy I car-
ry with me every day of my life.
For more than 40 years, he has worked
as a volunteer for the Jewish War Veter-
ans. I remember those weekend trips to the
VA hospitals around the state where my
Dad was involved in providing entertain-
ment and bringing gifts to the veterans
whose lives were within the confines of the
hospitals. He has held leadership positions
locally and nationally for many years. This
belief in giving back a piece of what you get
is what he has given to me. It is what com-
pels me to life as a Jew and a Jewish life.
This sense of responsibility to our heritage
and our community is a legacy far greater
than money can buy. It is a gift I carry in
my heart each day of my life. I have my Dad
to thank for that gift, and I love and respect
him for it.
I'm an extremely lucky person to be blessed not only
with the world's greatest father, Phil Needle, but to
have him as my best friend.
Dad spent his whole life devoted to his family. He
worked in the retail field, which meant extremely long
hours away from his family. Yet he always made a
point of spending every Wednesday picking me up from
Vernor School and taking me out to lunch. Our long _)
lunches together ended when I went to college, though
I knew I was still in his thoughts every day.
After we finished lunch in our dorm, we would sit
and wait for our mail. We didn't have e-mail back then.
Each day, I could count on a letter, with a little bit of-
extra spending money tucked inside, from my Dad. It
was a joke among my friends — did I actually read the
letters or just take out the money? The extra cash was
nice, but more important was knowing that my Dad
loved me, and that this was his way of sharing every
lunch hour with me.
The years have flown by, and Dad and I are still
very close. First call in the morning and last phone call
in the evening are shared every day. My private con-
versations with my best friend are still very special,
but even more special is the fact that the conversa-
tions are being taken over by my son, Scott. Scott
makes his daily phone calls to my Dad, and he has be-
come my Dad's other best friend.
Bunni Lieberman
Phil Needle tucked a little extra cash in letters.
Gone Fishing
One summer when I was about 12, my fa-
ther, Bertrand Jacobs, took me fishing with
his brother (my late Uncle Sid Jacobs), my
cousins Fred, Paul and Bill Jacobs, and my
brother Brad, along with the boat's guide. I
had fished before, but an all-male outing like
this was a first for me.
It was a great day. The weather was
warm, and I caught the biggest fish. Bill
dropped one of his sneakers in Lake St. Clair,
and we ate sandwiches and drank pop. It was
very kind of Dad to include me in a "male-
bonding" situation like that. It is one of my
fondest memories and a typical example of
my Dad's love for his family.
My Dad took Brad and I "swamping" as
kids. We would walk into the swamp where
Temple Beth El now stands, and he would
identify all the weeds, trees, crawly bugs and
critters. Now I am the one who does that for
adults and kids when I am out nature walk-
ing.
My father put me through college and
rarely commented on the fact that most peo-
ple felt theater was a useless degree. He was
proud of my education, and believed that
learning was useful in all fields because it
teaches you not only how to think and prob-
lem solve, but because it helps you learn how
to set goals and accomplish tasks.
My father has supported me through a lot
of challenging times, like high-school geo-
metry, choosing a college major, getting mar-
ried and getting divorced. He and my Mom,
Muriel, have been my strength through the
good and the garbage, and I love them both
very much.
Jan Jacobs
Ely Katz taught his daughter to "give back a piece of
what you get."
Irving Siporin had a
life "full of happiness
and joy," says
daughter Karen
Siporin-Lowen.
Janice Lachman
Always On Her Mind
Memories of my Dad, Irving Siporin:
Probably one of the happiest days in my Dad's life was
when Alan and I got married, on March 28, 1982.
Probably one of the saddest days in my life was March
28, 1988, the day I buried my Dad.
My Dad was a great guy. He had a wonderful smile
and really knew how to enjoy life. Unfortunately, his life
was cut short. But it was full of happiness and joy that
was shared with his family, including grandchildren,
and friends.
Sadly missed, but always on my mind and in my heart.
Karen Siporin-Lowen