The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit

cordially invites you to

Federation Forum

featuring

David M. Katz

Director,Wayne County Airports

Tuesday, June 22, 1999

Noon - 1:30 p.m.

Townsend Hotel

I 00 Townsend Street, Birmingham

Dairy lunch $25 per person

Kosher meal provided on request with payment

Advance reservations required, please contact

Dale Rubin at

248-203-1471

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70 Detroit Jewish News

South Africa, he
earned a medical
degree from the
University of Cape
Town and a master's
degree in public
health from Yale
University. He
became a psychiatrist
at age 50, and an
anesthesiologist at
65.
"He's a remarkable
man," says Shani.
The family recently
visited his native
Greece because
Brownstone, now 80,
wanted to show his
Shani is involved in every aspect of the Troy store.
children and grand-
children where he
was born and raised.
to Houston where a brother was liv-
The Holocaust had a profound
ing. One of the first things she did
impact on Shani. "I'm consumed
while launching her career was to ini-
with it," she confesses. "I can't read
tiate an Orthodox get (Jewish docu-
enough about it."
ment of divorce) "because when I
Two years ago, while going
went back to Israel I wanted to be
through the U.S. Holocaust
legally divorced," she said.
Memorial Museum in Washington,
While going through the proce-
D.C., with her mother, the two came
dure, she met Asa Shani, who was
upon a family picture of Barzelai rela
then the economic consul for Israel in
tives before the war. "It was an
Houston. They married after she
incredible moment," says Shani.
obtained her divorce from the
After earning a B.A. in English
Orthodox Rabbinical Court in
literature from the University of
Memphis, Tenn.
Connecticut, Shani made aliya to
When his wife was offered the job
Israel. She stayed with her maternal
with Neiman Marcus, Asa Shani left
grandparents while learning
the Israeli government, but was
Hebrew, then earned a teaching
required to return to Israel for a year
diploma at Hebrew University in
before he could rejoin her in Texas.
Jerusalem.
He became an importer of Israeli
She married an Israeli, became an
goods, primarily silver jewelry. With
Israeli citizen (she's also a natural-
faxes, e-mail and computer technolo-
ized American citizen) and taught
gy, Ari can conduct his import busi-
high school English in Beit
ness anywhere," says Shani.
Shemesh, an impoverished town
Their daughter Daniela, 16, was
outside Jerusalem.
born in Dallas and son Orea, 11, was
"The children were mostly North
born in California after Ariela was
African, quite deprived," said Shani,
promoted to assistant manager of
"but I loved teaching them." To free
Neiman Marcus in Newport Beach.
their emotions, Shani started after-
She became manager of Neiman
school jazz-dance classes.
Marcus Houston a few years later and
Although she loves Israel and
the family moved back to Texas.
returns often, Shani left when she
Shani now lives with her family to
decided her marriage was over. "I
Rochester Hills. Mira graduated from
packed one suitcase and got on a
the University of Texas last month
plane when I was eight months preg-
and plans to join the family in
nant," she says.
Michigan in the fall.
Returning temporarily to her par-
Friends questioned Shani about
ents in Connecticut, she awaited the
moving to the Detroit area after so
birth of her daughter Mira, now 22,
many years in Houston.
then was soon on her way with Mira
Were are you going to live, to
back to South Africa, where she
shop, to send the kids to school?' they
obtained an MBA in finance from the
asked me," says Shani, laughing. "I
University of Cape Town.
said, 'No big deal.' I'm not afraid to
As a single mother, Shani moved
uproot, not afraid of change.

