Obituaries
Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
www.d.etroitjewishnews.com
A Love o Learnin
cate the rest of his life as the CEO of a
Jewish
institution and help them invest
Editorial Assistant
their money and manage their affairs.
"With my brother's business head and
ichael Selesny was brilliant
his
ideas," Joey Selesny said, "he felt he
in his two pursuits in life:
could take an institution with credible
religious study and high
ideas of teaching the Jewish people and
11111 finance. He needed both to
make it thrive."
survive, but no matter how busy his life,
Rabbi Karmi Gross, principal of
studying Torah was his first priority. He
Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield where
viewed his business acumen as only the
Michael Selesny graduated high school
means for loftier plans he had to improve
over a decade ago, said, "Sometimes you
the lot of the Jewish community
want to have a model. You
Mr. Selesny, 29, formerly
say, 'What are we talking
of Southfield, a top high
about with all that we teach?'
school student at Yeshivat
You
want to be able to point
Akiva and a summa cum
at
someone
and say, 'It's that,
laude economics graduate of
it's that! Just look at this guy.
Yeshiva University in New
Look how he lives his life.' If
York City, died Jan. 10 of a
there was one student who
heart attack in Israel. Mr.
was
a model of everything
Selesny, of Ramat Bet
Akiva
believes in and every-
Shemesh, Israel, was buried
thing we teach, Michael was
that day. He is survived by
such a student."
his wife, Julie, and four chil-
After high school, Mr.
dren ages 6 years to 4
Selesny
studied for three
months.
years at Yeshivat Shialvim in
Mr. Selesny, who grew
Michael Selesny
Israel. It was at the yeshiva
up as part of the Young
that he met the brother of his
Israel of Southfield congre-
future wife, who introduced them. Mrs.
gation, made such a mark on the
Selesny attended Stern College at Yeshiva
Orthodox and Israeli business communi-
University and received a nursing degree
ties that he was eulogized before thou-
from Hunter College.
sands of friends and colleagues by promi-
Mr. Selesny also attended Yeshiva
nent rabbis in Israel and the United States.
University, completing the four-year pro-
But perhaps the highest tribute came
gram in 2'/2 years. He remained there for
from someone who knew him best,
another year of religious study before tak-
younger brother Joey Selesny, who like
ing positions in New York City with
Michael, had just welcomed a baby boy
Kidder Peabody and then PaineWebber,
into the world.
while living in Passaic, N.J.
"I hope my son, who was born three
He fulfilled his goal of moving to Israel
weeks ago, will be just like my brother,"
by becoming CEO of Israeli Securities
said Joey Selesny. "My brother's goal in life
Corp. Most recently he was with
was to work so that he would have extra
Yazam.com, an Israeli investment banking
time to learn Torah. Michael planned on
firm.
taking off a year or two at age 35 and
Although professionally his business
learn in yeshiva. He then wanted to dedi-
DAVID SACHS
NATHAN BLUM, 85, of Oak Park, died
Jan. 7.
He is survived by his wife, Marilyn
Blum; son Sheldon Blum of Mountain
View, Calif.; daughters Shira Blum of Ann
Arbor, Deborah Silver of West Bloomfield;
grandchildren Aliza Silver, Erik Silver,
Byron Blum, Lauren Blum.
Contributions may be made to the
Diskin Orphan Home of Israel, 156
5th Avenue, Room 228, New York,
N.Y. 10160. Interment at Mezeritcher
Cemetery in Roseville. Services and
arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel.
ELENA CHERNOMORDIK, 88, of
Ann Arbor, died Jan. 5.
1 / 1 4
2000
140
She is survived by her son and
daughter-in-law, Igor and Irina
Chernomordik of Ann Arbor; daughter
and son-in-law Irina and Michail
Spassky of Ann Arbor; grandchildren
Ilya, Ilana, Lena. Mrs. Chernomordik
was the beloved wife of the late Aricadi.
Services and interment were held at
Arbor Crest Cemetery in Ann Arbor.
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial
Chapel.
HARRY L. CHUPACK, 85, former
Detroiter of Oklahoma City, Okla., died
Jan. 2. He began a career in Detroit in
advertising with Simons-Michaelson and
then became an ad manager for many
retail organizations around the country.
involved state-of-the-art high technology,
for any ethical question in business he
called frequently on rabbis for advice.
"Everything he did was according to
Halacha (Jewish law)," said Joey Selesny.
"If he had a slight question about doing
something he would call his rabbi imme-
diately. If he had a question in business, if
there was a slight possibility that it would
be a slight bit unethical, he would ask a
rabbi if he were doing it the proper way.
"He always thought of God watching
him. Michael always thought about mak-
ing sure that God was happy with what he
did, always. He couldn't separate his ethics
from anything."
Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg of Young
Israel of Southfield, who knew Mr.
Selesny since he was age 13, said,
"Through the years, I've had the privilege,
along with several rabbis, of being the tar-
get of his questions. He wanted to make
certain that every single thing that he
would do not only would be a representa-
tion of total ethics and morality, but
would be able to benefit the Jewish peo-
ple."
Mr. Selesny had no history of heart
problems, said his brother. He was co-cap-
tain of the basketball team at Akiva and
continued to play basketball twice a week.
"He watched what he ate and exercised
constantly," said his brother. "God wanted
him. It's as simple as that."
Mr. Selesny's last visit to Detroit was
two weeks ago for an overnight stopover
to visit his parents and see Joey's baby. He
rushed back to Israel to be home for
Shabbat.
Joey Selesny remembered Michael's
scholastic powers: "My brother's ability in
learning was amazing. You could almost
see the light of God when you watched
him learning. It was almost as if he were
in Babylonia when they'were discussing
the Talmud, because he understood what
He served in World War II after becoming
an air corps officer through OCS. He was
called to service during the Korean War
and made it his career, also serving during
the Vietnam War. After he retired from
the service, he returned to Oklahoma
City, where he began a 17-year career as a
stock broker.
He is survived by his sons and daugh-
ters-in-law, Marvin and Jeannie, Sidney of
Tulsa, Okla., Jay and Debbie of Allen,
Texas; grandchildren Jill and Dr. Mitch
Dunn of Dallas, Cindy Chupack of
Marina Del Ray, Calif., Sheri and Stuart
Saginor of Boxford, Mass., Laura
Chupack of Tulsa, Paula and Sarah
Chupack of Allen, Texas; many great-
grandchildren; brothers and sister's-in-law
they meant, deeper than a normal person
could understand.
"He had an incredible grasp and an
incredible logic to figure out what the
Gemara and Talmud were telling us. He
was unbelievable.
"Michael was never unkind, he was
always a friend. He never treated anybody
as an inferior. He treated everybody like a
prince. He felt that that person, no matter
who he was, could teach him something
— about God, Torah, human nature,
humility — whatever it was."
Said Rabbi Goldberg. "I can certainly
say that, in his 29 years, he lived clearly a
century of good deeds and kindness and
sweetness and elegant love of the Jewish
nation."
Michael Selesney was eulogized at the
cemetery in Israel by Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi
Malin Galinsky of Yeshivat Sha'alvim and
Rabbi Avishai David, his congregational
rabbi in Israel. Brother Steven Selesny also
spoke there.
A memorial service was held in Passaic,
N.J., with eulogies by Rabbi Blau, the
dean of Yeshivat Rabeinu Yitchak
Elchanan of Yeshiva University; Rabbi
Yonathan Sacks of YU and the Selesnys'
former congregation in Passaic; Rabbi
Yisroel Kaminsetsky; Dr. Ido Lavi; and
friend Michael Olshen.
The Selesny family in Southfield lis-
tened to each service via telephone
hookup.
Mr. Selesny is survived by his wife,
Julie; daughters Tamar and Adina; sons
Chaim Dovid and Yaakov; parents
Abraham and Myra Selesny; brothers and
sisters-in-law Steven and Dina Selesny of
West Hempstead, N.Y., Joey and Chaya
Selesny of Oak Park; sisters and brothers-
in-law Gayle and Morry Priwler of Israel,
Stephanie and Gershon Tokayer of Israel;
grandmother Ethel Cohen; father-in-law
and mother-in-law Gary and Rose
Charlat; many nieces and nephews.
Interment was in Israel.
Call Hebrew Memorial Chapel for fur-
ther information. ❑
Julius and Ruth of Southfield, Harvey an
Muriel Weinberg of Livonia; sister Sylvia
Glantz of Walled Lake. He was also the
husband of the late Anne Cahn Chupack
and the late Frieda Klein.
MAE COHEN, 91, of West Bloomfield,
died Jan. 7. Mrs. Cohen was a member o
Women's American ORT and Hadassah.
She is survived by her son and daugh-
ter-in-law, Lawrence and Janice Cohen of
West Bloomfield; daughter Sharon
Minjares of Taylor; grandchildren Jamie
Cohen, Lowell and Suzanne Phillips,
Aaron Cohen, Jordan Cohen; great-grant
child Jonah; sisters and brother-in-law Id J
Rosner of West Bloomfield, Ann and Bil l
Zimmerman of Florida; brother, Joe