For Openers

At Meyers And Curtis,
Two Worlds Unite

I

never went to the
Jewish Community
Center when it was on
Meyers and Curtis.
By the time I had moved
to Detroit 23 years ago, the
building had been taken over
by the city and renamed the
Northwest Activities Center
(NAC).
A few Jews still had mem-
berships there. Some played
sports or used the steam room. But Sharing memories are Melba Winer of
West Bloomfield; Irwin Shaw, past exec-
as the '90s progressed, few
utive director of the JCC; Harriet Berg
remained.
From 1980-1998, I did massages of Detroit and Lany Edwards, director
in the ladies' locker room. Many of of the Northwest Activities Center
the women I met over the years
were like family — we shared births and deaths, holiday celebrations and
interpretations of major news events.
I learned a perspective I got nowhere else, like why it was difficult for
African-American woman at first to accept Anita Hill's "telling" on Clarence
Thomas or why O.J. Simpson was so hard to dismiss. Many African-
American women had known abuse, and had learned not to air dirty laun-
dry in public.
Though it was time to move on, I left the center with a heavy heart. The
building was falling apart. When it rained, the locker room had it's own
waterfall." Cockroaches were not uncommon.
Rumors flew that the center would eventually close.
Then this year, a former massage client called to tell me the center was
remodeled.
"You'll never recognize it!" she said. "It's really beautiful."
What a wonderful surprise to learn the Detroit Jewish Initiatives of the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit was part of the $11 million part-
nership with four Detroit community centers, including the NAC.
While reporting on an open house attended by the Jewish and Detroit
communities Sunday as part of the JCC's 75th anniversary, I felt the two
separate worlds in my Detroit experience had come together. I knew the
building was important to the Detroit community, but Sunday I learned
how memorable it is to the Jewish community. D

— Sharon Luckerman, staff writer

Look for fuller coverage of the open house and the JCC's 75th anniversary
year in an upcoming issue.

GRAPEJEWZ

BY

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©2001

By Goldfein

I

srael is holy to Jews, Christians
and Muslims. Can you name a
fourth religion that has its world
headquarters in Israel?

n m

) Mideast Update

For the latest news put.ofthe - Middle
East, plus a terrorism timeline,
log on, to:

www.detrOitjewishnews.com/news

TEITeg Dill :13/ASITV

wrixed Review

Yiddish Limericks

A fella once told his pal Lou,
"Have I got a beauty for you.
She may be a twit,
But, Lou, zorg zich nit; -
Your mind won't be on her I.Q."

— Martha Jo Fleischmann

In study, Reform Movement takes
stock of outreach to intermarrieds.
Read all about it:
www.detroitjewishnews.com/news

) Jail Bound

Two brothers are sentenced to jail for
arsons at California synagogues.
Read all about it:

www.detroitjewishnews.com/news

'` don't worry

) Rome's Jews

Quotables

"Max Fisherrhas seen it all and
he knows it all. We are very
fortunate to have someone like
him in the Jewish world."

—Binyamin Netanyahu,
former Israeli prime minister
on Detroit Jewry's patriarch,
speaking at a Jewish Federation Max Fisher
of Metropolitan Detroit-
sponsoredfitnd-raiser
in Southfield.

"What's it like returning to the old JCC build-
ing on Meyers and Curtis? Sad and nostalgic. It
was the heart of the Jewish community. It's
beautiful and I'm so thrilled that it's not
destroyed and that people in the community
take advantage of this building."

Learn more of what is considered
the oldest continuous Jewish
community in Europe.
Read all about it:
www.detroitjewishnews.com/news

) What's Eating Harry
Kirsbaum?

The true partners.
After last weekend, the American
government joins Israel's fight
against terrorism.
Talk back at:
www. d etroitiewishnews.com/opinion

— Lillian Bernstein of Detroit, at an open
house for the old Jewish Communi t y Center, now
Detroit's Northwest Activities Center.

JOUR
CRISIS CHANUKAH
DREAM

A GAIN?

(

ONL.t THIS
Time I WAS A
PRIDEL. LAST

- 1-(ME 1 WAS

1-ATK(; THAT KEPT
FRI E D !

) Happy Chanukah!

Share your holiday wishes with JN
Online Chanukah areetinc, cards!

www.detroitjewishnews.com/greetings

— Joshua Paul Cane,
JN Online Web producer

2001

11

