"For decades, the Detroit Jewish News has served
its readers well. A fire may have destroyed its
offices, but I am confident that this fine institu-
tion will emerge stronger than ever. Especially at
a time such as this, when the Jewish News plays
such a vital role informing the community
about current events in Israel, I hope that nor-
mal publishing resumes rapidly."
— U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg, R-Farming-ton Hills

Starting Over

Danny Raskin assesses 60 years of loss in Jewish News fire.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN

StaffWriter

f the old adage that "the
more you have, the more
you have to lose" holds
true, then Danny Raskin
has lost more than most.
Raskin, senior account execu-
tive and local columnist, began
his Jewish News career with the
first issue 60 years ago. He has
spent his adult life accumulating
professional and personal artifacts
and documents, most of which
were destroyed by fire, smoke or
water in the Jan. 27 blaze at the
paper's Southfield offices.
The afternoon following the
fire, Raskin was able to briefly
survey the loss. "We couldn't even
open the door at first," he says.
"We pushed and pushed and
pushed, but the roof had fallen
down and it blocked the door."
Finally gaining entrance, he
made his way through rubble,
somberly assessing the status of
irreplaceable photos, awards and
memorabilia.
"The first thing I looked for
was a book by Aaron DeGroot,
food editor for Esquire magazine,"
he says. "To me, he is the essence
of a food critic. He gave the book
to me 30 years ago. I found it,
but it was burned."
Also destroyed in the office he
inhabited for 13 years were
Raskin's family pictures, treasured
books and gifts and notes for

future columns.
A laptop computer filled with
"addresses and phone numbers and
records galore" was retrieved from
a puddle in his office, but wouldn't
work. "It was saved, but it was wet
and full of smoke," he says.
"And all that candy," Raskin
says of his file cabinet drawers,
full of sweets. "I always have
boxes of candy for everyone.
Anyone who needed a chocolate
fix or came into the office with
little kids knew where to go," says
Raskin.
"My desk was always cluttered
with papers and files because my
drawers and cabinets were filled
with licorice, Baby Ruths and
boxes of Junior Mints."

Decades Of Saving

Destroyed was a pile of menus,
accumulated since the early
1940s, including a cherished 150-
year-old Charles Dickens menu
from Delmonico's in New York.
"I have menus from all the fine
dining places," he says, quickly
editing the word "have" to "had."
Pictures of Raskin with celebri-
ties like Henry Fonda, Anthony
Quinn, Wayne Newton, Paul
Anka — and a group photo with
the "Rat Pack" in front of the
Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas — had
been stored in a file box on the
office floor. "They were dam-
aged," he says. "The autographs
were all smeared. If I see Paul and

Wayne again, I'll take a new pic-
ture, but the others are gone."
With his extraordinary memory,
Raskin reviews aloud every inch
of his office. His walls had been
covered with awards and special
photos. That memory will help
him re-create columns and notes
stored in the laptop or written by
hand on paper, now gone.
One unexpected bright note in
Raskin's week was a visit from
Michael Kuchersky, whose
Sunrise Cafes and Fiddler restau-
rant are frequently mentioned in
Raskin's columns.
"He came to my house Tuesday
night and handed me the Variety
Club Heart Award that had been
hanging on my office wall,"
Raskin says. "He went to the
Jewish News to see the damage
and found my award. It was
charred around the edges, but at
least I have it back."
Raskin, who recently turned 83,
is now settling into his new,
empty office in the temporary
Jewish News quarters in
Farmington Hills.
"I've worked in six buildings of
the Jewish News and have never
had a totally clean office," he says.
"Every time I move I bring a lot
of stuff with me."
Starting over for Raskin may
mean beginning with "new menus
and more candy," he says. But he
adds that he will also bring along
60 years worth of memories that
fire couldn't destroy. ❑

"We were very concerned whether the fire was
an act of violence. We were uplifted that this
was not the case, both for the newspaper and for
the Horwitz family.
"If there's anybody in this community who
has the wherewithal to lead in these circum-
stances, it's Arthur Horwitz.
"The Jewish News is the reflective center of the
metropolitan Detroit Jewish community, a way
for the Jewish community to take pride in its
accomplishments. We were all holding our
breaths until Arthur uttered the words, 'We'll be
printing next week.'"

— Dr. Mark Smiley, headmaster, Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit

"I've heard the Jewish community reached out
to support the Jewish News, which is wonderful.
And I hope archival material is not lost. The JN
brings the Jewish community together by pro-
viding viewpoints of all aspects of our Jewish
community — all ages, streams and religions."

— Lisa Lis, Farmington Hills

"I read the Jewish News every week — I wanted
to be a journalist and now want to go to rab-
binical school — for birth announcements and
to know what's going on in the Jewish commu-
nity. The editorials make me think even if I
don't agree with them."

— Ariella Lis, 15, Farmington Hills

"I just want to say you're an inspiration to us all
here at Federation. Friday's issue of the Detroit
Jewish News will be one we'll keep forever. In
our hearts ... you guys are heroes."

— Vivian Henoch, marketing and communications,
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit

"My first reaction was, 'Were people hurt?' And
next, knowing the history within that building,
my concern was that the paper will continue to
produce. I hope their records can be salvaged."

— Miriam Starkman, executive director,
Hillel of Metropolitan Detroit

"The free press is the guardian of our liberties
and the Jewish News is our guardian."

— State Rep. Marc Shulman, R-West Bloomfield

"I was shocked to hear about the fire. My con-
cern? Am I going to get my paper on Friday. It's
value? To know what's going on in the Jewish
community. I don't have a large family... so this
is how I get news about the community."

—Bertha Davidson, Livonia

2/1

2002

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