Owners cobs
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Catch the new spirit at a
Judaica emporium in West
Bloomfield.

BY JODI CHARNAS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANGIE BAAN

here's an exciting energy at
Esther's Judaica in West
Bloomfield, created by new
owners David Mendelson
and Coby Goutkovitch. Mendelson
and Goutkovitch bought Esther's in
September of this year and have
already begun making big changes
with even larger plans for the near
future.
Mendelson and Goutkovitch want
their store to represent every aspect of
Judaism and of Jewish culture. They
hope people will come into Esther's
for special and personal items they

T

O 14

11/28
2003

20G

won't be able to find anywhere else. "I
grew up thinking Judaism was mourn-
ful and sad," Mendelson explains. "It
had a negative spin, it felt oppressive.
It didn't feel fun and light." •
Mendelson doesn't think that Judaism _
should be associated with this gloomy
sentiment; instead, he wants to show
our community the beauty that can be
created from our religion.
The new owners want to use their
store to service the community. In the
future, they hope to create a "wish list"

(continued on page 22)

