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December 12, 2003 - Image 14

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 2003-12-12

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

Something Extra

SS Guard Awaits Word

If Johann Leprich gets his wish, he'll be deported
to Germany.
Leprich, 77, of Clinton Township served as an
armed guard at Mauthausen, a Nazi Germany
concentration camp during World War II. He has
been under arrest since July when he was found
hiding in a secret compartment beneath the base-
ment staircase in his home.
Leprich, born in Romania,
immigrated to the United States
from Germany in 1952 and was
naturalized as a U.S. citizen in
1958. He had evaded capture since
1987, when his U.S. citizenship
was-revoked by the U.S. District
Court in Detroit. A federal judge
found that Leprich had assisted in
Nazi persecution while serving as
an armed SS Death's Head guard
at the Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Nazi-
annexed Austria from late 1943 until at least April
1944.
The government commenced deportation pro-
ceedings against Leprich following an investiga-
tion conducted by the FBI, the Department of
Homeland Security, the U.S. Attorney's Office in
Detroit and the Justice Department's O f fice of
Special Investigations (OSI).
OSI Director Eli Rosenbaum said, at his
agency's request, Assistant -Chief
Immigration Judge Larry Dean
modified his order to conform to
Leprich's designation of Germany
as his first-choice destination
country, followed by Romania and
Hungary.
"The Board of Immigration
Appeals has not yet decided our
appeal of the judge's decision to
Rosenbaum
release Leprich on bond, and
Leprich therefore remains in cus-
tody," Rosenbaum said.
There is no word on the deportation date or an
appeal, he said.

— Harry Kirsbaum

Innovative Shabbat Service

Congregation Beth Ahm members are getting
ready for a change. Beginning
Saturday, Dec. 13, Shabbat servic-
es will be shorter in duration, will
include an educational segment
and utilize a new prayer book.
The "Modern Conservative"
service will be led by Ronn Nadis
of Farmington Hills and Dr.
Howard Lupovitch of Maine — a
professor of Jewish history at
Popky
Colby University — who often
conducts services when visiting
family in West Bloomfield.

12/12

2003

14

"They will lead us in a spiritually uplifting,
musical harmony, creating a meaningful
Conservative service, blending English, Hebrew
and song," said Tessa Goldberg, Beth Ahm's exec-
utive director.
Five-hundred copies of Siddur Hadash for all
Sabbath and Festival Services were donated by
members Irving and Barbara Nusbaum of
Franklin to be used in the new service. Following
the Dec. 13 service, the Nusbaums will be hon-
ored by the congregation and Rabbi Charles
Popky will dedicate the siddurim.
The new service will begin in a trial mode, with
modifications made based on congregational
input.
Changes to the service will include the elimina-
tion of the repetition of the Amidah (silent
prayer) during Shacharit (morning service) and
the shortening ofpsukay dzimra (preliminary
Shabbat and holiday prayers). The Torah will be
read on a trienniel cycle, taking three years to
complete rather than on a yearly cycle.
On a Shabbat when a previously planned b'nai
mitzvah service is held, the originally scheduled
Toiah portion will be read, since the b'nai mitz-
vah candidate will have already studied that por-
tion.
Instead of the previous start time of 8:45 a.m.,
Shabbat services will begin at 9:30 a.m. and run
until approximately 11:30 a.m.
Each week, prior to services, Rabbi Popky will
lead a class discussing the weekly Torah portion.
Beth Ahm's Strategic Planning Committee,
together with the input of the rabbi and the
Ritual Committee, developed the outline for the
service and the choosing of the new siddur.
"Rabbi Popky has given a series of lectures over
the past three weeks about the prayer experience
and the understanding and appreciating of the
new siddur in order to enlighten and assist the
congregation with this transition," Goldberg said.

Related story: page 65

— Shelli Liebman Dorfman

Award-Winning Trio

Two years ago, the Chamber Music Society of
Detroit began planning a new award, known as
the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson International
Trio Award, designed to give a boost to young but
already established string trios.
On Dec. 2, the award's selection panel
announced its first winners: the Claremont Trio,
comprised of pianist Donna Kwong, violinist
Emily Bruskin and cellist Julia Bruskin.
After winning the 2001 Young Concert Artists
International Auditions, the trio, formed at the
Taos School of Music in 1999, made its New York
debut at the 92nd Street Y. Detroit-area audiences
last heard the group at the 2001 Great Lakes
Chamber Music Festival.
The trio award includes recital performances at
20 leading concert organizations throughout the
United States, a CD recording by Arabesque
Records and the use of a rare violin and cello

from Machold Rare Violins for the award period.
A different trio will be selected for the award
every two years.
"The award will benefit many people — accom-
plished young musicians and multitudes of audi-
ence members — all over the world," said Lois
Beznos, president of the Chamber Music Society,
which celebrates its 60th birthday this year.
The basis of the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson
International Trio Award is a $2.1 million endow-
ment, supported in part by the contribution of
$30,000 by each of 20 participating chamber
music presenters. Additional support has been
contributed by Samuel and Jean Frankel of
Bloomfield Hills and by the Matilda Wilson
Fund.

— Diana Lieberman

Camper Becca Fishman of West Bloomfield and coun-
selor Bryan Steckler of Montreal enjoy the Tamarack
reunion.

Summer Dreams

It's not too early to think about summer camp
2004.
On Nov. 28, about 400 campers and staff mem-
bers from the Tamarack Camps' 2003 season
enjoyed a reunion at the InLine Hockey Center at
the Jewish Community Center in West
Bloomfield. In between the skating and shmooz-
ing, many of those at the reunion registered for
the 2004 season.
The event was the largest reunion in memory
for Tamarack Camps, the Fresh Air Society pro-
gram that runs Camp Maas in Ortonville, Camp
Kennedy in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Agree
Outpost Camp in Wawa, Ont., Canada, and sev-
eral teen adventure trips.
"We had a very successful summer last year —
that's why we had such a successful reunion," said
Jonah Geller, the Fresh Air Society's executive
director.
Next on the Fresh Air Society agenda is
"Hooked on Nature," a series of outdoor educa-
tion programs for Jewish day and supplementary
schools beginning in January and running until
Tu b'Shevat (Feb. 7).
For more information about Tamarack Camps
or any other Fresh Air Society program, call (248)
647-1100.

— Diana Lieberman

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