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Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
www.detroitjewishnews.com

an honorary doctor of humane letters by
HUC-JIR
Dennis Frank of West Bloomfield, first
.vice president of Temple Beth El, noted
SHARON LUCKERMAN
how unpretentious the rabbi was. "Rabbi Gutmann was gentle,
and, in spite of his brilliance, he was so unassuming."
Sta Writer
Born in Germany, Rabbi Gutmann fled the Nazis with his par-
abbi Joseph Gutmann taught rabbinical students
ents and came to the United States in 1936. At 19, he was drafted
Jewish history at Hebrew Union College-Jewish
out of high school and, because of his knowledge of German, had
Institute of Religion in Cincinnati
the responsibility of interrogating Nazi war crimi-
during the 1960s — and then
nals and prisoners of war, said Rabbi Syme. He was
taught art history at Wayne State University in
also an army chaplain. While in the army, Rabbi
Detroit for two decades. •
Gutmann met Bernard Stein, an attorney who left
"My husband was a pioneer in the study of
the law after the war to become a rabbi. When the
Jewish art," said Marilyn Gutmann. "He did
young Gutmann visited Rabbi Stein and attended
much of his work in Jewish life cycles, customs
services, he met Marilyn, the woman who would
and ceremonies. His books were mostly on
become his wife. A year later, they were married
Judaism and its relationship to art"
and he began rabbinical school.
Rabbi Gutmann, 80, of Huntington Woods,
In recent years, Rabbi Gutmann
died Feb. 1, 2004, of complications from cancer.
participated in the Scholars
His pulpit career included service as interim
Trialogue, a Detroit-area group of
associate rabbi at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield
Jewish, Christian and Muslim lead-
Towns. hip and at Pontiac's Temple Beth Jacob.
ers who presented papers about the
Rabbi Gutmann wrote extensively on the
- Rabbi Joseph Gutmann
• traditions and ongoing changes in
unearthing of the earliest evidence of Jewish
religion.
paintings discovered in 1932 on the walls of the
"Joe was one of those rare individuals who was
Dura-Europos synagogue in what - is now Syria. The finding
not only a reb but a mentsh," said Rabbi Syme. "He touched a
shattered the idea that Jews had no early art, said his wife.
lot of lives.
"Rabbi Guttman was a fabulous artist, which was his early aspira-
Rabbi Gutmann is survived by his wife, Marilyn; daughter
tion, and got his master's from New York Universitis Institute of
and son-in-law, Sharon and Stuart Trosch of Auburn Hills; son
Fine Arts," said Rabbi Daniel Syme of Temple Beth El. "Finding he
and daughter-in-law, David and Robin Gutmann of Clayton,
could never be a master of art, he became a master of art history. He
Mo.; and granddaughter Rebecca Gutmann.
was a great scholar and published 19 books. He was also a curator
Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may
of the Hebrew Union College museum."
be made to Temple Beth El or Farmington Hills Hospice.
Rabbi Gutmann received seven honorary degrees, including
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. ❑

Uniting Judaism And Art

R

•

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Susan Podolsky of Virginia. "His first love was learning."
"His study and understanding of Torah never ceased," said
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff of Congregation Shaarey Zedek. "He
continually immersed himself in scholarly dissertations on
DAVID SACHS
the origin and interpretations of the Holy Word."
Senior Copy Editor
In 1991, Gov. John Engler appointed Mr.
Podolsky to the Liquor Control
S eymour Podolsky graduated Harvard
Commission. He spent eight years there,
Law School and closed his career as an
serving the LCC as an administrative law
administrative law judge — with 35
judge in both trial and appellate cases.
years in the family beer-and-wine
"One of the big contributions he made to the
business in between.
LCC was ensuring that defendants — who
Mr. Podolsky, 81, died Jan. 26, 2004. He
could be fined or have theit license taken away
grew up in Wyandotte and graduated the
— received due proCess within the full meaning
University of Michigan in 1942. After servic-
of the term," said his daughter. "The concept of
ing as a Air Corps first lieutenant in the
due process was very important to him."
Pacific during World War II, he graduated
A resident of Detroit, Mr. Podolsky was
Harvard Law School in 1949. He practiced
the first Jewish board member of the Detroit
law with attorney Harry Nayer, but, in 1953,
Golf Club.
joined his father and. brother in the family's
Seymour Podolsky is survived by his wife,.
Seymour Podolsky
beer-and-wine wholesalership in Wyandotte.
Dorothy Podolsky; daughter, Susan Podolsky
When the business closed in 1988, he pur-
of Virginia; son, Jeffrey Podolsky of New York;
sued further education — studying philoso-
brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Shirley Podolsky.
phy and English literature at Wayne State University and
He was the loving-brother of the late Helen Posner.
religion at the University of Detroit.
Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Arrangements by
"He really wanted to go back to school," said daughter
Ira Kaufman Chapel. ❑

Love Of Learning

SADIE BENNETT, 92, of Delray
Beach, Fla., died Jan. 12, 2004.
She is survived by her son and
daughter-in-law, Charles and Marcia
Bennett of Oak Park; daughter, Phyllis
Bennett of Delray Beach; daughter-in-
law and son-in-law, Rochelle and
Edward Kohl of Farmington Hills;
eight grandchildren; 15 great-grand-
children. Mrs. Bennett was the
beloved wife of the late George
Bennett; loving mother of the late
Howard Bennett; loving sister of the
late Max Lieberman, the late Harrry
Lieberman.
Contributions may be made to a
charity of one's choice. Services and
interment at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew
Memorial Chapel.

FRANK MICHAEL "MIKEY"
BUTLER, 24, of Squirrel Hill, Pa.,
died Jan. 26, 2004. He was born with
cystic fibrosis.
At the insistence of the Make-A-
Wish Foundation, Mr. Butler wished
to make his bar mitzvah in Israel, and
the foundation fulfilled this wish.
In 1995, he was a field tester of
Starbright, an interactive computer net- -
work that inked children's hospitals. He
was also the emcee at the Washington,
D.C., unveiling of the system.
Mr. Butler entered Yeshiva University
in New York and was involved with
student government. In 2001, he was
awarded his bachelor's degree. He also
volunteered at a camp for children with
special needs and was active in the
National Council of Synagogue Youth.
Mr. Butler is survived by his moth-
er, Nina Butler; father, Judge Daniel
E. Butler; brothers, Geoffrey, Andrew,
Joseph; sister, Mollie; grandmother,
Sylvia Butler, all of Squirrel Hill;
grandparents, Morris and Phyllis
Novetsky of Southfield.
Contributions may be made to the
scholarship fund of Hillel Academy
Foundation, 5685 Boston St.
Pittsburgh, Pa., 15217.

MARCELLE D. COHEN, 95, of
Detroit, died Jan. 28, 2004.
She is survived by her sons and
daughter-in-law, Dan Cohen of
Westland, Ezra and Raya Cohen of
Lawrence, N.Y.; daughter, Doris
Shemtov of West Bloomfield; brothers,
Naji Dabby of London, England,
Ruben Dabby of London, England; _
sister, Rima Dabby of London,
England; grandchildren, Abraham
Cohen, Michelle (Matthew) Weinberg,

2/ 6
2004

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