Metro
Hate In Windsor
Jews are targeted with anti-Semitic graffiti.
HARRY KIRSBAUM
StaffWriter
T
wo prominent Jewish families
in Windsor were targeted by
hatred when swastikas
appeared on their property between
the evening of Aug. 3 and the morn-
ing of Aug. 4.
A swastika was discovered painted
on the driveway of attorney Harvey
Strosberg's Victoria Boulevard home
on Aug. 4. Within hours, another
spray-painted swastika was found on a
sign at Tepperman's, an Ouellette
Avenue furniture business.
Strosberg said he was disappointed
by the graffiti. "We have a very peace-
ful and tolerant community with
many ethnicities living together in rel-
ative harmony," said Strosberg, who is
offering a $5,000 reward for informa-
tion leading to the arrest of the perpe-
trator or perpetrators. "This is just
totally out of character and utterly
unacceptable for the vast majority of
Canadians."
Strosberg's daughter, Sharon, said
she was shocked. "This is such an iso-
lated incident," she said. "We're very
secure in our city — it's a multicultur-
al city and we live in peace with our
neighbors — so we were so shocked to
see a swastika at my dad's home. I
can't even describe it."
Her maternal grandparents were
Holocaust survivors, she said.
Noah Tepperman, a store executive
and son of the owners, said both fami-
lies have received sympathy and sup-
port from the community.
"Everybody seems to be duly out-
raged by this," Tepperman said. "The
first call I got was from a gentleman
who I've never heard of before. His
church group had a vandalism incident
a few years ago, and he was simply call-
ing to say what a crime he thought it
was and to give me the practical infor-
mation in terms of cleaning it up that
the police had given him."
Windsor police are classifying the
rvey Strosberg at his driveway.
graffiti as a hate crime, said Staff Sgt.
Ed McNorton. "The offense is actually
mischief— damaging property, but
when we take these matters to court we
ask the judge for increased penalties."
So far, there are no suspects.
Anita Bromberg, human rights
coordinator for B'nai B'rith Canada,
said these incidents highlight the
increasing levels of threats that Jews
are experiencing in Canada.
She cited an audit by her group
showing that the 857 anti-Semitic
incidents in 2004 represented a 46
percent increase from 2003, and that
369 incidents were vandalism.
"Jews are being targeted more and
more in their homes," she said. ❑
Cemeteries Merge
Old sections in neighboring Workmen's Circle will be cared for by Hebrew -Memorial Park.
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
W
ith dwindling funds and no
young generation taking
over the records and
responsibility, many of the independ-
ent sections that are part of the
Workmen's Circle Cemetery in
Clinton Township have asked the
adjacent Hebrew Memorial Park at 14
Mile and Gratiot to take over their
upkeep.
At least nine of the 12 cemeteries
will formally be deeded to the Hebrew
Memorial Society on Aug. 25. They
include Workmen's Circle, Ostrovitzer,
Yiddishe Folks Farein, Beth Shmuel,
Independent Detroit Lodge, Stoliner,
Beth Isaac, B'nai Jacob and Turover
Farein. Beth Yehudah has decided to
remain independent, while
Mezeritcher and Tomoshover are still
considering the move.
Rabbi Boruch Levin, executive
director of Hebrew Memorial, said his
1 0
2005
organization wants to maintain the
identity of the independent cemeter-
ies. "We don't want to lose the auton-
omy of the sections," he said.
"Eventually, we will have our own
name [out front on Gratiot], but we
will maintain the old names."
The fate of the chain-link fence that
separates the cemeteries from Hebrew
Memorial to the south has long been
debated, the rabbi said. "Will it make
it easier for people [to move between
the cemeteries] ?" he asked. At present,
it is impractical for visitors to walk
between the two large cemeteries. A
pedestrian could pass through the
fence at the eastern end of Workmen's
Circle, but the vast majority of per-
sons visiting both cemeteries drive
back out to Gratiot to go between the
two.
A gentile family that has served as
caretakers for two generations and
lived for decades in a house on Gratiot
inside the Workmen's Circle gate is
leaving this year. Rabbi Levin said he
hopes to keep the house and find a
new caretaker. "It's always good to
have someone on the property. We did
that at Beth Ahm," he said.
Three years ago, Hebrew Memorial
took over the Beth Ahm Cemetery, a
quarter of a mile away on Little Mack.
Under the arrangement, the cemeteries
give their remaining assets and records
to Hebrew Memorial. The society does
not pay to purchase the assets.
To illustrate the problem of the
small cemeteries, Rabbi Levin said the
Ostrovitzer section is run by retired
Wayne County Circuit Judge Michael
Stacey. "He's 85 or 86," said Rabbi
Levin, "and he's nervous about what
will happen when he goes. Who will
take care of the property, and who will
maintain the records?"
The Ostrovitzer assets are $12,000.
Hebrew Memorial will invest those
funds and use the proceeds, and its
own funds, to maintain the cemetery.
Many of the sponsoring organiza-
tions of the independent cemeteries
were landsmanshafin, groups of immi-
grants from the same towns in Eastern
Europe who came to Detroit from the
1890s to the 1930s. They formed
societies, based on their native towns,
to help each other. For most, the
cemetery is the last remnant of the
organization.
Rabbi Levin said the board of the
nonprofit Hebrew Memorial Society
feels a responsibility to the cemeteries
and the Jewish community. "We want
to make sure the people are cared for.
We want to make sure the Jewishness
of the cemeteries is maintained," he
said. This includes Jewish burial cus-
toms, taharah — preparation of the
body — and wooden caskets.
"We want to make sure that the
Jewish cemetery right next to us looks
as good as ours.
The rabbi said Hebrew Memorial
Park has undergone extensive improve-
ments in recent years, including beauti-
fication and construction of a chapel-
office facility.
"