`Why' Doesn't Matter
After losing his family and business, Gary Weinstein copes by giving back.
RONELLE GRIER
Special to the Jewish News
L
ess than four months after
Gary Weinstein of Farmington
Hills suffered the devastating
loss of his wife, Judy, and their two
sons, Sam, 9, and Alex, 12, in a fatal
car crash, he faced yet another person-
al setback. His business, Weinstein
Jewelers of Novi, was destroyed by a
fire on Wednesday, Aug. 24.
"One of the most difficult things is
that I didn't want to make any major
decisions so soon, and now I don't
have a choice," Weinstein said in an
exclusive interview with the Jewish
News. "Finding a new location
involves decision-making, but if we
don't reopen, that's a decision, too.
The one thing I'm sure of is that
Weinstein Jewelers of Novi will con-
tinue in some form or fashion."
Although he has kept in constant
touch with the staff at the Novi store,
Weinstein had not been involved its
day-to-day operations since the acci-
dent that took the lives'of his family.
Instead, he has been
spending time with
friends, working on char-
itable projects, such as
the Weinstein Theater
Enrichment Fund that
gives scholarships to stu-
dents interested in the
arts, and attending semi-
nars sponsored by
Landmark Education, a
personal growth organi-
zation with which his
late wife was very
involved.
Despite his own chal-
lenges, his main concern
is giving back to the
community that has
given him so much sup-
port.
"I've spent a lot of
time outdoors, taking
walks, being with peo-
ple," he said. "I know
that sitting in the house
alone and moping does-
n't serve ,me well. The
Landmark program has
helped me stay in the
present instead of being
grounded in the past. Not a day goes
by that I don't break down, wailing at
my loss, but I know there's a world
out there that is full of possibilities."
Up From The Ashes
On the morning of the fire, which
started in the early hours, Weinstein
was awakened by a call from his alarm
company.
"From the way they described which
zones had set off the alarm, I knew
there was a major problem and that I
had to get right over there," said
Weinstein. "When I turned the corner
and saw the roof on fire, everything
seemed kind of surreal. My mind was
whirling; I just kept focusing on what
needed to be done.
"My staff has been wonderful," said
Weinstein. "They all stepped up to the
plate after the accident, and nobody's
stopping now It's very inspiring."
The fire was determined to be acci-
dental by Detective Brian Salenik of
the Oakland Country Sheriff's
Department, according to Weinstein's
attorney, Stuart Sklar of Fabian, Sklar
and King, a firm specializing in fire
and property damage.
According to Weinstein, the store's
4.5-ton safe survived the fire and was
quickly removed from the premises.
He added that none of his customers'
jewelry sustained damage, and that
repairs and other pending matters
would be handled as expediently as
possible. He is looking for a tempo-
rary location in the Novi area, and
hopes to reopen in the near future.
The Weinstein family business,
which has many second-generation
customers, dates back to the 1950s,
when Gary's late father, Fred, and his
brothers opened a few jewelry stores
throughout the Detroit area.
Gary's own career began as a youth,
working weekends and after school at
Weinstein Jewelers of Bloomfield,
located at Maple and Orchard Lake
roads, in West Bloomfield. He found
he had an aptitude for design, and he
enjoyed carving models and setting
stones to bring his visions to life.
"There's something about sitting
down with a block of gold and creat-
ing a beautiful piece of jewelry, and to
imagine that it may even become a
family heirloom someday," said
Weinstein, a certified gemologist. "It's
a very personal and sentimental busi-
ness."
Weinstein Jewelers of Novi was born
18 years ago when Gary's mother,
Bertha Weinstein of West Bloomfield,
had a dream about a new store. Gary
decided the time was right to make
the dream.a reality and began looking
for a site.
"I immediately fell in love with this
location," said Weinstein of the store
on Grand River, west of Meadow-
brook Road. "It didn't look anything
like a typical strip center. I didn't even
know whether or not it was actually
available, but I knew it would be the
perfect spot."
Weinstein designed the store interior
himself, utilizing half.the space as a
showroom and half as a work area.
He enjoyed giving free public semi-
`WHY' DOESN'T MATTER
on page 30
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9/ 8
2005
29