Obituaries

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The No. 1 Fiddler

Leonard Poger
Copy Editor

T

o diners, Michael Kuchersky

was an owner of the 7-year-
old Fiddler International restau-
rant in West Bloomfield and
three Sunrise Cafes. To thou-
sands of local Russian Jewish
immigrants he was their benev-
olent "godfather" for nearly 30
years, said his son, Daniel.
Mr. Kuchersky was in the first
wave of Russian Jewish immi-
grants to arrive in the area in
the mid-1970s and soon
became a central figure in help-
ing them find jobs and assimi-
late into American society.
"People came to him with
problems, and he always knew
where to go" for discounts or
to find a job, Daniel said.
Mr. Kuchersky, 60, of West
Bloomfield, died Sept 21,
2005, at a spiritual retreat in
Abadiania, Brazil.
Diagnosed with stomach can-
cer in 2001, Mr. Kucherky went
to the Brazilian retreat, return-
ing home healed. When he was
later diagnosed with melanoma,
his last wish was to come back
(to the retreat), his son said.
He was always interested in
cooking, said Tamara Friedman,
owner of Tamara's Spa in
Farmington Hills, and a friend.
He was always "bringing people
together and having a big fami-
ly around him.
Son Daniel added that his
father was the general manager
of one of Moscow's largest

restaurants before immigrating
to the United States.
More recently, Mr.
Kurchersky observed that
Detroit didn't have a Russian
restaurant like other major
American cities, said Friedman.
He opened the Fiddler restau-
rant on Orchard Lake Road
south of Maple in September
1998, concentrating on Russian
food, wine and music.
The Fiddler was the latest of
his businesses, which includes
three area Sunrise Cafes, two in
Southfield and one in
Farmington Hills.
Friedman, who arrived in the
United States from the Ukraine
in 1975, first met Mr.
Kuchersky a year later when
they and a handful of other
Russian Jewish immigrants were
in the same English language
class.
"When we first arrived, we
didn't know of the American
culture and we wanted to have
a little bit of Russia here," she
said. The [Fiddler] restaurant
would be a place where
Russians could meet."
"When Michael and I were on
a committee to raise money for
Israel, he donated the food and
musicians at the restaurant,"
she recalled.
As a restaurant owner, Mr.
Kuchersky resembled a host
welcoming people into his
home, Friedman added. "Even
non-Russian customers enjoyed
watching the Russian cus-
tomers having fun. Everyone

FRED Z. ACKERMAN, 50, of Deerfield,
Fla., formerly of Detroit, died Sept. 21,
2005.
He is survived by his parents, Cantor
Shabtai and Dora Ackerman of Florida;
son, Jeffrey Ackerman; sister and broth-
er-in-law, Leah and Jerome Freedman of
Florida.
Interment at Beth Abraham Cemetery.
Contributions may be made to the
Holocaust Memorial Center or to a char-
ity of one's choice. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

176

enjoyed it. Some people stayed
until 5 or 6 in the morning. No
one wanted to leave."
Niece Jennifer Thurswell of
Birmingham said her uncle was
"a very caring" person "who
helped other Russian Jews with
jobs and anything they needed
to help them make the transi-
tion" into American life.
Daniel said his father "was
always a big giver, putting him-
self last behind others. He was
always in charge — a leader,
like a general leading the
pack."
His father had another trait.
"He never gave up," Daniel
recalled. "He would use the
back door if he couldn't get
through the front door."
Daniel said his father, a
strong family man, left the
Soviet Union to find a better
life. After he immigrated to the
United States, he helped other
relatives come here.
A favorite activity was to take
his grandchildren on nature
walks, he added.
Mr. Kuchersky's business
career in the United States
started shortly after arriving
from Moscow with his wife,
Maya, and son, Roman. He
opened a small hamburger
diner in Hazel Park. In 1982, he
bought the Waffle House on
Northwestern Highway near
Beck in Southfield and convert-
ed it into the first of several
Sunrise Cafes.
Jewish News Senior Columnist
Danny Raskin wrote about the

EDITH "EDE" ALLENDER, of
Philadelphia, formerly of Michigan, died
Sept. 25, 2005.
She is survived by her sons and
daughters-in-law, Jerome and Donna
Allender, Skip and Suzanne Allender,
Robert Allender and Lisa Pack; daugh-
ter, Julie Allender; sisters, Sylvia Markle,
Freda Doroff, Gwen Halpern; brother, Ed
Glucklick; seven grandchildren; two
great-grandchildren. She was the
beloved wife of the late Frank Allender
and the late Leo Friedman.

Michael Kuchersky

Fiddler in 1999, commenting
that his menus remind cus-
tomers of the restaurants their
parents and grandparents
enjoyed eating at on Detroit's
west side.
Mr. Kurchersky is survived by
his wife, Maya; sons and daugh-
ter-in-law Roman and Lidia
Kuchersky of West Bloomfield
and Daniel Kuchersky of West
Bloomfield; grandchildren

Interment at Machpelah Cemetery.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

ANNE APTEKAR, 87, of Novi, died
Sept. 19, 2005.
She is survived by her husband,
Milton Aptekar; sons and daughter-in-
law, Richard Aptekar of California,
Stuart Aptekar of California, Ken
Aptekar and Eunice Lipton of France;
daughter and son-in-law, Lucy Aptekar
and Gerry Leader of Massachusetts;
grandchildren, Jeff and Nicole Aptekar,

Andrian and Gabriel Kuchersky;
aunts Sofya Vulman of Oak Park
and Galina Patapkina, of Oak
Park and nieces Jennifer
Thurswell and Regina Pavlov,
both of Birmingham.
He was the brother of the late
Galina Pavlov, who died four
months ago.
Interment at Hebrew
Memorial Park. Arrangements
by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

Dan Aptekar, Nicole Aptekar, Rory
Aptekar, Wren Aptekar Leader, Jody
Leader and Paul McLean, Kristin Leader
and Nicola Moscufo; great-grandchil-
dren, Jerilyn McLean, Michela Moscufo
and Emily Moscufo. She was the loving
sister of the late Milford Molodofsky, the
late Pearl Rosenthal; dear sister-in-law
of the late Shirley Molodofsky and the
late Gerald Rosenthal.
Interment at B'nai Israel.
Contributions may be made to the
Alzheimer's Association or to Visiting

September 29 2005