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To Life!

Fun
with itSY

Volunteer motivates seniors with
exercise and a positive attitude.

George Cantor
Special to the Jewish News

H

ere comes Itsy. Let's have
some fun. Erwin
Lieberman, known by his
childhood nickname by his friends
at the Fleischman Residence in
West Bloomfield, walks to the cen-
ter'of the building's atrium. The
seniors have been gathering in
anticipation of this for the last 10
minutes.
Most are using walkers or canes,
a few are in wheelchairs. Almost all
are in their 80s, at a minimum.
Itsy, dressed in his workout
clothes, looks around. Someone is
missing.
"Where's Sammy," he yells. "Get
up here, Sammy. This whole exer-
cise revolves around you."
Sam Malkes, 89, dapper in a
light blue cap, makes his way to •
the middle of the atrium and takes
the seat of honor. Now Lieberman
is ready to begin his class — exer-
cises in ancient Chinese physical
disciplines for people who can
barely walk across the room
unaided.
"This is my joy," says •
Lieberman, 62, a highly successful
executive and the leading sales
producer in the history of the pro-
motional products business,
. according to the Advertising
Institute of America. His monthly
appearances at Fleischman, how-
ever, have nothing to do with pro-
moting anything.
"When I see a smile on their
faces:' he says, "and I know these
exercises are making them feel
good, giving them flexibility and
health, that's what's rewarding."
Many of the seniors following
Itsy's directions probably knew his
dad, the legendary restaurant
owner and caterer Sammy
Lieberman. They may have eaten a
corned beef sandwich at Avalon
Sam's, his deli at Linwood and
Davison, or at Sammy's in Oak
Park. Or maybe they danced at a

wedding or bar mitzvah at his
Raleigh House in Southfield.
"My dad was the most unathlet-
ic-looking guy you can imagine
Lieberman says. "A 5-foot 4-inch
jelly roll. If he were here today he'd
look at these exercises I'm leading,
feel the muscles in my arm, shake
his head and walk away. The only
ball he ever threw was a matzah
ball.
"But did he have charisma,"
Lieberman says. "He was a charac-
ter. right out of Damon Runyon.
Big cigar always in his mouth. And
one thing he taught me is that you
give back to life what life gives to
you. If you want an explanation of
why I come here every month,
there it is."
Sammy Lieberman died in
1982.
"But I still run into people, very
successful people in this commu-
nity, who have great memories of
him and tell me about favors my
dad did for them," his son says. "He
never mentioned it to anyone or
looked for credit."
"Itsy brings such great energy,'
says Janet Antin, activities director
at Fleischman. "It's dynamite. The
people here love him. He's heimish
(unpretentious) and warm and he
gets them going. They really need
that.
"I have seen people who were
unresponsive all week get into it
when Itsy starts them waving their
arms. He just connects with them."

Let's Get Moving

About 20 people are seated around
the atrium. Lieberman leads them
through meditation, simple
stretching, deep.chanting to loosen
up the diaphragm.
"Let me see it',' he calls. "Come
on. Paint the sky. Get those hands
up, way up. Fingers out. Sam, you're
my captain. Show 'em how its
done."
The exercise is one of the Eight

Right: Fleischman

resident Marvin

Revictr follows the

movements of volun-

teer instructor Erwin

"Itsy" Lieberman.

Below: Lieberman

puts his class at

Fleischman Resi-

dence through the

martial arts move-

ments.

m

O
O

1. - Fzfj,

Pieces of Brocade, also called the
Golden Treasures of China; a series
of stretches designed to bring
muscles in the upper torso into
play. For sedentary people, it
pumps new energy into their bod-
ies.
"If you truly understand what
tai-chi and chi-quong are all about
you will know how to handle life
says Lieberman. "You will know
that failure and setbacks in life
may humble you but they don't
have to beat you. Rejection is tern-

porary, but your inner strength is
permanent."
He won letters in football and
track at Wayne State Univers4
played pro slow-pitch softball and
was a karate instructor after earn-
ing a black belt. He also coached
three sports at Detroit Country •
Day before starting his business
career.
His Connie Mack Baseball travel
teams went 58-4 and won two
championships. "But I am proud-
est of the fact that 10 of those play-

ers went on to play college baseball
and football, and several went on
to sign pro contracts:' he says.
He and his wife, Vivian, are
Birmingham residents and active
in several Jewish charities in the
Detroit area, among them the Sinai
Guild and National Council of
Jewish Women. They have two
children, both of whom live in
California.

Itsy on page 18

17

November 24 • 2005

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