Front Lines

White House Music, HooShir style

A

ndrew Appel, a junior majoring in busi-
ness from Huntington Woods, is part of
a Jewish a cappella singing group from
Indiana University called HooShir that performed
Dec.18 at the White House Chanukah party.
It was the biggest performance in the brief his-
tory of the 18-voice group, whose name comes
from the Hebrew words "Hoo" and "Shir," which
together mean "It is a song." The name also is
a play on the state's and university's nickname,
Hoosiers.
"It was an incredible experience to be sur-
Andrew Appel
rounded by people who shared the common bond
of being Jewish and had all, in their own way,
given part of themselves to the Jewish people through their
time, efforts or standing in the community," said Appel, 20,
whose parents are Judge Michelle Friedman Appel and Jeffrey
Appel.
Appel said President Bush took time to shake hands with
every member of HooShir. "He even offered us the chance
to run around the White House," Appel said. "While this was
clearly in jest, it was still one of the many wonderful memories

Getting Buried
Mark Zausmer's workload became more hectic last month when an
Ingham County Circuit Court judge appointed Zausmer, a Farmington
Hills attorney, conservator for 28 Michigan cemeteries that were taken
over by the state.
The Attorney General's Office and state regulators have charged
the cemeteries' owner with mismanagement of prepaid funeral trust
funds. The state says two companies owned by Clayton Smart of
Oklahoma, Mikocem LLC and Indian Nation LLC, have removed $61
million from the trust funds and invested
the money into high-risk hedge funds in
the Cayman Islands and an Oklahoma gas
and oil exploration company controlled by
Smart's family.
Zausmer, 52, who lives in West
Bloomfield and is a board member of the
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit, is gathering a management team
to control the cemeteries. Smart has several
weeks to replace the funds or lose owner-
ship of the cemeteries, which include two
Mark Zausmer
with local Jewish ties. Congregation B'nai
Moshe owns two sections and Congregation
Shir Tikvah has plots in Oakview Cemetery in Royal Oak. There is also
a Jewish section at Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens in Novi.
Zausmer said Smart is also in discussion with potential buyers.
"Our job is to stabilize the situation:' Zausmer said. "We believe con-
sumers are much better off with state control!'
Zausmer is managing partner and president of Zausmer, Kaufman,
August, Caldwell & Tayler PC in Farmington Hills and has previously
worked with the state in insurance receiverships. He has been involved
with the legal work in many major development projects, including
the expansion of Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus as well as
the Fox Theatre project and the original Cobo Hall expansion, both in
Detroit.
He's a member of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield and Franklin
Hills Country Club and a past president of the Detroit Tennis and
Squash Club in Farmington Hills.

- Alan Hitsky, associate editor

10 January 4 2007

of the night."
HooShir first performed two songs, "Hatikvah"
and "Maoz Tsur," at a private candlelighting cer-
emony with the president, the first lady and a
small number of invited guests. It then sang three
songs, including a doo-wop arrangement of "I
Have a Little Dreidel" for 200-300 guests at the
party.
The group is associated with the Helene G.
Simon Hillel Center on IU's Bloomington campus.
The White House invitation came as a result of
the Hillel Center's success in a statewide music
competition. In September, Hillel held auditions
for the new group. Nothing was said about per-
forming at the White House until after the auditions.
Appel called the experience a privilege in his young life.
"Knowing that the Jewish people have enough standing that
the entire White House kitchen was made kosher for this event
only further affirms that the Jewish culture is an important one
and that our contributions to society are undoubtedly notable,"
he said.

- Robert A. Sklar, editor

Inaugural Roles
Two Detroit-area rabbis played roles at the second
inauguration of Gov. Jennifer Granholm last week-
end.
Rabbi Daniel Wolpe of Congregation Beth
Shalom in Oak Park participated in the interfaith
prayer service on Sunday at People's Church in East
Lansing. He read the "Prayer for Our Country" from
the Conservative prayer book.
Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield spoke at the inauguration ceremony
Monday at the state Capitol. He was appointed by
Granholm during the governor's first term to the
state Board of Ethics.

- Alan Hitsky, associate editor

Rabbi Wolpe

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Focus On Fashion
Putting the personal touch on hundreds of invitations to an upcoming
ORT signature event, about 18 women gathered at the Bingham Farms
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