Metro

Birthright Nixed

Judge denies Israel trip to student on probation and gets into tiff with his uncle.

Alan Hitsky

Associate Editor

ordan Moss wanted to go to
Israel. But two brushes with the
law near his Oakland University
campus on charges of driving under the
influence and marijuana possession have
kept him from going.
And the judge who wouldn't permit
him to go on the 10-day, supervised trip is
waiting to see if she will face further prob-
lems from the case.
Rochester Hills District Court Judge
Julie A. Nicholson ruled twice this month
that 21-year-old Jordan Moss, on proba-
tion from the earlier charges, could not
go on the Birthright Israel trip for 18-26-
year-olds. When Jordan's uncle, Southfield
attorney David M. Moss, appeared in
Nicholson's courtroom June 11 seeking to
make an oral motion for reconsideration,
David Moss was allegedly told by a deputy
that the judge said Moss must leave the
room or face arrest.

j

That allegation put Judge Nicholson
in front of Oakland County Circuit Judge
Steven Andrews on June 13 on Moss'
request to explain her alleged action of
expelling him from her courtroom.
In April 2006, Jordan Moss was charged
with driving a car while impaired. Two
weeks later in a separate incident, he was
charged with drinking and marijuana
possession. He was sentenced to two years'
probation.
Jordan says he has complied with all the
terms of the probation, including Alcohol
Anonymous meetings, random drug
screenings and checking in regularly with
his probation officer.
When he applied for the Birthright trip,
his probation officer thought he would
be able to go on the "religious" experi-
ence. The probation officer forwarded the
Birthright acceptance to the judge, but
Judge Nicholson "respectfully denied my
request:' Jordan said.
Jordan then e-mailed the trip itinerary to
the probation officer, but Judge Nicholson
denied his request a second time. That's

when Jordan asked his uncle for advice.
David Moss suggested Jordan ask his
rabbi, Dannel Schwartz of Temple Shir
Shalom in West Bloomfield, for a letter
of support and David would help Jordan
present it to the judge June 11. After the
request was denied and David Moss stayed
in hopes of talking to the judge privately,
the deputy asked him to leave. Jordan's
Birthright trip departed the next day.
And the following day, Judge Nicholson
faced an appearance before Judge
Andrews. He refused to take superintend-
ing control of Jordan's case and left it up
to David Moss to request an evidentiary
hearing on the allegations.
William G. Pierson of the Oakland
County Corporation Counsel's office repre-
sented Judge Nicholson. He told the Jewish
News that Judge Nicholson denied Jordan's
Birthright trip because there were two
charges against him. She denied the recon-
sideration request because, in addition to
a religious experience, the trip included
vacation experiences, such as a visit to a
winery and a cruise.

Pierson flatly denied that Judge
Nicholson ordered David Moss removed
from her court. He said that there are no
repercussions for the judge if Moss pro-
ceeds further in Oakland County Circuit
Court, but action before the Judicial Tenure
Commission would be another matter.
Pierson said Judge Nicholson was
ordered by the Michigan Supreme Court
Administrator's Office not to comment on
the case until after Jordan completes his
probation next April.
David Moss last Friday subpoenaed
records from the Oakland County Sheriff's
Department. He expects to get the records
this week and make a decision on how
to proceed. "I've gotten calls from other
people who have had similar experiences
in this court house Moss said. "I want to
see what the deputies had to say."
Meanwhile, Jordan Moss, who works
for a caterer and in his father's plumbing
business and who has just been accepted
into Oakland Univrsity's nursing school,
hopes to get another chance at a free
Birthright trip. He has until age 26. ❑

50 And Growing

Local Lubavitch gets $7 million to renovate and expand.

Susan Tawil
Special to the Jewish News

F

fifty years ago, Rabbi Berel
Shemtov and his wife,
Batsheva, settled in as Detroit's
first shlichim (emissaries) of Chabad
Lubavitch. Rabbi Shemtov heads the
Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan, which
has grown to include nearly 20 new young
shlichim and more than a dozen buildings.
At a June 11 dinner at Farmington Hills
Manor honoring the half-century mark
in Michigan, plans were announced to
renovate and expand five facilities with an
infusion of $7 million in new donations.
Philanthropist Alan Zekelman of
Bloomfield Hills addressed the din-
ner guests, explaining his connection to
Chabad — a Chassidic group who follow
the teachings of the dynasty of Lubavitcher
rabbis — and his motivation for donating
$2 million to renovate Oak Park's Mishkan
Israel building. The synagogue at Nine Mile

and Coolidge also houses the Lubavitch
boys' yeshivah. It was built in 1958, and is
sorely in need of refurbishing.
"Our yeshivah is a source of energy and
our future leaders; now we'll have a beau-
tiful home',' said Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov,
head of Mishkan Israel.
"There is no more satisfying feeling than
being part of this process',' Zekelman said.
When Wanda Zekelman passed away a
year and a half ago, Alan Zekelman went
to Mishkan Israel to say Kaddish for his
mother, and was disheartened by the con-
dition of the building. With his donation,
the facility will be renovated and doubled
in size to 20,000 square feet. Also, apart-
ments adjacent to the building were pur-
chased and will be remodeled for use as
boys' dormitories.
To the sizeable enclave of Chabad
families who live in the Nine Mile area,
the investment means a commitment to
their neighborhood. The building project
represents a major step in revitalizing and

Evening of Song And Spirit,"
stabilizing the area that anchors the
simultaneously commemorated
South Oak Park Jewish community.
the 13th yartzheit (anniversary of
This is not Zekelman's first phil-
death) of the charismatic Chabad
anthropic project. In January, he
Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem
and his two brothers announced
Mendel Schneerson.
a donation of $10 million to the
A short video of the Rebbe was
Holocaust Memorial Center in
shown; and several of the eve-
Farmington Hills. The Zekelman
Alan Zekelman ning's speakers, including guest
family owned Atlas Tube Inc., an
speaker Rabbi Shalom Moshe
Ontario-based corporation that
Paltiel, spiritual leader of the Chabad com-
manufactures steel tubing.
munity of Port Washington in Long Island,
Funds raised from other major donors
conveyed his accomplishments and vision.
to Chabad, notably the Edward Meer fam-
Benny Friedman, nephew of acclaimed
ily, will be used to finance additional local
building projects, including adding 10 new Chasidic singer Avraham Fried, sang at the
gathering with an infectious enthusiasm
bunk houses to Chabad's Camp Gan Israel
that inspired most of the men present to
in Kalkaska; expanding and renovating
push aside tables and get up and dance.
the Lubavitch cheder (elementary school)
The evening ended with a surprise treat:
on Coolidge in Oak Park; and building
Sheva Brachot (special wedding blessings)
a new 14,000-square-foot $2.5 million
Michigan Jewish Institute (MJI) vocational recited for dinner guests Ben and Sarah
Rosenzweig of Farmington Hills, who were
school building in West Bloomfield on the
married the previous day at Chabad's Shul
Chabad "Shul" campus.
in West Bloomfield.
The dinner, dubbed "An Unforgettable

June 21 . 2007

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