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AROUND TOWN
His Honor
Shaarey Zedek pays tribute to longtime Judge Avern Cohn.
Gov. Granholm and Rabbi Joseph Krakoff of Southfield
Sen. Carl Levin and Judge Avern Cohn
T
he pursuit of justice has been his life's work — as an attorney, and for the last
three decades, as a U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The Honorable Avern Cohn of Bloomfield Hills is also a lifelong member of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County. About 450
people gathered at the synagogue in Southfield Oct. 29 to honor
Judge Cohn with words and with music during Shaarey Zedek's
fifth annual Tribute and Celebration. Cantor Meir Finkelstein
performed a concert of Broadway songs followed by a dessert
reception. Several speakers, including Gov. Jennifer Granholm,
Sen. Carl Levin and Cohn's wife, Lois, also sang his praises.
"The shofet, the position of judge in the Jewish tradition, is
one of utmost importance, magnitude and esteem:' said Rabbi
Joseph Krakoff. "Judge Cohn, in every way you exemplify the
Torah's model of a shofet and a mentsh. You are attentive, unself-
ish, thoughtful, wise, intelligent, sensible, fair, well respected and
deeply valued."
Cohn was appointed to his current post by President Jimmy
A. Alfred Taubman of Bloomfield Hills, Leypsa Groner of Southfield,
Judge David Groner of Grosse Pointe and Linden Nelson of
Bloomfield Hills
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November 13 • 2008
Carter in 1979. He's also a member of the Michigan Social Welfare and Civil Rights
Commissions, a past president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and a recip-
ient of Federation's Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award for Distinguished Community Service.
"Avern has served on our board of trustees, as did his father, Irwin Cohn, of blessed
memory:' said the synagogue's president, David Wallace of Huntington Woods.
Cohn's children and grandchildren were among the crowd along with other relatives
and staff members. He said he was overwhelmed by the tribute sponsored by the Laker
Family, Alvin and Henrietta Weisberg, Marcia and Eugene Applebaum, Star Trax,
Steve Coden Flowers and Michael Jonas Photography.
"However well I perform my current duties, not as a judge who is Jewish, but as a
Jewish judge, can be traced back in part to my years at Shaarey Zedek," Cohn said. "To all
of you here tonight, I express a deep and heartfelt thank you."
Also spotted in the tribute crowd were: Sandy and Alan Schwartz of Franklin; Ruth
and Norm Beitner, Jodi and Rob Goodman, Natalie Newman, Robyn and Bob
Canvasser, and Ilene Nemer, all of West Bloomfield; Ron Klein of Bloomfield Hills;
Marianne Bloomberg and Yale Levin, both of Farmington Hills; and Aurora Resnick
of Birmingham. ❑
David Wallace of Huntington Woods and Rabbi
Eric Yanoff of West Bloomfield
Ron Kagan of Royal Oak and Bill Berman of Franklin