>> the best of everything
A Greenberg 'Hole-In-One'
Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation event is a big success.
I
f people knew how much time and
effort is put into the annual Hank
Greenberg Memorial Golf Invitational
by David Blatt, executive director of the
Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation, and
his wife, Hedy, its director of community
relations, they'd probably come up with an
award for them, too.
A medal, too, for Mother Nature, who
made sure the 21st Greenberg was held in
perfect weather for hitting the little round-
er and walking the courses at Oakland
Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills.
And a medal for Oakland Hill's executive
chef and his staff for a fine strolling din-
ner assortment ... And the mini-meals for
golfers coming off the tee and non-playing
guests to nibble on before the program ...
And an award to the
wait people for their
excellent service.
Certainly a medal to
Dan Miller, WJBK-TV
(Fox 2) sports direc-
tor for a masterful job
taking over the emcee
chores for sportscaster
Jeremy Schaap, who
had to fly back to cover Dan Miller, Jimmy
the release of Plaxico
Robinson
Burress from prison for
ESPN and couldn't make it for the Frank
Robinson and Jimmy Roberts panel seg-
ment and award-receiving ... Robinson
for the Hank Greenberg Memorial
Achievement Award and Roberts of NBC
Sports the Dick Schaap Memorial Award
for Media Excellence.
About the strolling dinner, if anyone
went away hungry it was their own fault.
About 300 guys and gals enjoyed the
always excellent Greenberg golf out-
ing by MJSF ... Judy Grossman wishing
that her late husband, Jim Grossman,
could see the wonderful event ... Stuart
Kirschenbaum reminiscing about spots
of yesteryears, Willie Stone and
Myron Milgrom with stories,
too ... Erwin "Itsy" Lieberman,
Sammy and Ida's son, with
Raleigh House tales, Seymour
Brode tanned from the Florida
sun ... Dr. Daniel Panush
finishing golf and exclaiming,
"I'm tired!" but wearing the
baseball mitt he bid highest on
at the silent auction and look-
ing like he had plenty of energy
left to play catch ... Buddy's
Pizza boss Robert Jacobs and
his operations head, Wesley Picula, golf-
ing with honoree Frank Robinson, Larry
Becker and Justin Becker ... Dr. Jeffrey
Forman wearing the Frank Robinson
#20 retired jersey
he won with a top
bid ... Howard
Gourwitz flashing
that great smile ...
and so many more
wishing for another
wonderful event by
the Michigan Jewish
Sports Foundation
... But they will
Roberts and Frank
have to wait until
November ...
That's when the MJSF puts on its annual
Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
Induction Dinner, Monday, Nov. 7, another
good time by medalists David and Hedy
Blatt and their hard-working volunteers.
READER MINI REVIEW ... By Bobby
Borman ... "My husband, Leonard, and I
frequent many Mediterranean restaurants
around Metro Detroit, but Gemmayze,
South Main Street in Royal Oak, is refresh-
ingly unique. The atmosphere and decor are
more modern than I am used to seeing. It
has a good mix of traditional and modern
pieces such as booths lined with Persian
rugs and chandeliers and artwork made of
-
blue and aqua glass.
"But while Gemmayze
does not look like your typi-
cal Lebanese restaurant, the
food is undoubtedly made
by people who know their
Lebanese food. Recently, we
found hummus to be the
best we have had in as long
as I can remember, and the
bread with it could not have
been fresher. The kitchen is
open and I watched the bread
come directly from the wood-
burning oven to our table.
"My sumac-encrusted tuna (sumac is the
spice on fatoosh) and falafel salad were fresh
and full of flavor, and Leonard's lamb chops
were cooked to perfection. Also the portion
sizes were so big that we were able to enjoy
our leftovers for lunch the next day.
Leonard and I will definitely go back
to Gemmayze. The food is as good as any
Lebanese restaurant we have been to, if not
better, and reasonably-priced with gener-
ous portions served in an atmosphere so
refreshingly bright and modern."
THE CLOSEST HE came to following
in the footsteps of his
father was as a young
boy walking behind him
at the former Raleigh
House on Telegraph,
Southfield.
But Erwin "Itsy"
Lieberman did run
errands for his local
Itsy Lieberman
restaurateur and cater-
ing legend dad, Sammy
Lieberman, and even
cut his own corned beef at Piccadilly Deli
inside Raleigh House as delicatessen man-
ager George Fink watched and smiled.
Itsy, as everyone knows him, and wife,
Vivian, spend six months here and six
months in BallenIsles of Palm Beach
Gardens, Fla., where he has his own Sunrise
Chi with Itsy Tai Chi cable television show
Itsy played football (quarterback)
and ran track three years at Wayne State
University and football (safety) one year at
Eastern Michigan University, plus coaching
three sports at Detroit Country Day School.
One of his major achievements was as
coach of a Connie Mack Baseball Travel
Team from which 10 of Itsy's players
eventually signed professional baseball
contracts ... Little wonder that its record
was an astounding 58 wins and only four
losses.
While here, Itsy formerly taught Tai Chi
exercises at the Fleischman Residence in
West Bloomfield, and when in town he still
teaches Tai Chai and Chi Kung exercises at
Regent Park in Troy.
At one time, Itsy, who is 67 today and a
candidate for nomination to the Michigan
Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, was called by
Advertising Institute of America the lead-
ing sales producer in the history of the
promotional products business.
He may be short in stature, but don't
mess with him ... Itsy is also a black belt
in martial arts.
REUNION DEPT. ... 40th by Oak Park
High School class of 1971, is Saturday, July
2, at Somerset Inn, Troy ... For more info,
call Barbara (Garber) Guderman, (248)
330-0245, or Sandi (Ellison) Matz, (248)
425-2233.
CONGRATS ... To Carol Miller on
her birthday ... To Terri Braiker on her
birthday ... To Marcella Detroit on her
birthday ... To Bonnie Nosanchuk on
her birthday ... To Sharon Green on her
birthday ... To Allen Weiss on his 75th
birthday ... To Ian Goldberg on his 22nd
birthday ... To Sam and Marilyn Mehler
on their 60th anniversary. II
Danny's email address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.
Wine & Tapas Events
PINOT & POULTRY; VIA GLASS & PLATE
June 23 • 2011
35