metro

Overdue Honors

Traveling exhibit on the Ritchie Boys comes to HMC.

A

new traveling exhibit is on
display at the Holocaust
Memorial Center Zekelman
Family Campus in Farmington Hills.
The exhibit, "Secret Heroes: The Ritchie
Boys:' focuses on the lives and achieve-
ments of a special band of World War
II soldiers fighting a psychological war
against the Nazis.
The Ritchie Boys, named after Camp
Ritchie in Maryland where they received
their military training, were a little-
known American Army intelligence unit
made up primarily of Jewish soldiers,
mostly refugees who had fled Nazi-
controlled Germany. They significantly
contributed to the Allied war effort and
were trained for military action in both
the European and Pacific theaters.
The exhibit was the brainchild of
Stephen Goldman, executive director
of the Holocaust Memorial Center, and
guest curator Dr. Guy Stern, director
of the Harry and Wanda Zekelman
International Institute of the Righteous,
himself a Ritchie Boy.
"This exhibit is a long-overdue testa-
ment to these World War II heroes:'
Goldman said. "It took great courage and
conviction for these men to leave their
families and homeland and then return
to help defeat the Nazis."
One portion of the exhibit highlights
three Ritchie Boys who became long-
time Michigan residents: Stern, Walter
Midener and Ehrhard Dabringhaus.

Adcraft Club
Hall Of Fame
The Adcraft Club of Detroit recently
inducted several new members into its
Hall of Fame. All were recognized for
advancing Detroit through their entrepre-
neurship and business growth as well as
their ongoing efforts to
futher the vitality of key
community organiza-
tions and initiatives.
Among those honored
was Seymour M. "Skip"
Roberts, who joined W.
B. Doner in 1956 and
rose
to the position of
Skip Roberts
executive vice presi-
dent, managing partner
and key leader of the agency's manage-
ment committee. He joined N.W. Ayer &
Partners in 1992, with responsibility for

22 July 28 - 2011

"This exhibit is
a long-overdue
testament to these
World War II heroes."

—Stephen Goldman

Stern, who was decorated with the
Bronze Star medal, became a professor
and senior vice president at Wayne State
University in Detroit before coming to
the HMC's Institute of the Righteous.
Midener, who received the Silver Star
while in service, is a noted sculptor and
fine arts teacher who rose to the presi-
dency of what is now the College for
Creative Studies in Detroit.
Dabringhaus, who is a professor at
Wayne State, was ordered to become
the American control officer for Klaus
Barbie, the notorious war criminal,
shortly after the war. He went on to write
a book about the experience called Klaus
Barbie: The Shocking Story of How the
U.S. Used this Nazi War Criminal as an
Intelligence Agent.

The exhibit runs through Feb. 5.
Information: (248) 553-2400 or
www.holocaustcenter.org .

General Motors' corporate brand reputa-
tion initiatives. As a member of Adcraft's
board of directors, he chaired the roster
sales and education committees before
serving as president in 1995-1996. He
is currently vice chair of the Hospice of
Michigan Foundation and will chair that
organization in 2012.

New Board Installed
At Temple Beth El
On June 23, David Handleman began his
second term as president of Temple Beth
El. His temple credentials include service
as treasurer and vice president as well as
chair of both the ways and means and the
fundraising committees, where he helped
develop the annual appeal.
Other officers installed were First
Vice President Raymond Rosenfeld, Vice
Presidents Miriam Cohen, David Foltyn

A view of the

Ritchie Boys

exhibit

and L. Steven Weiner, Treasurer Jo-Ann
MacWilliams-Wolf and Secretary Sara
Tatchio.
New members of the board of trustees
include the Honorable Katherine Hansen,
Joan Jampel, Lena Epstein Koretzlcy, Adam
Lutz, Alex Stotland and Treger Strasberg.
Serving a second three-year term
will be Patti Phillips. Serving on the
2012 Nominating Committee are James
Deutchman, chair, Cindy Cohen, Liz
Modell and L. Steven Weiner.
The annual meeting was also the occa-
sion for recognizing several temple lead-
ers for their outstanding service to the
congregation. Miriam Cohen and Patti
Phillips were honored with the presenta-
tion of the President's Cup, and George
Stern was named the recipient of the Flora
J. Winton Service Award.

Local Man Leads
Up-North Worship
Andy Beider, a member of Congregation
B'nai Israel of West Bloomfield and
Congregation Beth El, Traverse City,
will conduct weekly lay-led services at
Congregation Beth El at 7:30 p.m. Friday
nights and Saturday morning Torah study
sessions at 10:30 a.m. throughout the
summer.
Congregation Beth El, the longest
continually operating congregation in
Michigan, has a membership of approxi-
mately 100 members and a monthly visit-
ing rabbi.
During the summer, visitors to the
Traverse City area can attend services any
Friday night.
For information, contact Nancy Hirsch,
(231) 929-3335.