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»The Power Of Prayer
Metro Detroiters reflect on faith and spirituality during the
High Holidays. See page 18.
» Supporting Israel
As Abbas made his bid for Palestinian statehood at the U.N.,
Detroiters rally for Israel. See page 22.
» Budding Actress
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
metro
111 ■ ,_
Talia Akiva, 9, of Ann Arbor plays George Clooney's
daughter in The Ides of March. See page 51.
Jewish Community Relations Council
President Sharon Lipton at the Israel rally
>> cover story
metro
Shofar, So Good
Marvin Trimas reveals the secret
to playing well: Practice!
Allan Nahajewski
Special to the Jewish News
crop of leaders in their
20s share their dreams
for Jewish Detroit.
.
M
arvin Trimas has fit a lot of living in one lifetime.
He was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and earned an
engineering degree at Penn State. Next, he pursued
a law degree at George Washington University and became a
patent attorney. He then chased his dream of being a doctor,
attending medical school at Des Moines University and prac-
ticing medicine in Westland, before retiring several years ago.
Now, he's 77, and many know him as a shofar blower at
Adat Shalom Synagogue
in Farmington Hills.
"He is a finely skilled
Ba'al Tekiah ['master of
the blast'] and a humble
and warm person as well:'
said Daniel Gross, cantor
at Adat Shalom. With the
High Holidays approach-
ing, we asked Trimas to
talk about his craft.
Q: What inspired you
to play the shofar?
A: When I was a child
going to synagogue with
my mother and father, it
broke my heart when I
After 40 years, Marvin Trimas
would watch the old guys
has mastered the shofar.
blow the shofar and really
struggle to get a sound. I asked my father about the shofar,
and he told me that it's supposed to announce something
important. God is coming! Be careful! This could affect your
life! It's supposed to wake you up! But what I heard didn't
portray that. That's when I told myself I've got to learn to
play that thing.
Clockwise from top left: Miriam Liebman, Ashley Aidenbaum, Lavie Golenberq, Noam Kimelman
9
1942 - 2011
Covering and
Connecting
Jewish Detroit
Every Week
Q: Do you have a musical background?
A: Yes, I play the sax, clarinet and flute, and I've taught
myself piano. I played in a band all through school. We
played progressive jazz. On the piano, I play classics.
Q: Are there different kinds of shofars?
A: Yes, I have three. I have a large one that goes from my foot
to my waist. I got that in Israel. But the congregation seems
to like the sharp, shrill sound of the small one, so I use that.
The big one makes a loud, deep roar.
Q: How long have you been playing at Adat
Shalom?
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