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Heartfelt
Steve Stein
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Berman Center for the Performing Arts
West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center
The Detroit Jewish News
Foundation
Inaugural Community Event:
A Conversation with Aaron Lansky
Founder, National Yiddish Book Center
Best Selling Author: Outwitting History
Proceeds To Benefit the Detroit Jewish News
Digitization Project
Lansky's brilliance and passion literally saved much of Yiddish culture from the
dumpsters and landfills of history. His National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst,
Mass. possesses more than 1 million volumes, with a significant portion digitized
and accessible online.
The Book Center sponsors a wide range of programs and initiatives designed to
"open up" the treasures of Yiddish culture for a new generation.
A dynamic and spellbinding speaker and storyteller, Lansky is a recipient of a
"genius grant" from the McArthur Foundation. He is a member of the Detroit Jewish
News Foundation honorary board of advisors.
If you would like further updates on the event and the work of
the Detroit Jewish News Foundation, please forward your name and
e-mail address to: ahorwitz@renmedia.us
The Detroit Jewish News Foundation's goat is is to digitize every issue of
the Jewish News, dating to March 27, 1942, and make them available and
searchable to the public. The Foundation will also support and sponsor
forums, town hall meetings and other educational events to best utilize
and share this historical community resource.
:: assist
the Foundation in its work, simply go to
he website wwiArathejewishnews.com and
click on the word "donate"
at the top right portion of the home page.
The Detroit Jewish News Foundation, inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.
30 June 21 • 2012
Contributing Writer
T
he players in the
Intercongregational Men's
Softball League began this sea-
son with heavy hearts.
Jeff Fox, who played on the Temple
Shir Shalom team, died Dec. 23 at age
55. Mr. Fox was honored in a ceremony
at Keith Fields in West Bloomfield held
before the league's opening games.
Rabbi Dannel Schwartz of Shir
Shalom and Shir Shalom coach Ron
Lippitt spoke. Son Adam Fox threw out
the season's first pitch. Wife Sheryl Fox
also was in attendance.
Starting this season, the league will
present the Jeff Fox Sportsmanship
Award to the league's
best sportsman.
Here are some of
Lippitt's comments
about Mr. Fox:
"Like some of us
here, I never really
knew Jeff outside of
softball. He was a
The late
great teammate. He
Jeff Fox
was funny. Jeff was
constantly making
us laugh. He had a great smile that was
infectious and warm. I think he enjoyed
his time on the bench as much as he did
playing, especially when there was some-
thing to laugh about.
"He was injured a lot. Often a source
of our laughs, Jeff would hobble around
the bases like he was shot. One of my
enduring memories was him showing
me how to apply a thigh support, and
asking me each week how my pulled
muscle feels. We would then compare the
pain we were feeling.
"Jeff talked a lot. The guy knew a lot.
When I had a chance to play with Jeff
on his Wednesday night softball team,
Jeff's discussions would often follow us
to the bar, where he would regale us with
stories or anecdotes over beers and a lot
of food.
"Jeff was generous with his time and
encouragement, and he was a tactician.
He was constantly involved in game
management and strategy
"But mostly, Jeff was a good father.
That's probably what many of us
admired most about Jeff. Watching the
camaraderie between Jeff and Adam was
not only something special, it made clear
the caliber of person Adam Fox
with whom we were holds the
trophy named
teammates.
in his late
"I watched the
bond between them father's honor.
and could only hope
to have that same
type of relationship with my own kids.
Is there anything more American than
sharing baseball with one's own son?
"While it's hard to imagine Jeff not
with us this season, we're so happy that
Adam is here to continue the Fox legacy,
hopefully as a league player in the future.
"We miss you, Foxy. We play today
with you in our hearts."
Tournament Is An Ace
There wasn't a big turnout of poker play-
ers (21), but the 13th Texas Hold'em tour-
nament fundraiser hosted by the Bloch-
Israel and Pisgah-Zeiger B'nai B'rith
chapters at the Jewish Community Center
in West Bloomfield still was a success.
"We had about 35 people who played
poker or came just for the dinner to hear
our guest speaker," said tournament
spokesman Rick Sherline. "Everyone had
a great time. That's the most important
thing."
Detroit News sports columnist Lynn
Henning was the guest speaker. He
talked about the Detroit Tigers and
answered questions about the team from
the audience.
Sherline said tournament organiz-
ers have decided to continue hosting a
January poker competition but switch
the June date to a sports night featuring
a dinner and guest speaker.
"We usually get a good turnout for the
January tournament, but June has always
been tough:' he said.
A big reason for holding a June tour-
nament this year, Sherline said, was to
raise funds for the International Jewish
Men's Slopitch Softball Tournament that
will be played Sept. 1-3 at Power Park in
Novi.
Sherline is the tournament director.
There will be 14 teams in the competi-
tion, two from Detroit and 12 from
across Canada and the United States.
Jared Rothberger won the poker tour-
nament. David Lubin, Alan Rusgo and
Tom Tuckey followed in second through
fourth place, respectively. Tim Buckman
and Josh Tobias won Tigers tickets in a
raffle.
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