metro 1 ‘1 t 01 rE Lois and Avern Cohn to share JCRC honor for their community work. Vivian Henoch Special to the Jewish News j udge Avern and Lois Cohn will receive the Jewish Community Relations Council's 2014 JCRC Activist Award together at a special event in their honor at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills. The program's featured speaker will be U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D.-Mich. Asked what it means to be an activist, U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn, the old- est active federal judge in Michigan, said, "Activist is a loaded word, but I think it means to do more than simply sit on your fanny." Going strong at 90, with a long history of activity in numerous political, secular and Jewish organizations, Cohn still man- ages a full caseload. Lois is equally active in the public arena with a professional life that has spanned education, public television, politics and the arts. For the past 29 years, she has been proprietor of ARTSPACE, a Birmingham gallery that specializes in reselling fine art to collec- tors, museums and corporations. Together, and each on their own, they have enjoyed a long history of achieve- ment, activism and philanthropy in the community, the region and beyond. In an interview, they talked about their lives of giving. mind to a life of thinking about social and political issues. Then I worked at Wayne State University, which led to my appointment as coordinator of the first Public Defender Office in Detroit. With that background, I started my own TV talk show on Detroit Public Television and became the pro- ducer and moderator of a weekly program called Newsmaker. I kept that show going for 10 years. Believe it or not, I was very shy, but I loved meeting people. And the experiences! I should write them down one day. Avern, what projects have been the most enjoyable or satisfying for you? Avern: Once I became a judge, I stopped saying I "enjoy" my work. Because, by def- inition, some of the things I do as a judge hurt people. It's not for me to say, but I've been told that I've done a fairly good job of judging. I suppose out of the 60 some years in my career, I've gotten the most satisfaction out of being a judge. I've been a judge for 35 years. And I continue to get satisfaction out of it because it's challenging, interest- ing work, and I feel that I am accomplish- ing something every day, in every case. From situation to situation, conflict to conflict, there's something different to consider and weigh. And all of the cases involve some form of human dynamic interaction. Career Milestones On Achievements Lois, thinking back on your journey in public service, what projects are closest to your heart? Lois: My beginnings. I began as a sub- urban wife and mother doing some substi- tute teaching in a local school where I had taught previously. I got my community start with a radio commentator named Lou Gordon. Lou was a family friend and I loved his muckraking, Lincoln Steffens- style of reporting. One day, we were out for dinner with Lou when he asked me, "How would you like to be my gumshoe?" I said, "What's that?" And he said, "Why don't you do some background work on my reporting on the radio show," and that's what got me started. That job got me into the community, taught me how to talk to people, made me think critically. I became involved politically, began to understand people's motivations and how things work. It was very exciting work that really opened my Of all your achievements, what has made you the most proud? Avern: I don't try — and can't really rate — what I've accomplished as a judge and what I've accomplished before I became a judge. I've been fortunate to have had a variety of experiences. In some sense, there always has been a relationship between what I've accom- plished and the fact that I'm Jewish. I grew up in what I call the Golden Ghetto [Northwest Detroit] and went to the Detroit Public Schools. I then went to the University of Michigan. My col- lege education was interrupted for three years while I served in the U.S. Army. Fortunately, or otherwise, I was never given an assignment overseas. I came back from the army, went to the University of Michigan Law School, began practicing law in the city of Detroit as my father did, which is something I always had looked forward to. I worked in the public sector as 16 June 12 • 2014 Is there something you still dream of doing? Lois: I have a wonderful project in mind for children in the city — but it's too early to talk about it, at least publicly. In the meantime, I'm enjoy- ing plugging my daughter Julie's new book, Canvas Detroit, co-authored with Nicole Christian. The book is a beauti- fully designed volume that showcases the stunning breadth of artwork currently being done in the city. And, as many people know, I'm still an active Democrat. I write a lot of checks and lick a lot of envelopes. Lois and Avern Cohn chairman of the Michigan Civil Rights Commission and the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners. I also served on the Michigan Social Welfare Commission. Those extracurricular activities also gave me a great deal of satisfaction. I would add that when I came back to Detroit in 1949, the Junior Division of Federation was my first center of activ- ity. Sometime in the early '50s, I became a member of the executive committee of the Jewish Community Council (now the Jewish Community Relations Council). Council was the first organization where I was really active, and it's the organiza- tion in which I stayed longest, so today it's especially pleasing to get an honor from that organization. And, of course, my activity in the Democratic Party didn't hurt me in getting my appointment by President Carter as U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan in 1979. For me, that's been the brass ring on the merry-go-round. Lois, you've worked in so many fields. What makes you proudest? Lois: ARTSPACE — my gallery — because I created it. And it's mine, for better and for worse, through progress and problems. I think it's a wonderful place. I began it in 1984, didn't have much capital, but my sister had the concept and started a similar gallery in California. The entire inventory is on consignment, so all I really needed was to find a space and build it out. There's something about having your own business, making the decisions, right or wrong, tough or not. Avern, what is your primary focus today? Avern: My caseload. I always have a variety of cases I'm working on. Every day or two, new cases are filed, so there are new disputes to settle, new situations to confront. Every day is different. City of Detroit What do you see in Detroit that gives you the most hope for the city's future? Lois: There's what's happening in Midtown and Downtown. And there's Dan Gilbert, of course. But in my view, Detroit is still a tale of two cities. One swipe of Woodward — wonderful. Go off the path — devastating. Avern: There are a lot of great things going on in Detroit that point to a bright- er future. But it's going to be a different city. When I grew up, Detroit was a city of 1.2 million; it's now 750,000. Today, when you think of the future of Detroit, you have to think beyond the city limits to what a greater Detroit can be. On Activism In your view, what does it mean to be a social activist? Lois: It means recognizing how fortu- nate you are and giving back. Avern: I think Oliver Wendell Holmes said it best: "A man shall share the action and passion of his times for fear not to have lived:' ❑ For details about the JCRC Activist Award event at 7 p.m. Sunday, June 22, at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills, contact Beverly Phillips at (248) 203-1527 or phillips@ffmd.org. Vivian Henoch writes for myjewishdetroit.org, where this first appeared.