Meet Jews from other nations who are living and working in S.E. M ichigan. I

Judaism at 11, going to synagogue
every Shabbat for two years to learn
the Torah in preparation for his bar
mitzvah. In his youth, he continued
to celebrate Shabbat quite often at
his home or synagogue.
Now 22, he lives in Ann Arbor
during the school year, where he
studies economics at the University
of Michigan, plays for the club soccer
team and belongs to several stu-
dent groups. He has also worked to
advance the groundbreaking medical
research of the Taubman Institute (A.
Alfred Taubman is his great-uncle).
In Michigan, he has relatives in
Ann Arbor, Farmington Hills and
Bloomfield Hills. Looking forward
10 years, he says he could see him-
self in France or Israel as the head of
his own business. He has a favorable
view of the quality of life in Ann Ar-
bor (and views Hillel as welcoming
on campus) but believes he'll return
to France later this year because of
the challenge he sees in adapting to
the American way of life.
Asked about Jewish life during his
time here, Hugo says that he's met
a lot of Jewish students on campus
and has had interesting discussions
about the meaning of being Jewish
with his peers. He feels more free-
dom in Michigan to tell people he's
Jewish, as opposed to Paris, which is
home to an anti-Semitic climate so
bad that 75 percent of French Jews
are mulling emigration.
"Jewish life in America tends to
prioritize the social and cultural
components over the religious com-
ponents," he says. One thing that
stood out: When he came here, he
was "surprised" to see Jews eat-
ing pork; in France, he says, "even
someone not very religious would
avoid it."

www.redthreadmagazine.com

4.

Theatre to see the play 1300 Lafay-
ette East and conduct an interview
with the director as a part of a
Joanna Mazurkiewicz, 27, a Polish Polish-language article about the
JET.
Jew at the University of Michigan,
In 10 years, she dreams of estab-
found Yiddish letters during a visit
lishing
a Jewish restaurant with a
to Detroit and is now writing a
stage
to
promote Yiddish culture
libretto based on those materials.
and
a
weekly
concert or theater
When she's not writing an opera
performance.
Ideally, Joanna would
from Jewish material of years past,
like
the
restaurant
to have a small
she's pursuing a Ph.D. program in
library
of
Yiddish
books.
Her studies
the Slavic department at the Univer-
will
keep
her in
sity of Michigan
Ann
Arbor
for at
in conjunction
least
five
more
5. Daniel Kerbel
with a Certifi-
years. It's plenty of
cate in Jew-
6. Dr. Monica Vaisman with her two
time to contem-
ish studies. A
sons, Samuel and Yoel Bechar
plate the Yiddish
version of her
restaurant concept
7. Michal Nodel and her husband,
thesis, "Death
and also complete
Jordan Nodel
or Resurrection:
her
opera, which
Contemporary
8. Rabbi Chanoch Hadar with his twins,
has
the working
Yiddish Theatre
daughter Shevy and son Mendy
title
The Night in
in Europe," is in
Detroit.
the process of
being published in Poland.
5. DANIEL KERBEL:
"My next goal is to research Yid-
COSTA RICAN ROOTS
dish literature, film and theater
Daniel Kerbel, 26, a Woodland
in the United States so that it can
Hills,
Calif., native who grew up in
ultimately be developed into a Ph.D.
Costa
Rica, is one of the entrepre-
thesis for my studies at the Univer-
neurs
funded
by Quicken Loans
sity of Michigan," Joanna says.
founder
Dan
Gilbert's
Bizdom
Born in Kielce, in eastern Poland
program.
Bizdom
was
developed
to
(between Warsaw and Kracow),
help
entrepreneurs
incubate
new
Joanna grew up in an area where
technology startups in Detroit to
nearly all Jews left after the Kielce
better retain talent that was leav-
pogrom in 1946. She says that "the
ing for larger cities like Chicago and
handful of remaining Jews have to
New
York City.
travel to Warsaw, Kracow or Lodz
While
Kerbel's parents still live in
to attend services and celebrate
Costa
Rica,
home to about 2,500
religious holidays:'
Jews,
Daniel
left at 18 to attend
The first time Joanna visited
Michigan
State
University. He
Detroit, she researched the Detroit
sought
out
a
big
campus with four
Chene Street History Project, where
seasons.
While
he
wouldn't mind
she met the director of the project
skipping
one
of
Michigan's
seasons,
and the mayor of Hamtramck. She's
he
can
see
himself
staying
around
also been to the Jewish Ensemble
for the next few years. He currently

JOANNA MAZURKIEWICZ:
A POLISH JEW WITH A PASSION
FOR YIDDISH

By Adam Finkel

lives in Detroit as the founder and
CEO of Guidesmob, which develops
mobile, interactive guides for cities
and college campuses. Daniel says
that he would "absolutely recom-
mend Bizdom to others. It's cer-
tainly helping me pursue my own
startup goals in Detroit?'
His family is involved with the
Costa Rican Jewish community and
belongs to the Costa Rican JCC,
not far from three mikvahs, Jewish
schools, a new building that houses
the Shaare Zion Synagogue and
readily available kosher food (Costa
Rica once housed a kosher Burger
King).
Daniel not only reflects positively
on his experiences in Michigan
(where he's shown his app to the
coaches of the MSU football and
basketball teams), but he's also in-
spiring other outsiders to the state;
he even influenced his younger
brother to follow in his footsteps.
There will soon be two Kerbel
alumni of MSU.

6.

MONICA VAISMAN:
FROM CHAOS IN VENEZUELA

Dr. Monica Vaisman grew up in
Caracas, Venezuela, a community
that is challenged by a country in
chaos. In her youth, she participated
in several Jewish youth groups. She
worked at summer camps and week-
end activities through Hebraica,
her local JCC. Hebraica organized
social, cultural and sporting events
so that the children could keep in
touch with their Jewish friends.
In 1998, she moved with her hus-
band to Ann Arbor to pursue their
master's degrees at the University of
Michigan. At the time, Monica and

Eight From Abroad

on page 40

RED THREAD I July 2014 39