$2.00 OCT. 16-22, 2014 / 22-28 TISHREI 5775 theJEWISHNEWS.com A JEWISH RENAISSANCE MEDIA PUBLICATION » Making A Choice Highlights from the IN's conversations with Gov. Rick Snyder and Democratic opponent Mark Schauer. See page 14. » Fun In The Sukkah A roundup of Sukkot celebrations at area synagogues around town. See page 30. DETROIT JEWISH NEWS metro » Get Ready! Motown: The Musical heads home to Detroit — and there's sure to be dancing in the streets. See page 51. Chabad of Greater Downtown Detroit's new sukkah was donated by Levi Bieda and family and painted by Emor and Sintex. » cover story Berman Award Winne' Special educator Maiseloff truly opens doors for students. Vivian Henoch I Special to the Jewish News A passionate and compassionate educator, Ellen Maiseloff likes solving puzzles. Even as a stu- dent teacher, she chose the path that would challenge her beyond the standard curriculum — to work with children with learning disabilities. "Every child has a unique ability to learn and the potential for success:' s. Maiseloff says. "I like to think of the learning process as the opportu- nity to unlock barriers to learning and empower students. I love finding the way to reach stu- dents and learning from them what could be, that special charm, that unex- pected strategy or the key to opening the doors for them:' With a career in spe- cial education spanning Ellen Maiseloff nearly four decades, Maiseloff has helped thousands of children succeed in secular and Jewish schools throughout the community and beyond. Now at the top of her game as director of Federation's Opening the Doors (OTD) pro- gram since 2007, she supervises a staff of 46 special edu- cators, paraeducators, classroom assistants and profes- sionals serving nearly 1,100 children a year in 26 Jewish day and congregational schools in Metro Detroit. A Holocaust survivor and American soldier share their disparate yet remarkably similar stories. Lynne Konstantin I Contributing Writer CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 Printed In Michigan 1942 - 2014 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Eve y Week 1 1 1 8 08805 93363 5 F ourteen-year-old Labor Day weekend: Perry Shulman was Perry Shulman, lying immobilized center, and his wife, on April 11, 1945. He had Passie, far right, were contracted frostbite on his reunited with Leon feet during the Death March Bass, second from from Auschwitz-Birkenau to right, in a meeting Buchenwald, and a Russian arranged by Shulman's prisoner, claiming to be a son, Greg, with help butcher back home, chopped from Bass' daughter, off his toes with a butcher Delia, left of Shulman. knife to prevent further Bass' granddaughter, infection. A young boy from Kendall, witnessed the Holland, lying next to him, extraordinary reunion. had lost his entire foot. Another prisoner came running into the room yell- ing, "I think we are free!" Shulman hobbled to the window, where he saw tanks approaching and soldiers running with rifles, but it looked like chaos to him. The prisoners had hope, but no one knew what was happening. "I went back and lay down, and I told my Dutch friend, 'I think we are free:" Shulman says. "The boy looked at me and smiled, and then he died:' CONTINUED ON PAGE 8