Celebrate the Holidays with
The Hilton Garden Inn Southfield

The Wheels
On The Bus

Reward yourself by booking
your Holiday Event by
November 30, 2014

Book your Holiday Party by November
30th and we will waive your banquet
room rental. Also receive a complimentary
standard guest room to use for yourself or
give to someone special.

A lesson for all of us.

I

'm sure you know the nursery
song: "The wheels on the bus
go round and round, round and
round ... all through the town."
I thought of this song the day after
our daughter Jenny's and new son
Shawn's wedding. It was
a grand event, and we
were so happy about the
wedding — our expanded
family — all great.
The morning after the
wedding, I was in the hotel
with my other daughter
Amy and Ori, our 1-year-
old grandson. Amy and I
were reviewing with glee
the events of the last eve-
ning when she noticed a
text on her phone from a
friend asking her to call immediately.
Amy called. The news was not good.
Her longtime friend and mentor
at Young Judaea, and current boss
and director of Aardvark Israel, Keith
Berman, had suddenly passed away
hours before from a heart attack
at 48. He was healthy, worked out
regularly and was someone who
had an unparalleled zest for life and
Zionism.
Aardvark Israel is a gap-year and
study-abroad program based in Tel
Aviv and Jerusalem, which offers 17-
to 22-year-olds the chance to live and
experience Israeli culture while earn-
ing college credit. Amy lives in Tel
Aviv and is a recruiter for Aardvark.
She combined her trip home for
Jenny's wedding with some busi-
ness by arranging speaking engage-
ments in the Detroit Metro area and
Cleveland.
As we tried to absorb this awful
news, while still in the midst of cel-
ebrating the wedding, the song kept
ringing in my ear. Of course, other
thoughts came to mind. The trag-
edy of a vibrant life abruptly ended.
What would happen to the business?
Should Amy immediately return to
Israel to try and make it in time for
the funeral? Should she continue
with her business appointments here
or go home?
Over the next 24 hours, she was
in a pingpong mode, going from
postings of Jenny's wedding pictures

on Facebook to reading and posting
memorial thoughts on Facebook over
the loss of her friend and business
leader. She charged forward with her
meetings and went on to Cleveland
because she realized the bus must go
forward as would Aardvark
Israel.
The "Wheels on the Bus"
tells the story. Life goes on.
The good times, the bad
times, the great events as
well as the tragedies come
and go — and through it
all, life goes on.
The abrupt loss of a
good friend and boss is
also a lesson on the need
for business transition
planning.
What happens to the small- to
mid-size business that is owned by
one or a small number of partners
when a key member dies? How will
the business function and what
happens to that person's ownership
interest?
As a business attorney, I frequently
address these issues through pro-
active planning for clients. The clas-
sic business law tool is a comprehen-
sive buy/sell agreement, which often
includes insurance-funded buyouts
for the partner who dies as well as
covers other transition events such
as disability, divorce and business
separations.
As a father, however, I was caught
off guard when these events unfolded
for my 30-something daughter. I
had never discussed such issues
with Amy; and now, while driving in
the car with her, she was asking me
these questions, posed in the present
rather than in a planning mode.
This tragic loss of a life too soon
reminded me that we never know
what the day will bring us. Good
planning does not eliminate the
pain of loss, but it can help keep the
wheels going round and round when
the unwanted bumps of life arise. ❑

Ken Gross is an attorney with Thav
Gross and host of Law and Reality that
airs weekly at 8:30 Saturday mornings
on WDFN 1130 AM "The Fan" and 11 a.m.
Sundays on TV20.

rir49'

Sign up for Hilton H'Honors® to earn future
rewards. Receive 1,000 bonus points for
every $1,000 spent on food and beverage
in addition to the 1 point per dollar spent on
all meeting and guest room purchases.

Experience over 5,000 sq ft of flexible meeting
space for your private holiday or corporate event.
Dine on holiday food and drink from our
special Holiday or Catering Menus

qt

Dance the night away and let the festivities
continue by reserving guestrooms at a
special Holiday Group Discount.

Eat, Drink, Enjoy and Be Safe
this Holiday Season at the
Hilton Garden Inn Southfield!

For more information call us at 248-357-1100
Or email a member of our Sales Team:

Laurie Dyja- Catering Manager
laurie.dyja@hilton.com

Hilton

Nicole Basch- Sales Coordinator
nicole.basch@hilton.com

Garden Inn

Valerie Wiese- Director of Sales
valerie.wiese@hilton.com

26000 American Dr.
Southfield, Ml 48034
Ph: 248-357-1100 Fx: 248-372-2323
www.detroitsouthfield.hgi.com

HILTON GARDEN INN

SATISFACTION

PRMISE

1959920

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lIk ON
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THE CENTER

JARC and the

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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

8:30 a.m.-noon
JCC - OAK PARK

Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
Jimmy Prentis Morris Building
A. Alfred Taubman Jewish Community Campus
15110 W. Ten Mile Road, Oak Park, MI 48237
www.jccdet.org

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All proceeds benefit programming
for individuals with special needs.

IOW"

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Supported by

The ewish Federation

OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT

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JN

November 13 • 2014

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