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–ABC News
back to Grand Valley State University
when her mother called with the news.
She was so upset she had to pull off the
freeway to calm down.
Brendan was particularly upset. He
associated the menorah with his grand-
father, with whom he'd had an especial-
ly close relationship. He was the only
grandson in town, and the two liked to
hang out together and do guy stuff.
"Brendan and his grandpa used
to tinker around together; Marcy
Newman said. "They would build and
fly model airplanes. When the meno-
rah was stolen, Brendan felt another
piece of his grandfather had been
taken from him. He said, 'How are we
going to have Chanukah without Papa's
menorah?"'
Last year, Brendan, now a junior
at Bloomfield Hills High School, was
taking a drafting class. He decided he
wanted to make a new menorah for his
grandmother.
He designed it, bought the materials
and did all the construction himself,
including the wiring for the bulbs. He
let his parents drive him to pick up
materials but otherwise wouldn't accept
any help.
Surprise Photo
Brendan took a break from the project
in the summer of 2013 when he went
away to Tamarack's Agree Outpost
Camp. Before he left, he gave his
grandmother an envelope marked "Do
not open till July 2," his grandfather's
birthday.
When she opened the envelope,
Eisenberg saw a photo of Brendan with
the almost-finished menorah and a
note saying he'd complete it when he
returned from camp.
"I had no idea he was doing this,"
Sheila said. "I cried so hard I could
hardly catch my breath:'
Brendan finished the menorah in
October 2013, in plenty of time for
Chanukah, which started early last
year. He affixed a plaque in one corner:
"Made with love by Brendan in memo-
ry of his papa:"
The neighborhood rejoiced with the
family. "I had four or five calls from
people saying how glad they were to
see the menorah up again," Sheila said.
The family never did learn what hap-
pened to the first menorah. Eisenberg
figures someone wanted it gone, either
because of prejudice or just to be mean.
But she doesn't miss it anymore.
"This menorah has more meaning
for me than the other one," she said.
"It was made with pure, unadulterated
love:" ❑
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Darkness To Light page 15
the lighting activities, there will be
additional celebration time for the
21-and-over crowd as NEXTGen will
organize some pub visits that eve-
ning around Downtown.
Making A Statement
Celebrating the miracle of Chanukah
publicly is also important this year
in light of the rise in anti-Semitism
in Europe and the United States,
said Rabbi Yisroel Pinson of Chabad
of Greater Downtown Detroit.
He said that after centuries of per-
secution in Europe, Jews forewent
the Talmudic custom of lighting the
menorah visibly. Only in the last 40
years, with Chabad's leadership in
holding outdoor menorah lightings,
has global Jewry taken the mitzvah
back out into the public. This year,
in spite of the rise of European anti-
Semitism, he said the public light-
ings will continue as a sign of Jewish
pride.
"In Detroit as well as in many
cities throughout the world, cel-
ebrating Chanukah is back where
it belongs — in the public square?'
said Pinson, a French native. He
remembers politicians participat-
ing in public menorah lightings
in his hometown of Nice, France,
and, therefore, showing their "pub-
lic endorsement of our right to be
Jewish publicly."
Pinson said the Chanukah festivi-
ties this year are also nicely timed
around the first anniversary of the
opening of the Chabad center in
Detroit. Since it opened on Dec. 4,
2013, it has been a "nonstop" cen-
ter for Jewish living and learning
for the small but growing num-
ber of Jews who are moving back
Downtown, he said.
"We are proudly one of the fastest-
growing Chabad centers in the
country," he said.
"Chanukah holds the message that
the combined small actions of every
individual — the ones who come
Downtown to shop or dine to sup-
port the small business owners —
are all making a contribution to the
rededication of Detroit?' 7
--
•••••r-
Birmingham
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♦
Royal Oak ♦ Rochester
For ease of transportation, there will be
a round-trip bus available from The Shul,
James F. Lessenberry, Behaviorist
6890 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield,
subsidized by The Shul and the
Friendship Circle. Fee is $5 per person.
Contact The Shul office at (248) 788-
4000 to make a reservation.
28
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December 11 • 2014 17