•

frontlines

Home Is
Where The
Heart Is
And Was

NEXT
4 km

Roche! Burstyn

Special to the Jewish News

I

first arrived in Detroit, fresh
from my hometown, Melbourne,
Australia, the summer of 1998.
One of the first things I noticed was the
sprawling lawns. It's so pretty, all this
green grass without fences around prop-
erties and with cute red fire hydrants
dotting the area.
In Melbourne, the houses all have
fences around them. Prior to coming
here, I'd never been yelled at for stepping
on someone's grass.
It was great ... until the snow came.
I was entranced while watching it fall,
but was buggered to find that it's much
heavier than it looks and not at all fun
to get rid of. I discovered something:
Winter is freezing!
Melbourne's winters are mild; the car
windows get a little frosty in the morn-
ing but it's not what anyone with hard-

ened-from-Detroit-winters blood would
even call chilly. Generally, Melbourne
weather goes from nice to nicer to "too
bloody hot" and then back to nice again.
Americans are known for making
things quicker, easier, better. I was
amazed when I saw that mailboxes are
sometimes installed in front doors. And
fancy being able to put your outgoing
mail in your own mailbox and the mail-
man will take it away.
In Melbourne, the mailboxes are on
people's fences; the postmen wear bright
yellow jackets and bike ride through
their routes, and if you put outgoing
mail in your box, it would stay there.
There's nothing like discovering the
local wildlife in your new city. Even
though I've been here many years now,
I'm still swerving all over the road and
hyperventilating with excitement when-
ever I see a live deer. In Australia, you
see kangaroos. Meh. Those pulling over
and taking photos grew up over here.
Some discoveries can lead to interest-

JN CONTENTS

ing conversations. Once while I was dat-
ing, I got a whiff of a rather suspicious
aroma. My date, later to become my
husband, smiled at me knowingly and
said, "Skunk." I thought, "What a dis-
gusting way to tell someone you've just
farted:' It was only later that I found out
he was actually stating a fact. I'd never
encountered that smell before; there are
no skunks in Australia.
It was all so foreign to me. I hadn't
grown up with a basement in the house.
Eggs and ketchup were always stored in
the pantry, not the fridge. I was suddenly
dealing with pennies, so insignificant
that they're not even worth picking up
from the sidewalk (what Aussies call
the footpath). Unlike one of the smallest
Australian coins, the two-dollar coin —
definitely worth a quick hup-two-three!
Food is different, too. I have fond
memories of Marmite sandwiches and
a kiddie birthday party special called
fairy bread, a white bread sandwich with
butter and sprinkles, better known as
"hundreds and thousands."
I always miss my family and friends
back in Australia, but I've also gotten
used to it here. I love watching the sea-
son's change here; it's stunning. Having
a new hometown is like getting used to
a new spouse, with all the accommoda-
tions and surprises that entails. In this
case, it's like a relationship between the
energetic Matilda and spiffy Yankee ...
just call me Waltzing Doodle!

❑

JEWISHNEWS

Jan. 22-28, 2015 I Shevat 2-8 5775 I Vol. CXLVI, No. 25

Arts & Life
33
Calendar
20
Community
32
Dining in the D
37
Editor's Picks
33
Family Focus
28
Israel
5, 24, 48
Letters
5
Lifecycles
40
Love Connection
43
Marketplace
43
Metro
8
NextGen
29

Obituaries
Points of View
Spotlight
Sports
Staff Box
Synagogue List
Torah Portion
World

48
24
48
39
6
26
27
22

Columnists
Danny Raskin
Robert Sklar

38
24

Our JN Mission

The Jewish News aspires to communicate news and opinion that's useful, engaging, enjoyable and unique. It strives to
reflect the full range of diverse viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continu-
ity. We desire to create and maintain a challenging, caring, enjoyable work environment that encourages creativity
and innovation. We acknowledge our role as a responsible, responsive member of the community. Being competi-
tive, we must always strive to be the most respected, outstanding Jewish community publication in the nation. Our
rewards are informed, educated readers, very satisfied advertisers, contented employees and profitable growth.

Shabbat Lights

Shabbat: Friday, Jan. 23, 5:16 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Jan. 24, 6:21 p.m.

Shabbat: Friday, Jan. 30, 5:25 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Jan. 31, 6:30 p.m.

Times are from Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

Cover page design: Michelle Sheridan.
The Detmit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is
published every Thursday at 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical
postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and
additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes
to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, MI 48034.

William Davidson
Foundation Gives
Grant To Downtown
Synagogue

nownrcrturt synacocu€

T

he Isaac Agree Downtown
Synagogue announced the
receipt of a transformational
$350,000 grant from the
William Davidson Foundation to help
grow the hub of Jewish life in Detroit —
creating a welcoming and inclusive space
through innovative and values-based
services, programs and practices.
Grant funds will support programming,
building repairs and fundraising, and allow
the synagogue to hire additional staff,
including an executive director. Included
in the $350,000 grant is a $100,000
challenge grant, meaning that the
Foundation will match every dollar raised
by the synagogue in calendar year 2015
with two dollars, up to $100,000.
"We are thrilled to receive the generous
award from the Davidson Foundation.
There's never been a more exciting time
to get involved in crafting the future of
Jewish Detroit," says Leor Barak, board
president.
Over the past three years, more than
1,000 new visitors have come through
the synagogue's doors, many of whom
left with an increased understanding of
the power and relevance of Judaism in
Detroit and in today's world. That growth
is attributable to an energetic board of
directors and a talented director hired with
support from the Berman Foundation and
the Jewish Fund.
To assure that growth is meaningful
and sustainable, the synagogue's recently
completed strategic plan calls for: more
diverse ritual and spiritual practices,
infusion of justice (tzedek) throughout
its programs and institutional practices,
deeper board-staff-volunteer-community
relations, and a completely renovated
building.
According to its mission statement,
"the Downtown Synagogue is to serve
as a beacon for the Jewish community
of Metropolitan Detroit by maintaining
a traditional, egalitarian synagogue in
Detroit; by acting as a conduit for Jewish
activity in the city; by offering a wide range
of programming that will support the
revitalization of the city; and by ensuring
accessibility to all."

❑

January 22 • 2015

3