SAVE THE DATE
metro
MONDAY • JULY 13 • 2015
11:30 AM Lunch ■ 1 PM Shotgun Start ■ 6:30 PM Cocktails - Auction
7:15 PM Dinner - Program - Raffle
Franklin Hills Country Club
■
Franklin, MI
New Supreme Court judge is an
idealist guided by Jewish values.
Kadima Presents
14th Annual-
GOLF CLASSI
il
HONORING NICOL E and MATT LESTE
•
TO BENEFIT THE LOIS A ID MILTON Y. ZUSSMAN
ACTIVITY CENTER
The Lois and Milton Y.
es daily activities such as
educational stimulation, arts and crafts projects, music, as wet as offering clients
an opportunity for social, recreational and peer interactions.
For Kadima's clients, the activity center is a club of their own; for family
members and caregivers, the Zussman Center is a much-needed safety net.
PRESENTING
SPONSOR
LOIS AND MILT ZUSSMAN
TITLE SPONSOR MIRY AND DAN SERLIN
Princeton Enterprises
TOURNAMENT DINNER SPONSOR
Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer and Weiss
TOURNAMENT LUNCHEON SPONSORS
Title Source I Julie and Rick Zussman
A
fter years fighting for the
rights of people with dis-
abilities as an attorney in the
Public Service Department of his fam-
ily's Sam Bernstein Law Firm, 41-year-
old Richard Bernstein was sworn in on
New Year's Day as Michigan's first blind
Supreme Court justice.
On May 18, he'll address the inau-
gural dinner of the newly established
Jewish Bar Association of Michigan at
the Westin Hotel in Southfield. The din-
ner will honor all new judges who have
taken the bench this year or last.
Last week, Justice Bernstein was
interviewed by the Jewish News and
spoke about his first four months on the
state's high court.
RB: I really enjoy working with the
other judges. We have a phenomenal
relationship. The people really like each
other. It's a friendly, warm environment.
I think we function very well as a
team. Especially with me being the first
blind Supreme Court justice here in our
state.
There is an incredible excitement,
energy and spirit that resonates not just
with the other six justices but through
the entire Hall of Justice. And my own
energy and enthusiasm will resonate
through the Michigan court system.
CONTEST SPONSOR
Inc.
Mindi Fynke and Howard Wright I Ilona and Max Fynke
Alexandra Fynke and Joel Browning I Asa Lester I Elliah Lester
Iris Fynke I Laurie and Tod Fynke
GOLF CART SPONSOR
Aileen and Harvey Kleiman
HOLE SPONSORS
Clarkston Capital — J.J. Modell I Crestmark Bank
Finsilver Friedman I Fortis Net Lease
Hooberman Management Company
Kaps Wholesale Food Services Inc. I Korotkin Insurance Group
Lynne and Richard Ludwig I Tamaroff Automotive
Wells Fargo — The Emerick Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors
TEE SPONSORS
Karen and Eric Adelman I Finkel Whitefield Selik
Abbey and Ken Nathan I Lawrence and 'dell Weisberg Trust
JN: Did that spirit on the Supreme
Court exist before you joined it?
Sponsors to date 4.30.15
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FOR RAFFLE DONATIONS AND
SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
M helle Malamis I 248.663.4343 I michellem@kadimacenter.org
Your support helps provide comprehensive services to adults and children
diagnosed with chronic and persistent mental illness.
1998570
20 April 30 • 2015
I
David Sachs
Senior Copy Editor
JN: The Jewish Bar Association of
Michigan (JBAM) is honoring new
judges at its dinner on May 18. As a new
judge yourself, what have you learned
so far from the other Supreme Court
justices, and what have you imparted to
them?
TOURNAMENT SPONSOR
EHIM,
Mr. Justice Bernstein
Lays uown The
RB: I think it's always been there.
But it's exciting because it's different
— having a blind person in this posi-
tion impacts how the court ultimately
functions because people are becoming
more aware and understanding of the
challenges and difficulties that people
like me have to contend with and have
to face on a daily basis.
JN: You've been all over the world,
helping terror victims in Israel and
people with disabilities in Ecuador. How
has this affected your perspective on the
bench?
RB: Our life experiences are what
make us who we are. For a judge, I don't
think there's anything more important
because it is through life experiences
you're able to have a genuine under-
standing and real connection with most
of the people that you serve.
One of the things I've been focusing
on with the Supreme Court justices is
something I'm very passionate about
and working really hard on.
I believe judges have to be kinder to
the attorneys who practice in front of
them.
I think the Supreme Court will be
able to set the tone. As a judge, you can
ask the same question and elicit the
same information but do it in a very
kind and nice way.
I think there are certain things judges
should never do. Judges should never
yell at lawyers; they should never do
anything to make a lawyer's job harder
than it needs to be.
You can call an attorney up to the
bench and talk to them directly. But the
cardinal thing that judges should never
do — under any circumstance — is
embarrass an attorney in front of his or
her client.
JN: One of the purposes of JBAM is
to serve the community, with pro bono
(free) work, with tikkun olam (repair of
the world). What Jewish values do you
bring to the court? What Jewish values
can Jewish attorneys bring to their prac-
tices?
RB: I think the values of Judaism are
always most important in everything
we do. Jewish values are about the idea
of working to make the world better,
working to have an impact.
The key thing I've always believed in
is that Jewish values are all about hope.
They're all about the idea that tomor-
row can be better. They're all about the
idea of strength and resilience. Jewish
values have that sense of faith.
Especially for a blind person in this
position, Jewish values say that things