>> gift guide Hanging Dut Coby's Judaica at the JCC is like a one-stop "Little Israel!' A Stories by Barbara Lewis I Contributing Writer small Judaica shop nestled next to the gym in West Bloomfield's Jewish Community Center has become a happy hangout for expat Israelis. They come to drink tea, eat Israeli vaffe- lirn (wafer cookies), watch Israeli TV and complain, usually in Hebrew, about every- thing from politics to the unavailability of good falafel in Detroit. Non-Israelis are welcome, too. Coby Goutkovitch, 55, owner of Coby's Judaica, grew up in Zichron Ya'akov in northern Israel and came to Michigan in 1989 to work for General Dynamics. In 2000, he purchased Esther's Judaica in the Sugar Tree Plaza in West Bloomfield. "Esther used mostly vendors from New York, and a lot of the merchandise was made in China:' said Goutkovitch of West Bloomfield. "There was an intifada going on in Israel and no one was going there. I brought in made-in-Israel products to help the artists in Israel:' Coby's Judaica still sells mostly made-in- Israel merchandise, though Goutkovitch also has items made by local artists, includ- ing well-known glass artist Dani Katsir. "I'm very fanatic that most of the inven- Mann Alex Raab, left, and Hai Eretz, right, enjoy the "Little Israel" feel of Coby Goutkovitch's Judaica store at the JCC in West Bloomfield. A limited edition menorah commissioned by the Israeli government, $1,800, at Coby's Judaica tory comes from Israel; he said. "My shop is helping keep seven or eight Israel families alive." Michigan's economic recession hit Coby's Judaica hard, and when his lease on the Sugar Tree store was up in 2007, he accept- ed an invitation from Mark Litt, the JCC's executive director at the time, to move his store to the center. "It's become a little institution of its own; Goutkovitch said. "Even people who don't usually come to the JCC come here." One of those is Hai Eretz, 55, of Oak Park. He grew up with Goutkovitch in Israel and moved to Detroit last summer to join his now-wife, Sharon Sullivan, whom he met in Israel. He teaches Hebrew at Temple Israel's religious school. Alex Raab, 82, is another regular. He works out at the JCC health club a few times a week and always stops in at Coby's afterward for a good shmooze. Raab was born in Poland, survived the Holocaust and lived in Ramie, Israel, for 14 years after World War II. He came to the U.S. with his family in 1962 and is a retired plumber. "I've been coming here since he opened," said Raab of West Bloomfield. "It gives me a feeling of Israel:' Goutkovitch keeps half a dozen chairs along a side wall of his shop for his visi- tors. The chairs are just behind his desk, so everyone can watch the Israeli television shows Goutkovitch likes to stream on his computer. Some of his visitors call his shop "Little Israel:' The store also functions like an informa- tion center. "One day a guy came in and said he had an auto mechanic shop, but he wasn't get- ting any business:' Raab said. "Coby started talking up his shop to his customers, and he started getting busier. When I needed a dentist, I asked Coby where I should go and he told me. "It's like a kiosk," he said, referring to the Israeli street stands where locals congregate and community information is posted. "This is a big asset for the community:' Raab said. "We're very. fortunate to have a place like this here:' GIFT TRENDS n addition to Coby's Judaica (248-661- 6800), there are a number of Detroit-area Judaica shops with large selections. Check out the smaller gift shops at synagogues and Judaic bookstores in Oak Park for some gems, too. A big seller is always menorahs. Alicia Nelson of Tradition! Tradition! (248-557- 0109) in Southfield has a new stainless-steel travel menorah ($75) that folds into its own case. Prices range from a Sculpture in Glass menorah by artist J. Anthony Atkins for $575 to a miniature bronze menorah for $18. Children's Chanukah menorahs are in big demand at the Temple Israel shop (248-661- 5700) in West Bloomfield, said Mary Lou Berndt, one of the three co-chairs."We have 54 November 19 2015 111 111 0 0 OO H) 10 ER % 11E1 It-41 11111 1 1111111 1111 OH I 11 A red metal children's menorah A pink star menorah at at Temple Israel, $69 Temple Israel, $24 a train, a car, a motorcycle and an airplane, which people are loving:' Lisa Wasserman, another co-chair, says they try to have new menorahs and dreidels every year for collectors. The shop also carries a wide variety of Chanukah- themed decorations, kitchen and party items in addition to candlesticks, Kiddush A menorah made from ceramic mah jong tiles at cups and more. "We don't carry gifts so much as items for celebrating the holiday," said Wasserman. "We're more into celebration than presents:" Among Coby's one-of-a-kind pieces is a silver folding menorah by Moishe D'vash, a 17th-generation Jerusalemite, that sells Tradition! Tradition! $75 for $1,100. Owner Coby Goutkovitch also has one of a limited edition of menorahs commissioned by the Israel government for $1,800, on display along with photos show- ing the same menorah being presented to President Bill Clinton and Israel's president Shimon Peres.