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Images, Legends, and
Abstractions
IN
IS
TH
E
ISSU
Sunday, September 21 t 3:00 p.m. Artist Talk and Presentation by Todd Weinstein
Exhibit Opening Event is free with museum admission.
©Todd Weinstein
Light is My Voice
Todd Weinstein explores themes including the reemergence of Jewish life in modern day Germany, the
prophets of the Bible, and the legend of the 36 Righteous Ones whose merit keeps the world from destruction
in times of peril. ON EXHIBIT SEPTEMBER 21 – DECEMBER 22, 2014
FOR MORE INFO:
o Eat
Out T
» Sharing The Bimah Song and Spirit Institute For Peace
builds interfaith harmony. See page 32.
» Angels And Dreamers West Bloomfield girl fulfills her
dream of helping the homeless. See page 36.
Jerry Zolynsky
Blight
Buster
Decision about Rabbi Krakoff
leaves rift Shaarey Zedek
is working to heal.
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
W
hen a petition to hold a special con-
gregational meeting signed by about
20 percent of its congregants was
presented to the Congregation Shaarey Zedek
board at the beginning of August, signers were
hopeful their request would be met.
Members of the Save Our Synagogue (SOS)
group and other petition signers, numbering 550
people, sought a special meeting on Aug. 24 to
voice their opposition to a decision not to renew
Erica Ward Gerson, head of
the Detroit Land Bank, at
one of the abandoned Detroit
homes up for sale and rehab
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
Bryan Elkus-Shaarey Zedek
Erica Ward Gerson heads the Detroit Land Bank,
renewing Detroit one home at a time.
Sam Gringlas | Special to the Jewish News
O
ne year before Mike Duggan declared his candida-
cy for Detroit mayor, he scheduled a lunch meet-
ing at Roma Cafe on Riopelle Street in the city.
His guest was Erica Ward Gerson, board chair at the
Detroit Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
She had known Duggan for years through his role as head
of the DMC, and figured he wanted to discuss hospital busi-
ness.
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield
JN claims 17 awards in statewide competition.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
obituaries
obituaries
Profound
Impact
| Ronelle Grier
| Contributing Writer
R
Rachel Jacobs’ family recalls her devotion to
social justice, her loved ones and to Detroit.
A Jewish Renaissance Media
Publication
C1
Stacy Gittleman for “Perfect Prom,” about
teens who took disabled students to their
high school prom.
In the design department JN Creative
Director Deborah Schultz and page design-
ers Michelle Sheridan and
Amy Pollard of Farago &
Associates took third place
for Best Newspaper Design
for the JN Passover issue.
Sheridan also swept
three awards in her own
right for Best Page Design
— first place, second place
Deborah
and an honorable mention.
Schultz
In the Special Section
competition, the JN’s
Celebrate! Section won
second prize. “Wonderful
mix of content — news
and advertising,” the judg-
es said. “This section real-
ly hits a target audience
with valuable information
displayed in an elegant
Michelle
and easy-to-use way. Great
Sheridan
work by the editors who
crafted this section.”
JN Publisher and
Executive Editor Arthur
M. Horwitz said, “These
awards are a tribute to not
just our staff, but also to
our readers, advertisers
and the entire community
that have supported us.
Arthur Horwitz
“This recognition vali-
dates that we are providing
quality, integrity and use-
fulness — not just in our eyes, but through
the eyes of independent judges who respect
what we do for our community.”
*
Michigan pride: Rachel Jacobs with son, Jacob, and husband, Todd Waldman.
72 May 28 • 2015
Obituaries
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J ULY 31 - A UG . 6, 2014 / 4 - 10 A V 5774
theJEWISHNEWS.com
A JEWISH RENAISSANCE MEDIA PUBLICATION
» Israel Rally Metro Detroiters stand with Israel at
local solidarity event. See page 14.
IN
IS
TH
E
ISSU
» Gaza War
Brett Mountain
M a r c h 2015
Photos courtesy of family and friends
|
John Kerry — friend or betrayer of Israel?
See page 36.
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
» Primary Season Meet candidates for Congress in
the 11th District and for state office, too.
Primary Guide begins on 41.
metro cover story
Anti-
Semitism
Rises In
Europe
Enchanted Photography by Marla Michele Must
celebrate!
achel Jacobs, 39, was known for her kind and car-
ing heart, her exceptional business acumen, and
the profound impact she made on the many lives
she touched with her friendship, compassion and boundless
energy.
A devoted wife, mother, daughter and friend; a passionate
social justice advocate and ardent supporter of her home-
town, Detroit; and a talented corporate executive with an
impressive career history, she had a gift for forming lasting
relationships that were the foundation of all her endeavors.
“Most important were the connections she made on a
personal level,” said her mother, Gilda Jacobs, a former
Michigan senator. “She connected with the world.”
Rachel, who lived in New York with her husband, Todd
Waldman, and their 2-year-old son, Jacob, was killed when
a New York-bound Amtrak train derailed in Philadelphia on
Tuesday evening, May 12. Rachel was commuting between
her home and her new job as CEO of Philadelphia-based
tech startup ApprenNet LLC, a company that provides
training and educational programs through Internet/video-
enabled, apprentice-style learning.
In her too-short life, Rachel touched hundreds of people
across the globe: friends, family members, colleagues, for-
mer classmates and supporters of Detroit Nation, an organi-
zation Rachel co-founded to enable native Detroiters living
elsewhere to contribute to their hometown’s economic and
cultural development.
Rachel’s Detroit roots began in Huntington Woods, where
her parents, John and Gilda Jacobs, raised Rachel and her
sister, Jessica, with a strong sense of community ties, Jewish
values and social justice.
“Every Chanukah, the family would choose a charity
to donate money to instead of buying gifts,” said John, an
attorney. This practice impressed Todd when he first met
Rachel and learned about her family.
As a student at Berkley High School, Rachel was involved
in student council and theater; she also served as class
ombudsman and volunteered at a local Planned Parenthood
office. She was president of the youth group at the fam-
ily’s synagogue, Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park, and served
as the vice-president of social action for NFTY (North
American Federation of Temple Youth) on a statewide level.
“She was always supporting something; she never said
no,” Todd said. “I remember seeing an old photo of her
wearing a jean jacket covered with buttons for various
causes.”
She spent several summers at Tamarack Camp, as a
camper and later as a staff member, leading off-site camping
trips.
“Her commitment to and her joy in Judaism are largely
due to her time at Tamarack,” John Jacobs said.
Her participation in Tamarack’s Western and Alaskan
trips led to a lasting love of travel and outdoor adventure.
Her younger sister, Jessica (Jessie), a favorite travel compan-
ion, shared happy memories of trips when she and Rachel
toured Italy, hiked through Banff in the Canadian Rockies
and experienced the thrill of an African safari. Jessie, who
lives in Staten Island with her husband, Joshua, and son,
Lyle, shared a close relationship with her sister.
Rachel received her undergraduate degree from
Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. After a stint at an
urban planning firm and some time on Capitol Hill working
for U.S. Rep. Lynn Rivers, a Detroit native, Rachel attended
Columbia University in New York, where she earned a mas-
ter’s degree in business administration.
Life was never a spectator sport for Rachel, and her zest
for experiencing the world around her was reflected in her
travels. While studying in Nepal during her junior year of
V
14 February 4 • 2016
1942 - 2014
An Israeli flag lends a show of support
as people wait to pass through security.
Call Him
Amanda Borschel-Dan
Times of Israel
Hunter
T
he room was packed to capac-
ity at the Knesset on Monday
for an emergency meeting on
the “rising wave of violent anti-Semitic
and anti-Israel demonstrations sweeping
Europe,” with MKs (members of Knesset)
and diaspora Jewish leaders offering tes-
timony and issuing condemnations.
Transgender teen,
family break
barriers on
the path to his
authentic life.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
Cnaan Liphshiz/JTA
T
he Detroit Jewish News has been named
the Michigan Press Association’s 2015
Newspaper of the Year in its circulation
class — winning 17 writing and design awards
in statewide competition.
JN Managing Editor
Jackie Headapohl said,
“The Jewish News’ suc-
cess is a testament to our
editors, writers and page
designers who work so
hard to provide a paper
people care about — and
one that makes a differ-
Jackie
ence in their lives.
Headapohl
“This honor redoubles
our commitment to serve
our readers and advertisers
with the best community
journalism in the state.”
Honored with two
first-place awards was
Contributing Writer
Ronelle Grier. Her touching
report on the life of Rachel
Ronelle Grier
Jacobs, a young wife and
mother who died in a train
derailment in Philadelphia
in May, won top prize in
the Spot News Story cat-
egory. The judges wrote,
“An incredibly thorough
news obituary, well written
and packed with details of a
remarkable life cut short.”
Alan Muskovitz
Grier also won top hon-
ors for her Feature Story,
“Call Him Hunter,” about
how a transgender teen-
ager’s transition affected
his family and friends.
In addition, Jewish News
columnists swept the top
three prizes in that cat-
egory. Alan Muskovitz was
Harry Kirsbaum
named Best Columnist for
his hilarious piece on real-
ity TV, “So You Think Elvis Was Offensive?”
Columnist Harry Kirsbaum took second
place for his tribute to the late Washington
Post editor Ben Bradlee. JN Arts & Life Editor
Lynne Konstantin claimed the third spot with
her “At Home” column about a historic man-
sion in Detroit’s Palmer Woods.
JN Contributing Editor Robert Sklar took
first place for Best Editorial for “U-M Must
Monitor Students Civil Rights.” The judges
wrote, “The publication produces powerful
editorials that challenge readers to think
critically about important issues that stand
up for important ideals
and that connect deeply
with its readership. This
editorial, supporting a
student movement to chal-
lenge anti-Semitism, was
superbly crafted.”
Sklar also won a second
Robert Sklar
place award for his editorial,
“Multitude Of Voices Key
To Sustaining JCC” about
the closing of the Oak Park
Jewish Community Center.
Winning first place for
News Enterprise Reporting
was Sam Gringlas for
“Blight Buster,” about
a woman in charge of
Sam Gringlas
solving the abandoned
house problem in Detroit.
According to the judges, “A
very interesting topic that
was well researched and
presented clearly and with
passion.”
Lynne Konstantin,
who won third place as
a columnist, also won
Lynne
two other third-place
Konstantin
awards. Her Spot News
Story, “Reunited,” about
a Holocaust survivor and
a black American soldier
was honored along with
her business story, “Mother
Lode,” about an entrepre-
neurial mother who created
a business colorfully deco-
Stacy
rating shoes and jackets.
Gittleman
Winning an honorable
mention in the Feature
Story category was Contributing Writer
But when Gerson arrived, Duggan leaned forward and
told her something she wasn’t expecting. He was consider-
ing a run for the mayor’s office.
He said he thought he could make a difference, but only
with a robust plan to tackle the city’s throngs of abandoned
and deteriorating properties.
“I can’t do it unless I come up with a policy I believe in
to cure blight in the city; because if I can’t cure the blight,
nothing else I do will matter,” Gerson recalled him saying.
So he asked her to help write the framework. Duggan
ran on the policy, won his election and assumed office in
January. Six months later, the city’s reorganized Detroit
Land Bank Authority has auctioned more than a hundred
vacant homes, many of which are now on their way to reno-
vation and occupancy.
Covering and
Connecting
Jewish Detroit
Every Week
march 2015
David Sachs | Senior Copy Editor
Sammy, 3, and Lenny LaKritz, 11
months, of West Bloomfield
cover story
Moving
Forward
Of The Year
theJEWISHNEWS.com
» Bragging Rights Grandparents share their pride and
joy in their grandchildren. See page 14.
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
metro
www.holocaustcenter.org
$2.00 S EPT . 4-10, 2014 / 9-15 E LUL 5774
A JEWISH RENAISSANCE MEDIA PUBLICATION
V
Newspaper
Exhibit Opening Event
Ronelle Grier | Contributing Writer
H
In the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, pro-
Palestinian rioters broke shop windows
and set fires on July 20.
unter Jordan Keith, 15, has always known he was
different. For the first 14 years of his life, he lived
inside the female body he was born with, going by
his given name, Olivia Lauren Keith. Looking back, he says
he never felt comfortable as a female; often he felt trapped
and betrayed by his own body.
“In fifth grade, I remember watching a TV show on
1942 - 2014
Covering and
Connecting
Jewish Detroit
Every Week
female-to-male transition, and I thought, ‘Wait, that’s me,’”
Hunter said. “I’d never been ‘one of the girls;’ I usually hung
out with the boys.”
At 14, Hunter began doing extensive Internet research
about gender and sexuality. He learned what it meant to be
transgender and familiarized himself with various treatment
options, such as testosterone and various surgical procedures.
He identified with a YouTube video series created by a teen
in the process of transitioning from a female to a male.
“I kept seeing myself in every single bit,” Hunter said.
“This is me, this is me … it was like a checklist. Finally,
there was no doubt in my mind.”
When Hunter told his parents, Roz and Richard Keith
of Farmington Hills, he was transgender, they were not
shocked, but both admit it took some time to
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8