contents

June 16-22, 2016 | 10-16 Sivan 5776 | Vol. CXLIX, No. 20

My
Story

SHABBAT LIGHTS

Shabbat: Friday, June 17, 8:54 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, June 18, 10:07 p.m.

Shabbat: Friday, June 24, 8:56 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, June 25, 10:08 p.m.

Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

The Detroit 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 HWY., #110, Southfield, MI 48034.

46

Around Town ............... 20
Arts & Life .................... 42
Calendar....................... 30
Camp ............................ 31
Editor’s Picks ............... 50
Family Focus ............... 34
Fashion ......................... 42
Food.............................. 48
Israel ....................... 5, 6, 8

Life Cycles .................... 56
Marketplace ................ 59
Metro ............................ 10
Obituaries .................... 62
Pets ............................... 38
Sports ........................... 55
Synagogue List ........... 40
Torah Portion .............. 41
Viewpoints......................5

Brett Mountain

Celebration by Ken Axelrad, whose work will be shown at a pop-up exhibit Thursday, June
23, at the Janice Charach Gallery at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield

Columnists

Annabel Cohen ........... 48
Debra Darvick ............. 36
Ben Falik .........................5
Ryan Fishman .............. 52
Danny Raskin .............. 54
Robert Sklar ...................8

24

Jewish War Veteran Jack Backalar of Novi
at Machpelah Cemetery on Memorial Day

OUR JN MISSION

The Jewish News aspires to communicate news and opinion that ’s useful, engaging, enjoyable and unique. It strives to reflec t the full range of diverse viewpoints while
also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unit y and continuit y. We desire to create and maintain a challenging, caring, enjoyable work environment that encourages
creativit y and innovation. We acknowledge our role as a responsible, responsive member of the communit y. Being competitive, we must always strive to be the most respec ted,
outstanding Jewish communit y publication in the nation. Our rewards are informed, educated readers, ver y satisfied adver tisers, contented employees and profitable growth.

Click. Call. Give Now.
www.hfldetroit.org
248.723.8184

Quick Click … From the William Davidson Digital
Archive of Jewish Detroit History

Health. A fresh start.
A good education.
The next great business idea.

Mike Smith
Detroit Jewish News Foundation Archivist

O

ne hundred years ago this
month, one of the most famous
jurists in American history
was appointed to Supreme Court of the
United States: Louis Brandeis. Already
a famous progressive attorney who had
been dubbed “The People’s Lawyer,”
Brandeis went on to have a storied
career on the Supreme Court, one of the
most influential justices ever.
On one hand, the appointment of
Brandeis was nothing out of the ordi-
nary. Brandeis was a brilliant lawyer
who was recognized as such by a

president. He was one of many
accomplished and highly intelligent
members of the Supreme Court
(of course, there have been a few
not-so-intelligent and infamous
members over the years). On the other
hand, this was an unprecedented event
because Brandeis was the first Jewish
appointee.
There were some political battles
regarding his nomination. Some observ-
ers, like the Detroit Journal, speculated
that President Woodrow Wilson nomi-
nated Brandeis to secure the Jewish

In the 1980s, Vladimir Gendelman
and his family left the Ukraine for the
United States. In common with many
Russian families coming into Michigan,
his family received help from local
Jewish agencies to acclimate to their
new home. Hebrew Free Loan gave
them an interest-free loan to purchase
a reliable used car.
“I turned sixteen one month after we
came here,” Vladimir said. “It was all
so overwhelming, I didn’t understand
what was going on. We were told that
a lot of what the Russian families
received was from the goodness of
community donors, but it really didn’t
make much of an impression on me. I
was young, and I have always been
forward-thinking, not focusing on
what’s happening right now. I just
know there’s a potential for tomorrow
to be better than today.”
The car the Gendelmans purchased
was used to get members of the family
to work. “Lots of work,” Vladimir said.
“My parents, who were professionals
in Russia, did all kinds of odd jobs until
they were certiﬁed to go back to pro-
fessional careers here. I did just about
everything that came my way, too.”
Years later, now married, a father and
the founder of companyfolders.com,
Vladimir thought back to what that
used car meant to his family, and
joined the HFL Board.
“I wanted to give back and help,
like those community donors years ago.
HFL was there for us at a difﬁcult time.
Today, for me to be on the other
side of the table helping fellow
Jews, helping people like me, is
huge. It’s very rewarding.”

vote for him and his
political party. There
is a thoughtful essay
in the June 16, 1916,
issue of the Jewish
Chronicle on this issue. That week, the
paper featured a photo of Brandeis on
its front page and a brief essay about
his appointment on page 4. This is very
modest reporting about a man begin-
ning a larger-than-life career.

*

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation
archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

Hebrew Free Loan gives interest-
free loans to members of our
community for a variety of
personal and small business
needs. HFL loans are funded
entirely through community
donations which continually
recycle to others, generating
many times the original value
to help maintain the lives of
local Jews.

Celebrating 120 Years

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301

Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

@HFLDetroit

2098260

June 16 • 2016

3

