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JCRC/AJC Election

Pancreatic Cancer Walk Set

Ben Konstantin loved to laugh. And
he loved to make others laugh with
him.
An enormously talented artist, art
director, writer and stand-up come-
dian, he was steadfastly devoted to
his friends and family. He truly had
it all — he was a newlywed with a
new baby on the way. And on July 13,
2013, at age 47, he died of pancreatic
cancer — just one day shy of his first
wedding anniversary and 10 months
after his diagnosis. His daughter was
3 months old.
Pancreatic cancer is the third-
leading cause of cancer death — and
is predicted to become the second
around 2020, surpassing breast and
colorectal cancers. It has a five-year
relative survival rate of just 8 per-
cent, the lowest of any major cancer.
It also is historically underfunded,
receiving only 2 percent of the

National Cancer Institute’s budget.
Help understand, fight and end
pancreatic cancer. On Saturday,
June 17, join Ben’s wife, Julie Tracht-
Konstantin, their daughter, Sammy,
and hundreds more at PurpleStride
Detroit 2017.
Ben’s Purple Gang and other
teams named in honor and memory
of pancreatic cancer patients will
gather — with guest emcee Sherry
Margolis — for a one-mile family-
friendly walk plus fun activities for
all ages, at Hart Plaza in Detroit.
Organized by the Pancreatic
Cancer Action Network, the morn-
ing walk helps create awareness and
funds for grants, advocacy efforts
and federal research. Early detection
can save lives. To join Ben’s Purple
Gang, make a contribution or learn
more about pancreatic cancer, visit
purplestride.org/Detroit. •

ADL Report Exposes
Right-Wing Terrorism Threat

Right-wing extremists have been
responsible for plotting at least 150
acts of terror in the United States
over the past 25 years, according to a
new report from the Anti-Defamation
League (ADL). These attacks and
attempted attacks, many of them
deadly, illustrate the consistent and
serious threat that right-wing extrem-
ists pose to all Americans.
The report, from ADL’s Center on
Extremism, serves as a potent and
timely reminder that recent events
like the white supremacist who trav-
eled to New York City with the alleged
intent of engaging in a spree of attacks
against African-Americans are not iso-
lated or rare examples of right-wing
violence. Rather they are the latest
in a long string of terror incidents
connected to right-wing extremists.
Right-wing terror attacks or plots
have taken place every year in the past
quarter century.
“As we look at the spectrum of hate
in America today, it is clear right-wing
extremists have become much more
visible and quite emboldened,” said
Jonathan A. Greenblatt, ADL CEO.
“This consistent threat requires con-
sistent resources so we can reduce
domestic terrorism through counter-

22

June 8 • 2017

jn

ing violent extremist efforts. Our work
combating these dangerous extrem-
ists is far from over.”
More than 800 people were killed
or injured in the 150 attacks analyzed
in the report. The report reveals that
white supremacists (64 incidents) and
anti-government extremists such as
militia groups and sovereign citizens
(63 incidents) were responsible for
most of the terror episodes.
Right-wing extremists choose
many targets for their anger, most
frequently homing in on government,
law enforcement, racial and religious
marks.
“The most common religious tar-
gets are Jews and Muslims, while the
most common racial targets were
African-Americans, including multi-
racial targets,” said Mark Pitcavage,
senior research fellow at ADL’s Center
on Extremism.
In addition to the terror incidents
listed in the report, right-wing extrem-
ists also regularly commit other acts
of violence, from assaults to murders.
ADL’s research has found that from
2007 to 2016, a range of domestic
extremists of all kinds were respon-
sible for the deaths of at least 372
people across the country. •

Alicia B. Chandler has been
are Nancy Welber Barr and Seth
elected president of the Jewish
Gould. Secretary Phil Neuman and
Community Relations Council/
Treasurer Erica Peresman complete
AJC.
the JCRC/AJC officer corps.
A long-serving member of AJC
The following are members of
Detroit’s executive committee,
JCRC/AJC’s board of directors:
Chandler is the recipient of the
Brooke Bendix, Laura Berman, Sue
2012 AJC Detroit’s Community
Birnholtz, Nancy Bechek Bluth, Eric
Leadership Award. Last year, she Alicia Chandler
Bronstein, Howard Brown, Cathy
led AJC Detroit during a transi-
Cantor, Ellen Yashinsky Chute, Fred
tional period, serving as interim
Frank, Howard Friedman, Julian
president, later joining JCRC/AJC as vice
Greenebaum, Micki Grossman, Mary
president upon the launch of the innovative Ellen Gurewitz, Betsy Kellman, Kenneth
JCRC/AJC partnership, which is nearing the Konop, Susan Marwil, Sandi Matz, Arianna
completion of its first year.
Mentzel, Milton Neuman, Phil Neuman,
A native Detroiter, Chandler and her
Jordan Nodel, Nanci Rands, Ruby Robinson,
husband, Jeffrey, are the proud parents of
Robert Rollinger, Randi Sakwa, Sheri Schiff,
Morgan and Brady.
Jonathan Schwartz, Illana Stern, Noah
Stern, Jordan Weiss and Samantha Woll. •
Newly elected JCRC/AJC vice presidents

D.C. Moment

Gilead Kapen, son of Rachel Kapen
of West Bloomfield, with Sen.
Gary Peters May 23 at the Jewish
American Heritage Foundation
luncheon in Washington, D.C.
Gilead is no stranger to Congress.
He served as legislative assistant
to Rep. Dan Burton of Indianapolis
and, with Burton as chairman,
served as staff director to the Africa
subcommittee and then the Western
Hemisphere sub-committee.

CSZ Creative Writing Awards

Congregation Shaarey Zedek announced
the winners of its annual Jeffrey Weisberg
Memorial Creative Writing Award.
Jeffrey’s parents, the late Lucille and the
late Harvey Weisberg, CSZ past president,
established the award to honor the memory
of Jeffrey, a published poet and the winner
of the University of Michigan’s Hopwood
Award. He encouraged young people to
write and was involved at CSZ with teach-

ing youth about a commitment to the heri-
tage of the Jewish people.
The prompt for this year’s contest
addressed the challenges that Jews face,
including anti-Semitism.
The winners are fifth-graders Leah
Kendal and Mayer Krieger; eighth-graders
Estee Moss and Ella Wagner; and 11th-
graders Drew Tarnopol and Sophia
Gawel. •

Jewish Fund Grants

At its May 16 board meeting, the Jewish
Fund, established in 1997 from the sale
proceeds of Sinai Hospital to the Detroit
Medical Center, approved more than $2
million in new grants, continuation grants
and Teen Board grants.
New grant awards were given to
Affirmations Lesbian Gay Community
Center, Black Mothers Breastfeeding
Association, Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Foundation, Community Foundation for
Southeast Michigan, Hillel of Metro Detroit,
Moishe House, Tamarack Camps, Wayne
State University and the Jewish Federation
of Metro Detroit, including $50,000 for
a one-year grant to support its 2017
Population Study.

Continuation grant awards went to
Jewish Family Service, Jewish Senior Life,
Federation, Ferncare Free Clinic, Hope
Hospitality and Warming Center, Oakwood
Healthcare System Foundation, Oakland
Family Service and Starfish Family Service.
The Teen Board grant awards include
$10,000 to Friendship Circle to raise aware-
ness about mental health challenges among
the Jewish teenage community through
expansion of Umatter Weeks; $12,486 to
JARC to offer LinkUp, a social network for
young adults with special needs; $2,000 to
Federation to support the School Inclusion
Program; and $15,500 to Common Ground
to expand the accessible hours of text and
chat crises line services. •