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The
Story

for openers

Life Has Ups And Downs

T

downward spiral.
hink elevator. Think escalator.
If you are technically aware you
Think stairs. All of these permit
may upload and download with ease.
us to change physical levels in
Whatever … (as my prejudice
our everyday existence.
toward “gadgets” comes to the
Our concern with these
fore.)
changes has wrought a bevy
of expressions that denote the
In business dealings, you
mercurial existence we live
should be on the up and up.
day to day.
Be wary of information that
If you do well in your
comes to you on the down
chosen field, you may
low.
be described as up-and-
Not all references are oppo-
coming and be considered
sites.
Take, for instance, being
Sy Manello
an upstanding member of
upbeat, a condition that will
Editorial Assistant
the community. When your
get you far in personal rela-
fortune changes, you may
tions. Such a feeling would
also lead one to be attuned to
become down and out and be
a down beat and be ready for
a member of the downtrod-
action, especially on the dance floor.
den. We often do see folks go from
Some of life’s challenges are an
being upwardly mobile to entering a

uphill battle; do not let them get you
down in the dumps or become down-
cast. Often, rough patches will find
you beat up; but do not permit them
to beat you down.
When you feel that you are up
against “it,” try to downplay “it.” Even
if you are up to your eyeballs in work,
do not let it lead to a downfall.
Those daring souls who sky dive
or hang glide are acutely aware of
updrafts and downdrafts. These are
essential to safe landings.
If you have ever had the flu, you
know that the inability to keep any-
thing down will lead you to upchuck.
On that note, let me share one of
my puns. How do you get down from
an elephant? You don’t. You get down
from a duck. •

letters

Another Lesson
Of Max’s

Thank you for Contributing Editor
Robert Sklar’s excellent article in
your 75th anniversary issue on Max
Fisher’s Zionist legacy (“Max-Imum
Effect,” July 18, page 52). It was a job
well done.
Another very important lesson
that Max, by example, taught me was
the importance of being involved,
not only in the Jewish community
— local, national and international
— but also in the general community.
This is something I’ve attempted to
emulate.
For example, Max was involved
at Ohio State University and I was
involved at the University of Michigan.
He was a leading Republican and I
was an active Democrat. We both
served United Way for over 50 years.
It was a lesson that I learned early.
And it has greatly enhanced my life
and benefited many individuals and
causes over many years.

Joel Tauber
Southfield

The Kotel Controversy

In her recent JN article, regular
contributor Stacy Gittleman inter-
views a number of local rabbis of the
Conservative and Reform movements
in Judaism about their reactions to
the reversal of the Israeli govern-

ment, led by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, regarding a special egali-
tarian section at the Kotel or Western
Wall (“A Dividing Wall,” page 10, July
27) .
Albeit sharing their disappointment
and viewing it as another concession
to the haredim, what mostly concerns
me is the current situation in regards
to the celebration of a bar mitzvah of
a family member at this most signifi-
cant venue in our religion, the only
remnant of the Beit HaMikdash.
Our family celebrated the bar
mitzvah of our firstborn, Gilead, in
August 1973 and then of his firstborn,
Rome, in July of 2015. In the first, I
had to stand on a not-very-sturdy
chair and look at the men’s section
to get a glimpse of the ceremony. In
the second, I was lucky that the cer-
emony was moved to the Robinson
Arch where I, his mother and sisters
were at least able to sit and watch
the goings on down below. Alas, the
earphones we were given didn’t work
that day, so we weren’t able to hear
anything.
It would have been quite welcome
for families who make the special
effort to have this momentous family
event at the Kotel to attend it like the
men of the family. I am sure that some
provision can be made to accomplish
it.

Rachel Kapen
West Bloomfield

Women Of The
Wall At The Kotel

I’d like to respond to “New Plan
Needed For Kotel,” page 6, July 27).
The Kotel plaza is spacious, with less
than one-quarter to one-third of the
space “partitioned off for separate
davening.” The entire plaza is open
and welcome where all Jews and non-
Jews are appreciated.
On Shabbat Friday nights, the plaza
is also filled with singing, prayer, dav-
ening and socializing by thousands of
people. Every Shabbat morning, there
are a few hundred regular Shomer
Shabbat Jews, all ages from the world
over, davening on both sides. The
holiness of the davening is palpable.
Even the birds cease from flying
around and are perched within the
steps taking in the holiness.
On Shabbat Saturday mornings,
there are very few tourists — a cam-
era and cell phone here and there, but
not much really … Women davening,
helping others find prayer books. One
woman walks around with branches
for those who wish to make an added
blessing. The women save seats for
each other and make room for each
other, especially when the sun is
blazing and there is more shade up
toward the Wall. On the women’s side,
it is extraordinary.
I have also been at the Kotel when
the Women of the Wall hold their
monthly services. The contrast to the

As leaders of their agencies,
Nancy Heinrich of Jewish Senior
Life and Perry Ohren of Jewish
Family Service each provide a great
deal to Jewish community members
in need. When programs or services
are mutually beneﬁcial, cooperation
is key, so the agencies joined forces
with Hebrew Free Loan to support
the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Older
Adult Care Loan Fund (KOACLF)
housed at HFL. The fund assists
seniors and their families with
funding some of the costs of living
comfortably as they age. Working
together, the agencies can beneﬁt
a greater number of residents than
each could alone.
“It’s one great tool in our toolbox,”
said Perry. “What the KOACLF can
do for JFS clients, for example, is
help pay for therapies or home
modiﬁcations or equipment that our
seniors need to age in place.”
“In life we have transitions, and
those can be costly,” Nancy said.
“We might not be prepared right
then to meet those expenses. The
KOACLF could help ﬁll a gap.”
The fund, Nancy and Perry said,
can help seniors and their loved
ones keep their options open, adapt
to the circumstances that arise in
their lives, and offer choices.
“Whether it’s a home setting or
senior apartments like ours, no two
situations are alike,” Nancy said.
“It’s good for family and caregivers
to know they can call us to get to a
network of options.”
Perry agreed. “Regardless of the
need, if JFS doesn’t have the
answer, we know who does,” he
said. “It doesn’t matter if your point
of entry is us or someone else. It’s
good for our community when our
agencies link arms in support. We
all beneﬁt.”

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

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

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.

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

Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

@HFLDetroit

continued on page 8

jn

August 10 • 2017

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