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Windsor, Canada. “He never criti-
cizes others, including his partners,
and is always respectful of others
including his students.
“I met him four years ago at a
national event when I was look-
ing for a partner who had the skills
and temperament for major bridge
tournaments,” Morrie continues.
“We had our first major success
two years ago in New Orleans and
a few minor successes since then.
For the past three years, Jonathan
has joined our family for Passover
dinner and attended Windsor’s Yom
HaShoah in support of my work as
co-chair of the Windsor’s Holocaust
Remembrance Committee.”
A LIFELONG INTEREST
Jonathan’s interest in bridge began
while watching his grandmother,
Leah Snider, play duplicate bridge
with friends.
“I asked her to teach me the game
and, with my mother’s encourage-
ment, I supplemented my playing
time with books and CDs about
playing bridge and played bridge
games on the computer,” Jonathan
says. “One year, my grandmother
took me to the large weekly game
at Temple Israel, 50 tables, and I
watched her the entire game.”
Still in middle school, Jonathan
started working at local bridge
games as a caddy, collecting scores
and distributing the boards.
He also attended evening bridge
games at Summit Mall in Waterford,
directed by Dave Buskirk, a friend
of Jonathan’s grandparents. As a
result, the Buskirks’ grandson, Zach
Wasserman, and Jonathan started
playing bridge together.
“I was hooked,” Jonathan says,
“playing as much as I could either
with Zach or my grandmother. At
one game limited to players with
199 master points or less, Zach and I
won a trophy. By the time I finished
high school, I had earned 150 master
-points.”
Masterpoints are awarded to
players who successfully achieve a
high ranking in competitive bridge
games sanctioned by the American
Contract Bridge League.“My grand-
parents met playing bridge, and I
started playing when I was 7 years
old,” Zach says. “I played throughout
middle school, high school and at
the University of Michigan. Jonathan
was the first partner I had who was
my age.
“Ours was an arranged friendship
that worked out well, including plac-
ing in a couple of national tourna-
ments. I’m happy for him that he
found a career he really loves and
enjoys. He certainly has a talent and
passion for the game.”
Phyllis Cohn of Bloomfield Hills
was one of Jonathan’s first students
and thinks he is an excellent teacher.
“He’s very patient, very positive and
seldom shows any reaction while
we’re playing,” she says. “After the
game, he leads the discussion about
the hands. It’s obvious he loves the
game, enjoys teaching and is always
ready to learn.”
Jonathon says he wakes up with
a smile every morning. “I’m very
happy with my career progress,” he
says. “What was once a hobby is
now what I do for a living, and I’m
sometimes shocked about how well
the career move is working.
“In the last three years, I’ve
become a better bridge player and a
better bridge teacher,” he adds. “My
plan for the next three years is to
engage in successful partnerships
with other people who also play
bridge fulltime while maintaining
a student base that continues to
inspire me. No matter the level of a
student, when an interesting elegant
situation comes up in a bridge game,
it’s easy to enjoy what I’m doing.” •
SPRING / SUMMER 2018
TRUNK SHOW
FEB 1, 2 & 3 rd
IN ADDITION TO THE TRUNK SHOW, A L ARGE SELECTION OF
INVENTORY WILL BE AVAIL ABLE FOR PURCHASE IN ALL SIZES.
10 % DISCOUNT ON ALL C ARTISE PURCHASES
Orchard Mall (Orchard Lake Rd. and Maple Rd.)
6393 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfi eld, MI 48322
248.737.2666
22
January 25 • 2018
jn
The Fleischmann siblings: Naomi, Jonathan, Michael and Manuel wearing dinosaur
T-shirts produced by Michael and Manuel.