get completed because Gutman had
to become familiar with the process,
experience expedited the develop-
ment of Pop Lullaby to two months.
Gutman, after college gradua-
tion, became familiar with the real
estate business as he worked for
the Schostak Brothers. Believing
he needed an international
focus, Gutman worked for Trizec
Properties based in Canada.
“I missed the family work environ-
ment and had the good fortune to
interview with Burt Farbman, our
chairman,” Gutman says. “I was
offered a job and took a pay cut to
work with them. I started as a finan-
cial analyst and have spent 22 years
here. My wife is a senior vice presi-
dent at Farbman.”
The Gutmans, Novi residents
who are members of Temple Israel,
recently celebrated their daughter’s
bat mitzvah. His interest in young
people is further demonstrated
through a commitment to the B’nai
B’rith Youth Organization, which
he first served as an adviser before
joining the local board and now the
international board.
“I see some of the values and
ideals that you learn about in
Jewish life and Hebrew school in the
Caterpillar book,” says Gutman, who
went on to write with some very
specifically Jewish themes. “I wrote
some songs for my daughter’s bat
mitzvah that one day I plan on turn-
ing into books. The songs are done
in English and Hebrew.
“It was such a touching time watch-
ing my daughter transition from child
to adult. There’s creative content in
that, but I have to pace myself and not
do everything at once.”
Production of Gutman’s songs is
done through a label he created —
Gutcheck Music — on Soundcloud.
His books are published through
Dog Ear Self Publishing.
“This has all been a learning
process because I want to have con-
trol of the songs and books,” says
Gutman, who found book illustra-
tors through companies established
to provide that service for indepen-
dent writers.
“It is important to me to maintain
how my materials are used. Neither
book is about making money;
they’re about creative control.”
Although he plans future books
with Jewish content, Gutman cur-
rently looks to wider connections
just as he does in his own activities.
“I’ve been a member of the
Chaldean American Chamber
of Commerce for years as a way
of bridging the gap between the
Jewish and Chaldean communities,”
Gutman says. “The communities are
very similar in a lot of ways.
“One year, when I was on the plan-
ning committee for their annual din-
ner and set to speak, I hired Steve
Acho, who will be at the bookstore,
and another musician to perform a
song I wrote to open up the event.”
If the books do start making
money, Gutman plans on donating
a large portion of the proceeds to
a nonprofit organization focused
on children. He says he believes
it is important to give back to the
community, and he’s looking for an
appropriate organization. •
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April 5 • 2018
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