24 May 30 • 2019
jn
Measles ‘Outbreak’ Over
Despite New Case in St. Clair County
The measles outbreak that shook Metro
Detroit for about a month has died
down. After 43 measles cases were
reported by the Michigan Department
of Health and Human Services from
March 13 to April 17, no new cases
were reported until May 18, when
it confirmed a new case in St. Clair
County from an international traveler.
The new case is not related to the origi-
nal outbreak, health officials say.
During an April interview with the
JN, epidemiologist Dr. Jeffrey Band
predicted the outbreak would be under
control after Passover, due to the efforts
of local health departments identifying
possible exposure zones and getting
people vaccinated within 72 hours of
exposure.
“It has died down largely because of
the health department’
s excellent sur-
veillance coupled with immunity rates
in the low 90s,” Band said. “In any case,
in a cluster, we have a high chance of
extermination. It is harder in big cities
like New York.”
Band believes the outbreak raised
awareness of the measles problem and
prompted people to get vaccinated, with
help from the health departments.
“It’
s been a wonderful effort from
the Pontiac and Southfield depart-
ments,” he said. “Not only on-site, but
at certain locales as well, bringing the
vaccinations to public places such as a
synagogue.”
This measles outbreak has also raised
more awareness for vaccines in general.
Recently Band saw a college student
with a case of rubella, commonly
known as the mumps, which is prevent-
able with the same MMR vaccine that
combats measles.
“It’
s been at least 10 years since the
last mumps case I’
ve seen,” he said.
According to the Oakland County
Health Division, if you do not have
documentation of two measles vac-
cines from a doctor or Michigan Care
Improvement Registry (MCIR), get
vaccinated. If you are unsure if you’
ve
had measles, contact your healthcare
provider to get vaccinated. ■
MICHAEL PEARCE JN INTERN
Patti
Nemer
Empl
oyee
of
t
he
Year
Aldri
ne
Walton
Barbara
and
Irvi
ng
Nusbaum
Vol
unt
eer
of
t
he
Year
Renee
Unger
Communit
y
Par
t
ner
of
t
he
Year
ACCESS
Incoming
Chairperson
Juli
e
Tei
cher
Out
going
Chairperson
Suzan
F.
Curhan
1st
Pl
ace- Tom Sherman
2nd
Pl
ace-
3rd
Pl
ace- Samuel Gawel
Essay
Cont
est
Winners
J E W I S H F A M I L Y S E R V I C E
A N N U A L M E E T I N G
and Community Recognition Night
Kehillat Etz Chayim of Detroit will
welcome Rabbi Irving “Yitz” and Blu
Greenberg for its first Visiting Scholars
Weekend, from Friday, June 14, through
Sunday morning, June 16, sponsored in
honor of Drs. David and Judith Singer.
Rabbi Greenberg has served for six
decades in the American rabbinate, in
academia (Yeshiva University) and in
Jewish communal organizations and
lay leadership education. He has been
a leading thinker on pluralism and
dialogue, theology after the Holocaust
and the ethics of Jewish power. He is
the author of The Jewish Way and For
the Sake of Heaven and Earth: The New
Encounter of Judaism and Christianity.
Blu Greenberg, known as the “mother
of Orthodox feminism,
” is a lecturer and
activist in the Jewish communal world
with interest in Jewish family, the inter-
action of tradition and contemporary
living, and dialogue, both interfaith and
Jewish-Palestinian. She is the author of
On Women and Judaism: A View from
Tradition and How to Run a Traditional
Jewish Household.
She will speak at 7:30 p.m. Friday
during services, 13000 Victoria,
Huntington Woods. Rabbi Greenberg
will speak Shabbat morning after ser-
vices on “The Death and Resurrection
of Modern Orthodoxy: Is it good for
the Jews?” Services start at 9:30 a.m. at
14601 Lincoln Road, Oak Park.
At a Seudah Sh’
lishit open to the
community at 7:45 p.m. Saturday at
25322 Parkwood, Huntington Woods,
Rabbi Asher Lopatin of Etz Chayim will
lead a discussion with the Greenbergs
on “Contemporary Challenges Facing
Modern Orthodoxy.
”
The Greenbergs will also lecture at
10 a.m. Sunday morning, June 16, on
“Every Human Being is in the Image
of God” (Irving) and “The Agunah
Problem and the Resolution” (Blu).
Sunday’
s lectures will showcase Rabbi
Greenberg’
s participation in a new
Orthodox rabbinic organization, Torat
Chayim, with several rabbis from
Detroit.
Go to etzchayimdetroit.org for details,
or send an email to etzchayimwoods@
gmail.com. ■
jews d
in
the
Rabbi Irving and Blu Greenberg
Will Be Visiting Scholars In June