jews d
in 
the

Henry the 
Hatter’s 
New Digs

Oldest hat retailer feels 
right at home in Detroit’
s 
Eastern Market.

H

enry the Hatter is bringing a 
new look to Detroit’
s Eastern 
Market. With a wide selec-
tion of hats, plenty of style expertise 
and highly trained salespeople, any-
one can find the perfect hat here — 
even Michigan’
s own Kid Rock!
Henry the Hatter has been serving 
the Detroit community for 126 years, 
claiming the title of the oldest hat 
retailer in the U.S.
In 1893, Henry Komrofsky opened 
the store and only repaired top hats. 
He was so successful that he eventu-
ally decided to sell different styles of 
hats. As the store became even more 
popular, Komrofsky took the busi-
ness a step further and began making 
his own hats.
With the expansion of his shop, he 
partnered with his former stock and 
delivery boy, Gus Newman. From 
there, they ran the business until 
Komrofsky passed away.
Newman then decided to sell 
Henry the Hatter to a savvy New 
Yorker, Seymour Wasserman, who 
uprooted his family and moved 
to Detroit. Wasserman ran the 

store with the help of his son, Paul 
Wasserman, who helped make it 
into the successful business that it is 
today.
Paul Wasserman always wanted to 
follow in his father’
s footsteps and 
knew he was destined to work beside 
him.
“I always knew that I would end 
up here,” Wasserman says.
When his father passed away in 
1998, Wasserman took over the store. 
However, in 2017, he was not offered 
a new lease and was forced to close 
the Broadway Avenue location. With 
no place to go, he almost decided to 
retire and give the business to his 
employee, Joe Renkiewicz.
When Wasserman announced the 
closing of the store, he was shocked 
by the community’
s response.
“There was such an emotional out-
pouring from the citizens of Detroit 
it was like something was being 
taken away from them,” Wasserman 
says. “It was very, very humbling 
and it really brought me to my knees 
and, in a good way, it was like being 
at your own funeral and seeing what 

you mean to people.”
After that, Wasserman knew 
what he had to do. He found a new 
location in Detroit’
s Eastern Market 
and officially opened his doors 
in December 2017. Wasserman 
then transitioned the business to 
Renkiewicz, who will have complete 
ownership of the store in 2027.
While the Broadway location 
served its purpose, Wasserman is 
much happier in his new location.
“It’
s a much nicer building and a 
much nicer landlord,” Wasserman 
said. “Sometimes things have a way 
of working out for the best.”
Wasserman is a firm believer that 
stores like his give Detroit its charac-
ter. The outpouring of support from 
the community assures him of that.
“It’
s never about me; it’
s always 
about the business,” Wasserman says. 
“It’
s nice that I was the caretaker 
for 45 years and that it has so much 
meaning for the people of Detroit. I 
don’
t know how you beat that.” ■

Check out Henry the Hatter at 2472 Riopelle 
St. in Detroit’
s Eastern Market.

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CORRIE COLF

Paul Wasserman

16 July 11 • 2019
jn

5 Detroiters Join ORT 
America Board

On June 23 at ORT America’
 annual 
meeting, a new leadership team was 
elected that includes five Detroiters: 
Jim August, Dr. Conrad Giles, Bub-
ba Urdan, Andi Wolfe and Larry 
Wolfe. 
August has a longtime com-
munity service background that 
includes the Jewish Federation of 
Metropolitan Detroit, the Michigan 
Jewish Conference, National 
Foundation for Jewish Culture and 
president of Detroit Men’
s ORT.
ORT America Executive 
Committee member Giles was 
appointed president of World ORT 
in May 2016 and has decades of 
service to ORT, the Jewish Council 
for Public Affairs, Detroit’
s Jewish 
Federation, Council of Jewish 
Federations, the Jewish Agency 
for Israel and the American Jewish 
Joint Distribution Committee. 
Executive member Urdan 
received ORT America’
s first 
National Leadership Award in 2016; 
he is the 2019 ORT Michigan Rub-
a-Dub h 
onoree and, on Aug. 20, 
he will receive the Hermelin ORT 
Legacy Award. He also serves on 
the boards of Federation, JARC and 
the Holocaust Memorial Center.
ORT America board members 
Larry and Andi Wolfe have been 
instrumental in helping ORT 
advance its mission of achieving 
impact through education. They 
have traveled extensively to visit 
ORT’
s programs and have support-
ed ORT’
s global educational net-
work of schools and programs. 
Larry currently serves on the 
board of trustees of World ORT. 
He is on the boards of the Jewish 
Fund, Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy 
Network, Yeshiva Beth Yehudah 
Partners in Torah, the Michigan 
Israel Business Accelerator and 
more. He is immediate past presi-
dent of Detroit’
s Federation. Andi 
has been involved in ORT since 
1973 and has been integral in accel-
erating progress in ORT schools. 
She is a national board member of 
the American Technion Society, 
on the board of Hebrew Free 
Loan, involved with Israel bonds 
for 35 years and is a member of 
Hadassah, NCJW and Adat Shalom 
Sisterhood. ■