OCTOBER 10 • 2019 | 31

Michigan Supreme Court 
Justice Richard Bernstein, 
the first blind State Supreme 
Court Justice in the U.S., will 
run in the Detroit Free Press/
TCF Bank Marathon on Oct. 
20. This marks the first time 
he has run his hometown 
marathon since an accident 
seven years ago in which his 
hip and pelvis were shattered 
and led to a 10-week stay in 
Mount Sinai Hospital in New 
York. 
From being a competitive 
runner who had competed 
in 17 marathons prior to the 
accident, Bernstein had to 
learn to walk again. Even now 
he admits that he copes with 
tremendous pain every day 
because of the accident. “It’
s 
with me all the time, but the 
more I move the better and 
running has helped me get 
stronger every day. I’
m very 

excited to run the marathon in 
my home city.
” 
Bernstein will have a 
running guide during the 
race, local marathon runner, 
IRONMAN athlete and for-
mer Michigan State University 
All American Athlete Sara 
Reichert. 
The deadline to register for 
Detroit Free Press marathon 
events is Oct. 14. Information 
on race registration can be 
found at freepmarathon.com/
register. 

Blind Justice to Run 
Marathon

STATE OF MICHIGAN

Six months ago, five cou-
ples from suburban Detroit 
planned a trip to Israel for 
early September. While six 
of the 10 had traveled to the 
Holy Land before, four were 
planning their first visit. 
What made this trip so spe-
cial was that all five of the 
women and three men (one 
included an Israeli relative) 
marked their bat and bar 
mitzvahs at the Western 

Wall. The service, conduct-
ed by Rabbi Ada Zavidov 
and Cantor Evan Cohen, 
was the highlight of this 
special trip. Ruevin Marko, 
former head of Israel’
s 
reform movement, put the 
group in touch with the 
Kehilat Har-el synagogue, 
located in the Jerusalem 
city center. All five couples 
participated in the morning 
service. 

A Special Trip to Israel

COURTESY OF GLENN CERESNIE

Rabbi Zavidov, Glenn Ceresnie, Nancy Ceresnie, 
Renee Unger, Ruevin Marko, Susan Hersh, Dr. 
Nelson Hersh, Nancy Shapiro, Sem de la Costa, 
Carol Steffes and Cantor Cohen