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How to reach us see page 10

8 | NOVEMBER 7 • 2019 

1942 - 2019

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week
jn

pride abounds again.
As a perfect example of 
what our “small” Detroit 
Jewish community can do, 
just after completing the 
flurry of the holiday season, 
our community has access to 
events that include speakers 
like Dahlia Lithwick, Bret 
Stephens, Dara Horn, Lauren 
Berkun, Dennis Prager and 
Nikki Haley. The Jewish Book 
Fair will take place with a vari-
ety of visiting authors, and the 
community joined to celebrate 
Scott Kaufman as he tran-
sitions from his position as 
CEO at the Jewish Federation. 
 Also, numerous Melton 
classes and JLearn classes will 
be taught to hundreds of peo-
ple by expert educators in our 
community; clergy members 
will offer inspiring words and 
teachings throughout the con-
gregations as we remember 
the Pittsburgh 11; and social 
service agencies will feed, 
clothe and care for the orphan, 
the widow, the hungry and the 
stranger. 
I know there will be many 
other moments over these 
weeks in which the Jewish 

community can be proud, but 
this snapshot of time exem-
plifies much more to me as a 
Jewish communal professional 
here in Detroit. We show up. 
We support with our dollars, 
our feet and our voices. We 
give time. We engage. We 
plan. We teach and we learn. 
Our Detroit Jewish commu-
nity should be beaming with 
pride right along with me. 
I am grateful my children 
are part of this community. I 
pray their generation will get 
the messages they are being 
sent and continue to carry on 
with the work of those who 
came before them. 
I’
m reminded of the line in 
Pirkei Avot, which says, “You 
are not obligated to complete 
the task, but neither are you 
free to desist from it.” 
 
We must all continue to 
live by this ideal in Detroit. 
It served us well for so long 
and will continue to do so if 
we take it to heart. This is the 
pride of Jewish Detroit. 

Rebecca Starr is the Midwest manager 
of the Shalom Hartman Institute and 
faculty member of the Melton School 
in Detroit. 

letters

Clarifi
 cations on 
Durfee Story

The stories about Durfee were 
awesome! I just want to point 
out a couple clarifications 
needed: 
• The Vera and Joseph 
Dresner Foundation gave us 
a $250,000 grant to help us 
repurpose the building. 
• Edw. C. Levy Company has 
made substantial donations of 
construction materials to the 
Durfee Innovation Society.
• The DPSCD leased the 
property to “Life Remodeled,” 
not me as an individual. I am 
the Founder and CEO of Life 
Remodeled, but I don’
t hold 
the lease in my name. 

— Chris Lambert

Founder and CEO 

of Life Remodeled

Make a Difference 
at Durfee

We would like to thank you 
for the wonderful article 
regarding Metro Detroit Youth 
Clubs Dedication Luncheon 
featured in the Oct. 24 edition 
of the Jewish News. Hopeful-
ly, it will reach many Durfee 
alumni who were not aware 
of the remarkable work being 
done by MDYC and the prog-
ress on-site at their newest 
location: Durfee. 
It was an emotional and 
memorable meeting as a few 
of us met at our former mid-
dle school recently. Memories 
flooded back as we walked 
the halls, including fond and 
funny remembrances of the 
Durfee Intramural Basketball 
Team that were mentioned 

Durfee Intramural Basketball Team pictured in front of Durfee in 1948. Aaron 
Krieger is circled on the left; Martin Magid is circled on the right.

DETROIT PRIDE continued from page 6

continued on page 10

