20 | NOVEMBER 14 • 2019 

Dr. Harry Maisel to match $25,000 in 
donations at Lighthouse dancing event.
T

he men, women, chil-
dren and families who 
walk through the doors 
of South Oakland Shelter 
(SOS) in Lathrup Village are 
often facing dark times. The 
emergency shelter program, 
which merged with Pontiac-
based Lighthouse earlier this 
year, provides housing and 
support services to those 
who are homeless — in part, 
through a network of local 
congregations that host the 
shelter each week. 
 Just inside the entrance to 
SOS, there is a bright image 
— a donor wall in the shape 
of the sun, in memory of 
Dr. Harry Maisel’
s late wife, 
Rachel, and late son, Hillel. 
Maisel of West Bloomfield 
is the former chair of the 
Department of Anatomy and 
Cell Biology at Wayne State 
University and was a faculty 
member there for more than 
50 years.
“Dr. Maisel reached out 
looking to make an impact-
ful gift to support our work 
and memorialize his wife 
and son. Rachel Maisel was 
a longstanding volunteer 
at Adat Shalom supporting 
our SOS rotating emergency 
shelter program. Hillel was 
also involved in community 
work,
” said Ryan Hertz, CEO 
of Lighthouse.
 “We decided to place the 
donor wall inside SOS so 

their memories would inspire 
others.
” 
Now, Maisel is increasing 
his support and encouraging 
others to do the same. He 
will match up to $25,000 in 
donations at Lighthouse’
s 
Dancing With the Detroit 
Stars event Saturday, Nov. 
16, at the Townsend Hotel in 
Birmingham. 
“Through my Jewish 
upbringing, rabbis have taught 
that feeding the hungry and 
sheltering people in need is an 
essential part of Jewish life,
” 
Maisel said. “My wife would 
have wanted me to continue to 
help and I have the means to 
do it, so why not?”
Rachel was born in England 
and was a child in the 1940s 
during the Nazi Blitz in 
London. She was evacuated 
to safe havens to escape the 
German bombing campaign. 
The kindness that strangers 
showed her as a child stayed 
with her and led to her desire 
to help others. She passed 
away in 2014.
“Every human being is born 
with a light,
” said Adat Shalom 
rabbi and event participant 
Rachel Shere. “Each time 
people donate to Lighthouse 
or purchase a ray for the 
memorial wall, Rachel’
s light 
endures.
” 

To contribute to Dr. Harry Maisel’
s 
match, visit lighthousemi.org.

ROBIN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Jews in the D

Meaningful Match

Ryan Hertz, Dr. Harry Maisel and Rabbi Rachel Shere 

24725 West 12 Mile – Ste. 110
Southfield, MI 48034
1-248-945-1111

What Is
Your Plan?.....
Call Us.

We focus on Probate Litigation 
and Administration. Administering 
estates where everyone is on the same 
page. Protecting you from self-dealing 
parties appointed by will, trust or the 
court. Protecting you from family 
members who always want more.

michprobate.com