Jews in the D
W
hen an attacker burst into a
rabbi’
s home Dec. 29, 2019,
and began stabbing people at
a Chanukah celebration in Monsey, N.Y.,
there was no misidentifying this as a
Jewish house.
Monsey, a small town about 30 miles
northwest of New York City, is known for
its large ultra-Orthodox community, easily
identifiable by their dress — yarmulkes or
black hats and black suits or coats for men;
wigs, scarves or hats and modest dresses
or skirts for women.
Detroit’
s observant community members
dress similarly, also making them easy
to spot as Jewish in public by those who
might want to single them out. For the
most part, local individuals the JN spoke
with have not experienced anti-Semitic
behavior directed at them, except for one.
Here are their comments.
MELISSA SCHON
Melissa Schon, who dresses modestly in
skirts and long sleeves and covers her hair,
said, “For most of my co-workers, I’
m the
only Orthodox Jew they have ever met.”
Schon of Oak Park, who works as research
administrator at the University of Michigan
Medical School in Ann Arbor, is open
when questioned about her dress or her
sheitel (wig worn by some Orthodox mar-
ried women) or about religious beliefs like
Shabbos.
“I tell them how dressing modestly allows
my intelligence and inner self to shine. I
really feel that from exposure and sharing,
many misconceptions and stereotypes are
erased,” she said. “I think it can be a real kid-
dush HaShem (sanctification of God) to have
an Orthodox person in a secular workplace.
“Unfortunately, now all you hear about is
anti-Semitism,” she said. “But I’
ve been so
fortunate to work somewhere so respectful
and open to diversity, and I feel not every
Orthodox person should feel so scared to
work in secular places.”
When Schon was recently honored at a
work-related celebration, she said planners,
whose guests included a medical school
dean, “went to great lengths to be respectful
of my religious practices, making it kosher
and not having it on a Friday, when they
normally have this awards ceremony.”
Being so accepted has, at times, come with
determination.
While living in New York many years
ago, she filed a lawsuit claiming religious
discrimination after a job offer was reced-
ed when she requested time off for Jewish
holidays and accommodations for shorter
workdays on the Fridays when Shabbos
began early. When the suit was dropped and
she was hired, she created a “wonderful rela-
tionship” with her new boss that continues
to this day.
“I felt it was my responsibility to be brave
and show her how hardworking a frum
(observant) Jew is. I think many negative
reactions are mostly due to non-exposure.
“Having only worked in secular environ-
ments I am always cognizant of how I treat my
coworkers and pride myself on always working
hard and with integrity. When I was younger, if
I heard or experienced anything anti-Semitic, I
was much more fearful to speak up. Now if I
hear something negative, such as a co-worker
continued on page 14
12 | JANUARY 9 • 2020
A Public
Presence
JN STAFF REPORT
Orthodox individuals discuss if they feel
like targets for anti-Semites.
ABOVE: Melissa and Aaron Schon
with their children a few years ago:
Hadassah, Adina,
Shmuel and Moshe.
FACING PAGE: “Friday Boys”
Moshe Weiss and Levi Uminer from
the Lubavitch Cheder & Yeshiva-
International School for Chabad
Leadership in Oak Park (in a photo
from 2018) look out on Northwestern
Highway, the busy road where they visit
businesses with Jewish employees
each Friday.