One Day at a Time

Local families’
 simchahs, Pesach plans are in fl
 ux during the pandemic.

MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

N

ormally, as spring approaches 
in Metro Detroit, Jewish fami-
lies in the area find themselves 
venturing outside, preparing for Passover 
and maybe even planning a wedding or 
b’
nai mitzvah celebration. 
This year, things are different. 
As COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, 
spreads through the United States, Metro 
Detroit families are feeling its impact. 
Most local synagogues have closed their 
in-person operations through Passover. 
Schools are closed, and restaurants have 
now moved to offering only take-out 
and delivery. With each day comes new 
information about the virus’
 spread — 
and new guidelines on how to prevent it 
from reaching disastrous levels. 
For many families in the area, this 
means long-anticipated events must be 
altered or postponed.

PLANS CHANGING FAST
Brooke Radner had been looking 
forward to her bat mitzvah, planned 

for Friday, March 13, for years. As 
of Wednesday, March 11, her family 
knew there were cases of COVID-19 in 
Michigan. But everything seemed con-
tained — they figured Brooke’
s service 
and party would be able to go on as 
normal. 
Things started to change March 12 
as sports leagues, amusement parks and 
restaurants began to close operations. 
Knollwood Country Club, where the 
Radners planned to host Brooke’
s party, 
was still willing to host, but Melanee 
Radner, Brooke’
s mom, said she started 
to have second thoughts. 
“How could I have a party knowing 
all this was happening, even though 
Knollwood was going to accommodate 
me?” she said. 
The Radners of West Bloomfield 
decided to postpone the party later that 
day. That night, Temple Israel called and 
asked if the family could narrow the 
number of guests invited to the service. 
Then, at 3 p.m. March 13 — only five 

hours before the service — the West 
Bloomfield synagogue decided to limit 
the service to only immediate family, and 
to livestream it so the rest of the guests 
could watch. 
The family consid-
ered postponing the 
service as well, but 
Brooke didn’
t want to 
wait. She’
d been look-
ing forward to this 
moment, and she was 
ready. 
“I was really, really 
excited,
” Brooke said. 
“[During the service], 
I felt weird, looking 
up and seeing only my close family. But 
after … it made feel relieved because my 
service was over and all I had to look 
forward to was my party.
” 

Melanee Radner said she also felt 
strange, looking up at Brooke on the 
bimah in an almost-empty sanctuary. 
But when the service was over and the 

continued on page 14
12 | MARCH 26 • 2020 

ABOVE: Brooke Radner 
learned five hours before her 
bat mitzvah last Friday night 
that her service at Temple 
Israel would be limited to 
immediate family because of 
the coronavirus. The empty 
seats didn’
t bother her; she 
was ready. Family and friends 
watched the service live online. 

COURTESY RADNER FAMILY

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