36 | APRIL 23 • 2020 

Jews in the D

of which aren’
t properly certified. 
Thank God, we have 80-90 people 
in China checking each factory.
” 
Kaufman said his contacts in 
China visited approximately 100 
factories and approved only six or 
seven for the production of PPE. 

A PIECE OF ISRAEL IN DETROIT
Shortly after the El Al plane land-
ed, the Kafumans received photos 
and video of massive boxes of sup-
plies being meticulously unloaded. 
Seeing an El Al jet at Metro 
Airport is a rarity itself, since the 
airline doesn’
t fly to Detroit. 
“This was like a piece of Israel 
coming to our home to save the 
day,
” Ferber Kaufman said. “Our 
team was in tears, seeing the prod-
uct taken off the plane. It felt like 
history in the making because it 
was an El Al plane. We were so 
proud to have Israel fly our first 
mission from China.
” 

Daniel Kaufman added: “This 
was a proud moment for us to be 
able to utilize El Al in a time of 
crisis. It worked out perfectly that 
they were able to support us in a 
time of need.
” 
HoMedics tried to charter 
a plane from several different 
airlines, Ferber Kaufman said. 
At one point, they thought they 
secured a flight, only to learn that 
another company offered more 
money for it. Shari and her daugh-
ter Laurenne, who served in the 
Israel Defense Forces, suggested 
contacting El Al. Alon Kaufman, 
who is Israeli, reached out to the 
airline, and they agreed to charter 
the flight. 
The April 12 shipment was 
the first of many that will bring 
much-needed supplies to battle 
this deadly virus. The Kaufmans 
will distribute the items in 
Michigan through both sales and, 

in some cases, donations. Once 
in-state needs are met, masks and 
the medical equipment will be 
allocated elsewhere. 
“Our community comes first. 
The Metro Detroit area, as well 
as the state of Michigan, is our 
priority. As soon as we’
re done 
helping here, we’
re more than 
happy to help out in other places,
” 
said Ferber Kaufman, adding that 
she’
s been in contact with some 
government officials in other 
states, including New York and 
California. 
The Kaufmans also worked 
with the Jewish Federation of 
Metropolitan Detroit to ensure 
masks would be available to those 
who need them, including indi-
viduals working at senior housing 
facilities, people delivering meals 
to senior citizens as well as burial 
staff. 
Scott Kaufman, the former 

Federation CEO, isn’
t surprised 
by the family’
s Herculean effort, 
which reminds him of the 
kindness the family showed him 
several years ago. At the time, 
Kaufman (who happens to share 
a last name but isn’
t related) 
declined an invitation to a Shabbat 
dinner because he was recovering 
from surgery. That evening, Shari 
and Alon Kaufman personally 
delivered a meal. 
“What they are doing for this 
community reminds me of what 
they did for me but on a massive 
scale,
” Scott Kaufman said. “When 
someone is in need, whether it’
s 
one person or tens of thousands of 
people, they are there to help.
” 

Those interested in ordering masks 

and other PPE can contact HoMedics 

at ppeassist@fkabrands.com. At the 

moment, the company is prioritizing 

orders from those in health care. 

continued from page 35

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