22 | MAY 21 • 2020 Jews in the D Quarantine Matchmaker: Adat Shalom Alumni Reunite to Remember a Hebrew “Fiddler” W e came to be together after decades of separation: from the four corners of the United States, from Canada. We came all the way from Israel, despite the shelter-in-place orders. This was not for Holocaust survivors. This was a Zoom reunion of performers and crew gathering to recall our all- Hebrew production of Fiddler on the Roof at Adas Shalom Synagogue (now Adat Shalom) in 1966. What motivated us to come together after 54 years? “That Fiddler production bonded us in a way that few other experiences could do, ” explained Rabbi Dorit Seligson Edut of Huntington Woods (who played Grandma Tzeitel) to me when she asked me to help organize the event. Because I’ m a retired fundraiser, I knew if could track down lapsed donors, I could track down our old friends. My biggest challenge was finding those who had left Michigan physically. But I knew if I could find them, their hearts would still be at the synagogue’ s original location in Detroit, on Curtis Street near Livernois. Our “stars” were the first to be found. Rabbi Daniel “Tevye” Shevitz responded “Yes!” from Venice, California. Michal Tamuz (known as Michelle Sinkoff when she was Golde) was happy to resurrect “Tevye” from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Rabbi Ralph Goren in Atlantic City shared an amusing story about how he hated singing “Wonder of Wonders” in his role as Mottel Kamzoil. Marley Weiss, a law professor in Maryland, was one of Tevye’ s daughters. Other cast members had joined the rabbinate: Chorus member Gordon Fuller is a rabbi in Maryland. I reached him through Elizabeth Cahan, widow of Rabbi Leonard Cahan, who had been one of the show’ s directors. Joel Kaplan of Vancouver, British Columbia, was an executive in Jewish community institutions across the U.S. and Canada. Connections made during the play continued for many years. Chorus member (now retired judge) Susan Moiseev had her first job in the legal world in the firm of the play’ s assistant director, Marvin Berris. Dr. Jerry “Fyedka” Kohen, a dentist in Chicago, recently moved back to the Detroit area. Cast members Maxine Finkel Kane logged in from La Jolla, California; and Howard “Perchick” Berris and Michelle Sher Newman greeted the group from Florida. On opposite ends of the Atlantic, Susan Newman Barr has stayed close to home — and is still a member of Adat Shalom in Farmington Hills. From Jerusalem, crew member Ava Goldberg stayed up late to participate in the reunion. A high point of the gathering was looking at black-and-white snapshots of the production. I was amazed at how young we were, but, comparing those faces with the ones in the Zoom gallery, I could still see those same kids in the eyes of our gray-haired and sometimes wrinkled faces. I think Rabbi Edut put it best when she called me after the reunion. “It was a great party! Thanks to Zoom and modern technology for bringing these old friends and former ‘ temporary residents’ of Anatevka together! A blessing on all our heads — and treasure every ‘ Sunrise and Sunset!’ ” DORIS RUBENSTEIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS A scene from the 1966 Adat Shalom production of Fiddler shows (seated) Michal Tamuz (Michelle Sinkoff) as Golde; Malka Littman (Marilyn Glaser) as Tzeitel; Rabbi Ralph Goren as Mottel. COURTESY OF DORIS RUBENSTEIN Detroit Jews for Justice Gets Accelerator Boost Detroit Jews for Justice, a local Metro Detroit social justice orga- nization, was one of eight orga- nizations to be accepted into the UpStart Venture Accelerator, a nationwide Jewish program that enables the success of ground- breaking Jewish ventures. Since its founding in 2014 by Congregation T’ chiyah in Oak Park, DJJ has helped organize Metro Detroit’ s Jewish commu- nity to partake in movements for racial and economic justice. Led by founding Executive Director Rabbi Alana Alpert, DJJ draws from Jewish tradition, thought and cul- ture to enhance its initiatives. DJJ’ s core focus is currently clean and affordable water issues, but it has also engaged volunteers in con- tributing to meaningful campaigns for racial and economic justice, housing, voting, immigration rights, transit and more. “It’ s amazing to have national experts join the ranks of dedicated local volunteers and colleagues who have been rooting for us and helping us grow, ” Alpert told the Jewish News. “We hope this sup- port will help us meet the demand we’ re experiencing. While we obvi- ously don’ t do the work to receive accolades, it is so important to feel valued. ” The UpStart Venture Accelerator, started in 2006, has served as a guide and launchpad for more than 90 Jewish organi- zations nationwide. EDJJ will also have access to a pool of nonre- stricted funding, up to $100,000, to use for maximizing its growth and impact. “We work in coalition with activists who understand that it’ s not enough to feed the poor, but that we have to fight for a living wage — that it’ s not enough to donate bottled water if we aren’ t organizing for policies to make water clean and accessible, ” Alpert said. “ And we do it all with a deep sense of our Jewishness: learning, singing and celebrating Judaism all along the way. ” CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER