Jews in the D

20 | MAY 28 • 2020 

The
Greatest 
Generation

Special mailing will honor oldest
Jewish Americans.

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
T

hey represent the 
“greatest generation” of 
Americans, who lived 
through the Great Depression, 
World War II (including some 
who survived the Holocaust), 
the Civil Rights era, the 
Vietnam War and the Great 
Recession.
They are not about to be 
held back by COVID-19, even 
though the way we honor 
them has to change.
For the first time in 19 
years, the annual Bessie 
Spector Oldest Jewish 
Americans Brunch will take 
place in spirit rather than in 
person. This year, Detroit’
s 
most senior Jewish citizens 
will receive a special tribute 
package by mail.
“We always give out 
certificates signed by the 
governor,” said Leslie Katz, 
director of Friends of Jewish 
Senior Life, which coordi-
nates the event with JVS, 
Jewish Family Service, the 
Jewish Community Center 
and the Jewish Federation of 
Metropolitan Detroit. 
This year, she said, the 
group will mail the certifi-
cates, along with a customized 

letter, a list of seniors being 
honored, a large-print jumbo 
word-search book — and a 
copy of this article.
Katz and her committee, 
headed by Julie Zussman 
of Huntington Woods and 
Sharon Alterman of West 
Bloomfield, have about 120 
people on their list, but they 
are eager to hear about oth-
ers who should be included. 
The only criteria are to be 95 
or older by the end of 2020, 
Jewish and live in the greater 
Detroit area.
The annual program 
started in 2001 when the 
now-defunct Coalition on 
Jewish Eldercare Services 
invited people over 90 to a 
luncheon in May, which is 
Older Americans Month. 
They urged attendees to bring 
friends and family as well. 
That first brunch was an 
intimate event for about 20 
honorees, held at Fleischman 
Residence.
Word got out. In subse-
quent years, so many seniors 
wanted to attend — and so 
many friends and family 
wanted to join them — that 
the event was moved to the 

TOP: The late Louis Berlin at last year’
s brunch. ABOVE: Marcia and Lucille, two 
life-long friends who have attended the brunch for many years, both turned 100 
this year and planned to attend together. This photo is from Marcia’
s 99th birthday 
party. 

COURTESY OF JSL