 SEPTEMBER 10 • 2020 | 37

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

intention of giving. No act of charity is 
bad, but it is most meaningful when given 
willingly, proactively and anonymously. 
According to Maimonides, the highest 
level of charity is when the donor gives 
the recipient the wherewithal to become 
self-supporting.
Tikkun olam is the Jewish directive to 
“repair the world.” Similar to tzedakah, tik-
kun olam creates the duty to serve those in 
need. In more recent times, it has come to 
be seen as a responsibility to mitigate the 
worst effects of a warming planet. Tikkun 
olam may direct us to invest and/or give 
to socially or environmentally conscious 
organizations, or at least to avoid those 
that operate to the contrary.
Tzedek is the call to justice and fairness. 
It is similar to the American value that all 
are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit 
of happiness. We are directed to combat 
injustice wherever we see it and to be 
conscientious of our own biases. This 
has obvious implications in today’
s social 
climate and how we, as Jews, are sup-
posed to respond. Tzedek establishes that 
we should understand the social impact 
of companies in which we invest, and to 

‘
End of a Chapter’

Pandemic results in closure for Joe Dumars Fieldhouse.

The Joe Dumars Detroit facility will remain open, but its Shelby Township location will close.

BRIAN SIEGEL

L

ike many other business-
es in Michigan, Joe Dumars 
Fieldhouse closed in March to 
comply with state regulations counter-
acting the spread of COVID-19. The 
large sports and entertainment facility 
in Shelby Township has been a popular 
venue for bar and bat mitzvahs, as well 
as many other events, since it opened 
25 years ago. The 100,000-square-foot 

facility offered basketball courts, min-
iature golf, trampolines, laser tag and 
bumper cars, and has hosted many 
basketball, volleyball and roller hockey 
teams. 
But with events limited to a small 
number of attendees to reduce coro-
navirus transmission, the days of big 
indoor parties and sporting events are 
over for now with an uncertain future. 
“There is no clear opening for ath-
continued on page 38
continued on page 38

B I R M I N G H A M

We can’t help you 
hang a painting 
perfectly level.

But we can help you 
bank from home. 

Member FDIC

