8 | NOVEMBER 5 • 2020
for openers
Thank You, Jewish War Vets
I
’
m writing this before the Nov. 3 elec-
tion and have no idea who won argu-
ably the biggest, most controversial
election of our lifetime. Partisan politics
aside, I intend to support whoever was
selected to be my next
Library Board Member in
West Bloomfield Township.
I’
m grateful beyond
words that the remainder of
this column will have noth-
ing to do with politicians.
With Veterans Day on Nov.
11, I’
d like to focus instead
on people who actually get
things done — our community’
s beloved
Jewish War Veterans (JWV).
Take 36-year old Nick Israel of
Farmington Hills, for example. He was
just awarded the 2020 Sidney Lieppe
Memorial Grant from the JWV of the
USA Foundation. It’
s presented each year
to an American veteran who demon-
strates bravery, athleticism, an aptitude
for learning and a commitment to their
community at large. Lieppe of New
Jersey, a WWII Army veteran, passed
away at 96 in 2018.
Israel, a U-M grad and Army veteran,
served in Europe and the Middle East
as a psychological operations officer. He
also supported U.S. troops and diplo-
mats as part of a nonprofit organization
across the Balkans, the Black Sea region
and throughout Europe. Today, he’
s a
member of the Michigan Air National
Guard and is studying for his master’
s
of science at New York’
s Columbia
University.
“The Jewish War Veterans provide
Jewish service members with incredible
support and valuable opportunities,”
Israel says. “As I continue my education,
I will draw further inspiration from the
legacy of Sidney Lieppe, who provided
this generous contribution for my gradu-
ate studies. I’
m proud to call myself a life
member of JWV, and I appreciate every-
thing the organization does on behalf of
Jewish service members and veterans.”
JWV National Medal of Merit awards
have been presented by the JWV
Department of Michigan to three mem-
bers and, in so doing, have proven that
age is no barrier to giving back to your
community.
Hans Weinmann, 94 (Army, WWII),
a beneficiary of the Kindertransport,
was recognized for his contributions as
chaplain for department functions and
as a liaison to the Holocaust Memorial
Center. Weinmann is at the heart of the
organization’
s focus on Jewish values and
heritage.
Arthur Fishman, 93, (Navy, WWII),
senior vice commander and program-
ming chairman of JWV Department of
Michigan, was honored for his 53 years
of sustained service. Fishman has played
pivotal roles within the JWV in their
community outreach efforts.
In his roles as post commander and
deptartment vice commander, Mark
Weiss, 71 (Army, Vietnam era), the
“youngster” of the JWV awardees, has
Alan
Muskovitz
Contributing
Writer
VIEWS
continued on page 14
Nick Israel saying goodbye to his “Yiddish” shep-
herd dog, Shaina, before departing for duty with
the 110th Attack Wing of the Michigan Air National
Guard, where he serves part-time as a major.
JCC’s Mission
It was sad to read in the Oct. 8 JN of the
closure and upcoming demolition of much
of the Jewish Community Center.
JCC CEO Brian Siegel said the JCC has
experienced long-term (not just short-
term, COVID-related) financial problems;
that membership (especially Jewish mem-
bership) has been in major decline over
the last 10 years; and that the JCC’
s West
Bloomfield building has been “overbuilt” for
the last 20 years. How ironic it is, then, that
in another JN article just a little over two
years ago (April 26, 2018), Siegel bragged
that the JCC — having rid itself of the JPM
building in Oak Park that was supposedly
the source of all the JCC’
s problems — was
doing marvelously and that that its finances
were sound! Apparently, that portrayal was
not accurate.
It seems to me that one of the JCC’
s
major problems is an all-consuming fix-
ation, in recent years, on the idea that its
fundamental mission is to be a sports and
fitness facility in competition with the many
commercial sports and fitness clubs and
facilities existing throughout Metro Detroit.
Siegel, as quoted in the Oct. 8 JN, refers to
a “core value” of “Jews [formerly] wanting
a safe place to work out next to other Jews.
”
But the core mission of the JCC, historically,
was much more than simply being a place
to “work out.
” The JCC, historically, had a
far broader focus on bringing the Jewish
community together for cultural, education-
al, social and recreational programs.
The JCC offered programs of Jewish
focus, including, among many others,
Hebrew classes, music programs, lectures,
and a book fair focused entirely on books
of Jewish content (not books merely with
Jewish authors as in recent years).
Such programs have become few and far
between in recent years, with instead an
overwhelming focus on the JCC being, first
and foremost and above all else, a fitness
club. Certainly, the pool, gym, etc., were,
in times past, popular and widely used, but
they were a part of the overall mission of
the JCC and not, by themselves, the JCC’
s
raison d’
etre.
Perhaps, if the JCC, with the current clo-
continued on page 10
letters