 JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 7

letters

Importance of
WSU Press

Thanks so much for your 
recent story about Stephanie 
Williams, the new director 
at Wayne State University 
Press (Dec. 24, pg. 18). One 
of the great traditions of the 
Press has always been its rich 
tradition to not only publish 
books about Judaism but also 
to give voice to the dozens of 
local Jewish authors commit-
ted to telling our Detroit sto-
ries. I, too, was shaken up by 
last year’s tumult at the Press, 
but since Stephanie came on 
board and righted the ship, all 
is well.

— Harvey Ovshinsky

Ann Arbor
Education 
“Champions”

I absolutely loved the article 
“The Right to Read” (Dec. 
31, cover). It broke my heart, 
but it gave me some hope that 
there are champions beyond 
the exhausted teachers and 
students fighting for appro-
priate education. I work in a 
Title One school myself with 
low SES [socio-economic 
status] families, but since we 
are attached to a “good” larger 
district, our kids get so many 

more resources. Very interest-
ing article.

— Sarah Cherluck

Berkley

Polish Wedding
What a wonderful and mov-
ing story of Freda and David 
(Dec. 24, pg. 26). Beautiful. 
I told my American friend 
(Jewish Orthodox from NYC) 
to do the same as them and 
marry his Polish girlfriend 
under [the] chuppah in 
Kazimierz/Krakow. Hello 
from Warsaw, Poland.

— Andy

Warsaw, Poland

Website comment

Detroit’s 
Ambassadors

Great article about the 
Detroit-area business-
men/U.S. Ambassadors 
who were involved with the 
Abraham Accords break-
through toward recogni-
tion and some peace in the 
Middle East (Dec. 31, pg. 22). 
Lots of “meat” of infor-
mation as to what can be 
accomplished and just what is 
holding up more of it.

— Lawrence Freedman

Bingham Farms

Greenberg’s View

Click. Call. Give Now. 
www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184

Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301

@HFLDetroit

As Director of Corporate Communications for DTE
Energy, Lorie Kessler‘s days were divided between
working in a dynamic position and raising three kids.
Still, while she had a desire to volunteer in the community,
Lorie had very little spare time and wanted to make it count.
“I want to contribute in a meaningful way, so if I
choose to give of my time, I like to feel like I’m using that
time well, and that I’m making a difference,” Lorie
said.”There are Boards where your name is printed on
the letterhead, but the actual impact you add is minimal.
My professional experience is with strategic thinking and
problem solving, and I like to feel I add value.”
Lorie is a past Board member of Jewish Family Service
and is a current Board member of Temple Beth El. When
she retired from DTE, she looked for a new volunteer
opportunity, now having, she said, the luxury of more
time and energy to offer.
“Hebrew Free Loan has a respected and worthwhile
position in the community. They challenge their Board
members to step up to the plate, be hands-on, and make
a difference. I am really honored to be part of their Board. 
“My experience so far is that the HFL Board has a
deep commitment to their borrowers,” Lorie said.
“We’re all aware of the magnitude of what we do, and
the spectrum of the life events that bring people to seek
us out. We think about the “real world” issues people
face - worries, hopes, opportunities and challenges - that
impact the quality of their lives. Board Members use their
varied experiences to be of service to others, knowing
that without us, people’s futures might not be as bright.”
What’s equally amazing, Lorie says, is that the things
HFL is most proud of can’t be shared, because of client
confidentiality. “I want to shout HFL’s story from the
rooftops, but our level of confidentiality and respect is
also one of the things that makes us so special. What I
can say is that my time here is very well spent.”

Community donations help Hebrew Free Loan give
interest-free loans to local Jews for a variety of personal,
health, educational and small business needs.

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