 JANUARY 28 • 2021 | 39

JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Detroit’s Beloved Volunteer 

T

he Jewish community 
lost one of its quintes-
sential volunteers last 
week when Micki Grossman 
passed away unexpectedly. 
She died doing what she loved 
— volunteering.
“She died doing a mitzvah, 
which is just how she’d want 
to go; being helpful, being 
productive and making a 
difference,” said her son Ross 
Grossman.
On the morning of Jan. 19, 
Micki got a call from Hazon 
Detroit asking if she could 
help out for a few hours that 
day. After playing the “Words 
with Friends” game online, 
reciting a healing prayer 
for those she knew were ill 
and checking in with others 
through email, she went to 
Temple Shir Shalom in West 
Bloomfield to help assemble 
boxes of food.
“She was so excited because 
there have not been many 
opportunities to volunteer in 
person during the pandemic,” 
said son Ross. “She was look-
ing forward to being there, 
seeing people and helping out. 
It’s what she loved to do.”
While packing boxes of 
food, Micki collapsed, pre-
sumably from a heart attack. 
She was 86.
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, 
Micki’s rabbi and friend, 
delivered the eulogy.
“Well over a decade ago, 
Micki came to meet with me 
to talk about this day,” he said 
during a graveside service. 
“True to form, she had strong 
opinions about her funeral 

and more than anything else, 
Micki asked that I offer only a 
brief eulogy.
“With great love and 
respect, I told her at the 
time that she was making an 
impossible request. For some-
one who truly had her hand 
in so much, it was the ulti-
mate challenge to condense a 
lifetime of commitment to her 
family and community into 
just a few moments.”
In addition to being active 
on scores of committees 
throughout her lifetime, Micki 
served on the boards of Jewish 
Family Service, Federation’s 
Women’s Philanthropy, Hillel 
of Metropolitan Detroit and 
JCRC/AJC. Other organi-
zations that benefited most 
recently from her dedication 
included Yad Ezra, Bookstock, 
Gleaners and NCJW
. 

MANY MITZVAHS
For several years, she was 
actively involved in organiz-
ing Federation’s hugely pop-
ular Mitzvah Day. She also 
enjoyed working with a vari-
ety of interfaith initiatives. 
She was particularly pas-
sionate about youth mento-
ring programs and anything 
that involved getting books 
into the hands of underprivi-
leged children. 
She cultivated her Jewish 
identity as a lifelong learner 
by regularly attending Melton 
and JLearn classes, Bible 
study and weekly parshah 
classes. In 2005, she began a 
Tanach program with Rabbi 
Mitch Parker, called Torah 

Line by Line.
“It took us 15 years to 
complete the study,
” said 
Rabbi Parker. “Micki attended 
almost every class. She always 
had a funny story, an insight 
into the text or an important 
announcement about a volun-
teer opportunity. I can frankly 
say that our classes will never 
quite be the same without her.
”
In an outpouring of support, 
friends in and out of the Jewish 
community expressed feelings 
of shock and grief, flooding the 
family with touching tributes 
and testaments to the kind, 
giving, caring and charismatic 
person she was.
Born and raised in Detroit, 
Micki earned a degree in 
elementary education from 
Wayne State University. 
Following her graduation, she 
taught kindergarten in Detroit. 
Ironically, it was in the same 
classroom where her kinder-
garten teacher inspired her to 
pursue a career in education. 
She married her beloved 
husband, Louis Grossman, 
when she was 26. He passed 
away in 1986, one year after 
the couple celebrated their 
25th anniversary. 

According to her son, his 
mother was most proud of 
her family and their accom-
plishments.
 
A GREAT IMPACT
 “I think she’d also be proud 
of the difference she made 
in the Jewish community. I 
know she would be shocked 
and excited at all of the com-
ments from the people who 
remember her well and see 
that she made a real mark 
on this community,” said her 
son Ross. “She won the Eight 
over 80 Award in 2016. That 
was something she was very 
proud of, although she didn’t 
want everyone to know she 
was over 80.”
Micki Grossman was the 
devoted mother of Ross (Alan 
Ellias) Grossman, Marci 
(Mark Lempert) Grossman 
and Gael Grossman. She was 
the loving grandmother of 
Evan Grossman-Lempert and 
Riley Grossman-Lempert. 
She was the cherished sister 
of Kenneth Sherman, Sanford 
Sherman and Joyce (Elliott) 
Nelson. Many other loving 
relatives and friends also sur-
vive her.
Interment was at Hebrew 
Memorial Park. Those wish-
ing to honor Micki’s memory 
can contribute to the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit, (248) 624-4260; Hazon 
Detroit, 6735 Telegraph #320, 
Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301; 
Yad Ezra, (248) 548-3663; 
or a charity of one’s choice. 
Arrangements were by Hebrew 
Memorial Chapel. 

Micki Grossman

