1942 - 2021

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week

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DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 
FOUNDATION
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Detroit Jewish News, 

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Publisher
The Detroit Jewish 
News Foundation

| Board of Directors:
 Chair: Gary Torgow
 Vice President: David Kramer
 Secretary: Robin Axelrod
 Treasurer: Max Berlin
 Board members: Larry Jackier, 
 Jeffrey Schlussel, Mark Zausmer

 Senior Advisor to the Board: 
Mark Davidoff
 Alene and Graham Landau Archivist Chair: 
 Mike Smith
 Founding President & Publisher Emeritus: 
Arthur Horwitz
Founding Publisher 
 Philip Slomovitz, of blessed memory

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Contributing Writers:
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Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Shari S. 
Cohen, Alicia Chandler, Shelli Leibman 
Dorfman, Ben Falik, Louis Finkelman, 
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Mark Jacobs, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer 
Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, 
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Ashley Zlatopolsky

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MISSION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will be of service to the Jewish community. The Detroit Jewish 
News will inform and educate the Jewish and general community to preserve, protect and sustain the Jewish 
people of greater Detroit and beyond, and the State of Israel.

VISION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will operate to appeal to the broadest segments of the greater 
Detroit Jewish community, refl
 ecting the diverse views and interests of the Jewish community while advancing the 
morale and spirit of the community and advocating Jewish unity, identity and continuity.

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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thejewishnews.com

6 | MARCH 18 • 2021 

guest column
How Life-Links and Jewish Hospice
& Chaplaincy Helped Us on Our 
Long, Final Journey

I

write this because so many 
people in our Jewish com-
munity may not know about 
this amazing strong life raft, 
which I found when we were 
floundering. 
The Jewish Hospice & 
Chaplaincy Network’s Life-
Links Palliative Care Program is 
profoundly integrated into the 
needs of families facing months, 
perhaps years, on that journey 
toward a final rest. I pray our 
experience may help countless 
others who do not know where 
to turn.
Throughout my beloved 

Ellsworth’ s final few years of 
his decade-long battle with 
Parkinson’s, Rabbi Bunny 
Freedman, Rabbi Joey Krakoff 
and Natalie Rosenfeld, and 
countless other support team 
members, helped us main-
tain a rich and meaningful 
life at home. Perhaps the first 
right step I took three or four 
years ago, was that phone call 
I made to Jewish Hospice & 
Chaplaincy.
At that time, after many 
letdowns, my husband was on 
the brink of despair and deep 
depression.

 I knew of Jewish Hospice, I 
had worked in the community 
with both rabbis and, in des-
peration, I called this lifegiving 
hotline. Within one day, we 
had our first visit from Natalie, 
and our lives took on new hope 
and tranquility. Through the 
Life-Links program, we became 

a part of a support group so 
beautiful, so reassuring, that we 
never again felt abandoned by a 
system.
The many visits by Rabbi 
Bunny, Rabbi Joey and Natalie 
offered us the spiritual guid-
ance and introspection needed 
to carry us through our long 

continued on page 8

PURELY COMMENTARY

Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff (left) and Rabbi Bunny Freedman (right) visited 
with Janet and Ellsworth Levine many times during his final years.

JANET BIRNKRANT LEVINE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

