1942 - 2021 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.djnfoundation.org The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is published every Thursday at 32255 Northwestern Highway, #205, Farmington Hills, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to: Detroit Jewish News, 32255 Northwestern Highway, #205, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334 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 | Editorial DIrector of Editorial: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@thejewishnews.com Copy Editor: David Sachs dsachs@thejewishnews.com Social Media and Digital Producer: Nathan Vicar nvicar@thejewishnews.com Staff Reporter: Danny Schwartz dschwartz@thejewishnews.com Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@thejewishnews.com Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin2132@gmail.com Contributing Writers: Nate Bloom, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Alicia Chandler, Shelli Leibman Dorfman, Ben Falik, Louis Finkelman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Mark Jacobs, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, Robin Schwartz, Mike Smith, Steve Stein, Ashley Zlatopolsky | Advertising Sales Director of Advertising: Keith Farber kfarber@thejewishnews.com Senior Account Executive: Kathy Harvey-Mitton kmitton@thejewishnews.com | Business Office Director of Operations: Amy Gill agill@thejewishnews.com Operations Manager: Andrea Gusho agusho@thejewishnews.com Operations Assistant: Ashlee Szabo Circulation: Danielle Smith Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner | Production By Farago & Associates Manager: Scott Drzewiecki Designers: Kelly Kosek, Kaitlyn Schoen, Michelle Sheridan 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 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 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