APRIL 8 • 2021 | 29
GROWING IN CLAWSON
About two years ago, she
found Great Lakes Pot Pie’s
current location in Clawson
and worked to secure the
lease over the course of a
year. Finally, by the time the
pandemic hit, she was ready
to open her business, named
after her love for all things
local. While many restaurant
businesses struggled through-
out this time, Teitelbaum
found an unexpected silver
lining: People were seeking
out frozen foods, and it turned
out pot pies were both easy to
freeze and heat up.
“We did really well,” she
remembers. “Each week
we got busier and busier.”
Teitelbaum was able to build
the business at her own pace,
thanks to the pandemic slow-
ing down foot traffic and the
restaurant industry in general.
She wouldn’t have had it any
other way, though, because it
allowed her space and time to
figure out exactly how her pot
pie business would look.
Now, Great Lakes Pot Pie
has 12 employees. They’re
continuing to grow, with both
of Teitelbaum’s sons, Matthew
and Steven, helping her run
the operation. They’ve even
expanded to begin offering
local delivery and shipping
nationwide. Teitelbaum also
took over the lease next door
to the pie shop, which she
plans to turn into a produc-
tion space where passersby
can watch pies being made
through the glass windows.
Eventually, she’d like to serve
up her favorite childhood dish
at more than one location. “I
want the pies to be in grocery
stores, maybe some specialty
stores,” Teitelbaum says.
In the meantime, though,
she’ll continue pouring her
love into each pie that goes out
the Clawson door.
“I taste every single batch of
chicken that gets made,” she
continues. “I have to get that
memory when I taste it that
reminds me why I love chick-
en pot pie so much. It’s really
important, and I think people
can tell when they eat our pie,
because it’s the right flavor.”
Order pot pies at
greatlakespotpies.com.
Visit Israel Virtually From Home
Financial Literacy Awareness Month
The Israel Experience: Don’t
Leave Home to Visit, hosted
by the Israel Center at the
Jewish Community Center of
Greater Ann Arbor, will take
participants on the tour of a
lifetime without ever having
to leave the comfort of home
from May 9-16.
The “trip” to Israel is
shaping up to be a mosaic
of historical and modern,
including a “walking” tour of
Jerusalem, a deep dive into
the street art of Tel Aviv and
a cooking workshop with an
Arab Israeli chef.
A full day of programs
with Ann Arbor’s sister com-
munity, Moshav Nahalal, is
also in the works, including
a cheesemaking workshop
highlighting the moshav’s
dairy farm and a dance class
for kids and adults of all
ages.
Take a run “through”
Nahalal or try kabbalis-
tic meditation “in” Tzfat.
Supplies will be provided for
pick up in Ann Arbor for
hands-on workshops.
Journeys International
is the tour organizer. Each
activity will cost a reduced
rate of $18, or an all-in-
clusive rate of $180 for the
entire event, thanks to the
sponsorship of the D. Dan
and Betty Kahn Foundation.
Information and registration
are at jccannarbor.org or reg-
ister at (734) 971-0990.
April is National Financial
Literacy Awareness Month.
The purpose of this month is
to highlight the importance
of gaining practical money
management skills and sup-
port systems for teaching
Americans how to estab-
lish and maintain positive,
healthy financial habits.
This year, in honor of
National Financial Literacy
Awareness Month, Bloom
Advisors is offering webinars
on a wide range of topics
that are free and open to the
public.
The seminars include
“Taking Control of your
Finances” 6 p.m. April 1;
“Back to Basics: Savings
and Investing 101” 6 p.m.
April 13; “Financial Wellness
for Women” 6 p.m. April
15; “Let’s Talk Retirement:
Everything You Need to
Know About Managing
Your Portfolio and Income
Needs in Retirement” 6 p.m.
April 20; “Estate Planning
101: Leaving A Financial
Legacy and Protecting Those
You Love” 6 p.m. April 22;
“Millennials & Money:
Setting Yourself Up for
Success” 6 p.m. April 27; and
“Your Financial Questions
Answered!” 6 p.m. April 29.
To register, visit the sem-
inar page at bloomadvisors.
com/seminars.
CLARA SILVER
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS