8 | APRIL 29 • 2021
PURELY COMMENTARY
JEWISH DOG from page 4
PARTNERSHIP2GETHER from page 6
beloved Judaic friends. For
after years of study, research,
interviews, and consultations
with experts, I am about to
publish the only guide of its
kind, ‘How to Tell if Your
Dog is Jewish.’ At long last,
you can have peace of mind
about at least this one small
yet vital part of your family’s
life. You’re welcome.”
THE SMELL TEST
The rabbis continue: “For a
week, chart the things (and
people) that your dog sniffs.
Clothes may make the man,
but smells make the dog,
and in particular, the Jewish
dog.
“Do you find him
primarily sniffing the pets
of other Jewish pet owners?
When you walk past a Jewish
deli, do his nostrils go crazy
as he makes a sharp turn
to steer you toward the
pastrami? And while we’re
on the subject of Jewish
meat, has your dog, after
getting a whiff of your
Shabbat brisket, jumped up
on the table and gobbled it
down while you’re distracted
lighting the candles?”
And finally, the Rabbis of
Boca Raton tell us: “Then
again, ask yourself if it really
matters if your dog is Jewish.
If it does, perhaps that’s a
sign that your life is not
Jewish enough to start with.
“Because if there’s enough
Judaism in your life and
in your relationships with
others, you could have a
Baptist dog, a Muslim dog
or an Episcopalian dog and
still live a pretty good and
satisfyingly Jewish life, no?
Then again, if you’d truly
prefer a Jewish dog, who am
I to stop you?”
I say the Rabbis of Boca
Raton are correct. Bertie
would have loved them!
Sandy Hermanoff is a local
public relations consultant who
loves to cook and bake.
LINKS WITH ISRAEL
The mission of Partnership
is “to create and support
programs and initiatives that
foster deep, interpersonal
relationships between the
communities in Michigan
and our Partnership Region
in Israel. We utilize these
experiences to engage and
strengthen our communities
while embracing Israel as a
core value.”
Relationships are defined
as a connection between
people or groups. Great.
What is it, then, that
connects us?
Is it that we are all Jewish?
Well, not so fast. That is
evolving with the times …
If you happened to see the
March issue of the Israel
and Overseas Department’s
Newsletter, you would have
read about Hisham Bisharat,
an avid biker, Christian
Arab Israeli and dedicated
volunteer in the Partnership
region. (By the way, if you
are not currently receiving
the Israel & Overseas
Department Newsletter you
can sign up at jewishdetroit.
org/get-involved/israel-and-
overseas.)
Is it that we all care about
Israel as the land for the
Jewish people? Yes, though,
we don’t live there. We also
care strongly about our local
Detroit community. In fact,
70% of the funds raised by
the Jewish Federation stay
local to take care of needs
here.
Or is it the idea of
Partnership being our “home
in Israel”? I think this comes
closest to explaining what is
special about Partnership.
The vision of Partnership
that was developed by the
committee, chaired by Randi
Sakwa and Ron Sollish and
staffed by Dona Stillman, is
that our Partnership builds
relationships of mutuality,
understanding and support
in which members of our
communities are one family.
• Mutuality — both
parties benefit from
these relationships and
connections.
• Understanding — we
know about one another, our
communities and our lives.
• Support — we are there
for each other emotionally,
financially and otherwise.
TAKING ACTION
I see examples of all three of
these qualities every day on
our P2G What’s App group.
When fires tore through Nof
HaGalil last fall, Detroiters
immediately responded with:
“What can we do? We are
here for you.”
Similarly, when the
gravestones at the Ahavas
Israel cemetery in Grand
Rapids were desecrated last
November, the message
from the P2G Israelis was
clear: “We think of you and
our hearts are with you
always and especially in
these difficult hours. We are
supporting you all the way
from your home away from
home in Israel.”
Ruthi Zamir, the
immediate past Israeli chair
of P2G, summed it up nicely
on What’s App during Tu
b’Shevat: “Our Partnership
is like a tree. We have old
and strong roots that keep
us safe together in stormy
weather. Each year, we grow
and flourish, we have new
branches and very good
fruits.”
I hope that each of you
will be able to experience
this home away from home
for yourself. Please don’t
hesitate to contact us if you
are planning a trip to Israel.
We will help you plan a visit
to the region. We promise
that it will leave a lasting
impression and that you
will come away with new
relationships and connections
to the Land of Israel.
Jennifer Levine is director of the
Israel and Overseas Department for
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit.