24 | MAY 13 • 2021
OUR COMMUNITY
T
wo exceptional Jewish law students
will receive $1,500 scholarships
from the Jewish Bar Association of
Michigan (JBAM) at a free Zoom event on
May 25.
Jessica Davidova of Wayne State
University Law School and Chase O. Yarber
of University of Detroit Mercy School of
Law will each receive JBAM’s Charles J.
Cohen Scholarship, which recognizes law
students who have demonstrated a commit-
ment to making a positive contribution to
the legal and general communities.
JESSICA DAVIDOVA
Davidova, of Farmington Hills, was born
in West Bloomfield to a family that immi-
grated from Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority
nation north of Iran that is friendly to
Israel.
As an undergrad at Wayne State, she
experienced an antisemitic incident for the
first time that greatly affected her. While
president of Students for Israel, she coordi-
nated an event that used henna to celebrate
peace, culture and diversity — but was
met by an angry mob that claimed she was
appropriating their culture.
Davidova was perplexed because henna
does not belong to any particular culture.
In Azerbaijan, henna is used at the end
of wedding receptions, even Jewish ones.
However, she understood that the students’
anger was due to ignorance and wrong
assumptions that are held between different
communities. The incident inspired her to
help educate people on the importance of
diversity.
Davidova created a platform within
Students for Israel where students could
learn about issues that minorities face glob-
ally. Through her advocacy, she was also
able to meet with ambassadors, lawyers and
government representatives to discuss the
importance of international politics.
Before starting law school, she was
awarded a Fulbright Scholarship from the
United States government to go to Tel Aviv
to find ways to improve the intercultural
relations, cultural diplomacy and intercul-
tural competence between the United States
and Israel.
Currently, Davidova serves as president
of Wayne State’s International Law Student
Association and is an editor of the Michigan
International Lawyer, a publication for attor-
neys by the State Bar of Michigan. She also
serves on the Board of Governors of Hillel
of Metropolitan Detroit and is a fellow at
the Detroit Center for Civil Discourse.
“I returned to Detroit because I realize
the value of being part of the Jewish and
legal community focused on bettering the
city,
” Davidova said. “I definitely want to
practice law here. I feel like Detroit is a
big enough city where it matters — but it’s
small enough to feel like you matter in it.
That’s the beauty of Detroit.
”
CHASE YARBER
Scholarship awardee Chase Yarber of West
Bloomfield has always had a keen interest
in the field of law and the Jewish communi-
ty. Following his bar mitzvah, Yarber dedi-
cated his time to furthering Jewish studies
and helping teach others about Jewish life
and identity. Between the ages of 13-18, he
worked as a teaching assistant at Temple
Shir Shalom Sunday school.
After graduating high school, Yarber
was inspired to learn more about Judaism.
His older brother Grant at the University
of Michigan was going on a trip to Poland
sponsored by the Jewish Resource Center
at U-M, and he arranged to go, too. There,
he visited Jewish historical areas, witnessing
the horrors of Auschwitz and other sites
from the Holocaust.
“The experience changed my life and
compelled me to grow my Jewish iden-
tity,” Yarber said. “
Attending Michigan
State University, I worked with the Jewish
Resource Center at Michigan to install
our own JRC at Michigan State. Within
a year, I worked with a rabbi, and we
successfully started our own JRC, where I
served as president. We amassed over 20
members and organized a three-week trip
to Israel.”
Aside from his passion for Jewish life,
Yarber shares an equally important love for
the field of law. Over the years, he’s gathered
experience at numerous law firms, most
recently at Honigman LLP
, and an extern-
ship with Justice Brian K. Zahra of the
Michigan Supreme Court. At U-D Mercy,
Yarber ranks near the top of his class. He is
a member of Law Review and Moot Court
and serves as a teaching assistant.
“These opportunities have all furthered
Two law students to be honored by Jewish Bar Association of Michigan.
Best and Brightest
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Jessica Davidova
Chase Yarber