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

