20 | AUGUST 5 • 2021

GOODBYE, DEAR FRIEND

F

or decades, the best-
read parts of the Jewish
News were obituaries
and Danny Raskin’s columns.
In that order.
We introduced new
or expanded arts &
entertainment, business,
sports and family sections,
beefed up local coverage
and secured our own
correspondents in Israel and
Washington, D.C. Yet survey
after survey told us the same
thing … obituaries and Danny
Raskin’s columns were reader
favorites.
Danny was the Lou Gehrig
and Cal Ripken Jr. of column
writing. From the March 27,
1942, inaugural edition of
the Jewish News through July
of 2021 — a span of nearly
80 years — he wrote more
than 5,000 weekly columns
(from 1964 through 1986 he
wrote two weekly columns).
His initial “Jewish Youth’s
Listening Post”

columns focused on Jewish
Detroiters serving our country
in the global battle against
Axis forces in Europe and the
Pacific.
As a concession to Danny
on his 30th birthday, Jewish
News Publisher Philip
Slomovitz removed the word
“youth” from his column’s title.
The year was 1949. However,
Danny was forever young …
pitching for the Jewish News
softball team into his 70s,
mentoring two generations of
young chefs and exhausting
those who tried to keep pace
with him on the dance floor.
Danny always viewed
himself as a journalist. Which
he was. Yet he was also a
very productive advertising
executive. In May of 1986, I
had just arrived in Detroit from
the Baltimore Sun to run the
day-to-day operations of the
Jewish News. Our Southfield
office was so small that a

group of five commission-only
account executives aggressively
competed against each other
for business while sharing what
was essentially a large closet.
Danny, already 40 years older
than the others, out-hustled
and out-elbowed all of them …
even for a $5 commission. At
the time, he was responsible for
more than half of all advertising
placed in the Jewish News.

FOREVER OPTIMISTIC
When a devastating fire
destroyed the Jewish News
offices in January of 2002,
Danny provided optimism
and encouragement. “We’ll
survive this and be better
than ever,” he predicted in his
booming baritone voice while
we stared at smoldering piles
of debris. “The community
depends on us,” he added.
However, one item didn’t
survive the fire. Once
occupying a place of honor in
his workspace, a large, signed
photo of Danny with Wayne
Newton was ruined by water
and soot. Initially devastated,
he insisted that I include his
photo in our insurance claim.
It was rejected, apparently
thought of by the insurance
company as worthless rather
than priceless.
Danny lived and breathed
Detroit and the Jewish News.
He had a special relationship
with its readers and advertisers.
He was motivated to generate
an engaging, entertaining and
informative column for them
every week … as if their lives
and his own depended on it.
Obituaries and Danny
Raskin. Today, they finally
come together as one on the
pages of the Jewish News.

ARTHUR HORWITZ PUBLISHER EMERITUS
Danny’s Enduring Appeal

KERI COHEN
KERI COHEN

Listening Post”

KERI COHEN
KERI COHEN

Arthur Horwitz with Danny Raskin, age 100, upon his
receiving the Legacy Award of the Detroit Chapter of
the Society of Professional Journalists in 2019.

Former Oak Park Mayor
Jerry Naftaly:
I wrote guest restaurant
reviews for Danny’s
columns. He pushed me
to write about Jewish and
kosher places like the
former Unique Kosher Deli
and Kravings, or other
places with Oak Park
connections, or memories
of the old Farrell’s Ice
Cream Parlor and Victoria
Station.
Danny included
my mini-reviews and
recommendations for my
books and plugged every
one of them … Danny
included me in annual
birthday recognition in his
columns like many of his
valued and loyal readers
I’ll miss you, Danny. I
enjoyed our phone and
email chats, some up to
midnight. You were like the
Energizer Bunny. A legend.
An icon.
You were, like your
column heading, “The Best
of Everything”

Steve Goldberg, Stage
Deli, West Bloomfield:
I knew Danny well for
many, many years in the
restaurant business. He
always told the truth but
always in the kindest of
ways. He was a link to the
treasured history of Detroit
area restaurants we’ve
lost, the restaurants we
knew and loved. He will
be remembered for the
memories he kept alive.
Danny came in frequently
with his son, Scott, ordered
a lot and held court. Rarely
was he alone at his table.
He was in his element,
smiling, kibitzing and
sharing his encyclopedic
knowledge.