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.