38 | DECEMBER 2 • 2021 

C

ontinuing an annual 
tradition each fall to 
recognize “Detroit 
Expats” who have roots in 
Jewish Detroit, the Jewish 
Expat Reception was held 
Sept. 24 to honor the legacy of 
Dr. Larry Brilliant and Gene 
Sperling.
Gene Sperling, who grew up 
in Ann Arbor, is a senior aide 
to President Joe Biden and, on 
behalf of the president, leads 
the COVID Rescue Plan for 
the country. He was National 
Economic Council director 
and national economic advis-
er to Presidents Obama and 
Clinton, the only person to 
have served two presidents in 
that role. 
Dr. Larry Brilliant, who 
spoke over Zoom, is a pio-
neering physician and epi-
demiologist who used his 
educational experience at the 
University of Michigan and 
Wayne State University to go 

on to lead the UN campaign 
to eradicate smallpox in India. 
He served as the first executive 
director of Google.org and as 
the chair of the Skoll Global 
Threats Fund. He founded the 
Seva Foundation, which has 
restored sight to more than 4 
million blind people in dozens 
of countries. 
 Dr. Brilliant’s roots run 
deep in this city, from his 
father’s Brilliant Music’s loca-
tion to his motorcycle rides 
Downtown to get his wisdom 
teeth filled to his experiences 
in BBYO/AZA, where he met 
his wife.
As a Mumford High School 
graduate of 1961, his contribu-
tions to our world are global 
but his life’s roots are within 
this city. In his autobiography, 
he talks about his identity as a 
Jewish Detroter, and how the 
issues he saw early on helped 
guide the remarkable leader 
he’d become. 

faces&places

Homecoming

2021 Jewish Detroit Expat reception 
honors Dr. Larry Brilliant and White 
House Adviser Gene Sperling.

ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER
 PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES FELDMAN

Gene Sperling shares remarks with the crowd.
Lisa Soble Siegmann, Program Partner of The Max. M & Marjorie S. 
Fisher Foundation, provides an overview of Jewish life in Detroit to 
the attendees.

Eli Saulson, Congressman Andy Levin and former Congressman Sandy 
Levin.

ABOVE: Richard Bernstein, Justice 
of the Michigan Supreme Court, 
converses with Howard Handler and 
Lisa Applebaum.

LEFT: Rabbi Ariana Silverman of the 
Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. 

