JANUARY 13 • 2022 | 33

HERE’S TO continued from page 30

Rabbi Benyamin 
Vineburg has been 
elected to the 
Neshama Association 
of Jewish Chaplains 
Board of Directors. It 
is the sole voice and 
certifying body for 
Jewish Chaplains in 
the United States. He 
is excited to be able to 
represent the Detroit 
Jewish community in 
advocating for the way 
we approach and deliv-
er Jewish spiritual care 
as a craft, particularly 
during this difficult time.

Richard J. Kaplan, 
retired mayor of 
Lauderhill, Fla., has writ-
ten a book, The Russian 
Escape, a novella. 
His grandfather was a 
drummer in the Russian 
army before he escaped 
and made his way to 
America. The book is a 
fictionalized tale of his 
travels based on known 
facts of his life and the 
history happening at the 
time.

Congressman Andy 
Levin announced that 
he will run for reelec-
tion where he grew up 
and where he lives, in 
Michigan’s newly drawn 
Eleventh Congressional 
District, in 2022. He will 
be a fourth-generation 
resident of the heart 
of this new district in 
Oakland County.

Erica Meyers is the new 
engagement and pro-
gram associate at The 
Well. She was born and 
raised in Metro Detroit 
before attending the 
University of Michigan 
to earn a bachelor’s 
degree in environmental 
studies and German lan-
guage and literature. 

finding and selling rare or 
unusual items, clients also come 
to her with specific asks, which 
she then seeks out. 
“They’ve hired me to begin 
with because they like my taste,
” 
she says of her clients, who are 
mostly high-end customers. 
Depending on the day, 
Serwer can work with anyone 
from celebrities who live in 
Michigan to young families 
looking for one-of-a-kind fur-
niture and artwork. “I try to 
find things that are very classic 
and will never go out of style,” 
she explains. “I try not to buy 
things that are too trendy.”

FINDING AND 
COLLECTING ANTIQUES
For Serwer, the search for 
antiques never stops. “I crawl 
through holes to get the 
items,” she laughs. Whether 
she’s traveling with her hus-
band, William, and spots 
something distinctive, or 
browsing estate sales, Serwer 
continues to keep an eye out 
for her next greatest find.
Before selling an item, par-
ticularly chairs, Serwer also 
makes sure everything is in 
excellent condition. “If I find 
an old chair, I’ll always have it 
redone,” she explains. “I like 
the idea of having a fresh new 
fabric.”
Over the years, Serwer’s 
business has mostly been 
through word-of-mouth. “I 

don’t like to do too much 
advertising,” she says. 
 When an interesting piece or 
collection, the latter of which 
she tries to assemble so peo-
ple can have matching decor, 
becomes available, she’ll post 
the antiques on her Facebook 
page, which can generate 
anywhere from one buyer to 
hundreds of calls.
In antique dealing, it’s 
always busy season, Serwer 
explains. Yet her favorite time 
to sell is in the summer when 
she can offer outdoor items. 
“I love anything that’s old 
stone or architectural,” she 
says. 
The holidays are also a 
great time for antique sales, 
thanks to a large interest 
amongst customers for vin-
tage Christmas furniture and 
decor.
“Odd Fellows is known for 
having vintage Christmas 
stuff,” Serwer says.
After more than four 
decades in the interior design 
business and 15 years deal-
ing in antiques, Serwer has 
learned exactly what it takes to 
find rare items — and every-
one can do it, she says.
“Don’t turn down a garage 
sale,” Serwer advises. “Go to 
consignment stores. They’re 
almost like antique stores, but 
they don’t make it to antique 
stores because the dealers are 
buying from them.” 

Sally’s 
booth at 
Odd Fellows 
Antiques

