OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY

T

he Honorable Benjamin Jacob 
Friedman, 91, of Huntington Woods, 
died peacefully at home on Friday, Feb. 
4, 2022. 
Born in Detroit on Jan. 19, 1931, to Mary and 
Max Friedman, Ben, the youngest of four sib-
lings, was his parents’ “
American Dream” as the 
first member of his family born in the 
United States. 
After graduating from Central 
High School, Friedman enlisted in 
the Air Force, serving for four years 
as a chaplain’s assistant in Amarillo, 
Texas, where he met his lifelong 
friend, Bernie Mintz. While on leave 
in Detroit, Friedman went on a dou-
ble date and met Annie Guyer, even 
though she wasn’t his date. 
Ben and Annie married on Dec. 
25, 1955, the start of a more than 
six-decade partnership filled with love, music 
and Yiddishkeit. He attended Wayne State 
University, earning his undergraduate and law 
degrees in five years. While attending classes, 
he drove a taxi, sold real estate, taught Hebrew 
school and tutored students to support his 
growing family. 
“He was fearless, confident in what his goals 
were,
” said his daughter, Michelle. “Once he 
decided he was going to do something, he did it.
” 
“He knew how hard he had to work to over-
come his early years, and he wanted to help 
others to not have to work that hard and find 
success a little easier,
” his son Avi added. “
And 
he brought that to every aspect of his life.
” 
After building a successful law practice, 
Ben was initially elected in 1969 as Oak Park 
Municipal Judge. When the court was merged 
into the 45-B District Court, he was appointed 
as one of the court’s first district judges, and 
he served for 34 years as an admired jurist. He 
was succeeded on the bench by his daughter 
Michelle.
An active member on the board of 
Congregation Beth Achim, Ben shared his love 
of Judaism and holidays with family and friends, 
presiding over countless Shabbat and holiday 
dinners.
Ben never missed a simchah and was happiest 
surrounded by family and friends discussing his 
grandchildren’s most recent achievements, the 
latest political news and the inevitable disap-
pointment from the Lions, Tigers and Pistons. 

Weekend outings with the family were a reg-
ularity, along with Friedman never missing his 
children’s school events. That trickled down to 
his grandchildren, even going out of state for 
dance recitals, concerts, school plays and sports 
games. 
Friedman’s oldest son, Jerry, says his father 
would consider his children and 
grandchildren as his legacy, though it 
doesn’t end there if you ask others. 
“I think the legal community 
would list his legacy as a mentor to 
young attorneys to help them learn 
how to be better at their job. I think 
the Jewish community would list him 
as a pillar of the community who 
did everything from helping to raise 
money to awareness and supporting 
leadership from behind the scenes, 
and the legacy from his friends would 
be that there was never a better friend; if Ben 
Friedman was your friend, he would be there 
and you knew you could count on him.
”
Friedman is survived by his wife of 66 
years, Annie Friedman; his children, Jerry 
(Gail) Friedman, Rabbi Avi (Jodi) Friedman, 
Honorable Michelle (Jeffrey) Appel and Susan 
(Mark) Lichterman; grandchildren, Andrew 
(Lauren) Appel, Gabe Appel, Sam (Ariel) 
Appel, Sarah (Piotr Gorecki) Friedman, Jason 
Friedman, Yossi (Katy) Lichterman, Allie 
Lichterman, Eden Lichterman, Gabi Friedman, 
Jonah Friedman, Jessica Friedman and Ilana 
Friedman. He is also survived by his sisters-in-
law, Sheila Guyer and Cheryl Guyer; many niec-
es, nephews and dear friends. 
Friedman was the cherished brother to 
the late Irving (Helen) Friedman, the late Eli 
(Ethelene) Friedman and the late Ann (Nelson) 
Dembs. 
To further honor his memory, you may do 
so by making a contribution to Yad Ezra, 2850 
W
. 11 Mile, Berkley, MI 48072; Jewish Hospice 
and Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W
. Maple Road, 
West Bloomfield, MI 48322; Congregation Ohr 
Shalom, 67 Kent Place Blvd., Summit, NJ 07901; 
Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123 Orchard 
Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334.
A funeral service took place at Hebrew 
Memorial Chapel. Interment was held at 
Adat Shalom Memorial Park in Livonia. 
Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. 

An Admired Jurist

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF REPORTER

56 | FEBRUARY 17 • 2022 

Benjamin Friedman

MICHAEL 
ATLER, 54, of 
Commerce 
Township, died 
Feb. 2, 2022. 
He is survived 
by his daughters, Lexi Atler 
and Ally Atler; sister, Margaret 
Atler; mother, Sandra Pizer. 
Mr. Alter was the loving son 
of the late Arnold Atler. 
Interment was at Clover Hill 
Park Cemetery. Contributions 
may be made to American 
Cancer Society, 20450 Civic 
Center Drive, Southfield, MI 
48076, cancer.org; or Epilepsy 
Foundation of Michigan, 25200 
Telegraph Road, Suite 110, 
Southfield, MI 48033, epilepsy-
michigan.org. Arrangements by 
Ira Kaufman Chapel.

GLORIA ELCHONEN, 93, of 
Oak Park, died Feb. 6, 2022. 
She is survived by her sons 
and daughters-in-law, Avraham 
and Rochel Elchonen of Oak 
Park, Hirsh and Chaya Rochel 
Elchonen of Oak Park; daugh-
ters and sons-in-law, Yaffa 
and Yossi Kohen of Brooklyn, 
N.Y., Malka and Yitzchok 
Goldstein of Toronto, Ontario, 
Brynde Berkowitz of Lawrence, 
N.Y., Sara Golda and Chaim 
Garfinkel of Monsey, N.Y.; 
brothers and sisters-in-law, 
Rabbi Avraham and Shoshana 
Gold of Oak Park, Nachum 
and Judy Gold of Lakewood, 
N.J., Shlomo and Nechama 
Gold of Brooklyn, N.Y. She was 
a very special grandmother, 
great-grandmother and great-
great-grandmother to many. 
Mrs. Elchonen was the 
beloved wife of the late Yehudah 
Elchonen.
 Contributions may be 
made to Yeshiva Gedolah, 
24600 Greenfield Road, Oak 
Park, MI 48237; or Yeshiva 
Beth Yehudah, P
.O. Box 2044, 

