28 | MAY 12 • 2022 

erings of individuals, many of whom, no 
doubt will be recognized by the honorees. 
The video-book also includes greetings 
from Michigan Supreme Court Justice 
Richard Bernstein and Matt Lester, presi-
dent of Jewish Federation, one of the event’s 
partnering agencies, whose message speaks 
to Federation’s pride in supporting and 
working closely with local agencies to serve 
and support our older adults and how our 
community “truly treasures our seniors,
” 
and the inspiration they bring. 
Members of the family of Bessie 
Spector can be seen and heard reciting 
the Shehechiyanu, with the Blessing for 
the Elders given by Congregation Shaarey 
Zedek (CSZ) Rabbi Aaron Starr. The 1931 
jazz tune, “
As Time Goes By,
” is performed 
by CSZ Hazzan David Propis, including the 
addition of some of his own clever lyrics, 
and group-Zoom rendition of the “The Star-
Spangled Banner” and “Hatikvah” is sung by 
11 community cantorial soloists and cantors.
“My brother and I feel honored to be 
playing a small role in delivering such a 
meaningful video to all of this year’s honor-
ees,
” Kenny said. “Heirloom’s mission is to 
make it possible for everyone to send mean-
ingful videos to the people they love. During 
a time when gathering to celebrate isn’t pos-
sible, we are thrilled to be able to help make 
a virtual ceremony possible for so many 
worthy Jewish seniors in our hometown of 
Metro Detroit.
” 
Honorees will receive the video by Friday, 
May 27, during Older Americans Month, 
with the hope that they will view it simulta-
neously that day at noon, for the first time 
of many. After that, the video will be avail-
able on the JSL website (www.jslmi.org/oab) 
and then saved to YouTube. Gift bags, which 
will be hand-delivered locally and mailed 
to out-of-town honorees, also include a cer-
tificate of recognition signed by Michigan 
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin 
Gilchrist II, along with a notepad and a 
chocolate treat.

CELEBRATING FROM NEAR AND FAR
For Joyce Berlin Weingarten of West 
Bloomfield, co-chair of the event with Julie 
Zussman of Huntington Woods, finding a 
way to keep it going, even in distance-mode, 
was paramount. “I attended this celebration 
with my grandmother, Fannie Whiteman 

z”l, who was part of a small group of orig-
inal attendees at Fleischman Residence,
” 
Weingarten said. “I later attended with my 
husband’s grandmother, Belle Rosender 
z”l. In more recent years, I attended with 
my father, Louis Berlin z”l, who loved 
celebrating and being a part of this com-
munity. With all the difficulties of the past 
two years, the committee was committed 
to honoring and recognizing our oldest 
Jewish Americans at their homes with a very 
special gift. We want to continue to let our 
greatest generation know that they are our 
community’s treasures.
”
Zussman, too, has attended past brunches 
with her family. “My first participation was 
being a ‘table captain’ in 2016,
” she said. 
“This was the first year my father-in-law, 
Milt Zussman, was eligible as a 95-year-
old. We enjoyed three years of beautiful 
brunches at Shaarey Zedek, where he always 
arrived before his family — driving himself! 
The past two years have been a change, but 
the right thing to do. The personal delivery 
of the gift bags has been warmly received 
from both honorees and their families.
” 
This year she says, Milt, who is 100 — 
and one of 34 centenarians being honored 
this year — will be a long-distance honoree, 
from his home in Longboat Key, Fla. “I hope 
this is the last year of not celebrating in per-
son,
” Zussman added. “We are running out 
of amazing ideas to honor this generation in 
the way they need to be honored.
“They love the camaraderie of seeing 
friends and the fellowship of their com-
munity. When I spoke to one of our cen-
tenarian honorees this year telling her we 
wanted to protect them and would again be 
celebrating virtually, she said, ‘Julie, we have 
been vaccinated and boosted to be able to 
celebrate together. We are ready!’”
The celebration is sponsored by the fam-
ily of Bessie Spector and community sup-
porters and held in partnership with Jewish 
Senior Life, Jewish Community Center, 
Jewish Federation, Jewish Family Service 
and JVS + Kadima.
“The Jewish community has been recog-
nizing our greatest generation for 20 years,
” 
said Leslie Katz, director of FRIENDS and 
Jewish Enrichment at Jewish Senior Life. 
“Our honorees look forward to each year’s 
festivities. Whether we’re celebrating togeth-
er in person, or safely at home, they remain 
the inspiring pillars we look up to and 
honor.
” 

continued from page 26

COURTESY LEONARD N. SIMONS JEWISH COMMUNITY ARCHIVES

Archived photos included in the 
Heirloom video

OUR COMMUNITY

This year’s oldest honoree, Rachel Fox, 
107 years old, at the last in-person 
event in 2019.

COURTESY OF JEWISH SENIOR LIFE

Heirloom video book gifted to this year’s 
honorees

COURTESY OF HEIRLOOM 

