AUGUST 11 • 2022 | 19

When Daniel married Joanne, 
they settled in Flint at first 
because Daniel had joined his 
father’s dental practice, but they 
moved to Southfield to be clos-
er to the Jewish day schools in 
1986. Daniel commuted to Flint 
until he retired in June 2022. 
“I’m the luckiest daughter-
in-law in the whole world,” 
Joanne said. “I knew my 
in-laws longer than my own 
parents. My father-in-law is the 
most incredible person. I have 
so much fun with him.”
Most unusual is that each of 
Sam’s grandchildren feels spe-
cial and close to him and his 
late wife.
“My mother was a prolific 
writer,” Daniel said. “She wrote 
the most beautiful letters to her 
grandchildren, offering advice, 
showing concern, giving inspi-
ration. It led to such meaning-
ful relationships.”
According to Joanne, Sam is 
a realist. “When we were sit-
ting shivah for my mother-in-
law, he was telling us frankly, 
‘People are born, then they live 

and then they die’ and ‘When 
it’s your turn, it’s your turn,’” 
she said. “It reminded me of 
the song ‘Circle of Life.’”

COMMISSIONED TORAH 
AT KIDS’ B’NAI MITZVAH
Things are really coming 
full circle now because the 
commissioned Torah will 
be on loan at Young Israel 
of Southfield and Sam’s 
great-grandson Max will be 
the first to read from it on his 
bar mitzvah on Parshat Noach, 
which falls on Oct. 28-29 of 
this year. Max considers it a 
huge honor to be the first. 
“In the next 10 years, we 
have four grandsons who will 
become b’nai mitzvah,” Daniel 
said. “What better legacy than 
for them to start their adult 
Jewish lives by reading from 
the Torah that was commis-
sioned for their great-grand-
parents?”
Once the Gotlibs decided 
how to commemorate Sam’s 
milestone birthday, they 
quickly realized that procuring 

a Torah was much more com-
plicated than they’d thought. 
Their friends, Debbie and Avi 
Fox of Skokie helped them 
with the process. The Torah 
was bought from Israel to 
Michigan on July 21. 
The last 80 letters of the 
Torah have not yet been 
inscribed. Rabbi Yehoshua 
Ellis, a sofer (scribe) from 
Oak Park, will complete the 
honors on Aug. 21 at the cel-
ebration, which will begin at 
Ari and Shirli Gotlib’s home in 
Southfield. The entire commu-
nity is welcome to join in the 
dancing and festivities as the 
Torah will be marched to Young 
Israel of Southfield under the 
chuppah in grand style. 
Sam will be attending, 
of course, as will his chil-
dren, grandchildren and 
great-grandchildren. 
“Organizing this event has 
been so emotional,” Joanne 
shared. 
Sam’s actual birthday was 
Feb. 18, so his children and 
many of his grandchildren and 

great-grandchildren flew in to 
help him celebrate at his home 
in Century Village in Florida. 
“My father-in-law wrote his 
own speech and said a heartfelt 
Shehichiyanu, thanking God 
for his life and enabling him 
to reach this occasion,” Joanne 
said. “There wasn’t a dry eye in 
the room. It was an exceptional 
weekend.”
Fun was had by all. The men 
wore customized ties for the 
occasion and the kids had col-
or-in T-shirts. 
“
At 100, my father doesn’t 
have any friends left; he’s out-
lived them all,” Daniel said. 
“So, it was especially mean-
ingful for him to see the more 
than 50 relatives and friends 
who turned up to celebrate his 
remarkable long life.”
Sam is looking forward to 
Aug. 21. 
“He’s excited,” Daniel said. 
“He’s so touched and happy to 
know the legacy that he and 
my mom began is being con-
tinued, that their values and 
traditions live on.” 

LEFT: From the first celebration in Florida, four generations: Jacob Gotlib, Daniel Gotlib, Ari Gotlib, Alex Gotlib, Max Gotlib and Sam Gotlib. 
RIGHT: Sam Gotlib celebrated his 100th birthday in Florida. Here he is surrounded by his great-grandchildren Eitan Waltz, Alex Gotlib, Max 
Gotlib, Sophia Gotlib, Uriel Schmueli and Jacob Gotlib. HOW TO GO: Festivities for the Torah commemoration begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 21, 
at 22455 Chatsford Circuit in Southfield. The procession to Young Israel of Southfield starts at 11:45 a.m. with the celebration at 12:15 p.m. 

