Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

70 | AUGUST 18 • 2022 

Time to Cruise
T

his weekend, the third Saturday 
of August, will mark the 27th 
annual Woodward Dream Cruise, 
or what is billed as “The World’s Biggest 
Cruise.” There will be plenty of antique 
cars, custom-built hot-rods and one-of-
a-kind automobiles and trucks driving 
and burning rubber in the right two 
lanes of Woodward Avenue. 
The Dream Cruise began 
in 1995 on a soccer field in 
Ferndale. Leading cruiser, 
Nelson House, and a group 
of volunteers decided to 
recreate the heyday of 
cruising in the 1950s and 
1960s. More than 250,000 
attended the initial affair; 
now the usual attendance for the Dream 
Cruise is about 1.5 million. They come 
from around the world to view over 
40,000 classic and custom cars that 
“cruise” the length of Woodward Avenue 
from Detroit to Pontiac.
I figured there were a few cruisers 
from Detroit’s Jewish community. 
Indeed, a search into the William 
Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish 
Detroit History proved I was spot-on. 
In fact, just searching for the “Dream 
Cruise” raised more than 200 pages from 
the Archive regarding this famous event. 
“Jews Who Cruise” is a cover story 
about three local community members 
who motored down Woodward during 
the Dream Cruise in the Aug. 16, 2008, 
issue of the JN. The article features 
Andy Adelson, Michael Kunzman and 
Michael Surnow and their “muscle car” 
collections (i.e., think powerful, exotic 
and very fast automobiles). The trio 
participated in the Dream Cruise as well 
as spent a lot of time “joyriding” every 
summer. 
Indeed, summer brings out not only 
the cruisers, but also cruise events 
around Metro Detroit. They are staged 
at drive-ins restaurants, in parking lots, 

sports fields and other choice spots 
around the city. 
An earlier story with the same title in 
the Aug. 8, 2004, JN, “Jews Who Cruise,” 
has stories about several other Jewish 
antique/specialty car owners. This article 
features a wonderful photo of Joel and 
Lauren Jacob with their children —
Michael, 5, Andrew, 9, Autumn, 7, and 
Merrick, 12 — in the window of their 
1953 green Cadillac. All smiles, they 
look pretty darn happy!
Car Cruises can also be useful for a bit 
of mitzvah-making. If you cannot go to 
the Dream Cruise, it can come to you. 
For many years, Jewish Senior Life (JSL) 
has brought the Senior Dream Cruise 
to the Applebaum Campus in West 
Bloomfield. See reports in the Aug. 29, 
2013, and Aug. 28, 2008, issues of the JN. 
Last year, JN’s Danny Schwartz wrote an 
online report about the Cruise and JSL: 
thejewishnews.com/2021/09/17/faces-
places-jsl-senior-dream-cruise.
In 2006, there was a major fundraiser: 
“Cruisin’ for a Cure.” Sponsored by 
the Orchard Lake Road Car Cruise, 
this event was held at the Shenandoah 
Country Club in West Bloomfield. 
Proceeds went to the Hermelin Brain 
Tumor Center at Henry Ford Hospital 
(July 6, 2006).
The cruising stories found in the 
Davidson Archive prove that Detroit 
is indeed the Motor City in more ways 
than just making and selling cars.
Car culture rules in Metro Detroit and 
collecting cars and cruising in them is 
a big part of summer fun around here. 
Just ask the Jewish men and women who 
attend or drive in the Dream Cruise, or 
just enjoy driving around in their cars 
for Detroit-style relaxation. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation 
archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.
org.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

Danny Schwartz wrote an 

In 2006, there was a major fundraiser: 

Car culture rules in Metro Detroit and 

