22 | OCTOBER 13 • 2022
W
orld War II Jewish
War Veteran
(JWV) Art
Fishman, 95, never tires in the
giving of his time and energy
in support of his
fellow veterans,
both in and out
of the Jewish
community. And
I never tire of
writing about
my dear friend
— at least a
dozen times in the JN, if you’re
keeping track, two times as a
cover boy.
Art is a member of JWV
Shapiro-Rose Post 510. He’s
their past commander and is
the JWV Dept. of Michigan Sr.
Vice Commander Emeritus,
and now you can officially call
him the “Michigan Veteran of
the Year.”
The prestigious award
was bestowed upon Art by
the Commanders Group
of Michigan (CGM). The
group is made up of 14
congressionally chartered
veterans’ organizations in
the state whose mission is to
advocate for the well-being of
veterans and their families. The
honor is given to the individual
who has contributed most to
that calling.
According to the
Commanders Group selection
committee, while credit is
given for service by a veteran
in years past, greater credit
goes for accomplishments
in the most recent year. And
in 2022, 95-year-old Art
Fishman, a JWV member for
55 years, has been as busy as
ever working on behalf of his
beloved comrades.
The “Michigan Veteran of
the Year” honor was presented
to Art on Sunday, Sept. 18,
during a special ceremony
at the Zekelman Holocaust
Center. On hand was a
large gathering of JWV post
members and leadership of
the JWV Dept. of Michigan,
with newly elected department
commander Mark Weiss and
Post 135 commander Donald
Schenk offering congratulatory
remarks.
Art’s greatest joy was being
able to be surrounded by
his children, grandchildren,
great-grandchildren and
loving friends to witness
the festivities. That was the
sentiment he shared with
WDIV Local 4 News reporter
Kim DeGiulio who was on
hand to cover the event.
(Search “
Art Fishman Veteran
of the Year” on WDIV’s
YouTube channel.)
The JWV Dept. of Michigan
nominated Art for the award
with the CGM selection
committee deliberating over
several candidates using
a 10-point rating system
in each of 10 categories of
achievement.
Committee chairman,
Master Sergeant Phil Smith,
USMC, Retired, himself a past
Michigan Veteran of the Year
awardee, presented Art with
the official declaration. Smith
served in Vietnam and is also
a veteran of the Desert Storm
era.
In reflecting on Art’s legacy
Smith said, “I think everybody
on the select committee had
the same opinion of Art. He’s
a 95-year-old veteran doing
everything possible to help
veterans and their families.
Wherever his heart is, that’s
what he sets out to do. He’s got
more energy than guys that are
50, even 40 years old. He just
keeps going.”
OUR COMMUNITY
Alan
Muskovitz
JWV’s Art Fishman adds another
accolade for his work with veterans.
Michigan
Year
the
Veteran of
Michigan Veteran of
the Year — 95-year-old
Art Fishman always on
the go on behalf of his
beloved veterans.