6 | DECEMBER 15 • 2022 

1942 - 2022

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week

To make a donation to the 
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 
FOUNDATION
go to the website
www.djnfoundation.org

The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) 

is published every Thursday at 

32255 Northwestern Highway, #205, 

Farmington Hills, Michigan. Periodical 

postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and 

additional mailing offices. 

Postmaster: send changes to: 

Detroit Jewish News, 

32255 Northwestern Highway, #205, 

Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334

MISSION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will be of service to the Jewish community. The Detroit Jewish 
News will inform and educate the Jewish and general community to preserve, protect and sustain the Jewish 
people of greater Detroit and beyond, and the State of Israel.

VISION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will operate to appeal to the broadest segments of the greater 
Detroit Jewish community, reflecting the diverse views and interests of the Jewish community while advancing the 
morale and spirit of the community and advocating Jewish unity, identity and continuity.

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
248-354-6060
thejewishnews.com

 
 
Publisher
The Detroit Jewish 
News Foundation

| Board of Directors:
 Chair: Gary Torgow
 Vice President: David Kramer 
 Secretary: Robin Axelrod
 Treasurer: Max Berlin
 Board members: Larry Jackier, 
 Jeffrey Schlussel, Mark Zausmer
 
 
 Senior Advisor to the Board: 
 Mark Davidoff
 Alene and Graham Landau Archivist Chair: 
 Mike Smith
 Founding President & Publisher Emeritus: 
 Arthur Horwitz
 Founding Publisher 
 Philip Slomovitz, of blessed memory

 
 
 
 

 Editorial 
 Director of Editorial: 
 Jackie Headapohl
jheadapohl@thejewishnews.com

 Associate Editor:
 Rachel Sweet
 rsweet@thejewishnews.com
Contributing Editors: 
David Sachs, Keri Guten Cohen
Staff Reporter: 
Danny Schwartz 
dschwartz@thejewishnews.com
Editorial Assistant: 
Sy Manello
smanello@thejewishnews.com 
Digital Manager:
Elizabeth King 
eking@thejewishnews.com 

Contributing Writers:
Nate Bloom, Rochel Burstyn, Suzanne 
Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Shari S. 
Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Louis 
Finkelman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther 
Allweiss Ingber, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer 
Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, 

Robin Schwartz, Mike Smith, Steve Stein, 
Julie Smith Yolles, Ashley Zlatopolsky 
 
 Advertising Sales 
Director of Advertising: Keith Farber
kfarber@thejewishnews.com
Senior Account Executive: 
Kathy Harvey-Mitton
kmitton@thejewishnews.com 

| Business Office
 Director of Operations: Amy Gill
 agill@thejewishnews.com
 Operations Manager: Andrea Gusho 
 agusho@thejewishnews.com
 Operations Assistant: Ashlee Szabo 
 Circulation: Danielle Smith
 Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner

| Production By 
 Farago & Associates
 Manager: Scott Drzewiecki 
 Designers: Kaitlyn Iezzi, Kelly Kosek, 
 Deborah Schultz, Michelle Sheridan 

continued on page 7

guest column

Ancient Lessons to Battle 
Modern Antisemitism
A

s 2022 winds down, 
the continued rise of 
antisemitism serves 
as story of the year for the 
American Jewish community. 
As we grapple 
with today’s 
antisemitism in 
preparation for 
2023, we would 
do well to look 
to the lessons of 
Purim, Passover 
and Chanukah to 
plan our response.
Thankfully, unlike most 
other eras of antisemitism, 
Jew-hatred in America is 
not state-sponsored. There 
are brave leaders in our 
federal, state and local 
governments who condemn 

hatred and discrimination. 
Law enforcement rises to our 
aid and protection. Rather, 
individuals jealous of the Jewish 
community’s ability to achieve 
the American dream are taking 
to social media and synagogue 
parking lots to spew their Jew-
hatred. 
Indeed, in a milieu of 
meritocracy (even an imperfect 
one like ours), a small tribe 
that holds the values of life, 
education, compassion and 
mutual responsibility at its core 
is destined for success in the 
United States. Contemporary 
American antisemitism, 
foolishly believing that success 
is a zero-sum game, reacts to 
Jewish achievement by naively 
claiming Jews possess “too 

much” power and, mistakenly, 
that a Jewish cabal works 
actively to prevent others from 
similarly succeeding in America. 
In this way, today’s 
antisemitism most resembles the 
Jew-hatred experienced by our 
ancestors in the days of Passover 
and Purim, when Egyptians 
and Persians felt threatened by 
Jewish success. Taking our cue, 
then, from Queen Esther who 
approached King Achashverosh, 
Jews immersed in American 
culture must ask support from 
our non-Jewish friends and 
family members, as well as 
gentile faith leaders, business 
colleagues and government 
leaders, to condemn publicly 
and forcefully antisemitism 
in all its forms. Similarly, by 

the way, we Jews are obligated 
to condemn publicly and 
loudly racism, homophobia, 
transphobia and misogyny. 
People of conscience must 
unite to turn back the darkness 
engulfing our land.
Second, we remember that 
among the catalysts for the 
redemption we celebrate at 
Passover is Moses standing up 
for his fellow Israelite when 
no one else would do so. In 
this way, the State of Israel 
stands against terrorists and 
authoritarian leaders who 
seek Jewish destruction. Our 
brothers and sisters in the IDF 
protect Jewish lives, while the 
rabbis and professors at Israel’s 
institutions of Jewish learning 
re-energize Jewish souls. We 

Rabbi Aaron 
Starr

PURELY COMMENTARY

