76 | DECEMBER 15 • 2022
psychologist and
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek officer, volunteers
to facilitate a weekly
support group on Zoom for
people dealing with loss
of all kinds. Free. Contact
Alaine Ashkenazi at (248)
864-5395 or aashkenazi@
shaareyzedek.org for
information.
JEWISH IDENTITY
7-9 PM, DEC. 21
Due to an active
COVID infection, we’ve
rescheduled the second
installment of our Well
Inc. series. Join us for
food and drink, creative
networking activities, and
a deep dive on the Jewish
and professional journey
of legendary community
figure Ron Elkus. Save the
(new) date, and location
and registration will be
available soon. Check:
meetyouatthewell.org.
‘WITCHCRAFT’ CONCERT
8 PM, DEC. 24
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek is arranging for
this online performance.
Hadar and her all-star
NYC quartet will present
the debut concert of
Witchcraft-Jewish Women
of the Great American
Songbook. It tells the
stories of the Jewish
women, among the
greatest songwriters
in history, who created
these national treasures.
Free and open to
the community, but
registration is requested:
shaareyzedek.shulcloud.
com/event/witchcraft.
Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial
Assistant. Send items at least 14
days in advance to calendar@
thejewishnews.com.
ON THE GO
PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS
Ron
Elkus
‘WITCHCRAFT’
CONCERT
DEC. 24, 8 PM
continued from page 75
Rabbi Daniel Syme
to Receive the
‘Let Freedom Ring’
Award
B
ecause of his count-
less years building
stronger relation-
ships between the African
American and Jewish com-
munities, and his work in
developing educational
resource programs and other
initiatives to prevent sui-
cides, Rabbi Daniel Syme
will receive Let Freedom
Ring Award from the
Rainbow Push Coalition.
“Your expansive spiritual
leadership is rooted from the
life of the great theologian,
Rabbi Abraham Joshua
Heschel, a friend of Dr. King
and an advocate for social
justice,” wrote Rev. Jesse
Jackson Sr., who founded the
organization. “You turned
a personal tragedy into
part of your life’s work, and
society is better and stronger
because of it. Your visionary
leadership has inspired
individuals from all walks of
life.”
Rabbi Syme will be
presented with the Let
Freedom Ring award during
the Rainbow Push Coalition’s
upcoming Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. Birthday Celebration
in Detroit on Monday, Jan.
16, 2023, at 4 p.m., at the Fox
Theatre.
The evening will also
highlight honorees Bishop
John Drew Sheard Sr., Rev.
JoAnn Watson, community
activist Shamayim “Mama
Shu” Harris and R&B singer,
Kem. The award, in part,
honors those who exude Dr.
King’s commitment to justice
and personify the words he
shared in Letter from The
Birmingham Jail:
“Will we be extremists
for hate, or will we be
extremists for love? Will
we be extremists for the
preservation of injustice ―
or will we be extremists for
the cause of justice?”
“Your body of work
epitomizes that simple
philosophy,” Jackson wrote.
“It acknowledges the simple
choice we make every
day to fight on the side of
fairness and righteousness.
In words and deeds, you
improve the lives of those
in the community, and
your devotion to doing so
should be acknowledged and
celebrated.”
Rabbi Daniel Syme