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