10 | DECEMBER 22 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

I

n 2016, when Southfield-born-and-bred 
Zach Herschfus announced to his par-
ents Brian and Fern that he was plan-
ning to voluntarily enlist in the IDF, they 
were not surprised. The Zionistic roots in 
the Herschfus family run very deep. 
“My grandfather Abraham Cutter had 
volunteered for Israel Bonds and for the 
Jewish National Fund. When he was in his 
70s, he secured himself a seat on a cargo 
jet to Israel during the Six-Day War before 
solidarity missions were even a thing,” 
Fern said. 
Cutter had proudly shared with his fam-
ily how the plane turned off its lights as it 
was landing when he brought Torahs to 
the soldiers on the front lines. While there, 
Cutter collected artillery shells and later 
made a menorah out of them, which his 
family still has today. They also treasure 
the pictures of Cutter posing with Golda 

AN ARMY

ROCHEL BURSTYN 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

SUB DEPARTMENT

AN ARMY
AN ARMY

Detroit moms of IDF Lone 
Soldiers provide a web of 
support for each other.

Avi 
Greenbaum

continued on page 12

