6 | JANUARY 12 • 2023 

1942 - 2023

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
 
 
 Executive Director:
 Marni Raitt 
 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
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 

guest column
There is No Vaccine for Antisemitism
T

he polio vaccine was 
developed in 1955 after 
25 years of research and 
experimentation, and the vac-
cine for COVID was developed 
in record time. 
In the early days 
in searching for 
a cure for any 
virus, there are 
two critical ques-
tions: 1) How is it 
transmitted? and 
2) How can it be 
prevented?
Unlike viruses created by 
nature, for antisemitism, creat-
ed by humankind, there is no 
testing to inform us who has it, 
and there is no one- or two-shot 
combo to knock it out.
Like polio and COVID, how-
ever, the danger is you don’t 
know who is a carrier until it’s 
too late.
We all have our stories.
My father, Ron Davidoff, 

was an executive recruiter. He 
once had an employer client ask 
what we all know is the ques-
tion before the real question, 
“Where is your family from?” 
The answer, of course, led to 
the conclusion from my dad’s 
soon-to-be former client, “So 
you’re Jewish!” And then, here it 
comes: “You know only 3 million 
Jews died in the Holocaust, not 6 
million.
” 
Our former neighbor, who is 
a goodhearted, kind man, once 
referred to the corner of Maple 
and Orchard Lake Roads as “The 
Gaza Strip.
” He obviously was not 
going to win any final Jeopardy 
question on geopolitics, but I 
knew what he meant; “That’s the 
Jewish downtown.
”
More recently, I was picking 
up a carryout order from a very 
popular restaurant on “The 
Strip” when, in a casual and 
uneventful conversation with the 
proprietor, he found a way to tell 

me that only Jews could afford 
certain luxuries. I informed my 
soon-to-be former regular eat-
ery owner that I was a member 
of the Jewish community and 
that I was offended by his com-
ment. Then it came; “You took it 
wrong. I didn’t mean it like that.
” 
Interpretation = it’s not me; it’s 
you.
A recent article in one of 
Detroit’s daily newspapers had 
antisemitic overtones. The JCRC 
contacted a senior leader of that 
publication, who called me. I 
called a senior leader of our 
Federation, opening a channel 
for open dialogue and collabora-
tion and an acceptable resolution 
for all parties, and a learning 
moment for the publication.
Antisemitism is like an ice-
berg, there is danger under the 
surface. It’s always there, with 
just momentary punches above 
the surface given the waves and 
currents of the day. Unlike ice-

bergs, which can last more than 
3,000 years until warmer water 
melts them away, we can’t expect 
nature to do our work.
Like Jewish communities all 
over the world, our community, 
acting as one with purpose and 
resolve, is the only answer to 
combating antisemitism when it 
comes to the surface.
Zero tolerance. Call it out. 
Confront it. Leverage communi-
ty resources as allies, including 
your Detroit Jewish News. Stand 
tough, together.
Yes, I’ll miss my normal order 
at the restaurant noted above. 
But, like my father taught me, my 
business and my respect need to 
be earned. I can’t unhear what 
was said. I can’t just pretend that 
the iceberg is gone just because I 
don’t see it every day. 

Mark Davidoff is senior adviser to 

the board of the Detroit Jewish News 

Foundation.

Mark 
Davidoff

PURELY COMMENTARY

