JANUARY 19 • 2023 | 31

On Dec. 4, 2022, the Jewish Historical 
Society of Michigan held a Jewish 
Detroit heirloom roadshow and invited 
community members to bring historic 
belongings — especially items from 
before 1930. 
Held at The Hawk in Farmington Hills, 
the event was packed with people who 
simply wanted to see what was brought 
in and others who had items they wanted 

evaluated by JHSM’s six antiques experts. 
 
Items included books, manuscripts, 
Judaica, jewelry, artwork and World 
War I memorabilia. The free program 
will be repeated on April 30, (same 
venue) as JHSM continues surveying 
objects for use in its Jewish history 
exhibit, opening at the Detroit Historical 
Museum in April 2024. 

PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF ELAYNE GROSS PHOTOGRAPHY

JHSM’s Jewish 
Heirloom Roadshow

FAR LEFT: Rabbi David Shapero, 
grandson of Temple Beth El’s Rabbi 
Leo M. Franklin, holds a program 
from the September 1903 dedication 
of Temple Beth El’s former building 
(now the Bonstelle Theatre), as JHSM 
vice president and roadshow chair 
Barbara Cohn looks on. Dresses in 
the background belonged to Sarah 
Benda Heavenrich (left, c. 1890) and 
Henrietta Hess Butzel (right, c. 1880), 
both courtesy of the Detroit Historical 
Museum.
LEFT: Roz Blanck shows a 1929 Dovid 
Horodoker Organization trophy as 
emcee Gail Offen interviews her 
about its origins and its unusual 
journey to and from Detroit. Blanck 
was contacted by a teacher in 
Michigan’s thumb region who had 
bought the trophy and was eager to 
return it to the organization.

RIGHT: Steve 
Gershman brought in 
a wedding portrait of 
his uncle and aunt, 
Jacob and Besse 
(Eisenshtadt) Horowitz, 
taken June 6, 1919, 
along with Besse’s gold 
wedding band and 
Jacob’s naturalization 
papers.
FAR RIGHT: Jeannie 
Weiner, president 
of JHSM, asks for 
a historical jewelry 
evaluation from jeweler 
Michael Simmons 
as Stacey Simmons 
records his findings.

Alicia Nelson holds her vintage Brillo Soap 
box, which still contains its original four 
cakes of kosher soap. The box is bilingual 
(English and Yiddish).