FEBRUARY 9 • 2023 | 21

community in a positive way 
and bringing our community 
together.
”
The day consisted of an emo-
tional docent-led tour, a local 
Holocaust survivor telling her 
story and a panel discussion 
to highlight the importance 
of understanding and allyship 
between people of all races and 
religions. 
Sophie Klisman was the local 
Holocaust survivor who told 
her heartbreaking and inspiring 
story. The room full of Pistons 
staff gave her a warm standing 
ovation when she was done.
“I’m happy I’m able to talk 
about it because it’s so import-
ant. It should never be forgot-
ten and should never happen 
again,
” Klisman said. 
Klisman’s daughter, Lori Ellis, 
who wrote a book about her 
mother’s life (4,456 Miles: A 
Survivor’s Search for Closure), 
also attended.

The day concluded with 
a panel discussion featur-
ing Rabbi Mayerfeld, Rev. 
Wendell Anthony, president 
of the Detroit branch of the 
NAACP; Samar Shousher, 
Premium Experience executive 
and co-chair, Pistons PWR 
Employee Resource Group; 
Sandy Silver, Zekelman Second 
Generation representative; and 
moderator Stefen Welch, vice 
president of Diversity, Equity 
and Inclusion for the Detroit 
Pistons.
“It was extremely impactful. 
You could see the expressions 
on the faces; you could see we 
were learning and intentionally 
engaged and, at the end of the 
day, it adds more value to what 
we do beyond the basketball 
court,” Welch said. 
With the concerning rise of 
antisemitism in recent years, 
Rabbi Mayerfeld hopes the 
Pistons organization comes 

away inspired. 
“
A big lesson I would like 
people to take home with 
them is the choices people 
made during the Holocaust, 
both the good and not good 
choices, that had big impacts. 
People should understand that 
in their lives, they also get to 
make those kinds of choices,” 
Mayerfeld said. “People have to 
understand what’s come before 
them in order to understand 
where we need to go as a com-

munity, people, country and 
world.” 
Mayerfeld thanked the 
Pistons organization for their 
commitment to standing up to 
hatred and their willingness to 
learn from the past to build a 
better Detroit and world. 
“Learning the history of the 
Holocaust and of antisemitism 
helps visitors make connec-
tions to our contemporary 
challenges of racism, prejudice 
and intolerance.” 

“LEARNING THE HISTORY OF THE HOLOCAUST AND OF ANTISEMITISM 
HELPS VISITORS MAKE CONNECTIONS TO OUR CONTEMPORARY 

CHALLENGES OF RACISM, PREJUDICE AND INTOLERANCE.”

 
— RABBI ELI MAYERFELD

HC docents 
lead Pistons 
staff members 
on the tour.

Second Generation survivor Sandy 
(Sandra) Silver holds up a photo of her 
parents during the panel discussion.

