6 | FEBRUARY 23 • 2023 

PURELY COMMENTARY

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 

statement from Federation

Reflections on the Recent Tragedy
L

ast Monday night began 
as a time of celebration. 
As I stood at the back 
of our annual Women’s 
Philanthropy Signature Event, 
listening to the 
actor Jennifer 
Grey reflect on 
her experiences 
to a room full of 
engaged Jewish 
women, my 
phone buzzed.
It was 
our director of Jewish 
Community Security Inc., 
letting me know that there 
had just been a shooting 
reported on campus at 
Michigan State University. 
Like everyone, I followed in 
absolute shock and horror 
as details of the situation 
unfolded.

At a time when incidents 
of violence are far too 
commonplace, this tragedy 
truly strikes home. Across 
our Jewish community, we 
are devastated for the families 
of the victims, for those 
injured and for the entire 
student body, many of whom 
come from our own homes.
Above all, we mourn the 
three young lives that were 
ended, and we continue to 
pray for the recovery of the 
five who were wounded. As a 
parent myself, I can think of 
no loss more heartbreaking. 
Beyond that, I can’t imagine 
the anxiety felt by those 
in our community whose 
children and grandchildren 
were on campus that night. 
As the long process of 
recovery begins, I am deeply 

grateful for the work of our 
partners at the MSU Hillel 
who have been engaged in 
the efforts to provide comfort 
and healing to the students. 
I also want to acknowledge 
Jewish Family Service, whose 
trauma response team was 
on hand as a trained resource 
for those coping with the 
aftermath of the tragedy. It 
is reassuring to know that 
clergy from across Jewish 
Detroit have been providing 
counseling and support, as 
well.
 Like so many people I’ve 
spoken with, my mind is 
reeling from the headlines 
in recent weeks. The assault 
at MSU arrived on the heels 
of the earthquake in Turkey 
and Syria, which claimed 
tens of thousands of lives and 

has left millions struggling 
to survive. Once again, I 
want to acknowledge our 
global partner agencies, the 
JDC and JAFI, along with 
the Israel Defense Forces 
humanitarian operation, 
who are right now delivering 
aid both to the small Jewish 
community in the region and 
to the broader population 
that has been affected by this 
disaster.
There are no silver linings 
in tragedies like these, but 
we can take comfort in the 
power of community to 
sustain us in dark times and 
provide a path to healing. 
I look forward to better 
days. 

 

Steve Ingber is CEO of the Jewish 

Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

Steve Ingber

