6 | FEBRUARY 23 • 2023
PURELY COMMENTARY
1942 - 2023
Covering and Connecting
Jewish Detroit Every Week
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people of greater Detroit and beyond, and the State of Israel.
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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
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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
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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