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