10 | MAY 25 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
Jewish War Veterans place flags on veterans’ graves
in preparation for Memorial Day weekend services.
ON THE COVER
M
emorial Day weekend is upon us,
and I hope it’s not too late for you
to add just one more activity to
your holiday agenda.
I suggest it will rival the barbecue, golf
game or Tigers game you’re planning on
attending. Dare I say, more
gratifying than the great
“patriotic” savings you could
be realizing at a Memorial
Day mattress sale — with
no money down and no
payments to 2047. And this
activity only requires about
30 minutes of your time!
Thirty minutes or less,
that’s how long each of the two Jewish
War Veterans Department of Michigan
Memorial Day services will last that you can
choose to participate in this Sunday, May 28.
Join the JWV either at 10:30 a.m. in the
Veterans Section of Machpelah Cemetery,
21701 Woodward Ave., south of Nine
Mile, in Ferndale or at 1 p.m. in the
Veterans Section at Hebrew Memorial Park
Cemetery, 33230 Gratiot Ave., north of 14
Mile, in Clinton Township.
It’s a small amount of time to sacrifice to
honor the sacrifice made by our Jewish men
and women veterans of blessed memory.
Rabbi Michael Moskowitz of Temple
Shir Shalom and Rabbi Jennifer Kaluzny
of Temple Israel are graciously returning to
help lead the programs at Machpelah and
Hebrew Memorial Park, respectively.
The rabbis, along with JWV leadership,
will address the gathering, lead us in prayer,
followed by the playing of taps — a few
moments in time that will fill your hearts
with a warm sense of gratitude.
I’m not a veteran, but I’ll be on hand as a
proud patron of JWV-MI Post 510.
Rows of American flags will greet you
and move you upon your arrival at either
site; each flag gracing the final resting place
of our beloved Jewish War Veterans.
EVERY GRAVE A STORY
JWV-MI has been placing flags on
gravesites for years. In 2021, a revitalized
effort to identify more graves, regardless of
their affiliation with JWV-MI, was taken
on by Mark Weiss, now Commander of the
JWV-MI.
For the past year, Mark Reed, Junior
Vice Commander of local JWV Post 474,
has taken the lead to continue building a
database of all Jewish veteran resting places
throughout Detroit area cemeteries.
Earlier this month, Reed was joined by 15
Taking
to
Jewish War Veterans Department of Michigan members place flags on the graves of veterans at Machpelah Cemetery.
Alan
Muskovitz
Contributing
Writer
MARK REED