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

