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B I R M I N G H A M
34 | JUNE 8 • 2023
here’s to
J
ust when the cult-classic
film Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid was released
in 1969, Rob Wolk got the nick-
name “Sundance.
” He promised
his mother, who was a big fan
of the movie, that one day he’
d
open a business and name it
“Sundance.
”
Rob, 73, of Birmingham, did
exactly that.
In 1973, he opened Sundance
Shoes in Northland Center, a for-
mer shopping mall in Southfield
that was once the largest of its
kind in the world. It was the
perfect location for his business.
Through the doors walked the
likes of Aretha Franklin and box-
ing legends Tommy Hearns and
Sugar Ray Leonard, who were
regular clientele.
“It was a terrific store,
” Rob
recalls. “
A lot of celebrities would
come in.
”
While famous clientele was
definitely a perk, it was the ener-
gy of the store that Rob would
always remember — a feeling
he describes as “positive” and
“exciting.
”
Now, Rob is celebrating 50
years in business and working
alongside his daughter, Katie Ray
Celebrating
50 Years in
Business
Sundance Shoes remains one of
Metro Detroit’s top shoe stores.
ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Katie Ray
Johnston and
Rob Wolk
Former U.S. Representative Andy Levin will
receive the Raphael Lemkin Human Rights
Award for his commitment to protecting
workers, fighting climate change, and
advancing justice and human rights for Israelis
and Palestinians. The award is presented
annually by T’ruah, a rabbinic human rights
organization that represents more than 2,300
rabbis and cantors in the U.S. and Canada.
The award is named for the Jewish refugee
lawyer who coined
the term genocide
and fought for the
establishment of the
Genocide Convention,
just after most of
his own family was
murdered by Nazis.
The Donald R.
and Esther Simon
Foundation has awarded
a grant of $27,500 to
Hillel of Metro
Detroit for use
toward the 2023-
2024 staffing
of on-campus
Rabbi-Educator
Michele
Faudem. The
foundation is
built upon the
legacy and philanthropy
of Donald R. and Esther
Simon and their children.
With recognition of the
family’s original roots
in Michigan, the Simon
Foundation supports
projects that address
Jewish life and identity,
cancer research and
support services, the
cultural arts
and social
justice issues
which make a
positive impact
in the lives of
this generation
and the next.
Rabbi Faudem
influences the
students’ experiences
by providing ready
access to Jewish
learning, thought-
provoking programming,
personal counseling/
guidance.
American Friends of ALYN
Hospital announced Paula
Glazier has been elected
as president of the board of
directors. A lifelong resident of
the Metro Detroit area, Glazier
was a founding member and
a president of the Detroit
Friends of ALYN, a group of
dedicated volunteers who
raised more than $1 million for
the hospital.