6 | JUNE 15 • 2023 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: Michael J. Eizelman 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, Shari S. Cohen, Louis Finkelman, Samantha Foon, Yevgeniya Gazman, Stacy Gittleman, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Barbara Lewis, Jennifer Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, Karen Schwartz, Robin Schwartz, Steve Stein, Nathaniel Warshay, 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 PURELY COMMENTARY continued on page 8 O n April 30 this year, I learned that Jewish American Heritage Month is the month of May. That’s right — I learned about Jewish American Heritage Month the day before it began, in the 24th year of my life. Three weeks later, I was given 15 minutes of my employer’s monthly all- office meeting to talk about Jewish American Heritage Month, as possibly the only Jewish — and certainly only kippah-wearing — person in the office. When it was confirmed that I’d have a chance to speak, I was less enthusiastic than one might have expected. I mulled through ideas in my head for a few days, unable to get away from the question of how I could possibly synthesize the importance of Jewish American Heritage Month, Jewish American history and antisemitism, all in 15 minutes or less. Then, I realized how well- equipped I already was with plenty of talking points. Last year, I had the opportunity to participate in the Glass Leadership Institute (GLI), a leadership development program that highlights all facets of the ADL (Anti-Defamation League), and empowers young professionals to fight antisemitism in their communities. Over the course of the year, GLI participants have the opportunity to hear from leaders at the Center on Extremism, the Education Department, the Israel & Middle East Affairs Department and plenty more. After a remarkably interesting year, I was offered the chance to co-chair the GLI cohort and, in turn, hear each session again, along with an opportunity to attend the National Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. And that’s where I was on April 30, when I learned about Jewish American Heritage Month for the first time. UNPACKING IDEAS FROM ADL’S NATIONAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT From the very first plenary, the National Leadership Summit was unlike any other Jewish conference I had been to before. The message was clear that we were there to listen, learn and lobby as we fight the arduous battle against antisemitism. We were prepared for some things, like the otherwise startling statistics from the ADL’s 2022 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, Jeremy Rosenberg guest column The Importance of Jewish American Heritage Month