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those connected through family. Also, 
many members are Jewish. When asked 
when Jews were welcomed to the club, 
or if there were ever restrictions, no one 
remembers. 

FUN AT FISH LAKE
In the 1940s, RAAD obtained about 40 
acres on Fish Lake in Rose Township, in 
the very north of Oakland County. In 
1946, they built a pavilion at Fish Lake 
that became the center of activities for 
RAAD and where today regular events 
are held. 
On the land are multiple cottages 
owned by some RAAD members. 
Members and their guests come to 
barbecue, swim, fish, kayak and hunt 
mushrooms on the RAAD property, 
and many have children who have built 

lifelong friendships at the lake. 
Even today, RAAD members love 
to spend the warm months of the year 
enjoying the rustic splendor of Fish 
Lake. Zhenya Ostrovsky, the current 
serving RAAD president, shared that he 
felt an instant connection and sense of 
belonging when he first came to a RAAD 
picnic. Having lived in a few cities around 
the U.S, he was surprised something like 

RAAD existed in Metro Detroit. Now, he 
and his family enjoy spending much of 
the summer at their cottage on Fish Lake. 
Yury Voldman, who immigrated as a 
Jewish refugee from the Soviet Union, 
recalls being invited to a party on Fish 
Lake 25 years ago, and he and his wife, 
Natalie, loved the experience and became 
members. Voldman says he believes 
Soviet Jews sought out RAAD looking for 

Zhenya 
Ostrovsky

Yury 
Voldman

Mushroom art collection at 
Natalie and Yury’s cottage

Yury Voldman and Zhenya 
Ostrovsky outside the 
banya, a traditional sauna

