SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 27
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an idea and were committed 
to making it happen, she 
would give you everything 
she had and more to make 
it a reality.
“She never worried about 
the spotlight being on her. 
She put her mentees, and 
I was fortunate to count 
myself among them, front 
and center and told me 
often that true leaders know 
the light doesn’t move, it 
only expands to bring oth-
ers in. It’s safe to say my 
journey in Jewish commu-
nal service has happened 
because Harlene brought 
me into her light and helped 
me along.”
Appelman was known 
throughout the Jewish 
education field for her cre-
ativity and passion, said 
Joni Blinderman, executive 
director of The Covenant 
Foundation. “She believed 
that the family was at the 
core of all learning and did 
everything in her power 
to support Jewish families 
in Detroit and around the 
country.”
Tilly Shemer, until recent-
ly the executive director 

of University of Michigan 
Hillel, said she appreciated 
how Appelman would bring 
different people together, 
whether around 
her Rosh 
Hashanah table 
or at a Covenant 
Foundation 
Awards event. 
“These ‘uncom-
mon connec-
tions’ would result in new 
friendships and collabora-
tions,” she said. 
“We launched an 
Uncommon Connections 
initiative in Harlene’s honor 
last year at Michigan Hillel 
to encourage unlikely Hillel 
student groups and leaders 
to work together, which 
generated creative, new ideas 
and partnerships. Harlene 
would have loved it!”
Appelman was one of 
The Covenant Foundation’s 
inaugural winners of the 
Covenant Award for edu-
cators who have made 
an exemplary impact on 
Jewish life. 
She was named the 
Covenant Foundation’s exec-
utive director in 2005. 

Register for convocation 
honoring Harlene Appelman

The Oct. 15 convocation honoring the memory of 
Harlene Appelman is free and open to the public, 
but reservations are required for dinner.
The gathering takes place at the University of 
Michigan’s School of Social Work and Michigan 
Hillel from 1 to 9 p.m.
For dinner reservations, respond to https://
ssw.umich.edu/assets/rsvp-request/index.
php?page=register&id=W595.
For more information, contact Dr. Karla 
Goldman, Sol Drachler Professor of Social Work 
and director of the Jewish Communal Leadership 
Program at University of Michigan, at kargold@
umich.edu. Out-of-town guests are invited to be 
in touch for help with arrangements.

Tilly 
Shemer

+248.352.8000 ext. 250

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