OUR COMMUNITY
H
e’s known to many as Mr. Oak
Park.
Gerald “Jerry” Naftaly, for-
mer mayor of the city where so many
members of Metro Detroit’s Jewish com-
munity grew up and remember it close
to utopia, is so knowledgeable about
the history, the people, the businesses,
restaurants and shops, that he literally
wrote the book. Images of America: Oak
Park, with a foreword by former gover-
nor James Blanchard, was published in
2012, covering from the time it became
a community in 1945 through the post-
World War II boom and following seven
decades through photos and personal
recollections.
Naftaly’s enthusiasm is contagious,
and he is far from alone in his nostalgia:
Receiving a successful welcome to the
book, Naftaly then broadened to include
Southfield and wrote a similar book,
Images of Modern America: Northland
Mall (he also authored The Hill That
Grew, about the Shepherd Park Sledding
Oak Park Hill, aka the Oak Park Hill).
Last year, Naftaly created a board game,
Northland-Opoly, paying homage to the
people, places and activities that mean so
much to current and former Oak Parkers.
Former mayor Jerry Naftaly has created the gift
of a board game infused with memories.
Northland Nostalgia
LYNNE KONSTANTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
26 | DECEMBER 7 • 2023 J
N
The Northland-Opoly board game