32 | DECEMBER 7 • 2023 J
N
J
udge Bernard Friedman
and Stan Meretsky’s
friendship means the
world to them. It’s an alliance
celebrating its 75th year, forged
in 1948 when the two were
kindergarten
classmates at
MacCulloch
Elementary
School on
Wildemere and
Tyler in Detroit.
Their lifelong
friendship was
nurtured though
the closeknit community they
called home — the beloved old
Dexter-Davison Jewish neigh-
borhood.
This year, these two “boys”
officially became octogenarians.
They were born in Detroit in
1943, preceding the Boomer
era by just three years. Meretsky
and Friedman, now both West
Bloomfield residents, turned 80
in July and September respec-
tively.
Depending upon whose
company they’re in, you might
hear Bernard refer to Stan
as “Stanley” or “Stosh” and
Stan call Bernard “Bernie” or
“Bernardie.
” Or “hey, you” also
works, Stan said.
Friedman recently
announced that after 35 years
as a U.S. Judge for the Eastern
District of Michigan he’s going
to go on “inactive status.
” That
means “kind of” retiring. He’ll
work a lot less and mostly sub-
stitute for federal magistrates on
arraignments and other prelimi-
nary hearings.
Meretsky spent the first half
of his career as an advertising
and marketing executive, with
stops at AAA Michigan and
his own ad agency, Meretsky/
Response. For the last 31 years
he’s been the sole
proprietor of the
McCullough Corp.,
a surplus brokerage
business that sells
tools and auto parts on
a wholesale level. The name
of his firm was inspired by his
cherished elementary school.
FRESSING OVER
FRIENDSHIP
I had the pleasure to break
bread with these two gentlemen
recently at the Pickles & Rye Deli
in West Bloomfield. Stan had
reached out to me and asked if
I’
d like to hear about a friend-
ship that was now in its eighth
decade. I’ve always been hope-
lessly nostalgic, especially when
the backdrop is about growing
up in Detroit. I was all in.
As you’re about to learn,
it was only fitting that a deli
would provide the perfect set-
ting
ting for this walk down
Memory Lane.
Faster than you can say: “I’ll
have a corned beef on rye,
” joy-
ful remembrances and detailed
memories of their childhood
came pouring out of Bernie and
Stan like scratchy, old, black-
and-white 8-millimeter films
projecting onto a vintage tripod
movie screen. Y
ou could almost
hear the clickety-clack of the
film threading its way through
the projector of their minds.
OUR COMMUNITY
Bernie & Stan
Alan
Muskovitz
Contributing
Writer
For 75 years, these two childhood pals
have remained best friends.
“TO THE WORLD
YOU MAY BE JUST
ONE PERSON, BUT TO
ONE PERSON YOU MAY
BE THE WORLD.”
— DR. SEUSS
Bernie and Stan
— now and then.
ALAN MUSKOVITZ