34 | DECEMBER 7 • 2023 

Jewish activities in Detroit. 
Stan became active in Brandeis 
AZA and Bernie spent time 
at sponsored clubs at the old 
JCC at Meyers and Curtis. 
These affiliations would have 
profound impacts on both boys 
that over the years nurtured 
their shared love for, dedication 
to and eventual trips together 
as adults to Israel. More on that 
in a moment.
Even as they got busy with 
their adult lives — college, 
getting married, starting fam-
ilies establishing careers and 
traveling in separate social 
circles — phone conversations 
continued to provide a lifeline 
to their friendship. Plus, there 
was always the knowledge that 
life’s milestones would always 
find a way to bring Bernie and 
Stan back together.
That being said, it should 
come as no surprise that Stan, 
who’s now single but twice 
married, included his lifelong 
friend in each of his nuptials. 
“Bernie stood up for me at my 
first wedding and officiated in 
his capacity as a judge during 
my second. Plus, I, in turn, 
stood up in his wedding. We’re 
even godparents to each oth-
er’s kids.” Bernie and his wife, 
Rozanne, recently celebrated 
their 53rd wedding anniver-
sary.

LIFELONG LOVE 
FOR ISRAEL
Bernie and Stan’s affection for 
Israel was woven throughout 
our conversation over lunch. 
The stories they shared came 
just weeks in advance of the 
horror that would unfold on 
Oct. 7. 
“I was 18 and won a schol-
arship through B’nai B’rith 
Youth Organization to spend 
a summer in Israel,
” Stan said. 
“It literally set me on my whole 

Jewish course of life.
” 
 So strong is Friedman’s devo-
tion to Israel that for the last 
several years he has personally 
chaperoned several of his law 
clerks on trips there at his 
expense. 
So, it only makes sense that 
these two lifelong adventur-
ers would find a way to share 
unique experiences together 
in Israel. Two of their trips, in 
particular, are made even more 
memorable today within the 
context of the current war.
In 2011 and 2015, Bernie 
and Stan signed up with Sar-El, 
the project to send volunteers 
for Israel that takes place on 
IDF bases throughout Israel. 
Sar-El is the Hebrew acronym 
meaning “Service for Israel.
” 
As stated on its website: “The 
work of Sar-El is to assist Israel 
with the incredible burden that 
is placed on active and reserve 
citizen soldiers, with work 
centered on logistical support.
”
During their two stints with 
Sar-El, Bernie and Stan would 
wear uniforms, be present for 
morning reveille and follow 
the official IDF schedule. 
They recalled recycling 
ammunition cans that housed 
bullets and preparing duffle 
bags with clothing for the 
troops to be among the many 
responsibilities that made up 
their daily routine. In a manner 
of speaking, Friedman and 
Meretsky were in the Army 
now.
In a subsequent conversa-
tion since our lunch, the two 
shared their sentiments about 
the current strife in Israel. “I’m 
distressed every single day,
” 
Bernie said. “It is my total focus 
of both concentration and 
prayers.
” 
That same overwhelming 
emotion could be heard in 
Stan’s voice. “When I hear 

‘Hatikvah,
”’ he said, “I tend to 
almost cry every time. When 
I hear ‘The Star-Spangled 
Banner,
’ I swell with pride. And 
these days hearing both has 
been very tough.
”

TODAY’S ADVENTURES
Seventy-five years later, the 
same sense of wonder and 
adventure that Bernie and Stan 
had when riding the Dexter 
bus still burns within them, but 
perhaps the excursions are a bit 
more modest.
Today, you might find the 
two traveling together to 
antique shows or flea market 
destinations where they 
search for materials to support 
Bernie’s woodworking hobby 
and Stan’s love for making 
metal sculptures. 
The phone calls still come 
on a daily basis, often to 

invite each other on errands or 
simply just to check in to see 
how each other is doing. 
Several days ago, I happened 
to bump into Stan in the 
parking lot of a grocery store. 
After exchanging greetings, 
he said to me: “If you stick 
around for a few minutes, 
you’ll see Bernie. He’s meeting 
me to do some shopping.” 
Meretsky and Friedman. 
Every time I say or write it, 
I can’t help but think that it 
sounds like an old-time Jewish 
double play combination in 
baseball. But then I recalled 
Bernie and Stan didn’t like 
sports; they liked riding their 
bicycles. And knowing their 
love for collecting years’ worth 
of “tchotchkes,” I wouldn’t 
be surprised if their childhood 
bikes are still in their garages 
today. 

OUR COMMUNITY

continued from page 33

A recent photo of Bernie and Stan at his judicial office in Detroit 
where you can see some of the “stuff” Bernie likes to collect.

ALAN MUSKOVITZ

