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

