1942 - 2024

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week

To make a donation to the 
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 
FOUNDATION
go to the website
www.thejewishnews.com

The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) 

is published every Thursday at 

32255 Northwestern Highway, #205, 

Farmington Hills, Michigan. Periodical 

postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and 

additional mailing offices. 

Postmaster: send changes to: 

Detroit Jewish News, 

32255 Northwestern Highway, #205, 

Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334

MISSION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will be of service to the Jewish community. The Detroit Jewish 
News will inform and educate the Jewish and general community to preserve, protect and sustain the Jewish 
people of greater Detroit and beyond, and the State of Israel.

VISION STATEMENT The Detroit Jewish News will operate to appeal to the broadest segments of the greater 
Detroit Jewish community, refl
 ecting the diverse views and interests of the Jewish community while advancing the 
morale and spirit of the community and advocating Jewish unity, identity and continuity.

DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205,
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
248-354-6060
thejewishnews.com

Publisher
The Detroit Jewish 
News Foundation

| Board of Directors:
 Chair: Gary Torgow
 Vice President: David Kramer
 Secretary: Robin Axelrod
 Treasurer: Max Berlin
 Board members: Michael J. Eizelman
 Larry Jackier, Jeffrey Schlussel,
 Mark Zausmer

 Executive Director:
Marni Raitt
 Senior Advisor to the Board: 
Mark Davidoff
 Alene and Graham Landau Archivist Chair: 
 Mike Smith
 Founding President & Publisher Emeritus: 
Arthur Horwitz
Founding Publisher 
 Philip Slomovitz, of blessed memory

 Editorial
Director of Editorial: 
Jackie Headapohl
jheadapohl@thejewishnews.com
Contributing Editors: 
David Sachs, Keri Guten Cohen
Senior Staff Reporter: 
Danny Schwartz
dschwartz@thejewishnews.com
Editorial Assistant: 
Sy Manello
smanello@thejewishnews.com
Digital Manager:
Elizabeth King
eking@thejewishnews.com

Contributing Writers:
Nate Bloom, Rochel Burstyn,
Suzanne Chessler, Shari S. Cohen, 
Louis Finkelman, Samantha Foon, 
Yevgeniya Gazman, Stacy Gittleman, 
Esther Allweiss Ingber, Barbara Lewis, 
Jennifer Lovy, Rabbi Jason Miller,
Alan Muskovitz, Karen Schwartz,
Robin Schwartz, Steve Stein, 
Nathaniel Warshay, Julie Smith Yolles, 
Ashley Zlatopolsky 

 Advertising Sales 
Director of Advertising: Keith Farber
kfarber@thejewishnews.com
Senior Account Executive: 
Kathy Harvey-Mitton
kmitton@thejewishnews.com

| Business Office
 Director of Operations: Amy Gill
agill@thejewishnews.com
 Operations Manager: Andrea Gusho
 agusho@thejewishnews.com
Operations Assistant: Ashlee Szabo
Circulation: Danielle Smith
 Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner

| Production By 
Farago & Associates
 Manager: Scott Drzewiecki 
 Designers: Kaitlyn Iezzi, Kelly Kosek, 
 Michelle Sheridan

6 | JANUARY 11 • 2024 
J
N

column 

Comfort Among the Mourners
M

y son Hayim 
Yeshurun Katsman 
z”l was murdered 
by Hamas on the holiday of 
Simchat Torah, otherwise 
known as Oct. 7 or hashabbat 
hashechorah (the black 
Sabbath). Over 
1,000 Israelis 
and others 
living, working 
and serving in 
the area known 
as the “Gaza 
envelope” were 
massacred. 
 Hayim’s body 
was identified 
quickly. A representative of 
Kibbutz Holit, where Hayim 
had lived for the last 11 years, 
called at 2:20 on Sunday 
morning to let me know that 
the army had located his 
body. About two hours later, a 
policeman and social worker 

came to the door to officially 
notify me.
For all practical purposes, 
our family began to sit 
shivah that Sunday morning. 
Comforters trickled to 
the house, filtered by the 
members of my community 
who took shifts throughout 
the day to serve meals and 
deal with the family’s multiple 
practical and bureaucratic 
needs, including those of my 
four young grandchildren. 
At any moment, we 
expected to learn that Hayim’s 
body had been released so 
that we could set the time for 
the burial. In Israel, it’s rare 
for a funeral to be delayed 
for more than a day or two. 
Although the waiting felt 
interminable, in retrospect 
we were lucky to be able to 
hold the funeral on Thursday 
evening, five days after his 

death. Some families are only 
getting notification now, after 
nearly three months, because 
the bodies of their loved 
ones’ bodies were incinerated 
beyond recognition.
During those long days 
before the funeral, messages 
of condolence inundated 
my email, WhatsApp and 
Messenger accounts. I 
heard from childhood 
friends, former co-workers, 
distant relatives, parents of 
my children’s friends and 
eventually even my 89-year-
old third-grade teacher. 
Hayim’s friends, colleagues, 
teachers and students sent 
memories and pictures from 
his childhood, his recent trek 
to India, his years studying 
for his doctorate in Seattle, 
peace activism, music, and 
his life on Holit where he 
served as gardener and was 

recently elected as head of the 
kibbutz council.
What stood out most was 
the variety and intensity of 
the connections that Hayim 
had made. Colleagues and 
friends alike noted how he 
approached each person 
as an individual, with no 
sense of ego or superiority. 
Most people he met didn’t 
know about his doctorate 
or his many talents. He saw 
everyone as equal, no matter 
their gender, race, religion, 
nationality or political 
opinions.
I began reposting these 
messages and photos on 
my Facebook wall, allowing 
friends and followers to 
mourn with us. Each one 
demonstrated a different 
aspect of Hayim’s qualities 
and interests. I also received 
inquiries from press outlets 

Hannah 
Wacholder 
Katsman
Times of 
Israel

PURELY COMMENTARY

continued on page 8

