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OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER
16 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J
N
Ethan Gross, a member of Post 510
of the Jewish War Veterans Dept. of
Michigan (JWV), is always looking
for paths his comrades at the JWV
can take to give back to the Jewish
community. His focus of late has been
in generating support for the war effort
in Israel. And it has come in a variety of
different ways.
Most recently, he participated in Aish
Detroit’s November Israel Solidarity
Mission. Prior to leaving, he reached
out to JWV Senior Vice Commander
Bill Glogower seeking something he
could take with him to Israel that would
represent the JVW’s support for the IDF.
“I recalled that we had an extra
JWV Department of Michigan flag,”
Glogower said, “and suggested that our
membership could personally sign and
send messages on it to the soldiers.
Ethan loved the idea. Days later, we
were thrilled to receive photos of Ethan
making the presentation to the IDF.”
Gross personally delivered the flag to
a Special Forces Unit of the IDF, which
was met with a great deal of gratitude.
“The soldiers were so appreciative.
They could feel the support from our
Detroit Jewish community thousands of
miles away.”
Gross and his wife, Yael, just returned
from Israel on their own personal
mission. They revisited some of the
stops Ethan made on the Aish trip last
November and made new connections
of support.
Included on that trip was a visit to an
Israeli orphanage that is the temporary
home of children who, for safety
reasons, were moved from their home
orphanage in war-torn Ukraine. That
was before Oct. 7. Sadly, the children
now face the challenges of the Israeli
war.
Also during his most recent trip to
Israel, Gross sponsored and distributed
on behalf of the JWV, 100 $50 gift
cards for soldiers and others in need.
It’s a project he’s helped generate
through a collaboration with fellow JWV
POST 510 member Sam Rozenberg.
Rozenberg, like Gross, is always
seeking avenues of tzedakah for the
betterment of Metro Detroit. He’s the
co-founder of the nonprofit SHARE
Detroit, which describes itself as “a
community engagement conduit
offering simple ways for neighbors,
nonprofits and businesses to come
together and strengthen our local
community.”
The gift cards were inserted in
specially printed envelopes supplied
by the JWV that also included
personalized messages from the
membership.
Visit the JWV Department of Michigan website at
www.jwv-mi.org.
bers representative from across North
America who together will express
their solidarity with the people of Israel.
Among those Rabbi Tolwin hopes to
encourage to volunteer and travel with
him are mental health professionals
who can offer their support to their
counterparts in Israel. “I believe very
experienced mental health professionals
from the U.S. could serve as a welcome
sounding board for their colleagues
who are dealing with the overwhelming
issue of PTSD on a daily basis. It’s all
about building relationships to better
serve those struggling in Israel.
”
As reported by Lior Zisser-Yogev in
a special submission to the Jewish News
on Jan. 14, “The Jewish community of
Detroit did an amazing job in raising
money for the Federation emergency
campaign that started in light of the
war in Israel, with donations close to
$30 million so far in a period of just
weeks.
“But beyond donations, there is a
strong feeling of unity as people find
reasons to be together and to feel a
sense of belonging and brotherhood in
these difficult times for every Jewish
person.
”
Rabbi Tolwin has been awestruck
by the outpouring of support by the
Detroit Jewish community and the
many other efforts by countless organi-
zations that have stepped up to support
Israel during this tenuous and historical
time.
“This is not a competition,
” Tolwin
said. “Every action is making a differ-
ence toward the survival of Israel.
”
What Rabbi Tolwin, Aish and the
legions of volunteers joining the Israel
Solidarity Mission are doing is even
beyond donations. They are, if you
will, the “boots on the ground;” every-
day Detroiters and American citizens
whose actions are speaking louder than
words or dollars.
Learn about/sign up for Aish’s Israel Solidarity
Mission at www.goinspire.com/trips/aish-solidari-
ty-mission/. Email Aish at Hello@aishdetroit.com.
Ethan Gross delivers JWV Department of
Michigan flag that includes signatures and
messages of support from the membership.
Ethan and Yael Gross present a gift
card to an IDF soldier on behalf of the
JWV Department of Michigan.