FEBRUARY 22 • 2024 | 17
J
N
The statement from the Goldsteins con-
tinued: “We worked hard to try to return
near to pre-pandemic attendance, and while
there are tangible glimmers of hope, we are
unable to make the financial commitment
necessary to keep the Maple a first-class
establishment.
”
LAMENTING THE LOSS
“I am not alone in mourn-
ing the closing of the Maple
Theater,
” said Edie Broida of
West Bloomfield. “There was
an intimacy and camaraderie at
the Maple that doesn’t exist in a
multiplex environment. Even if
a mere 12 people were seated, chances were
that you knew two of them.
“For most,
” she said, “that first tentative
return to the Maple — post-
COVID — was an occasion.
First-run movies and popcorn!
Hallelujah!”
Reflecting on her “go-to”
movie theater, Dr. Nina Robb
of Bloomfield Township said,
“Especially at its peak, when the cafe, bar
and movies were going all at the same time
— when there was live music in the cafe,
and food and drink service available right
to your theater seat — the Maple Theater
served as a sort of social center.
”
Former Detroiter Harvey
Ovshinsky of Ann Arbor
agreed. “For anyone who loved
movies, the Maple was truly
our second community center.
”
To him, the loss of the the-
ater is “doubly painful because
the pleasure of watching films
there and sharing them with friends, fam-
ily and even first dates, was as much an
offscreen experience as it was on.
”
“The Maple Theater was
my happy place,
” said Steve
Raphael of Auburn Hills. He
and his wife, Donna, lived for
28 years on a street close to the
theater.
“We would have dinner
there at the pizza restaurant
and watch the folk shows,
” he recalled.
They especially enjoyed watching “Secret
Cinema” — a popular program where the
audience on Thursday nights didn’t know
beforehand which cinematic gem the staff
would screen. Even after moving about 20
minutes away, the Raphaels returned to the
Maple for Secret Cinema and matinees.
Winston and Freedman had a standing
date to see a movie together, usually at the
Maple, at the end of their busy work weeks.
“I like the immersive experience of being
in a movie theater,
” said Winston, who
doesn’t watch movies on TV
. The Maple
“had the right, small independent movies
and was convenient for us.
”
He and Freedman enjoyed the Maple’s
friendly atmosphere, where “everyone is
of the same mind.
” They would arrive well
before showtime to talk to people, including
the dedicated young employees manning
the concession stand.
A memory Winston said he’ll retain is
how every week, “Jeff would look at me as
the lights were going down and say, ‘I just
love going to the movies.
’ He verbalized
exactly how I was feeling.
”
Dr. Nina
Robb
Steve
Raphael
Edie Broida
Harvey
Ovshinsky
Eva Geiringer promised her brother
Heinz that if he did not survive the war,
she would retrieve his hidden paintings
and poetry. He died in Auschwitz.
In post-war Amsterdam, Eva became
Anne Frank’s posthumous sister when
her mother married Otto Frank. While
the world learned of Anne’s diary, Eva
was determined to help Heinz emerge
from the shadows by sharing his legacy.
Register at holocaustcenter.org/promise
Sunday, February 25
3:00 PM
I N - P E R S O N D O C U M E N TA R Y
S C R E E N I N G A N D Q & A
Admission: $10 per person,
or free with membership