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, reflecting 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 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 | MARCH 7 • 2024 J N PURELY COMMENTARY student’s corner Making A Difference D uring my winter break, I did a bake sale for the IDF. At the very end, I raised over $1,000. Over the course of one week, I baked around the clock and made sure everything that was going to be sold was perfectly delicious and baked to perfection. I have always loved bak- ing, but I did not do this for the sole reason that I like to bake. I did it because I think it’s important to not just use your words but to also use your actions. It pains me just to sit in my house with a normal life while my brothers and sisters in Israel are losing their homes, struggling with sadness and being worried sick 24/7. I go to a Jewish day school where we learn about core values and about our Jewish culture and background. Not only do I go to a Jewish school but, as an indi- vidual, I love Israel and learning about my Jewish culture and background. More than half of my family lives in Israel. We have visited Israel multiple times, and I am very proud of it. Because of that, I felt a responsibility to step up and show how much I care. I would describe my love for Israel as a Milky Way’s worth of affection and con- cern. I think if I was raised a different way, I would not have the same love for Israel or my education. My parents, grandpar- ents and friends all had an impact on me — either by just being there to support and teach me or supporting my Jewish education and love for Israel. So, I put my baking skills to use. I made several different goodies, such as banana bread, spiral cookies and brownies. In total, I baked 20 batches of treats. My first thought was to sell in front of stores, but they said no because they did not want to get involved with this sensitive topic. That just made me want to work even harder and push myself out of my comfort zone because I knew what I did could help a good cause. So, I did it out of my house. People who ordered (strangers and community mem- bers) came to the house to pick them up. At the end of the bake sale, we raised so much money I could not even believe it. I was completely dumbfounded! We gave the money to our closest friends in Israel who were fighting in Gaza. Some of the money went to buy food for the soldiers and some to buy a device for guns to help with aim. I got to help soldiers in Gaza not have to eat Bamba everyday but real, hot food they could enjoy as much as possible. At first, I did not want to write this because I was taught (in school and at home) that the best way to do a mitzvah was anonymously, but I changed my mind because I thought that this could inspire other kids just like me who care for and love Israel to do what they can, too. Avital Ohana is a seventh-grader at Hillel Day School. She lives in West Bloomfield. Avital Ohana Avital’s treats