MAY 2 • 2024 | 27
I created at-home lesson boxes for
upcoming holidays or a topic like Shabbat
or tzedakah. The box would typically
contain a book, a craft, sometimes a
snack, a Hebrew lesson and a recipe. The
boxes were designed for families to easily
complete on their own as we isolated in
our homes for safety.
“I also serve as a bar and bat mitzvah
tutor for the young adults in my
congregation. I tutor weekly Hebrew
lessons when needed.
“My Jewish community in Traverse
City is small, but mighty, and holds a very
special place in my heart.”
Igra is well on track with an outstanding
3.75 grade point average at MSU. Last
year, she served as a summer intern for
the United States Attorney’s Office for the
Western District of Michigan.
A LEADER IN THE MAKING
Hannah Passer of Royal Oak is the winner
of a $500 scholarship from JBAM. A
second-year student at U-D Mercy Law
School, she said her experiences with
Tamarack Camps and BBYO had a great
impact on the course of her life and helped
prepare her for leadership roles as she
begins her legal career.
“My involvement in the Tamarack
Camps community has been a cornerstone
of my life - providing me with cherished
memories and invaluable life lessons,” she
said. A native of Las Vegas, Passer joined
Tamarack upon moving to Detroit, first as
a camper at age 9 and later in leadership
roles.
“I was really nervous to start Tamarack
with no friends. But then, I absolutely
fell in love with all the people and the
atmosphere there.”
Eleven summers later, as a counselor,
she helped lead Tamarack’s trip to Alaska.
The 42-day journey had 16-year-olds
hiking through the Canadian Rockies and
the Alaskan Mountains.
“I would redo that exhilarating
experience in a heartbeat,” she said. “I just
love Tamarack so much.”
Passer also was active in BBYO,
culminating in her tenure as president
of Savage BBG. There she also cultivated
leadership skills and fostered meaningful
connections within the Jewish community.
“I loved that experience because I got
to be a leader for the girls under me,” she
said. “We created such a tight bond with
each other, and it was fun to have girls and
friends ask me for advice.”
Passer remains committed to giving
back through volunteer work at Temple
Shir Shalom, volunteering with the youth
group. During high school and most
of the college weekends she was home,
she served as an assistant teacher for the
temple’s Sunday school.
But Passer’s first year of law school was
not without challenges.
“I faced profound familial hardships
as my mother was diagnosed with, and
continues to bravely battle, terminal
cancer,” she said. “Balancing the demands
of acaademia with the emotional toll of
attending numerous doctor’s appointments
and providing support to my family
presented an immense challenge.
Additionally, tragedy struck again when
my beloved grandfather, eager to join my
sister and me on a skiing adventure, was
killed by a car while bicycling in Florida to
get in shape for the trip.”
As well as her teenage leadership roles,
Passer, while an undergrad at Michigan
State, worked as a legal investigator.
She performed home investigations for
guardianships and conservatorships for
the Ingham County Probate Court to see
if children were adequately cared for. She
was later hired by one of the attorneys
who was impressed with her work at the
courthouse.
Passer is now gaining further experience
as a clerk at the firm of Lipton Law in
Southfield.
Samantha Foon of Bloomfield Hills gave
her friend Hannah a ringing endorsement.
“
As the daughter of an attorney,” she said,
“I have a solid understanding of what it
takes to be successful as a lawyer, and
Hannah’s unwavering commitment to her
studies has her well on her way.”
JBAM’S VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Longtime JBAM board member and
officer, attorney Jordan Zuppke, is set
to receive JBAM’s Volunteer of the Year
Award.
Zuppke, who practices law
in Royal Oak, is well known
as the Skateboarding Lawyer.
At age 10, he hopped on his
cousin’s skateboard and has
never looked back,
Zuppke is a criminal
defense attorney and
founding partner of Royal Oak-based
Zupac Law. He continues to represent
the skateboarding community, among
others, handling traffic tickets, license
restorations, misdemeanors and felonies,
in addition to other legal needs.
Zuppke, a vice president of JBAM, is
also a board member of the Criminal
Defense Attorneys of Michigan. On
Tuesdays, he studies Torah at Platform 18
with his friend and rabbi, Leiby Burnham,
while continuing his involvement
in various creative and professional
endeavors.
Jordan
Zuppke
Hannah
Passer
COURTESY HANNAH PASSER
JBAM AWARDS
DINNER DETAILS
The Jewish Bar Association of
Michigan’s Annual Dinner will take
place at 6 p.m. Thursday, May
23, at the Somerset Inn in Troy.
Early-bird tickets are now available
at $50 for JBAM members and
$65 for others. Beginning May
10, the prices increase by $10. To
purchase tickets, visit jlive.app/
events/6150. For information, visit
jewishbar.org/events or email
JBAM President Nargiz Nesimova
at nargiz.nesimova@gmail.com.