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.