1942 - 2024

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week

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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. 

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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: Mark Davidoff, 
 Michael J. Eizelman, Larry Jackier, 
 Jeffrey Schlussel, Mark Zausmer
 
 Executive Director:
 Marni Raitt 
 Alene and Graham Landau Archivist Chair: 
 Mike Smith
 Founding President & Publisher Emeritus: 
 Arthur Horwitz
 Founding Publisher 
 Philip Slomovitz, of blessed memory
 
 The Detroit Jewish News 
 Foundation Giving Society

 The Rebecca and Andrew Hayman Giving Fund
 Nancy and James Grosfeld
 The Honorable Bernard Friedman

 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, 
Gary Graff, 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
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Senior Account Executive: 
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| Business Office
 Director of Operations: Amy Gill
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 Operations Manager: Ashlee Szabo 
 Circulation: Danielle Smith
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6 | AUGUST 1 • 2024 
J
N

people had lost their spiritual 
purpose and were destined 
to engage in self-destructive 
behavior.
Jeremiah courageously 
and passionately preached 
against corruption, against 
the breakdown of religion 
and against the abandonment 
of Jewish practice. He 
admonished the people 
as he warned of the dire 
consequences of idolatry with 
the words “disaster shall break 
loose upon all the inhabitants 
of the land” (Ch.1:14) and it 
did when Babylonia descended 
on Judea.

A MORAL CODE
Jeremiah’s admonitions are 
echoed in messages from three 
noted leaders of our time. A 
message written by Rabbi Lord 
Jonathan Sacks z”l and cited 
in the May 16, 2024, Detroit 
Jewish News conveyed that “we 
need a moral code to guide 
us through the wilderness of 
time.”

In his 1983 Templeton Prize 
Award address, the author 
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn 
expressed a similar theme that 
“Godlessness is the first step 
to the Gulag.” An author we’ve 
all read, George Orwell, on the 
day before his death in 1954, 
eloquently said, “The problem 
of the world is this: Can we get 
men to behave decently to each 
other if they no longer believe 
in G-d?”
These authors echoed 
Jeremiah’s prophetic warning 
against pagan idolatry. 
Throughout time into our 
modern age, there have been 

idolatries whether stone 
idols, men of flesh and blood, 
money, materialism, etc. 
Idolatries drag down society 
and draw us away from G-d 
and our moral code. Idolatries 
lead us to selfish pursuits 
and away from an attitude of 
gratitude.
On this occasion, as I stand 
in this sacred space, I am ever 
mindful of Jeremiah’s message 
and of the psalmists’ words. 
I am filled with gratitude 
for having reached this day 
and give thanks first to G-d 
for the blessing of an overall 
wonderful 83 years. 

G-d gave me loving parents 
who practiced Judaism and 
emphasized the value of 
education. G-d gifted me 
with the perfect wife for me, 
a woman who is kindhearted, 
devoted, tolerant, dedicated 
and supported my rabbinate in 
every way. 
G-d blessed me with three 
terrific children who are 
accomplished, thoughtful, 
committed to our people and 
who wisely married equally 
amazing partners, our three 
children-in-love. 
G-d blessed me further with 
eight wonderful grandchildren 
who are loving, interesting, 
savvy and relish the joys 
of being Jewish. My cup 
overflows with gratitude.
Gratitude!
It is good to give thanks to 
G-d. It is good to give thanks. 
Tov l’hodot LaShem. 

Rabbi Herbert A. Yoskowitz is rabbi 

emeritus at Adat Shalon Synagogue 

in Farmington Hills.

PURELY COMMENTARY

continued from page 4

“I AM FILLED WITH GRATITUDE FOR 
HAVING REACHED THIS DAY AND 
GIVE THANKS FIRST TO G-D FOR 
THE BLESSING OF AN OVERALL 

WONDERFUL 83 YEARS.”

— RABBI HERBERT YOSKOWITZ

