OCTOBER 24 • 2024 | 29
J
N

A SPECIAL GUEST
As we waited for our dough to rise, 
we were honored to have Einav 
Danino, the mother of hostage Ori 
Danino, join us at the event. Her 
son was one of the six hostages 
killed by Hamas after being held 
captive for nearly a year in the dark 
tunnels of Gaza. This was Einav’s 
first time speaking publicly since his 
brutal murder.
Ori means “my light,” and Einav 
shared with us the light that Ori 
brought into this world. On Oct. 7, 
he was at the Nova Music Festival 
with friends. He managed to escape 
from the terrorists but went back to 
rescue people he had just met. After 
finding them, his car was shot up by 
Hamas, and they were captured and 
abducted to Gaza.
Einav explained that when Ori 
was 13, he was critically injured in 
a serious car accident on his way 
to his bar mitzvah. She prayed 
to Hashem for her son to recov-
er and made a commitment that 
if he answered her prayers, she 
would never ask “why” or ques-
tion Hashem. Two weeks later, Ori 
walked out of the hospital. And 
Einav stuck to her promise. For 
more than 300 days after he was 
kidnapped, she prayed for Ori to 

survive. Yet she never asked, “Why 
him?” Her faith has never wavered, 
even with Ori’s tragic murder. 
“Even in darkness we choose to 
see light” are the words inscribed 
on rubber bracelets RISE attendees 
received, a constant reminder of 
the light that Ori brought into this 
world. 
In her parting message, Einav 
described how the six murdered 
hostages, all with different back-
grounds, managed to get along with 
one another. Without food, without 
light, without air — in the face of 
unspeakable adversity, they over-
came their differences. So, for all of 
us in our everyday lives filled with 
abundance, it serves as a poignant 
lesson. Jewish unity is needed now 
more than ever. 
We wiped the tears from our eyes 
following Einav’s powerful remarks 
and, as the evening came to a close, 
we gathered arm-in-arm to sing the 
beloved psalm about unity, “Hinei 
mah tov umah nayim shevet achim 
gam yachad.
” 

SPOTLIGHT

ABOVE: 600 Jewish women, arm in 
arm, singing together, “Hinei mah tov 
umah nayim …” RIGHT: Lior Zisser-
Yogev and her daughters Zeve and 
Rona pose for a picture with Malke 
Torgow in the middle of the action.

Joe and Myrna Salzman dedicate a New Life 
Support Ambulance to Magen David Adom

Among a crowd of nearly 100 members of Adat Shalom Synagogue 
on Friday, Sept. 13, Joe and Myrna Salzman of West Bloomfield 
dedicated a new Life Support Ambulance to Magen David Adom.
This is the third ambulance they have donated to Israel’s emergency 
services system. They first dedicated an ambulance in 2006, followed 
by a second in 2015.
This newest ambulance was dedicated in memory of Joe’s brother, 
Jerry Salzman of Akron, Ohio, and San Rafael, California. Each 
ambulance door includes a special inscription in Jerry’s memory. 

Joe and Myrna 
Salzman with 
ambulance. 

ORT Michigan’s annual 
WINGO (Women’s only 
BINGO) fundraiser will be 
held on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 
Knollwood Country Club in West 
Bloomfield, starting at 5:30 p.m. 
This event includes 10 rounds 
of BINGO with prizes valued at 
$100, including a grand prize 
of $250 cash, as well as 30 raffle 
prizes, each valued at $50 or 
more.
Hannah Kessler, Jamie Lefkowitz 
and Emily Rosenberg are 
co-event chairs for this night of 
fun and entertainment, which 

will also include a silent auction, 
strolling dinner, signature 
cocktails and dessert. 
ORT’s mission is to provide high-
quality education, afterschool 
enrichment activities and mental 
health support so that our 
students have equal opportunities 
to achieve their career dreams 
and reach their full potential 
regardless of their socio-
economic status.
For more information or to 
register, visit www.ortamerica.
org/WINGO or call (248) 723-
8860. 

ORT’s WINGO Fundraiser

