… NOVEMBER 19 • 2020 | 1 An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results! 248.568.7309 | Cindy@CindyKahn.com | CindyKahn.com 442 S. Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, MI 48009 Cindy Kahn REALTOR® Read $200 Dec. 31, 2020-Jan. 6, 2021 / 16-22 Tevet 5781 Dec. 31, 2020-Jan. 6, 2021 / 16-22 Tevet 5781 The Right to See page 12 Seven Detroit students and their Jewish attorney sued the state over their lack of basic literacy. Here’s ...…
…Nazli G. Sater Family Law Practice Chair | Partner 248.784.5178 nsater@wnj.com Roquia K. Draper Family Law Attorney | Partner 248.784.5081 rdraper@wnj.com wnj.com FAMILY L AW …
…Happy New Year! …
…4 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 contents OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to reflect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible, responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life,...…
…Managed by: Proud Recipient of the Prestigious Ask Us Why! INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. LEARN MORE AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM Ann Arbor - Coming Soon | Birmingham | Rochester Hills | West Bloomfield For the Joys of Independent Senior Living We have adopted new standard of care in our daily operations by implementing COVID- specific initiatives for our residents’ well-being including: Contact-free “EasyMove” pro...…
…6 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to ref ect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible, responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life, in Sou...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 7 Dr. Kleinsmith has joined Midwest Center for Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery — Farmington Hills Center. Dr. Kleinsmith received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, and her medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Kleinsmith completed her residency at Henry Ford Hospital, where she was Chief Resident. Dr. Kleinsmith is a Board Certified Dermatologist. Welcome! Dr. K...…
…8 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 for openers Spreading Happiness with Flowers A llow me to introduce my fabulous cousin Feiga Bowick, LLMSW. She’s a geriatric social worker, currently working as resident service coordinator at the Harriet and Ben Teitel Apartments, an independent senior living community (part of Jewish Senior Life) in Oak Park. Every Wednesday morning, this awesome mom of five can be seen dropping off her kids at ...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 9 letters Dr. Peven and Fertility Fraud Oh my. The implications are astronomical (Dec. 24, cover story). Brother/ sisters married. Children affected. All need to have their DNA checked. Scary! - Flora Miskin Castleman Facebook comment Drive-Up Mourning Our recent story on Ira Kaufman Chapel introducing drive-up greeting lines for funerals (Dec. 10, pg. 25) generated online discussion. Why are they doin...…
…10 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 VIEWS Yiddish Limerick Happy New Year Dos is nisht Rosh HaShana, men ruft dos New Year A naye beginning far alle in here. A yontef far Yidn and also the rest Hobn tzvay naye yorn is really the best. Lomir trinken a L ’Chaim mit a glazl of beer. Dos is nisht - This is not men ruft dos - it is called A naye - a new far alle- for everyone A yontef far Yidn - A holiday for Jews Hobn tzvay naye yorn- to have two Ne...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 11 Happy New Year Bring in the New Year with Special Pricing! SUITES STARTING AT $3,900 PER MONTH DANIEL SHERBERT, M.D. F.A.C.S. Certifi ed by The American Board of Surgery, The American Board of Plastic Surgery & Fellowship Trained in Aesthetic & Reconstructive Breast Surgery Specializing in Cosmetic Surgery & Aesthetic & Reconstructive Breast Surgery W est Maple Plastic Surgery (248) 865-6400 5807 W. Maple •...…
…12 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 CORRIE COLF CONTRIBUTING WRITER IN THE JEWS D ON THE COVER A large brick building with caging on the windows, metal detectors and security guards greet guests when they arrive at Osborn High School in northeast Detroit. Rodents, garbage cans and unusable bathrooms abound. There aren’t enough desks, teachers or books. Welcome to public school in Detroit. “It really felt like I was going into a jail, more so...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 13 pleted his undergraduate degree in pre-med at the University of Michigan, but then made a big change. “My father had been forced to leave med- ical school due to the Great Depression, ” Rosenbaum said. “I was supposed to pick up the mantle and become a doctor, but it wasn’t my passion. I heard a radical lawyer talk about what it meant to be a lawyer during the ’60s, the rule of law and how to represent activi...…
…14 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 and was at the top of his class, and he had never read a novel. He couldn’t write a three-paragraph essay. But he wasn’t involved in this lawsuit for himself, but rather for his siblings so they could have a chance at an education. So, I just think it was part of their character in terms of wanting to stand up to the state and say, ‘You can’t treat us like we’re less than human. ’” After some time, Rosenbaum h...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 15 F or almost a year now, Dr. Larry Corey has been working nonstop to design clinical trials for several dif- ferent COVID-19 vaccines. Corey — who is based in Seattle but grew up in the Detroit area — is currently serving as head of the operations center for the COVID-19 Prevention Network, a national group of researchers from aca- demic institutions and the private sector tasked with addressing the need for v...…
…16 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 W hen Dr. Darin S. Katz was announced as the incoming Head of School for Hillel Day School last December, nothing could have prepared him or the school for what was to come. But soon after the pandemic shut down in-person learning at schools across the country last spring, Katz, who hadn’t officially started in his new role yet, began leading the effort in planning a return to in-person school. His plans h...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 17 C oncerns about climate change and its impact on our world “loom like big clouds” over everything for Josh Bender of Ann Arbor. The Michigan State University graduate, now in his sec- ond year of rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, says he’s made environmentally focused changes in his daily life like eating less meat and avoiding single-use plastics. But he wanted to do some- thi...…
…18 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER IN THE JEWS D T he gymnasium at Pasteur School in northwest Detroit was now a Christmas gift distri- bution center. The long tables normally used for lunch were stacked with boxes of toys, games and books for students, as well as house- hold gifts for their parents. Volunteers from the nonprof- it Friends of Pasteur School Detroit (previously the Pasteur Elementary Scho...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 19 neighborhoods, some very grim, because Pasteur students live all over Detroit. (The school is considered a good one and par- ents can choose a school outside their area.) Because of COVID, they met to sort out gift items, and then each drove alone to deliver them, calling the families the day before to alert them. “People were so appreciative. These are the kids we’ve gotten to know over the years, ” says W...…
…T his summer, after a literal lifetime of anticipation and a year of near-contin- ual planning, my husband, Michael, and I shared in the excitement and pride as our grandson Zevi became a bar mitzvah. Only downside was, due to COVID-19 travel and health concerns, the small group that sur- rounded him that day did not include us. Like many, our family has been though the gamut of frustration, anxiety and personal sadness during the pand...…
…by horn-honking, mazel-tov chanting, balloon-filled celebration with music, individual-family dancing and party favors for New Jersey friends who arrived in front of Zevi’s home in timeslots dictated alphabetically. On Wednesday, when my tempo- rarily “lost in transit” fancy, lace face mask was delivered, I was relieved it had arrived in time to be packed with its matching outfit. But stories of rest stops and hotels in states along ...…
…22 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 I n the spring of 2018, David Fischer and John Rakolta Jr. were presidential nominees, awaiting Congressional approval before assuming their posts as U.S. ambassadors, respectively, to Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. Neither of the two financial backers of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, both of whom are Oakland County businessmen and longtime GOP partisans, could foresee how relatively sh...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 23 people.” When initially asked if he was interested in an ambassadorial post, Rakolta told the Trump administration he only would consider a stimulating assignment where his service and personal involvement would make a difference. A ceremonial posting — in a country such as Switzerland or Iceland — wouldn’t qualify. To represent the U.S. in an Arab nation or Israel, by contrast, would demand every bit ...…
…24 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 MILESTONES Shapiro 50th L inda and Eddie Shapiro of Commerce Township cel- ebrated their 50th wed- ding anniversary on Dec. 21, 2020. The pandemic changed the way they celebrated their milestone. They were thrilled with a wonderful surprise Zoom celebration with family and friends hosted by their children. They are the proud parents of Scotty Shapiro, Laura and David Feld, and the proud grandparents of Sas...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 25 SPIRIT Speak To The Heart I n Vayechi, the last Torah portion of the Book of Genesis, the story of Joseph comes to an end. The most remarkable part of the story is that he forgave his brothers even though they sold him into slavery in Egypt and lied to their father, Jacob, telling him that Joseph was dead. Upon returning to Egypt after bury- ing their father, his brothers worried that because of Jaco...…
…26 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 ATTORNEYS THAV RYKE & ASSOCIATES 24725 W. 12 Mile Road, Suite 110 Southfield, MI 48034 www.michprobate.com Jryke@michprobate.com (248) 945-1111 Fax: (248) 945-4844 We are here to assist you in all areas of wills and trusts estate planning and probate law in the state of Michigan. Our lawyers are experienced in meeting our clients’ needs, whether in drafting wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, comprehen...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 27 YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH P.O. Box 2044 Southfield, MI 48037 (248) 557-6750 info@yby.org Yeshiva Beth Yehudah is the largest Jewish school sys- tem in Michigan, providing quality Torah-based and sec- ular educational programs. More than 1,100 students in pre-nursery though grade 12 receive an excellent founda- tion to become future lead- ers of our community. ENTERTAINMENT SIMONE VITALE BAND 505 S. Lafayette Royal...…
…28 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 MONICA K. GOODWIN, L.L.M.S.W. Adult & Adolescent Psychotherapist 5777 W. Maple Road, Suite 175 West Bloomfield, MI. 48322 MKGoodwin24@gmail.com (248) 932-4325 As a licensed MSW specializ- ing in clinical psychotherapy, I am dedicated to meeting the emotional and psychological needs of individuals and cou- ples facing challenges in their day-to-day lives. In the privacy of my private practice, we will wor...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 29 KADIMA 15999 W. 12 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48067 (248) 559-8235 Kadimacenter.org Kadima provides comprehen- sive residential, therapeutic and social services to all peo- ple with mental health needs as they move forward in their lives. Inspired by Jewish val- ues, Kadima delivers these services while providing education and outreach to the broader community to ensure positive mental health outcomes for all. ...…
…30 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 5085 Walnut Lake Road West Bloomfield, MI 48323 (248) 432-2729 Fax: (248) 479-2572 info@bnaiisraelwb.org www.bnaiisraelwb.org Rabbi Mitch Parker. B’nai Israel Synagogue is an egal- itarian, lay-led Conservative congregation operating within the Temple Kol Ami building. We provide religious, educa- tional and social opportunities that reflect our commitment to Judaism, our members of all a...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 31 P rayer in Judaism is an interesting concept. While there is nothing inherently wrong with one praying by oneself, there is certainly a pref- erence for com- munal prayer. Worshiping k’yachid, or indi- vidually, satisfies the Jewish obli- gation for daily prayer, but there are several sections of the prayer service that can only be done when a minyan (prayer quorum of 10 people) is constituted. During th...…
…32 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 ARTS&LIFE FILM I n another life, I was a film critic. This was, of course, before movie theaters became an endangered species in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the movies still marched on in 2020, even though our ability to actually watch them outside of our homes became severely limited, and most of the big ones disappeared. (We’ll have to wait until December 2021 to see Steven Spielberg’s rem...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 33 Talking Heads frontman, directed by Spike Lee, puts you in the audience for Byrne’s rol- licking live show (which I had the pleasure of seeing in-per- son in the Before Times). The impeccable musicianship of his backing band, the intricate choreography and the passion- ate calls to make a better world all survive intact on the screen. As does the genius of “Once in a Lifetime.” Where to watch: HBO Max. #6: N...…
…34 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 J ewish screenwriter Robert Axelrod, who was born and raised in the Ann Arbor area, has been selected from nearly 1,000 entries as the grand prize winner for the 2020 ScreenCraft Stage Play Writing Competition. Written as a play, Axelrod’s winning script “Lifeline” fol- lows a mother beginning to work through her grief by vol- unteering at a suicide hotline after the death of her gay teen- age son. The insp...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 35 L et us hope and pray for a 2021 that will help us smile again as we look upon some of the happenings of 2020. JANUARY … Dr. Joel Kahn and family cele- brate the fourth year of their GreenSpace Cafe in Ferndale … Former Detroiter brothers Derek and Greg Stevens to open the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas … Big Tommy’s Parthenon has eighth anniversary … Station Square name in Troy is changed to ...…
…36 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 Keto Cheesecake Tart, a Cafe offering and Vegan cookie dough bars. Michigan and Michigan State University … give much to tailgate dining delight by people like Kathy and Mark Morley of Pepino’s. OCTOBER … Wonder Bar is remembered … Bacco and Casa Pernoi birthdays are celebrated as one with differ- ent concepts but one owner, Luciano Del Signore … Bacco in Southfield and Casa Pernoi in Birmingham … Joe Vicar...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 37 ON THE GO PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS INTRO TO JUDAISM 7:30-9 PM, JAN. 5 This 10-week course explores Jewish life, val- ues, celebrations, history, theology and spirituality with Temple Israel’s cler- gy. This class is open to all — interfaith couples, those raising Jewish children, individuals con- sidering conversion, and anyone who just wants to learn more about Judaism. No charge. Students are encouraged ...…
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…40 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY D r. Stanley Hurwick Levy, whose life was touched by a chance meeting with Albert Einstein, and who came to Detroit to practice at the then-new Sinai Hospital in the early 1950s, died at his Bloomfield Hills home Dec. 17, 2020, from natural causes. He was 94. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, a longtime patient, said “doctors like him come along once in a lifetime. His inquisitive mind ...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 41 continued on page 42 ELAINE BLUMA BAKER, 89, of Commerce Township, died Dec. 19, 2020, at West Hickory Haven Nursing Home from COVID-19. She was born May 1, 1931, to Isedor and Esther (Karsinovich) Chernoff. Elaine graduated from Central High School in Detroit, class of 1949. She worked at Henry Ford Hospital in Dietary Services. In 1949, she mar- ried Leonard Kahrnoff, who predeceased her in 1980. S...…
…42 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 41 48025. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. EDWIN BARRIS, 80, of Elk Grove, Calif., formerly of Detroit, died Dec. 9, 2020. He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Kelly Barris; daughter and son- in-law, Amy and Robert Rosender; grandchildren, Olivia Barris, Megan Rosender, Ethan Rosender and Elina Rosender; sister, Betsyrose Rudin. Mr. Barris was the cher- i...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 43 continued on page 44 McCredie. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to American Liver Foundation, 39 Broadway, Suite 2700, New York, NY 10006, liverfounda- tion.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. CLAIRE BRONSON, 89, of Highland Park, Ill., died Dec. 16, 2020. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in- law, Mike and Jane Bronson, and Dan and Honey Bronson; sister, ...…
…44 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 43 YEARA HOUVRAS (née Gorfinkel), 81, died on Dec. 10, 2020. She was born on Kibbutz Kinneret, on the shore of the Lake Kinneret on June 16, 1939. Yeara’s parents traveled to Israel in 1935 from Riga, Latvia, to participate in the second Maccabiah Games. Like other athletes in the Maccabiah II, they were escaping rising antisemitism in Europe and they made a p...…
… DECEMBER 31 • 2020 | 45 P hilip Kaplan, 95, of West Bloomfield, passed away Dec. 21, 2020, after a long and fulfilling life. He was born on July 5, 1925, the fifth-youngest child of Isaac and Fanny Kaplan. He grew up in Detroit and his older brothers and sister took great pride in their baby brother. He worked hard in his father’s fish market. On Aug 13, 1943, he and the love of his life, Diane Pritz, went out on their f...…
…46 | DECEMBER 31 • 2020 Looking Back A Master Architect B efore the year ends, there is one more anniversary to acknowledge. In 2020, Albert Kahn Associates Inc. has cel- ebrated its 125th year anniversary. Its name- sake, founder and Jewish Detroiter Albert Kahn, was an innovator and the world’s foremost industrial designer and architect of the 20th century. Kahn’s impact upon Detroit is visible and all around us. Drive around Det...…
…The Detroit Jewish News Foundation, Inc. is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Editor’s Circle: $5,000 Writer’s Circle: $2,500 Emerging Leaders: $1,000 Diamond Benefactor: $750 Benefactor: $500 Patron: $360 Supporter: $180 Friend: $118 Any other amount: $ YES! I’D LIKE TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT, CREDIBLE JEWISH JOURNALISM Donate Online at DJNFoundation.org/donate...…
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… NOVEMBER 19 • 2020 | 1 An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results! 248.568.7309 | Cindy@CindyKahn.com | CindyKahn.com 442 S. Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, MI 48009 Cindy Kahn REALTOR® $200 Dec. 24-30, 2020 / 9-15 Tevet 5781 See page 14 Longtime Detroit Jewish fertility doctor used his own sperm to inseminate patients, new DNA tests show. His offspring speak out. An Unknown Mishpachah …
