…$200 Sept. 1-7, 2022 / 5-11 Elul 5782 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel • American Jewish History • Hebrew Language • Judaism • Israel Studies • Holocaust Studies • Israel Study Abroad Program • Antisemitism Guide • Visiting Scholars • Israeli Film Festival • Endowed Chair in Israel Studies • Interdisciplinary • MSU Hillel • Jewish Studies Program • Social Events • Cultur...…
…*Valid for new patients only at participating locations. Must call to book screening. This preventive screening is not tied to the provision of any additional services or purchase of goods. Expires September 30. Early detection and prevention saves lives! Limited screenings available.* Did you know that ONE in FIVE people in the U.S. will get skin cancer? Melanoma, skin cancer’s deadliest form is on the rise. If you’ve been puttin...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-9 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 10 Victory for MSU MSU’s Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel celebrates three decades of success. 16 Ukraine Relief Efforts Continue Major dental donation marks latest milestone for Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s Ukraine relief efforts. 18 Critical Help Provided Temple Israel volunteers pack 1,...…
…4 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 for openers PURELY COMMENTARY W e are surrounded daily with many shapes. The square of a house; the round- ness of the Earth. (I have recently been forced to face the fact that the Earth is actually round! Wow!) Our aware- ness often translates into expressions in our conversa- tions. Consider angles and arcs, for instance, as they are hidden in our vocabulary. A beautiful bracelet, for example, a bangl...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 5 THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS FOR MAKING WALK4FRIENDSHIP A HUGE SUCCESS! WALK4FRIENDSHIP 2022 IN SUPPORT OF DIAMOND SPONSORS PLATINUM SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS …
…6 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 1942 - 2022 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.djnfoundation.org 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. Postmaster: send changes to: D...…
…DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 7 T he calming messages from Washington that a final nuclear deal with Iran is still far off seem to be more a method of desensitizing Israel and less of an indication that there are serious disputes between the U.S. and Iran that cannot be overcome. The reason is simple: Both sides want the dea...…
…8 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY opinion Judaism Without God? God Forbid. I n a recent Jewish Telegraphic Agency column, Andrew Silow-Carroll identified a trend in American Jewry, which he described as “fiction- alism. ” In the article, he defines it as “pretending to follow a set of beliefs in order to reap the benefits of a set of actions” and cites the philosophy professor Scott Hershovitz, who explains that he f...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 9 than discarded it. Judaism makes specific truth claims about the world and the nature of reality, and these claims are supported by rational inquiry. We must discover the compelling evidence, and the power- ful philosophical, scientific and historical proofs for the authenticity of the Torah and its claims about the existence of God,and all He did: the creation of the universe, the Exodus from Egypt and the...…
…10 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY ver the past 30 years, Jewish life at Michigan State University has experi- enced a renaissance. More Jewish students have started choosing the school, which today boasts a Jewish-friendly campus and is home to a recognized Jewish Studies program. When MSU senior Ellie Baden, 21, was choosing a col- lege, it was very important to her that the school she picked had a Jewish community and sup...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 11 with his wife, Elaine, provided a naming gift in 2018 for the program. On Sept. 11, MSU will cele- brate the program’s 30th anni- versary with a lunch event at the campus home of President Samuel Stanley Jr. “It’s grown dramatically, ” Serling says of the program. “It’s really a force now, and Elaine and I are very proud of what’s been accomplished. ” Through the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Mo...…
…12 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY making something happen at Michigan State that was edu- cational, not just for Jews but for non-Jews as well, about the Jewish people, heritage, about Israel, ” says Serling, who was also involved in efforts to rein- vigorate the Hillel at MSU. “In those days, if a kid didn’t get into University of Michigan, they often would shun Michigan State and head for a more friendly Jewish cam- pus like ...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 13 Event Chairs Matt Lester and Ian Burnstein invite you to join us for this special evening Boneh Kehilah Award (Builder of Community) Honoring Mark Rubenfire and Mitch Albom The Acclaimed Play by Mitch Albom & Jeffrey Hatcher Thursday, September 15, 2022 at The Berman Featuring a live talkback with Mitch after the performance Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss Please reserve your seats as soon as possible as ...…
…14 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 12 ON THE COVER that there is this long, rich history of Jews in Europe, in the United States, and also that there’s been terrible persecution, that this is serious, ” she says. “They come out taking Jewish history and culture more seriously, and also the history of persecution more seriously, which I hope can only help them to approach the world and people they meet with...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 15 go for Jewish identity. ” With a background in Jewish education, she says she was eager to help bolster opportuni- ties for Jewish learning, growth and camaraderie. “Jewish iden- tity is so important, and Jewish pride, and being able to speak in a safe environment; we felt that was important, too, ” she says. “I know when I went to school there wasn’t a place to turn if there was any antisem- itism. At least at...…
…16 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 A major donation from a local dental practice is the most recent mile- stone of Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s efforts to provide aid for Ukraine. Since Russia first invaded Ukraine in February of this year, the synagogue has launched numerous cam- paigns to gather financial support, medical supplies, hygiene kits and more to help Ukrainians impact- ed by the ongoing crisis. Tru Family Dental of Bingham ...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 17 Ukraine’s territorial defense forces. HELP FROM ALL ANGLES Originally, IFAKS, or individual first-aid kits, were identified as the biggest need in war-torn cities in Ukraine. Yet, due to an ongoing delay in the supply chain, IFAKS initiatives are paused as the synagogue piv- ots to assembling hygiene kits instead. “We’re trying to approach initiatives that we’re doing with regard to Ukraine in a lot of dif- ...…
…18 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY H undreds of volunteers gathered at Temple Israel on Aug. 22 to pack individual first aid kits for the Ukrainian Army. The event was spearheaded by Rabbi Jennifer Kaluzny and lay leaders. Temple Israel partnered with the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan to organize assembly line-style workstations to assemble the kits. Dr. Philip Arbit said when his wife, Francine Arbit, ...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 19 assembling individual first aid kits for the Ukrainian Army. As a doctor, seeing crucial medical supplies made it clear these kits are designed for quick medical response to save lives. These kits are going into a war zone. Together, the volunteers packed 1,000 individual first aid kits. From Michigan, the kits will travel to Razom in New York and from there to Ukraine. Razom is the Ukrainian word for “...…
…20 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY E xpect at least a few laughs at the Judi Schram Annual Meeting of Hadassah Greater Detroit as the fea- tured presenter is Ophira Eisenberg, a television talk show and comedy specials guest, radio host and club comedian. Eisenberg, who didn’t think about becoming a jokester until after college graduation in Canada, will join the luncheon starting at noon Tuesday, Sept. 13, at Adat Shalom...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 21 day [at his suggestion], and it was met with some laughs. I wanted to do it more. “I moved to Toronto and tried to take it seriously there, where there was a lot more opportunity to go on stage and figure it out. I had a lot more success in Toronto and wanted to try a bigger stage so I moved to New York, where it was all about putting your nose to the grindstone and working hard.” For a while, Eisenberg wa...…
…22 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 O n Saturday, July 9, Daniel Lebedinski of Bloomfield cele- brated his bar mitzvah at Temple Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield. Daniel’s parents, Alexander and Svetlana Lebedinski, immigrated separately with their families to the Detroit area from Ukraine in 1994, where they were welcomed by Washtenaw County Jewish Family Services’ Refugee Resettlement Program in Oak Park. The Lebedinski family has been follow- in...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 23 T he Orthodox Union (OU) Women’s Initiative hosted a conference in Stamford, Conn., at the end of July with a goal of creating the first- of-its-kind fellowship to help rebbetzins (rabbis’ wives) assist women in the communities they serve to deal with mental health issues. Jenna Beltser of Southfield, who’s actively involved with the Orthodox community in Michigan, attended the conference and expressed th...…
…24 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 C ongregation Or Chadash is an inclu- sive, halakhic syn- agogue in the heart of the Huntington Woods/Oak Park community. Or Chadash’s min- yan is a participatory one in which everyone volunteers their services. Or Chadash was founded by Rabbi Eliezer Cohen over two decades ago, when his prior pulpit was eliminated by the merger of two synagogues. Intent on maintaining a platform for their outlook on T...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 25 staff, no paid rabbis, everything is free- will contributions and what people choose to put into it. It’s a unique and special place, ” she said. Though not full- time, Rabbi Azaryah Cohen, Rabbi Eliezer Cohen’s son, is co-rabbi of the shul with Rabbi Louis Finkelman. Or Chadash has services on Shabbat and on all of the holidays but does not have weekday services. As things are starting to get back t...…
…26 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 Y ad Ezra nominated the mother- daughter duo Amy and Lilah Greenspan of Oak Park as Volunteers of the Week for their efforts at its Giving Gardens. “Amy and Lilah have been dedicated, hardworking volunteers in the garden for years,” said Josh Gordon, Yad Ezra’s Giving Gardens manager. “It is a huge pleasure having their smiling faces and kind spirits join consistently into the volunteer shifts. They alway...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 27 OUR COMMUNITY SUB DEPARTMENT A s we all know, life is filled with twists and turns. The painful loss of a loved one or terrifying near-miss is traumatic and devastating. Fortunately, the Detroit Jewish community is known for its warmth, generosity and kindness. As people become accustomed to their new normal, they take comfort in the strength of the unifying community — family, friends, neighbors, fellow con...…
…28 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 27 WeeCare, a New Jersey-based organization that provides peer support for Orthodox moms of premature babies. Different com- munity members who weren’t members of any organization offered to help care for the babies during the night so the Kleins could sleep. Being on the receiving end of all this kindness was a new experience for the Kleins. “ Accepting all this help was h...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 29 AT THE END OF LIFE Ezra Drissman of Oak Park, formally of Farmington Hills, is a young father who has unfortunately experienced several family deaths in recent years. His mother, Harriet Drissman, passed away unexpectedly nine years ago. Three weeks after that, his father- in-law, Rabbi Eliezer Cohen, passed away. “The community was incredible, ” Ezra said. “I can’t describe the amount of phone calls, visits a...…
…30 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 MAZEL TOV! HOW TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Mazel Tov! announcements are welcomed for members of the Jewish community. Anniversaries, engagements and weddings with a photo (preferably color) can appear at a cost of $18 each. Births are $10. There is no charge for bar/bat mitzvahs or for special birthdays starting at the 90th. For information, contact Editorial Assistant Sy Manello at smanello@thejewishnews.com or (24...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 31 A bbie Jankelovitz says she’s lucky to have two jobs. This way, she can pursue both of her passions in life: mental health and fitness. Jankelovitz, 28, of Royal Oak, works part-time as a clinical mental health counselor for Venture Counseling, a private practice. In the mornings and at night, she teaches group fitness classes at Beverly Hills Club and also offers home personal fitness training. As a champ...…
…32 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH A N N U A L D I N N E R Twenty Twenty -Two Twenty Twenty -Two 10 30 22 10 30 22 Detroit Detroit Marriott Marriott Sunday Evening Sunday Evening EVENT SPONSOR JAMES GROSFELD O U T S T A N D I N G L E A D E R S H I P AWA R D E E NORCIA F O R S P O N S O R S H I P S , A D V E R T I S I N G A N D R E S E R VAT I O N S V I S I T W W W.Y BY D I N N E R .O R G O R C A L L 2 4...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 33 Twenty Twenty -Two Marriott Marriott JERRY NORCIA JERRY NORCIA EVENT CHAIR NANCY GROSFELD HONORARY CHAIR PENNY BLUMENSTEIN HONOREE TRIBUTE CHAIR NORMAN PAPPAS SCHOLARSHIP CHALLENGE CHAIR ARTHUR WEISS CAMPAIGN CHAIR DAN GILBERT HONORARY CHAIR STEVE STEINOUR CORPORATE COMMIT TEE CHAIR VINNIE JOHNSON HONORARY CHAIR SANDY PIERCE GENERAL CHAIR MARK DAVIDOFF GENERAL CHAIR Be a part of Be a p...…
…34 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 sports HIGHlights T here were 14 teams in the hockey competition at the JCC Maccabi Games in San Diego. Only two — Philadelphia and Toronto — had players from one delegation. The other teams were made up of a potpourri of teen athletes from several delegations. After being canceled in 2020 and 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maccabi Games returned in August with many delegations unable to field their...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 35 was followed by a 7-1 win over Orange County, earning Detroit a berth in the bronze medal game. The four Detroit players piled up goals and assists during the tournament and were team leaders on the ice and bench. Ben-Ezra (nine goals, six assists), Gesund (five goals, six assists), Hutten (three goals, eight assists) and Juszak (five goals, five assists) each reached double digits in points. All four play...…
…36 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 G old, silver and bronze medals were won by the Michigan Maccabiah Men at last month’s 21st Maccabiah in Jerusalem, where 10,000 athletes from 60 countries competed in 47 different sports. The Masters Basketball Team, which took the bronze against Brazil, included Michael Friedman, who competed in his 12th Maccabiah for Team USA at the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition in the tra- dition and values...…
…Another dozen Michiganders joined Gerdov, Wooten and Fishman on the 1,300-member Maccabi USA delegation. • Jeremy Modell of Bloomfield Hills, an attorney in Birming- ham, was part of Team USA’s Gold Medal in Masters Golf. • Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield, a University of Michigan senior, was part of Team USA’s Gold Medal in Open Golf (female). • Ryan Berke of Farmington Hills was part of Team USA’s Ice Hockey (Men’s) ...…
…38 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 SPORTS possible levels of sports com- petitions, and strengthening their connection to the State of Israel and the Jewish peo- ple,” she said. “While the competition lasted only one day,” Gerdov said, “the three-week expe- rience included touring sig- nificant sites, learning about Jewish culture and history, and connecting with Jews from around the world, and learn- ing about Israel.” Their three weeks in Isr...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 39 ROSH HASHANAH GREETINGS Ad Deadline: September 14th, 2022 Continue a 80-year tradition! Wish your family and friends and the entire Jewish community a Happy New Year with an ad in The Detroit Jewish News. For information, call 248-351-5116 or email salessupport@thejewishnews.com GO TO: thejewishnews.com/rosh-hashanah-greeting to reserve your space today or call us at 248.351.5116 STEP 1: Select Your Style ST...…
…40 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 A t a dinner to celebrate the work of a communal leader, the guest speaker paid tribute to his many qualities: his dedication, hard work and foresight. As he sat down, the leader leaned over and said, “You forgot to mention one thing. ” “What was that?” asked the speaker. The leader replied, “My humility. ” Quite so. Great leaders have many qualities, but humility is usually not one of them. With rare exce...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 41 of Narcissism, subtitled, American life in an age of diminished expectations. It was a prophetic work. In it, he argued that the breakdown of family, community and faith had left us fundamentally insecure, deprived of the tra- ditional supports of identity and worth. He did not live to see the age of the selfie, the Facebook profile, designer labels worn on the outside and the many other forms of “advertis...…
…42 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 Synagogue Directory METRO DETROIT CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.org Congregation Beth Shalom Oak Park (248) 547-7970 congbethshalom.org Beth Tephilath Moses Mt. Clemens (586) 996-3138 bethtephilathmoses.com B’nai Israel Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 432-2729 bnaiisraelwb.org Congrega...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 43 Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org Temple Israel West Bloomfield (248) 661-5700 temple-israel.org Temple Kol Ami West Bloomfield (248) 661-0040 tkolami.org Temple Shir Shalom West Bloomfield (248) 737-8700 shirshalom.org REFORM/RENEWAL Congregation Shir Tikvah Troy (248) 649-4418 shirtikvah.org SECULAR/HUMANISTIC Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit Farmingt...…
…ARTS&LIFE DESIGN 44 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 Laura Earle is bringing women artists to the forefront of September’s Detroit Month of Design. JULIE SMITH YOLLES CONTRIBUTING WRITER A “I understand the world better if I make artwork out of it, ” says Earle, a Farmington Hills resident who has degrees in furniture, interior, industrial and visual commu- nication design. “When I work with a large group, I love to see artists pushing their bo...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 45 “Men Control the Narrative,” a piece in The FET!SH Project by Laura Earle. Photo by Laura Earle ed two conceptual pieces for the project. Earle’s artistic process always begins with the source material, which was having the 15 FET!SH artists, including herself, read Brandsplaining. In a group set- ting, each artist would then share her experience from her findings. Earle’s inspiration for combining art with soc...…
…ARTS&LIFE DESIGN 46 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 us,” she said. “To achieve this, I am artistically exploring three major issues: gender equality, racial equality and healing the environment. At the nexus of these three issues, we find women. “It’s time for balance,” added Earle. “Men need to share the mic. Women need to be able to speak for themselves, be heard and respected as equals.” ART WITH A PURPOSE January kicked off Earle’s y...…
…Where to See The FET!SH Project FET!SH Project performance at 8 p.m. during the 6- 1 p.m. event on Sept. 1: Month of Design’s Opening Party at Spot Lite, 2905 Beaufait St., Detroit. Free admis- sion. https://designcore.org/event/ detroit-month-of-design-kick-off- party-20220901/. FET!SH Project performance at 8 p.m. during the 6-11 p.m. event on Sept. 15: Month of Design’s Eastern Market After Dark, Shed 2 at Eastern Market, Detroit...…
…48 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 Larry Grenadier JUAN HITTERS/ECM RECORDS ARTS&LIFE MUSIC L arry Grenadier travels the world playing bass with many jazz groups and, over Labor Day weekend, he returns to Michigan for the free Detroit Jazz Festival. He joins with pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer Nasheet Waits for the program. The trio performs 2-3:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5, at the Carhartt Amphitheater Stage in Hart Plaza on the closing ...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 49 I think about the people playing those instruments. It’s about the personalities combining my personality and trying to have these con- versations to make music out of them.” Grenadier, 56, is married to singer-songwriter-guitarist Rebecca Martin, and they have a young son. The couple have performed together and made recordings of her work. A recording made in 2019, The Gleaners, features him on solo bass ...…
…50 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 AN OFFICE COMEDY FOR LABOR DAY; SANDBERG RE-MARRIES; BUSEY, VICTIM OF KARMA? Out-of-Office is an original Comedy Central film that premieres on Sept. 5 (Labor Day) at 8 p.m. The film has a somewhat vague official syn- opsis. I gathered this much — it focuses on how the pri- vate lives of at-home workers often gets mixed-up with their work lives. It focuses on a young woman who finds out that keeping her jo...…
