…AUGUST 4 • 2022 | 51 ALS and started a company to find a cure. There’s been a slow progression. I won’t be happy until they have something that says this gets rid of it. JN: What were the most important lessons you learned from Morrie? MA: There were two. One has to do with dying and one has to do with living. The one that has to do with dying says that death ends a life but not a relationship. What it means is that if you put...…
…52 | AUGUST 4 • 2022 KILLERS ON A TRAIN, A GREAT BAR MITZVAH MOVIE?, THE SANDMAN Joey King, 22, co-stars in Bullet Train, a thriller that opens in theaters on Aug. 5. All the main characters have “coded” names, like “Ladybug.” Here’s the capsule plot: Trained killer Ladybug (Brad Pitt) wants to give up “the life” but is pulled back in by his handler in order to collect a briefcase on a Japanese bullet train. Once onboard, he an...…
…FOLK MUSIC 8 PM, AUG. 5 At The Ark, 316 Main St., Ann Arbor. The Young Novelists create contemporary folk songs that marry their effortless harmonies with darkly poetic lyrics and exquisitely crafted hooks. Their signature show features confessional storytelling about their songs and travels, singalongs, and the unique sound of bowed glockenspiel. Tickets: $20. Info: theark.org. CARS & COFFEE 8 AM-5 PM, AUG. 6 Visit M1 Conc...…
…changes including various types of dementia. Contact Dorothy Moon, Brown Adult Day program social worker, for Zoom link and more information: 248-233-4392, dmoon@jvshumanservices. org. THE TEMPTATIONS AUG. 9-28 At the Detroit Opera House. Ain’t Too Proud is the electrifying, new smash- hit Broadway musical that follows the Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With the...…
…the exchange community bulletin board | professional services For information regarding advertising please call 248-351-5116 or 248-234-9057 or email salessupport@thejewishnews.com Deadline for ad insertion is 9 a.m. on Friday prior to publication. AUGUST 4 • 2022 | 55 Aaron Mendelson Heating and Cooling, LLC. 248-855-0437 Cell: 248-912-2292 License # 7118488 Maintenance, Installation, Repair & Hot Water Heaters Ajmendelson1@gmail.co...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY P erel (Paula) Schulkind could be the heroine of a novel — a coura- geous and resourceful woman who survived the Holocaust and became the matriarch of a large and loving family. Her indomitable optimism and generous spirit touched the lives of all who knew her. Perel, the mother of Rebbetzin Chaya Sarah Silberberg of Bais Chabad Torah Center in West Bloomfield, passed away on July 13, 2022, at her daughte...…
…continued on page 58 AUGUST 4 • 2022 | 57 her life on a dark day in Auschwitz. Although the Nazis took everything she valued in her life, she found the strength to rise up and create a better life, and she never lost faith in God, despite the horrors she and millions of others endured. Yaakov Kopel Schulkind passed away in 1986. Perel later married Moshe Goldstein, who died in 1995. “I’m thankful to my beloved Bobby for teaching...…
…continued from page 57 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 58 | AUGUST 4 • 2022 NORMAN BENJAMIN, 86, of Farmington Hills, died July 26, 2022. Norman is survived by children, Lisa Gottlieb (Ronald Ettinger), Edward (Beatrice) Benjamin and Karen (Jordan Smith) Benjamin; grandchildren, Joshua (Francisco Samano) Gottlieb, Ryan (Breanna) Gottlieb, Lauren (Noah) Stone, Nathan Benjamin, Carter Smith, Graham Smith, Reid Smith and Piper Smi...…
…AUGUST 4 • 2022 | 59 Edwards, Colo. If you wish to honor his memory, you may donate to the Eagle Valley Community Foundation (eaglevalleycf.org; 970-341- 9179) or to your favorite charity. JUDITH LEVIN CANTOR, 93, died July 26, 2022. She was a fourth-generation Detroiter, grand- daughter of Rabbi Judah Leib Levin and daughter of Lillian Keidan Levin and Professor Samuel M. Levin. She was married 71 years to Bernard Cantor. She...…
…continued from page 59 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 60 | AUGUST 4 • 2022 ENID C. GRAUER (nee Lappin), of Huntington Woods and Novi, passed away July 27, 2022. She was born March 1, 1940, and raised in Detroit; she graduated from Mumford High School and the University of Michigan, where she majored in history and French. Following marriage to Rick, she taught French to fourth- and fifth-graders in subur- ban Washington, D.C., ...…
…AUGUST 4 • 2022 | 61 OBITUARY CHARGES The processing fee for obituaries is: $125 for up to 100 words; $1 per word thereafter. A photo counts as 15 words. There is no charge for a Holocaust survivor icon. The JN reserves the right to edit wording to conform to its style considerations. For information, have your funeral director call the JN or you may call Sy Manello, editorial assistant, at (248) 351-5147 or email him at smanell...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 62 | AUGUST 4 • 2022 On the Home Front F rom its first issue in 1942, the JN has covered Jewish men and women serving in the military, from the massive enlistment in the U.S. armed forces during WWII to the modern era to “Lone Soldiers” in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The JN has continued to publish stories ab...…
…See Our Improved Features to Help Manage Your Account! • Online Account Access for Immediate Updates • Submit Address Changes, Starts and Stops • Easy Renewal Payments • Manage Gift Subscriptions • More ways to get in touch Email Us: subscriptions@thejewishnews.com Reach Out Through Our Website: https://thejewishnews.com/contact/ Or Call 248.351.5108 Subscribe Today! $200 Feb. 11-17, 2021 / 29 Shevat-5 Adar 5781 JEWISH NEWS ...…
…THE LOIS ZUSSMAN GOLF CLASSIC Thank you for attending and supporting The LOIS ZUSSMAN GOLF CLASSIC provides vital revenue to support the Lois and Milton Y. Zussman Activity Center / Clubhouse — a welcoming community for people served where they can benefit from social and cultural activities, vocational and educational support, horticultural and culinary activities, volunteer engagement, and a community atmosphere with peers. Thanks to ...…
…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT Nov. 4-10, 2021 / 29 Cheshvan-6 Kislev 5782 thejewishnews.com Holocaust survivor shares the agony of doomed girl from the Lodz Ghetto. See page 12 Sophie’s Sorrow …
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 3 contents Purely Commentary 4-10 Essays and viewpoints. Our Community 12 Sophie’s Sorrow Holocaust survivor shares the agony of doomed girl from the Lodz Ghetto. 18 A New Normal During the pandemic, synagogues adjust policies for masks, vaccines and distancing. 20 Celebrating Hope for the Future Yeshiva Beth Yehudah Annual Dinner inspires thousands. 22 What’s Next for We Need to Tal...…
…4 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY essay Over and Done With I n 1917, many an ear caught the bars of “Over There,” a highly patriotic song by George M. Cohan. It was hard to overlook its popularity. It was never considered overdone; however, we can easily make a case for the overuse of “over” in our everyday speech. We are desirous of having roofs over our heads; but to purchase the same, we may get in over our heads. ...…
…SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2021 3:00 p.m. Share an afternoon of stories and songs with ZALMEN MLOTEK, the artistic director of the National Yiddish Theater-Folksbiene who conceived the New York production of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, and the performers who played Tevye and Golda: the much-acclaimed STEVEN SKYBELL, who won the coveted Lucille Lortel award for Outstanding Actor in the 2019 Broadway and Off-Broadway season; and JENNIFER BABIAK, ...…
…6 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY 1942 - 2021 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: se...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 7 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com wisdom into contemporary insight and realistic policy. To my mind, only Rabbi Sacks has earned the title of gadol in recent times. ENGAGING THE WORLD Rabbis today, like the clergy of other religions, have been compartmentalized as the leaders of the faithful only, with little to say in the public sq...…
…8 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY essay My Superior (Wis.) Jewish Genealogy: From Historic Baseball Diamonds to Bob Dylan I ’m a singer by name and by trade. I am neither a sports fan nor an expert on the subject. But this summer, after seeing the Associated Press report that “no practicing Orthodox Jewish player has made it to the big leagues, ” I challenged sports journalists to recognize the most observant Ortho...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 9 continued from page XX genealogy websites, social media and DNA testing, which is all continuing to advance and change how we conduct research and make genealogical connections. HUGE FAMILY TREE My connection was made by accident, only after I’ d posted a tongue-in-cheek question on Facebook about the possibility of Zimmerman’s surname originally being Zemerman. It was a cute midrash, perhaps designating a ...…
…10 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY continued from page 4 race and subverting peo- ple of color (among other things). We’ve been blamed for plagues, famine, eco- nomic hardship and war. Whatever major problem a society has, Jews have been blamed for it. None of those things has any- thing to do with religion. Criticism of Israel or opposition to it isn’t necessarily antisemitic. Harsh criticism of Israeli government policy ...…
…A special group of seven volunteer judges will be reviewing submissions and choosing the 36 winners. Honorees will receive free three-year subscriptions to the JN and be featured in a February 2022 issue. GO ONLINE TO THEJEWISHNEWS.COM AND NOMINATE THEM BY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT Do you know someone who gives of themselves to the community in robust — and often thankless — ways? Someone you admire and aspire to be like...…
…12 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY ALAN MUSKOVITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER JERRY ZOLYNSKY PHOTOGRAPHY Sophie’s Sorrow Holocaust survivor shares the agony of doomed girl from the Lodz Ghetto. A somber, but reflective Sophie Klisman, 92, grasped a tissue as she gazed at a large map of the city of Lodz, Poland, displayed on a wall of the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills. Her clenched tissue stood at the ready as tears wel...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 13 continued on page 14 “It was not an ongoing con- versation” between her and her husband. “No, no, we tried to build a life in this country, tried to get Americanized and tried to build a good life for our two children,” referring to her daughter Lori Klisman Ellis, 62, and son Mark Klisman, 64, both of West Bloomfield, who were standing by her side at the HMC exhibit. TOGETHER AT HMC I met Sophie at the HMC ...…
…OUR COMMUNITY 14 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 about her mother’s survival; daughter-in-law Anne is a docent at the HMC; and Doug was a member of the 84th Infantry Division that liber- ated Salzwedel, the last of the three camps where Sophie was held captive. They all have played a role in Sophie’s decision to begin sharing her story, not just with family, but with the public at large. (See adjacent article.) I had the privilege of join- ...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 15 continued on page 16 a young, observant Orthodox girl in the ghetto. A collection of photo- graphs, videos and artifacts throughout the exhibit also adds visual content that fur- ther magnify the impact of Rywka’s words. As Sophie and I turned the corner from one display to another, one artifact lay hauntingly under glass — a lone pair of intricately woven baby shoes. They were the kind that Rywka’s diary de...…
…OUR COMMUNITY 16 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 Lodz Ghetto to Auschwitz- Birkenau in August 1944. The reunion was short-lived, as upon their arrival, Srylek was separated from his sisters and was never seen or heard from again. After only 15 days in Auschwitz, Sophie and Felicia were sent to Bergen-Belsen for six weeks. Finally, on to Salzwedel concentration camp for nine months before being liberated. Thankfully, in the absence of her ...…
…Save the Date for the Trip of a Lifetime! March 12 to March 21, 2023 Get ready! We’re going back to Israel as a community for the fi rst time in over a decade and want you to join us. Here’s your chance to experience the heart and soul of Israel and the Detroit Jewish community at the same time. To explore the history, beauty, tastes, sounds, magic and wonder of the Homeland together. 2023 is Israel’s historic 75th Anniversary, too. A...…
…S haina Shevin Warshay moved from the Detroit suburbs to Israel. She reports that the shul she goes to regularly has outdoor services. “Over a certain number of peo- ple, and we are required to mask, ” she adds. In subtropical Israel, even in the cool rainy season, people can usually stay outside long enough for services; many synagogues have an outdoor service, a “street minyan. ” Warshay adds: “The other shul we had been freque...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 19 hosting services both in-person as well as streamed in order to reach all of the community. “ As things continue to change, we will adapt as we have through- out the pandemic, ” he says. Rabbi Asher Lopatin reports that Kehillat Etz Chayim in Huntington Woods “is mak- ing every effort to ensure an uplifting and safe davening for everyone. ” Rabbi Lopatin explains, “To that end, we have determined that if you a...…
…O n Oct. 24, more than 2,000 people celebrated an Evening of Hope and Renewal with the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah. They came to the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center for an inspiring and heartwarming evening highlighting the special place the children of the Yeshiva occupy in the hearts and minds of our community. And they left feeling they were part of a transformative movement. Based in Oak Park and Southfield, the Yeshiva is the ed...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 21 of hopelessness, that which was destroyed will never be rebuilt. That is why Noah needed to banish the raven, as he and his family were about to rebuild and repopulate the world. They could not allow space for pessi- mism and hopelessness. “It was the dove, the symbol of hope and renewal, that was sent out to herald the dawn of the new era of rebuilding. The Torah describes that when the dove came back to No...…
…22 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY Y outh mental health challenges have been on the rise, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. News outlets report that increasingly younger children are ending up in hospital emergency rooms experiencing mental health crises. In fact, three prominent children’s health organizations recently declared the rise in youth mental illness a national emergency. The local Jewish community saw this...…
…Child's Name:______________________________________ Age:____________ Parents' Names: ____________________________________________________ Address:__________________________________________________________ City: _____________________________State:_________Zip:_______________ _ Day Phone: ________________________ Evening Phone:___________________ _ Email:____________________________________________________________ School: ________________...…
…T he relaxed musical styl- ings of singer, songwriter and pianist Michael Feinstein, a five-time Grammy Award nominee, will bring a warm ambiance to the 37th Anniversary Benefit for the Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus, the first freestanding institution of its kind in the United States. Nancy Grosfeld will be hon- ored at this year’s in-person fundraising event which will be held Sunday, Nov. 14, at Suburban Coll...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 25 chair of resource development at the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), a leading Jewish humanitarian organization. JDC assisted Jewish war refugees and helps Jews in need today. Her other major roles with the Jewish Federation include past president of Women’s Philanthropy, imme- diate past chair of both the Jewish Fund and Federation’s Centennial Fund for Detroit’s Jewish Future. Since 2002, more ...…
…26 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY I n May of 2020, Brandon and Kate Movitz, both 33 of Bloomfield Hills, welcomed their new son, Pierce, into the world. Pierce was known as a “COVID baby,” or a baby born during the COVID-19 pandem- ic, which gave Brandon Movitz a unique chance to be with his son as he worked remotely from home. “I didn’t have that long with him,” Movitz says, “but I felt like I did because I was with him eve...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 27 sion to prevent funeral costs from giving grieving parents even more pain. “Financial stress shouldn’t be something that affects your grief,” he says. RAISING FUNDS Pierced Forever Foundation held its first fundrais- ing event last month, a squash tournament at the Birmingham Athletic Club that saw 60 players compete for a good cause. Out of the $25,000 raised over the last three months, $15,000 came from ...…
…28 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY A new course for women, Well- Connected: It’s Not What You Know. It’s What You Do, explores how while we often think faith is a core set of beliefs surrounded by ceremony, Judaism is, in fact, less a system of belief than a system of action. This November, Chabad Jewish Center of Bloomfield Hills launches a new course for women, Well-Connected. In this seven-part monthly lunch-and-lea...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 29 SERVING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS! NOAH BISHOP COHEN The Next Generation of “SOLD” ns.cohen26@gmail.com MELANIE BISHOP “SOLD” is my middle name melaniesold@aol.com 4130 Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 MelanieSold.com 248.867.7800 OVER $63 MILLION SOLD IN 2020! • Over $63 million SOLD in 2020! • We live & work in your area. • 2 top agents for the price of one! • Call now for a free market ...…
…30 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 W hen business owners Geoff Kretchmer and Brian Siegel opened Detroit Axe in Ferndale in 2017, they knew axe-throwing would be a hit, but they never anticipated it to become popular enough to eventually open a third location just four years later. Joining the original Ferndale location and a newer spot in Clinton Township’s Partridge Creek that opened in 2019, The Yard in Detroit’s Corktown neighborhood ...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 31 “His focus is on the growth of the JCC,” Kretchmer says of Siegel, “but he’s our visionary. He’s our vision guy.” Yet the two business own- ers share the same passion: axe-throwing. “When we first heard about it, we fell madly in love with it,” Kretchmer recalls. “Brian and I, we just thought it was the coolest thing in the world.” Despite encountering skep- ticism surrounding access to alcohol and axe-throwi...…
…T here are many reasons for the Frankel Jewish Academy boys tennis team’s remarkable success since Larry Stark took over as coach in 2015. Talent and hard work have been the driving forces behind the Jaguars’ five appearances in the Division 4 state tourna- ment in Stark’s seven years as coach. Frankel qualified for state in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, finishing as high as eighth place in 2015, before its 13th-place finish this f...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 33 Monica Stark, Larry Stark’s wife for 27 years, has been the Frankel boys tennis team’s assistant coach for two years. Matthew said Monica dish- es out the tough love players on the team need when they’re struggling and need encouragement. This was Matthew’s fourth year on the team. He said he started experiencing the fam- ily atmosphere when he was a freshman. “It was great back then get- ting to know the older...…
…34 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 MAZEL TOV! Jackson-Kastan D r. Richard and Ronda Jackson of Birmingham and Boca Raton, Fla., announce the engagement of their daughter Nicole Arielle to Benjamin Ari, son of Dr. David and Carol Kastan. Nicole and Ben completed Beth Hayeled preschool and the University of Michigan together. Nicole received her degree as a clinical psychologist from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and practic...…
…NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 | 35 A Need For Self Control P our into me now, some of that red stuff (HaAdom), for I am exhausted. ” He was therefore called Edom (red)” (Bereishit 25:30) In this week’s par- shah, Esau comes back from a hard day’s work, sees Jacob making a stew, demands some and agrees to sell his birthright to Jacob for it. He is therefore called Edom. The Midrash says that Esau returned home that day after committing fi...…
…36 | NOVEMBER 4 • 2021 T he Netziv (Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin, 1816–1893, dean of the yeshiva in Volozhin) made the astute observation that Isaac and Rebecca seem to suffer from a lack of communication. He noted that Rebecca’s “relationship with Isaac was not the same as that between Sarah and Abraham or Rachel and Jacob. When they had a problem, they were not afraid to speak about it. Not so with Rebecca.” (Ha’amek Davar to G...…
