…JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Dispatch from Dnipro One woman’s story of escaping — and surviving — the bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine. See page 12 $200 June 2-8, 2022 / 3-9 Sivan 5782 …
…Drive through for a fabulous carryout meal freshly prepared by our culinary chef. It’s a great way to sample our nutritious fare and meet our professional team members from the comfort of your car. Call to reserve your meal and learn more about our remarkable senior living community. This will be a socially distanced event. Masks required. ANTHOLOGY OF FARMINGTON HILLS Classic Cuisine AnthologyFarmingtonHills.com 30637 W. 14 Mile Rd...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 Dispatch from Dnipro One woman’s story of escaping — and surviving — the bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine. 18 The Nightmare Hunt for Baby Formula A community of mothers offers resources and support for one another. 22 Kalamazoo’s Congregation of Moses Continues to Grow The shul strives to “reach people where they are.” 23 Denial in D....…
…4 | JUNE 2 • 2022 for openers A Busy Body A goal for us all is to remain as active as possible. Doing so has many positive physical and mental ramifications. If, however, you find your mind is willing, in this instance, but the flesh is weak, you may want to hone your language skills to include as much of your body as you can. Lend me your ear. Do not keep your head in the clouds; that is not practical either literally or f...…
…Yoni Torgow is the recipient of the 2022 Frank A. Wetsman Award The Frank A. Westman Young Leadership Award was established in 1961 by Mrs. Frank A. Wetsman and William M. Wetsman as a memorial to their beloved husband and father. This award recognizes exceptional leadership potential and service to the Jewish community on the part of a young man. The JVS+Kadima Board of Directors and staff wishes you mazel tov on receiving t...…
…6 | JUNE 2 • 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: Detroi...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 7 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com continued from page 6 reason as to why Shavuot is more obscure than other holidays. When compared to celebrations such as Passover and Chanukah, Shavuot is not commercialized in the slightest. While these holidays see entire sections of stores dedicated to them, community events for children and more, ...…
…8 | JUNE 2 • 2022 opinion Why There’s No Peace in the Middle East R ecent Congressional proposals seek to prohibit Israel’s use of American funds or military equipment to maintain control of the West Bank. Such proposals reflect a (by no means uncommon) belief that Israeli insensitivity to Palestinian aspirations is the main reason peace has never been achieved. If only Israel would commit to withdraw from the West Bank an...…
…Members of Congress, including those AIPAC-allied, condemn group’s comments about Rep. Andy Levin A s former and current members of Congress and supporters of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, we are all too familiar with how differing policy approaches to ending the Middle East conflict have been used to divide and polarize us as a community, especially during elections. That’s why at a moment when so much is at stake in not only d...…
…10 | JUNE 2 • 2022 opinion The Emergence of Congress’ Progressive Pogrom Caucus A prominent editor of a Jewish publication once pointed out to me that the United States had never seen the emergence of mainstream and institutionalized antisemitic politics. My response was simple: Not yet. A few months ago, he wrote me and said that — unhappily — I had been proven right. I take no pleasure in being right, but there is also ...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 11 — and “the Squad” itself — so quick to accuse anyone and everyone of racism on the slightest pretext, remained all but completely silent throughout. This pogrom did not erupt merely because Israel was involved in a conflict with Hamas at the time. It was the product of years, decades of work by these activists and organizations. The idea that their incitement and defamation did not poison the Muslim-American ...…
…ON THE COVER I f you’re born in Ukraine, but you have Jewish roots, most likely your family will have an inter- weaving of Ukrainian and Jewish traditions. My father is Jewish, and this means that my childhood was full of foods such as forshmak (Jewish herring) and matzah. Every year, we celebrate Passover and Rosh Hashanah. We cherish and honor the memory of our origin and know all of our relatives up to five generations back. For us...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 13 ON THE COVER IANA SYROTNIKOVA SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS TRANSLATED BY ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER THE WAR BEGINS The word “war” entered my life on Feb. 24, 2022. At 4:50 in the morning, we were awakened by a sound that I had never heard before in my life: the sound of an exploding shell, followed by the sound of anti-aircraft defense. Two minutes later, my phone rang. My mother was calling me from the ...…
…ON THE COVER “WE EACH CARRIED ONLY ONE BAG PER FAMILY. NOTHING MATERIALISTIC MATTERED. WE SIMPLY HAD TO LEAVE.” — IANA SYROTNIKOVA continued from page 13 14 | JUNE 2 • 2022 windows, and damaged the gas pipeline. Six cars parked outside the building burned down, includ- ing ours. Our possessions were lost. We ran outside and saw a mess of debris — broken windows, dents from fences that flew into the air. Yet some- how, everyone ...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 15 the road. The path was difficult phys- ically and mentally, but we made it out alive. It was painful to see my parents for the first time since the beginning of the war. In the 10 days I hadn’t seen them, they seemed to grow old. They were deprived of the opportunity to spend their retirement in comfort, in their home, among the items they accumulated all their lives. Their tears and empty looks that day will re...…
…continued from page 15 16 | JUNE 2 • 2022 United States, found the tree. In the Soviet Union, it was forbidden to have any contact with relatives in the West, and therefore keeping a relationship wasn’t possible. Before the war began, we rees- tablished our relationship. Strong roots and traditions allowed our family to pick up right where we left off. Now, our Zlatopolsky fam- ily is in touch with us every day. They support us and ...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 17 Federation’s director, who said that if at least one per- son from Mariupol could get through to us, we could send a bus to pick that person up. Getting involved with this cause has allowed me to find strength in myself to help those who need it most. It’s not always possible to help everyone, but if you can help one person, I believe the world becomes a better place. HUMANITY AT ITS GREATEST It’s been two mont...…
…18 | JUNE 2 • 2022 E lyssa Schmier of Huntington Woods likes to be prepared. Ever since her son was born last August, she liked to have a small stock of formula on hand, at least six or seven cans. Her husband, Stephen, used to tease her, saying, “Do we really need so much?” Back then, Elyssa laughed it off. “ Anything could happen … I know it’s an irrational fear. ” But no one’s laughing now, and that irrational fear has become a ...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 19 The Nightmare Hunt for Baby Formula babies. Switching formulas abruptly can cause stomach bleeds or other health issues in some kids … It’s really very scary on the ground. Parents are coming out of NICUs without the specialized formulas their babies need. There are others who are in dire situations and have limited options, like if their kids have allergies. ” GLOBAL JEWISH COMMUNITY OFFERS ASSISTANCE Nechama S....…
…20 | JUNE 2 • 2022 “ At first, Chava didn’t like the Kate Farms, but I was insistent — there was no choice — and, thankfully, after a few days with a hungry belly, she started to drink it, ” Goldner said. Another concern is the financial aspect. Unfortunately, WIC has not been covering the Kate Farms for the Goldners (although they did pay for Chava’s previous formula) and their insurance company denied formula coverage. Goldner i...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 21 At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, we’re here for you with access to care for both your physical and mental health wherever and whenever you need it. Including online visits from the privacy of your own home. Because we know that good health is whole health. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofi t corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association...…
…22 | JUNE 2 • 2022 J udaism is active and thriving at Congregation of Moses (CoM) in Kalamazoo, the more than 130-year-old synagogue that’s occupied its current site on Stadium Drive since 1961. CoM, an egalitarian traditional synagogue, welcomes all interfaith families. According to CoM records, Articles of Incorporation were filed with the city of Kalamazoo in 1891 for the Congregation of the Children of the House of Moses. ...…
…joint programs per year with Kalamazoo’s Temple B’nai Israel (TBI) and Chabad of Kalamazoo with the help of the Jewish Federation of Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan. CoM also does a lot of programming with TBI itself, bringing the two communities together. CoM makes up one half of the Marvin and Rosalie Okun Kalamazoo Community Jewish School operation, a joint endeavor with TBI launched in 2016 from a desire to have all Jewish ...…
…24 | JUNE 2 • 2022 T he Friendship Circle of Michigan nominated Henry Moses, 85, of West Bloomfield for recognition because of his dedication to their Lessons for Life program. Moses spends his time with the Lessons for Life Program at the organization’s cityscape known as Weinberg Village, where children with special needs come to experience life skills in a safe, controlled environment. “Various school groups from Southe...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 25 I n 2020, after the passing of Sheryl “Sheri” Schiff, one of Metropolitan Detroit’s extraordinary volunteers, it was obvious to the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee (JCRC/AJC) that the organiza- tion needed to honor their longtime board member in some way. Later that year, staff from JCRC/AJC joined with her family to create the Sheryl “Sheri” Terebelo Schiff Heart of Gold Award. This a...…
…26 | JUNE 2 • 2022 H ow unlikely is it to find three female cantors on the bimah of the prestigious Orthodox Hampton Synagogue in New York? Surprisingly, it was one of many distinguished appearanc- es for these three cantors — the Shul Sisters — who are coming to Congregation Shaarey Zedek on Thursday, June 9, at 7 p.m. The concert is free, but regis- tration is required. The Shul Sisters are three of the leading female cantors ...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 27 July 2022, she will become the senior cantor at Congregation Beth Yeshurun in Houston, Texas. As a concert soloist, Goldman has been heard in venues such as the Hollywood Ford Theatre, the Houston Hobby Center and the Hollywood Bowl, with ensembles such as the Houston Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony. She was ordained at the Academy of Jewish Religion-California and ...…
…28 | JUNE 2 • 2022 J ournalist Stephen Henderson judges that “the political climate has worsened over the last decade or so.” Henderson, along with many other observers of American politics, finds it disturbing that “people have started to come apart” over their disagreements. Friends and relatives do not know how to talk with each other across their venomous partisan divisions. Activists and leaders routinely break the norm...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 29 R espectful treatment of the recently deceased and a prompt burial is one of the greatest, most selfless acts of the Jewish faith. On occasion, a member of the Jewish community will pass with no means or family to assist in covering these costs. The Windsor Jewish Federation & Community Centre, Chabad of Windsor, Congregation Beth El, Congregation Shaar Hashomayim and the Jewish National Fund of Windsor are ...…
…30 | JUNE 2 • 2022 W hile on vacation with his family in Florida, an almost 10-year- old Jordan Zuppke picked up his first skateboard. The “skateboarding lawyer, ” as he’s known today in the skate- boarding and legal worlds, borrowed a skateboard from his cousin and practiced on a little rail in the street. “I did not want to give back their skate- board, ” Zuppke, now 33, recalls. “I fell in love with it instantaneously. ” Instead, ...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 31 other creative projects around Metro Detroit, aside from the legal advice trailer. In 2020, he opened a mini-Blockbuster out- side of the Rust Belt Market in Ferndale after being inspired by a Blockbuster documentary he had recently watched. The “skateboarding lawyer, ” who grew up regularly visiting the former Blockbuster on Maple and Orchard Lake Road, wanted to bring that same sense of nos- talgia back to the c...…
…32 | JUNE 2 • 2022 B irthright trips to Israel have picked back up again since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “ After a long hiatus, we are excited and honored to bring back so many participants from North America on these important and exciting tours to Israel, ” said Birthright Israel CEO Gidi Mark. About 2,000 Birthright Israel participants from 45 states and provinces in North America have made their way to Israel t...…
…Dr. Julian Levinson is the current Samuel Shetzer Professor of American Jewish Studies at University of Michigan. His publications include Exiles on Main Street: Jewish American Writers and American Literary Culture (Indiana University Press; winner of the National Jewish Book Award for American Jewish Studies, 2008) and articles about topics such as Yiddish modernism, Holocaust representation, and Jewish storytelling. He has translated ...…
…34 | JUNE 2 • 2022 SPORTS Z achary Felsenfeld went to Babson College to study business and finance. The West Bloomfield resident left the private business school in Wellesley, Massachusetts, last month with a bachelor’s degree in finance and entrepreneurship, a job in New York City, and a national championship in college club hockey. Felsenfeld was a member of the Babson club hockey team that won the 32-team College Hockey Federat...…
…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT 80 80th th Anniversary Anniversary For those without computer access, please mail the following to 32255 NORTHWESTERN HWY, SUITE 205 FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334: • Who is Turning 80? [first/last] • What Day is their Birthday? • Personalized Message and Signature • A picture of the birthday person (if you would like the picture returned, please include a stamped return envelope.) • A check Celebrate the...…
…36 | JUNE 2 • 2022 Lake Perch Dinner FOOD FROM THE HOME KITCHEN OF CHEF AARON L ake Perch is a delight enjoyed by Michiganders across both peninsulas; prepared simply and served with a classic remoulade, they can be found on many a restaurant’s menu. This method of cooking — floured, then sauteed hot and fast in a well-oiled/buttered pan — works well for all sorts of thin fish, including rainbow trout, smaller whitefish and t...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 37 REMOULADE Yield: 3 cups Remoulade is one of those quick-and-dirty sauces that many people will buy rather than make. Admittedly, there’s a couple more specific ingredients, but fresh herbs can find their way into many dishes and capers are an excellent thing to have on hand for their briny punch in chicken dishes, fish dishes and salads. They’re, of course, also excellent with gravlax. Ingredients 1½ cup mayo...…
…38 | JUNE 2 • 2022 MAZEL TOV! Matthew Harrison Ben, son of Jaime and Michael Ben, will become a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, June 3, 2022. He will be joined in celebra- tion by his sisters Caryn and Hannah. Matthew is the loving grandchild of Barbara and Allan Ben, Sherry Cantor and the late George Cantor. He is the loving great-grandchild of Evelyn Cantor. Matthew is a student at West Hills M...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 39 CAP & GOWN HIGH SCHOOL GRADS ASHLEIGH ADELSON Frankel Jewish Academy Varsity Soccer, Volleyball, Tennis, National Honor Society, Started her own baking busi- ness and donated proceeds to Feed America. MAX GORMAN Walled Lake Western High School Varsity Hockey, Active volunteer. Bowling Green State University ROBERT LAYNE WEIN Bloomfield Hills High School Summa cum laude, Vice President BBYO Michigan Region, Student Am...…
…40 | JUNE 2 • 2022 T his week’s parshah starts Bamidbar, the fourth of the five books of the Torah. As its name indicates — Bamidbar means “in the des- ert” — this book describes the lives of the Jewish people during their 40 years in the desert. The Jews at this point had received the Torah but had yet to reach the Land of Israel, and they already had strict instructions for how they were meant to behave. This week’s portio...…
…inspiration may fluctuate, but the time and order of our prayers do not. As a result, we can take comfort in our siddur the way we take comfort in a loyal companion who sticks with us when times are good and steadies us when times get bad. This sense of order helps guide us in all of our endeav- ors. If we applied ourselves to our marriages or jobs or friendships only when we felt like it, we would surely struggle to maintain the...…
…42 | JUNE 2 • 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 Congregation B’nai Moshe Wes...…
…JUNE 2 • 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 Farmington Hi...…
…44 | JUNE 2 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE VIDEO REVIEW I make a point of listening to archived Livestream or YouTube Festival services from some of my favorite congregations around the country. Particularly moving and relevant to world affairs is the recording of the Eighth Day of Passover Hallel (the Psalms 113-118 recited on festivals) from Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. With impeccable taste and winsome vocal talent, Hazzan D...…
…Propis’s introduction, at the 3:08 point in the Hallel video, to Hashem Zechoronu (“God has been mindful of us and will bless us,” Psalm 115:12-18), is a rousing 19th-century composition with a deep Ukraine connection. That composition, which ends with a stirring “Hallelujah,” was the work of David Nowakowsky (1848-1921). UKRAINIAN BACKGROUND Born in Kiev, Nowakowsky became choir director of the Brody Synagogue in Odessa, Ukraine, i...…
…46 | JUNE 2 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE FILM A t the age of 12, Jewish filmmaker Michael Chait, who grew up in the West Bloomfield and Bloomfield Hills area, wanted to be an actor. Other days, he wanted to be a pilot like his father. “I grew up with movies and I always liked aviation, ” Chait, 37, says. Yet everything changed when Chait saw The Rock, a 1996 film directed by Michael Bay. “Something just snapped in my head, ” recalls Chait, wh...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 47 about having a prominent Jewish-American hero at the center of the movie because, to me, it’s like David and Goliath. ” Filmed over the course of two years, Chait shot several scenes at Yankee Air Museum in the same B-17 bomber that inspired it all. He also shot scenes at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, using real World War II aircraft. OVERCOMING CHALLENGES Working with such old planes was a de...…
…48 | JUNE 2 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE BOOK REVIEW E rnest Hemingway claimed that “a writer’s job is to tell the truth. ” The thought goes back a long way. About 25 centuries earlier, Confucius wrote that “Wisdom depends on calling things by their proper names. ” That sounds easy, but somehow, peo- ple get distracted. We do not see an event that happens in front of our eyes until a sharp-eyed writer names it truly. A sharp-eyed writer me...…
…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 49 America, families then told their children the soothing falsehood that their names were inadvertently changed at Ellis Island. Horn records, though, that Ellis Island had a staff of multilingual experts who checked travelers’ names against the names on ships’ manifests. Names did not get changed at Ellis Island. The soothing story preserves America’s good name as a haven for Jewish immigrants and covers the shame o...…
…50 | JUNE 2 • 2022 SANDLER HUSTLES, HIRSCH STAYS IN THE GAME, E.T.’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY Adam Sandler, 56, stars in the original Netflix film Hustle. It begins streaming on June 8. Sandler, a real- life basketball super fan, plays Stanley Sugarman, a much-travelled basket- ball coach for the (NBA) Philadelphia ’76ers. He dreams of being a basket- ball coach, but he is stuck on the road, year-after-year, looking for an undiscovered ...…
