…$200 April 1-7, 2021 / 19-25 Nisan 5781 200 April 1-7, 2021 / 19-25 Nisan 5781 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Carl Levin’s new memoir chronicles his 36-year Senate career. Page 12 The The Levin Legacy …
…• Assisted Living & Memory Care • 3 Kosher Meals a Day • Nurse On Site or On Call 7 Days a Week • Specialized Programming for Memory Care • Independent Living • Wellness, Cultural and Social Programming • 5 Kosher Dinners Per Week • Amenities Include: Bistro, Boutique, and Salon NOW Accepting Applications Call to inquire about our MOve-iN SpeCiAlS! Fleischman Residence/ Blumberg plaza and Brown Memory Care pavilion 6710 W. Maple R...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 3 contents 37 31 27 22 April 1-7, 2021 / 19-25 Nisan 5781 | VOLUME CLIX, ISSUE 9 PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints OUR COMMUNITY 12 The Levin Legacy Carl Levin’s new memoir chronicles his 36-year Senate career. 16 The Days of Yom Federation and community partners plan public events for the holidays. 18 A Return to Worship Some shuls have begun limited in-person services; others wait. 20 Gl...…
…Y ou are faced with a choice. The stereo- typical image of this decision making is the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. You do not have to be a believer of either of these “beings” to incorporate ref- erences to them in your daily conversation. Here are some examples. If you speak vehemently for or against an issue, you may be identified as either an angel’s or a devil’s advocate. If your argument is emo- tio...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 5 Managed by: Proud Recipient of the Prestigious Ask Us Why! LEARN MORE AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM Ann Arbor - NOW OPEN | Birmingham | Rochester Hills | West Bloomfield For the Joys of Senior Living INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. An expansive menu of freshly prepared meals and daily chef specials Fine arts performances A variety of thoughtfully planned, engaging activities Individual ch...…
…6 | APRIL 1 • 2021 essay This Year, I Learned the Beauty of Praying Outside F riday night. We are standing in a paved plaza beside Riverside Drive in Manhattan; the air is crisp, the fresh snow is sparkling like diamond dust in the setting sun. We are 6 feet apart and masked. We join the chazan, chanting the Friday evening prayer, welcoming the Sabbath as the sun disappears over the Hudson River. “Come my beloved towards yo...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 7 Paid & Free Announcement Submissions Now Open to All High School & College Graduates! Congratulatory announcements are a special way to honor your graduate and connect with the community. PAID ADS* INCLUDE: 1 image, title, student’s name, your own special message and signature. FREE LISTINGS* INCLUDE: 1 image, student’s name, high school, university, achievements, and featured in the online gallery. *Ads are booked...…
…8 | APRIL 1 • 2021 from the DJN Foundation Board A New Partnership The Jewish News joins with Jewish Senior Life to provide the JN free to JSL residents. A s our readers know, the ownership of the Detroit Jewish News transitioned to the caring hands of a not- for-profit entity earlier this year: The Detroit Jewish News Foundation. The Board of Directors and leadership of the Detroit Jewish News Foundation is focused on re-en...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 9 zolmanrestoration.com | 3285 Martin Road | Suite N-106 | Walled Lake, MI 48390 Commercial and Residential Restoration Services call us at 800.799.8560 | available 24/7/365 WATER & flood wind & storm Fire & smoke mold personal property established 2013 Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation. Need Housing Support? ☐ Call jhelp at 1-833-445-4357 ☐ Vi...…
…10 | APRIL 1 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY ETHNIC STUDIES continued from page 4 nition of Jew-hatred, according to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association, as well as material on antisemi- tism from the Anti-Defamation League. ONGOING CONCERNS So, why do many Jews remain worried about the implementa- tion of this curriculum? Part of the reason stems from justified concerns about how it will be implemented in the 1,037 schoo...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 11 SERVING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS! 4130 Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 NOAH BISHOP COHEN The Next Generation of “SOLD” ns.cohen26@gmail.com MELANIE BISHOP “SOLD” is my middle name melaniesold@aol.com MelanieSold.com 248.867.7800 OVER $63 MILLION SOLD IN 2020! FRANKLIN Nearly 5500 sq. ft. including LL. Ken Neumann designed contemporary built with many commercial materials and conventions. ...…
…OUR COMMUNITY C arl Levin, the longest-serving U.S. senator in Michigan’s history, admits he had to be pushed into writing his memoir, Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate, recently released by Wayne State University Press. And we should be grateful to his wife, Barbara, and his longtime aide Linda Gustitus for doing just that. Political memoirs are often little more than self-satisfying ego trips; I confess I...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 13 Carl Levin’s new memoir chronicles his 36-year Senate career. JACK LESSENBERRY CONTRIBUTING WRITER Q & A with Sen. Levin JACK LESSENBERRY CONTRIBUTING WRITER I talked with Sen. Levin at length when his book was published. Here are highlights of our conversation. Did being Jewish influence how you saw your role? It surely did. I think the values in Judaism are important — the values of being charitable, of thi...…
…OUR COMMUNITY “WE NEED LEADERSHIP IN CONGRESS WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER AND LIKE EACH OTHER EVEN IF THEY DISAGREE.” — SEN. CARL LEVIN Q&A from page 13 14 | APRIL 1 • 2021 were the first Jews to arrive in Birmingham in the 1890s, where they started a little store at Maple and Woodward that eventually became four stores. While I found all that fasci- nating, this is really a book about how government, principally the Senate...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 15 an endless debate would soon back down. DETROIT ROOTS But though he is a man of the Senate, Carl Levin is, even more so, a man whose roots are firmly in Detroit. The one incident he cites at the very beginning of this book, something that shaped his career, happened when he was Detroit City Council president in 1975 and incompe- tent administrators at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were r...…
…16 | APRIL 1 • 2021 I n its efforts to continue to provide Jewish Detroiters a way to virtually connect during the modern Jewish holidays leading up to Israel Independence Day, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, together with JFamily of the Jewish Community Center and the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, invite all to virtually attend “Two Countries. One Family — Days of Memory and Meaning” April 8, 13 an...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 17 one another in the face of hate to prevent acts of vio- lence, and genocide.” YOM HAZIKARON & YOM HAATZMAUT This year’s Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) ceremony, 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, will focus on stories of the siblings of fallen soldiers or victims of terror attacks. For American Jews, Leket said Yom HaZikaron pro- vides them an opportunity to support and comfort Israelis on one of the country’s most solem...…
…18 | APRIL 1 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY L ast March, when COVID forced us to stop gathering publicly, many syn- agogues transitioned their services to an online format, where they remain today. One year later, as more people are becom- ing vaccinated and, for a while, the number of reported cases in Michigan was trending downward, things slowly started opening up. Public schools brought students back into the classrooms, restaurants reope...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 19 Congregation B’nai Moshe: “At this point, we are not holding in-person services other than for b’nai mitzvah. Our medical advisory team is considering allowing in-person services only for people who have been fully vaccinated. We are reconvening to discuss this opportuni- ty right after Passover. We anticipate holding in-person services by the end of spring. We will continue to livestream our interactive Zoom servi...…
…20 | APRIL 1 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY E very night for a week, more than 200 “travelers” from 11 states — includ- ing a group from Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield — experienced Israel like never before. An Israeli guide led them through an “off-the-beaten-path” tour from the Negev to Masada, the Golan to West Galilee, and to Leket, Israel’s national food bank, with many stops in between. Even more unusual than the sights, soun...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 21 O n April 6, Jewish Family Service (JFS) will hold its annual Spotlight fundraiser event virtu- ally. It will focus on older adults. The special guest for the event will be actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, perhaps best known for her role in the film Father of the Bride. The event will center around Williams-Paisley’s book, Where the Light Gets In: Losing My Mother Only to Find Her Again. The book tells ...…
…22 | APRIL 1 • 2021 M any small businesses have been crushed by the pandemic. According to the marketing firm Womply, more than a third of small businesses in Michigan have closed since January 2020, and many are still strug- gling. Those that are open are so grateful that they’re making it their mission to give back to the community, especially now. Here are a few. DOUGLAS CLEANERS Douglas Cleaners first opened its doors in 1949;...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 23 His mother used to volunteer at Berkley Public Library; in tribute to her, Greenwald recently participated in a Zoom class for the same library, demon- strating how to make his famous mac and cheese. Elwin & Co: (248) 547-8846. THE SUIT DEPOT The Suit Depot in Oak Park was likewise hard-hit when everything closed last March; people had no reason to buy new clothes, especially not suits. Owner Marty Babayov said, “...…
…24 | APRIL 1 • 2021 D an and Jennifer Gilbert announced a pledge of $500 million to aid citizens of Detroit over the next 10 years at a press conference March 25. The Gilbert Family Foundation will contrib- ute $350 million, and the Rocket Community Fund will invest $150 million. The first allocation of $15 million will pay off the property tax debt of 20,000 low-income Detroit homeowners. In doing so, the Foundation will assist i...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 25 a sense of community at a time when people couldn’t see each other,” Besl said. Mi She-Bei-ROCK® and The Funky Craft Studio: (248) 330-8016. ZALMAN’S TREASURES Brian Zifkin, executive vice president of Zalman’s Treasures, a jewelry store and repair shop in Berkley, said it was painful to close its doors weeks before last Passover, usually one of their busiest times. Even once they reopened, people were stil...…
…26 | APRIL 1 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY S cott Hiipakka, CEO of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, has received a promotion from the rank of colonel to the rank of brigadier general in the Michigan Army National Guard. The official title of the role is assistant adjutant general. Hiipakka will continue to be responsible for the majority of units in the Guard and building teams ranging from 30 up to 2,500 people in their respe...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 27 F or my family, 2020’s guest-less seders are thankfully a blur. But memories of one feathered, clucking visitor from 2019’s seder kept us uplifted through that lonely Passover of 2020. The last time we celebrated the holiday in “regular” mode, an unexpected, not officially invited and, for some, unwanted caller joined the group. My mom and dad, Ceil and Jerry Liebman, are welcoming of everyone — yearly hosting...…
…28 | APRIL 1 • 2021 HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER • ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 7 pm, EDT Holocaust Remembrance Day Yom HaShoah Virtual Commemoration Please join us at www.holocaustcenter.org to watch our community broadcast We remember the six million and honor our father, Sandor Adler, who persevered and created a loving family. Nancy & Jeff Adler Sue & Larry Adler Jenifer & Mitch Rosenwasser In loving memory o...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 29 Presented in cooperation with For more information about the virtual Yom HaShoah Commemoration, please call 248.553.2400 C.H.A.I.M. - Children of Holocaust-Survivors Association in Michigan Hidden Children and Child Survivors Association of Michigan Honoring our mothers Rosa Krasman and Lisa Dell Silver and remembering our fathers. Barbara & Manus Krasman In memory of all who perished and in honor of the survi...…
…30 | APRIL 1 • 2021 PASSOVER M ost of us are familiar with the traditional meaning of Passover, a commemoration of the Jews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. During the holiday, we take part in the seder and refrain from eating leavened foods. For recovering addicts, the holiday takes on an additional dimension, the celebration of a different kind of freedom. And, accord- ing to Rabbi Benny Greenwald, director of Daniel B. Sobel F...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 31 continued on page 32 ERETZ I f you know what animal Arthur Read is, then you have heard the name of a gap year program that might change your life. Maddie Katz, 19, of Farmington Hills had already known she wanted to take a gap year when she heard about Aardvark Israel in 2019. Having visited Israel the year before, she was excited to live in it for nine months, which became slightly longer due to the pande...…
…32 | APRIL 1 • 2021 T he Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has recorded 283 incidents of antisemitic language or targeted Jewish institutions in the U.S. in 2020 — a 68% increase from 2019. A new ADL report also showed nearly double the white supremacist propagan- da efforts last year compared to 2019. According to the ADL, white supremacist pro- paganda efforts consist of the distribution of racist, antise- mitic and/or anti-LGBTQ f...…
…MAZEL TOV! APRIL 1 • 2021 | 33 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 (248) 35...…
…34 | APRIL 1 • 2021 SPIRIT S cholars have long wondered why Jews who number less than one-quarter of 1% of the world have had such a profound influ- ence on almost every field of human endeavor. In the 20th century, Jews, more than any other minority, have been recipi- ents of the Nobel Prize, with almost one-fifth of all Nobel laureates being Jewish. Perhaps, it all goes back to the very beginning of the birth of our people...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 35 Synagogue Directory CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org Ahavas Israel Grand Rapids (616) 949-2840 ahavasisraelgr.org Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.org Beth Israel Flint (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.org Congregation Beth Shalom Oak Park (248) 547-7970 congbethshalom.org Beth Tephilath Moses Mt. Clemens (586) 996-3138 bethtephilathmoses.com B’nai I...…
…36 | APRIL 1 • 2021 Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomrey- emunah-105705.square.site The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Isr...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 37 S he brightens the world and lights up room after room with her abstract, geometric paintings. Artist Jennifer Kroll of Birmingham is about as bold as you can get when it comes to color — she’ll put purple next to bright orange or align yellow, hot pink and blue without batting an eye. And somehow, every color combination works, from pops of neon green to navy to aqua blue. “I’m fascinated by colors and shapes, an...…
…38 | APRIL 1 • 2021 continued from page 37 take 30-60 hours to complete a painting. ” PERFECT PRECISION It takes patience, precision and painstaking work to create each painting. Kroll uses a process called tape blocking to achieve the crisp, clean lines that are part of her signature style. She applies a special tape over parts of each canvas and carefully peels away long strips when the timing is right. It’s a mesmerizing tech...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 39 H arvey Ovshinsky has devoted 50-plus years to telling stories — through newspaper, radio, television and screenwriting. He is an award-winning journalist, director and producer — serving as the catalyst for others to open up and share their life experiences. Now, at age 72, he decided it was time to “flip this, and connect my dots, ” Ovshinsky says. “I’m a little bit of a puzzle — a mystery. ” Scratching the Surf...…
…40 | APRIL 1 • 2021 — “rediscovering his voice during the 1960s and ’70s. ” His love of monster movies led him to create Transylvanian Newsletter with a friend while they were in eighth grade. At Mumford, he started a magazine. LOVE OF WRITING While Ovshinsky was caught in the middle of his parents’ disputes, they each in their own way supported his love of writ- ing. His mother, Norma, gave him a diary to encourage his writing,...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 41 BOOK TALK 1 PM, APRIL 5 The Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic studies at Wayne State University will present, on Zoom, Dr. Bernice Lerner discussing The Horrors of War. Visit judaicstudies. wayne.edu/events. EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION NOON-1 PM, APRIL 6 Hadassah Midwest and the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest presents “How Israel is Helping Tackle the World’s Challenges with COVID-19. Register by Sunday, ...…
…42 | APRIL 1 • 2021 A riana Carps, man- ager and buyer of Bloomfield Hills- based clothing store Rear Ends, has joined a new tech- nology platform that offers customers throughout the U.S. virtual shopping expe- riences. Selected to be featured in a beta version of Amazon Explore, a new program from e-commerce giant Amazon that offers virtual experiences encompassing travel, cooking, learning and everything in between, Rear Ends...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 43 SPOTLIGHT W hen 13-year-old Sydney Michaelson returns to Camp Tanuga for her sixth summer (after a year hiatus because of the pandemic) she’ll go with the satisfaction of knowing she’ll be making a profound difference in the health and well-being of kids at another camp more than 1,645 miles away. That’s how far it is from Kalkaska, Mich., to Gold Creek, Mont., home to Camp Mak-A-Dream. Sydney launched a fu...…
…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. Apple a Day Take a bite out of learning! Call Debbie! (248) 514-8349 On Site Apple Training and Support BASED Painting and Coatings LLC BASEMENT AND GARAGE EPOXY FLOORING Great Deals & F...…
…HEALTHCARE A1 CAREGIVER/COMPANION. Experienced, excellent references. 248-991-4944 24-HOUR AFFORDABLE CAREGIVER. 26+ yrs exp. Exc Ref. April 586-335-5377 Exp. private duty caregiver for 27 yrs would love to care for your loved one. Melinda (313) 208-3305 15+ yrs experience. Expert in elderly care BA. Part time. Cynthia 248.896.4372 Private Duty / Live-in Nursing Direct Care Worker for the Elderly. Please call Amen at (313) 478-...…
…46 | APRIL 1 • 2021 OF BLESSED MEMORY OBITUARIES c. 1972 JOSEPH W . BLUMENTHAL, 93, of Southfield, died peacefully surround- ed by family on March 21, 2021. Born in Pittsburgh, Joe moved to Cleveland, where he grew up and later attended Western Reserve University and graduated from University of Toledo Pharmacy School. After practicing pharmacy for 10 years, Joe changed careers, moving his family to Detroit and opening his ...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 47 Melvin Rosenstein. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. c. 1980 VITALY GROSSMAN, 60, of West Bloomfield, died March 9, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Alisa Grossman; father, Mikhail Nem; sons and daughter-in-law, Max and Anya Khutoryan, Joshua Grossman; daughter and son- in-law, Alexandra and Ye...…
…48 | APRIL 1 • 2021 c. 1966 EDWARD KARABENICK, of Long beach, Calif., died Jan. 3, 2021. He was born in 1931 in Detroit, the youngest of five, to warm Jewish immigrant parents. Edward attended Central High, earned a Ph.D. in geogra- phy from University of Michigan and was a professor at CSU, Long Beach for more than 40 years. Mr. Karabenick was an ador- ing husband for 66 years, an outstanding father and always generous, thought...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 49 continued on page 52 daughter of the late Esther and the late Thomas Nessel. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W . Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice.org; or Hospice of Michigan, 43097 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302, hom.org/dona- tions. Arrangements were by Ira Kaufman Chapel. MARILYN ROWENS, 91, of Sou...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 50 | APRIL 1 • 2021 Nibbles Nuts Nibbles Nuts Come Visit Come Visit Our Store at Our Store at 32550 Northwestern Hwy. 32550 Northwestern Hwy. Farmington Hills Farmington Hills 248.737.8088 248.737.8088 NIBBLESandNUTS.com NIBBLESandNUTS.com We We use the use the FRESHEST FRESHEST Kosher Kosher Bakery, Nuts, Chocolate & Fruits Bakery, Nuts, Chocolate & Fruits Same Day Local Delivery Nation Wide Deliv...…
