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…1942 - 2024 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.thejewishnews.com 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: Detroit Jewish News, 322...…
…DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com AUGUST 1 • 2024 | 7 J N Big Experiences Small Shul 248-851-6880 | www.cbahm.org 5075 West Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322 SPORTS AND JEWS IN THE MODERN WORLD Wednesdays at 7:30pm August 14, 21, and 28 with Professor Howard Lupovitch at Congregation Beth Ahm August 14 “MUSCULAR JEWS” AND THE BIRTH OF THE MACCABIA GAMES...…
…8 | AUGUST 1 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER H orses have always been a big part of David Silver’s life. The Detroit resident, who moved to Detroit from New York in 2012 for Teach for America and has taught fourth and fifth grades at Detroit’s Burns Elementary school, is now sharing his equine passion with others through Detroit Horse Power, a nonprofit he started to connect Detroit youth ages 11-18 with horses to build soc...…
…AUGUST 1 • 2024 | 9 J N right piece of vacant land in the city of Detroit, in a community that wants horses to be part of the neighborhood’s future, ” he explains. “To build an urban equestrian center so we can scale up this unique youth program, and that this new facility will be part of stronger Detroit neighborhoods. ” On Tuesday, June 11, the Detroit Public Schools Community District Board of Education unanimously approved Detroi...…
…$200 Feb. 1-7, 2024 / 22-28 Shevat 5784 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Thank God It’s Friday! Chabad’s Friday Boys visit workplaces to spread mitzvot and a word of Torah. See page 10 …
…10 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N D iane Diem was at work when a young man approached her to ask if she was Jewish or knew anyone in the office who might be. She said “yes. ” Thus began a series of weekly Friday visits with pairs of Lubavitch Yeshiva of Detroit students, “Friday Boys” who as part of their studies visit her and other Jewish professionals around Metro Detroit to share the weekly Torah portion and chat about Jewish top- ics. ...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 11 J N continued on page 12 along with literature and holiday guides. When Diem’s office moved from Farmington Hills to Troy, the boys found her again, Diem says. Now she meets the students in a hallway in her building, with other employees passing by to put on tefil- lin or talk as well. “I like to learn that way, and the boys show such passion for what they’ve learned. They reach out to every- body,” she says. “T...…
…12 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 you had told me when I first met them a couple years ago that I’ d be putting on tefillin every day, I would have been pleasantly pleased to hear it, but it would have been surprising. ” Sitting with the boys reminds him of life’s real priorities and motivates him to do better, he explains. “It’s just about shutting up and listening, I think, ” he says. “That’s how much white noise we’ve got going on, that we ...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 13 ‘GUARANTEE’ IS IN THE NAME. Wayne State University has always been committed to providing a quality and affordable education. The Wayne State Guarantee is further proof of that commitment. It provides 100% free tuition and fees for qualified students using a combination of federal, state, and WSU scholarships and grants. Most students whose families earn $70,000 or less and have $50,000 or less in assets q...…
…14 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 came and danced in the driveway. His three kids, who are now in first grade and freshmen in high school and college, were in the house at the time as well, and his older boys put on tefillin with the students. “Everybody was at home, ” he says. “It was a very positive experience when they’ d come. ” Growing up in Ukraine, attorney Lebedinski says he was not exposed to a lot of Jewish traditions. “It’s a total...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 15 Learn more about universities in Israel today! THINKING ABOUT STUDYING IN ISRAEL? Learn more about universities in Israel today! THINKING ABOUT STUDYING IN ISRAEL? Feel free to contact us at: 1-866-425-4924 nbnstudents@nbn.org.il www.nbn.org.il/h-ed WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD A STRONGER ISRAEL …
…16 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY S amantha* filed for divorce from her ex-husband when her son, now 2, was 3 months old. She had been looking to join a Jewish-focused support group as she grappled to come to terms with the domestic violence she faced at home. “Everything fell apart once we had a baby,” says the woman, who has a doctorate degree but was routinely told she was too dumb for it, that it was wasted on her. ...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 17 J N visibility and break down barriers around talking about this sensitive subject. “We want anybody in the Metro Detroit community to be able to show up to these events and get education and resources for helping their friends and loved ones,” she explains. JCADA, a coalition of Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, and advocates work together to address domestic abuse in the Metro Detroit area. The goal ...…
…OUR COMMUNITY Cuba’s small Jewish community perseveres despite dwindling size and economic challenges. Jewish Detroiters Visit Cuba 18 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N JTraveler group in Havana DENNIS FRANK …
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 19 J N J ewish communities are found on vir- tually every continent — some small in numbers but surviving despite difficult environmental circumstances. One of these small Jewish communities is locat- ed in Cuba where the Jewish population is estimated to have reached its peak of 24,000 individuals during the 1920s. Today, fewer than 1,000 Jews live on the island, mainly in Havana. While the Cuban economy is in sh...…
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…20 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY T o date, there are almost 4,000 members on the Jewish Moms of Metro Detroit Facebook page. But there’s one special day a year that the organizers don’t accept regular posts about kids, recommendations for restaurants or plumbers or posts on any topic — except descriptions and pictures of single men and women, which are posted with the hashtag “itsashidduch.” Fellow members are invited to ...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 21 ment policies and now a lack of agricultural supplies. The Communist regime, which discourages political dissent, allows limited private enterprise — mainly small family-owned businesses. On the positive side, Levinson says, “The people of Cuba are very respectful of the Jewish community. There is no discrimination or antisem- itism. ” According to Steve Boudin of West Bloomfield, members of the Cuban Jewi...…
…22 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY A t the conclusion of the two-day, six-hour-long preliminary examination for the man accused of killing Detroit Jewish lay leader Samantha Woll, the presiding judge ruled there was enough evidence for the case against Michael Jackson-Bolanos to stand trial. Jackson-Bolanos is facing multiple charges, including felony murder during the perpetration or attempted perpetration of a larceny ...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 23 J N officials who played a role in extracting video footage perti- nent to the case testified on the second day. The prosecution played a compilation video — from at least a dozen locations across the city of Detroit — shown to provide a timeline of Jackson- Bolanos’ whereabouts in and around the time of Woll’s death. The footage showed Jackson- Bolanos fully covered, wearing blue surgical gloves and a mask,...…
…24 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY L ong before Oct. 7, 2023, Debra Messing committed to championing Jewish causes, combating antisemitism and shining a spotlight on Jewish pride. But following an already decade- long growing scourge in world- wide antisemitism, with Oct. 7 every- thing changed in the Jewish world. The social justice and human-rights advocate emerged as a pro-Zionist powerhouse. Unabashed, vocal, inform...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 25 J N T emple Shir Shalom of West Bloomfield is stepping up and supporting those in need with its 11th Annual “Chicken Soup Cook-Off.” This event will take place Sunday, Feb. 4, from 12:30- 2 p.m. at Temple Shir Shalom, 3999 Walnut Lake Road in West Bloomfield, and will benefit the Metro Food Rescue, CARE House of Oakland County, and the temple’s youth and young adult programming. More than 20 participant...…
…26 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N faces&places F our years ago, Rabbi Menachem and Chana Caytak moved to East of Woodward with a goal of creating a Jewish community. What started as just a list of names has turned into a beautiful community with hundreds of families. There are programs for all ages — children, teens, college students and seniors. There are classes for all levels, weekly Hebrew school, a synagogue and holiday program...…
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…28 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N T hree months after undergoing a two-hour shoulder arthroscopy to repair a frayed labrum and other issues, then working through five weeks of physical therapy, Ethan Endelman said his recovery is going well. “My shoulder is about 90%, ” he said. “It will never be 100%. But I shouldn’t have any problems in my daily life and I’m back lifting weights again, although I need to be cautious when I lift. Worki...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 29 LINDA HILLER NOVAK 248.408.7811 LINDA@NOVAKRETEAM.COM FRANK NOVAK 248.563.7217 FRANK@NOVAKRETEAM.COM Whether it’s summer camps or your next move, it’s important to plan ahead. We’ve helped hundreds of families find their new pond. Time to get your ducks in a row? …
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 3 J N contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-8 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 10 Thank God It’s Friday! Chabad’s Friday Boys visit workplaces to spread mitzvot and a word of Torah. 16 Support Group Resurgence Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse offers a safe space for Jewish abuse survivors. 18 Jewish Detroiters Visit Cuba Cuba’s small Jewish community perseveres despite dwindling size and econ...…
…30 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N This year’s honorees are Elaine and Michael Serling and distinguished alumna Naomi Miller. CAMP GUIDE 2024 Send a Kid to Tamarack LORI DAVIDSON-MERTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS …
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 31 J N S ince 1902, Tamarack Camps has been an integral part of Detroit’s Jewish community — and annually serves as an inclusive place for nearly 1,100 children, teens and young adults to enjoy the outdoors, become more independent, develop leadership skills and foster Jewish identity. Tamarack believes every child deserves the opportunity to go to camp. Through the Send a Kid to Tamarack (SK2T) Annual Campaign, th...…
…Details: Marla is waiving her creative fee of $275, doubling print orders and including a $200 studio credit toward images. A portion of the proceeds from the purchase of artwork (prints, images, albums, wall art) will be donated back to camp by the studio. Sessions are limited to five families and three high school seniors, up to 10 family members included, dogs are always wel- come. Bookings are by appointment in February, March and ...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 33 …
…BLACK RIVER FARM & RANCH 5040 Sheridan Line Road Croswell, MI 48422 (810) 679-2505 blackriverfarmandranch.com Giddy up and get registered! Saddle up for adventure this summer at Black River Farm and Ranch, an all-girls overnight camp. Our mission is to inspire leadership, self-confidence, and independence through horsemanship and a variety of camp activities including riding lessons, vaulting, trail rides, crafts, swimming, ar...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 35 Registration IS NOW OPEN! Call for more details 248-789-2223 skullislandcamp .com COME WALK THE PLANK THIS SUMMER! …
…36 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 CAMP WALDEN 5607 South River Cheboygan, MI 49721 summer@campwaldenmi.com (248) 225-1256 (817) 253-0722 Celebrating our 65th summer, Walden provides an inspiring environment that challenges campers to step outside their comfort zones. Our program combines elements of individual choice and group dynamics, building confidence, character and resilience. At Walden, college-age counselors raise the bar when ...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 37 @theroeperschool What do you get when you cross Art, Outdoor Adventure, Swimming, and Science? A super, fun summer! We welcome children aged 3-12 eager to play and explore their interests in a safe, caring environment. RoeperSummerCamp.org THEATER CAMP IS BACK REGISTER ONLINE REGISTRATION OPEN! www.Temple-Israel.org/CampShemesh Napping room, earlycare and aftercare are available. Campers must be 2 years o...…
…38 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 LAWRENCE TECH SUMMER CAMPS 21000 W. 10 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075 (800) 225-5588 summercamps@ltu.edu ltu.edu/summercamps Academic summer camps for high schoolers interested in engineering, design, technology and science are taught by professors in modern labs and studios on LTU’s 107- acre Southfield campus ROEPER SUMMER CAMPS 41190 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield, MI 48304 (248) 203-7370 roeper.org From lacros...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 39 Can’t wait to see you in 2024 -- B ec a u s e K i d s N e e d C a m p! The BEST SUMMER EVER!!! • WILLOWAYDAYCAMP.COM • 248-932-2123 LIMITED SPACE REMAINS — ENROLL TODAY! SCAN THE QR CODE HAVE AN HAVE AN EVENT? EVENT? EVENT? POST IT FOR FREE ON POST IT FOR FREE ON POST IT FOR FREE ON POST IT FOR FREE ON thejewishnews.com thejewishnews.com …
…4 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N op-ed How to Better Heal Israel’s Wounded E very day at our organization, Yad Sarah, we field requests for medical equipment and other rehabilitation services for injured soldiers. Due to the generosity of our donors and volunteers, we have been able to fulfill these requests, allowing more than 1,000 soldiers to date to leave the hospital and enter home rehabilitation, freeing up much- needed beds ...…
…40 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N MAZEL TOV! Traison 90th L arry Traison will celebrate his 90th birthday on Feb. 26, 2024. He was married to the late, beloved Barbara for 67 years. Larry is the loving father of Steve (Janice) Traison, and the late Sheri Traison (Jeff) Devries; proud Papa to Danny (Courtney Asker) Devries, David (Nina) Devries, Elizabeth (Ari Witkin) Traison, Rachel Devries, Rebecca Traison and Randi (Michael Steinberg)...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 41 …
…42 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N T he quintessential Jewish expression of thanks, gratitude and acknowledgment is Baruch Hashem, meaning “Thank God” or “Praise be to the Lord.” Chassidim say of the Baal Shem Tov that he would travel around the little towns and villages of Eastern Europe, asking Jews how they were. However poor or troubled they were, invariably they would reply, Baruch Hashem. It was an instinctive expression of faith...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 43 J N We believe that God is universal. He created the Universe. He set in motion the processes that led to stars, planets, life and humanity. His concern is not limited to Israel. As we say in the prayer of Ashrei, “His tender mercies are on all His works.” You do not need to be Jewish to have a sense of reverence for the Creator or recognize, as Yitro did, His hand in miraculous events. It would be hard to fin...…
…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 West Bloomfield (248) 78...…
…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 Hills (248) 477-1410 ...…
…46 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N A lex Edelman’s having a banner year that’s wrapping up in Detroit and Chicago. The comedian and writer makes his second-to-last stop on the national tour of his critically acclaimed solo show, Just For Us, at the Fisher Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 10. “I’ve never been to Detroit. It’s known as a pretty good theater city, so this is a must- do for me,” says Edelman, 34. The tour comes on the heels of his wi...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 47 outside of Boston. “ Alex and I bonded through that collaboration, and he asked me to come and check out Just for Us in its initial off- Broadway run in winter 2022. I couldn’t stop raving after I saw it, and we kept in touch about it through all of his subsequent productions,” Sussman said. “ After he played Williams- town Theatre Festival in summer 2022, producer Jenny Gersten and I decided to pursue the po...…
…48 | FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 J N N o one can prove the existence of God. Nor can one disprove it. The debate seems to go nowhere in most cases. But what if the debate is between two great minds of the 20th century? Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, was a staunch atheist and very much a secular Jew. He was ardent in the belief that there was no supreme being and that all explanations were of this world. British author C.S. L...…
…FEBRUARY 1 • 2024 | 49 also worth mentioning that although the meeting between Freud and Lewis is fictional, the movie credits indicate speculation that Freud was visited just before his death by an Oxford don (who might have been Lewis). By the way, neither side of the argument is persuasive. Fear of death is natural. But it hardly disproves the existence of God. One can be both fearful and faithful. And the notion that belief ...…
