…$200 June 1-7, 2023 / 12-18 Sivan 5783 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS thejewishnews.com Past Confronting a Painful Local Jewish and African American community members tour historic Civil Rights sites. See page 10 …
…10 | JUNE 1 • 2023 A group of 14 Jewish and African American board members of the Friends of Pasteur, along with other school alumni and family members, recently took a thought-provok- ing five-day trip to historic Civil Rights sites in Alabama. They included Marcy Feldman and Deborah (Debby) Manning who founded the Friends, a nonprofit organization that has provided volunteer tutors and extensive enrichment programs for Pasteur,...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 11 continued on page 12 Key Alabama Civil Rights Sites Visited by Pasteur Friends in Alabama • Rosa Parks Museum • Freedom Rides Museum • Civil Rights Memorial Center • Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parsonage • Edmund Pettus Bridge • Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church • The Legacy Museum — From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration • National Memorial for Peace and Justice (known as the National Lynching Memorial) Jew...…
…12 | JUNE 1 • 2023 Jim Crow laws enacted after the Civil War trampled the rights of Black res- idents of the South. Later, peaceful protesters trying to desegregate schools and lunch counters, as well as volun- teers attempting to register African Americans to vote, were subjected to fire hoses, attack dogs and beatings. Many were jailed and some were killed. After African Americans were repeat- edly turned away from voter regis- trat...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 13 Health insurance YOU CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at MIBluesPerspectives.com/ReadyToHelp With the largest network of doctors and hospitals, coverage for mental health, an easy-to-use mobile app, a 24-hour nurse line and the MIBlue virtual assistant, Blue Cros...…
…of the key places that were at the fore- front of the Civil Rights movement — Selma, Birmingham, Montgomery and Atlanta. The trip was sponsored by the JCRC/AJC with support from the Ravitz Foundation. The experience was indeed edu- cational, but it was so much more. It was a barrage of powerful and often disturbing moments that grabbed our hearts and never let up. We started with a visit to the King Center in Atlanta, a huge complex t...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 15 From North to South — The Bishops Have You Covered! SERVING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS! 4130 TELEGRAPH ROAD 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 1 BILLION IN CAREER SALES! NEVER ON THE MARKET BEFORE! BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP 4 beds 4.1 bath. Sqft-5117.Th...…
…16 | JUNE 1 • 2023 O n a 15-hour flight home from South Africa, a call came on the loudspeaker asking for a nurse or a medical professional onboard. A woman at the back of the Delta plane was having a medical emergency, and a few minutes went by that no one answered the call. Incoming Michigan State University medical student Paige Stearn, 23, of Bloomfield Hills looked to her mother, Terri Stearn, an MSU Hillel board member,...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 17 kids.’” Stearn replied to her daughter, “Don’t let one person who has mental health [issues] change the trajectory of what you want to do. Don’t make any decisions.” Ironically, while in South Africa, one of the first photos the Stearn family took was of Paige in front of a South African ambulance. After disembarking from the plane, she turned around and told her parents, “‘I think I do want to do emergency...…
…18 | JUNE 1 • 2023 A fter days of drizzle, the sun came out and seemed to give its blessing to the Bessie Spector Oldest Jewish Americans Celebration on Friday, May 5, at Adat Shalom. As the honorees pulled up to the curb, a crowd of volunteers was waiting to welcome them and escort them inside. The energy was a little like the Tamarack bus (minus the tie- dyed duffels, plus corsages and boutonnieres) with everyone — honorees...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 19 Stoler’s family. After lunch, Hazzan Gross took the stage to lead the Birkat Hamazon and play classic TV theme songs on his keyboard for attendees to guess, eliciting shouts of show titles and laughter, and lending the proceedings a dose of nostalgia. But the real highlight of the day was clearly the opportunity to gather in person. The bonhomie in the room was palpable as attendees shook off the isolation th...…
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…20 | JUNE 1 • 2023 N ovi law enforcement officials are investi- gating the appearance of antisemitic flyers that were strewn from a passing car and found on various driveways along Meadowbrook Road Sunday morning, May 21. The flyers accuse Jews of being responsible for occupying high positions of power at the Disney Corporation to groom children for pedophilia, that the ADL was formed to protect Jewish pedophiles and there- fore...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 21 N early 200 members of the Wayne-Westland Community Schools district visited the Zekelman Holocaust Center on Wednesday, May 10, for “Creating A Community of Upstanders,” an evening of learning that included museum exploration and a second- generation survivor talk. The event highlighted the district’s partnership with the Center to educate beyond the classroom. In addition to teaching students about the Holocau...…
…22 | JUNE 1 • 2023 F or Milton Simmons, M.D., there’s no greater gift than something that keeps giving. That’s a big reason behind his donation of funds used to purchase four ambulances and a medical motorcycle for Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s emergency response organization. The MDA is a non- governmental organization and receives no government support. Simmons, 93, of Southfield, is a retired OB/GYN who says he delivered more ...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 23 heavy traffic and hard-to-reach places. They are often first on the scene, and the EMT riding the cycle can begin treatment before an ambulance arrives, said Ronni Strongin of the AFMDA. Simmons says he got the idea of donating ambulances from a physician friend, who had sent an ambulance to Israel the year before he and Edith made their first gift. On a trip to Israel five years ago, Simmons visited his first ...…
…24 | JUNE 1 • 2023 Author’s Note: Parents are more concerned than ever about their children’s mental health. Studies show that social media use has a strong effect on our teens’ daily emotions and behavior. Rather than write yet another article lamenting teens’ social media usage, I invited my 19-year-old son, Joshua, to co-author this Jews in the Digital Age column with me to ensure it includes perspectives from both a parent an...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 25 plans. Thus, it is a vicious cycle. In a Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry article titled “Patterns of Social Media Use Among Adolescents Who Are Psychiatrically Hospitalized,” experts explain that adolescents’ use of Snapchat “has critical implications for youths’ psychosocial development. Research increasingly supports a differential susceptibility model of media effects, whereby c...…
…26 | JUNE 1 • 2023 F ollowing a merger of Jewish nonprofit envi- ronmental organizations Hazon and Pearlstone in late 2021, the new entity, Adamah (and Adamah Detroit), are working hard on new sum- mer initiatives and beyond to enrich Jewish life in Southeast Michigan. The first step toward increas- ing Jewish engagement and stewardship in environmental action and education is the for- mation of a new Adamah advi- sory council. The...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 27 hike on the trails, learning themes of Shabbat through nature exploration, playing and singing songs. This pro- gram costs $10 per family unit. FARM ANIMAL TOUR AND ACTIVITIES: FRIDAY, AUG. 18 The third installment of the series offers a visit to Northville’s Maybury Farm, where families will have a chance to meet the animals. There will be horses, donkeys, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, cows, alpacas and more. By ...…
…28 | JUNE 1 • 2023 NOSH DINING IN THE D T he wide range of experience Jeremy Sasson gained creating his four previous restaurants made this “exactly the right time” to unveil Mad Nice Detroit. The restaurateur describes his latest dining concept as “a slice of Italy with a California coastal twist.” It is indeed. Everything is in sync at Mad Nice, open since early March by Heirloom Hospitality Group, the Birmingham-based...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 29 and part-time employees, and everyone I saw impressed me as being well-trained and competent. Those working in the dining room and bar were gracious and helpful. All these attributes make Mad Nice a welcome addition to the blossoming Midtown Detroit neighborhood. The restaurant’s location on Second Avenue at Alexandrine Street is south of the city’s cultural center and Wayne State University. But where does t...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-8 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 10 Confronting a Painful Past Local Jewish and African American community members tour historic Civil Rights sites. 12 Heading South Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity of Detroit embarks on tour of Civil Rights sites. 16 In-Flight Emergency MSU medical student and school shooting survivor helps woman in distress. 18 Co...…
…30 | JUNE 1 • 2023 continued from page 29 “Sauce & Sandos” category (available during lunch) called Bucatini Cacio e Pepe, which featured toasted peppercorns and the salty hard cheese, Pecorino Romano. The “Fire & Embers” section (available for dinner) lists six main entrees, including Whole Branzino fish and the 32-ounce, 28-day dry- aged Porterhouse steak. The Rotisserie Chickens rotate to perfection in the middle of the open ...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 31 SPORTS T he Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League is back for its 28th season with a new look. With the loss of the Temple Shir Shalom No. 1 team giving the weekly league 13 teams, there are now two instead of three divisions. Each team has about 13 or 14 players, including subs. “ A league committee that was put together to examine our division setup met during the winter and came up with a two-d...…
…32 | JUNE 1 • 2023 faces&places P owered by The Well, Friendseder is the Friendsgiving of Passover. It’s a time to gather with friends and family leading up to and throughout Passover to put your own unique spin on a holiday that’s all about gathering and telling stories. The Friendseder initiative is multifac- eted, combining large-scale public events with home-hosted gatherings and oppor- tunities for Jewish learning around the ...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 33 R egarded by most his- torians as a prelude to the Holocaust, Kristallnacht (“The Night of Broken Glass” on Nov. 9-10, 1938) saw the Nazi regime carry out a violent, coordi- nated pogrom against Jews in Austria and Germany. Non- Jews in those countries failed to speak out after the destruc- tion of their Jewish neighbors’ businesses and property. Such a response was unacceptable to Barbara Ingalls, a non-Jewish ...…
…MAZEL TOV! 34 | JUNE 1 • 2023 Morgan Dorothy Chandler (Eden Gavriella) will become a bat mitzvah at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township on Saturday, June 3, 2023. She is the daughter of Jeff and Alicia Chandler, the sister of Brady Chandler, and the granddaughter of Mark and Elaine Blumenfeld, and Patricia and Alan Chandler. Morgan is a seventh-grader at Derby Middle School in Birmingham. For her bat mitzvah, she is rai...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 35 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) 351-5147 for i...…
…36 | JUNE 1 • 2023 T he parshah of Naso seems, on the face of it, to be a heteroge- neous collection of utterly unrelated items. First there is the account of the Levitical families of Gershon and Merari and their tasks in carry- ing parts of the Tabernacle when the Israelites journeyed. Then, after two brief laws about removing unclean people from the camp and about restitution, there comes the strange ordeal of the Sotah,...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 37 unlike the family of Kehat, detailed at the end of last week’s parshah, one of whose number, Korach, eventually instigated a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Likewise, the long account of the offerings of the princ- es of the 12 tribes is a dra- matic way of indicating that each was considered import- ant enough to merit its own passage in the Torah. People will do destructive things if they feel slighted, and n...…
…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 Blo...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 39 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...…
…4 | JUNE 1 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY I t has been said that many people get lost in thought because it is such unfamiliar territory. I am pleased, however, by the number of people who have shared with me their enjoyment at reading word play that needs to be thought about. In several instances recently, many of these same folks have sent me puns that they have come across and that they thought worthy of sharing. I would lik...…
…40 | JUNE 1 • 2023 B roadway is finally back in full swing, and the 76th Tony Awards will be held on June 11 at the United Palace in New York City, televised on CBS at 8 p.m. Due to the writer’s strike, there was a concern the show would not air; however, the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) agreed not to picket the telecast. In support of the WGA, the Tony Award Productions will be altered, but the show will still air. As for thi...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 41 continued on page 42 this production. Camelot is up for six Tony’s, including Best Musical Revival. King Arthur’s wife Guinevere falls in love with his favorite Knight, Sir Lancelot. Directed by Barlett Sher (he was raised Catholic but when he was a teenager, he learned that his father was Jewish.) At the Vivian Beaumont Theater, 150 W. 65th St. (Lincoln Center.) (212) 239- 6200. Fat Ham, with five Tony nominations,...…
…42 | JUNE 1 • 2023 is set in 1946 after the war when New York City begins to reestablish as the exciting city that never sleeps. Loosely based on the 1977 Martin Scorsese film, this show includes some of the original music by John Kander and Fred Ebb, as well as additional songs by Kander and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Direction and choreography are by Susan Stroman. At the St. James Theatre, 246 W. 44th St. (888) 985-9421. Parade, earnin...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 43 music/rock songs by Nashville’s Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally. The corny story is set in the fictional town of Cob County (puns intended) and garnered nine Tony nominations. The residents are looking for answers for their dying corn and Maizy, the hometown hero, moves to Tampa, Florida, looking for agricultural solutions. Book is by Robert Horn, who was inspired by the old 1970s-80s TV show Hee Haw. Horn has been q...…
…44 | JUNE 1 • 2023 A WOMAN FRIEND, WHAT AN IDEA! EVEN MORE SPIDER-MAN Platonic is a 10-episode Apple TV+ series that began on May 24. Before last week, the plot description in media outlets was minimal. This one line was repeated, every- where: “Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne co-star as pla- tonic friends who re-connect after a long rift.” On May 20, the NY Times ran a long, detailed piece about Platonic. The upside of all this deta...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 45 SHABBAT TENT 5:30-8 PM, JUNE 2 (FRI.) In the William Saulson Pavilion at Congregation Shaarey Zedek. 5:30 pm children’s service; 6 pm BBQ dinner; 6:45 pm service. There is a charge. Register: shaareyzedek.shulcloud. com/event. CLEAN-UP SET 10:30 AM, JUNE 4 (SUN.) The Social Action Team of Congregation Shaarey Zedek is planning a B’nai David Cemetery Mitzvah Clean-Up. More than 100 years ago, B’nai David Cem...…
…46 | JUNE 1 • 2023 ERETZ W hen Amos Gofer planned his May visit from Israel to Metro Detroit, he looked forward to gathering with the Jewish community at the “ORT and the City” event and thanking the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and the broader community for its support for Kfar Silver ORT Youth Village, where he serves as the chief executive officer. He did not anticipate being separated from his family and commu...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 47 Dr. Conrad Giles. There are very few communities that can claim such high-level involvement and dedication from so many of its community leaders.” Kfar Silver Youth Village is “ORT’s jewel,” according to Nicole Miller, senior director of ORT America Michigan Region. “The village puts kids on a path to success.” The Israel & Overseas Allocations Committee visited Kfar Silver, only 8 miles from the Gaza border, in Nov...…
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…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 49 continued on page 50 SYLVIA BURTRUM (nee KOSIT), 94, passed away May 23, 2023. She was a graduate of Central High School and Wayne State University. She was a longtime faculty member and administrator at Oakland Community College at Orchard Ridge. Mrs. Burtrum was the cherished wife of the late Clyde Burturm for nearly 40 years; dear mother of Susan Katz (Jeff Sherwin), Nancy Katz (Paul Hanover) and Stephen ...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 5 old visiting for the first time reflected, “I had no idea I’ d feel this way … so connected … this trip is too short. ” As the days unfolded, there was a shift in the way many participants spoke about Israel, its past, present and future. People slipped into a different sensibility. Their dominant pronoun became “we. ” Their bond to the Jewish people for- ever changed. Israel worked its wonders on each of them. To...…
…50 | JUNE 1 • 2023 of arts degree in English. Sharon was married to Robert L. Cohodes, and they welcomed three chil- dren during their marriage. Sharon worked as a realtor in Columbus. She was a huge supporter of the arts: Columbus Museum of Art, BalletMet, Columbus Symphony Orchestra and Columbus Metropolitan Club. Also, she was a mem- ber of Temple Israel, the Temple Israel sisterhood and sang in the choir, which gave her muc...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 51 charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by the Dorfman Chapel. RITA LEVITT, 97, of West Bloomfield, died May 24, 2023. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Brian and Kathy Levitt, Dr. Jeffrey and Tracy Levitt, and Jay Levitt; grandchildren, Gregory Levitt and his fiancee, Nicole Brand, Lauren Levitt, and Adam Levitt; many loving nieces and nephews. Mrs. Levitt was the beloved wife of the late...…
…52 | JUNE 1 • 2023 contributions to Beth Israel Congregation as the synagogue administrator from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. Her ethics and values of service to community and dedication to family will continue in her children and grandchildren. Mrs. Oleinick is survived by her sister, Loree Sandoz (Richard) Sloggett; sister- in-law, Barbara Sandoz; her sons, Jonathan and Lewis Oleinick; her daughter, Susan (Charles) Shapir...…
…JUNE 1 • 2023 | 53 The death of British author Martin Amis came as a film adap- tation of one of his Holocaust novels premiered to rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival. Amis, who died May 19, 2023, of esophageal cancer at age 73, was not known primarily for his Holocaust fiction. But that aspect may soon loom large, as The Zone of Interest, an adaptation of his penultimate novel, has become an early favorite to win this year’s ...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 54 | JUNE 1 • 2023 A s our readers know, the JN is celebrating 75 years of independence for modern Israel. One of the salient points of our coverage in recent issues has been the connections between Detroit and Israel. Suffice it to say that many Jewish Detroiters have supported Israel and the Yishuv (pre-sta...…
