…A ‘Mezuzah’ in the Heart of Detroit JEWISH NEWS $200 Aug. 10-16, 2023 23-29 Av 5783 thejewishnews.com Young Jewish professionals are seeking to reinstitute Jewish life in an unlikely but historic locale. See page 12 THE DETROIT …
…10 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 guest column Composing my Jewish Soundtrack of Summer A t its finest, music makes connections between people. But as a music specialist and song leader at Camp Tamarack in Ortonville, I get to use the vehicle of music to accomplish even more than that. I provide campers with, quite literally, the soundtrack of their summer. That soundtrack is “Mi Kamocha?” (Who is Like You?) during Shabbat morning pr...…
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…12 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 Young Jewish professionals are seeking to reinstitute Jewish life in an unlikely but historic locale — the Northwest Goldberg neighborhood. A ‘Mezuzah’ in the Heart of Detroit ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER OUR COMMUNITY COVER STORY PHOTOS COURTESY NW GOLDBERG CARES …
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 13 continued on page 14 I n a small neighborhood just down the road from Detroit’s famous Motown Museum, a group of young professionals are working to restore the area’s Jewish history. Northwest Goldberg may not be Detroit’s largest community — currently housing a population of just around 2,000 people — but a new nonprofit has a vision to change that. Mezuzah founders and married couple Jeremy Rosenberg, 24, an...…
…14 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 the history of the neighborhood, but also the future, ” Washington says. Historically, Northwest Goldberg was a Black and Jewish community named after Louis Goldberg, Detroit’s first Jewish school board member. In 1906, a school opened in the area named after Goldberg, and from there Northwest Goldberg began to grow. The neighborhood sits just south of West Grand Boulevard, near the Dexter-Linwood neighborhood, ...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 15 “We want to make Detroit more attractive for those who have had so much misinformation about the city, ” he says. OPENING THE DOORS As Rosenberg and Bluth finally get situated in their new home following months of renovation, they plan to create an open house where young Jewish Detroiters and Northwest Goldberg residents can get to know the couple and the Mezuzah mission. As self-proclaimed foodies, Rosenberg an...…
…16 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 S ince the 1930s, Michigan has been a state with a robust labor movement. Indeed, for most of the 20th century, many observers often referred to Detroit as the “Labor Capital” of America. This was largely, but certainly not entirely, due to the powerful United Automobile Workers Union, the UAW , which as late as 1980 had nearly 1.5 million members. Although the labor movement is smaller today, Michigan s...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 17 continued on page 18 When did you decide on a career in the labor movement? DH: I received my master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts and worked at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, where I was a steward with the American Federation of Government Employees. Then, I worked toward a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin; thought I’d be a professor and teach labor studies. At Wisconsin, I joined th...…
…18 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 some children from reaching their academic potential. We must remove these barriers, the reason I am involved with the organization, Communities in Schools Michigan (https://cismichigan. org). What do you see as the role of and future for labor in Michigan and America? DH: I think we have a great opportunity to have a bright future. The polling data shows that the public is more supportive of unions than ...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 19 PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE CO-SPONSORED BY R A B B I D A V I D & A L I C I A N E L S O N LEGACY F E AT U R I N G RABBI AVINOAM SHARON THE IMPLICATIONS OF ISRAEL’S JUDICIARY CRISIS K E Y N O T E P R O G R A M Wednesday, August 23 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Avinoam Sharon: Democracy Under Attack The Implications of Israel’s Reform of its Judiciary Dessert reception follows $15 in advance, $...…
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…20 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 W hen summer days come to Michigan, we all love the extra hours of daylight. Some Jewish women in Huntington Woods are taking advantage of these long Shabbat afternoons to better get to know their neighbors. Huntington Woods residents Rachel Lopatin, Lisa Winer and Debbie Kirshner Devries are at the beginning stages of establishing an informal group comprised of mostly Shabbat- observant women to get to kn...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 21 Sunday, November 12, 2023 Huntington Place, Detroit CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent Featuring Keynote Speaker Dana Bash Stand up to hatred, antisemitism, and genocide. For tickets and more information, visit us at holocaustcenter.org/benefit or call us at (248) 536-9605. Photo courtesy of Lemus Photography Please join us to honor Cynthia & Marvin Zucker Chairs Nancy and Arn Tellem Vice Chairs* Barbar...…
…22 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY F or many, carnivals are a classic summertime must-attend event filled with fun rides, games and prizes, popular fair foods and much more. But traditional carnival games and rides are not always accessible for all. JARC, a nonprofit orga- nization serving adults with developmental disabilities in metro Detroit, wanted to create their own carnival in which Metro Detroiters with developmental...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 23 OUR 2023 YAD EZRA ANNUAL EVENT HONORING SUSAN AND DAVID FEBER CO-CHAIRING RICHARD AND AIMEE SIMTOB WITH SUZAN AND MICHAEL CURHAN SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 AT THE MINT 27000 EVERGREEN RD LATHRUP VILLAGE 48076 PROGRAM 6PM BUFFET DINNER 7PM DIAL 2 -1-1 GET CONNECTED WITH PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT FAMILIES IN TIMES OF NEED. UNITED WAY HELPS OUR COMMUNITY United Way for Southeastern Michigan works toward advancing equita...…
…24 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 B y age 43, I was an extremely busy mom, and I had never gone to Israel in my life. When my son Bentzi drafted as a Lone Soldier in the IDF in 2021, I was deter- mined to get to Israel to see the land he was helping defend — and I wanted to see it while he was in uniform! In early 2022, I learned that an organization called Momentum ran a Year of Growth for moms of Lone Soldiers, which was kickstarted by a...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 25 graming included a talk with psychologists Lior Yonai and Tammy Goren on how to best support our children and a tour of the Isuf Kravi army base for Gedud Zikit at Machane Ofer. But we also had fun! Highlights included Guru Zuzu (silent dancing) through the Dizengoff Center Mall in Tel Aviv, a visit to the Ethiopian Heritage Center, mindfulness exercises on a Tzfat rooftop, a musical desert experience where we cel...…
…26 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY I was delighted. “You’re right now wrapping a present for his son and daughter-in-law who are watching my kids while I’m here!” The highlight of the trip was Friday morning. We were booked for classes at Nefesh B’Nefesh, but Momentum founder Lori Palatnik instead started talking about heroes. She said, “Lone Soldiers are heroes and their mothers are also heroes. ” She called us mothers up to ...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 27 Jewish Associates at Providence Hospital, Southfield, were treated to a Lunch-and-Learn on Tuesday, July 25, when Rabbi Aharon Amzalak from Chabad Lubovitch spoke about “Tisha b’ Av observances for Hospital Patients and Staff.” The monthly gatherings at the hospital allow Jewish staff to mingle, share updates and learn about how Jewish practice intersects with medical needs. Jewish Family Service’s Gray Matters F...…
…F ranklin residents Cathy and James Deutchman are longtime supporters of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. As a third-generation supporter herself, Cathy Deutchman (née Brody) was preceded by her parents, Rhea and Robert Brody, and her grandparents, Anna and Samuel Brody, as critical sup- porters of the cutting-edge Israel institution. Now, the Deutchmans have received one of the highest honors awarded by the insti- tu...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 29 Maintenance Fund, which is aimed at maintaining the physical beauty of the cam- pus, along with enhancing and upgrading its buildings and facilities. They also include an endowment for a children’s playground named for Rhea and Robert Brody, and past funds have included support for students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Cathy and James Deutchman have served as presidents of the local chapter of Tec...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 ‘Mezuzah’ in the Heart of Detroit Young Jewish professionals are seeking to reinstitute Jewish life in an unlikely but historic locale. 16 Longtime Labor Leader Retires David Hecker, president of the Michigan American Federation of Teachers, ends a productive career. 20 Shabbat Get-Togethers Women in Huntington Woo...…
…30 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 Like any prom, the guests at Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit’s Senior-Senior Prom July 30 at Meer Apartments in West Bloomfield dressed up, dined and danced with their friends. But what made this prom different and truly special were the multi- generational attendees aged 18 to 100. The JSL seniors created close, heartfelt bonds with the eight high school seniors working in Meer’s dining roo...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 31 Statehood came for India and for Israel 75 years ago and, to mark the milestone, three Metro Detroit organizations gathered July 16 to celebrate at Congregation Shir Tikvah in Troy. The event included delicious food, musical per- formances and speeches from dignitaries — all representing each country. More than 200 attendees, a mix from Detroit’s vibrant Jewish and Indian communities, mingled over appetizers ...…
…32 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 faces&places The Jewish Historical Society of Michigan (JHSM) transported a busload of enthusiastic Metro Detroiters to Bay City on a beautiful, sunny Sunday at the end of June. The group included one of two rabbis who share duties at the Bay City synagogue, Rabbi Dorit Edut, and several Detroiters with ties to the Bay City or Saginaw Jewish communities. They were joined by other observers interested in the ...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 33 T he Darty (daytime party) on July 16 was a summertime success! With 200 people registered, guests enjoyed all sorts of games and treats, including a dunk tank, slip n’ slide, yard games, inflatables and more. The weather was everything we hoped and dreamed for, and we can’t wait to see it grow even more next year. Cameron Billes is a program associate for NEXTGen Detroit. More than 200 people attend NEXTGen De...…
…34 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 SPORTS T he 28th season of the Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League is headed into the home stretch. In addition to crowning playoff champions in the Greenberg and Koufax divisions later this month, that means the weekly league also has handed out its coveted awards, each named for a popular player who has passed away. Managers were asked for a nomination from their team for the Jeff Fo...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 35 the same crew for a while,” he said. “I’m grateful for that consistency at a time when the number of sports officials is dwindling. The players in the league know the umpires, and the umpires know the players.” Landaw remembers umpiring LeVine’s games in a West Bloomfield Parks men’s softball league. “Steve was a nice guy who never let his handicap affect him,” Landaw said. This isn’t the first time Landaw h...…
…36 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 A fter Lacey Foon’s twins were born in 2019, the former commercial real estate asset management and acquisitions professional faced some of life’s greatest challenges. Amidst a pandemic and a breast cancer diagnosis, plus raising two small children at home, Foon realized she didn’t want to go back to working for someone else. “That forced me to think about what I wanted to do,” Foon, 36, of Bloomfield Hill...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 37 NMLS #718852 B I R M I N G H A M We can’t help you downsize. But we can help you buy a new home. Ad Number: PP-BOAA-22775H Trim: 7.375" x 4.8" Perich Job No: 22775 Bleed: NA Colors: 4/C Live: NA Format: 1/2 Page Ad Version: 07.20.23 continued on page 38 to be easily-accessible for the Birmingham-Bloomfield com- munity. “I took everything that I didn’t like from places where I’ve been with my kids and loo...…
…38 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 Fascination Factory. In case kids (or parents) get hun- gry, there’s a vending machine with healthy snacks, all of which are nut- free. Many are also friendly to other common allergies. “As a mom, I know that snacks can be difficult when you’re out of the house,” Foon says. Children are free to play as they like at the center, but they’re also supported by Fascinators (team members) who help kids navigate differ...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 39 ERETZ I srael’s parliament, the Knesset, passed the first part in the planned overhaul of the country’s judiciary system on July 27. What does this new legislation do, and why is it so controversial? The Knesset passed legislation that abolishes the “reasonableness doctrine,” which the Supreme Court of Israel has employed to evaluate government poli- cies. It is a practice used by high courts in Australia, Cana...…
…4 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY for openers 80 is the New 40 O n July 21 I went to see John Lodge, one of the mainstays of the English singing group the Moody Blues, perform at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. I can’t recall the last time I went to a live rock and roll concert. A telltale sign it had been a verrrrry long time was the fact that Lodge just turned 80 years old the day before his appearance, which, by the w...…
…40 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 MAZEL TOV! Feinberg 90th J oanne Feinberg of West Bloomfield will mark the milestone of her 90th birthday on Aug. 12, 2023. Recognizing her kindness, resilience and devotion, her family sends love and best wishes. Her children are Harvey, Nora, Pamela; grandchildren are Rebecca, Rachel, Michelle, Leah, Emily, Martin; great-grandchildren are Daniella, Shay, Elisheva, Nathan, Natalie, Natania. Traison-Ste...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 41 The Joy in Judaism H ow can we expect our children to embrace Judaism if they perceive our history and rituals as burdens? Just two weeks ago, we observed Tisha b’Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. It is not just one sad day but the culmination of the period, known as the Three Weeks, which began on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, which amongst other things is the tragic day Moses shat...…
…42 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 Y ou are children of the Lord your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession.” (Deut. 14:1-2) These words have had a considerable history within Judaism. The first inspired the famous statement of Rabbi Akiva: “Beloved is man...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 43 anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the prophet’s grandson, at Karbala. People flagellate themselves with chains or cut themselves with knives until the blood flows. Some Shia authorities strongly oppose this practice.) The Torah sees such behavior as incompatible with kedushah, holiness. What is particularly interesting is to note the two-stage process in which the law is set out. It appears first in...…
…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...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 45 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...…
…46 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 I n a little more than one decade, Jewish women have authored dozens of book- length graphic works focused on their personal lives as they navigate the conditions of modern Jewish life. Consumers of so-called “comics” have long appreciat- ed the many Jewish men who contributed words and draw- ings to the genre. Since Will Eisner’s influential A Contract with God, those authors have used the works to express ...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 47 child.” In melding the two sto- ries, Lightman explores child- bearing as a focus of desire, fear, doubt, anxiety and also as “central to Judaism.” In Broken Eggs, produced in collaboration with artist Emily Steinberg, Lightman writes, “Growing up Jewish, born 20 years after the end of World War II, there was a certain unspoken obligation that we, the next generation, would replace those lost in the Shoah . ....…
…48 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 GADOT’S NEW FLICK, MORE SACKLER TSURIS, ANIMATED FUN, BARBIE AND “OPPY” Heart of Stone is a thriller film that starts streaming on Netflix on Aug. 11. Basic plot: International intelligence agent Rachel Stone (Israeli actress Gal Gadot, 38) works for a mysterious “good guy” agency called Charter. This agency keeps a secret eye on other spy agencies. Stone, pretending to be a computer tech, infiltrates a ...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 49 ABSTRACT ART NOW-SEPT. 12 The art of Dr. Chanel Beebee at Swords into Plowshares Peace Center & Gallery, 33 E. Adams, Detroit; 313-963- 7575. RIVERFRONT EVENT AUG. 11-13 (FRI.-SUN.) “Good Moves, Good Grooves” will take place along the riverfront. The free weekend event will include a major concert, a youth three-on-three basketball tournament, a sports showcase and a 1-mile fun run. Presented by the Will...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 5 Safe area = 7.5 x 9.75 Trim blue area = 8.5 x 10.75 Bleed yellow area = 9 x 11.25 UB-A -DUB HONORING THE TAPPER FAMILY Leora & Mark Tapper Marla & Brian Young Barbara Tapper Patti & Steven Tapper Susan & Howard Tapper The Rogers Family Foundation PRESENTS Samantha and Ryan Lash TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 12 2 23 AD JOURNAL/ SPONSOR OPPORTUNITIES HELP HONOR THE TAPPER FAMILY BY SERVING AS AN EVENT SPONSOR ...…
…50 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 yrs.); no cost for children under 2 years. Registration is required: temple-israel.org/ event/HavdalahCampOut. FILM THEATER 8 PM, AUG. 12 (FRI.) The Detroit Film Theater is in the DIA on Woodward in Detroit. Godland is a film directed by Hlynur Pálmason in 2022. In the late 19th century, a casually arrogant Danish priest Lucas (Elliott Crosset Hove) makes the perilous trek to Iceland’s sparsely populated ...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 51 Tuesday, August 22 11:30 am Jewish Senior Life I Meer Apartments 6760 W Maple Rd, West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322 Explore our community online at jslmi.org AUGUST 11:30 AM 22 Dine + Discover People of all faiths and beliefs are welcome. There’s more to healthy aging than diet and exercise. Join us for lunch, and learn how a multidimensional approach to wellness can improve your quality of life with vital...…
…thejewishnews.com/newsletter Weekly Headlines Delivered to Your Inbox. 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. Aaron Mendelson Heating and Cooling, LLC. 248-855-0437 Cell: 248-912-2292 License # 7118488 Maintenance, Installatio...…
…AUGUST 10 • 2023 | 53 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Alan E. Schwartz: A Detroit Giant W hile he is best known as a legal legend who co-founded the prestigious Honigman law firm, Alan E. Schwartz was also a dedicated Jewish community leader, an avid Detroit supporter, a generous philanthropist and patron of the arts, a devoted public servant and a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandf...…
…54 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY had a sense of humor, enjoying a good laugh over a clever joke. Inspired by their father’s example, all three children have continued his legacy of community service in their own lives. Schwartz earned honors and awards from numerous organizations for his selfless service, including the prestigious Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. ...…
