…The JN celebrates Israel@75. See page 12 The JN celebrates JN celebrates JN Years of a Jewish Homeland Years a Jewish a Jewish Homeland Years $200 May 11-18, 2023 / 20-26 Iyar 5783 $200 May 11-18, 2023 / 20-26 Iyar 5783 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT May 11-18, 2023 / 20-26 Iyar 5783 thejewishnews.com Years of Years Years …
…10 | MAY 11 • 2023 essay Israel At 75: A Richer, Stronger Nation T oday’s Israel is much different from the Israel of my youth. It is richer, stronger and much more diverse. I grew up in a seemingly egalitarian Israel, where our economy rested on socialist principles. The kibbutz (collective farm community) was the symbol of our society’s success well into 1970s and beyond, and it produced most of our military and political ...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 11 tion. This stunning event fol- lows repeated public criticism of the Saudis by President Biden over the Khashoggi killing. Riyadh reacted to Biden’s hostility and softening of American sup- port. The growing influence of China and Russia in the Middle East does not bode well for Israel or the USA. Furthermore, Israel, unlike any other country, faces the exis- tential threat of annihilation. A soon-to-be nuc...…
…12 | MAY 11 • 2023 75 Years of a Jewish OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER …
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 13 T his year, Israel celebrates 75 years of independence as a Jewish state. Commemorations were held by Israelis, diaspora Jews and their friends around the world. It is indeed a special occasion for an extraordinary nation. It is nothing short of miraculous that Israel has transformed itself from a poor, nascent country into one of the world’s most prosperous, high-tech nations, all within seven decades....…
…14 | MAY 11 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) is considered the spiritual father of modern Israel. An Austrian-Hungarian lawyer, journalist, writer and activist, Herzl become convinced that Jews needed a homeland. To champion this cause, he published Der Juderstaat (The State of the Jews) in 1896. Herzl then convened and chaired the first Zionist Conference in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897. This was the bir...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 15 Wednesday, June 21 I 7:00PM The Berman Center for the Performing Arts The J, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322 jewishdetroit.org/awards Frank A. Wetsman Young Leadership Award Shimon G. Levy Sylvia Simon Greenberg Young Leadership Award Amye Goldhaber Mark-Lis Family Young Leadership Award George M. Roberts The Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Award for Outstanding Jewish Communal Service Trace...…
…16 | MAY 11 • 2023 could erupt into pogroms like those Jewish immigrants had experienced in Eastern Europe and Russia. For these members of the diaspora, a Jewish homeland was necessary as a place of refuge for Jews, a state devoted to Jewish religion and culture. Prominent members of Detroit’s Jewish community were decidedly and openly Zionist. Rabbi A.M. Hershman founded the Zionist Organization of Detroit, and Rabbi Judah Levin, ...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 17 Europe who are anxious to begin life anew in the Yishuv. ” In the aftermath of WWII and the Holocaust, the Zionist cause became an urgent matter. Despite restrictions imposed by the British government on Jewish immigration to Eretz Yisrael, its population steadily increased. Many serious disagreements and conflicts occurred between Jews and British Mandate Palestine authorities as Jews became increasingly anxious t...…
…18 | MAY 11 • 2023 JEWISH DETROITERS PROVIDE SUPPORT During critical periods in its history, Jewish Americans have been generous in their support of Israel. Jewish Detroiters and Michiganders have always maintained a close relationship with Israel and have made great contributions to its well-being. This intimate connection continues to this day. Definitive proof can be found in thousands of reports in the Detroit Jewish Chronic...…
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…20 | MAY 11 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY T he Woodward Avenue Shul in Royal Oak was a recent target of antisemitic hate speech in the form of graffiti. On April 28, about two hours before Shabbat, the Royal Oak Police Department informed the shul’s Rabbi Mendel Polter of a swastika spray- painted on the front outside wall of the building. The suspect, a 35-year-old woman, Randi Lucille Nord of Clinton Township, was taken into custordy la...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 21 paramilitary and political organizations based in Ukraine. The battalion has a history of neo-Nazi leanings. MORE IN OAK PARK Another incident took place on an Oak Park family’s property on the evening of April 25, when resident Shaul Anthony found a swastika drawn on a baby stroller. Anthony called the Oak Park Police Department the next day and made a report. An investiga- tion is currently ongoing. That sam...…
…22 | MAY 11 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY Judge Marla Parker Judge Jamie Wittenberg Details To RSVP for JBAM’s annual awards banquet at 6 p.m. Monday, May 22, go to jlive. app/events/3952. The cost is $36 for JBAM members and $48 for others by May 12; after that it is $48/$60. Judges are invited for free and may email JBAM President Nargiz Nesimova at nargiz.nesimova@gmail. com to get a complimentary registration code. CBS DETROIT …
…A Heartfelt ‘Thank You’ Two beloved judges to be honored by the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan. DAVID SACHS CONTRIBUTING EDITOR T here will be emotional moments on May 22 when the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan (JBAM) recognizes the contributions of two local jurists. One judge will be feted for her ongoing lifetime achieve- ments — the other will be celebrated posthumously for all the good he accomplished in a life cut s...…
…continued from page 23 OUR COMMUNITY 24 | MAY 11 • 2023 mation so that the court can make good decisions about setting a bond so we can pro- tect the public while a case is pending. “In addition, ” Judge Parker said, “the Council provides ongoing education about the dynamics of domestic violence so that we can make more edu- cated decisions when the cases come in front of us for sentenc- ing or other decision-making along the way....…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 25 Robert Wittenberg, said, “Jamie was always just a kind, com- passionate, modest person, always looking to help people. He worked in the prose- cutor’s office in Wayne and Macomb counties before decid- ing he wanted to become a judge. “I can’t tell you how many messages we received from attorneys that reached out to us saying that Jamie was either very influential or helpful when they were getting their car...…
…26 | MAY 11 • 2023 W hen I asked Fr. Patrick Desbois what he hopes peo- ple get out of his appearance at Jewish Family Service’s Spotlight Event on May 24, his answer surprised me. “I hope they will not sleep well after, ” he said. “Because when we see peo- ple sleep well, they forget what is hap- pening. ” A Roman Catholic priest, distinguished author, university professor, historian, forensic detective and world-renowned h...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 27 CHAMPION 2023 CORPORATE SPONSORS Adam Bornstein/Merrill Lynch • Advance Plumbing and Heating Supply Co • Bloom Advisors • Bold Flow • Citizens Bank • Cool Jack’s Cooper Glass Homes • Core Litigation Support • EverVideo • Famous Dave’s BBQ • Fifth Third Bank • Fink Bressak Frameable Faces • Horizon Financial Group, Inc • JP Morgan Chase & Co. • Kandle Dining Services • Kaye Financial Lash Rubin Orthodontics • Lipton L...…
…28 | MAY 11 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY H illel Day School will honor its 2023 Dream Maker Awardees Paula and Louis Glazier for their remarkable impact on their family, Hillel Day School and the Jewish community at Hillel’s Annual Gala on Sunday, May 21, at the school. The parents of Ilana Glazier (Hillel Class of 1990) and Mindy Civan (Class of 1992) became actively involved in the school as parents and continued to be involved until ...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 29 T he Shalom Club, a group of about 140 Jewish residents of Fox Run, an upscale senior community in Novi, is producing an orig- inal musical performance, My Wedding at Fox Run, this spring. The musical parody was the idea of Dr. Stuart Falk, a retired den- tist and Fox Run resident, who has written many musical shows for his fraternity and synagogue. While at least one couple has met at Fox Run and subse- quentl...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 75 Years of a Jewish Homeland The JN celebrates Israel@75. 20 Royal Oak Synagogue, Oak Park Community Targeted with Antisemitism 22 A Heartfelt ‘Thank You’ Two beloved judges to be honored by the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan. 26 Spotlight: Never Again Fr. Patrick Desbois is the guest speaker for this year’s JFS Spotlight Event...…
…30 | MAY 11 • 2023 B ageling” is when one Jew notices another and says something (often which may seem out of the blue) with the sole intent of making sure the other person knows that they, too, are Jewish. In the fall of 2008, Jerry Wayne moved back to Michigan from Florida and began selling home security systems. When he noticed the mezuzah on the doorpost of one house, he saw an easy way to score points with a potential custo...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 31 From Auschwitz to Wall Street Legend UNSTOPPABLE: UNSTOPPABLE: Sunday, May 21 1:00 PM at The Zekelman Holocaust Center Join us for an Exclusive Member Event with bestselling author Joshua M. Greene. Unstoppable tells the incredible true story of Siggi B. Wilzig, who survived Auschwitz, immigrated to the United States, and built an oil and banking empire. To become a member of The HC and register for the event,...…
…32 | MAY 11 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY J ewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit is celebrating its 30th annual fundraising celebration, Eight Over Eighty, on May 21 at 11:30 a.m. The event takes place at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Master of ceremonies Al Muskovitz will kick off the gala luncheon with a film about the eight honorees. Eight students from the Sam and Jean Frankel Jewish Academy — Rosalia Aronov, Ant...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 33 Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation. .org We Have Answers. Need help finding senior care? Call jhelp at 1-833-44-JHELP Visit jhelp.org Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org Do all of the above ✗ Q …
…34 | MAY 11 • 2023 B ’nai Moshe volunteers played a prominent role on March 19, helping Yad Ezra prepare Passover boxes for Yad Ezra’s client families. The boxes con- tained 14 kosher-for-Passover items that were loaded on pallets in the Yad Ezra ware- house. During the two-hour shift, 12 B’nai Moshe mem- bers, alongside approximately 20 other volunteers, assembled 780 boxes for families. The following week, B’nai Moshe members ...…
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…38 | MAY 11 • 2023 W ant to enjoy the great outdoors this summer without the hassles usually associated with living under the stars? “Glamping”— glamorous camping — might be just what you need. At least that’s what Lauren and Jason Blanford of Boyne Falls are hoping. The couple will open Lost Woods Farm & Forest soon for their third summer season. The site has three platform tents and a small A-frame cabin that sleep two to six pe...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 39 school in Adelaide, Australia, so Lauren went with him. He earned a master’s in wine mar- keting and she a master’s in international marketing. “We even found a temple there to attend Rosh Hashanah services and celebrated Passover with Jason’s thesis adviser, ” she said. The Blanfords now have two children, Fiona, 9, and Asa, 7. When they returned to Chicago after two years in Adelaide, Lauren accepted a tra- dit...…
…4 | MAY 11 • 2023 for openers When Harry Met Big Al L egendary singer, actor, WWII veteran and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte passed away at age 96 on April 25. The news of his passing instantly opened the floodgates of some of the most cherished memories of my career and life. I was given the high privilege of performing on stage with Harry — not just once, but twice! Don’t fact check me. I have witnesses and, as y...…
…40 | MAY 11 • 2023 here’s to Ian Weinberg is a 17-year-old investor, author and high school student from Birmingham who has just published his first book: Invest Early to Grow Your Wealth, which is currently available on Amazon. For more than 20 years, Northwestern Mutual financial adviser Carol Hoffer has been dedicated to giving back to her community, specifically through the Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Washtenaw County...…
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…42 | MAY 11 • 2023 SPORTS T he final stop in Josh Nodler’s college hockey career will be Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He hopes he’s saved his best for last. Bowling Green will be the 22-year-old Berkley High School graduate’s third team in three years. After playing three seasons at Michigan State University, Nodler transferred to the University of Massachusetts, played one season there, and now has moved on to Bowl...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 43 How much do academics mat- ter in the Bowling Green hockey program? Last season, 17 Bowling Green hockey players were named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s All-Academic list (3.0 or higher grade-point average) and 13 were Scholar- Athletes (3.5 or higher GPA). On the ice, the Falcons were 15-19-2 and fin- ished in third place in the CCHA. But this is a traditionally strong program that has sent man...…
…44 | MAY 11 • 2023 O n May 22, Jewish young adults will have a chance to meet and hear from local Holocaust survivor Rene Lichtman. Born in Paris, France, in 1937, Lichtman was the son of Polish Jews who fled the Lublin area of Poland in 1936 to escape the growing Nazi terror. As part of ongoing NEXTGen Detroit programming, “Their Testimony. Our Responsibility” is intended for young adults ages 21 to 39. NEXTGen Detroit is ...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 45 matter,” says Zekelman Holocaust Center director of education Ruth Bergman. “Just as language, culture and customs built our foun- dation and our collective Jewish history, whether or not we have a direct con- nection to the Holocaust has also shaped the Jewish people.” At the free Zekelman Holocaust Center event, participants will not only hear Lichtman’s story, but will also discuss what col- lective responsib...…
…NOSH DINING AROUND THE D O n my list of favorite sweets, man- del bread has never rated highly. I typically find the bite-sized, crunchy bar cookies to be dry and kind of dull to eat, if you know what I mean. Then Facebook friend Ron Elkus, retired owner of the Shirt Box clothing store, posted a rave review for his friend’s home-baked Goldie’s Mandel Bread. As he put it: “ Amazing!! Guarantee you will love them — if not, I will e...…
…Community Coalition (www. gwbcoalition.org). She previ- ously worked in banking. Berkey’s organization is involved with efforts to keep West Bloomfield, and par- ticularly youth under age 18, “healthy, safe and free from substance use. ” Toward that end, Berkey and her colleagues work with local organizations, agencies, concerned citizens, policy makers, educators, stu- dents and parents to provide “leadership, education, resourc- es...…
…48 | MAY 11 • 2023 ERETZ J ewish Federations of North America hosted its Israel at 75 General Assembly during the last week in April “with calls for deeper engagement between Israel and the North American Jewish community.” The event overlapped with Israel’s Memorial and Independence Days with seminars in Tel Aviv the first day and then site visits to commemorate the Holocaust, those that sacrificed over Israel’s existence and it...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 49 During the event, I spoke with Julie Platt, who currently serves as the chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, the second woman to hold that position after native-Detroiter Congresswoman Kathy Manning. ONE-ON-ONE WITH JULIE PLATT Jewish News: What has been the most meaningful part of being in Israel during the 75th anniversary year? Platt: I’ve never been in Israel for Yom Hazikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut, th...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 5 in my career. He wanted to know about my role on the Dick Purtan Show. I told him I played a sidekick character on the morning show known as Big Al Muskavito. “Harry,” I said, “I’m Italian by morning and Jewish by night.” Little did I know that line would be revisited in a most surprising way. As the dinner party wound down, I was surprised with yet another invitation to team up with Harry for a bonus engageme...…
…50 | MAY 11 • 2023 ERETZ I srael, like most other countries, has a parliament (the Knesset) and considers Jews worldwide to be part of Am Yisrael, the Jewish nation family. How are Jews spread around approxi- mately 80 countries thus represented? “The WZO is the democratically elected parliament of the Jewish people, ” says Tova Dorfman, new World Zionist Organization president and former Oak Park and Farmington Hills resident. “Yet...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 51 and American Jewish com- munities right now? Platt: Our presence, our thoughts, our engagement have been welcomed with open arms by everyone on every side in every conver- sation, and I am very glad about that. We will contin- ue to express our thoughts, but I think our relationship with the State of Israel has never been closer. It’s about sharing openly the issues that are of great concern to the diaspora. We h...…
…MAZEL TOV! 52 | MAY 11 • 2023 Casey Jace Belen, son of Andrea and Jeffrey Belen, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, May 13, 2023. He will be joined in cele- bration by his sister Maya. Casey is the loving grand- child of Kenneth Korotkin, and Donna and Jack Belen. He is a student at Derby Middle School in Birmingham. Casey’s most meaningful mitzvah project was raisi...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 53 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...…
…54 | MAY 11 • 2023 T he first reference to Israel out- side the Hebrew Bible is on the Merneptah stele, a slab of black granite engraved in the days of Pharaoh Merneptah, successor to Ramses II, the man some scholars iden- tify as the Pharaoh of the Exodus. It says, “Israel is laid waste; her seed is no more.” The first reference to Israel outside the Bible is an obitu- ary. Israel’s enemies thought it was dead. More than 32 centu...…
