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…$200 Feb. 16-22, 2023 / 25 Shevat-1 Adar 5783 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Celebrate the young Jewish professionals making a difference in our region. See page 12 36 36 UNDER …

…10 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY continued from page 9 of law; and an independent judiciary.” The proposed legal “reform” would deal a lethal blow to four of these five principles. Should it pass in its current format, the Supreme Court has strong grounds for declaring it null and void. The message is clear: Changes are possible, and there are certainly improve- ments to be made. There is a need for a Basic Law on legi...…

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…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 13 DINI PETERSON Dini Peterson is the chief program officer of Family and Community Services at Jewish Family Service. Since graduating with her master’s in social work from Wayne State University, Dini has focused on serving the Detroit Jewish community. As a proud graduate and parent of local Jewish day schools, Dini was inspired to pursue social work to support her community with “homegrown” resources....…

…George in the Adirondacks; they competed together in regattas across the country and in Canada. RACHEL FINE Rachel has been part of the Metro Detroit Jewish community for as long as she can remember. She grew up in Southfield and attended Temple Beth El until graduation, where she served as the youth group president. After going away to Kalamazoo College, Rachel returned to our community where she spent five years living and...…

…to all those named to the 36 under 36 list including the following Temple Israel members: We are very proud of these young Jewish leaders and the incredible impact they are making in our community. Judy Landau Aaron Markovitz Erica Meyers Marisa Meyerson Andrew Moss Ryan Rosenberg Emma Trivax Nikki Wald 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield MI 48323 | www.temple-israel.org | 248-661-5700 …

…listen to music, bargain hunt, exercise and work her many side hustles. RACHEL WALL Rachel is the communica- tions and devel- opment manag- er at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor. In this role, Rachel is proud to facilitate the philanthropic efforts that enrich Jewish life in greater Ann Arbor, strengthen civil society in Israel and support the most vulnerable Jews around the world. Rachel has long been passionate abo...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 17 MAZEL TOV MAZEL TOV Sara Weinfeld for being honored as one of this year’s for being honored as one of this year’s 36 UNDER 36 36 UNDER 36 Jewish Family Service is thrilled for you to receive this honor recognizing your commitment and dedication to Frankel Jewish Academy and the community. Thank you for impacting the lives of the many students who have turned to you for guidance. Jewish Family Service is prou...…

…Berlin, Venice and Karlovy Vary film festivals. Andrew has served on the “Bucket List” of The Well and volunteers with the Michigan State Historical Marker program. He lives in Ypsilanti with his fiancée, Anna Megdell, a fiction writer, and their cat Diego — making his parents proud by moving back to Southeast Michigan. When they’re not planning their wedding, Andrew and Anna like browsing the Ann Arbor Farmers Market and Litera...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 19 MAZEL TOV on your selection as one of the 36 under 36! Now the rest of the community knows what we’ve known all along at Yad Ezra. SHANE SPERLING ONE OF THE BEST. MAZEL TOV SHANE SPERLING www.yadezra.org TOV MAZAL TO FJA ALUMNI IN THE JN's 36 UNDER 36 THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE WORK YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY! Rachel Devries Judy Landau Jennie Maxbauer Andrew Moss Hank Pinter Lauren Rubin Mall...…

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…AVRUMI LORKIS After graduating with a bachelor’s of science in biology from Wayne State University, Avrumi has applied his energies to teaching and has taught in some capacity at all of the Orthodox Jewish schools. He is currently teaching English at Yeshivas Darchei Torah and science at Vista Meadows Academy. Avrumi’s family has a storied history in Jewish Detroit. His recent ancestors were involved at Congregation Shaarey Z...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 21 MAZEL TOV MAZEL TOV Dini Peterson for being honored as one of this year’s for being honored as one of this year’s 36 UNDER 36 36 UNDER 36 Your commitment to Jewish Family Service and those we serve is one to be celebrated! You have spent the last 12 years at JFS with a focus on the well-being of our community and your impact has changed the lives of so many. Thank you for your dedication. May you go from stren...…

…formed Jewish Business Network. ELENA LUCHINA Elena Luchina serves as lecturer in Yiddish at the University of Michigan. She grew up in Moscow and holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her Yiddish language courses are also open for students at Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Iowa and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Elena helps the student find ways t...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 23 and Madrichim through high school graduation, she made sure to stay connected in any way she could. Even today, she tutors fourth- and fifth-grade Hebrew students to help pre- pare them for b’nai mitzvot. Erica earned her BA in envi- ronmental studies and German language and literature from the University of Michigan. Since coming back home and work- ing with The Well, she’s loved being able to reconnect wit...…

…HARRISON LEIBOW Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Harrison moved to the Detroit area during the summer of 2018 with his wife, Jillian. Shortly after his move, he started working at Hillel Day School as the K-4 school social worker. At Hillel, he is fortunate to collaborate with staff and families to best support the students’ social and emotional needs, especially in the school setting. Through coordinating outside re...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 25 struggling to keep their children busy, she started a business called Busy Box 4 Kids, developing skilled-based craft and activity boxes for children ages 2 through 5. Jamie was recruited to join Lamplighters Preschool, the Chabad of Royal Oak, as the director of education during the fall of 2020. After helping to build the foundation of Lamplighters, Jamie joined Hillel Day School as a head teacher in it...…

…in Chabad of Royal Oak, attending events and often consulting on program ideas. Having two children attending Hillel Day School, Jennifer has started volunteering with the PTO and is currently working to create programs throughout the year for Hillel’s ECC parents to attend. She enjoys going to Kensington Park to see the changing leaves and go for a hike. JUDY MARGOLIN LANDAU Judy Margolin Landau, 33, is a business strategy a...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 27 middle school trips. Mallory is always expressing her excitement about the “Hillel magic” that the students will come to appreciate, whether in the moment or as they head onto their next chapter. Her dedication to supporting students as they realize their own Jewish identities, and her overall love of Hillel, is clearly innate. She infuses these passions into everything she does to build students skills, ...…

…formance engineer at General Motors, responsible for the calibration of surround view cameras. Growing up attending Temple Shir Shalom, he was actively involved in SSTY Youth Group as a board member responsible for social affairs. The leadership opportunities it gave him have helped influence his current involvement with NEXTGen Detroit. Most recently, he’s been active in hosting events and developing engagement strategies for ...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 29 She is also the vice-chair of the Oakland County Bar Association’s Real Estate Committee and the Principal Associate Broker at NK Realty. She and her husband, Ryan, like trying new restaurants around the Metro Detroit area and enjoy traveling the world. Nargiz was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, and moved to the United States with her family at the age of 9. Russian is her first language. OR SHEMER Or is the a...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 36 Under 36 Celebrate the young Jewish professionals making a difference in our region. 34 Ensuring Jewish Continuity Will our children and grandchildren be Jewish? 36 One Thing I Wish You Knew UMatter’s annual event hopes to abolish the stigma associated with mental health challenges. 38 How We Met ‘All in ...…

…degree from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree from Touro University Nevada. Her career began at Tamarack Camps, where she ran family camp weekends and oversaw camper recruitment. Rachel then worked for Gesher Human Services, coaching young Jewish adults in finding satisfying employment, running professional networking events, strategically connecting with area businesses, and creating and hosting the “Rachel and t...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 31 she has achieved favorable settlements for clients against Walmart, PepsiCo, Amazon and the State of Michigan, just to name a few. Alleging discrimination or harassment against an employer is not without obstacles; employers have wide deference to make decisions as it relates to hiring and firing employees. Ryan fights an uphill battle for her clients daily, believing their experiences when the cards see...…

…Hills where she was an active leader in BBYO and Tamarack Camps. During her undergraduate years, she held many leadership positions at MSU Hillel, with a focus on increasing participation and engagement. In her free time, Sara enjoys hiking, spending time with her friends and family, traveling and attending country music concerts. SHANE SPERLING Shane Sperling, a graduate of the Central Michigan University’s integrative pu...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 33 curious minds seemed to be his calling. After six months in Tel Aviv, he returned home to spend time with family before making the final move. However, fate intervened. While working and saving up some much-needed money — his excursion in Tel Aviv was anything but affordable — he met the woman who is now his wife. His calling remained the same though, so he decided to continue his education in Jewish his...…

…34 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 Y ou paid your congrega- tion dues for decades. You sent your children to religious school — maybe even a Jewish day school — and to Jewish camps. But do you feel confident that your chil- dren and grandchildren will be Jewish in the decades to come? That’s the question a panel of experts will try to address in a program co-hosted by Temple Kol Ami and B’nai Israel Synagogue in West Bloomfield at 11 a.m. S...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 35 adapt and reimagine themselves. Raised on a sheep farm in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Starr earned an undergradu- ate degree in education and Judaic studies, a master’s in social work and a cer- tificate in Jewish communal service from University of Michigan. She spent many sum- mers on the staff of Camp Ramah in Canada. Starr and her husband, Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, live in South...…

…36 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY F riendship Circle, Friendship House and the Andrew Kukes Foundation for Social Anxiety are inviting all members of the community to join them in their highly anticipated One Thing I Wish You Knew event, which takes place on March 5. Four speakers plan to share their personal stories of strength and hope, showcasing their resilience in the face of their mental health struggles. According to ...…

…• The William Davidson Jewish College Loan Program is a need-based, interest-free loan program for Jewish Michigan residents. • Qualifying students must be enrolled in full-time accredited colleges or universities in Michigan. • Free Application for Student Financial Aid at www.fafsa.ed.gov to be completed for eligibility. • Financial need determination includes demonstrating active pursuit of all available funding resources. ...…

…38 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 A ccording to Jewish lore, there’s no such thing as coincidence. We are precisely where we’re meant to be at any given time. So when a couple comes about because of a “chance meeting,” we can assume that is the reason they were there. Rebecca Roberts and Dean Lugashi of Southfield met in the summer of 2012 while doing something neither of them had ever done before or since: They both happened to be wo...…

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…4 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY M y name is Michal Neuman; I am a proud ShinShinit in Metro Detroit. ShinShin is a Hebrew acronym for Shnat Sherut (year of service). Each year, Federation’s Israel and Overseas Department brings ShinShinim for a year of service where we work in Detroit’s community, running programs and making connections. I spend my days at Federation, Hillel Day School, Temple Shir Shalom and any...…

…OUR COMMUNITY SUB DEPARTMENT I an Mendel’s journey to Federation’s Motor City Mission trip in March is one of a yearning for identity, religious connection and a 50th birthday present for the ages. Ian Mendel was adopted. With it being a closed adoption and the records sealed, he had no knowledge of his biological, religious or cultural identity growing up. His adoptive parents were Christian, so he went to Sunday school and occasio...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 41 TOP: Amy’s mother Ronna Widenbaum, Amy, Ian and their twins Doren and Frieda. LEFT: Ian opening his 50th birthday present early on Chanukah. Israel in my studies and from Amy and her family’s experienc- es has been truly fascinating, and I’ve yearned to experience it all for myself for a very long time, ” Ian said. Ian is also a photographer and videographer, so besides wanting to visit Israel on the back of h...…

…42 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 J eff Aisen of Huntington Woods is this week’s Volunteer of the Week. Aisen has been a volunteer photographer for JARC and many other Jewish Detroit agencies for many years. “He just has a way of capturing people that we serve in this really deep and personal way, and he really allows us to help tell the JARC story,” said JARC’s Director of Philanthropy Jenny Kabert. Aisen was involved with JARC even before h...…

…$500 toward Cap Cost Reduction with the lease through Honda Financial Services of a select new and not previously reported sold on 2023 Civic, HR-V, CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Odyssey to qualified current owners of any 2013 or newer Honda. Excludes Civic Si and Type R. Must provide proof of ownership of eligible vehicle in the form of a current vehicle registration or proof of valid auto insurance. Offer not available to customer...…

…44 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 E nthusiastic and tal- ented volunteers of all ages participated in Adat Shalom’s ninth annual Volunteer Day, supporting many organizations through- out Metro Detroit. Working together to create more than 1,000 items to benefit those in need made it fun for all ages at the Farmington Hills syn- agogue. Projects included creating no-sew fleece scarves, cutting plastic bags to make plarn (plastic yarn), asse...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 45 Farber Hebrew Day School hosted a Saturday night, community-building Melaveh Malka on Jan. 14. More than 160 people were in attendance for this fun event. It started off with a musical Havdalah led by fifth-grade Judaic studies teacher Rabbi Joshua Strosberg. Families then joined together for singing and dancing, bringing the packed room to life as students, parents and teachers joined together to celebrat...…

…NEXT DOR N EXTGen Detroit’s annual fundrais- ing event will be a night of glitz, glamour and giving back this year, as an EPIC night at the casino. It takes place on March 4 from 8-11:30 p.m. at The Treasury in Pontiac. The event is brought to the community by Sue and Alan J. Kaufman and Family. The red carpet will be rolled out to usher guests into a glittering casino featur- ing all the classic table games, roulette, slots ...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 47 INCREASE SELF-CONFIDENCE kathy.tosoian@dalecarnegie.com 248-867-6138 MONDAY, MARCH 13TH 6PM-7:30PM INFORMATION SESSION: Designed to prepare teens for the real world. It helps them develop the skills they need to reach their potential! PLEASE CONTACT KATHY TOSOIAN FOR MORE INFORMATION, TO RESERVE SEATS FOR THE ORIENTATION, OR TO ENROLL IN THE CLASS DALE CARNEGIE FOR TEENS ABOUT THE CLASS Through our interest ...…

…48 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 Israeli Rescue Teams Saving in TurkeyLives ERETZ U nited Hatzalah, the world’s largest volun- teer emergency medi- cal service, has a team of 25 vol- unteers on the ground in Turkey to help save lives following the devastating earthquakes that have claimed the lives of more than 35,000 people as of Feb. 13. The team consists of doctors, medics, search-and-rescue specialists and psychotrauma experts, and...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 49 who is lost in the street with- out his parents, that’s a suc- cess, ” said Cohen. There is a mix of both Jewish and Muslim volunteers working on the ground, the latter of which have also been of great help in assisting with translation, he noted. United Hatzalah has plans to increase the rescue effort fivefold, including bringing in more volunteers and equip- ment, such as respirators to help the affected re...…

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…50 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 SPORTS A ri Eizen hadn’t been to the David Tanzman Memorial Tournament at Farber Hebrew Day School in Southfield since 2018. That was the basketball tournament’s first year. It was an especially meaningful tournament for Eizen, then a Farber high school senior, because he was one of the tournament founders. After graduating from Farber and studying in Israel, Eizen is back home. He’s a graduate student pursu...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 51 No Medal, No Problem Team USA didn’t make it to the medal round in women’s hockey last month at the World University Games. While that was a disappointment for team mem- ber Sasha Hartje of Bloomfield Hills, she wouldn’t have traded the experience in upstate New York for the world. “I have no regrets. It was incredible. Totally worth it. I’m extremely happy that I did it,” she said. Hartje’s hockey career is comi...…

…52 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 T his January, six undergraduate students were selected to lead University of Michigan Hillel as members of the Undergraduate Governing Board. This term’s student board are Sari Rosenberg (’25), Greta Loewenthal (’25), Jacob Ellenbogen (’25), Noah Volin (’25), Jamie Feldman (’25) and Mia Hirsch (’25). Each one of these leaders brings a different perspective to the board based on their previous involvement, ...…

…FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 | 53 been a leader with the FreshConnect program, Jewish Feminist Circle group and a member of the Jewish Learning Fellowship. She was also a student leader on the Campus Leaders Israel trip this winter. “My goal is to help students find that love and connection that I have for Judaism and, through this role, I will be able to do that,” Mia says. As the major events officer on the Governing Board, Mia will be...…

…54 | FEBRUARY 16 • 2023 A s the president of Students for Israel at Wayne State University as part of Hillel of Metro Detroit, I had the opportunity to recruit, plan and implement a trip for non- Jewish student leaders (accompanied by five pro-Israel Hillel student leaders) to Israel and the Palestinian territories. The trip was designed to showcase both Palestinian and Israeli narratives. We heard from key politicians, journalist...…