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…$200 March 17-23, 2022 / 14-20 Adar II 5782 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com There’s A Group for That Federation’s Affinities Department offers lots of options for Gen Xers. See page 12 …

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…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 3 contents contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 There’s A Group for That Federation’s Affinities Department offers lots of options for Gen Xers.12 16 Local Effort Effecting Change A global network is sending Ukrainian civilians supplies, battling Russian propaganda. 20 Someday … Is Here Rabbi Josh Warshawsky will lead Shabbaton at Congregation Shaarey Zedek ...…

…4 | MARCH 17 • 2022 I t is in times of crisis that the strength and resilience of our local and international Jewish community is most evident. This remarkable community has raised over $3 million to provide urgent support to the Jewish population of Ukraine. Roughly half of those funds have been allocated through the Jewish Federation’s Ukraine Emergency Campaign to our international partners on the ground: American Joint Distri...…

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…6 | MARCH 17 • 2022 update Operation Re-Connect A fter two years of COVID-restricted travel to Israel, Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA) CEO Scott Hiipakka finally arrived in the Start-Up Nation for a five-day whirl- wind visit in January. Meeting hosts rolled out the “red carpet” — meeting a real live American in the flesh, without the filter of a computer screen, was both exciting and encour- aging as we hopefull...…

…Guest Lecturer Dr. Katherine Kasdorf In 2019, the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) acquired a richly detailed, double-sided folio that once belonged to an album commissioned by the emperor Shah Jahan (r. 1628–58), patron of the Taj Mahal, toward the end of his reign. In this presentation, we will take a close look at the DIA folio, as well as related works, exploring its details, its historical and artistic contexts, and what it tells ...…

…8 | MARCH 17 • 2022 student’s corner Let Freedom Prevail “N ever shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never,” wrote Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel in his poem Never Shall I Forget. “We shall never forget” is often repeated on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, to mourn the death of more than 6 million Jewish people. Six million mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and fr...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 9 Ukraine may seem rather irrelevant to the tasks pre- sented in our everyday lives, we must understand its similarities to Adolf Hitler’s 1939 invasion of Poland. Hitler’s invasion was a sign of his intention to not only obtain more land, but also more influence. This invasion of a bordering country, like the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian conflict, would be the first act of Hitler’s regime, and the beginning of the ...…

…10 | MARCH 17 • 2022 essay Playing the Hand You’re Dealt I and a lot of other folks recently have learned how important our regular poker/canasta/bridge/mahj games were, when COVID showed up and made it much harder for us to meet in person. And while many of us found ways to play online or on Zoom, we soon learned that the intimate experience of guys or gals getting togeth- er around a card table was not the same online. T...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 11 me, and the subject of our respective weekly poker games came up. This guy was flying to St. Louis to meet up for a poker week- end with his old poker buddies who had spread throughout the country. He was planning to drive 500 miles to pick up a friend who otherwise wouldn’t have been able to come to the reunion game. The prospect of my week- ly poker game disappearing is sad and scary. While we continue to l...…

…ON THE COVER There’s A Group 12 | MARCH 17 • 2022 for That …

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 13 N eil Sherman didn’t grow up in Metro Detroit and wanted a better under- standing of the Jewish community. Bill Goldstein “got invited to a fun event.” Stacey Goodman wanted to give back to the organization that supported her family when she was younger. Her mom struggled financially, but she was able to go to Camp Tamarack because they received financial assistance. Josh Rubin went to Israel on a Federation ...…

…continued from page 13 14 | MARCH 17 • 2022 attorneys section that launched last fall. The real estate group had a brainstorm- ing session in 2020 to discuss the issues members faced due to the pandemic. According to Kaplan, participants offered great ideas on handling difficult situations created by COVID. Sherman, a 45-year-old Bloomfield Hills real estate attorney and investor, is involved with the attorney and real estate groups....…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 15 participants crediting Kaplan for the program’s accomplish- ments. “ A number of us participate because of the overreaching gift she has to be a connector within our community. It’s a balancing act of putting on a great event, getting a strong group of people there, tying them to our community; and she’s masterful, ” said Sherman. Kaplan, however, praises the department’s associate director Jodi Feld, the lay...…

…OUR COMMUNITY R ussian Five (2018) filmmaker Jenny Feterovich, a Soviet Jewish immigrant, is on the phone day and night orga- nizing supplies and medical care for Ukrainian civilians stuck in the middle of war. One hour, she’s working on finding shelter for nearly two dozen orphans. Another, she’s assembling what she calls a “laundry list” of first- aid items, like bandages and tourniquets, for Ukrainian soldiers and civilia...…

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…18 | MARCH 17 • 2022 ter, water, heat or means of escape. They work together through WhatsApp, Telegram and other cell phone apps, while raising money to help support various projects. “It’s a minute-by-minute type of situation, ” Feterovich says. Currently, the network assists all areas of Ukraine: Kharkiv, Kyiv, Kherson and regions in western Ukraine where many civilians are escaping to get away from the fighting. The biggest n...…

…0.99% APR ON SELECT CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED VEHICLES! *Available on approved credit through Honda Financial Services, 0.9% APR for up to 48 months on select new and unregistered 2022 Honda Pilot and HR-V models through 05/02/2022, for well-qualified buyers. Not all buyers will qualify. Higher financing rates apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. Actual down payment may vary. **$3,000 cash or $3,000 down payment assistance - trade value ...…

…20 | MARCH 17 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY Rabbi Josh Warshawsky serves as the rabbi-in-residence of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago. He was ordained as a rabbi in May 2019 from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles and has spent the past 20 summers at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin, and the last nine summers also teaching and performing at Ramah camps across the country. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, wi...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 21 We’re trying to live lives of meaning and purpose and trying to figure out how we can be a better version of ourselves today than we were yesterday. When I real- ized that’s so embedded in all that Judaism is, I wanted to share that with as many people as possible. Rabbi Dahlen: I’m wonder- ing if you have any thoughts on why prayer with inten- tionality can be so hard for us. How can we get into a place whe...…

…W hile there are many soldiers throughout Israel who serve for various reasons from the U.S. some follow in their family’s footsteps. That’s exactly what Joseph Icikson, whose grandparents live in Metro Detroit, decided to do. Joseph Icikson of New York, age 22, is an active combat soldier in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Instead of studying in college like most people his age, he decided to serve as a soldier in one of the world...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 23 who suffered and lost other family during World War II. “If the Jewish people had an army 80 years ago, we wouldn’t have had the Holocaust. Through his actions — and those of his fellow soldiers — the IDF is ensuring that the horrors we have seen in the Holocaust were not in vain, and that these atrocities will never happen again,” William said. Esther went on to explain how Joseph’s love for Israel started ...…

…24 | MARCH 17 • 2022 P assover can be one of the most expensive holidays on the Jewish calendar, and for the Orthodox community, who purchase many more kosher-for-Passover specialty products and carry out extensive additional cleaning, the cost can be thousands of dollars, causing financial stress. Even for those who consider themselves to be less observant, the costs associated with putting on a seder — especially with a l...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 25 As featured on: Need Help with an IRS or State Tax Problem? Call the experts at 1-800-TAX-LEVY (829-5389) • Tax Liens • Collection Notices • Penalties • Unfi led Tax Returns • Audits Call us today to answer your questions or to schedule a meeting and say goodbye to those sleepless nights! 1-800-TAX-LEVY (829-5389) www.levytaxhelp.com We Listen …. We Care … We Help! HQ: 28400 Southf eld Road., Lathrup Village, M...…

…OUR COMMUNITY U kraine is home to some 350,000 Jews. Now, Chabad- Lubavitch is tapping its sprawling international network to help keep them safe during the Russian invasion. “We’re in touch very much with what’s going on in Ukraine, ” says Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov of The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch in West Bloomfield. “There is a very active effort right now of a very large pro- portion on many levels. ” The Shul is one of many Chabad loca...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 27 “ A Chabad in Vienna offered to take in 1,000 refugees,” Rabbi Shemtov says as an example, one of many offers that have come through in recent days. DOING MITZVAHS FOR UKRAINE The quick and effective mobilization by Chabad, he says, leaves many people amazed, including himself. “It’s very heartwarming to see,” Rabbi Shemtov says. “We stand in awe watching these people doing things that seem superhuman, and...…

…OUR COMMUNITY O ver 100 Jews came together March 7 for the grand open- ing of the Chabad Jewish Community Center located in Auburn Hills. The event featured a ribbon cut- ting, building dedication, live music and a talk by Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein. More than two years after opening the Chabad Jewish Center of Troy, Rabbi Menachem and Chana Caytak took the next step in Fall 2021: signing a lease for the JCC a...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 29 place that can unite them, and everyone can grow in their spirit and connection with community and God,” Shemtov said. “Every Jew has it within them, and all you need is to create a space and shine a light and everyone comes together. In a time like this when so much is happening around the world and everyone is con- cerned, this is what we need. We need unity of mind and unity of spirit. When we can care and b...…

…30 | MARCH 17 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY F or 11 years, Emma Beach has been a member of the Girl Scouts, a youth organi- zation with more than 10 million mem- bers worldwide. The 14-year-old Rochester resident, like many other Girl Scouts, has made it a mission to help make the world a better place — a core building block of the Girl Scouts program. Yet for the teen, who is of Asian descent and grew up in a Catholic family, te...…

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…32 | MARCH 17 • 2022 A fter 50 years behind the counter of Detroit staple Hygrade Deli, Stuart Litt is retiring. Litt announced the sale of the business and building last March, and the deli’s sale was completed in December. The deli originally opened in 1955. Litt’s father, Bernie, bought the business in 1972. It’s known for its corned beef sandwiches, soups, chili and the deli’s signature sandwich, the Hygrade Reuben. The Hygr...…

…NEXT DOR O n the night of Saturday, Feb. 19, 26 young Jewish professionals attended an event with the University Musical Society (UMS), sponsored by Nicole and Matt Lester. The event included a pre-reception at the Bell Tower Hotel, with appearances by University of Michigan Hillel Executive Director Tilly Shemer, NEXTGen Detroit Director Tomer Moked and JFMD Shaliach Yiftah Leket. UMS president Matthew VanBesien provided a welcome sp...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 35 This production offered a group of 14 musical theater stu- dents from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater & Dance a different educational opportunity — the chance to perform alongside Broadway actors in a production led by a professional creative team, including Broadway director Sarna Lapine, music director Andy Einhorn, and lead actors Chuck Cooper (Tevye) and Loretta Ables Sayre (Golde). And did th...…

…S ince he was just 14 years old, Sruli (Michael) Klein has made it a mis- sion to help people. The CEO and founder of Klein’s Rentals, a resource that assists Jewish families in cre- ating a full kosher vacation experience, launched his first business in high school — a landscaping company. Before he was 15 and able to legally drive, Klein, now 26, hired two full-time employees. Later, he started a property restoration company to ...…

…“I thought about what I would need in a vacation and traveling with a large group, ” Klein says, noting that most of his clients travel in sizable groups of 20-45 people. “I tried to create a one-stop shop for a kosher traveler without having to compromise or miss on any aspect of their vaca- tion. ” Klein’s Rentals can help with all elements of vacation plan- ning, including finding a vaca- tion villa house to rent. The business, w...…

…I t was a long day at Ten Pin Alley in Tecumseh for the Frankel Jewish Academy bowling team. Frankel bowlers normally compete in the individual and team portions of the MHSAA regional tournament at Ten Pin over two days — individ- ual on Thursday instead of the scheduled day Saturday, and team on Friday, the scheduled day. But the Jaguars bowled only on Thursday this season (Feb. 24) because a snowstorm delayed the start of comp...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 39 quick hits BY STEVE STEIN The roster is set. Twenty-three teen ath- letes will represent Detroit at the revived JCC Maccabi Games this summer in San Diego. The Maccabi Games were canceled in 2020 and 2021 by the JCC Association of North America because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Not bad. Our allotment was 40 athletes, so we got more than 50% of that,” said Karen Gordon, Detroit’s delegation head, about the ...…

…up “probably because I was get- ting used to bowling a lot. “I actually liked bowling the individual and team rounds in the same day. It was fun, and we didn’t have to drive to Tecumseh twice (Tecumseh is about a 75-minute trek from Frankel).” Gordon finished 36th among 80 bowlers in the individual regional competition with 866 for six games. The 173 he rolled in his last game was his highest score of the six. The top 10 individual ...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 41 Gotlib 100th S amuel “Sam” Gotlib D.D.S., was born Feb. 18, 1922, in Toronto, Canada. He lived in Flint for 70 years and in Florida for 30 years. He was married to Muriel (Effman) Gotlib, who died three years ago after 72 years of marriage. His chil- dren are Michael and Sylvia Gotlib of Arizona, Deborah and Jules Marks of Illinois, and Daniel and Joanne Gotlib of Southfield. He has numerous grandchildren and...…

…42 | MARCH 17 • 2022 MAZEL TOV! 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) ...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 43 SPIRIT It Is All Relative W hat do Brian Doyle-Murray, Frank Stallone and Joey Travolta have in common? You’re correct if you answered that they are talented show busi- ness personalities who have a more famous brother. Then there’s Tommie Aaron. He was a quite decent major league baseball player in the 1960s and early 1970s. Though Tommie Aaron didn’t merit induction into the Hall of Fame, his achiev...…

…T he institution of the haftarah — reading a passage from the prophetic literature alongside the Torah portion — is an ancient one, dating back at least 2,000 years. Scholars are not sure when, where and why it was instituted. Some say that it began when Antiochus IV’s attempt to eliminate Jewish practice in the second century BCE sparked the revolt we celebrate on Chanukah. At that time, so the tradition goes, public reading fro...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 45 dispossessed wanderers home. When you see a person naked, clothe them: do not avert your eyes from your own flesh. (Is. 58:5-7) The message is unmistakable. The commands between us and God and those between us and our fellows are inseparable. Fasting is of no use if at the same time you do not act justly and compassionately to your fellow human beings. You cannot expect God to love you if you do not act lovingly...…

…Synagogue Directory CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org Ahavas Israel Grand Rapids (616) 949-2840 ahavasisraelgr.org Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.org Congregation Beth Israel Flint (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.org Congregation Beth Shalom Oak Park (248) 547-7970 congbethshalom.org Beth Tephilath Moses Mt. Clemens (586) 996-3138 bethtephilathmoses.com...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 47 Shomer Israel Oak Park (248) 542-4014 godaven.com Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomrey- emunah-105705.square.site The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Israel L...…

…T he era of 1930s Detroit was a peri- od of extreme upheaval. The Great Depression, the worst economic disaster in American history, reigned for the entire decade. Heavily dependent upon automobile manufacturing, Detroit felt the ravages of the Depression more deeply than any other major city. Severe economic distress, however, was just one of many serious issues facing Detroiters: there were also dangerous threats from crime and...…

…MARCH 17 • 2022 | 49 doesn’t have a job and he is dis- gruntled, mad at the world. He also sees himself as a victim of a changing society that includes African Americans, Catholics, Jews and communists, along with a grudge against a wide range of recent immigrants. Grissom is a perfect recruit for the notorious KKK-like orga- nization in Detroit: the Black Legion. For the decade or so that the Black Legion existed, it had members i...…

…E xperiences gained during 20 trips to India and more times to Israel, joined with research gleaned from dozens of texts, enter into the pages of Susan Adelman’s third book, From Jerusalem to Delhi, through Persia (Gorgias Press), published this March. Adelman, a Southfield resident active with Adat Shalom Synagogue, is scheduling pre- sentations to intro- duce her book-ex- pressed impressions exploring interreligious connectio...…