March 02, 2023 (vol. 174, iss. 20) • Page Image 1
…$200 March 2-8, 2023 / 9-15 Adar 5783 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com WDIV’s leading meteorologist Paul Gross retires after 40 years. See page 10 The Forecast: Sunny Days Ahead …
…$200 March 2-8, 2023 / 9-15 Adar 5783 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com WDIV’s leading meteorologist Paul Gross retires after 40 years. See page 10 The Forecast: Sunny Days Ahead …
…10 | MARCH 2 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER WDIV’s leading meteorologist Paul Gross retires after 40 years. SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY The Forecast: Sunny Days Ahead A fter decades as an award-winning television meteorologist, Temple Kol Ami member Paul Gross still enjoyed his work but decided that this was a good time to leave. “I had accom- plished everything I could do at WDIV , ...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 11 focuses on the importance of weather to the viewing audi- ence. “Weather is the No. 1 reason people watch television news, and we can show it more than before, ” Gross says. “I am providing information to peo- ple that will help them at the minimum plan their day or at the maximum help save their lives. My job becomes a job of public safety. ” Gross has provided much more than highly regarded weather reporting. ...…
…12 | MARCH 2 • 2023 weatherman like Sonny Eliot — the late well-known Detroiter weathercaster. Gross studied meteorology and graduated from the University of Michigan’s Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science. In his sophomore year, he became WDIV’s first weather intern and was later hired for a part-time, off-camera position. This led to part-time on-air positions in Lansing and at WKBD in Detroit, while still working ...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 13 no preparation was required for tornadoes. “Michigan is in the northern edge of tornado country, and we get fewer torna- does but they are more likely to be serious, ” Gross says. Through his efforts, two of the 10 drills required for students are now tor- nado drills — one of his proudest accom- plishments. Another personal point of pride is his role in the documentary Forecast: Overlord about the role of weather in...…
…14 | MARCH 2 • 2023 BETH AHM’S THE HOLIDAY OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY 7:30 PM MARCH 2 Purim is a big celebration. But the underlying themes of Purim are complex. How do Esther, Mordechai and the Jewish people find their way through the danger of Ahashverosh’s kingdom? What might we learn from the lessons they have left us? Join Rabbi Rubenstein to explore the story of Purim and what it can teach us today. Free and open to the community...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 15 THE SHUL’S HAMANTASH SHAPING @ BUSCH’S 1: 30 PM, MARCH 5 Get into the Purim spirit with J-Space @ Busch’s, 33300 W. 14 Mile Road, West Bloomfield. Join us as we flatten, fill and fold our hamantashen! Lots of fun fillings to create your delicious Purim treats! Get your time slot at theshul.net/ reservations. DETROIT JEWS FOR JUSTICE PURIM EXTRAVAGANZA 2 PM, MARCH 5 This gathering of Jewish progressives will featu...…
…16 | MARCH 2 • 2023 smiles to everyone who sees your pet in costume! On March 7, we will share the Purim Pet Parade (in the form of a slideshow) all over social media! On March 8, our distinguished panel of pet costume experts will select the winners of the Esther Award for Best Female Pet Costume and the Mordechai Award for Best Male Pet Costume. Winners will receive a special gift for their pets. Info at https://jlive.app/ event...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 17 Need Help with an IRS or State Tax Problem? 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...…
…18 | MARCH 2 • 2023 T he school cafeteria at Hillel Day School teemed with activity on Monday, Feb. 6 — the Jewish holiday of Tu b’Shevat — as students stepped out of their ordinary lunch routine to help the environment. Students and adult volunteers stationed themselves by bright green bins, assisting students and staff to determine what could go in the compost. Food scraps, compostable lunch containers, special plant-made ...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 19 significant impact.” This dedicated startup group of students met every week, starting in the fall, to design educational materials and logistics for the event. “My favorite part was the teamwork that made it happen. It wouldn’t have been possible with just one person!” said sixth-grader Maya Weingarden, who created an educational video for the whole school with fellow sixth-grader Ally Berman. “It was diffi...…
…Spring clean your skin and hair care regimen! Products due for a refresh? We’ve got the right ones for you. Join our clinical trials for psoriasis and eczema Led by Dr. Steven Grekin. Go to AdvancedDerm.com/clinicaltrials March specials Visit your location page at AdvancedDerm.com to learn more. Our family taking care of your family’s skin for 105 years. Offices in Livonia, Shelby Township, Southfield/Franklin, Warren, Wyandott...…
…20 | MARCH 2 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY W hen I was growing up in the 1970s, spending time in Israel generally meant living on a kibbutz. As a gay kid, this didn’t particularly appeal to me, and I didn’t visit until many years later, when, most recently, my husband, Michael Neumann, an anesthesiologist, and I were fortunate to be part of the Detroit Federation’s Forman 3 Leadership Mission. The experience was life-changing. This was cer...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 21 bank in the world; there are also numerous floors underground. It is protected from earthquakes, chemical and nuclear warfare, and more. Especially moving for us, we were able to give blood legally for the first time since the mid-1980s — something that is currently not an option for us in the United States although the FDC is now set to correct that deficiency. Set to open later this year is the new National Librar...…
…22 | MARCH 2 • 2023 T he relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can be complicated and tense. Especially for the proverbial Jewish mother-in-law who believes wholeheartedly that no woman out there could ever possibly deserve her perfect son — who also happens to be a doctor or lawyer, of course. So, it’s not too common to hear about a mother-in-law who made her son’s shidduch! Janice Adler grew up in Oak Park...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 23 I n November 2022, Temple Beth Emeth (TBE), together with their partners at Genesis of Ann Arbor-St. Clare’s of Assisi Episcopal Church, held their annual Erev Thanksgiving gathering. The evening was filled with songs by both choirs, readings and interpersonal conversations. But the highlight of the eve- ning was the presentation of the Genesis Humanitarian Award, this year given to Rabbi Josh Whinston of Temple ...…
…24 | MARCH 2 • 2023 F riendseder season is upon us. Friendseder started in 2019, inspired by the Friendsgiving trend, having a meal with friends leading up to the big Thanksgiving holiday. Friendseder is the sidekick to Passover that helps people gather with their friends prior to (or during) the week of Passover to make the holiday their own. This year, The Well is hosting the second annual Zingerman’s Friendseder Community Brunc...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 25 person. A $65 ticket also includes all the menu items for the four-course brunch. In the prerecorded video guide, Rabbi Jeff and Ives-Wilson walk participants through unboxing all their goodies and then noshing along with participants as they teach about each item and how it fits into the Friendseder meal, just like they will at the in-person brunch. Only this way, participants get to play and pause the video...…
…26 | MARCH 2 • 2023 B ack in October, walking on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Temple Israel mem- ber Simona Seiderman felt the history under her feet and all around her. “The significance of it, walking across freely, here and now, and how much people were willing to get beaten on this bridge, just for the right to vote,” she said. “There’s so much power in that, you can feel and can’t help reflecting on how peo- ple fought for t...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 27 OUR COMMUNITY D avid Glass of Huntington Woods, writer/content strate- gist for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, will be traveling to Israel for the first time on Federation’s Motor City Mission. Glass, 60, grew up in Oak Park and has been in the advertising business for over 30 years. Glass never truly had an interest in visiting Israel until he started working for Federation four years ago. ...…
…28 | MARCH 2 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY G esher Human Services, a nonprofit that helps Metro Detroiters with barriers to employment find jobs, is collaborating with Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CCS) to offer participants in its vocational Skill Building Program the opportunity to explore vary- ing disciplines of art in a semes- ter-long program. Gesher’s Skill Building Program provides Metro Detroiters with intellectual and ...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 29 have come across, ” she added. Sorrell explained that the new initiative came about after dis- abled adults who are attendees of a different, non-vocational program run by Gesher, were given the opportunity to join a CCS fashion design class in 2022. “Our Skill Building Program participants saw how much this group enjoyed their experience and really wanted a similar opportunity to explore jobs beyond more tradi...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-9 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 10 The Forecast: Sunny Days Ahead WDIV’s leading meteorologist Paul Gross retires after 40 years. 14 Purim Happenings Around Town Metro Detroit Jews have a bevy of choices to celebrate the holiday. 18 Green Efforts Take Root Hillel Day School’s Green Club holds successful Compost Day. 20 A Mission to Remember Couple cel...…
…30 | MARCH 2 • 2023 T his fall, Michigan State University will welcome a new set of triplets on campus. Bailey, Madison and Kylie Tarnopol of West Bloomfield never imagined that their college paths would cross. Yet when the 19-year-old identical triplets initially applied to different universities, they were shocked to find out that all three had been accepted to MSU. “I didn’t really think that we’d all get into MSU because ...…
…continued on page 32 T he 21st Interfaith World Sabbath will return to an in-person event after a COVID hiatus on Sunday, March 19, from 4 to 6 p.m. Temple Israel will host the 2023 interfaith celebration, which will include prayers, songs, dances and rituals of many Metro Detroit faiths. Young people from local Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and other con- gregations will be the focus. The program will feature the blowi...…
…32 | MARCH 2 • 2023 continued from page 30 continued from page 31 This fall, Madison Tarnopol will be joining MSU’s College of Engineering to study either electrical or architectural engineering. “I love to create and to draw,” she says. “I want to be the brains behind the cool inventions in the future.” Bailey Tarnopol has been accepted to MSU’s Lyman Briggs College, which is the university’s math and science school. “I’m goin...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 33 D rivers going west on Eight Mile Road near the Lodge Freeway in Detroit may be startled to see a large bright pink billboard that asks “Can a billboard end antisemitism? No. But you’re not a billboard.” The tagline at the bottom is “jewbelong.com.” Similar billboards appeared on highways in Macomb County last year. The one on I-94 in Clinton Township had a longer message: “We’re just 75 years since the gas cham...…
…34 | MARCH 2 • 2023 While it may be frigid and snow- ing, summer plans are already in full swing. If you’re looking for a fun, educational, and exciting summer experience for your children, look no further than Camp Gan Israel at the Shul! Shoppers at Busch’s Fresh Fruit Market as well as families who joined JEMS at The Shul were greeted on Sunday, Feb. 5, with a fun camp-themed booth at both of The Shul’s Tu b’Shevat events. Pot...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 35 The Social Action Committee of Congregation B’nai Moshe sponsored its Fleece & Thank You event on Jan. 29. It was a huge success as 45 volunteers showed up to assemble 26 blankets that were donated to children on extended hospital stays. Nearly $800 was raised, which covered the cost of these blanket kits. Stacey Whelan, who chaired the event, was ecstatic at the outpouring of donations and volunteers who ...…
…36 | MARCH 2 • 2023 A ndrew Stein, 41, grew up in Franklin, Michigan, and attended Detroit Country Day School in suburban Detroit, so he wasn’t particularly familiar with city life as a young person. But, after graduating from Michigan State University and working for City Year in Washington, D.C., for almost two years, his focus changed. City Year is a national program that brings young AmeriCorps members into schools to help ur...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 37 founded by Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg. In addition to its work as a grantor, the Foundation raises funds and advocates for chil- dren’s health and well-being. Focus areas include nutritional wellness, mental health, abuse and neglect, pediatric research, injury prevention and youth development. With an overall goal of improving the health of Michigan’s children, Stein says the position “aligned well with my perso...…
…38 | MARCH 2 • 2023 S ports card collecting is enjoying a big resurgence. Some cards are worth thousands of dollars. Some cards are valuable for other reasons. Like the cards for Farber Hebrew Day School basketball players. They were passed out at the David Tanzman Memorial Tournament at every Farber game during breaks in play. Most went to young Farber students, who were thrilled to get the cards. They were even more thrilled after...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 39 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) 35...…
…4 | MARCH 2 • 2023 essay Hillel is a Powerful Resource for openers Open Wide M y name is Jenna Friedman and I’m a student at Wayne State University. Last year, I was taking my normal walk- through campus when I came across a table with a sign that read; “Green energy: more efficient than Auschwitz, ” accompanied by windmills that had the blades replaced with swastikas. Instantly, I felt my heart drop through my chest. I kn...…
…40 | MARCH 2 • 2023 W e want people to slow down and enjoy the finer things in life — take a pause, ” said Zachary Berg, co-founder with Will Werner of Mongers’ Provisions. Their two specialty food stores are located in down- town Berkley and Midtown Detroit. The experience of shop- ping at Mongers’ is unlike picking up food at a super- market. It takes time to con- sider the carefully curated food and beverages encoun- tered on co...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 41 even preserved sea urchins) and also wine and non-alcoholic beverages. The latter are imported and domestic brands, with a focus on Michigan producers. Berg’s visits to his suppliers strengthens their relationships, he said. PUTTING IT TO THE TASTE TEST I liked my first taste of a sparkling Strawberry Kombucha, produced by Urbanrest. The beverage consisted of rice wine fermented at an 0.5 percent alcohol level wi...…
…42 | MARCH 2 • 2023 B eethoven rose each morning at dawn and made himself coffee. He was fastidious about this: Each cup had to be made with exactly 60 beans, which he counted out each time. He would then sit at his desk and compose until 2 or 3 p.m. in the afternoon. Subsequently, he would go for a long walk, taking with him a pencil and some sheets of music paper to record any ideas that came to him on the way. Each nigh...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 43 visions — image of God, faith in God, love of neighbor — and turns them into patterns of behavior. Halachah (Jewish law) involves a set of routines that — like those of the great creative minds — reconfigures the brain, giving discipline to our lives and changing the way we feel, think and act. A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR Much of Judaism must seem to outsiders, and sometimes to insiders also, boring, prosaic, mundan...…
…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...…
…MARCH 2 • 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 H...…
…46 | MARCH 2 • 2023 ARTS&LIFE REMEMBRANCE O ne of Burt Bacharach’s hit songs is “Message to Michael.” My message to Burt is gratitude for the life lessons I have learned from him. Burt Bach- arach never stopped creating and composing beautiful music. He did what he loved forever. His life will always inspire me to never stop doing what I love and with the same compassion and dedica- tion as when I first started. In his memo...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 47 “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” “The Look of Love,” “ April Fools” and “ Arthur’s Theme.” Burt was 94 and forever cool. Others try to look and dress like him, but he never had to try. His style was just natural for him: sneakers, jog- gers, white T-shirts and a cash- mere sweater or scarf over his shoulders or a Patagonia black jacket; his sunglasses atop his head. He never changed his trademark silver/whi...…
…48 | MARCH 2 • 2023 “What is the key to making music?” He said, “Respond to the world around you. Be like a sponge. Fortunately, I can then express those feelings in my music.” The feelings he expressed have raised important awareness. His song “That’s What Friends Are For,” written with Oscar-winning lyricist Carole Bayer Sager (to whom he was once married), was recorded for American Foundation for AIDS Research (amFAR ) an...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 49 H e followed the Yellow Brick Road and never looked back. Jeffrey Weiner will tell you that his musical theater journey started when he was 8 years old in the choir at Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park. His voice sparked an invitation to sing with the prestigious Vienna Boys Choir, though he wasn’t able to participate at the time. He spent three summers at Camp Tamarack in Ortonville followed by another three at ...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 5 Rolling Hills 3300 Crumb Road Commerce Township, MI 48390 RollingHillsRetirement.com 248-716-1887 Call today to RSVP or schedule a private tour: March Events Experience the resort lifestyle for yourself! Join us for chef-prepared desserts while touring our beautiful community and meeting our friendly live-in managers. RSVP by March 10 Converse & Dessert Friday, March 14 at 1:00 p.m. Dress up in your favorite...…
…50 | MARCH 2 • 2023 Growing up in Farmington Hills, Weiner and his brother, David, would walk to Hillel Day School, where they attended since kindergarten, and went on to graduate from Harrison High School. “I wouldn’t say I was the class clown, but I was definitely mischievous,” laughs Weiner, who has been a teacher with Utica Community Schools for the past 27 years, mostly with third-graders. With his full workload as a t...…
…HISTORY OF THE WORLD (2), PERRY MASON REDUX, LAST OF US On March 6, the highly anticipated series History of the World, Part 2, pre- mieres on Hulu. Every Mel Brooks’ fan knows that Part 1 was a hilarious 1981 film, directed and written by Brooks. Scenes included Moses (played by Brooks) bringing down the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. The 1981 film hinted that there would be a Part 2. But Brooks always said that was a joke...…
…52 | MARCH 2 • 2023 GINA CHAVEZ 8 PM, MARCH 3 At The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor. A multiethnic Latin pop songstress, Gina Chavez is a 10-time Austin Music Award winner. Her songs share her story of life in Texas. $20. Info: theark.org. ‘SCULPTED SHADOW’ 3-4 PM, MARCH 4 “Sculpted Shadow” is presented by New Music Detroit at the Cranbrook Art Museum, 39221 Woodward, Bloomfield Hills. It is a musical interpretation of Scott H...…
…MARCH 2 • 2023 | 53 were women. Presentation by Katie Chaka Parks, a Ph.D. candidate at Wayne State University, whose research addresses the experiences of women during the Holocaust and how they are represented within museums across the country. She is currently the manager of Adult Education at The HC. RSVP: holocaustcenter.org. NOSH & KNOWLEDGE, PART 3 NOON, MARCH 9 At the NCJW|MI Southfield office. NCJW|MI presents: Women ...…
…54 | MARCH 2 • 2023 SPOTLIGHT S tudies show that music has a full spectrum of evidence-based health and wellness benefits for people with developmental disabilities. JARC works dili- gently to secure opportunities to make music a part of daily life, especially knowing that it can stimulate the minds of people with developmental disabilities and can enhance their lives. The nonprofit organization serves adults with develop- men...…