…JUNE 20 • 2024 | 55 J N The Trumpet Call T he parshat opens with holiness, purity and brilliant light from the candelabra in the sanctuary. The portion ends not with Miriam’s nasty words about Moshe and his wife, but with the response of the Jewish people, the Israelites, to Miriam’s punishment: They do not move on — seemingly refusing to accept God’s authority The parshat wants to show us the morality of the Jewish people: ...…
…T here have been times when one passage in this week’s parshah was, for me, little less than lifesaving. No leadership position is easy. Leading Jews is harder still. And spiritual leadership can be hardest of them all. Leaders have a public face that is usually calm, upbeat, optimistic and relaxed. But behind the façade we can all experience storms of emotion as we realize how deep are the divisions between people, how in...…
…JUNE 20 • 2024 | 57 change. That’s why Moses, David, Elijah and Jeremiah found life so hard. We can say precisely what brought Moses to despair. He had faced a similar challenge before. Back in the book of Exodus the people had made the same complaint: “If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this desert to starve t...…
…58 | JUNE 20 • 2024 J N ARTS&LIFE ART A work of art kept in the home of Bassie Shemtov is especially appreciated because it represents and showcases creativity by an artist who has taken part at the Soul Studio in West Bloomfield, which she directs as part of the Friendship Circle. The piece of art, “Sweet Hugs,” was done by Sam Morris, who works at the Dakota Bakery, also in West Bloomfield. It shows a hug shared by two ...…
…JUNE 20 • 2024 | 59 Caitlin Cartwright, Soul Studio community projects coordinator, invites visitors to experience the completed displays. Some of the participants observe Judaism as practiced by the Friendship Circle administration, and others are observant of different faiths. Mack-o Matlen, 36, a Soul artist, does not have her name on a beach scene displayed in the current exhibit, but she did participate in developing an a...…
…6 | JUNE 20 • 2024 J N PURELY COMMENTARY crime and a stain on the global community. Hamas’ evil is intensified by their refusal to allow the Red Cross to visit and treat the hostages. Jon Polin, the father of hostage Hersh Polin, explained the pain of the world’s decision to ignore his son and the other hostages’ pain. “The lack of response seemingly from the world is so immensely frustrating,” he said. “We speak to politicians,...…
…60 | JUNE 20 • 2024 J N TWO NEW FILMS, DIANE VON FURSTENBERG BIO, OLYMPIC SWIMMER(?) Thelma opens in theaters on June 21. Here’s the plot: Thelma Post (June Squibb, 94!) gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson. She sets out on a dangerous quest to reclaim what was taken from her. Advance reviews (Sundance) are quite good. Thelma is the first feature film directed and written by Josh Margolis, 35. His film ...…
…JUNE 20 • 2024 | 61 J N JGRAND DINNER 5:30-7 PM, JUNE 21 (FRI.) GRANDparents, GRANDfriends and GRANDchildren are invited to join JGrand for The GRAND Shabbat Dinner. Hands-on activities, a Shabbat sing-along featuring Rabbi Jeff of The Well and a dinner with dietary laws observed. This program is geared toward grandparents/ grandfriends and their grandchildren ages 2-10. The cost of this program has been generously subsidized...…
…Jewish Joke of the Week JUST FOR FUN Yiddish Word Fun Each answer starts with the second letter of the previous answer (Consider No. 4 the previous answer to No. 1) Three older men, Max, Leon and Sam, were talking about what their grandchildren would be saying about them 50 years from now. “I would like my grandchildren to say, ‘He was successful in business,’” declared Max. “Fifty years from now,” said Leon, “I want them t...…
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…JUNE 20 • 2024 | 65 J N c. 2009 HARRIET M. DUNSKY, 85, of West Bloomfield, died June 10, 2024. She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Robert S. “Bob” Dunsky; sons and daughter- in-law, Drew Dunsky and Jodi Denenberg, and Dan Dunsky. She is also survived by Jodi’s children, Adam Denenberg and Alyssa Wolff, and Jamie Denenberg and Matthew Edelstein. Mrs. Dunsky was the devoted daughter of the late Dr. Maurice P . Meyers a...…
…66 | JUNE 20 • 2024 J N OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 65 Sidman; brother and sister-in- law, Howard and Beth Simon; brother-in-law and sister-in- law, James and Faye Friedman; many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Mrs. Friedman was the loving sister of the late Judi Simon. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Nicole Sidman’s Campaign for North Carolina State House, ...…
…JUNE 20 • 2024 | 67 J N OBITUARY CHARGES The processing fee for obituaries is: $125 for up to 100 words; $1 per word thereafter. A photo counts as 15 words. There is no charge for a Holocaust survivor icon. The JN reserves the right to edit wording to conform to its style considerations. For information, have your funeral director call the JN or you may call Sy Manello, editorial assistant, at (248) 351-5147 or email him at sman...…
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…JUNE 20 • 2024 | 7 J N JOIN US! TUESDAY, JULY 23RD 12:00-2:00PM LONGACRE HOUSE 24705 FARMINGTON ROAD FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48336 RSVP by Wednesday, July 17th by calling (248) 850-1351. You’re invited to a special lunch and learn event with Rose Senior Living Farmington Hills, a brand-new senior living community in your neighborhood. Learn about Rose Senior Living and the benefi ts of joining our Founders Club! 28800 West Eleven...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at thejewishnews.com 70 | JUNE 20 • 2024 J N The JN’s Resident Wordsmith I ’m writing a sequel to my last Looking Back, when I wrote about my good friend, Sharon Alterman, one of this year’s Jewish Senior Life’s (JSL) esteemed “8 over Eighty. ” At the JN, we work with another great “8”: Sy Manello. Sy is one of the good guys in this world an...…
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…OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER 8 | JUNE 20 • 2024 J N Forty-one women travel to Israel as part of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah’s Partners Detroit Dembs Mission. Faith Over Fear A shot-out window at Kibbutz Nir Oz PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN SPECTOR …
…JUNE 20 • 2024 | 9 J N I recently returned from 10 days in Israel as a partic- ipant in the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah’s Partners Detroit Dembs Mission. Named for Ryan Dembs, a Detroit area businessman and philanthropist who passed away suddenly two years ago, and funded in part by his family, the Dembs Mission was composed of 41 exceptional women from across the Metro Detroit area who came together to volunteer, bear witness, co...…
…$200 July 20-26, 2023 / 2-8 Av 5783 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com ‘What’s Not to Like?’ The inspiring story of Nick Gilbert who lived every day of his 26 years to the fullest. See page 10 …
…10 | JULY 20 • 2023 An inspiring remembrance of Nick Gilbert who, despite enormous challenges, never gave up on life. ‘What’s Not to Like?’ DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE GILBERT FAMILY …
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 11 N ick Gilbert climbed Masada. Picture a giant plateau on the edge of Israel’s Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea, about 1,300 feet straight up. The mountain is steep — so steep you can’t just climb up the side, but instead use switchbacks taking you up the incline. There are over 700 steps and endless rocky slopes, most of which have no railing. You have to start this hike at 4 a.m. when it’s already 105 de...…
…12 | JULY 20 • 2023 cally and mentally against the disease that he became a tougher, better person for it. It made him become comfortable in his own skin because he felt confident about what he was doing. In his mind, if he could beat brain tumors, he could beat anything.” DAD’S PERSONAL HERO When 14-year-old Nick Gilbert rep- resented the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team his father owns, in the 2011 NBA draft lottery, minutes before ...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 13 Cavaliers and the Michigan State Spartans, his alma mater. He loved the city of Detroit and the efforts being put into its revitalization. There was no food Nick loved more than cheese; in fact, it was mostly what he ate. Macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, cheese quesa- dilla, Cheetos, Cheez-Its. He loved cheese-flavored foods so much that his family and friends joked he would one day turn into a big block of c...…
…14 | JULY 20 • 2023 him to hold up his end of the deal by dropping down and giving him 20 push- ups. At a Pistons game many years ago, Nick successfully convinced singer Kid Rock to walk up to the concourse to grab him chips and cheese. Backstage before a concert in Cleveland, Nick ran up to 24-time Grammy Award winner Jay-Z and asked, “Jay-Z, what’s your favorite Jay-Z song?” Right before his first brain surgery when he was 10 yea...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 15 …
…16 | JULY 20 • 2023 them. “We wanted to help him. He could have picked anyone to help him navigate through life, but he picked us,” brother Grant said. “This meant we got to con- tribute to his happiness while spending bonus time laughing together. We needed these moments, and we absolutely needed him much more than he needed us. We simply would not be the same without the lessons he taught us.” People would meet Nick and then feel ...…
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…18 | JULY 20 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER Nick remained in the hospital for more than two months, fighting for his life. Miraculously, Nick was able to come home in October, but sadly, with less vision and his hearing beginning to fade. By February, Nick could no longer see or hear and was on a feeding tube. The decision was made to once again give radiation a shot in hope of Nick regaining some hearing. It was unsuccessful. ...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 19 A DETERMINED FIGHTER Angela Sebald formed a special bond with Nick during his college years, working as MSU’s blindness and visual impairment specialist. Sebald’s job was to provide access so Nick could be successful in his courses. Sebald was in Nick’s life almost every day of his college career. In 2018, when Nick underwent the first of his two brain surgeries in a short span, he also happened to have three exa...…
…Two Generations, One Force. J E F F & M AT T B A R K E R ASSOCIATE BROKERS …
…20 | JULY 20 • 2023 T here are several things I ponder when I’m about to arrive at a Jewish wedding, like will there be little cocktail weenies during hors d’ oeuvres, and will I be able to navigate the hora without embarrassing myself? However, since Valerie Ross of Birmingham shared her family’s wed- ding stories with me, I’ll be paying closer atten- tion to more meaningful details the next time I attend a Jewish wedding. Of...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 21 old, when he originally received it from his parents, Sydney and Nellie Kraft. And it wasn’t a prayer shawl that just lay dormant over the years, only coming out of hibernation from Aaron’s blue velvet tallit bag in time for the High Holidays. “He enjoyed shul during the holidays, ” said Valerie, but he wore the tallit every Shabbat morning at Adat Shalom. He and my mother, Esther, were longtime members. “Each grand...…
…22 | JULY 20 • 2023 “Having my Grandpa Aaron’s tallit hanging above us was so special,” said Jeremy. “It also felt like my bubbie and other relatives who are no longer with us were watching over us on our special day. It was like having a piece of our family’s story woven into our own.” Helayne took great comfort in the symbolism that her father’s prayer shawl represented. “My father’s tallit reminded me of a long, warm hug around t...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 23 his tallit saving a full row of seats for the family at Adat Shalom. We feel lucky to have this artifact that was so core to how we remember him, built into our chuppah.” Don’t pack that prayer shawl up just yet. The Kraft family tallit tally has a shot at reaching six in five years because Helayne’s engaged daughter Carly and fian- cé, Josh Sternberg, are pondering their future wedding plans. Plus, a seventh we...…
…24 | JULY 20 • 2023 T wo Israeli performers, innovating food into artistic experiences shared by audiences, will be appearing in an event set by Hadassah to celebrate Israel’s 75th anniversary. “Israeli Art in a Bite” spotlights Carmel Bar and Michal Evyatar working with authentic herbs from Israel to make sodas for tasting by audience members. The presentation runs 6:30-9 p.m. Tuesday, July 25, at Hadassah House. “We made an ext...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 25 Teaching throughout the fall at Michigan State University will carry the performers into the end of their yearlong visit to the United States. “Many of our presentations are going to be hands-on workshops for smaller groups and are mainly translations of Israeli paint- ings into eating experiences, ” Bar said. “ A group looks at a painting by Israeli artists, and we make an interpretation into a dish. This is mai...…
…26 | JULY 20 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY I n 2018, when Bracha Berenson turned 30, she decided it was time to get married and start a family. “My father had a life-changing moment on his 30th birthday, and I figured if he could change his life at 30, I could do the same, ” Bracha said. Back then, Bracha lived in Sacramento, California, across the street from her sister Amie, and she worked as a residential care- giver for a “swanky” seni...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 27 BRING THIS AD FOR $2 OFF ONE ADMISSION July 29 & 30 West Bloomfield hotworks.org Orchard Lake Fine Art Show Orna Amrani, Mixed Media Juried Fine Art & Craft Show – All Art is Original & Personally Handmade Voted Top 100 Art Shows in America Saturday, 10am-6pm & Sunday 10am-5pm – $5 Admission; 13 & under free Plus Youth Art Competition for Grades K-8 or Ages 5-13 – $250 cash awards! Great food, beer, wine, live enterta...…
…28 | JULY 20 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY J ewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit held its Annual Board of Directors Meeting at Harriett & Ben Teitel Apartments in Oak Park on Tuesday, June 27. Sixty-five guests attended, including the nonprofit organization’s officers, executives, staff members, award recipients, agency partners and community members. Jewish Senior Life (JSL) has six inclusive residential communities with a continu...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 29 JSL CEO Nancy Heinrich shared how serving older adults has given her purpose as has helping residents find and embrace their unique purpose within each community. She spoke about exciting updates at the various buildings, including current apartment renovations at the Fleischman and Meer Residences, expanding the patio and garden in the Meer courtyard, and the upcoming completion of the expanded Hechtman Reside...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-9 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 10 ‘What’s Not to Like?’ The inspiring story of Nick Gilbert who lived every day of his 26 years to the fullest. 20 The Traveling Tallit Grandpa Aaron’s tallit has place of honor at grandchildren’s weddings. 24 Foodscape Hadassah welcomes Israeli food artists to July 25 event. 26 How We Met: ‘You Can’t Know Someone U...…
…30 | JULY 20 • 2023 The people served by JARC, a Bloomfield Township based nonprofit organization serving adults with developmental disabilities, enjoy a variety of life- enriching activities with each other and the larger community, and a recurring favorite activity that is always sure to bring smiles to their faces is playing Bingo. A recent lively, in-person Bingo event at Temple Beth El attracted 49 people JARC serves. The ...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 31 Jewish Senior Life recently hosted a free-to-the-community education- al event to help seniors and their families understand the choices available to them for retirement and what to consider as they begin planning for the future. Senior living experts Robin Heppler and Will Kieffer, both from Tandem Senior Living Advisors, discussed five common myths about retirement living options and answered questions from ...…
…32 | JULY 20 • 2023 M y brothers and I were raised as Reform Jews. We attended religious school through high school. Our education culminated with a six-week teen mission to Israel, an experi- ence of a lifetime. From what I understood as a kid, we were observing most of the important Jewish holidays. The High Holidays always dominated our fall schedules, complete with services, family gatherings, apples and honey. After Rosh Has...…
…JULY 20 • 2023 | 33 a plate with a bagel, already shmeared, and a round pastry or cookie. The same foods I’ve served to other mourners at shivahs over the years. Jewish culinary traditions connect sym- bolic dishes and customs to help us with our grief, whether it’s personal or public. Meals of condolence are served by others as part of the healing process, a custom that is centuries old. Tisha b’ Av is the scheduled yahrzeit for our ...…
…34 | JULY 20 • 2023 are still firm to the bite, between 5 and 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside, keeping the lentils in their cook- ing water. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or saucepan. Add the onions and remain- ing kosher salt. Cook the onions, stir- ring frequently, until all are thoroughly cooked and deep brown, between 20 and 30 minutes. Add the cumin and cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1½ cups ...…
