…APRIL 22 • 2021 | 47 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY LEONARD BAKST, 89, of West Bloomfield, died April 10, 2021. He is survived by his son and daughter-in- law, Marc and Wendy Bakst; daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Jordy Sacksner, and Cindy and Mark Weingarten; grandchildren, Noah Bakst, Danny Bakst and Syd Hutnick, Chloe Bakst, Jamie, Evan, Marlee and Jillian Sacksner, and Erin, Merrick and Tori Weingarten; brother-in-law, ...…
…48 | APRIL 22 • 2021 the evening as an extra in the Detroit Metropolitan Opera productions. He loved reading American history, riding in his 1967 Corvette and watching Formula One racing. His loss will be felt by everyone whose life he touched but no one will miss him more than his family: his wife, Kay; son, Adam Harris (Julie Straus Harris); daughter, Molly Harris; grandchildren, Stephen and Ruth Harris; sister, Judy Rubin (Bo...…
…APRIL 22 • 2021 | 49 brother-in-law, Elyse and Darrell Silber; nieces, Jaimee and Alexis Silber; aunts, Mona Kaufman and Maxine Le Vine; his loving cousins, Ian and Kat Le Vine, Monica Le Vine, Robin Motisi, Peter Le Vine, and Kim Kaufman; an infinite group of lifelong friends who have been there for each other and supported each other at every turn. Mr. Le Vine was the devoted son of the late Ronald Le Vine; he was also precede...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 50 | APRIL 22 • 2021 (Jason) Strattard and Rachel McKenna; great-grandchil- dren, Penelope, Jordan, Eli, Isaac, Eden, Lily and Gibson; sister, Trudy Goldman. She is also survived by her devoted caregiver, Joanne Desmarais; and many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Meyer was the beloved wife of the late Marvin Owen and the late Martin Meyer; the mother of the late Michael Owen; sister-in...…
…APRIL 22 • 2021 | 51 Jamsek-Rolnick; son, Aaron Rolnick, daughters and sons- in-law, Tina Tehlirian, Lisa and Darren Rogow, Susie and Jay Hite; sister and broth- er-in-law, Fran and Trevor Nightingale; grandchildren, Ruby, Basil, River and Zephir; his dear cousin, Jane Schatz; and many other loving family members and friends. Mr. Rolnick was the father of the late Stephan Rolnick. Contributions may be made to the American Heart As...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 52 | APRIL 22 • 2021 Gittleman; nephew, Scott (Sherry) Gittleman; nieces, Cindy (Bruce) Levine and Teri (Todd) Rosenzweig; She many other loving fam- ily members and very close friends. Mrs. Wolf was the beloved wife of the late Stanley Wolf; sister-in-law of the late Murray Gittleman. Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis...…
…APRIL 22 • 2021 | 53 RASKIN THE BEST OF EVERYTHING T hey had never been in business before … let alone at a delicates- sen-restaurant … Irving and Rose Guttman met after the World War II at a German dis- placed persons’ camp, took odd jobs and opened a little place in Hamtramck before one that was even- tually listed among Michigan’s best eateries as Irving’s Delicatessen on Greenfield north of 11 Mile in Southfield. Rose had ...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 54 | APRIL 22 • 2021 Churchill and Zionism L ast week, I wrote about Winston Churchill on the 75th anniversary of his famous “Iron Curtain” speech. I noted the abundance of pages in the William Davidson Digital Archive that refer to Churchill, his actions and ideas, as his career unfolded in the 20th century. It is ...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 1 $200 Oct. 22-28, 2020 / 4-10 Cheshvan 5781 Dynamic Duo See page 14 Matt Lester and Dennis Bernard begin a new era as leadership at the Federation and Foundation. …
…PUTTING SERVICE BEFORE SELF JULIA pulver,rn FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE LEARN MORE WWW.JULIAPULVER.COM \ @VOTEPULVER Julia Pulver is a Registered Nurse, wife, and mother of four running for State Representative in the 39th District—representing West Bloomfield, Wixom, and Commerce. Julia Pulver learned early on that service, compassion, and social justice are how we can right the wrongs of the world. She has won endorsements from loc...…
…ANDIAMOITALIA.COM (248) 865-9300 • 6676 Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield Township, MI 48301 Safety precautions include: • Temperature checks on all staff and guests. • Masks are required. • All tables are at a safe distance. NEW Outdoor heated and covered fresh air tent! Simply Safe and Delicious SAVOR EXQUISITE CUISINE. ENJOY IMPECCABLE SERVICE AND A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. …
…4 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 contents OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to reflect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible, responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life, ...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 5 10.28.20 6:00p It has been argued that the “witch craze”— stretching from roughly the mid-15th to the mid-17th centuries and claiming the lives of over 50,000 people, overwhelmingly women—was cultural undertaking since the eclipse of the and South America, to Iceland, through western witch trials of this period are marked by their historical, cultural, and religious complexity. What precipitated this continent...…
…6 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 1942 - 2020 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week jn To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.djnfoundation.org The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is published every Thursday at 29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to: Detroit Jewish...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 7 …
…8 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 Thanks For Making Holidays Awe-some The Jewish holidays which occur in the first 10 days of the month of Tishri are called the Days of Awe. Similarly, I, and I am sure this is how most of us in the Jewish community feel, am in awe at the hard work, dedication and creativity of our religious leaders to make a bad situation, the worst in memory, as palatable and meaningful as possible. I experienced it in my...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 9 ! "# $ % & & '' ( ! ) ! ** %# * % % " % + % * * " ,, -)' *(%* -)' .* . .* + + # ! * / / & ** ! ** % /# & &&% 0* & $ " + 1 /# ! 2 ' 2 " ' 3 '* &* 0 " /* 4* * 4 ( ( " # ( " (* ) ( & ( & ( & ( ( " # ('' & (%* (** + '' / / " / 3 /* " /* * /* /225 $ / $/ / / / " / / / 5/ 2" / ! / & +* / * / * / 5 / / /% & /% 3 2(6 +*2%** 3 * " * 3 '' + * '' & ...…
…10 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 VIEWS continued on page 12 Any action is justified when you believe the other side is evil. Their extreme voices are being amplified on social media, where we are all siloing ourselves inside increasingly extreme echo chambers (watch the new Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma for more). But they’ re also being embold- ened by current political dis- course — loaded phrases like “Liberate Michigan” can b...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 11 …
…12 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 VIEWS one even remember there was a dining room for HC members? I thought we were so cool. I learned to play basketball from Burt Hursche when I was about 8 or 9. I honed my skills with Greg Kelser as I got older (and better). Eventually, I became a counselor with John Long, Earl Cureton and Lindsey Hunter in their basket- ball camps. I was “the girl” that played countless 4 on 4 games under the famed wind...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 13 Click. Call. Give Now. www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184 Hebrew Free Loan Detroit 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301 @HFLDetroit Ann Mendelsohn is a retired nurse whose husband, as he aged, developed a memory condition known as Organic Brain Syndrome. “As time went on, I found he wasn’t paying bills, and because of his condition, he didn’t remember. He didn’t remember how to do so ...…
…14 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 O n Oct. 1, Matt Lester and Dennis Bernard were installed as pres- idents of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and the United Jewish Foundation, respectively. In their roles, they will work to ensure the needs of Detroit’ s Jewish community are met and its assets safeguarded. But this is not the first time the two have worked together. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March, the two men hav...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 15 Lester said. According to Bernard, the crisis provided Federation and the Foundation with a shining moment. “We were hit with a once-in-a-generation pandemic. This community quickly pulled together, ” he said. “Everyone was focused, and everyone was committed to the right ideas. People who had historically been involved and people who’ d been less involved in the Federation process stepped up. ” Lester ...…
…IN THE JEWS D ON THE COVER fund could not impact gifts to Federation’ s annual 2021 cam- paign to ensure there would be no funding shortfalls for agen- cies’ ongoing needs. Another leg on the stool is allocations. “Our allocations assist agencies and their mission to take care of the most vulner- able and to provide for welfare, education or identity within our community, ” Lester said. The third leg of that stool is something Leste...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 17 VOTE ABSENTEE OR AT THE POLLS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD Paid for by Vote Kelly Breen | 242 Linhart St Novi, MI 48377 I’M KELLY BREEN, AND I BELIEVE IN A BETTER FUTURE FOR MICHIGAN. I’m running for State Representative to put Michiganders and their priorities first. I will work with Democrats and Republicans alike to come back from this crisis, help our citizens access affordable health care, fund our publi...…
…18 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 E ligible voters are being besieged by many sources to plan their November vote — especially since a new state law permits early voting by mail or in per- son by filling out an absen- tee ballot at the local clerk’ s office. Record turnouts have been forecast with concern about crowded polling places being a health risk during the pan- demic. Election officials were concerned that poll workers, who tend to ...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 19 position, but election workers are paid — generally about $230 for training and Election Day work. “I wanted to do my part to make sure that this is safe and fair. I needed to be part of it. I didn’ t want to be passive,” said Nancy Silverman, 69, of Bloomfield Township. She was initially hesitant because of COVID but was reassured by safety precautions at the precinct during the primary. Poll workers were...…
…20 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 R achel Fox is, to say the least, a very experienced member of the elector- ate. With her absentee ballot already mailed in, she can now say that since she was 21 years old, she has voted for presi- dent 23 times. No, she didn’ t fraudulently vote more than once for the same candi- date. The fact is, when you’ re over 105 years old, you get a lot of opportunities to cast your vote. Rachel was born on June 11, 1...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 21 campuses, have received tre- mendous support from their building administrators when it comes to safe and timely voting. “We have a lot of civ- ic-minded residents, and we send a lot of letters, ” says Tracey Proghovnick, director of res- idential marketing for Jewish Senior Life. The letters remind residents they should have received their absentee ballot by Oct. 16, that there are strict rules to adhere to...…
…D rive-in Havdalah. Programs in the park and on driveways. Teaching in tents. Camp-style learning in an actual camp. Detroit’ s religious school edu- cators are pulling out the stops on creativity to engage their students in the age of COVID. While several have opted for all-virtual programming, others took advantage of Michigan’ s mild autumn weather by hold- ing classes and other education- al programs outdoors as long as they co...…
…started working with her fac- ulty in mid-June to develop best practices for online teach- ing. Administrators opted for online-only classes after real- izing their students came from more than 50 different schools, making the potential for com- munity spread by meeting in person just too high. Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield started planning in spring and initially devel- oped a hybrid program, with learning online on Wednesdays an...…
…24 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 W hen JN Editor Andrew Lapin wrote about neo-Nazis as part of the JN’ s Antisemitism Project, Dr. Gerald Katzman reached out to share his findings regarding what can happen in a child’ s development that might lead someone down a path of hate. Katzman, of Farmington Hills, believes the answer may lie in “poisonous pedagogy,” a term that originates from Swiss psychologist Alice Miller in her book For Your...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 25 Netanyahu, the scheduled featured guest, was absent from the event. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER Trump, Biden Appear at Beth Yehudah Virtual Dinner P resident Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden made surprise back-to-back appearances Sunday, Oct. 18, at “ An Evening of Unity, ” the annu- al fundraiser event for Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Oak Park. The two presidential nominees were the highest-pr...…
…26 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 L ooking for something fun to do during the lockdown, Eliana Schreiber thought she’ d bake a cake for her family. Then she thought she’ d dec- orate it. Several creations later, her family convinced her this could be more than a hobby, and Eliana’ s Cakery was born. Eliana, 17, of Huntington Woods, a senior at Berkley High School, said she’ s self-taught as a baker, though she picked up lots of ideas and tips ...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 27 Rabbis Revise COVID Rules JN STAFF T he Michigan Board of Rabbis (MBOR) has revised its policies regarding funerals and sim- chahs based on the ever-evolv- ing pandemic conditions, the change in season and updated guidance from state authorities. Excluding clergy and staff, attendance shall not exceed 36 people in communal spaces that hold more than 150 people — an increase from MBOR’ s previous guidelin...…
…28 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 Farber students build a successful Sukkot fundraiser. SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Senior Assembly W ith a few safety-guide- line modifications, seniors at Farber Hebrew Day School –Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield grabbed their tools, umbrellas and masks and forged ahead with the class’ s annual sukkah-building fund- raiser. Eighteen classmates ham- mered, measured, carried and lifted supplies ...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 29 STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER There wasn’ t a Howard Weingarten Memorial Baseball Outing this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but three awards were presented in his honor. Three players from the Detroit PAL Diamond Sports Program’ s Tiny Tigers pro- gram for youngsters ages 4-8 received Howard Weingarten Memorial Awards for leader- ship, teamwork and responsi- bility. The award winners were select...…
…30 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 MOMENTS MAZEL TOV! Riley Ian Agrest will lead the con- gregation in prayer on the occasion of his bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020. He will be joined in celebration by his proud parents, Sandra and Kevin Agrest, and brothers Gabriel and Grayson. Riley is the lov- ing grandchild of Maria and Michael Kallen, Irene and Marty Agrest, and the late Gary Greenfield. Ril...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 31 SPIRIT Why Canaan? T he name Canaan appears for the first time in this story of the degradation of Noah. Canaan was not one of his sons, but his grandson, a son of Ham. The truth is that mentioning Canaan here seems totally out of place and superflu- ous. Noah becomes drunk; his son Ham does nothing to hide his father’ s shame but serves as talebearer, reporting his father’ s nakedness to his broth- ers...…
…32 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 I f you want to watch Michigan-raised Alexandra Silber perform musical numbers, turn to YouTube, but if you want to learn about her experiences on and off presti- gious stages, turn to a digital program offered by the Society of Active Retirees (SOAR) — “ A Creative Life: Finding Meaning in Theater. ” Silber, who also has written both a novel and memoir, invites viewers into her home at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov....…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 33 D r. Ruth Westheimer is one of only a few writers of any faith whose name universally evokes smiles. What may not be as well publicized is the sex ther- apist’ s grounding in Judaism. In fact, with all her talk about sex, she says there is nothing in what she has written or said that contradicts the Bible. She presents her case in the new paperback edition of Heavenly Sex: Sexuality and the Jewish Traditi...…
…ARTS&LIFE continued from page 33 I cannot prove. In the Jewish tradition, it says that if a hus- band brings his wife to sexual satisfaction before he ejaculates, she will bear a son. I would like to see a scientifically validated study. It could be that if there is more wetness in the vagina, maybe the male spermatozoa have an easier time to get to the ovum. I don’ t have any proof of that, but we know that Jews wanted to have so...…
… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 35 UNDOING, BOOGALOO AND CHLOE FINEMAN The Undoing is a six-episode HBO mini-series that begins on Sunday, Oct. 25. It is based on You Should Have Known, a 2014 novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz, 59. Basic plot: The main character in the series is Grace Reinhardt Fraser (Nicole Kidman), a successful therapist. Just before her first book is to be published, a series of very bad things happen to her. Hugh Grant pla...…
…36 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 ON THE GO PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS HARVEST & HOPE 7 PM, OCT. 23 The Michigan Chapter of the Cohn’s & Colitis Foundation will combine their largest fall events online, allow- ing patients, caregivers, physicians and the entire Michigan IBD commu- nity to participate from home. Tickets are $100. Info: visit facebook.com/ CCFAMichigan or TinyURL. com/CCFHarvestHope. EDGEFEST 7:30 PM, OCT. 23 Kerrytown Concert Hou...…
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… OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 39 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER Philanthropist Touched Many Lives E dward Meer was renowned for his gen- erosity to the Detroit Jewish community, his exceptional business acumen and his unflagging devotion to his family. The Bloomfield Hills res- ident, who enhanced many lives with his philanthropy, kindness and integrity, died on Oct. 5, 2020, at age 95. The son of immigrant par...…
…40 | OCTOBER 22 • 2020 ARNOLD BERMAN, 93, of West Bloomfield, died Oct. 13, 2020. A Marine vet- eran, Mr. Berman served his country in World War II. He was honored and featured in a movie by Sky Bergman. One of the original members of Congregation Beth Moses, he was a lifelong mem- ber of Beth Ahm and a past president of its men’ s club. Mr. Berman was active with Yad Ezra, and he delivered meals on Sundays; he was also a memb...…
