…8 | FEBRUARY 23 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY student’s corner Finding My Jewish Community B eginning in the sum- mer after second grade, my parents sent me to Camp Ramah in Canada for two weeks. Both of my parents had Camp Ramah in their lives when they grew up, so they wanted it to be a part of mine as well. Throughout my time there, I met some of my best friends from all over North America and Israel. It always fascinated me ...…
…FEBRUARY 23 • 2023 | 9 …
…$200 June 23-29, 2022 / 24-30 Sivan 5782 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com A ‘Tree’ of A ‘Tree’ of Remembrance Remembrance Shoah survivor’s family donates memorial sculpture to Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. See pages 12 and 45 …
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…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 A ‘Tree’ of Remembrance Shoah survivor’s family donates memorial sculpture to Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. 16 A New Name After merging last year, JVS + Kadima rebrands as Gesher. 18 Social Action Is at Its Roots Grand Rapids’ Temple Emanuel does its best to meet the needs of a diverse population. 20 From Student ...…
…4 | JUNE 23 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY for openers ‘Adon Olam’ Caper Takes the Cake W ell, if this happened, I know when it happened. I was in that middle time frame between childhood and teens, after my bar mitzvah, before I learned to drive a car and was ready to look for a part- time job. I was every parent’s nightmare … a teenager with time on his hands. And to up the ante, I had a best friend to help me concoct interes...…
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…6 | JUNE 23 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY 1942 - 2022 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week 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 32255 Northwestern Highway, #205, Farmington Hills, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 7 to the Dead Sea, where we were able to cover ourselves in the special mud and float in the water. We then began our experience in Jerusalem with a lookover of the city including the Temple Mount. We finished the night on Ben Yehuda Street, which had an amazing atmosphere and delicious food. Many people will say that Jerusalem is their favorite place in Israel. Whether it is the somberness at Israel’s Holocaust...…
…8 | JUNE 23 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY essay An Inspiring Trip T his is Kalkidon. Her name, in Amharic, means “promise or covenant to God.” She is one of the many Ethiopian Jews who recently made aliyah. I had the privilege of accompanying these olim from Ethiopia to Israel. Our community helped make Kalkidon’s journey possible. The Detroit Jewish Federation’s Israel & Overseas Allocation Committee, under the leadership ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 9 “WE LEFT GONDAR TODAY. IT IS DIFFICULT TO TEAR MYSELF AWAY FROM THESE BROTHERS, THE BEAUTIFUL, SUFFERING, BELIEVING BETA ISRAEL. NEVER HAVE I PACKED SO MANY EXPERIENCES INTO SUCH AN INCRED- IBLY SHORT TIME. DURING THE BRIEF FLIGHT FROM GONDAR … THE PIC- TURE CROSSED MY MIND AGAIN OF … EACH SPECIAL PERSON I HAVE MET. I WANT TO PACK THEM ALL UP AND BRING THEM WITH ME TO ISRAEL, BUT INSTEAD, I HAVE TO LEAVE THEM ALL BEHIN...…
…10 | JUNE 23 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY analysis The Implications of Imminent Iran Deal on Abraham Accords A group of representatives from Middle Eastern nations, as well as the United States, met in the House of Representatives June 12 for a monumental roundtable discussion on the proposed JCPOA’s (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) repercussions on the Abraham Accords. The roundtable was hosted and moderated by Robert (Bobb...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 11 States would be backing two sides of a conflict, incentivizing Iran’s lack of nuclear weapons, rather than encouraging two peaceful sides using agreements such as the Abraham Accords. “My government ceased diplomatic relations with Iran because of its malign activities in Morocco … we would love to see peace happening but [Iran] has to change their attitude, they have to abandon the malign activities and the...…
…OUR COMMUNITY W ay into his 93 years, Henry Pestka still did not reveal much about his experiences escaping Auschwitz and surviving the Holocaust; but his chil- dren, Steve and Linda, have taken on that messaging as a personal mission with expanded and far-reach- ing goals. The siblings, raised in Grand Rapids where their father established a real estate development business, decided artistry would be a way to honor their dad, along w...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 13 continued on page 14 intimate site between two small hills where visitors can reflect about the statue and the story. Although it can be seen from the pathway joining the statuary throughout the park, there will be a feeling that it is guarded. Earlier, it was placed in a site in England. AN ENDURING LEGACY “ After my father passed away in 2013, my sister and I decided that we wanted to use a portion of [his beque...…
…OUR COMMUNITY “OUR COMMUNITY WILL FOREVER BENEFIT FROM THIS EXTRAORDINARY GIFT, WHICH SERVES TO EDUCATE AND PROMOTE PEACE.” — DAVID HOOKER PRESIDENT AND CEO OF MEIJER GARDENS continued from page 13 14 | JUNE 23 • 2022 happened. ” While sponsoring speak- ers, the Pestkas sought a more enduring project. A discussion between Linda Pestka and Nicole Katzman, Jewish Federation of Grand Rapids executive director, gen- erated the idea ...…
…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT 80 80th th Anniversary Anniversary For those without computer access, please mail the following to 32255 NORTHWESTERN HWY, SUITE 205 FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334: • Who is Turning 80? [first/last] • What Day is their Birthday? • Personalized Message and Signature • A picture of the birthday person (if you would like the picture returned, please include a stamped return envelope.) • A check Celebrate th...…
…OUR COMMUNITY J VS Human Services + Kadima Mental Health Services unveiled the new name for their joint entity at the Strictly Business 25th anniversary luncheon this week. They will now operate as a com- bined entity under the name Gesher, which means “bridge” in Hebrew. Their merger, which was announced in August of last year, reduces operational and administrative costs and allows the organization to maximize its use of funds...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 17 the organizations, he explains. “Each of our names didn’t describe this larger organiza- tion. ” CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH SERVICES The name “Gesher” was chosen to reflect the work the organiza- tion does in connecting people with services and providing support to help people reach their goals. “We’re the bridge for so many of these different popu- lations and, in essence, bridging people from where they are to wh...…
…OUR COMMUNITY O ur claim to fame is that the Union for Reform Judaism has told us we’re the fifth old- est Reform congregation in America. We’re very proud of that,” Rabbi Michael Schadick said. “We’re as wel- coming as we can be to all people. We have a big tent kind of congrega- tion, whether you’re Jewish and married to a non-Jew, whether you come from a more traditional back- ground, whether you’re simply someone who is...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 19 and he is proud of the work they do, not just for the Jewish community, but for the greater community. “We’re involved in all kinds of pursuits. We have this amazing food bank that was started at Temple Emanuel when some of the first Soviet Jews began emigrating to America,” Schadick said. “Some of our members decided they would really step forward and collect food. We’re serving about 50 fam- ilies every sing...…
…OUR COMMUNITY H illel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit nominat- ed Lisa Keller of Farmington Hills to be our Volunteer of the Week because of her dedication to the school’s PTO volunteer organization. “Lisa Keller is holiday chair and plans all of the students’ holiday treats from PTO, chairs the Fun Run, and helped plan and execute Teacher Appreciation Week,” said Amy Sapeika, communications coordinator at Hillel. As an alumna ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 21 COURTESY OF HILLEL …
…22 | JUNE 23 • 2022 C harting hit records played on the radio was a preteen hobby that developed into an award-win- ning career direction for Barry Mardit, a Huntington Woods resident who has divided his professional com- mitments among hosting programs, administering pro- grams and serving as a consul- tant for programs. The next award will be pre- sented June 30 in Nashville, where Mardit will be among six other broadcast personali...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 23 Boys, Randy Travis and Charlie Daniels. Mardit was especially impressed by an experience with Loretta Lynn. “I found country stars to be warm and family-oriented, and I met Loretta Lynn in Pittsburgh at a sad time in our family, ” he explained. “During a conversation Loretta and I had, I mentioned that my mom was having health issues. “Loretta was very sympathetic and asked for my mom’s phone number. Soon, I got a...…
…OUR COMMUNITY 24 | JUNE 23 • 2022 F urthering the legacy of their father, Fred “Ziggy” Findling (1930-2019), Darren Findling of Huntington Woods and his sister and brother-in-law, Debbie Findling and Steven Moss of San Francisco, are working with the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) to fund the construction of “Ziggy’s Playground.” The play area will be part of a new Rwandan affordable housing development ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 25 raised for the $60,000 project, and additional sponsorship donor opportunities are avail- able. For more information or to donate, contact Steven Moss, See Far’s board chair, at steven@moss.net. ZIGGY’S STORY Fred “Ziggy” Findling was born in 1930 as Siegfrieg Findling in Cologne, Germany. During WWII, he and five of his siblings survived the war by being placed in orphan- ages and convents throughout Belgium,...…
…26 | JUNE 23 • 2022 L auren Rose brings star power into a Bard College class she teaches to link mathematics and fun puzzles — her 19-year-old son. Daniel Rose-Levine, an international Rubik’s Cube champion lauded for solving the puzzles in record times using his feet instead of his hands, has been featured on the national TV shows CBS Sunday Morning and To Tell the Truth and is profiled in A.J. Jacobs’ popular book The Puzzl...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 27 calculus and all the things that have already been figured out for hundreds of years. If you keep going in math, at some point you start doing your own research and contributing, but you wouldn’t be able to get there if you had tried to figure out everything on your own.” While Rose-Levine believes it’s fun to try to figure things out on your own, he also believes that if you learn from others first, it pro...…
…OUR COMMUNITY H illel Day School has begun an “Open Space, Open Minds” ath- letic capital campaign to help fund the expansion and enhancement of Hillel’s outdoor athletic facilities. Currently, Hillel lacks a quality field that students can use year-round and after inclement weather, said Amy Schlussel, Hillel’s Director of Advancement-Admission & Giving. The current field is also uneven, and Hillel students need a safe playing sur...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 29 S hoah Ambassadors, the Holocaust documentary film directed and pro- duced by Keith Famie, won three Michigan Emmys at the award ceremony at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit on June 11. Famie won an award for his directing of the film; his Visionalist Entertainment Production crew members Brendan Martin and J.R. Grant won for editing; and Martin won for lighting. The film itself was also nominated for a...…
…30 | JUNE 23 • 2022 BUSINESS N ews coverage of economic issues often concentrates on the immediate future: Experts try to tell us what factors will influence the bottom line in the next quarter. Sustained trends can make more difference in our lives, so we asked Michigan’s business leaders to tell us what they foresee about Michigan’s economy in the long run. STRENGTHS 1. Diversifying Economy Not long ago, people said “Detroit”...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 31 Chamber sponsors programs to assist underserved communities in K-12 schools, to help students achieve success in two-year and four-year degree programs and also to attract highly skilled workers to relocate to Michigan. Baruah notes that just over 40% of Michigan’s adult population hold college degrees, lagging behind the nearly 50% in other states. The Chamber sets 60% as a goal, and Baruah lauds Michigan Gov. ...…
…32 | JUNE 23 • 2022 W hen her younger sister, Amanda, was gearing up for her 21st birthday in November 2020, Claudia Halpern knew she had to do something special to help Amanda have a memorable celebration despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “We couldn’t go to bars, ” Halpern, 27, of Farmington Hills, recalls. Instead, she brain- stormed with Amanda’s boyfriend on how to throw a party for her sister, despite the restrictions th...…
…from a hobby to a full-blown business. For Halpern, however, start- ing a business was a no-brain- er. Hailing from generations of entrepreneurs — a trait she says is in her blood — she manages Party Sistas along- side working at her day job at OneTable, a national nonprofit that helps make Shabbat din- ners accessible to the younger Jewish community. It’s not Halpern’s first foray into Jewish outreach. Since childhood, she’s been inv...…
…34 | JUNE 23 • 2022 T he Frankel Jewish Academy baseball team put an accomplishment on its resume this season that it hadn’t been able to do since 2005. The Jaguars won a Catholic League division championship. The Intersectional 2 division had just three teams in it and each of the teams played only four division games, but Frankel coach Joe Bernstein said that doesn’t take the luster off the Jaguars’ title. “No one can take ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 35 said. “And he was our best hitter at the end of the season. He has the heart of a champion.” Senior Charlie Tobias was happy to play this season. He missed his sophomore season because the Michigan High School Athletic Association shut down spring sports after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then he missed his junior season because of an elbow injury. “There was no way I was going to miss this season,”...…
…36 | JUNE 23 • 2022 Editor’s Note: The JN will begin a regular series of stories from Detroit’s Partnership2Gether region. Here is an overview of the program to get it started. S ince 1994, three Michigan communities: Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, have partnered with three municipalities in Israel: Migdal HaEmek, Nof Hagalil (formerly Nazareth Illit) and the Jezreel Valley — a region referred to as the “Central ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 37 continued on page 38 to people here, made it more tangible and started creating a broader spectrum of relationships between the communities here and there.” Another key initiative the partnership has invested in for many years is the support of English language instruction in the region. “English language in the periphery is often lacking, and it’s a really important part of success to Israelis,” Stillman sai...…
…38 | JUNE 23 • 2022 different tasks related to the partnership region. These items include the English language programs, teen leadership development (which includes the camper program, Birthright trips and Teen Mission), a program where young adults in Michigan are paired with young adults in the partnership region, helping launch a young adult initiative in the region similar to NEXTGen Detroit, and more. The ShinShinim pro...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 39 MAZEL TOV! Grossman-Dainas C heryl and Dennis Yashinsky are thrilled to announce the engagement of their daughter Rebecca Lindsay Grossman, to Adam Jacob Dainas, son of Tobey and Scott Dainas of Highland Park, Ill. Rebecca received her bachelor’s degree in biopsychology, cognition and neuroscience at the University of Michigan. She earned two master’s degrees in clinical psychology from Madonna University an...…
…40 | JUNE 23 • 2022 SPIRIT Controlling Anger A nd God said, “I pardon, as you have asked.” Though we are months from the High Holidays, these words bring to mind our prayers during the months of Elul and Tishrei. We confess our sin; we share our sorrow; we ask for forgiveness, and God grants us pardon. In this week’s portion, we find God offering pardon to the people who have cried out in fear and anger after hearing the ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 41 I n March 2020, whilst launching a new book, I took part in a BBC radio program along with Mervyn King, who had been governor of the Bank of England at the time of the financial crash of 2008. He, together with the economist John Kay, had also brought out a new book, Radical Uncertainty: decision-making for an unknowable future. The coronavirus pandemic was just beginning to make itself felt in Britain, and ...…
…42 | JUNE 23 • 2022 Malbim explains the difference simply. Latur means to seek out the good. That is what tourists do. They go to the beautiful, the majestic, the inspiring. They don’t spend their time trying to find out what is bad. Lachpor and leragel are the opposite. They are about searching out a place’s weaknesses and vulnerabilities. That is what spying is about. The exclusive use of the verb latur in our parshah — repeated ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 43 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 ...…
…44 | JUNE 23 • 2022 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 ...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 45 A pril is the cruelest month,” T.S. Eliot famously wrote. The line came to me on a cold, rainy Friday when I walked the site where Ariel Schlesinger’s sculpture, Ways to Say Goodbye, is to be situated. The achingly slow Michigan spring presented a landscape that was muddy and colorless, which seemed appropriate to the disaster Ways to Say Goodbye would commemorate. These morose thoughts, however, soon yiel...…
…46 | JUNE 23 • 2022 fostering at the gardens? AS: I see a discussion as open-ended, a start of a journey really. I can say something about how it stands straight and tall but holds in its hands and fingers sharp shattered glass, memories and ideas that seem to reflect pain on it. Another person can respond with their interpretation. I can’t control what they see in it. I think that’s the beauty of it. But I might learn somethi...…
…JUNE 23 • 2022 | 47 and then installing it back in the window, I photographed the window — but the focus was not on what the window showed, inside or outside, but on the glass. Then, when I printed the photograph, I framed it using the broken glass. Finally, you have the object, and you are viewing the documentation of the object through that object. This was also a reference to the Charlie Chaplin movie, The Kid, in which he t...…
…48 | JUNE 23 • 2022 RF: Your piece outside the Frankfurt museum is in a city where Jews are less than 1% of the population, much like Grand Rapids. Most who visit Meijer Gardens and see your piece will not be Jewish. What do you hope they take away from the encounter? AS: I hope they will see a work of art by the grandchild of a survivor and perhaps through accompanying text will see how that person experienced and translated ...…
