…$200 March 24-30, 2022 / 21-27 Adar II 5782 $200 March 24-30, 2022 / 21-27 Adar II 5782 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Return Return to the to the Promised Promised Land Land Federation’s 2023 Motor City Mission marks Detroit’s first community-wide journey to Israel since 2008. See page 12 …
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…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 3 contents contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 Return to the Promised Land Federation’s 2023 Motor City Mission marks the first community-wide mission since 2008. 16 An Interfaith Celebration of Peace and Hope on March 27 18 The Dean of Super Bowls Catching up with legendary sportswriter Jerry Green. 22 SHARE Ukraine SHARE Detroit launches a way ...…
…4 | MARCH 24 • 2022 L ast month in the JN I shared similarities between myself and quarterback Tom Brady, one of which was we both knew when it was the right time to retire from football. Tom called it quits after an illus- trious 22-year NFL career that included seven Super Bowl wins, while I hung up my athletic cup after only a few weeks of getting my tuchus kicked unmercifully as a member of Southfield’s Mary Thompson ...…
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…6 | MARCH 24 • 2022 column Poland Equals Solidarity S ome 1.5 million refugees — more than five times the population of Haifa — have reached Poland over the last two weeks via its border with war- torn Ukraine. Ukrainians, Israelis, Indians, Americans, Nigerians and nationals of more than 160 other countries have crossed the border to Poland and been told, “You’re safe now.” Since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. ...…
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…8 | MARCH 24 • 2022 opinion Ukraine, Russia and the Unbearable Lightness of ‘Never Again’ A fter decades of fearing that we would forget the horrors of our recent past, I am starting to fear the opposite possibility: that we Jews remember our history all too well but feel pow- erless to act on its lessons. The Russian invasion of Ukraine invites analogies to our traumatic past. History begs us to learn from what came before. ...…
…Please register and donate Please register and donate online at jslmi.org/phsf-fundraiser online at jslmi.org/phsf-fundraiser A link to the concert will be sent upon registration A link to the concert will be sent upon registration Free to all Holocaust survivors Free to all Holocaust survivors …
…10 | MARCH 24 • 2022 opinion Biden Prepares to Sign a Terrible Deal with a Terror Regime I ’ve long felt that Joe Biden passed the “kishkes” test when it came to his sup- port for Israel. Since meeting Golda Meir as a junior senator in 1973, the man has met every Israeli prime minister. Like many oth- ers in our com- munity, I took for granted that he’d always have Israel’s back, in a world obsessed with maligning the world’s ...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 11 and the world through its support of proxy militias and employment of terror as statecraft,” with “activi- ties [that] span nearly every continent [as] they have left death and debris in their wake in countries such as Argentina, Lebanon, Turkey, Bulgaria and even in the U.S.” Biden’s own Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie has called Iran’s 3,000 ballistic missiles “the greatest threat to the region’s ...…
…Federation’s 2023 Motor City Mission marks the first community-wide mission since 2008. Promised Land DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER 12 | MARCH 24 • 2022 F rom March 12-21, 2023, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit is sponsoring its first community-wide, adults-only mission to Israel since 2008: Motor City Mission. The team planning the trip is led by Federation chairs Diane and William Goldstein, and Lisa and Richard Brod...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 13 FACING PAGE (TOP) Old City of Jerusalem with aerial view of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Israel. (BOTTOM) Direction and distance signpost at Mount Bental in the Golan Heights. THIS PAGE (TOP) Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv. (MIDDLE) Visitor at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. (BOTTOM) Israeli flag in the old city of Jerusalem. continued on page 14 the general community here in Michigan,” he said. Because the miss...…
…14 | MARCH 24 • 2022 Birthright trips and lived there for a year. She said Michigan’s Partnership2Gether region is a crown jewel. “You go there, and people will be walk- ing around with Tamarack shirts and Detroit Birthright sweatshirts, and it almost feels as if you’re home, but you’re in Israel,” Bean said. “The relationships we’ve created among the Americans and Israelis in these two communities are astonishing and really meaningf...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 15 never seen places like Masada or Independence Hall will be able to do those things, ” Bill Goldstein said. Both Goldsteins have been on Grosfeld Missions, one of the several Federation mis- sion programs designed to strengthen the Detroit Jewish community and develop connections between young Detroiters and Israel. One of Diane Goldstein’s most mem- orable trips to Israel was on a Grosfeld Mission. “We starte...…
…home to us. Simply put, it has been way too long since our community has visited home, too long since we have been able to see old friends and make new ones,” Lester said. “We know that missions to Israel create special moments on all our personal Jewish journeys. There is something about Israel that touches your heart and soul every time you visit, and you come away invigorated with a deepened understanding of your Jewish identi...…
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…OUR COMMUNITY L egendary Detroit News columnist Jerry Green, 93, returned from Los Angeles last month having covered his 56th consecutive Super Bowl in person, the only daily sportswriter in history to attend every championship game. Actually, it’s a title Green has owned since his good friend, now retired Newark Star Ledger writer Jerry Izenberg, called Green three years ago to tell him he was ending his Super Bowl run at 53 games. ...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 19 A month later, Green’s uncle took Jerry to the Polo Grounds to see the Giants ver- sus the Pittsburgh Pirates. “That was my first baseball game. I was awed, ” said Green. Later that year, his father treated him to a Yankees-Washington Senators double- header at the mecca of baseball — Yankee Stadium. It had a profound impact on his baseball allegiance. “I was immediately transformed to a Yankees fan. I deeply love...…
…20 | MARCH 24 • 2022 future generations to improve on their lot in life. Green served on active duty as a lieutenant junior grade and was later promoted to lieu- tenant. Upon reflecting on his service to his country he said: “I got more out of the Navy then the Navy got out of me. ” TOUR OF DUTY ENDS, CAREER BEGINS Upon returning from Japan in 1956 at the end of his three-year stint in the Navy, Green wasted no time in beginning his...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 21 streak, Green is not awash in memorabilia ... He lives in a one-bedroom apartment in an independent living facility in Grosse Pointe.” There is a photo of Jerry with Joe Namath from Super Bowl III and a photo with legendary Detroit boxing great Joe Louis. “Other than that,” Newsweek reported, “there’s no clutter of artifacts from a career in which he cov- ered championships by all four Detroit teams.” What mi...…
…22 | MARCH 24 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY S HARE Detroit has launched a donation portal dedicated to help- ing people of Ukraine, SHARE Ukraine, a one-stop-shop where those who wish to support Ukrainian citizens can find trusted ways to help. Sam Rozenberg, the co-founder of the Metro Detroit nonprofit platform, was born in Ukraine. He says he’s made it his mission to use his platform to help pro- vide humanitarian assistance and a space...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 23 used to say, ‘everybody has a responsibility for three P’s, pray, pay and pull the trigger,’ with this heavy Ukrainian accent. I trans- lated ‘pull the trigger’ — instead of using it in such a violent way — I coined the word participate. So, the three P’s pray, pay and par- ticipate.” Rozenberg says some- times we have the tendency to forget or become accus- tomed to certain things, even war, and become numb t...…
…24 | MARCH 24 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY Y ad Ezra clients returned to in-person shopping March 1 after a two- year hiatus, once again able to select the foods they want. The return to total choice food pantry, where clients can select what they want as opposed to a default list of items, comes after two years of Yad Ezra using a delivery model due to the pandemic. Throughout it all, Yad Ezra never closed or had a single day where c...…
…P 248-569-5000 | 25155 Greenfield Road, Southfield | @grove.kosher.detroit Hours S 8 AM - 7 PM M - W 8 AM - 8 PM T 8 AM - 9:30 PM F 7:30 AM - 6 PM S Varies DETROIT | SURFSIDE | BOCA | HOLLYWOOD | DELRAY BEACH | CLEVELAND EXTENDED HOLIDAY HOURS Formerly One Stop Kosher Reasons to shop at The Grove this Passover season Wine Convenience You can’t have 4 cups without the wine. We have the biggest kosher wine selection in Michigan. En...…
…26 | MARCH 24 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY T he pandemic placed a hold on staging musicals at Frankel Jewish Academy for the last two years, but students are finally ready to sing and dance as they prepare to perform Alice in Wonderland (Prince Street Player’s Version) March 30-31 at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in West Bloomfield. The show is under the guidance of Mitch Master, director of the Performing and Visual Arts De...…
…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? [fi rst/last] • What Day is their Birthday? • Personalized Message and Signature • A picture of the birthday person or business (if you would like the picture returned, please include a stamped return envelope.) • A check ...…
…M ichigan State University senior Jordan Robinson is working hard to make the school’s campus more inclusive for Jewish students. As a recent recipient of the Diversity Torch, an award offered by Michigan State to students in the College of Social Science who are making an impact through diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, Robinson is being honored for his passion and commit- ment to reducing antisemitism. It’s a pursuit that Robin...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 29 Crusader on Campus ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER ADDRESSING CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM Robinson takes a number of approaches to combat antisemitism and build Jewish inclusivity on campus, the first of which starts with simply engaging with other students and faculty. “The first one is building those relationships with other organizations and hiring offi- cials within the university,” he explains. “Hillel I...…
…30 | MARCH 24 • 2022 R abbi Yaakov Bleich, a chief rabbi of Ukraine, is working around the clock to provide food, shel- ter, safety and evacuation routes for Ukrainian Jews displaced by the ongoing crisis. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Rabbi Bleich has spent his days moving between Poland and Hungary, helping refugees reach the border and orga- nizing escape plans for those trapped within besieged cit- ies like Kyiv, whe...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 31 “W hen one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordi- nary life, he has no right to keep it to himself. ” These are the words of Jacques Cousteau, and they are the sentiments behind why Ira Rosen, producer of some of the most significant stories for the CBS show 60 Minutes, wrote his memoir, Ticking Clock: Behind the Scenes at 60 Minutes. On April 5, Rosen will Zoom into a SOAR Li...…
…32 | MARCH 24 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY D etroit Jews for Justice is looking forward to reinvigorated post- COVID activism under new leadership. The organization was start- ed in 2014 by Congregation T’ chiyah in Oak Park, which hired Rabbi Alana Alpert to work half-time as its spiritual leader and half–time as the director of Detroit Jews for Justice. Last year, Alpert announced her intention to pull back from Detroit Jews for Justi...…
…Join Us for the Journey of a Lifetime! March 12 – 21, 2023 It’s on! We’re going back to Israel as a community for the fi rst time in over a decade and want you to join us. Here’s your chance to experience the heart and soul of Israel and the Detroit Jewish community at the same time. With exciting adventures, unique historic visits, fi rst-class accommodations and VIP encounters, whether it’s your fi rst time or next time to Israel, ...…
…34 | MARCH 24 • 2022 M anhigut — or the Teen Leadership Program — is a five- year leadership/educational pro- gram for individuals in grades 8-12 from the Central Galilee region (Migdal HaEmek, Nof Hagalil and the Jezreel Valley Regional Council). The program operates as part of the Central Galilee-Michigan partnership that creates meaningful connections and opportunities for involvement through various joint projects, pooling r...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 35 Book Club Night Face-to-Face with the Authors Tuesday, April 5 @ 7 pm Tuesday, May 10 @ 7 pm JCC, Handelman Hall Adat Shalom Synagogue Face-to-Face with the Authors (formerly Lunch with the Authors) featuring Pam Jenoff and Janice Kaplan. Join us for these exciting, free in-person events! Books will be available for purchase and signing. Book Club Night returns with Jai Chakrabarti discussing his National Jewish Boo...…
…SPORTS L ev Mechnikov’s first three seasons on the Berkley High School wrestling team weren’t that great. He was 2-2 as a freshman at 189 pounds and 12-22 as a sophomore, wrestling most of the season at 215 pounds, up a weight class, to fill a lineup spot. He didn’t wrestle as a junior because of a broken ankle he suffered playing in a Berkley football post-season game. Missing that season on the mats was a game-changer. “I was ...…
…wrestling opponents this season. That certainly was the case at state. “Lev got a tough draw at state. Both guys he wres- tled had to be around 270 pounds,” said Berkley wres- tling coach Ron Fritz. “Lev will tell you he didn’t wrestle his best at state, but just getting there was a major accomplishment and a testa- ment to his hard work.” Fritz wasn’t surprised that Mechnikov qualified for state. “Lev’s goal was to make it to region...…
…P artners Detroit Jewish Young Professionals hosted a DIY Havdalah experience, a night filled with spices, candles and action. The organization had a sold-out event on Feb. 26 at its Platform 18 space in Royal Oak. Erin Stiebel, an edu- cator with the organi- zation, says its mission is to create a space where Jewish young adults at any level can come and learn. “We try to be a source of education for anybody who is intereste...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 39 L earning how to prepare a new dish can be a daunting task for some. NEXTGen Detroit Balance, which seeks to create a space for young adults to focus on mental health, life and work balance, wanted to take the guesswork out of trying a new recipe. The group brought in Gray Table Cuisine’s personal chef Natalie Brodsky for a step-by-step vir- tual cooking class on Feb. 23. Brodsky is a self-taught, plant-based c...…
…40 | MARCH 24 • 2022 Mendelson-Soifer L ori and Douglas Soifer are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter Jennifer Elisabeth to Ethan Benjamin Mendelson, son of Susan and Coby Goutkovitch, and Wendy and David Mendelson. The happy couple, who reside in Chicago, will be wed in Michigan this November. Spector-Kowalsky P aula Spector of Farmington Hills, and Bonnie and Mark Kowalsky of West Bloomfield are excited t...…
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…42 | MARCH 24 • 2022 SPIRIT Beyond Natural Order T here were seven days of training for the Kohanim, the priests, in regard to their roles in the tabernacle. On the eighth day they took the service over and, so to speak, graduated from Kohen school. Eight is a very spiritual number in Judaism. It shows up in connection to Chanukah, the bris milah and the first letter in chai — life. It also transcends the model of nature....…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 43 SPIRIT Spiritual Eating A WORD OF TORAH K eeping kosher is a vital part of Jewish life. The word “kosher” comes from the Hebrew word kasher, meaning “fit” or “proper. ” And, indeed, the term itself has even entered the gen- eral vernacular. When some- thing is kosher, it is considered “above board” and meets certain required standards. As we shall see, kosher is an entire world- view — a philosophy on fo...…
…44 | MARCH 24 • 2022 of which you know for certain are kosher, and they become mixed up, you are in fact per- mitted to eat all three, since the two kosher cuts are in the majority, and the non-kosher cut gets subsumed into them. (If you have a question of this nature, you should consult a competent halachic authority just to clarify all the details and make sure that the halachah is being properly applied.) If there were some- th...…
…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 24 • 2022 | 46 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...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 47 ARTS&LIFE FILM NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST It’s Oscars Time! It’s Oscars Time! T he Academy Awards ceremony will be broadcast (ABC) on Sunday, March 27 (8 p.m.). There have been major changes this year. Oscar cere- mony viewership has been down in recent years, and ABC successfully leaned on the Academy to virtually drop eight “lesser” categories from the main ceremony. ABC put a sugary spin on the change. They said f...…
…48 | MARCH 24 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE FILM BEST PICTURE The best picture Oscar goes to the film’s principal producers. Ten films are nom- inated for best film. All the other Oscar categories have five nominees. Three films have a Jewish producer: Emile Sherman is the (co-producer) of Power of the Dog, a Western set in the 1920s. Sherman, 48, has long been one of the top Australian producers. He won an Oscar (2011) as a producer of The King...…
…MARCH 24 • 2022 | 49 of adoption agency policies. Stewart is engaged to marry screenwriter Dina Meyer, the daughter of nov- elist, screenwriter and direc- tor Nicholas Meyer, 76. He’s best known for writing three Star Trek movies and adapt- ing two Philip Roth novels for the screen. I don’t believe Dina’s mother is Jewish. DIRECTOR Steven Spielberg, West Side Story. Spielberg has been nominated for best director for at least one fil...…
…ARTS&LIFE MUSIC A n innovation-filled local opera scene — from a produc- tion staged in a parking garage to one focused on a 21st century family — came to town in 2020 with the arrival of Yuval Sharon, who spent pre-school years in Israel. The artistic director of Detroit Opera (a recent name change from Michigan Opera Theatre) is about to present audiences with another imaginative presentation by reversing the order of acts in Puccini’...…
