…$200 Oct. 26-Nov. 1, 2023 / 11-17 Cheshvan 5784 thejewishnews.com Florine Mark will long be remembered for her efforts to make lives better. See page 10 WE STAND WITH ISRAEL Woman a of Valor JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT Detroit Mourns Samantha Woll See page 18 Coverage begins on page 20 …
…10 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N Florine Mark made it her mission to improve the lives of others. RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER 10 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 Woman a of Valor …
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 11 J N W hile Florine Mark’s personal and professional accomplishments could fill several volumes, the principles that guided her remarkable life were straightforward and succinct. Help others. Put family first. Be kind. Love yourself. Make every day count. A successful entrepreneur, fearless activist, dedicated communal leader, generous philanthropist and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmot...…
…12 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 saw in yourself what she saw in you.” Refusing to acknowledge the proverbial “glass ceiling,” Florine pursued her goals fearlessly and steadfastly at a time when women were expected to be homemakers, not corporate executives. “She created a powerful space for women; she gave us permission to be CEOs and mothers,” said granddaughter Alana Fisher. Her impressive phone roster ranged from friends and family ...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 13 Jewish Federation of Detroit Jewish Federation of Detroit Honors the Memory of Honors the Memory of Florine Mark 1933–2023 On Behalf of a Grateful Community On Behalf of a Grateful Community …
…14 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 continued from page 12 OUR COMMUNITY COVER STORY and numerous honors, her greatest joy was her family. She embraced every member of her large, blended family, regardless of origin. She knew everything about every child, grandchild and great- grandchild and attended every milestone event. “She made sure every family member knew how much she loved them; grandkids, nieces and nephews,” Aviv said. Of all the ...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 15 AWARDS AND HONORS Florine earned countless honors and awards for her dedicated service and valuable contributions to the community. She received the Entrepreneurial Visionary Award from the Women’s Business Center and was the first recipient of Detroit Public Television’s Bravo! award. While circumstances prevented her from attending college, she has since earned honorary degrees from several Michigan u...…
…16 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 continued from page 15 OUR COMMUNITY COVER STORY feeling,” said Alana, “a feeling of love, family, compassion, excitement, togetherness, strength, bravery and unstoppable energy. She never slowed down.” Florine Mark is survived by her children, Sheri (Dr. Abe Slaim) Mark, David Mark, Jeffrey (Linda Barnett) Mark, Dr. Richard (Krista Berman/Chris Mark) Mark, Lisa (Hannan) Lis, Jandy (Rob) Spiegelman and Le...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 17 …
…OUR COMMUNITY Editor’s Note: Look for a complete tribute to Samantha Woll in next week’s JN. S amantha Woll, a Democratic activist and prominent Jewish lay leader in Detroit, was found stabbed to death outside her home. Police found Woll, 40, at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday in the city’s Lafayette Park neighbor- hood. She had been stabbed multiple times and was unresponsive. A trail of blood led to her home, which police believe may be the ...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 19 J N do. She was not fearless, but she seemed that way because she knew fear and acknowledged it and moved past it. She was courageous. She connected. With her authenticity, her compassion, her vibrancy and enthusiasm for life. Traveling across the world with a backpack, meet- ing people across continents and languages. Standing tall in her community welcom- ing all to engage, to come as they are, to work for ...…
…JEWISH DETROIT'S Delicious Dairy Buffet Lunch every Shabbat AFTER SERVICES AT ABOUT 12:00 NOON Best Kept Secret! To register scan the the QR code or visit shaareyzedek.org/shabbatlunches. Call the synagogue office to register at (248) 357-5544. CONGREGATION SHAAREY ZEDEK SERVES A * All are invited to join us for Shabbat morning services at 9:30 a.m. every Saturday, and minchah which begins immediately following lunch. O p e n t...…
…20 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N OUR COMMUNITY T he unprecedented Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel and Israel’s military response on Gaza are testing long-held connec- tions and friendships between the local Jewish community and its non-Jewish neigh- bors. Local rabbis and others involved in interfaith and out- reach activity report support from Detroit-area colleagues, but, in some cases, not to the extent that was expected. Rabbi Ash...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 21 J N Cranbrook, who invited him to speak at the Oct. 15 church service about Israel. “The visit with CCC was fantastic … hundreds of their members came to show solidarity, and the goal was to give them a sense of how this horror is impacting the Jewish community. We also had about 30-35 temple members as well as numerous other people from the Jewish community show up so that our congregations could stand to...…
…OUR COMMUNITY P romise Ziegler of Royal Oak joined a recent webinar presented by JFamily and Jewish Family Service to find out how the community was coping with recent events in Israel and more about how to help her son, 15, if he came to her about the news. Taking part in the “Parenting and Grand- Parenting in Times of Tragedy: Talking to our Children about Israel” Zoom event, she heard from David Kurzmann of Jewish Federation of ...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 23 J N will happen to their dreams of visiting Israel one day. “There’s solidarity in knowing other people are experiencing a shared response and feeling emotionally affected by this, ” she says. “ Also, I like the kind of strategy of how you’re going to limit yourself in watching the news and not just put your- self in that space where you’re thinking about all these traumas all the time. ” The event came toge...…
…24 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N I n the direct aftermath of the deadliest day of terror, a little beam of light brought comfort and joy to a family in Israel. On day two of the terrorist attacks on Israel, a bris took place at the home of Talya and Ben Jaffe in Kiryat Gat, just 20 minutes away from Sderot. A tangible reminder that despite the horrors that we have endured and continue to endure, the Jewish people survive and live on —...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 25 J N the army, but we’re not. “There are a lot of people in the army from Detroit, and I feel for all their mothers whom I’m friends and relatives with,” she continued. “Some of them I’ve known since they were kids … Really, all these kids are all of our kids. And yes, it’s the biggest, strongest army in the world … but it’s made up of our kids.” Physically, Kresch family members are OK but, like the rest of ...…
…26 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N A nna Rubin Mizrachi has an American passport, but has decided to stay in Israel, even with emergency evacuations underway to bring U.S. citizens back. The Farmington Hills native made aliyah in December 2018, inspired by her education at Frankel Jewish Academy, Jewish student involvement at Michigan State University, work at Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her family’s affinity for Israe...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 27 J N of friends got together,” she says. “The country has been in turmoil and divided over politics. Right now there’s no left, there’s no right — everybody has come together to volunteer and be together, and it’s the most incredible thing.” Rubin Mizrachi’s spent her days since volunteering at a food truck, The Good truck — started by a group of friends in order to help — by an army base in Israel’s center...…
…28 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N F or University of Michigan student Atara Kresch, who says her “whole heart and life is in Israel,” standing by and watch- ing the Hamas-Israel conflict unfold wasn’t an option. With her family in Israel (see page 24), Kresch, 22, quickly mobilized. “I’ve been feeling so hope- less not knowing what to do,” Kresch wrote on Facebook at the start of the crisis, which saw Hamas launch an unprece- dented attac...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 29 J N PHOTOS COURTESY OF ATARA KRESCH MATERIALS Almost Anything* BOLD and BRIGHT. *Items not allowed: • Glitter • Light blue crayons • Pencils • Computer generated artwork REQUIREMENTS A fully completed entry form (below) as well as a color photo of the artist who submitted. Photos must be taped or glued to the back of the art submission, with the entry form. Please no staples or paperclips. Only one submiss...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 3 J N PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 10 A Woman of Valor Florine Mark will long be remembered for her efforts to make lives better. 18 Taken Too Soon Our community mourns the loss of Samantha Woll. 20 Interfaith Groups’ Response Some local non-Jewish communities and secular organizations respond to Hamas attacks with support and others with silence. 22 Talk...…
…30 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N OUR COMMUNITY V ladimir Gendelman and Sergey Polyachok never thought they’ d see one another again, but the then-15-year-old best friends — who emigrated from the former Soviet Union as Jewish refugees in 1989 — made a promise to one another they intended to keep. Both would serve as the other’s best man at their weddings, despite Gendelman having moved to Metro Detroit and Polyachok to Israel. At the...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 31 J N O ct. 13, Hillel of Metro Detroit (HMD) orga- nized a “Shabbat for Israel” dinner. A diverse group of college students gathered at the Urbanrest Brewing Company in Ferndale to cele- brate Shabbat and demonstrate their unity and faith in Israel with security provided by Jewish Community Security Inc. The Shabbat dinner united undergrad and graduate stu- dents from Lawrence Tech, Oakland Community College,...…
…OUR COMMUNITY T here is anger simmering in our community: anger in the schools, on the roads, in the way strang- ers react to each other with hostility, anger about differing viewpoints on everything from politics to child-rearing choices. What do we do if we want to make a difference, if we want to nudge the needle back to a kinder, gentler way of interacting with each other? If you have felt powerless and baffled, both by the inte...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 33 J N sentatives from nine other countries came together in Japan to forge connections with an aim of bettering understanding of different cultures. As a high school student who has experienced school in an age of gun violence, COVID restrictions and societal divisions, Murphy brings the perspective of a younger community mem- ber to the table. The final panelist, Rabbi Josh Bennett of Temple Israel, will ...…
…34 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N OUR COMMUNITY M arvin Zucker grew up knowing about the terrible losses suffered by his European- based family during the Holocaust. Although his late parents, Nathan and Anna Zucker, remained reluctant to talk about their very difficult times, important information was communicated. Born in the United States to parents who met in a Russian forced labor camp and escaped to America, Marvin Zucker came t...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 35 J N world. “It’s up to us today, as representatives of Jewish people, to educate and bring light to this vast darkness. It’s not just to educate individuals but to educate the educators so they can get knowledge and learning to the overall population. We believe the only way to end the hatred is by making people understand what really happened.” The Zuckers, who married six years ago, enjoy their blended ...…
…36 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N OUR COMMUNITY G et ready for the best treat of the season! Leave it to Reboot to innovate, reimagine and collaborate its socks off to deliver an event like no other this Erev Halloween (not an actual Jewish holiday … yet?). On Oct. 30, Reboot is taking over Third Man Records in Detroit’s Cass Corridor for Monster Mash. What can you expect? The night will rattle your bones with talks with a bestselling au...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 37 J N Associated Endocrinologists welcomes our newest physician Ewa Gniado, M.D. Karen K. Berris, M.D. • Howard S. Blank, M.D. • Gary W. Edelson, M.D. • Leedor Lieberman, M.D. Jacob Moe, D.O. • Lowell R. Schmeltz, M.D. • Samina Syed, M.D. • Carla Ferrise, FNP-BC Erica Forbes, FNP • Meryl Krochmal, RD, CDCES 32255 Northwestern Highway, Suite 214 | Farmington Hills, MI | Phone (248) 855-5620 | Fax: (248) 855-5628 ...…
…38 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N Ann Arbor Jewish Book Festival OUR COMMUNITY M ark your calendars for the 36th Annual Ann Arbor Jewish Book Festival. Join the Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor and its commu- nity partners Nov. 5-19 for two weeks of in-per- son, virtual and hybrid events featuring a diverse array of authors bringing new works of fiction, nonfiction and children’s literature to Washtenaw County. This year’s progr...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 39 J N A special group of volunteer judges will be reviewing submissions and choosing the 36 winners. Honorees will receive a free subscription to the JN and be featured in a February 2024 issue. GO ONLINE TO THEJEWISHNEWS.COM AND SUBMIT YOUR NOMINATION BY DECEMBER 29, 2023 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT Do you know someone who gives of themselves to the community in robust — and often thankless — ways? Someone you admire ...…
…4 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N from Federation We Stand With Israel; How You Can Help, Too. F ollowing the devastating assault by Hamas on Simchat Torah, the people of Israel are displaying unprecedented unity during this war and have come together with extensive volunteer efforts and aid from various organizations. The Jewish Federations of North America launched a $500 million campaign, offering aid and resources for those aff...…
…HEALTH S udden infant death syndrome (SIDS) rates have decreased by 50% in the U.S. following the critical 1994 “Back to Sleep” campaign, which promotes safe sleep practices, but the country still sees more than 1,000 SIDS deaths every year. As October is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month, it’s important for parents, grandparents, care- givers and babysitters to brush up on SIDS guidelines to help promote a healthy ...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 41 J N SIDS deaths occur between midnight and 6 a.m. Ironically, while sleeping in the same room often results in less sleep for both parents and babies, the ability for babies to wake easily can fur- ther reduce risk. In addition, research shows that breastfeeding can decrease SIDS risk by as much as 50%. While the reasons aren’t entirely clear, babies who are breastfed or fed expressed breast milk have a lowe...…
…42 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N I t’s been a great five years for the Kosher Ribs team in the Inter- Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League’s fall league. The Kosher Ribs have played in the fall league’s playoff championship game five straight seasons and won three times, including a 14-10 victory over the Jeters on Oct. 15 in this year’s title game. It’s a particularly impressive stretch because the weekly fall league is ...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 43 J N becomes part of the family. We never get mad at each other, and we never fight. I love playing on this team.” The family atmosphere described by Slutsky does translate to the diamond. “We’re a team, through and through,” he said. “We don’t rely on one or two guys to carry us. When someone is missing or one of our better players is struggling, someone picks up their production. “I think everyone got on b...…
…44 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N E tre ailleurs, “To be elsewhere — the great vice of this race, its great and secret virtue, the great vocation of this people.” So wrote the French poet and essayist Charles Peguy (1873-1914), a philosemite in an age of antisemitism. He continued: “Any crossing for them means the crossing of the desert. The most comfortable houses, the best built from stones as big as the temple pillars, the mos...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 45 J N two symbols in Bilaam’s blessing, “How goodly are your tents, Jacob, and your dwelling places, Israel.” Tents are for people on a journey. Dwelling places are for people who have found home. Psalm 1 uses two symbols of the righteous individual. On the one hand, he or she is on the way, while the wicked begin by walking, then transition to standing and sitting. On the other hand, the righteous is compa...…
…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...…
…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 Hills (248) 477-1410 ...…
…48 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N ARTS&LIFE BOOKS A staff writer for the New Yorker magazine came up with a new book on the history of Hollywood’s Oscars, and he has something in common with a rabbi- lawyer who developed feminine midrash for a new book analyzing the Bible. What they have in common, besides being authors of new books, is that they are both appearing among some 30 authors, with a range of subjects and from various places,...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 49 J N described starting at the New Yorker in 2004 as an assistant in the events section and working his way up into writing articles that specialized in the arts. “There is a lot of Jewish content in the book,” said the author, who celebrates the Jewish holidays with family. “The early parts of the book cover a lot of the Jewish moguls who built the studio system, and Steven Spielberg later is a major character. ...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 5 J N 29699 Southfield Road | Southfield, MI 48076 | 248.559.5000 | geshermi.org 15th Annual FUNdraising Event Benefiting Women in Our Community ↓ To purchase tickets, scan QR code or go to www.geshermi.org/tradesecrets plus ... WIN A TRIP FOR 4 TO FLORENCE, ITALY! Max of 250 tickets sold! $200 PER TICKET LICENSE #R70917 A fun, unique, and inspiring evening! MORE INFORMATION: LINDSEY FOX | 248.233.4343 | lfox@...…
…50 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N T wo local young theater performers — Toby Gittleman of West Bloomfield and Kevin Keller of Detroit — play the parts of auditioning young theater performers in the hit musical A Chorus Line. Gittleman as Bobby and Keller as Greg take the stage for the Nicely Theatre Group performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 27-28, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts in...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 51 J N have created a welcoming environment, and the cast creates a very comfortable mood. “I think a lot of acting has come very naturally to me because you can really use empathy to build another person,” Gittleman said. “If you take what you know about the core ways that you operate and put that into a person who has a completely different set of life experiences, I find that an intuitive process and rea...…
…52 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N A RESPONSE TO THE ATTACK ON ISRAEL, HALLOWEEN STUFF, BILLIONS Creative Community for Peace (CCFP) is a nonprofit, enter- tainment industry organization that views the arts as a bridge to peace, while, at the same time, it battles antisemitism and the Israel “divestment” campaign. On Oct. 12, the CCFP released Israel Under Attack — Open Letter. Seven hundred people in the entertainment industry signed ...…
…OCTOBER 26 • 2023 | 53 J N ON THE GO PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS ‘JERSEY BOYS’ Oct. 27-NOV. 12 Birmingham Village Players will present the Metro Detroit Community Theatre Premiere of Jersey Boys the Musical, a musical biography that takes you behind the scenes and behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Performances are Oct. 27, 28 and Nov. 3, 4, 10, 11 at 8 pm and Oct. 29 and Nov. 5, 12 at 2 pm. Reserved tickets a...…
…54 | OCTOBER 26 • 2023 J N ON THE GO PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS AI & JUDAISM 7:30 PM, OCT. 31 (TUES.) An online event organized by Congregation Beth Ahm. The Jewish world has exploded with possibilities about how Judaism might be impacted by AI and what Judaism might offer the AI conversation in turn. In this online course with David Zvi Kalman, cover the current state of artificial intelligence, how we might expect Judaism to ...…
