…$200 Aug. 27-Sept. 2, 2020/ 7-13 Elul 5780 in Midtown Pistons’ Jewish execs are doing what they can to improve the team and earn a championship. See page 12 Don’ t miss the DJN Community Directory page 33 …
…ROSH HASHANAH GREETINGS Ad Deadline: Sept. 10, 2020 Continue a 78-year tradition! Wish your family and friends and the entire Jewish community a Happy New Year! For information, call 248-351-5116 or email salessupport@renmedia.us GO TO: thejewishnews.com/rosh-hashanah-greeting to reserve your space today or call us at 248.351.5116 STEP 1: Select Your Style STYLE #1 Rosh Hashanah 2020/5781 May the New Year bring to all our friend...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 3 contents Views 5-11 Jews in the D Making Moves in Midtown 12 Pistons’ Jewish execs are out to improve the team and earn a championship. Gap Years Press On, Despite Pandemic 16 Recent high school grads from Metro Detroit are excited to spend a year in Israel, even if their programs will look different from usual. Susannah Heschel on “Racism and the Jews” 18 The Zoom event aims to explore the connectedness of ...…
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… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 5 Views for openers Men at Work letters A few years ago, when my friend Shayna was going on a cruise, she asked me what kind of souvenir she should get for me. I jokingly told her to just take lots of pictures of all those dashing men in uniform. So, Shayna spent her entire trip texting me pics of construction workers in their orange jackets. Not exactly what I had in mind! Although I’ ve got to admit, ther...…
…6 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 Editor’ s Note The JN And the Post Offi ce Views T his month the Jewish News reached a digi- tal milestone, as the publication passed 1 mil- lion pageviews in a single calendar year for the first time (with four months to go). This is a great accom- plishment for our team, as it signals we have found a tre- mendous local and worldwide audience for our Metro Detroit Jewish community. But the heart and ...…
…Bl ue Cross Bl ue Shi el d of Mi chi gan and Bl ue Care Network are nonprofit corpor ati ons and i ndependent l i censees of the Bl ue Cross and Bl ue Shi el d Associ ati on. Here f or Mi chi gan. Now more than ever. At Bl ue Cross Bl ue Shi el d of Mi chi gan, we’re commi tted to cari ng f or Mi chi gan and everyone who cal l s i t home. For our members, i t’s a commi tment to provi de you ...…
…Views A merican Jewish com- munities must act now to protect democracy and voting rights. Protect the United States Postal Services (USPS). It is a mitzvah. It is the single-most important thing we need to do during the countdown to Nov. 3. It is currently being gutted, and if it cannot function properly, then the democratic process that under- girds the American way of life fails. Jewish ethics and Talmudic teachings call ...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 9 WHERE TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION COMING TO A NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR YOU WE’RE GETTING THE FAMILY TOGETHER! We’ll be in your neighborhood for the High Holy Days: SHOFAR IN THE PARK: Huntington Woods, Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Hills and Southfield TRAVELING TASHLICH: Detroit and Southfield N’ILAH UNDER THE STARS: Southfield Our innovative experiences continue: THE PRAYGROUND for young children, POETRY AND PROSE OF T...…
…10 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 Views guest column Teaching Resiliency I ’ ve been (mainly) sitting on the sidelines watching the rhetoric about plans for school this fall unfold and have decided it’ s time to speak up and put my own personal stake in the ground. I urge parents to consider an attitude change on this topic and seize the oppor- tunity to be a role model for our children in this incredible teaching moment— rather than s...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 11 OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’ s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to refl ect 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, in So...…
…Jews in the D O n a regular basis this summer, David Mincberg has been commuting 372.5 miles from Milwaukee to Midtown. If he’ s lucky, it’ s a commute that can be done in five hours, 15 minutes and a few seconds. Though, depending largely on unpredictable and undeniable traffic through Chicago, it can easily be closer to seven hours. By the time this article is published, Mincberg plans to be at-home in Detroit — more specifically Bi...…
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…Jews in the D 14 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 another championship team.” He has met and worked with many former Pistons players and was drawn to the vision of creating the best organization possible, with a focus on mak- ing the entire city and entire community better. His focus is to help the team get better and more strategic every day. Mincberg gravitated to the quality of leadership he wit- nessed here, includ- ing Coach Dwayne Casey; P...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 15 able chemistry he has with Tellem. “I spend more time with Arn than anyone else. Has been an incredible mentor to me. I am so incredibly grateful. He gave me a chance, allowed me to make mistakes and grow. A big part of my journey has been through Arn. He is truly an even better person than all his success embodies.” Jeffrey Schostak, president of Schostak Development, worked closely with Bartelstein on the ...…
…16 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 J acob Ellenbogen has been planning to take a gap year after high school since his sophomore year, and when he found the Kivunim International Gap Year Program, he knew he wanted to do it. In a normal year, students in the program learn about the Jewish diaspora from a home base in Israel, with trips to different countries every few weeks. But then the COVID-19 pandemic struck. “There was about a two- week ...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 17 © 20 Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation. . org We Have Answers. Need help getting through a crisis? Call jhelp at 1-833-44-JHELP Visit jhelp. org Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp. org Do all of the above Q …
…18 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 Jews in the D ‘Racism and Jews’ Zoom event aims to explore the connectedness of racism and antisemitism. I s the rise in antisemitism its own phenom- enon or does it stem from racism? Thursday, Sept. 3, at 7 p.m., Professor Susannah Heschel will speak at a community Zoom event that will explore that question. The event, “Racism and the Jews: History, Conscience and the Future, ” is hosted by the Jewi...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 19 Michigan State Legislature Approves Plan for Schools Plan allows for fl exibility, local control. O n Aug. 15, the Michigan state Senate approved a bipartisan plan that pro- vides flexibility for school dis- tricts and for families as many students prepare for the upcom- ing school year. The Michigan House of Representatives then approved the plan on Aug. 17. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the bill. The plan ...…
…Jews in the D 20 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 It Takes a Village With many schools starting online, some families are turning to pod learning. JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER A round the time the Walled Lake Consolidated School District announced it would begin the school year with remote learning, Hillary Glaser and her husband, Craig, sat down to devise a game plan. As working parents of two boys, ages 7 and 8, they wanted to make s...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 21 aimed at helping families through the process of starting one and educators looking to offer their services. Lindsay Sikora, an attorney and mother from West Bloomfield, recently launched findmylocalteacher.com, a website that helps connect parents and educators. Sikora, who is working on the site with her sister-in-law Natalie Mazza, called it “a white-glove style service, ” providing parents with acce...…
…WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Jackie Robinson and the Jews The celebrated baseball player was a vocal opponent to antisemitism. IRWIN COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Jews in the D 22 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 F amed baseball player Jackie Robinson was serving in the army as a second lieutenant, stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and Fort Hood, Texas. While he was there, prej- udiced white officers wouldn’ t give him a chance to try out for the baseball te...…
…including diabetes and heart problems, Robinson accepted the position of vice president of Chock Full o’ Nuts, a chain of coffee shops in New York, after the ’ 56 season. Toward the end of his career, he wanted a bigger home with more green land. The Robinsons decided on Stamford, Connecticut. Redlining made it difficult to find a home, but eventually they found what they wanted. They had to wait as the fin- ishing touches were ...…
…24 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 T he Abraham Accord between Israel and the UAE brought many of us a much-needed sigh of relief. The pressures for unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank, which seemed imminent and would have been extremely costly — to moving toward a two- state solution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, to Israel’ s own self-understanding as a democracy and to Israel’ s standing internationally — have been avert...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 25 Abraham Accord to facilitate his succeeding the 84-year-old Abbas. Dhalan, however, does not have broad support among Palestinians. In order to capitalize on the Abraham Accord, other states in the region should play a more constructive role, provid- ing incentives for both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to move toward a genuine, negoti- ated peace. These incentives can make compromises more palat- abl...…
…Jews in the D 26 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 I t takes a special person to be an obstetric nurse. The profession demands dedication, compassion — in short, someone whose caring commitment literally brings new life into the world. If that someone is also an advocate for social action by helping hospital patients exercise their right to vote, then she represents some- one whose career path has brought both challenges and rewards. Lisa Sc...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 27 A judge has dismissed the lawsuit against anti-Israel protesters who stand outside Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor each week. The decision, made by U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts on Aug. 19, says the plaintiffs did not prove they suffered concrete injury as a result of the protests. “Plaintiffs fail to allege a concrete injury, and thus fail to allege an injury in fact, ” the decision reads....…
…28 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 T hough Michigan con- tinues to grapple with COVID-19 cases this summer, essential workers in the Jewish community have been breathing a sigh of relief over the past few months. Many grocery store workers find working conditions to be more tolerable since April, when the pandemic was at its worst. Joe Montgomery, general manager of Johnny Pomodoro’ s in Farmington Hills, recalled some of the hardships the ...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 29 W e’ re not afraid to tackle tough issues in the community, ” said Sam Dubin, co-host of FedRadioDetroit, a podcast pro- duced by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. The podcast series, which launched in December 2019, has released eight episodes centered around Jewish life in Metro Detroit. Alongside co-host Beverly Liss, president of Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, Dubin tackles is...…
…Moments 30 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 Corey Chudler will lead the congregation in prayer on the occa- sion of his bar mitzvah on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020 at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. He will be joined in celebration by his proud parents, Neisha and Brett Chudler, and broth- er Casey. Corey is the loving grand- child of Ethel and Cliff Chudler, and Myrna and the late Paul Baytarian. He is a student at Abbott Middle School in West Blo...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 31 Liner 90th M yron and Charlotte Liner of Farmington Hills both celebrated their 90th birthday this year. Feeling very blessed to have them around and sending them much love are their children, Philip and Rosanne Liner, David and Lori Liner, Valerie and Arthur Rosner; their adoring grand- children, Michael and Hallie Liner, Danny and Debbie Liner, Alan Liner, Becky (Ethan Rosenberg) Liner, Liz Rosner and Bria...…
…D o you know how many commandments there are in the Torah? If you answered 613, you are correct. What do those many laws entail? Rabbi Hillel answered, “That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the expla- nation; go and learn. ” This week’ s portion, contains 72 commandments, the largest num- ber in any portion. There are laws about the treatment of captives and rights of inherit...…
…ORTHODONTISTS JEWISH NEWS' MICHIGAN BUSINESS DIRECTORY C O M M U N I T Y EDUCATION FAMILY FUN BUILDERS BEAUTY camps REAL ESTATE photography JEWELRY restaurants INTERIOR DESIGN JUDAICA …
…34 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 JEWISH NEWS' MICHIGAN BUSINESS DIRECTORY C O M M U N I T Y DIRECTORY ANTIQUES SCHMIDT’ S ANTIQUES INC. Since 1911 (734) 434-2660 www.SchmidtsAntiques.com Auctioneers, fine antiques and appraisers since 1911, Schmidt’ s has been instrumental in uniting buyers and sellers of art and antiques through the process known as auctions. We strive to make the entire process simple, honest and productive for bo...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 35 FRANKEL JEWISH ACADEMY 6600 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 592-5263 www.frankelja.org Frankel Jewish Academy is a rigorous college preparatory high school pursuing academic excellence and Jewish literacy. We inspire students to think critically, creatively and compassionately; to dedicate themselves to Jewish tradition, peoplehood and the State of Israel; and to become lifelong learners and le...…
…36 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 JEWISH NEWS' MICHIGAN BUSINESS DIRECTORY C O M M U N I T Y DIRECTORY ENTERTAINMENT/PARTY PLANNING ANDREA SOLOMON 6405 Tamerlane Drive West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 535-0402 andreasolomon2554@gmail.com As far back as can be remembered, people around the world have gathered to celebrate life’ s special moments. Whether you expect 20 or 2,000 guests at your next event, let me, event planner Andrea Solomon, m...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 37 HEBREW MEMORIAL CHAPEL 26640 Greenfield Road Oak Park, MI 48237 (248) 543-1622 (800) 736-5033 www.hebrewmemorial.org Entering our second century as your community-owned funeral chapel. We are here for you 24 hours a day. Anyone can acknowledge that your loved one died. We understand that your loved one lived. IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL 18325 W. Nine Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075 (248) 559-0020 www.irakaufman.com Brin...…
…38 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 JEWISH NEWS' MICHIGAN BUSINESS DIRECTORY C O M M U N I T Y DIRECTORY KIDS IN MOTION PEDIATRIC THERAPY SERVICES Commerce, Highland, Clarkston, Brighton (248) 684-9610 www.KidsInMotionMI.com Specialists in infant and child development for over 27 years. Providing quality pediatric physical, occupational, speech and language therapy to children and families from birth to young adult. Nurturing team environme...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 39 JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID ADOM Wendy Strip, Development Executive, Greater Detroit Area (248) 522-0420 wstrip@afmda.org afmda.org Magen David Adom is Israel’ s ambulance disaster-relief and blood-services agency, serving as emergency medical first responders for 9.2 million people. It’ s not a government agency so it depends on Americans like you for funding. FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE 6...…
…40 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE RESOURCE CENTER (248) 592-2313 resourcecenter@jfsdetroit.org www.jfsdetroit.org The heart of a stronger community, we provide older adult services such as case management, door- through-door transportation, Kosher Meals on Wheels and Holocaust survivor assistance; mental health and wellness services such as counseling, suicide prevention trainings and youth/school-based services; safety...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 41 KOSHER MEALS ON WHEELS (248) 592-2313 www.ncjwmi.org National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW|MI), in conjunction with Jewish Family Service, can deliver meals to your home daily, Monday-Friday. Meals are for those homebound, 60 and older, who are unable to provide for themselves or who have no one to assist them with meal preparation on a temporary or ongoing basis. Meals are packaged and delive...…
…42 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 THE VILLAS AT BLOOMFIELD GROVE A Robertson Homes Community 183 Timber Trace Lane Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 (248) 963-8913 kalessi@robertsonhomes.com www.RobertsonHomes.com Experience luxury living at the Villas at Bloomfield Grove, offering detached ranch condos in Bloomfield Hills. Furnished model home open daily. Enjoy the privacy of a single-family home without any exterior maintenance. Designer appointm...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 43 B’ NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE 5085 Walnut Lake Road West Bloomfield, MI 48323 (248) 432-2729 Fax: (248) 479-2572 info@bnaiisraelwb.org www.bnaiisraelwb.org Rabbi Mitch Parker. B’ nai Israel Synagogue is an egalitarian, lay-led Conservative congregation operating within the Temple Kol Ami building. We provide religious, educational and social opportunities that reflect our commitment to Judaism, our members of all a...…
…44 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 Get Th e Detroit Jewish News Delivered to Your Door! thejewishnews.com/subscribe …
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 45 Arts&Life dance Digital Dance Discussion Former Metro Detroiters to discuss the art of dancing in JCC program. T wo Southfield-raised representatives of the professional dance world — one who formed a dance company and the other who transitioned into neurosurgery — will discuss the art of dance during a digital program arranged by the Jewish Community Center (JCC). The event is part of the series “Conver...…
…S ome 25 years ago, when Ethan Daniel Davidson was a touring singer-song- writer-instrumentalist, he spent time in a remote area of Alaska to think through the direction of his life. From his cabin, Davidson hiked and chopped wood in-between reading the Jewish philosophy of Martin Buber and the verses of Yukon poet Robert Service. The long-term impact of those experiences come together in the title song of his new album, Come Down Lo...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 47 Arts&Life art Portraits in Glass Artist Michele Sider has created a series focused on the Jews of Yemen. BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER M ichelle Sider has combined her love of artisanal glass and her interest in the Jews of Yemen to create a stunning col- lection of glass mosaic portraits. She calls it “paint- ing with glass. ” Sider has completed four portraits in a collec- tion, “I Am Yemenite, ” that will...…
… AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 48 ing private tuition and classes at Farber Hebrew Day School, Frankel Jewish Academy, the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center and various community centers. She gave up teaching four years ago to concentrate on her own art. In 2017, Sider and Rabbi Joseph Krakoff published a book, Never Enough Time, to help people grieving the loss of a loved one, and a companion col- oring book for children. Sider spends many h...…
…On The Go virtual events | learnings THE BEATS GO ON AUG. 27-SEPT. 3 Nearly 200 performers across nearly 15 genres will perform virtual concerts spread across a full week to raise money for the music community. All events have been constructed in collaboration with the Oakland County Health Department and meet current state of Michigan event guidelines.” A schedule and links to online performances can be found by visi...…
…50 | AUGUST 27 • 2020 M ore than six months after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international con- cern, nearly 22 million people worlwide have been diagnosed with the virus and more than 777,000 people have died from it (as of Aug. 19). The National Institutes of Health recently announced what it called an “unprecedented effort” to accelerate test- ing technology, pouring more than $1 ...…
