…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 23 nament this year. Close friends Aaron Adler and Avi Selesny of Southfield are this year’s tournament co-commissioners. Each plays on the Farber basketball team. Being friends has been a big help for the co-commissioners. “ Aaron and I see each other a lot, so we’ve been able to talk a lot about the tournament, ” Selesny said. “Because we’re friends, we can say something is a good idea or bad idea to each other. ...…
…OUR COMMUNITY One Thing I Wish You Knew Friendship Circle’s UMatter presents its fourth annual, “One Thing I Wish You Knew” event March 13 from 5-6:30 p.m. at Seaholm High School Auditorium in Birmingham and virtually via livestream. The free in-person and virtual event will focus on empowering individuals, with a specific focus on teens, to shatter the stigmas surrounding mental health challenges. “One Thing I Wish You Knew” pro...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 25 Justice Bernstein at Chabad Jewish Community Center T he Grand Opening of the Chabad Jewish Community Center takes place on Monday, March 7, 7 p.m. at 3306 Auburn Road, Auburn Hills. The event will feature a ribbon cutting, building dedi- cation, live music and a talk by Justice Richard Bernstein, who sits on the Supreme Court of Michigan. Born blind, Bernstein shows incredible resilience and posi- tivity....…
…26 | MARCH 3 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY B rooke wanted to learn how to make change so that she could complete purchases on her own when at a store checkout, a task most of us take for granted. Brooke is one of the many people JARC serves who excitedly anticipate the moment they will complete new tasks suc- cessfully. With practice, time and the help of her JARC caregiver Katrina Smith, that desire recently became a reality for Brooke. Th...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 27 H illel Day School of Metro Detroit held its annual Havdalapalooza this year on Jan. 29, welcoming the new week virtually. Due to the pandemic, it was held online; but that didn’t stop families from joining in. The school said it had a great turnout with roughly 70 families signed on. Hillel’s Rav Beit Hasefer, Rabbi David Fain, tells the Jewish News that Havdalapalooza is a won- derful opportunity for the ...…
…28 | MARCH 3 • 2022 faces&places Getting together is important to Rabbi Steven Rubenstein of Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield, especially after the win- ter fun they had over the weekend of Feb 6. “With so few opportunities late- ly, because of the pandemic, to get together. This seemed like a real great opportunity — even got to see some people I hadn’t seen in a little bit,” Rabbi Rubenstein said. The congregation planne...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 29 The Ballerina of Auschwitz, a conversation with Dr. Edith Eger, was brought to the com- munity by The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch, the Friendship Circle Adult Volunteers and Chabad of Ann Arbor. With more than 100 computers logged in, it was an evening to be remembered. On Feb. 3, as the streets outside were covered in snow, partici- pants enjoyed warmth, meaning and inspiration. “Dr. Eger answered questions about he...…
…30 | MARCH 3 • 2022 faces&places The Young Israel of Southfield Sisterhood, under the leadership of Shirli Gotlib and Ariella Shaffren, we’re so excited to get back to in-person events this year. They began with a resin tray event for women, followed by comedian Eli Leibowitz and most recently an outing at the Fowling Warehouse in Hamtramck. “It’s nice to be out with friends and support the community, ” one member said. Thr...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 31 George Marshall, aka the performer Raw Silk, has been playing cabaret in Detroit for decades. While he doesn’t typ- ically offer private shows, the people JARC serves have been fortunate to receive personal- ized performances via Zoom during the pandemic. His recent JARC show was Valentine’s Day-themed and featured songs about love. Marshall spends weeks carefully planning the perfor- mance, with song choices a...…
…D ozens of people gathered in Detroit for the relaunch of NEXTWork, NEXTGen Detroit and JVS’ professional development and network- ing series for young Jewish Detroiters. The program kicked off with Jason Raznick, co-founder and CEO of Benzinga. He built the com- pany 12 years ago during the Great Recession and, after a recent nine-figure acqui- sition, he’s calling this new chapter Benzinga’s “second inning.” The event was hos...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 33 N EXTGen Detroit’s Winter Fundraiser: Distilled & Chilled will bring Metro Detroit’s young Jewish adults some of the best the city has to offer in live music from local art- ists, classic Detroit fare and Detroit City Distillery’s signa- ture spirits — all for a good cause. The night out in the Motor City will benefit the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s 2022 Annual Campaign. The fundraiser is set...…
…SPORTS G olf is important to J.J. Modell. “I enjoy the compe- tition. It keeps me sharp in life,” he said. Golf will take Modell to Israel this summer. The 50-year-old Bloomfield Hills resident and investment advisor will compete in golf in the men’s masters division (age 50 and older) for Team USA at the 21st Maccabiah Games. “Playing golf in the Maccabiah Games is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s been a goal of my golf c...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 35 I n Pekudei, we wrap up the Book of Exodus and learn that the Israelites have fin- ished constructing the Tabernacle. We find a final accounting of the gold and silver used in the construction and learn that the ritual objects and garments that the Israelites had been instructed to make were complet- ed as well. We also find the results of the recently completed census (603,550 males over age 20). Upon com...…
…S itting is the new smoking. So goes the new health mantra. Spend too much time at a desk or in front of a screen and you are at risk of significant danger to your health. The World Health Organization has identified physical inactivity as the fourth greatest health haz- ard today, ahead of obesity. In the words of Dr James Levine, one of the world’s leading experts on the sub- ject and the man credited with coining the mantra, sa...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 37 become the first member of the covenantal family to build a house, yet he does not call the place “house” (as in Bet- El or Bet-lechem). He calls it “cattle-sheds.” It is as if Jacob, consciously or unconsciously, already knew that to live the life of the covenant means to be ready to move on, to travel, to journey, to grow. One might have thought that all this applied only to the time before the Israelites cro...…
…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 3 • 2022 | 39 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 La...…
…ARTS&LIFE THEATER JET creates an Arizona production of The Diary of Anne Frank. On the Road Again …
…B ringing and mounting a new production of The Diary of Anne Frank from Michigan to Arizona in the middle of a pandemic has been a labor of love of epic proportions, to say the very least. But with grit and clever resourcefulness, one fiercely determined snow birder extraordinaire and her small, but mighty, Scottsdale-area team of friends and relatives were able to make it happen. For more than 27 years, the Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET)...…
…ARTS&LIFE THEATER continued from page 41 42 | MARCH 3 • 2022 JET Season The Jewish Ensemble Theatre will reopen its 2021-2022 season with: Same Time Next Year by Bernard Slade April 21-May 15 The Full Monty by Terrence McNally and David Yazbek June 2-26 Amadeus by Peter Shaffer July 14- Aug. 7 TBD Aug. 25-Sept. 18 JET’s 2022-2023 Season begins Oct. 6 with the Rocky Horror Picture Show Single ticket prices $49/ adu...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 43 ARTS&LIFE BOOKS E xcitement is in the air after the release of the new children’s book by Michigan author Lori Ellis. The new book, titled Ryan’s Magical Shoes, was inspired by her parents who were Holocaust survivors. Ellis said the story teaches young children about diversity and acceptance. Born and raised in Detroit, Ellis now lives in West Bloomfield with her husband, Jeff. She holds a master’s degree in s...…
…44 | MARCH 3 • 2022 CATWOMAN IS JEWISH, THE ’80S LAKERS, THERANOS MESS The Batman opens in the- aters on March 4. There is a long backstory on the production of this new entry in the Batman odyssey. Suffice it to say that it pretty much is a “new start” for the Batman series. So many “new starts” probably would have surprised Bob Kane (1915-1998), who created the Batman comic character. The Caped Crusader is played by Robert P...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 45 KIDS PLAYTIME 10-11 AM, MARCH 3 Children ages 0-5 and their favorite adults are invited to come play in per- son at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Join Lindsay Mall for a Rhythm and Ruach class, with songs, gross motor activity and more. The community is welcome at $54 per family per seven-week session and with a limit of 15 families each session. The spring session runs Thursday mornings through April...…
…46 | MARCH 3 • 2022 own needs are being met during this challenging time. It’s easy to feel isolated but Jewish Family Service and Jewish Senior Life are here to offer family caregivers support, comfort and a sense of community. “Taking Care of the Caregiver” with author Rabbi Laura Geller will be a virtual presentation. Info: jfsdetroit.org/caregiver. FRANKEL CENTER EVENT 4-6 PM, MARCH 10+ “Secrets” film series. Free. Dr. Debo...…
…the exchange community bulletin board | professional services For information regarding advertising please call 248-351-5116 or 248-234-9057 or email salessupport@thejewishnews.com Deadline for ad insertion is 9 a.m. on Friday prior to publication. MARCH 3 • 2022 | 47 Aaron Mendelson Heating and Cooling, LLC. 248-855-0437 Cell: 248-912-2292 License # 7118488 Maintenance, Installation, Repair & Hot Water Heaters Ajmendelson1@gmail.com...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 48 | MARCH 3 • 2022 VIVIAN KEIDAN BERRY, 93, of Huntington Woods, died Feb. 21, 2022. She is survived by her son, Hank Berry, and his fiancee, Jessica Rhodes; daughter, Karen Berry; grandchildren, Rhys Leahy, Max Leahy, Emily and Eric Whale, and Amy Berry; great-grandchildren, Matthew Schick and Alison Whale. She is also survived by her loving and devoted caregivers, Washita Smith Myree, Marayama...…
…continued on page 51 MARCH 3 • 2022 | 49 Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, temple-israel.org/trib- utes; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. KENNETH BRENNER, 76, of Farmington Hills, died Feb. 16, 2022. He is sur- vived by his wife, Yvonne Kawashima; daughter, Mariko Brenner; broth- ers, Ronald Brenner and Terry Brenner;...…
…50 | MARCH 3 • 2022 B lanche Gantz, 100, of Santa Barbara, Cali- fornia, died Feb. 19, 2022. She passed away peaceful- ly three months before her 101st birthday. She lived a full, high-energy life filled with love and joy from her friends, family and dance. She was a strong, indepen- dent, creative woman who loved socializing. Blanche grew up in Brook-lyn, N.Y., and moved to Detroit at age 9. She was a child performer in the Ca...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 51 Feld; many other loving family members and friends. Mr. Feld was the beloved husband of the late Roslyn Feld; the brother of the late Marilyn Haile. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. ERIC “RICKY” FISHMAN, 75, died Feb. 21, 2022, in Hanover, Pa. He was born in Pittsburgh, gr...…
…extremely proud. Interment took place at Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery in Clinton Township. Contributions may be made to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation or the National Kidney Foundation. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. NANCY LYNN GOLDEN, 75, of San Mateo, Calif., formerly of Detroit, died Feb. 17, 2022. She is survived by her siblings, Dr. Theodore and Diana Golden, Ellen Golden and Mark Kelley, and Richard and Linda Gold...…
…MARCH 3 • 2022 | 53 S eymour Salinger, 98, died Feb. 2, 2022, the last of his family’s great generation. He was born in 1923 in a small town in Lithuania, the youngest of seven children. In 1939, his mother sent him and his sister to live with their older brothers, who were already in Detroit. Sadly, she did not survive the Holocaust to join her children. After finish- ing Central High School and a semester at Wayne State Uni...…
…54 | MARCH 3 • 2022 Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org Sholem Aleichem Institute: All Things Yiddish R ecently, I wrote about Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916), the famous Yiddish writer of stories and plays. During my research on Aleichem in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History, I ran across hundreds of references to his namesak...…
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…FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 Sisters Unite Jewish women’s groups in Metro Detroit make waves — and lasting friendships. 18 The Perfect Stranger Meet Spencer Lucker, who works for Mayor Mike Duggan and volunteers his time with NEXTGen Detroit. 20 Interfaith Trip to Dubai JCRC/AJC takes Muslim and Jewish students on a trip they’ll never forget...…
…4 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY C ookies and crack(ers), Oh, my! Those of us who are snackologists are more than familiar with the words cheddar cheese, sour cream and onion, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. The first term lends itself to many expressions not food related. The second, with the parenthesis observed, lends a few more. Many a businessperson has had to worry that a partner may be caught with his han...…
…FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 5 his books carries a preface by J.B. Stoner, a neo-Nazi convicted of the 1958 bombing of Bethel Church in Birmingham, Alabama. “The Jews are embarked upon a plan to conquer the world and to rule over all other races and nations,” it says. “By understanding the evil and aggressive nature of the Jew, we White Christians can better protect ourselves … It is our duty to publish this book for the benefit of the W...…
…6 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 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 changes to: De...…
…FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 7 Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation. Need Housing Support? ☐ Call jhelp at 1-833-445-4357 ☐ Visit jhelp.org ☐ Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org ☐ Do all of the above X Q We Have Answers. As featured on: Need Help with an IRS or State Tax Problem? Call the experts at 1-800-TAX-LEVY (829-5389) • Tax Liens • ...…
…8 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 opinion What the Texas Hostage Crisis Reveals about our Humanity M any details about the recent, terrifying hostage situation at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, remain unclear. However, we do know that the perpetra- tor, Malik Faisal Akram, knocked on the door of the Temple and asked to come inside. The congregation’s rabbi, Charlie Cytron-Walker, let him in — thinking that the man might...…
…FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 9 30-plus minutes. So, that meant more time for togetherness as a couple, which sounded good for our relationship, but also felt a bit strange to both of us for different reasons. Obviously, we had no idea what we were facing. This is not a story about one of us coming down with COVID. But that doesn’t mean it was smooth sail- ing for our marriage (or yours?). Our responses to the threat of getting the virus were...…
…10 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 column How the Texas Hostage Crisis Showed Social Media at its Best and Worst I t was the best of Twitter. It was the worst of Twitter. During the long agonizing hours of the evening of Jan. 15, during which a rabbi and three congregants were held against their will at a Dallas- area synagogue, social media performed perhaps as its creators and optimists always thought it would. It was a community of ...…
…FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 11 Twitter erupted, asking how an attack on a synagogue on a Shabbat morning could be anything other than “specifically related to the Jewish community.” That conversation, at least, was rooted in the facts and an important communal debate. The British national who carried out the attack was said to be demanding the release of Aaifa Siddiqui, a Muslim woman suspected of plotting attacks in New York who is no...…
…12 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY Sisters Unite ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER …
…FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 13 A t the backbone of Metro Detroit’s Jewish community are a variety of women’s groups. They practice philanthropy, community service and building a stronger Jewish culture, while giving women an opportunity to network, connect and create lasting friendships. Some women’s groups advocate for social justice, while others focus on giving back to those in need. Regardless of the mission, the groups have one thing i...…
…14 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 Amy Cutler, NCJW | MI president. “There are many volun- teer opportunities based on the interest of the volunteer.” These include participating in a planning committee, vol- unteering at a community service project, working with the group’s Advocacy and Elections Committee or attending one of many community programs put on by the organization. “By becoming involved with NCJW | MI, you can share your own expertise, l...…
…FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 | 15 J ewish women across Metro Detroit have been using Facebook groups to share advice and local resources for years now. They’ve found camaraderie and much, much more in the online groups, which have increasingly become a powerful community hub. In a world made otherwise smaller by the pandemic’s restrictions on gath- ering over the past few years, these groups have continued to thrive, with the constant hum of...…
…16 | FEBRUARY 3 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY a variety of offerings for different needs and interests. Its Women’s Division, for example, is geared toward enriching the lives of Jewish women in different ages and stages. This section of the organization offers educational opportunities, trips and events, which include everything from spa days to challah baking to lunch-and- learn events. The goal is to strengthen Jewish iden- tity, enhance e...…
