…THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS $200 Jan. 4-10, 2024 / 23-29 Tevet 5784 thejewishnews.com The 2023-24 Detroit Shinshinim have found purpose in Michigan while the crisis continues on the home front. See page 10 The 2023-24 Detroit Shinshinim have found purpose in Michigan while A Second A Second A Second A SecondHome The 2023-24 Detroit Shinshinim have found F amily …
…OUR COMMUNITY A Second Home, ON THE COVER 10 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N A Second Family Erela Sabag, Ofri Lellouche, Itay Nussbaum, Itamar Grife and Shahaf Harari …
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 11 J N A Second Home, JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 11 J N J N J W hen Shahaf Harari woke up on Oct. 7, 2023, her 18th birthday, she expected her phone to be overflowing with happy birthday mes- sages from her loved ones back home in Israel. Shahaf was one month into her stay across the world in Detroit as a community Shinshinim. Those mes- sages ended up being very different from what she expected. She didn’t understan...…
…OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 11 ON THE COVER 12 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N The Shinshinim participate in community events almost nonstop, from various holiday events for Chanukah and Sukkot, speaking events with audiences ranging from students to Holocaust survivors, personal projects they’re working on and more. They work to present Israel in as many places as possible with as many perspectives and personal experiences as possibl...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 13 J N ELIGIBILITY FOR NOMINATION All Jewish communal professionals employed by Jewish Federation of Detroit or local constituent agencies of JFD who have been working in the Detroit Jewish community a minimum of five consecutive years may be nominated for the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Awards. *The CEOs of the Jewish Federation of Detroit and its constituent agencies are not eligible to win this award. **Fi...…
…OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 12 ON THE COVER 14 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N since the first grade, and now he’s an only child, ” Shahaf said. “ And we know another family with two cousins who were murdered at the festival. ” Erela added that her swim teach- er and the barber of the moshav were also killed. “Getting the news of everything while we were here and not with our moshav was really hard, ” Shahaf said. “Everybody knows s...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 15 J N the religious schools or youth movements. A sizable portion of the Shinshinim’s job in bringing Israel to the community is bringing it to the younger community — students — who they’re able to connect with easily considering their close age. Shahaf and Itamar’s main worksite is Hillel Day School. Ofri and Itay’s main worksite is Frankel Jewish Academy. Erela’s main worksites are Jewish Federation of...…
…continued from page 15 16 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N scared to lose their friends. For me, hearing this was like, ‘Oh, my God.’” Hearing firsthand about the antisemitism some Jewish students experience at their public schools and jobs has been eye-opening for the Shinshinim. “To me, it was shocking because as an Israeli I don’t feel a lot of antisemitism — all of my friends are Jewish, and I go to a Jewish school. But here it’s not ...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 17 J N notice was incredible,” Shahaf said. “It was a moment of real- izing the Detroit Jewish com- munity has a lot of impact and power and they care so much about Israel.” A moment of great gravity for the Detroit Shinshinim was the community vigil for the hostages at Adat Shalom Synagogue. In front of 1,000 people in attendance, the names of each of the 242 hos- tages were read out loud by the five Shinshinim. ...…
…18 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY O n Dec. 16, Young Israel of Oak Park once again battled out one of Judaism’s most asked questions: What is the best cholent? In the shul’s 19th traditional “Iron Blech,” teams of married couples and friends competed for the championship cup. A delicious Shabbat lunch was pre- sented for the 160 guests by Gil Stebbins, the heart and brains behind the event. Then came the shining moment: Twelv...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 19 A dazzling demonstration of unity unfolded as the vibrant community of Genesee County came together with their Jewish brethren for an unforget- table Chanukah extravaganza, orchestrated by Chabad of Eastern Michigan. Held at Shea Automotive in Flint on Dec. 7, the event fea- tured a towering 22-foot public Chanukah menorah. In a show of solidarity, influen- tial community figures, including Michigan Supreme Cou...…
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…20 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N W hen Temple Kol Ami’s Rabbi Natalie Shribman first told her parents about her installation weekend, the response was, “What’s an installation?” This being the first installation experience for either her or her husband, Rabbi Benjamin Altshuler, the rabbi struggled with an answer! So, her mother did some research and shared with Shribman that a rabbinic installation “is a sacred occasion where the r...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 21 Further enhancing the Friday night service was the TKA band, choir and junior choir. “The sanctuary was so full — as full as it was for the High Holidays,” Shribman said. “This was very gratifying. This made me feel that I had already had an impact on the community in just six months. But the crowd wasn’t only for me; the crowd also came out to show how invested they are in our congregation growing.” A s...…
…22 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N A s Israel responds to the brutal attack by Hamas and engages in ongoing war, local rabbis and cantors are working around the clock to help the Jewish community navigate the grief, pain and antisemitism of our day, and to emerge resilient and ready to respond. To keep spiritually and intellectually prepared for this moment, members of the Michigan Board of Rabbis and the Michigan Board of Cantors gath...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 23 J N H appy new year, friends! We’ve spent the last year volunteering together, and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished. I wanted to do a review of some of the organizations that I’ve high- lighted previously and are my favorites to volunteer with regularly and also introduce some brand- new opportunities for us to dive into. I love learning about and sharing new organizations with all of you. My inbox is ...…
…24 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY I sraeli native and current West Bloomfield resident Dany Saar, 71, who served in the IDF for four years, knew he had to do something after Hamas’ attack on Israel. “I felt the urge to go, ” explains the rehabilitation specialist, who has lived in West Bloomfield since the early ’90s. “I spoke to my wife about it, and I decided that I want to go and volunteer. ” Saar, who was born in a kibbu...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 25 Five days a week from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saar worked with a wide range of needs. Many patients were wounded IDF soldiers, but patients also included those with Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, amputees, and people who were in car or motorcycle acci- dents. For 50 days, or nearly two months, this was Saar’s routine. “We tried to help people get their spirits up, ” he says. “We showed them there’s a way to ...…
…OUR COMMUNITY A s we pray for our brothers and sisters in Israel in a world that currently seems filled with unknown, the impor- tance of community events that celebrate unity cannot be overstated. Recently, Farber Hebrew Day School held an event that captivated the hearts of our community, the “Joyous Echoes: A Night of Nachas Concert featuring NACHAS!” Together, the community experienced an evening filled with enchanting mel...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 27 J N To further engage the audience, NACHAS incor- porated interactive elements into the concert. A sing- along session allowed every- one to join in the fun, cre- ating a collective voice that reverberated with positivity. Additionally, NACHAS even shared the microphone with many of the children in the audience, showcasing inno- cent youthful joy within the community. The “Joyous Echoes” concert wasn’t just abou...…
…OUR COMMUNITY O n Dec. 17, Temple Shir Shalom congregants and rabbis celebrated the dedication of several dramatic outdoor and indoor additions to the tem- ple, which was originally built in 1995. The money for the expansion has so far been raised through generous donations by its members. Every aspect of Temple Shir Shalom and the expansion has been inspired by the Torah. The original vision was created by the congregation’s found...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 29 J N ERETZ O n the first day of Chanukah, hours before Shabbat, IDF spokesperson and Detroit native Maj. Doron Spielman boarded a Hummer and headed for the northern Gaza Strip. Just before leaving base to visit soldiers who were clear- ing territory in Jabalya, someone handed him a cha- nukiah and some candles for the soldiers. Surrounded by soldiers who blocked the wind with their bodies and stood at th...…
…PURELY COMMENTARY 4-8 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 9 Jewish Spartans Light the Way Student leaders in Greek life honored at MSU’s Giant Menorah Lighting 10 A Second Home, A Second Family The 2023-24 Detroit Shinshinim have found purpose in Michigan while the crisis continues on the home front. 18 A Traditional Taste Fest Young Israel holds 19th annual Iron Blech cholent contest. 19 Genesee County Shines as ...…
…30 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N family, or even hear the sounds of his younger children playing. Like all Israelis, he, his family and their circle of friends have not been immune to the loss of life experienced since Oct. 7. They include his neighbor, who lost her husband, the father of a close friend, who lost his young- est son. Spielman explained the IDF spokesperson bureau is staffed with 70 soldiers charged with handling visits fr...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 31 J N O ne of the top events on the area’s Jewish sports calendar each year is the annual induction dinner for the Michigan Jewish Sports Foundation’s Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. The 37th annual dinner, held last fall at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, was no exception. Leon Grundstein, Randall Blau, Jim Relle and Robert Silverman were the Hall of Fame inductees. Grundstein, who has lived...…
…32 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N continued from page 31 impressed with the dinner. It was very well organized. ” Larry Berry was another of Grundstein’s childhood friends from Detroit. Berry is a former president of Shaarey Zedek. Blau said it’s always an honor to have personal accomplishments recognized by an organization. “However, with the recent attack on Israel and the rise in antisemitism that has ensued, it’s especially meaningful ...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 33 J N HOW TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Mazel Tov! announcements are welcomed for members of the Jewish community. Anniversaries, engagements and weddings with a photo (preferably color) can appear at a cost of $18 each. Births are $10. There is no charge for bar/bat mitzvahs or for special birthdays starting at the 90th. For information, contact Editorial Assistant Sy Manello at smanello@thejewishnews.com or (248) 351-5147...…
…34 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N Debbie Rosenberg’s Kindergarten class Ben Cole’s 5th grade class Monte Schloss’ 6th Grade class (the winners) with judges Rabbi Mark Miller, Itay Nussbaum and Nicole Jahr. faces&places DEBBIE MOROSOHK DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Chanukah Candemonium For Chanukah at Temple Beth El this year, our Masa (Religious School) students in grades K-6 had a blast at our Chanukah Candemonium event. This was an opportunity...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 35 J N More than 500 people joined the fifth annual Menorah Lighting in Downtown Royal Oak organized by the Royal Oak Chabad Jewish Center. The guests enjoyed an Ice Menorah Lighting, commun- ity video, LED robot, “Gelt drop” of chocolate coins from the ladder of a fire truck, music, big kids activity zone and, of course, Chanukah food and much more. This was a great opportunity to show Jewish pride in this diffi...…
…36 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N SPIRIT Creating a Legacy I am struck by the passage of time as we embark on a new secular year filled with expectation, hope and promise. Even after only completing one week of the new year, we can see that the hardship of life, government policies, wars and protests are sadly continuing. The legacy of these events will live well past this year. The themes of cre- ating and sustaining one’s legacy a...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 37 J N I used to say, only half in jest, that the proof that Moses was greatest of the Prophets was that when God asked him to lead the Jewish people, he refused four times: Who am I to lead? They will not believe in me. I am not a man of words. Please send someone else. It is as if Moses knew with uncanny precision what he would be letting himself in for. Somehow, he sensed in advance that it may be hard to be...…
…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 Bloomfield (248) 78...…
…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 ...…
…4 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 A fter Hamas’ onslaught on Oct. 7 when they killed at least 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped over 250 people, and in the midst of the devastating war we are cur- rently seeing in the Gaza Strip, many have feared another escalation in violence between Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel proper. Indeed, after the violence we saw in Israel’s Jewish-Arab mixed cities during the Gaza war in May 2021, on...…
…40 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N I n the summer of 2018, Farmington Players was holding auditions for Neil Simon’s coming-of-age comedy Brighton Beach Memoirs. Unfortunately, the director wasn’t finding what she was looking for from the male group of auditionees until she heard a spontaneous voice from behind the casting table. “Playing a Jew from Brooklyn is more about attitude than accent, ” exclaimed Farmington Players Casting Committee...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 41 J N Targan, who has run 17 mara- thons and is an award-winning playwright. “My comedic writing has been favorably compared with Neil Simon, which I consider a high compliment, ” Targan adds. “While I do not try to emulate Simon, I think my self-dep- recating sense of humor is an inherently Jewish trait that comes through in my writing. ” While Targan and Sussman are fellow actors and play- wrights, they have nev...…
…42 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N K atya’s Hand may have a short run- time of just 24 minutes, but that doesn’t mean the award-winning narrative short film doesn’t pack a punch. Directed by Israeli filmmaker Tom Shoval, the 2023 Ukrainian- and Hebrew- language Academy Award-qualifying film details the harrowing, emotionally charged life of a Ukrainian immigrant and single mother of an 11-year-old son and newborn. As a mom of two with no outsid...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 43 J N GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS, MAYBE THE LAST ONE? The Golden Globe awards will be broadcast on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 8 p.m. This is a “make-or-break” year for the Globes. Before 2021, studios liked the Globes award ceremony because it was free publicity for many films and TV series. The Golden Globes cere- mony audience (actors, etc.) liked the Globes’ relaxed atmosphere (they sit a...…
…ARTS&LIFE JUST FOR FUN 44 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N I would like to be a millionaire just like my dad … … He also wanted to be a millionaire. Can you unscramble these well-known Broadway musicals? 1. beautiful ion sea (3 words) 2. brook hoof moment (4 words) 3. horn may (1 word) 4. like nothing (3 words) 5. oft refolded rhino (4 words) 6. seven hand arena (3 words) 7. halo mint (1 word) 8. counsel hair (3 words) 9. flying urn (...…
…1. beautiful ion sea (3 words) 2. brook hoof moment (4 words) 3. horn may (1 word) 4. like nothing (3 words) 5. oft refolded rhino (4 words) 6. seven hand arena (3 words) 7. halo mint (1 word) 8. counsel hair (3 words) 9. flying urn (2 words) 10. airy harps (1 word) 11. these high tin (3 words) 12. bio knot sky (2 words) 13. hither rolls rooftops (4 words) 14. for teen you (3 words) 15. destroy wisest (3 words) See next week’s ...…
…46 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N JV BASKETBALL 5:30-6:30 PM, JAN. 4 (THURS.) West Bloomfield Lakers vs. North Farmington Raiders at West Bloomfield High School. Tickets $5; gofan. co/events/1188756. FOLK MUSIC 7:30 PM, JAN. 7 (SUN.) Neil Woodward Trio will perform at The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor. His musical performances bring to life the Michigan experience for Great Lakes audiences and visitors from around the world. In 2003, t...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 47 PUZZLE ANSWERS Solution to puzzle in 12/28/23 issue. HEALTHCARE Cita Angels Home Care. Caregiver Services 24 hr. care. We assist in cooking, cleaning, bathing/grooming, doctor appointments, errands, etc. We accept private pay and Medicaid payment. Please call 1-866-542-6435. Senior Health Services LLC: 24/7 In-depth Male/Female Caregivers. Highly Recommended by Doctors & Attorneys. Please Call 248-989-7...…
…48 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 AMY BERKE, 81, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 25, 2023. She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Dr. Joseph Berke; children, Matthew and Karen Turner, Kelli Turner, Rachel and John Schreiber, and Jason and Stephanie Berke; daugh- ter-in-law, Shella Berke; grandchildren, Mia, Eli and Luca Turner, Evan and Emily Ostrander, Hayden Schreiber, Johnny and Gina Gould, and Jonah Berke. Mrs. Berke was the che...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 49 J N Meredith Berlin, Ian Berlin, Joey Berlin, Jason and Estee Reiter; nieces and nephews, Philip and Dalia Kriszenfeld, Allyson and Darryl Lawrence. Mrs. Berlin was the beloved wife of the late Albert Berlin; dear sister-in-law of the late Joseph Kriszenfeld. Contributions may be made to Yad Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072. Services and interment were held at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmi...…
…JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 5 opinion A Light in the Darkness O n the last night of Chanukah, in a world that responded to a 21st-century pogrom by top- pling menorahs and stabbing Jews, a new candle was lit when the first Israeli art gallery in New York City opened on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The light was magnified by the fact that the art world has his- torically been quite hostile to Israel. Gordon Gallery, a prom- inent contemporar...…
…continued from page 49 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 50 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N RITA FAUDMAN, 96, of West Bloomfield, died Dec. 24, 2023. She is survived by her children, Carol (Mark) Antman, Barbara (Steven) Wolk, Lila (Robert) Trussler, David (Jessica Hall) Faudman and Brian Faudman; grandchildren, Natanya (Lake) O’Donnell, Philip Antman, Shayna (Alex) Carlson, Jay (Eszter) Wolk, Hanna (Derrick) Patton, Lucas Faudman; great-g...…
…continued on page 52 JANUARY 4 • 2024 | 51 J N Weinberg, Esther Anielewicz, Cesia Baumgarten and Genia Silverberg. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Zekelman Holocaust Center, Kappy Family Anne Frank Competition, 28123 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, holocaustcenter.org/ tributes; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. JOYCE ORDOWER, 83, of Oak ...…
…GERALD TAUBER, 87, of Commerce Township, died Dec. 19, 2023. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joyce Tauber; daughters and son-in-law, Susan Tauber, and Lisa Tauber and Kevin Wynne; daughter-in-law, Jodi Tauber; grandchildren, Rebecca Tauber, Ashley Tauber, Mackenzie Wynne and Bella Wynne; sis- ter, Bernice Garon; brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Anita Tauber; sister-in-law, Rosalie Rosen; loving nieces, nephews and co...…
…R ACHEL SIEGEL (b. Lois Tachna), 88, died peacefully, on Dec. 25, 2023. She was born on April 17, 1935, during the Depression, which gave her a deep appreciation for everything life gave her. Rachel was born and grew up in Detroit and remained a Detroit and Michigan sports fan until her last breath. She was the oldest of two children. Her brother Selden Tachna preced- ed her in death. She graduated from Detroit Central High School i...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at thejewishnews.com 54 | JANUARY 4 • 2024 J N High-Flying Heroes I t is still the 75th birthday year of modern Israel. Unfortunately, however, the cel- ebration has been marred by the heinous Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7. Once again, Israel is at war. The Israel Defense Forces have a wide range of branches: paratroopers, infantry, special fo...…
