…$200 Aug. 5-11, 2021 / 27 Av-3 Elul 5781 $200 Aug. 5-11, 2021 / 27 Av-3 Elul 5781 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT Aug. 5-11, 2021 / 27 Av-3 Elul 5781 thejewishnews.com you gave us the best! Thank you, Danny... DANNY RASKIN 1919-2021 See pages 14-24 …
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…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-12 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 14 Thank you, Danny ... you gave us the best! The life and legacy of Danny Raskin. 25 Closer to Normal Funerals and shivahs edge back to usual practices without COVID restrictions. 26 ‘A Big Heart and a Kind Soul’ Sen. Carl Levin led a life dedicated to public service. 28 Lasting Gifts Loving patriarch, 85, carves yads for great-grand...…
…4 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY for openers Unlock Your Speech I n the morning, as part of your mad dash to work/ class/exercise, you grab your essential equipment before running out the door. A major element in what you take: keys. These are needed for the car, your office, your locker at the gym, your bicycle padlock, etc. However, the word key is often a key element in expressions we use daily. Your key to success ...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 5 Be ready to RECEIVE lots of fun goodies and activities! The Hazon Michigan Jewish Food Festival is Hazon’s largest event in the country and Michigan’s largest annual Jewish event! Fill up your car with eager family members and friends, and get ready to be transported to a festive world of learning and entertainment. Together we will strive towards the vision of a healthier and happier planet. SEE circus performers ...…
…6 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 1942 - 2021 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: Detr...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 7 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com VICARIRESTAURANTS .COM I knew Danny Raskin for 33 years, starting when I opened my first Andiamo Restaurant in Warren. What I can tell you about Danny is that he was a kind soul, and he wanted every restaurant to succeed. If the restaurant he was reviewing had a bad night, he would call the owner and tel...…
…8 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY M aybe it was just the product of the ongoing civil war between the different political parties on the Israeli right. Or maybe it was just time that an Israeli prime minister said something that, in a saner world, wouldn’t be con- sidered contro- versial. But whatever motivated Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to speak of Israeli security forces and police acting to maintain order on Jer...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 9 …
…10 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 I n 1985, I stood in the corner of a crowded meeting room at the Wayne State University Student Center, stone-faced, while people I did not know lined up at a microphone to denounce me before the Student Newspaper Publications Board. “I don’t think Howard Lovy should be editor of the The South End because he is biased toward Israel,” said one, referring to the name of the student newspaper, where I w...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 11 Double the Good Feelings Care for a Loved One, Peace of Mind for You When you need a break from caregiving, we’re here around the clock. At Anthology Senior Living of Farmington Hills, you can feel good about the uncompromising care your loved one receives when they live here, while they feel great about our inspiring setting. Double the gifts! Enjoy two free gifts when you tour our welcome center. Cal...…
…12 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY CAMPUS from page 10 SUPPORT from page 8 attack everything you write and, ultimately, prevent me from attaining the editor’s position? I was alone in 1985, but today, Jewish students can find solace in online communities. Julia Jassey, a student at the University of Chicago, is emerging as a leader among young people on campus fighting back against antisemitism that masquerades as antizioni...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 13 24725 West 12 Mile – Ste. 110 Southfield, MI 48034 1-248-945-1111 24725 West 12 Mile – Ste. 110 Southfield, MI 48034 1-248-945-1111 What Is Your Plan?..... Call Us. We focus on Probate Litigation and Administration. Administering estates where everyone is on the same page. Protecting you from self-dealing parties appointed by will, trust or the court. Protecting you from family members who always want ...…
…14 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 A n era ended at the Detroit Jewish News on July 26, 2021, with news of the death of community icon and our beloved colleague Danny Raskin at age 102, after having suffered a fall several weeks before. For the first time in the history of the paper, we have to move forward without him, and it won’t be the same. You’ll have to forgive us for wishing we had more time with someone who had already enjoyed so man...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 15 true. Danny led a storied life. But perhaps we should start at the beginning. HIS EARLY YEARS Danny was born the youngest of three siblings on Jan. 23, 1919, to Louis and Minnie Raskin at Hastings and Brady in Detroit. Louis died shortly after Danny’s birth. Louis was an immigrant from Belarus who landed in Detroit and brought over his siblings and parents. Family lore says he was the first Jewish fireman in the...…
…16 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 GOODBYE, DEAR FRIEND “It was him and me. Most of the time, we spent our nights going to restaurants, usually a three-hour affair, which I hated when I was a kid. “Back in the day, my dad used to smoke cigars, seven inches long. He’ d always be sitting in a booth, smoking a cigar, drinking coffee and talking to people, while I would sleep in the booth. It was his happy place. “He’ d tell me we’ d leave when h...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 17 Danny Raskin A great friend to our community, our family and the Stage. You will be dearly missed. 248.855.6622 www.StageDeli.com …
…18 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 GOODBYE, DEAR FRIEND continued from page 16 And help he did. The late Matt Prentice credited a mention in Danny’s column for launching his career. The following Friday, people were lined up out the door at his deli. “If Danny hadn’t put me on the map, I would have gone down, ” he said in 2008. Mark Zarkin, good friend and owner of Lelli’s Inn on the Green in Farmington Hills, shared on Facebook after learning ...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 19 “…one of America’s finest carryout-only delicatessens! Star’s reputation has never wavered!” — Danny Raskin STAR STAR DELI DELI Our deepest condolences on the passing of a legend, Danny Raskin. May his memory be a blessing. TEMPORARY HOURS: 8AM-7PM EVERYDAY Carry-Out, Delivery & Curb Side Available Support Local Businesses 24555 W. 12 MILE ROAD Just west of Telegraph Road • Southfield 248-352-7377 • www.star...…
…20 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 GOODBYE, DEAR FRIEND F or decades, the best- read parts of the Jewish News were obituaries and Danny Raskin’s columns. In that order. We introduced new or expanded arts & entertainment, business, sports and family sections, beefed up local coverage and secured our own correspondents in Israel and Washington, D.C. Yet survey after survey told us the same thing … obituaries and Danny Raskin’s columns were re...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 21 “Only the good die young.” -Billy Joel- At 102 years young, you embodied The Best of Everything. I will forever cherish your kindness, friendship, and our 40+ years of wonderful memories. Carolyn Krieger and the entire team at “Only the good die young.” -Billy Joel- At 102 years young, you embodied The Best of Everything. I will forever cherish your kindness, friendship, and our 40+ years of wo...…
…22 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 GOODBYE, DEAR FRIEND D anny Raskin and I were colleagues and friends who shared a passion for writing. We’d share how sports writing spurred each of us to newspapering — for him in the 1930s, for me in the 1970s. We’d savor how we melded our love for newspapering and Judaism thanks to the Detroit Jewish News. While celebrating the JN’s 70th anniversary year at a community party in 2012, there we were, ...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 23 Forever part of the Buddy’s Family . You will be missed, Danny . Love, In Memory of Danny Raskin Danny, Thank you for your many years of interesting and informative columns. Thank you for inspiring me to write... my books... my mini restaurant reviews in your columns. I enjoyed our phone chats and our emails. You were always full of energy. An icon. A legend. Rest in peace, my friend. May your memory be f...…
…24 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 Danny Raskin we remember... the stories you told, the laughs you shared and the incredible kindness you extended to everyone. We will miss you. ADVERTISING | PUBLISHERS …
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 25 F or many months during 2020 and 2021, Jewish funerals were held at graveside with only a limited number of attendees; some were able to watch online ser- vices. Shivahs were often held only on Zoom. These policies, established by the Michigan Board of Rabbis, were imple- mented to comply with the state’s COVID restrictions on public gatherings. As vaccinations increased and COVID cases declined, the state ea...…
…26 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 Editor’s Note: Look for an extensive tribute to the life of Sen. Carl Levin in next week’s Jewish News. C arl Levin, the Jewish Detroiter who spent 36 years as a fierce advocate for Michigan and the American people in the U.S. Senate, died July 29 at age 87. The Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School announced his passing. Sen. Levin was diagnosed with lung cancer four years ago. The cen- ter, nam...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 27 Reform Jews, ADL Launch Partnership Amid an alarming rise in antisemitic rhetoric and vio- lence, the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and ADL (Anti-Defamation League), the anti-hate organization, will join together in a multifaceted partnership to provide Reform congregations with the tools needed to address antisemi- tism in their communities. The newly launched partner- ship will link the expertise of ADL and ...…
…28 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY E ugene Kowalsky has celebrated important firsts in his life that reach beyond family milestones. Kowalsky was in the first graduating class at Detroit’s Mumford High School, and his marriage to Cherna Bodzin is noted among the first wedding ceremonies performed at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, the city where he and his wife have resided for most of their 58 years together. Now, Kowal...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 29 continued on page 30 carving club believing that if I could make things out of clay, I could make them out of wood, ” Kowalsky said. “I didn’t have any tools, but I found out what I needed from the members. CARVING A LEGACY “I started carving very simple things until I was thinking about my grandsons’ and great-grandsons’ upcoming bar mitzvahs. They are very learned in Hebrew studies and will be capable of readi...…
…30 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY had made aliyah, and the fami- ly visited them. Traveling this time will be different. The couple will be in the business section, where seating offers distances from other passengers during his adjustment to a compromised immune system especially sensitive to the pandemic. Energized with a blood trans- fusion, he anticipates care contacts at Hadassah Medical Center as arranged by his Israeli-bo...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 31 INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. An expansive menu of freshly prepared meals and daily chef specials Fine arts performances A variety of thoughtfully planned, engaging activities Individual chauffeured transportation A host of technology- based enrichment Family engagement app All Seasons emboldens you to discover a dynamic range of enlightening perspectives and experiences ...…
…32 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 T he Hazon Michigan Jewish Food Festival is back. The 2021 version will be celebrated safely and at a new location on Sunday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. as partici- pants drive through the grounds of the Marygrove Conservancy at McNichols and Wyoming ave- nues Detroit. The festival is Hazon’s largest event in the country. The pur- pose of the festival is to educate people on how they can be more sustainable ...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 33 GABRIELLA BURMAN & ADAM KAPLAN AMY & JEFFREY SCHLUSSEL AIMEE & RICHARD SIMTOB DINNER CO-CHAIRS YAD EZRA’S 31ST ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT AT ROYAL OAK FARMER’S MARKET AT 6:00PM NANCY BERMAN KLEINFELDT, ADIN, CALEB & GRACE KLEINFELDT 2021 HONOREES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 ROYAL OAK FARMER’S MARKET YAD EZRA’S 31ST ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT AT Join Us …
…34 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 NOSH DINING AROUND THE D J ewish and Muslim (halal) dietary tra- ditions have one big thing in common: Pork is forbidden. At A.B.’s Amazing Ribs in Dearborn Heights, staking claim as Michigan’s only 100% halal barbecue restaurant, the ribs offered are hickory-smoked beef back ribs. After tasting them and the rest of the menu, I’d say there is much to brag about. I recently watched restau- rant owner Ali “A....…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 35 Information Seminars Discover the benefits of all-inclusive living. Attend a brief presentation and be our guest for a fabulous meal at: Zerbo’s Market & Bistro 3000 E West Maple Rd. Commerce Township, MI 48390 Tuesday, August 10 Lunch & Learn: 11:30 a.m. Dine & Discover: 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 11 Lunch & Learn: 11:30 a.m. Rolling Hills 3300 Crumb Road Commerce Township, MI 48390 RollingHillsRetirement...…
…36 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 N ate Emery has an important day com- ing up in his young life. His bar mitzvah will be in January at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. But he’s had a celebration of another sort this summer. One of the nation’s best com- petitive rock climbers in his age group, the 12-year-old from Farmington Hills participated in the USA Climbing nationals last month in Reno, Nev., and was thrilled to finish in the top 20 in...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 37 Youth & Family Services at Shaarey Zedek Strength to Strength. Since 1861. 27375 Bell Road Southfield, MI 48034 248-357-5544 shaareyzedek.org Rosh Hashanah Services at The Prayground 10:30 AM to 12 Noon Both days of Rosh Hashanah Open to the Community – no membership needed, no tickets, no charge Child-friendly services at the William Saulson Pavilion Outdoors with COVID safety precautions B’Seyfer Chayim r...…
…38 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 A sports equipment drive spearheaded by Birmingham high school students Cooper Schoenberg, Carter Lutz, Ethan Wise and Mitchell to Greenberger kicked off recent- ly and will continue through early September. The seniors, who host The Student Section podcast together, are collecting all kinds of sports equipment for children up to 10 years old. The equipment collected will benefit families served by the non...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 39 I n the Land of Israel now, there is a feeling of purpose- ful and reverent determi- nation. From the Galil to the Negev, farmers are preparing to observe shemitah, the Biblical command outlined in this week’s Torah portion not to work the field in the seventh year. It’s not for nothing that farming is referred to as husbandry, as tending to the land is a consummate, lifelong mission, paralleling the way we...…
…40 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 I t’s so interesting that preparation deepens an experience. But this applies particularly to deep and meaningful experiences. The truth is, an experience that is superficial is not enhanced by preparation; it can sometimes even be ruined by preparation. The more profound the experience, the more it is enhanced by preparation. And what could be a bigger experience than that of Rosh Hashanah, the day of judg...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 41 we say the Shema and the Amidah. But the siddur is structured in such a way that we don’t just rush headlong into the Shema and Amidah. There is a process of preparation. First, we say the morning blessings, and then the special passages from the Book of Psalms and other places in the Tanach, which are filled with words of praise and reflection about God and His greatness. These pesukei dezimrah — the “verses of...…
…42 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 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 bethtephilathmos...…
…Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomrey- emunah-105705.square.site The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.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 Lansing (517) 88...…
…44 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 A lthough reunions are generally geared toward looking back and catching up, that hasn’t been so for the Lunar Octet, a Latin jazz group formed in 1983 by students at the University of Michigan. A performance reunion of the octet, after some 12 years of changing mem- berships and almost 20 years of being disbanded, is moving the group forward with a recording now receiving interna- tional acclaim as it is played...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 45 formance, include “Oye,” “Subway Tension” and “Dancin’ in the Doghouse.” “Because of the relationship among musicians and how we developed over many years, we are a genre-busting kind of a band,” said Kaufman, whose musicianship also has him appearing with his own Dream Ensemble, Gemini and Tumbao Bravo. “We have multiple influences and find that it all works together. It’s all of our personal soul music.” ...…
…46 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 ARTS&LIFE ART E llen Stone defines her West Bloomfield residence as more of an art gallery than a home. Her walls are covered with collected works by famous artists and include those with Jewish heritage, such as Peter Max, Yaacov Agam and Max Fleischer. Between pieces of functional furniture, there are three-dimensional artworks that distract from conventional seating and accents. On her approximately one ...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 47 Calloway (mixed media paintings and sculpture), Joe Lamontagne (metal sculpture), Priscilla Phifer (acrylic paintings), Richard Phillips (watercolor paintings), Paul Robertson (digital paintings) and Charlene Uresy (painted furniture). By way of entertainment, Scott McDuffie will be participating in performance art as he showcases his process of creating abstract acrylic paintings to music accompaniment. “Ther...…
…48 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 ARTS&LIFE MUSIC D on Was, famed music performer and producer, brings two noteworthy twists to this year’s Concert of Colors as he once again presents his Detroit All-Star Revue. Preparing for a salute to R&B Superstar George Clinton, Was can recall his introduction to the legendary composer- performer. In the ninth grade at Oak Park’s Clinton — that’s right, Clinton — Junior High, Was became a fan by w...…
…AUGUST 5 • 2021 | 49 MR. CORMAN, DETECTIVE TURNER, NANNY NIXERS Mr. Corman is a 10-episode series that premieres on Apple TV+ on Aug. 6. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 40, created the series, directs it, writes it and stars as the title character. It follows Josh Corman, a former musician who teaches fifth grade in Los Angeles. As the series starts, his fiancée has just moved out and she’s replaced by his high school buddy. The advance pu...…
…50 | AUGUST 5 • 2021 BOOK BASH 11 AM-2 PM, AUG. 8 Join an in-person, out- door celebration of Detroit Jewish Book Fair and the art of Jewish storytelling at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. This expo-style event will feature Michigan authors, local artists, musicians and family activities. Featured event schedule: 11 am-12:30 pm – Klezmer band Klezundheidt; 12:30 pm – Local celebrity author Harvey Ovshinsky talks ...…
