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…$200 July 6-12, 2023 / 17-23 Tammuz 5783 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Meet 9-year-old Eli Cogan, who conquered ‘America’s scariest ski slope.’ See page 28 Ski Do Ski Do …

…10 | JULY 6 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY continued from page 8 A catechism is a kind of creed, right? It’s a statement of religious beliefs. “These are things we believe as Jews.” So Jewish catechisms had that, but they were also philosophical meditations in many ways. Typically, the first question of the catechism was, what is religion? And then the second question is, what is Jewish religion? And then I started reading them. The...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 11 Philadelphia looked at what the Protestants were doing, and they saw that Protestant Sunday schools were providing very accessible places where kids could go and get a basic primer in their religious tradition. What happens at the beginning of the 20th century, with the arrival of Eastern Europeans with different models for Jewish education? A new generation tries to reform Jewish education, led by a young edu...…

…12 | JULY 6 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY Efforts to reclaim B’nai David Cemetery from blight continue to progress. Forgotten No More ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER A view of the B’nai David Cemetery …

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 13 continued on page 14 I n the last almost-decade, the state of the B’nai David cemetery has greatly improved, but it still has an uncer- tain future. Back in 2014, the cemetery, locat- ed on Van Dyke on the East Side of Detroit, had fallen into disrepair when Eva Goldman of Farmington Hills sug- gested cleaning up the cemetery for her bat mitzvah project. Twenty-five family members turned up to help and real- ized t...…

…14 | JULY 6 • 2023 BEAUTIFYING THE AREA “The cemetery is located in an interesting place, because it’s a sort of forgotten part of Detroit, on the east side, ” Goldman said. “That’s an issue for people wanting to visit who are scared of the neighbor- hood. ” Part of the problem was the uninhabited short Marjorie street, immediately south of the cemetery, which over the years had turned into an illegal dumping ground. “It had trash, boat...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 15 SPOTLIGHT New WordPress Courses at Gesher Human Services Gesher Human Services is offering two new courses in July for people interested in either building a website with WordPress software or, for those with an existing WordPress website, improving or updating their current site. WordPress is the most widely used free web content management system using opensource software with 42 percent of websites on the...…

…16 | JULY 6 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY W hen the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit closed its health club in fall 2020, many members of the Metro Detroit Jewish community were displaced from their favorite place to exercise, their central community-gathering spot and from a network of friends and acquaintances that blossomed into one big family over several decades. Nearly three years later, about 150 community mem- ...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 17 “It was a family. That’s what kept us going. Caring for everybody and supporting one another, in good times and in bad; it was just a very special place,” Victor said. “It kept us young, kept us healthy and kept exercise and yiddishkeit together.” Victor, who started her day at the health club four to five times a week, said it was the loss of community that was felt the most dearly. “There was a time if you ...…

…18 | JULY 6 • 2023 T he Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor announces a new partnership with Jewish Community Security Inc. (JCSI) of Metro Detroit to hire the Ann Arbor area’s first Jewish community security manager. This new position is made possible by a grant from the LiveSecure initiative, which is a collaboration between the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and the national Secure Community Network (SCN). The ne...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 19 F or some couples, their story of finding each other is intertwined with their story of finding spiritu- ality. Nacha then-Shuster had grown up in Detroit and Livonia, and was working as a clinical social worker in Ann Arbor when she stumbled across the Chabad on cam- pus and was instantly drawn in. She began learning Torah and picking up religious observance. Meanwhile, Alan Leaf, an Oak Park native who’d attende...…

…AdvancedDerm.com RSVP or Pre-Pay 734-282-2500, Ext 2 Offices in Livonia, Shelby Township, Southfield/Franklin, Warren, Wyandotte Our family taking care of your family’s skin for 105 years. Friday, July 14 | 1-7 p.m. 26400 W 12 Mile Rd, Ste 150 Southfield, MI 48034 ONLY Refreshments, Raffles & Savings Buy 2 areas of Dysport® Receive 3rd free | save $240 Restylane® HA Dermal Filler $50 off one syringe, $150 off two $300 off three or m...…

…20 | JULY 6 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY V iewers of the popular game show Jeopardy! got a glance of one of the United States’ most distinctive synagogue buildings on June 20, after a clue showcased Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. The Conservative synagogue had leaked the fact that it would appear as a trivia item on Jeopardy! for days before the game, and as luck would have it, one of the contestants that day lives just a ...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 21 T he U.S. Navy commissioned its new- est Arleigh Burke-class guided-mis- sile destroyer USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), June 24 in Baltimore. “Sen. Levin lived a life of service with integrity, and his example inspires us as we commission this ship with this crew today, ” said Adm. Michael M. Gilday, 32nd Chief of Naval Operations. “The men and the women of the USS Carl Levin represent some of the best and the brightes...…

…22 | JULY 6 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY O n April 23, The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Beachwood, Ohio, played host to 19 Czech Torah scrolls as part of a reunion and celebration of their sur- vival of the Holocaust, their rediscovery and repair in 1963 by the Memorial Scrolls Trust, and how they’re now cared for by congrega- tions and organizations all around the world, including Oak Park, Michigan. As part of the program, scrolls were gathe...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 23 ing its 60th anniversary this year, with 2022 marking the 80th anniversary of Czech Jews first working to preserve their Torah scrolls. Currently, there are 1,400 scrolls in circula- tion, Roman said, with the collection dating from the 1200s to the early 20th century. “ All of the scrolls you see here today have this shared legacy, but each has a unique backstory, written for a specific Jewish com- munity in a small ...…

…24 | JULY 6 • 2023 S chool is out and summer has offi- cially begun! Perhaps your children are at camp or your company offers Summer Fridays; either way, you’ve found yourself with newfound time on your hands. Volunteering is the perfect way to fill that gap. You can spend time out- doors helping on a farm or cool off in the air condition- ing while supporting adult artists with special needs. However you choose, get out there and ...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 25 T he Jewish Historical Society of Michigan held its annual meeting on June 4 at Congregation Beth Ahm. It was a fine affair, with 150 mem- bers and friends in attendance. The program featured the JHSM President’s Address by Jeannie Weiner and a report from JHSM Executive Director Dr. Catherine Cangany. Both reported great progress over the past year; Cangany noted that the JHSM five-year goals were met a year earl...…

…26 | JULY 6 • 2023 J ewish Senior Life hosted a Memorial Day tribute event on Friday, May 26, at Meer Apartments to honor veteran resi- dents. The event, which was attend- ed by 40 Meer residents, honored 11 veterans who served in the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, National Guard and in Israel. The patriotic event began with residents singing “The Star- Spangled Banner,” followed by a speech given by Brigadier General Don Schenk from t...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 27 T hank you, Detroit!” Dr. Conrad Giles, president of World ORT, expressed grat- itude to the guests gathered in Shed 5 of Eastern Market in Detroit for ORT and the City. “Detroit is the No. 1 donor in all the world to ORT!” he exclaimed. Nicole Miller, director of ORT America Michigan Region, welcomed guests and high- lighted the driving mission of ORT is to “give access to high quality education.” ORT and the City ...…

…28 | JULY 6 • 2023 S ol and Eli Cogan are big mountain skiers. They embrace extreme skiing on off-piste terrain, meaning terrain that has not been prepared for skiing. “Typically, that means starting at the top of a mountain, and enduring slopes with more than a 45-degree pitch that include cliffs, crevasses and other natural conditions that most people would find treacherous,” Sol said. “It’s the way nature created the run. T...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 29 and he’s attended ski school since he was 3. He started ski racing when he was 8 and has qualified for the NASTAR ski racing program national championships two years in a row, earning gold and silver medals in giant slalom and slalom. While he loves ski racing, Eli’s big passion is big mountain skiing now that he’s had a chance to experience it. So how has Eli been able to do so much as a skier at such a young...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 Forgotten No More Efforts to reclaim B’nai David Cemetery from blight continue to progress. 16 More Than a Health Club Longtime members of the JCC of Metropolitan Detroit’s health club reunited nearly three years after its closing. 18 Ann Arbor’s New Jewish Community Security Manager 19 How We Met: ‘An Intertwined S...…

…30 | JULY 6 • 2023 charge.” Besides doing tasks like visiting classes and supervising recess, Eli got to make decisions during his one-day stints as principal. Among his decisions were no math classes (even though he said math is his favorite subject), extra recess and pajama day. Eli said skiing helps him in school “because in both, you have to think a lot.” If skiing isn’t his future occupation, Eli said, he’d like to be a com...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 31 OUR COMMUNITY H illel of Metro Detroit announced that Jenna Friedman and Jeremy Soper are the 2023 recipients of the Elaine C. Driker Award, and David Ibn Ezra is the 2023 recipient of the Direnfeld Scholarship. The Elaine C. Driker Award recognizes Hillel of Metro Detroit students committed to Jewish life in Detroit. Jenna, who lives in Detroit, is major- ing in social work at Wayne State University and has...…

…32 | JULY 6 • 2023 NOSH DINING AROUND THE D A Vaad-certified kosher food truck, TAIM Middle Eastern Street Food, has got the goods for anyone seek- ing casual but quality Israeli-style eating in Metro Detroit. The word Taim (Tah-EEM) means “tasty” or “delicious” in Hebrew, an apt description for the fare introduced recently in Metro Detroit. TAIM truck owners Dennis Abramov and his wife were greeted by long lines of hungry and ...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 33 pop in a can or bottled water customers pulled from an ice-filled cooler. On the day I dined, the choices were Shawarma Sandwich, including a quar- ter-pound of chicken and medium fries; Shawarma Plate, with a half-pound of chicken and large fries; Kids Meal, a half pita with shawarma and small fries, and Sabich, an item not familiar to me. Sabich, a pita bread sandwich popular in Israel, is filled with fried eggplan...…

…34 | JULY 6 • 2023 BUSINESS J ewish social worker Karen Faith Gordon spent many years supporting Metro Detroit’s older adult population before launching her own endeavor, Karen Faith LLC, which celebrated its ribbon cutting for its West Bloomfield location June 21. With a long career in geriatrics, Gordon plans to use the space on 14 Mile and Middlebelt Road to provide mental health care for older adults, their families and ...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 35 That’s why Gordon chose to offer both telehealth and onsite mental health care services to make care more accessible. “I started to realize the value of people who wanted to come to an office to talk and have that privacy,” she says of deciding to operate a physical location. SUPPORTING THE AGING JOURNEY Gordon, a parent of four, works with all aspects of the aging journey. People come to her for support with...…

…HEALTH T rauma has a tremendous physical and/or emotional impact on vic- tims, but it’s important to remem- ber the effect it has on first responders like police and EMS as well. Ayelet Shmuel of The Resiliency Zone, an Israel-based mental health practice that specializes in healing trauma, works with organizations around the world on trauma training, including Jewish organi- zations in Metro Detroit. The reason being: society often “m...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 37 continued from page 36 won’t see any distress on, but that doesn’t mean these situa- tions don’t affect them.” A lot of times, Shmuel explains, it can seem like first responders handle a situation well, but the impact is often felt (and seen) when they end their shift or go home for the day. “You start seeing some symptoms; you start seeing the impact,” she says. “You need to know what to look for and you need to know...…

…38 | JULY 6 • 2023 A true story that took place in 1995: It con- cerns the legacy of an unusual man with an unusual name: Mr. Ernest Onians, a farmer in East Anglia, England, whose main business was as a supplier of pigswill. Known as an eccentric, his hobby was collecting paint- ings. He used to go around local auctions and whenever a painting came on sale, especially if it was old, he would make a bid for it. Eventually h...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 39 right time to present their request. They knew how to interpret Scripture, and they were perfectly virtuous. Even more consequentially, their love of the Land of Israel was in striking contrast to that of the men. The spies had come back with a negative report about the land, and the peo- ple had said, “Let us appoint a [new] leader and return to Egypt” (Num. 14:4). But Zelophehad’s daughters want- ed to have a ...…

…4 | JULY 6 • 2023 for openers Hyperbole In Action O verstatement is one way to get a point across. I have written about exaggeration before, but I was reminded by some readers that I left the field untilled. Therefore: When you make something seem much better than it is, you are trying to gild the lily or pull the wool over someone’s eyes. They may realize that you are trying to build castles in the air and calling you on ...…

…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...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 41 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 Hi...…

…42 | JULY 6 • 2023 ARTS&LIFE BOOKS W hen Irving Fox graduated top of his class from Montreal’s McGill University Medical School in 1967, he looked forward to a smooth, successful future. Little did he know that within a few years he would be struck by a debilitating mysterious illness that would temporarily upend his promising plans. Now, more than 50 years later, Fox, who lived in Ann Arbor from 1976-1990, set out to revisit...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 43 to decrease disability progres- sion. In 1999, he began working at Millenium/Takeda, where he was a leader of the clinical team that in 2014 was able to achieve marketing autho- rization and patient access for Entyvio, a treatment of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Although he retired in 2018, he began consulting for some companies, including Takeda. Shortly after moving to New England, he and Gloria b...…

…L ike many Ashkenazi Jews, author Ellen Gelerman grew up with superstitions passed from generation to gener- ation. One of the most prominent was that of the evil eye, kein ayin hara. Learning about the famous Jewish saying, which translates to “no evil eye, ” from her parents and grandparents, Gelerman, a Long Island native now residing in Milford, decided to base her second published novel on the long-standing superstition. Jewi...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 45 THE BEAR ROARS AGAIN; ROBBING BANKS CAN BE FUN; REMEMBER JONATHAN SILVERMAN? The Bear, an FX series that streams on Hulu, premiered a year ago. It got great critical reviews and, pretty soon, the reviews and word- of-mouth made it one of the most popular “scripted” streaming programs — on any channel. The first season was just eight episodes, and most of the episodes were only about 30 minutes. The entire 10...…

…46 | JULY 6 • 2023 TOTS & MINI-GOLF 10-11 AM, JULY 8 (Sat.) Organized by The Well. At the Cranbrook Art Museum, 39721 Woodward, Bloomfield Hills. Meet inside the museum for Tot Shabbat songs, stories and snacks. Afterwards, head outside to enjoy Cranbrook’s artist-designed mini-golf course. Admission to the Art Museum is also included with your mini-golf ticket. Tot Shabbats are geared toward kiddos ages 0-5(ish) and their gr...…

…HEALTHCARE A1 CAREGIVER/COMPANION. Experienced, excellent references. 248-991-4944 Senior Health Services LLC: 24/7 In-depth Male/ Female Caregivers. Highly Recommended by Doctors & Attorneys. Please Call 248-989-7013 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. ...…

…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. 48 | JULY 6 • 2023 Aaron Mendelson Heating and Cooling, LLC. 248-855-0437 Cell: 248-912-2292 License # 7118488 Maintenance, Installation, Repair & Hot Water Heaters Ajmendelson1@gmail.co...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 49 c. 1943 BEATRICE “BEBE” ANCHILL, 101, of Southfield, died June 24, 2023. She is survived by her daughter and son-in- law, Beth and Richard Siegel; son and daughter-in-law, Neil and Jane Anchill; grandchil- dren, David (Julie) Siegel, Jamie (Chuck) Xenakis, Shira Anchill (Aaron Herskovic), and Benjamin (Hillary) Anchill; great-grandchildren, Aaron and Katie Siegel, Lila and Mia Xenakis, Olivia and Gideon He...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 5 Facebook and Instagram @CongregationBethAhm In-Person Daily Minyan Kaddish & Community Sunday 9:00am and 5:00pm M – F morning M – Th evening Friday evening Dow Gardens Day Trip with the Beth Ahm Sisterhood Sunday, July 16 Outside Kabbalat Shabbat followed by a light dinner July 21 at 6:00pm 248-851-6880 www.cbahm.org 7:00am 7:00pm 6:00pm If the outcome had gone a different way, how would things for Jews be dif...…

…50 | JULY 6 • 2023 48334, farmlib.org/about-us/ support. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. PAUL NORMAN ENGLER, 71, of Oak Park, died June 23, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Bertha “Beth” Engler; son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Anne Engler of Huntington Woods; daughter and son-in- law, Erica and Max Abelman; grandchildren, Cecilia, Isabella, Lottie. Mr. Engler was the dear brother of the late Phyllis Engler. Contribu...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 51 children, Marcos, Lucia, Asher, Livia, Alexandra, Josephine, Natalie, Tessa, Penelope, Fiona, James, Noah, Scott and Oliver. Mrs. Frank was predeceased by her cherished husband of 68 years, the late Robert “Bob” Frank; parents, the late Morris Ben Lewis and the late Ida F. Lewis.; son-in-law, the late Scott Watson. Contributions may be made to Yeshivah Beth Yehudah, Partners in Torah, P .O. Box 2044, Southfiel...…

…52 | JULY 6 • 2023 the late Rebecca Goldberg. Contributions may be made to Hillel Day School, 32200 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills, MI 4833; or Frankel Jewish Academy of Metro Detroit, 6600 W . Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322. A funeral service was held at Hebrew Memorial Chapel. Interment took place at Adat Shalom Memorial Park in Livonia. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. BARBARA J. GORDON- KLAVONS, 65, of Fa...…

…JULY 6 • 2023 | 53 Daniel Steinway, Steven and Debbie Steinway, David and Rowena Howard, Richard and Sherry Howard, and Donna Howard; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Robert was the loving son of the late Marvin and Beatrice Howard. Interment was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to JARC. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. DOUGLAS L. MANN, 96, of Novi,...…

…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 54 | JULY 6 • 2023 ‘Badge of Honor’ W e have no flag, and we need one. If we desire to lead many men, we must raise a symbol above their heads,” Theodor Herzl declared in 1896 in his landmark essay Der Judenstaat. He was referring to a flag as an emblem for a future State of Israel: “For we shall march into the Promise...…