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…$200 April 7-13, 2022 / 6-12 Nissan 5782 April 7-13, 2022 / 6-12 Nissan 5782 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Universal Language Universal The Metro Detroiter and network of family, friends and strangers band together to assist Afghan refugees. See page 10 $200 April 7-13, 2022 / 6-12 Nissan 5782 $200 April 7-13, 2022 / 6-12 Nissan 5782 JEWISH NEWS …

…2021 SOLD/PENDING SALES OF $96+ MILLION #1 TOP PRODUCER FOR 2021 AT THE AGENCY HALL & HUNTER 248.568.7309 | CKAHN@THEAGENCYRE.COM | CINDYKAHN.COM An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results THEAGENCYRE.COM The Agency Hall & Hunter 442 S. Old Woodward Avenue Birmingham, MI 48009 AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED LICENSEE OF UMRO REALTY CORP. BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP | 1490 SODON LAKE DRIVE Private and serene, this mid-century...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-9 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 10 The Universal Language Metro Detroiter and network of family, friends and strangers band together to assist Afghan refugees. 16 Tikkun Olam in Action Local teens collect supplies for Ukraine. 17 Freedom Stories TKA fundraiser for Ukrainian Relief to feature stories from the Jewish and Black experiences. 18 B...…

…4 | APRIL 7 • 2022 for openers Over and Done With! I n 1917, many an ear caught the bars of “Over There,” a highly patriotic song by George M. Cohan. It was hard to overlook its popularity. It was never considered overdone; however, we can easily make a case for the overuse of “over” in our everyday speech. We are desirous of having roofs over our heads; but to purchase the same, we may get in over our heads. Home costs are ofte...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 5 community update Ukraine, Missions to Israel and You. T his month we are focused on two things: Ukraine and Mission Planning. Our overseas part- ners are briefing us regularly and, in turn, we are work- ing to answer questions and keep the Detroit Jewish commu- nity apprised of the situation in Ukraine. Our hearts are with the many refugees — mainly women, children and the elderly — who have had to leave the...…

…6 | APRIL 7 • 2022 essay Memories of Pesachs Past O n a spring day in the early 1960s, my family arrives at my Bubbie’s small Oak Park home in time to allow my mom to help with the seder prepa- ration. My aunts, uncles and first cousins are also there early. As each family walks in, my Bubbie’s face lights up at the sight of her grandchildren. She stumbles over the list of the names of the grandkinder, “Jeffrey, Freddie, Sand...…

…Through Their Centennial Fund Gift, Debbie and Michael Berger Demonstrate the Power of Vision in Action A s longtime donors, volunteers and leaders, Debbie and Michael Berger represent the full range of involvement and impact in our Jewish community. Debbie is the consummate grassroots volunteer, always willing to roll up her sleeves to do essential ‘on-the-ground’ work, whether it be programming, fundraising for the Annual Camp...…

…8 | APRIL 7 • 2022 student corner Mind and Soul Together F or the last few years, the United States has been polarized with conflict. Both politically and philosophically, it is a fact that the U.S. makes for a country of disagreement in the present. However, this is something that can be fixed and adjusted. Now is the time to do it. As a Hillel student, I have learned so much about repair- ing the broken and healing the vu...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 9 from anxious parents) in the old familiar way, before it later morphed into a newer more melodic tune. “Dayenu” was sung in the well-known tune, although we had shortened the song by then to five or six verses. We all took turns reading from the Haggadah; the kids laughed at the names of the rabbis and younger kids stumbled over the words, but everyone who could read was encouraged to try. And through it all, m...…

…ON THE COVER W hen Metro Detroiter Karen Farber and her husband arrived in Los Angeles in mid-December for their yearly winter trip, she had no idea what was to come. Farber, a semi-retired teacher who has taught 45 years in the Farmington Public Schools district, was visiting her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren as she does every year. But a chance encounter at a hotel barbe- cue turned this trip into an experience of a lifet...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 11 “He and his family were actually at the airport. He was an interpreter for the American soldiers so he was able to get out,” Farber said. “Shafi had videos of the Taliban shooting at the airport and people climbing the walls. He and his family waited in lines for two days, not being able to leave or go to the bath- room and with no food, even with two very small children.” Eventually, Shafi and his family were ...…

…ON THE COVER continued on page 11 12 | APRIL 7 • 2022 be out of here,” Farber said. “They get three months and then they have to find their own apartment, their own job and they’re on their own.” As of late March, the govern- ment was supposed to be giving the refugees an extra few thousand dollars for living expenses, but the resettlement agency had not received that money from the gov- ernment, Farber said. “The only money they’...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 13 Shafi has also been helping the other refugees with their needs as he speaks such good English, Farber added. SHAFI MOVES FORWARD Farber went with Shafi to the bank to help him open an account. One of the bankers, Marge, became interested in Shafi’s journey and wanted to help. Marge had some contacts she wanted Shafi to meet, including a job recruiter and a prominent woman in the com- munity whose husband owns...…

…continued from page 13 14 | APRIL 7 • 2022 his new job, realizing how lucky he is to have one. “I am working every day, all day, ” Shafi said. “I am happy I’m working, I have to support my family, so it’s important for me and I enjoy the job. ” The two families’ children have also connected, not letting the language barrier become an issue. “Shafi’s little boy is 4 years old, and he doesn’t speak a lick of English, none, and you...…

…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT 80 80th th Anniversary Anniversary For those without computer access, please mail the following to 32255 NORTHWESTERN HWY, SUITE 205 FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334: • Who is Turning 80? [fi rst/last] • What Day is their Birthday? • Personalized Message and Signature • A picture of the birthday person or business (if you would like the picture returned, please include a stamped return envelope.) • A check ...…

…OUR COMMUNITY I n response to the crisis in Ukraine, Zach Homer, 16, of Birmingham, and his friends made volunteering their first priority. Even with busy school and sports schedules, he, along with Chase Ben-Ezra, 16, and Luke Linovitz, 15, set aside time to collect items to support those impacted by the ongoing fighting. Together with Ben-Ezra’s father, Steven, they took a U-Haul filled with donated goods to a warehouse in Hamtramck...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 17 — they brought us what we really need,” he explains. MOVED TO ACT Chase Ben-Ezra, of Franklin, says the idea for the donation project came about after he heard about his cousin doing something similar in Connecticut. It inspired him to want to find a local company to partner with in Michigan. “We thought something needed to be done to help [people in Ukraine],” says Ben-Ezra. With the help of his mom, Amy...…

…OUR COMMUNITY W hile bombs explode in Ukraine and people are escaping for their lives, it’s life as usual for those of us in the rest of the world. War can feel very far from our doorsteps … until just a few words manage to make it more personal and heart-wrench- ing. That’s what happened to Oak Park mom Aliza Ancier, who’d seen posts online of people collecting items like toys and clothes for the Ukrainian refugees. It was wh...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 19 OUR COMMUNITY Just five months previous- ly, Ancier had been expect- ing twins. While her son, Yoni, was born healthy, her daughter, Chaya Nechama, was stillborn. “I’d been planning to wear my twins together and didn’t get to … So I decided to donate my baby carriers in honor of my baby daughter,” Ancier said. Ancier also posted on dif- ferent Facebook groups, like the 3,000+ member strong Jewish Moms of Metro ...…

…E ach week, Gerald Freedman, Harold Kulish, David Lippitt and Robert Weitz sit around a table of their chosen dining spot around Metro Detroit to bicker, banter, finish and cut off each other’s sentences. It’s the kind of conversation you can only have with friends you’ve had for more than 75 years. The four men all turn 90 this year. Among the group is a wealth of information and knowledge of history about Detroit’s bygone Jew...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 21 get divorced. But we talk a lot about who has passed on and who is seeing who.” A LONG HISTORY The men grew up in Detroit’s Dexter neighborhood. There, they met in elementary and middle school, played ball, got jobs and all graduated Central High School in 1950. They were active in B’nai B’rith Youth Organization’s Aleph Zadik Aleph No. 63 as teens. All but Kulish graduated from Wayne University, before the ...…

…22 | APRIL 7 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY W e look forward to having many life cycle conversations with our families … about the person we’ve fallen in love with, about what we might name the baby (G-d willing) or what our retirement plans might look like. But there is one life cycle conversation we do not look forward to having … the one about our wishes for care near the end of life. Despite the fact that this is a vital and straight...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 23 294 E Brown Street, Birmingham, Michigan 48009. © 2022 Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker Logo are service marks registered or pending registration owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Supported t...…

…24 | APRIL 7 • 2022 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 for ...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 25 N ineteen seasons. Nine Division 2 state cham- pionships and two run- ner-up finishes. Fourteen trips to the Final Four. Those are the nuts and bolts of Barry Brodsky’s resume as coach of the Birmingham Marian High School girls soccer team. With four consecutive state titles in his back pocket, a streak that was interrupted in 2020 by a season canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brodsky decided late last ...…

…J enna Beltser has always been inspired by the idea of innovation. As the director for the Orthodox Union’s Impact Accelerator, a program that identifies and helps grow new Jewish non- profit organizations, Beltser, 31, of Southfield, seeks out startups that address critical issues in the Jewish community through inno- vative ways. “What I really love about the program is that it inspires inno- vation, ” says Beltser, who helped launc...…

…Paid & Free Announcement Submissions Now Open to All High School & College Graduates! Congratulatory announcements are a special way to honor your graduate and connect with the community. PAID ADS* INCLUDE: 1 image, title, student’s name, your own special message and signature. FREE LISTINGS* INCLUDE: 1 image, student’s name, high school, university, achievements, and featured in the online gallery. *Ads are booked separately, be sure...…

…W ith multiple celebrations all happening at the same time — Purim, St. Patrick’s Day and the first round of March Madness — Rabbi Dan Horwitz of Adat Shalom Synagogue had an idea. “Dan came to us with the idea of fusing together these three holidays, ” said Rabbi Jeff Stombaugh, executive director of The Well. Planning meetings and brainstorm- ing ensued, and on March 17, The Well and Adat Shalom Synagogue presented this new Pur...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 29 W hen you conduct a seder, after kiddush, the Mishnah tells us, they bring you “matzah, lettuce, charoset and two cooked dishes” (Pesahim 10:2), what we think of as the “seder plate. ” The Mishnah defines “matzah” (at 2:5) and specifies that lettuce is one of the five varieties of bitter herbs (at 2:6) — but it never defines char- oset. The Talmud tells us what to do with charoset, but it also never tells us w...…

…30 | APRIL 7 • 2022 FOOD M y husband’s friend Tony Baron came to visit with him after his recent knee surgery. I’ve always liked Tony. He is a good guy who is naturally curious; and around me, his questions revolve around food and cooking. These being my favorite subjects, we end up in some focused culi- nary conversations. He stopped by the kitchen to find me prepar- ing different meals for Michael’s recovery. True to form, he stay...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 31 continued on page 32 BABA ROSE’S GEFILTE FISH For the fish stock 8 pounds boned white fish, head, skin and bones reserved 3 large Spanish onions, ends trimmed and scored Kosher salt Quite a lot of pepper Enough water to reach 2½ inches deep in the stock pot Heads, bones and skin of filleted whitefish Directions Remove ends and peel onions. Cut a ½-inch deep X cross pattern on the onion ends. Place in the bottom of a la...…

…32 | APRIL 7 • 2022 GRAPE CHAROSET FOR PASSOVER When the grape juice has been reduced to a syrup, it is then known as honey. Mixed with nuts, it is an extraordinary concoction that can be served at any time of the year over ice cream or even as a breakfast jam. A similar halek made from dates is prepared by the Jews of Calcutta, India. Ingredients 4 pounds juice white grapes ⅓ cup toasted sesame seeds ⅓ cup toasted walnuts Di...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 33 PASSOVER A Persian Passover By Etan Basseri, Illustrated by Rashin Kheiriyeh Kalaniot Books, $19.99 “Many years ago, in a small town in Iran,” the book begins. The story is about sib- lings Ezra and Roza, who are helping their parents prepare for the seder. The traditional cleaning is underway, the ingredients for hallaq — the Persian version of charoset, made from dates, raisins and nuts — are assembled, and t...…

…PASSOVER I nside one red-brick Oak Park home, everything is fairly typical except for one thing that catches every newcomer’s eye and causes them to inevitably ask, “What’s that doing there?” “That” is several pieces of matzah and “there” is on the door header over the kitchen. Meet Yaakov Gregg, 60, owner of Jacob’s Ladder Heating and Cooling, father and grandfather of a growing mishpachah. “Jews tend to find a source in scripture so...…

…PASSOVER continued on page 36 that every aspect of the baking from the mixing, the kneading, the rolling of the dough, the placement in the oven, has to all be done with intent for performing the mitzvah. Every phase of the baking process has the workers actually articulating aloud, ‘l’shaim matzos mitzvah’ — literally, “for the purpose of making the matzahs that will be used for the mitzvah. “It’s hard to imagine that the entire pro...…

…36 | APRIL 7 • 2022 PASSOVER With great enthusiasm, the Pozepov family took on differ- ent mitzvos, kosher, Shabbos, mikvah … But sadly, soon after that, the young Pozepov father was diagnosed with cancer and given only a 5% chance of survival.” Distraught, the family turned to their friend, Rabbi Mendel Baumgarten. Here they were taking on all these mitzvot in order to become closer to God and this is how He was repaying them? ...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 37 PASSOVER I f coffee is made from beans, and beans are prohibited during Passover, does that mean we would have to go uncaffinated during the week- long holiday? In the 1920s, this was a seri- ous question because some mistakenly thought coffee beans were legumes. They are not. Still, this created a problem for Maxwell House because Jewish customers weren’t buying coffee during Passover. To help sales, the comp...…

…38 | APRIL 7 • 2022 D ayenu: it would be enough if I had a prac- tical, well-designed Haggadah with English translation; this alone is exciting. Dayenu: a Haggadah that offers many explana- tions of the different ritual elements (so that guests can distract/understand for themselves). Dayenu: a Haggadah that helps me better understand what is Passover? And why, after a year of working out the kinks in my rye sourdough, do I have to s...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 39 to be. People have been using them for decades, so it connects them to their family. “The fact that it’s free at a supermarket — right there where you’re buying your brisket, your matzah and your wine — has helped keep up the tradition. If the ease in getting them wasn’t there, people might buy a box of matzah and invite some friends and family over, but they may not have the actu- al text. So, (for example) th...…

…T he most current parshot, Tazria and Metzora, begin with a discussion of the laws of childbirth and a bris, key milestones of life, and the laws regarding purity and impurity, what we call tum’ah and taharah, of people. Rashi raises a question about the order of the Chumash: in the previous portion, Shemini, the Torah details the laws of purity and impurity with regard to animals. Current portions deals with the laws of ...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 41 soul but our main identity is the body, or we can view the soul as our main identity and the body as merely the house for the soul. If our whole self- definition is based solely on “body,” then we are saying that we are not superior to the animal kingdom. Therefore, God reminds us that even the mosquito was created before humankind. But if the soul is the main focus, then man is truly superior; the soul, bei...…

…42 | APRIL 7 • 2022 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 ...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 43 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 MUSICAL THEATER M usical theater audiences trade in razzle-dazzle stag- ing for more subtle expressions of the heart when they view The Band’s Visit appearing April 19-May 1 at Detroit’s Fisher Theatre. The caliber of the experience has been heralded by profes- sional colleagues after seeing the Broadway run of the pro- duction, which is set in Israel. The play became one of only four musicals ever to win six Tony Awards. In 2...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 45 with the Broadway and tour versions in the role of Tewfiq, conductor of the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra. ISRAELI STAR IN THE LEAD “Maybe The Band’s Visit caught me at a certain time in my life or tugged at my imagination because I feel attached to the character. I felt something very special and unique in the simplicity and humanity of all the characters. Anyone can identify within the story.” Gaba...…

…ARTS&LIFE MUSICAL THEATER continued from page 45 46 | APRIL 7 • 2022 the co-starring role of Dina as well as Joe Joseph as Haled, Clay Singer as Itzik and Joseph Grosso as Telephone Guy. MEET THE PLAYWRIGHT As the tour moves toward Detroit, playwright Itamar Moses, 44, moves into new projects while appreciating the friendship he established with Gabay, 74, because of their connections to Israel. Moses was born in America to pare...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 47 ARTS&LIFE ART A t least three glass artists new to showing their work in Michigan will be represented as two simulta- neous exhibits are presented through May 18 by the Janice Charach Gallery at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. Adam Goldberg, of Ohio, will display a contemporary sculpture in the 4th Bi-Annual Michigan Regional Glass Exhibition, which spotlights some 50 Michigan and Ohio art- ists, i...…

…48 | APRIL 7 • 2022 time between personal projects and teach- ing at the college level, has won many awards, written for artistic publications and appeared on the Netflix glassmaking series Blown Away. In West Bloomfield, he is showcasing two proj- ects that depart from the intended use of functional glassware. “Much of my work is in conversation with the history of science and the role of glass in measuring, encapsulating and obs...…

…APRIL 7 • 2022 | 49 BEN FOSTER IN TWO NEW FILMS, ZELENSKYY IS BACK ON NETFLIX, CNN+ PREMIERES Ben Foster, 41, is an excellent actor who you might know from X-Men: The Last Stand (2006); 3:10 to Yuma (2007); and Hell and High Water (2016). By coincidence, Foster has lead roles in two new movies opening this month: The Contractor (opened last week) and The Survivor, an original HBO Max film (premieres April 27). Foster was rais...…

…50 | APRIL 7 • 2022 CAREGIVER SUPPORT 2 PM, APRIL 7 Taking care of a loved one can be difficult. So can ensur- ing that your own needs are being met during this chal- lenging 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. “It’s Okay Not to Be Okay” with Dr. Micky Golden Moore will be a virtual presentation. Info: jfs...…