…$200 Oct. 7-13, 2021 / 1-7 Cheshvan 5782 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com GLORY Built in 1902 as Temple Beth El, iconic Kahn structure to get $50 million restoration. See page 14 …
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…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-13 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 14 A Return to Glory Built in 1902 as Temple Beth El, iconic Kahn structure to get $50 million restoration. 18 Inspiring Educator Erin Gruwell to speak at National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan event Oct. 14. 20 USS Carl M. Levin Is Getting Set to Sail Levin’s family attend the ceremony in Maine. 22 A Token of Their ...…
…4 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 for openers Minor Damage W e “poor mortals” are often buffeted about by fate and damaged accordingly. Through all of this rough handling, items may get nicked or scratched. However, that does not stop us from using those terms in other ways in our conversa- tions. Here are some instances. Men who are not caught up in the annual Movember craze (growing beards and moustaches) should practice extreme caut...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 5 At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, we’re here for you with access to care for both your physical and mental health wherever and whenever you need it. Including online visits from the privacy of your own home. Because we know that good health is whole health. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofi t corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Associatio...…
…6 | OCTOBER 7 • 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: Det...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 7 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com …
…8 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 essay A (Mostly) Jewish Soundtrack I love music. From listen- ing to music, to singing and writing songs, music has always been there to help me enjoy the good times and cope with the bad times. As I reflect on the soundtrack of my life, I realize that music with a Jewish influ- ence has been a big part of the melodies that sustain me. My first musical memory was when I was very young, sitting on a piano ...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 9 pastrami still goes best on rye, as time goes by. ” We also began creating some new traditions in our home. At a talk for parents of bnai mitzvot, a rabbi gave some simple but great advice about creating a more Jewish home on Shabbat: “Just do something. ” So, we started singing a few prayers and lighting Shabbat candles. Bim bom, Shabbat shalom, and prayers over wine and challah made a difference. My wife ...…
…10 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY I n a logical world, the United Nations — and especially the United States — would be loudly celebrating the first anniversary of the Abraham Accords. This momentous agreement marked the first peace deals between Israel and any Arab nation in 26 years. The Accords between the Jewish state and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — followed by normalization agreements with Morocco, ...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 11 Abraham Accords were the progressive and liberal intellectuals, as well as some so-called experts. One would think that those who criticized Israel for “creating obstacles” to peace for so many years would embrace the Abraham Accords for creating unprecedented agreements in the region. Rather, these naysayers were worried that their darlings, the Palestinians, were being sidelined, so they created all man...…
…12 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 opinion Beyond Naming and Shaming: New Strategies Needed to Combat Antisemitism T he American Jewish Committee (AJC) announced in August a “Disrupt antisemitism” initia- tive offering funding “for new ideas to combat antisemitism, locally, nationally or virtually.” The initiative is to be com- mended both because it may produce new approaches and in launching this effort, the AJC is acknowledging that ...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 13 as abortion) that vary from the consensus views of North American Jewry.” As one Dialogue partic- ipant asked in a breakout session, “does anyone really believe that there is greater hatred for Jews in America than African Americans, Latinos, immigrants or Native Americans?” The room fell eerily silent. The young Dialogue par- ticipants understood these attacks as part of the larger context of what is under- ...…
…OUR COMMUNITY 14 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 GLORY …
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 15 W hen Midtown Detroit’s Bonstelle Theatre — a performing arts center that was originally the Temple Beth El synagogue — opened in 1902, it was one of Michigan’s most glorious Jewish institutions. Designed by celebrated Jewish architect Albert Kahn, who at the time was a younger member of the congregation, Temple Beth El had a bril- liant, sweeping skylight and a grand stairway that descended all the way to Woodwa...…
…16 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 er-turned-hotel that had stood crumbling for almost 40 years. Similar to the David Whitney Building, the Bonstelle Theatre is listed on Detroit’s National Register of Historic Places. “Just like when it was a synagogue, it’s going to be this beautiful palette of col- ors and patterns,” Fox says of the restoration plans. “This his- tory will all be brought back.” THE TEMPLE’S EARLY DAYS In 1902, when Temple Beth...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 17 plans for producing world- class events at the latest iter- ation of the Bonstelle, which promises to revisit its Jewish roots. With 1,300 seats, Fox says the Bonstelle will also double as an event space. By being paired with the new AC Hotel by Marriott, she believes it will offer another option to Metro Detroiters who want to hold celebrations like weddings or even bar or bat mitzvahs in a beautiful, histori...…
…18 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 E rin Gruwell was a student English teacher in an inner-city school in Long Beach, Calif., when a racist event in her classroom changed the tra- jectory of her career. One student drew a horrific racist image of another student, who was African American. When Gruwell mentioned that this type of prejudice led to the terrible events of the Holocaust she was greeted by blank stares, and so began Gruwell’s miss...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 19 dents and teachers all over the U.S. and in more than 12 countries, encouraging young people to write, keep journals and make films about their experiences and how they can combat racism; this includes both Israeli and Palestinian teachers. Along with Holocaust survivors, Gruwell has brought her students face to face with survivors of other persecution, such as Cambodian and Rwandan refu- gees, and she has worke...…
…OUR COMMUNITY T he naval destroyer named for the late Sen. Carl Levin was christened Oct. 2 at Bath Iron Works in Maine. The USS Carl M. Levin, a 510-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, weighed 7,500 tons when it launched in May. Then-Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the naming of the ship in 2016, saying he considered Levin to be one of the “most influential” members of the Senate. “Destroyers are named for heroes,” ...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 21 …
…22 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY T he Davidson Foundation recently provided the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit with a grant to provide each Jewish educational staff member in the community with a “welcome back” brunch and a $200 gift card, as a thank you for their efforts during the pandemic. Plans for the initiative have been worked on since before the summer, and all staff at the local day schools, including...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 23 important the initiative has been for the schools with how much has been upended since March 2020. “It’s been tough. When we were remote, I think that was the hardest part because we had no idea, and there was no preparing for it,” Shindler said. “Last year, Hillel was one of the schools fortunate to be in-person for pretty much the whole school year. It was different; it was an adjustment for everyone in ...…
…OUR COMMUNITY T he B’nai B’rith Great Lakes Region, centered in Metro Detroit, held several com- munity service programs over the summer, including a golf tournament fundraiser and donations made to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan and Yad Ezra. On July 9, Great Lakes Region President Lila Zorn and Vice President Joel Marwil presented a donation of B’nai B’rith Diverse Minds books to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The do...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 25 Happy 80th Birthday Papa Richy! Richard and Alana Waldorf celebrating with Sara, Scott, Alexa & Kadie Bernstein Carrie, Andrew, Asher, Leila & Della Bank Subscribe Today! Get The Detroit Jewish News print edition delivered to your door every week for less than $2 per issue. Stay in the know with all things Jewish... thejewishnews.com/subscription …
…OUR COMMUNITY D an Brotman began his new position as executive director of the Windsor Jewish Federation and Community Centre at a less than ideal time — during the middle of the pandemic last year. COVID vaccinations were not yet available, and Windsor was “one of the most locked-down places in North America,” he says. The city’s retail businesses were suffering greatly from the government’s COVID restrictions and a lack of...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 27 international city, separated from Detroit by only a short bridge or tunnel ride. He hopes the Windsor Jewish community will expand its view as part of a larger Detroit-Windsor metropolitan area and forge stronger connections across the border. “Together with the Jewish community of Hamilton, Ontario, we will be launching a new proactive marketing campaign in the next several months to attract both domesti...…
…28 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 S uicide is an epidemic of epic proportions that steals the people we love and devastates fami- lies all over Detroit every day. In honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, A Single Soul, a suicide pre- vention and training program housed at Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit; Black Family Development, a Detroit nonprofit dedicated to the health and wellbe- ing of Black families; and L!FELeaders Inc...…
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…OUR COMMUNITY T he short film Bear and Fred, which is a part of local filmmaker Keith Famie’s Shoah Ambassadors Holocaust documentary, was featured in and won Best Documentary Short in this year’s Royal Starr Film Festival on Sept. 18 at the Royal Oak Emagine Theatre. Bear and Fred has been touring with a great deal of excitement in film festivals nationally, seeing much success. To date, the film has won Best Documentary Short in t...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 31 faces&places On Friday, Aug. 27, JARC held its annual Shabbat Cookout as an in-person gathering — safely and following COVID restrictions. Despite the heat, it was a beautiful evening filled with delicious food, awesome music and, most importantly, camaraderie. JARC thanks its volun- teers, Rabbi Joey and Cantor Gross and the SQ3 Band. The event was sponsored by Jack Kaufman on behalf of the Ethel Hyman an...…
…32 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 faces&places Families from The Shul of West Bloomfield gathered at a lake to explore highlights of the High Holidays. Using dissolvable paper, children saw how they can gain atonement for mistakes, bringing the idea of teshuvah (repentence) to life. The event was hosted by Alon and Shari Kaufman. The Shul’s J.E.M.S program (Jewish Education Matters) offers a Jewish experience for children and their famili...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 33 T he William Davidson Foundation and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy announced that a new Sport House in the future 22-acre park on Detroit’s West Riverfront will be named after Detroit businessman, philanthropist and former NBA Detroit Pistons owner William “Bill” Davidson (1922-2009). With its most recent commitments to the Conservancy, the William Davidson Foundation has now granted more than $11 ...…
…ERETZ J ulia Weinberg, 34, made aliyah to Israel in July of this year. She came with her husband, Josh, whose grandparents were Benno and Ruth Levi of Oak Park, and their children Sultana, Netanel, Benno and Bella. Q: Growing up in Yardley, Pennsylvania, did you have an early Zionist education? JW: I grew up Conservative, and at Hebrew school, we talked about Israel but not in a partic- ularly Zionist way. In the history books t...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 35 SPORTS I t would be tough to find a better Jewish bowler in Detroit bowling history than Phil Horowitz. Perhaps impossible. The 2004 inductee into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was a gold-medal winner at the Maccabiah Games and National Senior Games. He’s the holder of four Michigan Senior Olympics age-group state records, two for singles and two for doubles. He was a competitor on the Professional Bo...…
…36 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 MAZEL TOV! 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)...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 37 SPIRIT Moderation & Responsibility W hat a great Torah portion for meat eaters, like me. And a great portion for those who enjoy a l’ chaim at kiddush. However, this is also a por- tion which warns us of some of the consequences of drinking to excess and of the importance of eating meat in a moral and ethical way. In Bereshit, God only permitted Adam and Eve to eat from vegetables and fruit of the trees ...…
…F or each of us there are milestones on our spiritual journey that change the direction of our life and set us on a new path. For me, one such moment came when I was a rabbinical student at Jews’ College and thus had the privilege of studying with one of the great rabbinic schol- ars of our time, Rabbi Dr. Nachum Rabinovitch. He was, and is, a giant: one of the most profound Maimonidean scholars of the modern age, equally at home ...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 39 but with Abraham. Noah, says the Torah, “walked with God” (6:9). But God said to Abraham, “Walk on ahead of Me …” (Gen. 17:1). So the point was not new, but the drama and power of the Midrash were stunning. COURAGE TO TAKE RISKS Suddenly, I understood that this is a significant part of what faith is in Judaism: to have the courage to pioneer, to do something new, to take the road less traveled, to venture o...…
…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 B’nai Israel Sy...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 41 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 Is...…
…W endy Evans has long presented diverse fine arts history through the art of presentation. Whether in a college classroom, an art showplace or a public speaking venue, she has told the stories behind treasured paintings, sculptures, fabrics and other media according to differ- ent themes through creative talks supplemented with images. For many years preceding the pandemic, Evans communicated in person before art history stu- dent...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 43 pher Diane Arbus, surrealistic photographer Claude Cahun, installation specialist Judy Chicago, sculptor Eva Hesse, abstract expressionist Elaine de Kooning, collage expres- sionist Lee Krasner and sculp- tor Louise Nevelson. “Most of the time, the more I study an artist, the more I like that person’s work, ” Evans says. “I don’t show images I don’t like, and I don’t generally show imagines I think are inappro...…
…T o enhance the safety of theater- goers, performers and employees, Broadway In Detroit announces new health and safety protocols for the 2021- 2022 season. To be admitted, audience members must show proof of full COVID- 19 vaccination (second dose received at least 14 days prior) with government-issued ID or proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the performance date. Additionally, masks must be worn inside the th...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 45 NEW JEWISH SNL CAST MEMBER; PLAYOFF HEBREWS; ‘JEWISH’ GHOST The season premiere of Saturday Night Live was Oct. 2. However, the three new SNL cast members were not announced until just a few days before the premiere show. So, as usual, I am doing a bit of catch-up in this column. Fortunately, it was surprisingly easy to quickly confirm that one of three, Sarah Sherman, is Jewish. Sherman, who is about 27,...…
…46 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 MEN’S HEALTH EVENT 9 AM- 4 PM, OCT. 9 The Michigan Institute of Urology (MIU) Men’s Health Foundation will host its 11th annual Men’s Health Event at Ford Field in Detroit. Metro Detroit-area men 18 years and older with or without insurance are encouraged to attend. Services will include a comprehensive bloodwork panel, flu vaccinations, COVID-19 screenings and vaccinations. A half- time show will include ...…
…OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 47 FOOD E very culture fries dough in some form or anoth- er. As I’ve mentioned before, Jewish cuisine has long embraced frying as a primary method of cooking, from the origination of fish and chips many years ago, to lat- kes and sufganiy- ot on Chanukah. Fried doughs pop up in many Jewish commu- nities around the world, and this one is probably a lot like many others. The base here is Escoffier’s beignet pa...…
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…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 49 ESTHER APPLEBAUM, 74, of Southfield, passed away in her Southfield home on the evening of Sept. 26, 2021. Born in Detroit on July 7, 1924, to Sol and Rose Ryback, Esther was the only daughter and the first of their four children, fol- lowed by her three broth- ers Bernard, Gordon and Ralph. As a teenager, she worked with her parents in the family store while attending first ...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 50 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 member of Israel chapter B’nai B’rith, which was char- tered on her birthday in 1948. She served as president several times as well as the Louis Marshall president, when the chapters eventually merged. She also served on the B’nai B’rith Council of Metropolitan Detroit. She loved meeting new people and giving of her time and energy for worthy causes. She had a knack for making ...…
