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… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 19 add staff as the business grows. “Given the current pandemic-related unemployment, we’re eager to find high-quality compassionate caregivers and welcome the challenge of creating jobs that will pay higher than industry average in order to attract outstanding people,” Yaari noted. Lavi outlined the strategy to grow their client base. “We plan to use our connections in the Jewish community to find seniors...…

…20 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 L ike so many others, the pandemic has been an especially lonely and chal- lenging time for Lola Jerome, 95. Holed up in her apartment in Windsor, Canada, with safety only allowing limited masked visits from her local relatives and unable to see her relatives who live across the border, Lola has been feeling “gloomy. ” “I don’t remember anything like this in all my lifetime, ” she said. And Lola has lived ...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 21 Managed by: Proud Recipient of the Prestigious Ask Us Why! INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. LEARN MORE AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM Ann Arbor - NOW OPEN | Birmingham | Rochester Hills | West Bloomfield For the Joys of Independent Senior Living We have adopted new standard of care in our daily operations by implementing COVID- specific initiatives for our residents’ well-being including: Ÿ Conta...…

…22 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 J anice Cherkasky has been able to immerse herself in parties. Besides hosting them for family and friends, she plans them for others through her business, Gourmet Parties. Over the past 15 years, she and her husband, Richard, have invited about 40 guests to their Franklin home in celebration of New Year’s Eve. Beyond tra- ditions, annual partygoers have found fun activities by going along with different th...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 23 A Jewish student who attended the SOAS University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) has received a full tuition refund (15,000 British pounds — slightly over $20,000) after filing a complaint to the school regarding the toxic antisemitism he experienced as a student there. The university will also conduct an investiga- tion into his claims. The news of the refund and investigation came on...…

…24 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 J ust a little over half of Americans know the meaning of “antisem- itism” - while 46% of the general public are not familiar with the term at all. More than six in 10 Americans believe antisemi- tism in this country is a prob- lem compared to 88 percent of Jewish Americans who agreed with this statement two years in a row. These are two main findings in The State of Antisemitism in America 2020 — a first...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 25 identify them as Jews since the Tree of Life shooting in October 2018. • 37% reported being the target of an antisemitic incident, such as a physical attack or an antisemitic remark online or in person, by mail or by phone in the past five years. However, 76 percent of those who were tar- geted did not report the incident. • 43% of those ages 18-29 say they have either personally experienced antisemitism on...…

…26 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 T his February, Rabbi Levi Dubov of the Bloomfield Hills Chabad will offer Journey of the Soul, a new six-session course by the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) that will answer one of the most-asked questions about life: What happens when we die? “Death is both mysterious and inevitable,” Rabbi Dubov told the Jewish News. “Understanding death as a continuation of life reveals the essence and beaut...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 27 B arry M. Klein was a devoted alumnus, sup- porter and unwavering advo- cate for Oakland University. With his passing on Jan. 18, 2020, OU lost a generous and loyal friend. As a final act of support, Klein made a transfor- mative gift through his estate which, in part, has established the Barry M. Klein Center for Culture and Globalization. In 2003, Klein made an ini- tial bequest gift commitment through ...…

…28 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 M y mother, Lois Teicher, began renting her 2,000-square-foot studio at the Atlas Building on Gratiot Avenue in Detroit in 1982. The building was a well- known artists enclave and, today at 82 years old, she is the last art- ist to move out of the building. The Atlas Building, across from Eastern Market, was home to the Atlas furniture company in the 1920s. My mom decided on the Atlas Building for sev- eral...…

…D etroit native Dr. Donna Zfat-Zwas, 57, recalls that as a medical resi- dent, if she saw a woman with chest pain in the ER, checking for a heart attack was one of the last things she did. “Heart diseases are traditionally considered to be men’s diseases, ” said Zfat-Zwas, now the director of the Linda Joy Pollin Cardiovascular Center for Women at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem. “In Israel, awareness of women’s heart ...…

…30 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 MOMENTS BIRTHS MAZEL TOV! SEPT. 12, 2020 Dr. Stefanie Sherman and Dr. Bobby Dekker are overjoyed to announce the birth of their precious daugh- ter, Eleanor Bari Dekker (Esther Nava). Delighted grandparents are Fanny and Jeffrey Sherman, and Debbie and Robert Dekker. Eleanor is the great-granddaughter of Edward Sherman, Sara Pancer and Esther Godfrey. She is lovingly named in memory of her great-grand-...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 31 MILESTONES Rott-Gelfand A rthur and Julie Rott of West Bloomfield are thrilled to announce the engagement of their son Ryan Seth to Nicolette Faith Gelfand, daughter of Allison and Lee Gelfand of Merrick, N.Y. Nikki received her dual mas- ter’s degree in autism and spe- cial education from Columbia University. She works at a pri- vate school in Manhattan, teach- ing students with autism. Ryan received his law d...…

…32 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 SPIRIT An Eco Revelation P arshat Vaera is the most theological par- shah, as God reveals Godself to the world at the burning bush and then through the first seven plagues upon Egypt: bloody water, frogs, lice, mix- ture (of insects or wild animals), livestock pes- tilence, boils and hail. The Spanish rabbi Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa (1255–1340), explains that God is “the hand that directs all of the phen...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 33 W hen Ruby Schwartz was beginning her senior year at Groves High School, she began thinking about becoming a col- lege freshman in 2020. Besides looking ahead to chemistry and marketing classes, Schwartz wanted to participate in extra- curricular activities, particularly theater productions. Schwartz had expressed theater interests for two years as part of the stage crew of the Groves performing arts pro- g...…

…34 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 P assages appearing from cover to cover in a new crime novel, The Nightworkers, reflect author Brian Selfon’s reactions to his actual employment involving light undercover work — first for Brooklyn prosecutors and later for Seattle public defenders. Selfon, aiming for a career as a novelist since pre-college years in Southfield, supported his goal with workaday jobs that included deskwork as a chief invest...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 35 FILMS continued on page 36 J ews may have been common fixtures of the Golden Age of Hollywood, with studio heads like Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg calling the shots. But it’s rare they got to make films about what it actually meant to be Jewish. Meanwhile, during the same time frame, Yiddish theater was a strong and lively tradition. But there was a brief moment when these interests could overlap. ...…

…36 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 Plying similar terrain is Harry Tomashevsky’s The Yiddish King Lear (1935), in which a possessive patriarch’s insistent steering of his daughters’ lives (he says early on that women should be “ornaments”) sheds light on some troubling flipsides to strict insistence on tradition. The film, based on the play of the same name, is heavy on melodrama, as are several simi- lar entries in the set all set in the U....…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 37 ON THE GO PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS SPEAKER SERIES 8-9 PM, JAN. 14 Join Rabbi Jen Kaluzny and a free lineup of speakers. Visit: temple-israel.org/ event/speakers2021. MUSIC RETROSPECTIVE 5 PM, JAN. 15 The Ark in Ann Arbor will present this livestream series: 18 shows reflecting 20 years of the music of Rufus Wainwright. Tickets: $20 ($25 day of show); biot. ly/RW_TheArk. SERVE THE MOMENT JAN. 15-18 MLK Day, a...…

…HEALTHCARE G&F Professional Services- Compassionate, affordable, responsible and efficient homecare. Call Georgiana (248) 571-1837 (www. gfprofessionalservices.com) A1A CAREGIVER/COMPANION. Experienced, excellent references. 248-991-4944 Need a caregiver for your loved one? Call Selina 248.688.6675 Facility/ in home care CNA cert. Grooming, feeding, meds, blood sugar & vitals. Selena 248.747.1083 Exp. private duty caregiver for ...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 39 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY DOROTHY KAUFMAN BRAIKER, 88, of Farmington Hills, died Jan. 5, 2021. She is survived by her daugh- ter, Terry Marlene Braiker; many other loving family mem- bers and friends. Mrs. Braiker was the beloved wife of the late Raymond Joseph Braiker; mother of the late Mark Howard Braiker; sister of the late Jack and the late Cecilia Kaufman. Interment was held at Machpelah Cemetery in Fe...…

…40 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY LORELEE HANDELMAN, 82, of Alma, died Dec. 22, 2020. She is sur- vived by her son and daughter-in-law, Robin Handelman and Kathline Fritz; daughter and son-in-law, Rayna Handelman and Mark Freifeld; sister and brother-in-law, Terri and Melvin Sharf; many other family members and friends. Mrs. Handelman was the beloved wife of the late Sy Handelman; daughter of the late Mitzi and t...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 41 cats taken in over the years. Her interests included bowl- ing, coloring, dancing, listen- ing to music, and shopping. Laura and husband, Gary, shared a sense of humor and enjoyed watching Seinfeld and going to Tigers games together. Laura graduated from Central High School in Detroit and worked at the Downtown Hudson store. She will be greatly missed. Mrs. Kienscherf is survived by her son and daughter-in- ...…

…42 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY knew her for her zest for life, wonderful smile and unforget- table giggles and being a friend to all. Mrs. Klain is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Elliot and Elaine Klain of Las Vegas, Nev.; daughters and sons-in-law, Cynthia Klain of Farmington Hills, Eileen and Richard Polk of Huntington Woods, Alice and Richard Silbergleit of Birmingham; grandchildren, Daniel Klain an...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 43 Jacob Jordan and Michael Moretsky; brothers and sisters- in-law, Dr. Robert and Barbara Moretsky of Bloomfield, Dr. Sanford and Barbara Moretsky of Scottsdale, Ariz.; stepson, Dr. Steven Eisenfeld; stepdaugh- ter, Jamie Eisenfeld Jennings; stepgrandchildren, Brynn and Quinn. He was the beloved eldest son of the late Ben and the late Elizabeth Moretsky. Interment was on Jan. 3, 2021, in Phoenix. SHIRLEY ROSE...…

…44 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY Weiner and Jason Weiner; sister and brother-in-law, Elaine and David Zack. Mrs. Weiner was the devoted daughter of the late Jack and the late Ann Freed; the loving sister of the late Sonny Freed. Contributions may be made to Kadima, 15999 W . 12 Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48076, kadimacenter.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. LILLY WEISS, 90, of Oak Park, died Jan. 5, 2021...…

… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 45 A neighborhood dining legend is recalled by many who remem- ber favorite visits they had to Larco’s Inn on West McNichols (6 Mile) just west of Livernois, Detroit. Owned and operated by three broth- ers, Pete, Nick and Mike Larco, it opened in the 1960s and is still talked about … Pete and Mike used to work as waiters at another Italian restaurant, and Mike was a tool and die maker … Pete headed the kitchen,...…

…46 | JANUARY 14 • 2021 Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org Poking Holes in the Glass Ceiling T he history of the Jews in Detroit and Michigan over the past century is a story of communal growth and progress. The community has grown in numbers and organzational strength, as well as political and business power. As my friend and Detroit Jewish News Fou...…

…Jessica J Kakos, DDS West Bloomfi eld 6621 W Maple Road Suite 200 West Bloomfi eld, MI 48322 Tel 248 489 5950 Bloomfi eld Hills 6443 Inkster Road Suite 176 Bloomfi eld Hills, MI 48301 Tel 248 855 4143 kakosdental.com …

…See page 12 U-M student’s research reveals his ancestor’s courageous journalistic legacy in Nazi- dominated Europe. $200 Jan. 7-13, 2021 / 23-29 Tevet 5781 2 Jan. 7-13, 2021 / 23-29 Tevet 5781 Thicker than Water, Mightier than the Sword …

…4 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 contents OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to reflect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible, responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life, i...…

…Paid for by Oakland County Health Division. We can’t forget the danger. Wear the mask. Wash your hands. Practice physical distancing. Consider virtual gatherings. Curbside food pickup. For more holiday safety tips, visit oakgov.com/covid. THE ONLY WAY TO BEAT COVID-19 IS TO FACE IT. Paid for by Oakland County Health Division. We can’t forget the danger. Wear the mask. Wash your hands. Practice physical distancing. Consid...…

…6 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to ref ect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible, responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life, in South...…

… JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 7 for openers Here’s to the Memories I ’m at a total loss to describe the pure, unmitigated joy I felt, I’m sure you all felt, when the clock struck midnight on Dec. 31 and you finally said goodbye to 2020. Perhaps you kissed a loved one, clanked glasses over a toast or shared a few expletives to say good riddance to arguably the worst year in our lifetime — on so many levels. I’m proud to announce I’v...…

…8 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 essay The U.N. is a Major Obstacle to a Two-State Solution in the Mideast I n a year marked by so much misery and misfortune, a rare bright spot has been Israel’s historic diplomatic breakthroughs. In 2020, UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco and now Bhutan have either established official relations with Israel or announced their intention to do so for the first time. In 1977, the late Egyptian President Anw...…

… JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 9 statements of these U.N. bodies explicitly endorse the “right of return.” Thus, the U.N. propaganda apparatus gives this major obstacle to peace the official imprimatur of the international community. Under these circumstances, why would the Palestinians ever give up this demand? Yet every year, the resolutions authorizing these bodies pass in the General Assembly by large majorities. It is highly unlikel...…

…10 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 VIEWS The top 25 most-viewed stories at thejewishnews.com in 2020. 1. Oakland County Creates Interactive Map of COVID- 19 Cases by Zip Code 2. Lansing Demonstrators Protest Whitmer With Hitler Signs 3. JCC Health Club to Permanently Close 4. Kippah Masks You Can Make at Home During COVID-19 5. MSU Student Spray-Paints Swastika in front of Own Frat House 6. ‘Rewind’: Jewish Filmmaker Confront...…

… JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 11 letters Too Sympathetic to Dr. Peven My family and I were recent- ly reading the article “ An Unknown Mishpachah” (Dec. 31, page 14), and I wanted to write in with some deep con- cerns we had. We found Dr. Peven’s actions absolutely appall- ing and not ethical, both med- ically and Jewishly speaking. The article painted Dr. Peven in a sympathetic light and not in the way that I think a journalist ethically has...…

…12 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 W hen I was little, my mother told me a story about her “Bonpapa:” my great-grandfather, Otto Schirn. During her college graduation ceremony, Otto circled names in the program he thought were Jewish. He wanted to prove other Jews had survived. Otto died before I was born. When I began studying at the University of Michigan in 2017, I knew only a few other facts about his life. I knew that he and his wife, Yvonne,...…

… JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 13 continued on page 14 speech Otto was to give on Feb. 14, 1945, to the Detroit Women’s Division of the American Jewish Congress. The letter about Otto’s parents’ deaths — the transport of numbers of 61 and 62, my great-great-grandparents, from Malines to Auschwitz — was postmarked by a Belgian government official that very same day. When I shared the article with my grand- mother, she remarked at how happy her f...…

…14 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 continued from page 13 Marcel watched Hitler implement increasingly antisemitic policies in Germany. He watched Nazism gain traction among Vienna’s passively antisemitic youth. In some instances, Marcel’s reporting was fearless. He mentioned two Austrian report- ers critical of Hitler whom the Germans “silenced. ” He was the first to report an attempted bombing of a Catholic event that the police had traced to ...…

… JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 15 (Council of Jewish Associations). He rep- resented Belgium at the last World Jewish Congress before the war. One of his duties was to help Belgian Jews determine the fates of their Polish relatives. He met my great-grandmother, Yvonne, when she came to his office for help finding her Polish aunts and uncles. Months later, they were a happily mar- ried couple on honeymoon in the Belgian countryside. Yvonne never l...…

…16 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 T here are people in your life that you’re glad are proud of you when you achieve success. And then, there are people in your life who you love and respect so deeply that you actively seek out their approval when you achieve that success — because when tye live vicariously through you, it feels just as good as living it yourself. When I got this job as reporter for the Jewish News back in August, my first fu...…

… JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 17 Need a Free COVID-19 Test? If you are concerned you may have been exposed to COVID- 19, free testing is now available at Oak Park High School, locat- ed at 13701 Oak Park Blvd. Henry Ford Health System will be at the school from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesdays to provide free COVID-19 PCR tests for adults and children. No appointment, insurance, physi- cian referral or prescription is needed. Results are ava...…

…18 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 W hen 13-year-old Sydney Hertzberg adopted Mr. Mittens in 2019, the tiny bot- tle-fed kitten needed much TLC. He was just 4 days old, and when the Birmingham teen first laid eyes on him at the no-kill Ferndale Cat Shelter, where she had been volunteering for her bat mitzvah project with Temple Israel, she knew it was love at first sight. “He’s grown so much,” the Cranbrook Kingswood Girls Middle School st...…

… JANUARY 7 • 2021 | 19 F or Alex Wineman, deciding to go back to Israel was never a question of yes or no. It was a question of when. So, when she found out about the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Get There! Teen & Young Adult Travel Fund from her grandma, she knew her opportunity had presented itself. The Get There! program is open to Jewish residents of Metro Detroit between the ages of 13 and 28 years old who w...…

…20 | JANUARY 7 • 2021 T he City of Huntington Woods recently approved an “ Anti- Racism Plan” as part of efforts to expand its commitment to build equity and tackle institu- tionalized prejudice on a local level. The plan, approved by the city commission on Oct. 14, comes after a statement issued by the heavily Jewish Detroit suburb June 2 condemning acts of racial injustice in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Tay...…