…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 25 room for social distancing and will require all attendees to wear masks, regardless of vac- cination status. “Within the constraints of COVID-19, we’re opening the synagogue back up to the public, ” Propis says, “in a con- trolled environment. ” The synagogue is looking forward to what Hazzan Propis calls “a buzz in the air” and to bring live Jewish performance back to the com- munity. “It’s an intimate look ...…
…26 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 W hen Shari Finsilver was 19 years old, she was eating a holiday dinner with her family when her spoon flew out of her hand, landing across the room. Her mom was horrified. “She really thought I had Parkinson’s disease and rushed me to a neurologist,” explains Finsilver. As a young girl, Finsilver had become adept at hiding her Essential Tremor (ET), a condition which is believed to affect 5% of the populat...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 27 Details This year’s Trade Secrets event will be in hybrid form, emceed by Fox 2’s Amy Lange, and offering options of a limited in-person evening dinner Nov. 11 at Detroit Marriott Troy starting at 6.30 p.m. with only six people per table, or an online streamed version of the event, starting at 7.30 p.m. Online attendees will receive a personalized box of snacks plus a small bot- tle of champagne and party ...…
…28 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 she danced 13 styles of ballroom dance, including bolero, fox trot, rumba and salsa, in her first National Fred Astaire Competition in Orlando in 2019. After her life-changing surgery, Finsilver became determined to offer other sufferers the same support that she received from the Iowa farmer and started the first International Essential Tremor Foundation (IETF) support group for Michigan patients. “The...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 29 A special group of seven volunteer judges will be reviewing submissions and choosing the 36 winners. Honorees will receive free three-year subscriptions to the JN and be featured in a February 2022 issue. GO ONLINE TO THEJEWISHNEWS.COM AND NOMINATE THEM BY NOVEMBER 18, 2021 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT Do you know someone who gives of themselves to the community in robust — and often thankless — ways? Someone you admi...…
…Intergenerational Fun Natalie Scheyer of West Bloomfield had a lovely Fall gathering at her home this month consisting of mostly West Bloomfield Jewish octogenarians. Multi- generations were on hand. Her daughter, Marlowe Bechmann, and granddaughter Delia Bechmann entertained everyone with a group sing- along. Delia’s friend Charlotte DeGuire, an 8th-grader at Walnut Creek Middle School, catered the party with finger food ap...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 31 MAZEL TOV! SEPT. 30, 2021 Jordan and Ryan Fishman of Orchard Lake are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Golda Sarina. Loving brothers are Ariel and Moishe. Proud grandparents are Ann and Marc Fishman of Bloomfield Hills, Stewart Shifman of Waterford. She is also the grandchild of the late Cindy Shifman. Golda is named for her great-grandmother, the late Jeanne Fishman (Golda Yenta); her uncle, t...…
…32 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 SPORTS T he Jewish Men’s Basketball League is back after a one- season hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s great news for guys like 27-year-old Oak Park resident Jared Kohlenberg, who played in the Partners Detroit league’s inaugural season in 2019-20 shortly after returning to Detroit after working in Indianapolis and will play in the league again this season. “I enjoyed playing in the leagu...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 33 Denver, again leaving Detroit with four healthy players. MACCABI ‘FAB FOUR’ Detroit beat Denver by three points. Kohlenberg again was one of Detroit’s “fab four” in that game. “To play six games in 3½ days under those circumstances and earn medals was unbelievable,” Detroit U16 coach Barry Bershad said in a Jewish News story. “I’ve been coaching basketball for 40 years. I’ve never coached a team with le...…
…34 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 S haina, 42, and Nathaniel, 58, Warshay made aliyah in 2019 from Oak Park. They came with four small children in tow, and one who was already here. While it was difficult for them to leave their many family members and careers behind, they both can’t imag- ine living anywhere else. Q: Tell me about your first trip to Israel. Shaina: My first trip was on Bnei Akiva Machach after 10th grade. There was a run...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 35 A bout 2,000 years ago, our sages recorded that God subjected Abraham to 10 tests over the course of his lifetime (Pirkei Avot 5:3). However, they don’t record what these tests were. To say that Abraham’s life was eventful is an understatement; and so, as one might expect, there are nearly as many different lists of what these 10 tests are as there are commentators compiling these lists. One thing is unani...…
…36 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 I n 1966 an 11-year-old Black boy moved with his parents and family to a white neighborhood in Washington. Sitting with his two brothers and two sisters on the front step of the house, he waited to see how they would be greeted. They were not. Passers-by turned to look at them, but no one gave them a smile or even a glance of recognition. All the fearful stories he had heard about how whites treated blac...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 37 to look for any specific traits of character. He had simply told him to find someone from his own extended family. Eliezer, however, formulated a test: “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please ...…
…38 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 I ntegrity is a word we hear about often. We know it’s one of the highest compli- ments you can pay a person. And we all want to be regarded as people of integrity. When we picture someone with integrity, we think of a person who is upright, honest and honorable. But, what does it actually mean? It’s an important question to answer because, according to the Talmud, one of the first questions a person is aske...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 39 is something separate to the sacredness of speech because it includes keeping promises we make to ourselves, promises we make “in our hearts. ” The Talmud (Bava Basra 88a) describes the great Talmudic sage, Rav Safra, as the epitome of “one who speaks truth in his heart. ” (Psalms 15:2) On this, Rav Avraham Yitzchak Bloch says faithfully fulfilling what we undertake to do in our hearts is also an important ...…
…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 28 • 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 I...…
…42 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 J ust six months ago, Becca Suskauer was doing hybrid learning as a senior about to graduate from Penn State with a BFA in musical theatre. She was submitting self-taped video auditions online, as is the new pandemic norm for actors, and making challah over Facetime with her mom back in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., where Suskauer grew up. For Suskauer, the self-proclaimed “Jewess” will tell you that it’s beshe...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 43 and aspirations for musical theater. They continue to support us, which is very validating and not a given for every set of parents.” STRONG WOMEN Suskauer adds that she comes from a long line of strong Jewish women and Holocaust survivors. “I think that the character Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman is all about being independent and a survivor, which is what I think is exactly at the core and heart of the Jew...…
…44 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 JUDGE JUDY AND INA GARTEN RETURN + MORE On Nov. 1, Judy Sheindlin, 78, better known as “Judge Judy,” will return to the “media bench” in a new series called Judy Justice. I say “media bench” and not “TV bench” because Judy Justice will be streamed-only. It will not be on broadcast TV. Long story short: Even though Judge Judy was one of the highest-paid people on TV (well over $1 million per episode), she...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 45 SELF ENRICHMENT 8:30 AM, OCT. 28 On Thursday mornings, The Well starts the day by nourishing bodies and souls. Join for mindful morning learning and music that will leave you energized, connected and ready to start the day. Info: meetyouatthewell.org. JEWISH MIGRATION PATTERNS 7-8:30 PM, NOV. 2 & 9 Offered on Zoom by JLearn of the JCC; co-sponsored by Cohn- Haddow Center for Judaic Studies. Instructor: Pro...…
…46 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 continued from page 45 prayers. Tuition: $65. To register: 248-205-2557 or JLearn.online. ORT WINGO 5:30-9:30 PM, NOV. 4 Virtual event. Register at ortamerica.org/regions/ Michigan-region; 248-723- 8860. SEGREGATION ISSUES 7 PM, NOV.4 “Detroit Jews, Segregation and the Birwood Wall” will be a Zoom presentation with Erin Einhorn, NBC news reporter. Hosted by the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. Einho...…
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…48 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY A Loving Family Man and Builder R yan Dembs, 49, of Franklin, passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 17, 2021. He was born in Detroit three weeks late to Linda and Dennis Dembs and was cherished by his family from the day he was brought home from the hospital. His mother remarked how he was “born considerate, ” sleeping through his very first night. He grew up in a nurturing home ...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 49 JOSEPH BIELAWSKI, 83, of Southfield, died Oct. 19, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Nili Bielawski; sons and daugh- ters-in-law, Uri and Julie Bielawski of Commerce Township, Benny and Amanda Mazur Bielawski of Highland Park, Ill.; daughter and son-in-law, Edna and David Herman of Modien, Israel; grandchildren, Joshua Bielawski, Marcos Bielawski, Brooke Bielawski, Claire Bielawski, Alden Bi...…
…50 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY R ichard Maskin, 74, of Royal Oak, died Oct. 16, 2021. He was a legend of the motorsports world, beginning his career as a lot man and mechan- ic at his family’s Pontiac dealership before becoming a professional drag racer. In 1972, Richard made the leap to NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Pro Stock, where he won multi- ple championships and set national records as a dr...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 51 continued from page 49 EDITH ROSEN ERDBERG, 88, of Lauderhill, Fla., died Oct. 16, 2021. Born in Vienna, Austria, Edith was a survivor of two Soviet forced-la- bor camps in Novosibirsk and Karaganda. She left Vienna when she was 5 years old and did not return until she was 14; seven years were spent imprisoned in the camps. She was immensely proud of her children’s and grand- children’s values and accom-...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 52 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 Gunning; grandchildren, Jacob, Jared, Margaux, Gabe and Hal. She was the cherished wife for 62 years of the late Herb Gussin; sister of the late Lou Jacobs, Mary Rubin, Sophie Segel and Gail Lopata. Contributions to honor Fay can be made to “Ride out Lyme” or “Lyme Light Foundation.” ADDIE JANE (ADINA) BECKERMAN ADLER JELEN, 95, passed peacefully Sept. 19, 2021, in Spring...…
…OCTOBER 28 • 2021 | 53 Light; daughters and sons-in- law, Susan and Blair Kamin, Terri and Gary Cooper, Cindy and Mark Rhynard; grandchild, Ben Cooper. She is also survived by Buddy, Precious, and many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Mrs. Light was the beloved wife of the late Bunny Cassels and the late Nathan Light. Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to th...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 54 | OCTOBER 28 • 2021 Ads as a Perspective on Our Past I t is time again for a Looking Back that looks back at a few historical adver- tisements from the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. As I cruise through the Archive every week, I see hundreds of ads in the Detroit Jewish Chronicle and th...…
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…$200 Oct. 21-27, 2021 / 15-21 Cheshvan 5782 $200 Oct. 21-27, 2021 / 15-21 Cheshvan 5782 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com A Note- Worthy Cause Community members and musicians team up to seek donations of musical instruments for 2,500 Detroit schoolkids. See page 12 …
…MEREDITH COLBURN R E A L E S T A T E 248-762-5319 M E R E D I T H @ M E R E D I T H C O L B U R N . C O M W W W. M E R E D I T H C O L B U R N . C O M 4 4 2 S . O L D W O O D W A R D A V E . , B I R M I N G H A M , M I 4 8 0 0 9 — P R O V I D I N G A L U X U R Y E X P E R I E N C E A T E V E R Y P R I C E — 2 75 6 T U R T LE B LU F F D R I V E B L O O M F I E L D H I L L S | $ 1 0 , 5 5 0 , 0 0 0 5 6 VAU G H A N R I D G E R OA D B L O O ...…
…OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 A Note-Worthy Cause Community members and musicians team up to seek donations of musical instruments for 2,500 Detroit schoolkids. 14 A Cantor and a Mensch regation Shaarey Zedek Assistant Cantor Leonard Gutman retires after 21 years. 16 Hate Is Hate NCJW|MI gathers expert panel for free community event on how to comb...…
…4 | OCTOBER 21 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY essay Why ‘Zoom Judaism’ will Fade, and Synagogues will Thrive W hat will Jewish life be post-pan- demic? Jews will run back to the synagogue. They will not drift back; they will run back. Yes, adjust- ments will be made: The Jewish commu- nal world will rethink the need for large facil- ities and will reduce infra- structure costs. Digital tools will be more important. Synagogue and JCC me...…
…OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 5 Fall Festival Thursday, November 11 4 - 7 PM RSVP TODAY! 248-534-4702 FALL IN LOVE WITH ANTHOLOGY ANTHOLOGY OF FARMINGTON HILLS 30637 W. 14 Mile Rd. / Farmington Hills, MI AnthologyFarmingtonHills.com ASSISTED LIVING / MEMORY CARE This will be a socially distanced event. Masks required. *This event is free, but please bring a food donation to benefit Gleaners Community Food Bank. To celebrate our brand-ne...…
…6 | OCTOBER 21 • 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: De...…
…OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 7 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com Robert & Nancy, David & Elise and Mark & Lillian Schostak Continue the Family’s Legacy of Support Through the Centennial Fund Robert, David and Mark Schostak often share a recollection about their grandfather, Louis, who arrived in Detroit over 100 years ago. “In those days, the local rabbis used to come...…
…8 | OCTOBER 21 • 2021 analysis Ida Nudel: An Inspiration for Future Generations T he heroes of our generation are slipping away. And unless you were among the fortunate few to have gone to meet them in the former Soviet Union during the decades from 1970s to the 1990s, you probably don’t know about those Jewish heroes and heroines whose actions defined moral courage and stamina in the face of relentless government persecution. ...…
…OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 9 mourner’s prayer (kaddish), women can lead certain parts of the Friday night and Saturday services. Portions of a service that under Jewish law require a minyan, a quorum of 10 adult men, are still only performed by men at Shira Chadasha. Men and women are sep- arated using a mechitzah, or divider, down the middle of the room. There’s no separa- tion of the sexes during social gatherings outside services. Th...…
…10 | OCTOBER 21 • 2021 commentary BDS Proves Once Again that It’s All About the Antisemitism I rish novelist Sally Rooney thinks that she’s an advo- cate for human rights, and that prejudice and hate have nothing to do with her work or her various political stands. As far as Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield — the Ben and Jerry who founded the eponymous ice-cream brand — are concerned, they are among the nation’s foremost progre...…
…OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 11 Star Game from Atlanta to Denver. The answer to these que- ries was stunned silence followed by a nervous laugh. As Axios reported: “I don’t know,” Cohen said with a laugh. “It’s an interesting question. I don’t know what that would accomplish. We’re working on those issues, of voting rights … I think you ask a really good question. And I think I’d have to sit down and think about it for a bit.” When he was...…
…12 | OCTOBER 21 • 2021 H arold Kulish and George Nyman — longtime friends sharing an appreciation for hearing music and playing musical instruments — have become focused on providing similar experiences for young people. They’re hoping Metro Detroiters will join them in creating opportunities along those lines, especially through- out October. An idea they had two years ago and communicated to administrators at the Detroit Sympho...…
…OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 13 ments. Beyond the students themselves, that benefits both the symphony and the city. ” THE JOY OF MUSIC Kulish and Nyman were orga- nizing outdoor activities for youngsters at Detroit parks when they decided they wanted to add indoor activities to their projects. They chose musical opportunities because of the enjoyment they valued on a very personal level. For Kulish, collecting instru- ments for Detroit Har...…
…14 | OCTOBER 21 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY Shaarey Zedek Assistant Cantor Leonard Gutman retires after 21 years. A fter 21 years, Assistant Cantor Leonard Gutman has retired from Congregation Shaarey Zedek. Gutman touched many lives in the Detroit Jewish community through the performance of weddings, b’nai mitzvah, baby namings, funerals, High Holiday and weekly services. A native Detroiter, Gutman was with CSZ as an assistant ca...…
…OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 15 questions or concerns to the best of my ability and within my knowledge, ” Gutman said. “I always was truthful with them, and I felt that was very important to establish and continue relationships, which is the name of the game. Relationships are so important. ” Dr. Richard Brown, former CSZ president, has known Gutman since he started, becoming close with him not only in synagogue life, but personally a...…
…OUR COMMUNITY 16 | OCTOBER 21 • 2021 DAVID SACHS E arlier this month, Gil Ofarim, a Jewish singer and musician, says he was stopped from checking in at a hotel in eastern Germany because he was sporting a Star of David pendant around his neck. He took to social media and there was an outpouring of support for him, including a protest outside the Westin Hotel in Leipzig. A new U.S. Department of Justice report released in Sep...…
…OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 17 need to be held accountable, so contacting the Attorney General’s hate crime hotline or the Michigan Department of Civil Rights hotline is an important step to take if you witness a crime,” she said. The Attorney General’s Hate Crimes hotline is (313) 456-0180 and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights discrimination hotline is (800) 482-3604. BYSTANDERS’ ROLE Chang acknowledged that as much as bystanders...…
…18 | OCTOBER 21 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY T he College for Creative Studies (CCS) hosted a historic announcement for Detroit on Oct 12. CCS, the Gilbert Family Foundation, Target and the city of Detroit have announced a new Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and higher education program, resur- recting Detroit’s formerly closed Lewis College of Business. In the announcement, the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Desig...…
