…JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT Aish Detroit Mission volunteers bring hands-on help and hope to Israel. See page 10 $200 Feb. 8-14, 2024 / 29 Shevat-5 Adar I 5784 thejewishnews.com A Groundswell of Solidarity Solidarity …
…OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER 10 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N Ethan Gross, center, picks sweet potatoes on an Israeli farm with fellow Aish volunteers. JEREMY SPARIG PHOTOGRAPHY …
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 11 J N ext year in Jerusalem are the time- honored words we’ll recite at the end of our Passover seders this April. But Rabbi Simcha Tolwin, executive director of Aish HaTorah Detroit, can’t keep Israel waiting that long. Tolwin is preparing to lead his second Israel Solidarity Mission in the coming weeks, a humanitarian visit to help our beleaguered sisters and brothers, details of which are highlighted below...…
…12 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N One stop was for a gathering to meet with the residents of Kibbutz Shlomit who had been evacuated to a hotel. Shlomit is on the border of Egypt and very close to Gaza. Among them was Dana Cohen (pronounced “Donna”), the widow of Aviad Cohen, one of Shlomit’s civil defense team who, along with three of his comrades, made the ultimate sacrifice in fighting off terrorists at a neighboring kibbutz. Rabbi Tol...…
…continued on page 14 Rabbi Tolwin left nothing to chance. In November, he arrived in Israel with 50 duffle bags filled with donated sup- plies soldiers needed, includ- ing tactical clothing, socks, underwear and T-shirts. Since then, he’s sent 60 high-quality tactical bags for the troops. With every stop, Aish not only was providing much needed goods, but emotion- al support and a message of hope from the Detroit and American Jewish...…
…continued from page 13 OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER 14 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N barbecue for some 350 soldiers. On short notice, the number of soldiers grew to 700. With their generosity on full display, it took only a matter of minutes for the volunteers to provide the balance of funds required to fulfill the need. “The barbecue was a welcome respite from some of the dire things we had witnessed,” said Ethan Gross, a member of the ...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 15 J N continued on page 16 families who had a loved one away on military assignments,” Tolwin said. “I won’t forget one door I knocked on. A woman inside inquired who we were. I told her I was a rabbi from Detroit and was here to deliver a care package for Shabbat. She opened the door and broke down crying.” So moved by his participation in the mission, Gross created a program to help keep the hostage crisis ...…
…continued from page 15 OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER 16 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N Ethan Gross, a member of Post 510 of the Jewish War Veterans Dept. of Michigan (JWV), is always looking for paths his comrades at the JWV can take to give back to the Jewish community. His focus of late has been in generating support for the war effort in Israel. And it has come in a variety of different ways. Most recently, he participated in Aish Detroit...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 17 …
…18 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N F or more than 20 years, the long- running Israeli Camper Program has brought more than 1,600 Israeli youth in total to Metro Detroit to attend summer camp. The partnership between Jewish Federation of Detroit, Tamarack Camps and Michigan’s Partnership2Gether region in Israel is made possible by the hundreds of Metro Detroit host families who volunteer to house the Israeli campers. This year, Federation is...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 19 Ask About Our Independent Living WINTER MOVE-IN SPECIAL! Two months FREE rent & up to $3,000 savings on moving costs.* TAKE WINTER in stride. *Terms and conditions apply, contact us to learn more. Explore our community online at jslmi.org People of all faiths and beliefs are welcome. Staying active in winter is one of the best things you can do to maintain your health. Frigid temperatures and slippery roa...…
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…20 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N P hysical activity is important at any age, providing many physical, mental, social and emotional benefits. For older adults who tend not to ven- ture outdoors as much in the winter, finding ways to stay active during the cold weather months is especially import- ant. According to the National Council on Aging, regular aerobic and weightbearing exercise supports balance during everyday activities, im...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 21 J N J ewish college students considering a career working in the nonprof- it world, particularly within the Jewish community, can now apply for a paid sum- mer 2024 internship through Gesher Human Services. The internships are also suitable for students who intend to work in the corporate for-profit space but who would like to learn more about the Jewish community for future lay lead- ership or volunteer wor...…
…22 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY T he CIS Maisel Center for Judaic Studies, together with Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan, are thrilled to announce that Michal Oshman, the renowned author of the best-selling book What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid? and former executive at Facebook and TikTok, is coming to Oakland University to speak on the topic of how to see uncertainties in life as an opportunity to be purposeful, espe...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 23 J N T he Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University will honor the late Rita Haddow, a longtime supporter of the Center, at a special community event. The event will be hosted by her longtime congregation Temple Israel as part of Adults Seeking Knowledge (ASK) series, and will feature a lecture by Professor Jeffrey H. “Yossi” Chajes, Wolfson Professor of Jewish Thought in the Departm...…
…24 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N W hen Meredith Rubenfire walked into Little Caesars Arena in Detroit in the summer of 2019 to watch the opening ceremony of the JCC Maccabi Games, she had no idea it would be a life- changing night. Her family was hosting two hockey players from Maryland, so she wanted to support her athletes and celebrate the start of the Games. As Meredith, then 22, was watching the powerful and exciting ceremony,...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 25 J N Games have been held in Detroit, more times than in any other city, where 1,200 Jewish teens from across the globe will be arriving to an event requiring 1,000 volunteers and 400 host families. “Our aim is to get the entire community involved. Maccabi has endless volunteer opportunities that create a role for anyone, whether you have 30 minutes to give or the whole week, a morning or an evening. Th...…
…26 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N C hella Bluth-Rosenberg and her husband, Jeremy Rosenberg, love having people over on Friday nights. On any given week, she says, they’ll have anywhere from a handful to a dozen guests over for Shabbat dinner. Guests often include friends of friends, people recommended by Chabad, someone from a Hillel or who came to them through The Well, says Bluth-Rosenberg. “We just really want to build community. Tha...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 27 J N how as students at Wayne State — they graduated in December 2020 and June 2020, respectively — their Friday nights were largely spent at Chabad of Greater Downtown Detroit or Hillel of Metro Detroit. On weeks there weren’t events, they started bringing people into their rental home in Woodbridge as part of HMD’s Shabba-Tote program, which provided students with money and materials to host 10 friends for a ...…
…28 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N A s about 250 people stomped through the snow and cold and into the stands of the Southfield Ice Arena on Jan. 13, Rabbi Menachem Z. Greenfield addressed the 26 hockey players in the locker room. The game they were about to play was a fundraiser for Matan B’Seter and Rabbi Greenfield, one of the rabbis involved in the organization, commended the players for their participation. According to its website, ...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 29 a chapter of Tehillim. Each player was then introduced and lined up on the ice, amid hearty applause. The Huntington team was Adam Schwier, Benjy Wayntraub, Chaim Seligson, Dovid Rosenfeld, Josh Scafe, Moshe Wayntraub, Sender Friedman, Shlomo Radner, Shmuel Bass, Shmuly Seligson, Shua Blavin and Tzvi Ungar. The Kimmel team was Avi Kohn, Avrumi Lorkis, Daniel Kohn, Danny David, Dovid Abraham, Eli Seligson, Josh K...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 3 J N contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-9 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 10 A Groundswell of Solidarity Aish Detroit Mission volunteers bring hands-on help and hope to Israel 18 Israeli Camper Program Seeks Host Families Host families will house Israeli children attending summer camp in Metro Detroit. 20 Getting Physical Jewish Senior Life ensures residents stay active this winter. 2...…
…30 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N G esher Human Services will begin offering paid, on-the-job training for local residents who would like to start a human service career in working with people with disabilities. Gesher was pre- viously called JVS Human Services before it merged with another nonprofit orga- nization called Kadima in 2022. The Gesher Direct Support Professional Apprenticeship program will provide unem- ployed and underem...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 31 R eading the Talmud in full, or the central text of Rabbinic Judaism, is no easy feat. Rabbi Menachem Caytak of Chabad Jewish Center of Troy explains that with an accelerated pace, you can complete the Talmud in roughly seven years by reading one page per day — which includes both analyzing and interpreting the complex material. However, a surprise donation acquired by Chabad Jewish Center of Troy has m...…
…32 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N A re you a Jewish Metro Detroiter who loves riding motorcycles and is looking for a like-minded group? If so, a new motorcycle club is taking on new members who share the goals of having fun while giving back to the Jewish community at the same time. Motorcyclist and sales professional Gerry Lullove, 72, of Farmington Hills and a Temple Shir Shalom member, is bringing Chai Riders of Detroit to life this sp...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 33 J N B en Rosenblatt of Huntington Woods is on the move as he pursues his dream to be a profes- sional soccer player. Rosenblatt, a 2020 Jewish News High School Athlete of the Year, has transferred from Elon University to Syracuse University for his final year of collegiate soccer eligibility. While Elon and Syracuse are both Division I soccer programs, Syracuse is a perennial nation- al power that won the ...…
…34 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N Howard and Michelle Shear, Kathy and Jeff Cohen PHOTOGRAPHY BY NEIL COHEN PHOTOGRAPHY INC, COURTESY OF FIDF M ore than 150 Friends of the IDF (FIDF) sup- porters from Michigan, Ohio and Illinois win- tering in Florida, as well as Palm Beach natives, gathered for a special breakfast briefing event with Middle East Strategic Intelligence Analyst Avi Melamed on Dec. 14, at the BallenIsles Country Club at Palm Be...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 35 J N PHOTOS COURTESY OF JCRC/AJC Mitzvah Day, Dec. 25, is the largest single day of volunteering in the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish community. JCRC/AJC is appreciative of the over 500 volunteers who made Mitzvah Day 2023 a success. JCRC/AJC Hosts 27th Annual Mitzvah Day Melissa Gould preparing baked goods with residents of JARC. JCRC/AJC past president Seth Gould plays cards with a JARC resident. Richard B...…
…36 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N B en and Eli Sider have lived together virtually all their lives. After all, the identical twins, who grew up in Huntington Woods, are arguably two of the most compatible roommates you could find. Therefore, becoming the newest Moishe Pod Detroit residents — and opening their Midtown Detroit apartment to the community — was a no-brainer. Moishe House is an international nonprofit organization made up...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 37 “What’s happened in the past 20 years has been incredible,” he says of the city’s evolution. “While the young Jewish community in the suburbs is thriving, I think in a lot of ways, it’s still finding a place in Detroit. There’s room for growth here and that’s what makes it a unique opportunity.” Moishe Pod Detroit will maintain strong ties with other Detroit- and Metro Detroit-based Jewish organizations, ...…
…business SPOTlight brought to you in partnership with B I R M I N G H A M 38 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N S andy and Andy Dubin are no strangers to the nuances of the dry-clean- ing business. As third-generation operators of Dubin Cleaners & Laundry, which is the new iteration of the original Dubin Cleaners established in 1946 in Rosedale Park by father-and-son duo Sam and Irvin Dubin, the Dubins have learned a thing or two — or e...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 39 J N used their services since the initial days of the original Dubin Cleaners. Others, like the Dubins themselves, are second- or even third-generation customers who remain with the business. The business’ Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ Dubincleaners) is also where customers can keep up to speed on happenings, services and videos of how the dry-cleaning process works. Still, the Dubins, who are affil- iated ...…
…4 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N From Federation Israel Emergency Campaign Update M ore than 100 days have passed since Oct. 7, the most devastating and tragic date in Israel’s 75-year history. Jewish commu- nities around the world have responded with a historic outpouring of solidarity and support. The Israel Emergency Fund, powered by local cam- paigns across North America, has already made a pro- found difference. Federation’...…
…40 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N MAZEL TOV! Mogilevsky-Weil B ella Yagolkovskaya and Boris Mogilevsky of West Bloomfield, and Elysa and Michael Weil of West Bloomfield are thrilled to announce the engagement of their children, Ethel Miriam Mogilevsky and Ari Matthew Weil. Ethel is the granddaughter of Aleta and the late Anton Yagolkovsky, and Rebecca and the late Gamliel Mogilevsky. Ari is the grandson of Janet and the late Ralph Wei...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 41 J N Finding Joy amid Troubling Times A s we enter Adar, we face a stark contrast between our reality and our tradition. With bated breath, we follow the news com- ing out of Eretz Yisrael with each passing moment, praying for a safe and swift resolu- tion to the ongoing con- flict. Along with that trep- idation, however, we are called to “increase our joy” (Taanit 29a) as we enter the month of Adar. The diss...…
…I n last week’s parshah, Hashem gave the Children of Israel the Torah at Mount Sinai. This included the Ten Commandments. In this week’s parshah, we read more about the details of many of the laws and mitzvot. This week mainly focuses on the laws of how the Israelites should live after they enter the Land of Israel and create a society there. These kind of mitzvot are called civil laws. Here are some examples about the kind of m...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 43 that they were on a spiritual as well as a physical journey and they might not know all the details of the law at once. Nishma here means not “to hear” but “to hearken, to obey, to respond faithfully in deed.” 3. “We will obediently do” (Sforno). On this view the words na’aseh and nish- ma are a “hendiadys,” that is, a single idea expressed by two words. The Israelites were saying that they would do what God as...…
…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...…
…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 Hills (248) 477-1410 ...…
…ARTS&LIFE ART S ally Kohlenberg assisted patrons at the Huntington Woods Library for 40 years and, along the way, became known as The Purple Lady. In her position heading up circulation, she was seen wearing different articles of clothing every day, but always there was something purple. Her proper name became surpassed by her favorite color. The Purple Lady read extensively before, during and after joining the library and de...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 47 J N Kohlenberg” and continues: “Devoted member of the library staff 1980-2020, Sally faithfully served generations of Huntington Woods Library patrons by sharing her love of and passion for books. Her memory will always be a part of the fabric of the Huntington Woods Library.” Shelly Gach Droz, former Huntington Woods library director and now a member of the Friends group, developed a strong friendship wit...…
…R eading Rabbi Boruch Cohen’s recently released book Think Outside the Lox is like enjoy- ing small licks of ice cream. There’s a taste of nostalgia with a crunch of wit, and best of all, no calories. The take- away is purely spiritual — and the laughs are the cherries on top. “I wanted to show that Orthodox Judaism can be fun. There’s nothing watered down; it’s just unique packag- ing,” said the author, a father of six from Oak...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 49 J N Cohen put on tefillin for the first time. He was hooked — in part, he joked, because of the “irresistible appeal of donning a rakish black hat.” Eventually, Rabbi Cohen found himself at a cross- roads. He’d been accepted into an elite writing program at Columbia University and also wanted to learn Torah in a yeshiva. A wise rabbi advised him to attend Columbia. Better to go to grad school and wish you w...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 5 J N Partnership2Gether region to be used primarily for the renovation and reinforcement of public safe houses. Support of IDF Soldiers: $98,900 Purchase and delivery of essential items to Israeli soldiers, including protective eyewear, boots, sleeping bags and other supplies. Our local and national response to the crisis in Israel — fueled by the commitment of individual donors and realized by our extens...…
…50 | FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 J N MORE THAN A ‘MEET CUTE,’ UPDATES, A MOVIE, TV SHOWS, MORE Masters of the Air premiered on Apple TV+ on Jan. 26. It follows the Allied air war over Europe during WWII. Most reviews were quite good. But some top critics said it was “OK” but not as good as they expect- ed. In my Jan. 25 column, I discussed the series and focused on Robert Rosenthal, a Jewish Air Force bomber pilot who had an incredibly he...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 51 is in the Air Look for the answers in next week’s issue. See answers to the Jan. 25 puzzle on page 54. JUST FOR FUN 1. Eem khashavta al mishehi bizman she`karata et ze, ata lelo safek meohav. 2. Ani ohev otkha. 3. Noadnu lihiyot yakhad. 4. Ata kol kakh khashuv li. 5. Milim lo yekholot letaer et ha`ahava sheli elekha. 6. Ha`tihiye ben zugi be`khag ha`ahava? 7. Aa ha`keren or sheli, ha`ahava sheli. 8. ...…
…ON THE GO PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS SPECIAL PERSON SHABBAT 10-11 AM, FEB. 9 (FRI.) A free event at The J, 6600 W. Maple, West Bloomfield. Presented by the Sarah and Irving Pitt Early Childhood Center and JFamily. Children ages 0-5 can bring anyone special to them; this could be parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts/uncles or even a close family friend. Hazan Gross from Adat Shalom will lead blessings and songs. We will also h...…
…FEBRUARY 8 • 2024 | 53 Innovation Society, 2470 Collingwood, Detroit. Dance, nosh heart-shaped cookies, utilize Reboot’s Silver Screen Studio resource kit to share and compare your Jewish Detroit story with other generations. Repair the World will also provide an education justice social action project around literacy equality in Detroit. For ninth-graders and up. School dance or festive attire encouraged but not necessary. In...…
…DOG OF THE WEEK T his month try your luck at love by adopting Roulette! This gorgeous Black Lab mix is looking for her chance at a forever home. Roulette is only nine months old. She’s tall, athletic and loves to sniff on her walks. Roulette is young, so she will need a person or family who can commit time to training her — she is still just a puppy. Roulette would do best with older children who can respect her space and face. Child...…
