…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 37 F armington Hills native Eric Feldman has had a long and storied career in politics. As chief of staff for Congressman and, later, Sen. Gary Peters, Eric Feldman spent 12 years overseeing operations in Washington, D.C., and Michigan. “It was a really incredible opportunity,” Feldman, 40, says. Now based out of Chevy Chase, Md., he’s taking his career one step further in a new role with online rent- al marketp...…
…38 | APRIL 8 • 2021 BUSINESS MATT ISHBIA continued from page 36 out for the kids to eat during recruiting visits. ” STRONG WORK ETHIC With a degree from MSU’s busi- ness school, the overachieving third-string point guard mor- phed over two decades into a feisty 41-year-old chairman and chief executive. The Bloomberg news service estimates his per- sonal fortune at $9.42 billion, ranking him as the world’s 244th richest person. Yet ...…
…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 39 first official job in politics working for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He started off as a research analyst for the committee, then worked for the U.S. House of Representatives as a legislative correspondent and research assistant. “Breaking in [to the field] can be diffi- cult and takes a bit of luck,” Feldman says. “Once you break into the Hill, you have a lot of ability to succeed.” This...…
…40 | APRIL 8 • 2021 A 75-year debate that began in 1946 is the subject of a new documentary being produced by a West Bloomfield native. Filmmaker and producer Amy Krause, now based in Solana Beach, Calif., is in the midst of creating Latke vs. Hamantash, the movie. The longstanding interna- tional debate that originated at the University of Chicago exam- ines which is the more perfect Jewish food — the latke or the hamantash. It...…
…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 41 She was also drawn to the humor behind the subject, which includes clever takes on whether the latke or haman- tash is the more perfect Jewish food. “It was funny, ” Krause said. “I didn’t see a lot of funny films at Jewish film festivals, so the idea really intrigued me. ” Krause began to research the debate, which is academ- ic in nature, and connected with fellow debate enthusiast Benjamin Lorch, who now serv...…
…42 | APRIL 8 • 2021 ONLINE CONCERT 7:30 PM, APRIL 8 The Jewish Theological Seminary will present Cantor Gerald Cohen speaking about his com- position Playing for our Lives, written as a tribute to the music and musicians of the Terezin concentra- tion camp. The Cassatt String Quartet will perform. Register at jtsa.edu/playing- for-our-lives. RESEARCH CONFERENCE 9 AM-5 PM, APRIL 9 The Sterling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern...…
…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 43 SPOTLIGHT vative new solutions the Society for Advancement of Education is develop- ing to meet the academ- ic and social needs of teenagers from all seg- ments of Israeli society. Internationally renowned Israeli singer-songwriter Noa (Achinoam Nini) and Gil Dor will be performing. All registrants will receive a special access link. Ticket prices start at $18 and all participants at the Friends ($36) level or...…
…44 | APRIL 8 • 2021 ERETZ A n experimental program has made it possible for Detroit Jewish teens to personally share experiences with Ethiopian teens in Israel. The first par- ticipants in this new BBYO program report enormous success. NITZAN’S STORY I am always amazed by how quickly teens connect to each other and how they form these connections in their own unique ways and develop friendships that often last a lifetime. After C...…
…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 45 the exchange community bulletin board | professional services For information regarding advertising please call 248-351-5116 or 248-234-9057 or email salessupport@thejewishnews.com Deadline for ad insertion is 9 a.m. on Friday prior to publication. JF Green Renovations Your Trusted Local Expert For Interior & Exterior Restorations ROOFING ROOFING SIDING SIDING CHIMNEY RESTORATION SEAMLESS GUTTERS MOLD & FLOO...…
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…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 47 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY FRANK AISHISKIN, 86, of Oak Park, died March 28, 2021. He is survived by many loving nieces, nephews, other relatives and good friends. Mr. Aishiskin was the dear brother and brother-in-law of the late Ann and the late Tobi Goldoftas, the late Miriam and the late Sidney Rosen. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. A graveside service was held at Machpelah Cem...…
…48 | APRIL 8 • 2021 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY Science and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from the Baruch School of Business at the City College of New York in 1964. Throughout his life, Joe was a charming, hard-working, proud and very determined man, who was also a softy at heart and who loved to provide his caretaking abilities and a listening ear to his family and friends. His favorite hobby was to enjoy the sun and t...…
…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 49 Fabiola Berman; sisters-in- law, Julie Roncato, Holly (Carl) Geyer; numerous other family members and countless friends. Mr. Berman was son of the late John “Jimmy” Berman; brother-in-law of the late Marilyn Berman. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to the Gioblastoma Foundation, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation or the Fanny Strong Foundation. Arrang...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 50 | APRIL 8 • 2021 grandchildren, Craig Birk and Brandon Birk. Mrs. Birk was the daughter of the late Rose and the late Samuel Goldberg; and sister of the late Norbert Goldberg. RITA ELKEN, 97, of West Bloomfield, died March 17, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughter- in-law, Irving Elken, and Stephen and Melissa Elken; grandchildren, Adam, Seth and Rachel Elken, Brett Elken, Lauren and ...…
…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 51 TN 38105, stjude.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. c. 1999 LESLIE ROGERS, 82, of Birmingham, died March 26, 2021. She is survived by her husband of 64 years, S. Dennis Rogers; sons and daughters-in-law, Irving L. and Mong Rogers, and Darryl S. and Shari Rogers; grandchildren, Seth P. and Anna Rogers, Chase Dean Rogers and Ross Rogers; great-grandchildren, Steele Rogers and Slade Rogers. Interment...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 52 | APRIL 8 • 2021 Dan, Hannah and AJ, Dustin and Dalia, David, JJ, Erin, Emma; great-grandchildren, Silas and Asher Janosko, Lila and Andrew Wachler, Riley, Wyatt and Sawyer McClelland, and Jayden Wachler; beloved brother-in- law and sister-in-law, Barry and Barbara Grant. He was preceded in death by his devoted wife of 62 years, Eileene; and grandson, Jordan. Interment was at Pine Lake Cemetery. C...…
…APRIL 8 • 2021 | 53 T hey were once dubbed the Massage Brothers by localite “Turk” Prujansky (Herman Prujan to his Hollywood friends) long before there were the Blues Brothers … But two other brothers gave up their lunch busi- ness and one of them, Mario Lelli, other than breaking your back with his slapping ways, contin- ued and settled things with some of the best steaks and Italian food in town. It was not just a typically ...…
…54 | APRIL 8 • 2021 Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org Trial of the Century S ixty years ago, Israel was the focal point for a world audience, not because of a war. In Jerusalem, the trial of Adolf Eichmann, one of the chief architects of the Holocaust, began on April 11, 1961. The event was televised globally, and newspaper reporters were on location...…
…See Our Improved Features to Help Manage Your Account! • Online Account Access for Immediate Updates • Submit Address Changes, Starts and Stops • Easy Renewal Payments • Manage Gift Subscriptions • More ways to get in touch Email Us: subscriptions@thejewishnews.com Reach Out Through Our Website: https://thejewishnews.com/contact/ Or Call 248.351.5108 Subscribe Today! $200 Feb. 11-17, 2021 / 29 Shevat-5 Adar 5781 JEWISH NEW...…
…$200 April 1-7, 2021 / 19-25 Nisan 5781 200 April 1-7, 2021 / 19-25 Nisan 5781 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Carl Levin’s new memoir chronicles his 36-year Senate career. Page 12 The The Levin Legacy …
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…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 3 contents 37 31 27 22 April 1-7, 2021 / 19-25 Nisan 5781 | VOLUME CLIX, ISSUE 9 PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints OUR COMMUNITY 12 The Levin Legacy Carl Levin’s new memoir chronicles his 36-year Senate career. 16 The Days of Yom Federation and community partners plan public events for the holidays. 18 A Return to Worship Some shuls have begun limited in-person services; others wait. 20 Gl...…
…Y ou are faced with a choice. The stereo- typical image of this decision making is the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. You do not have to be a believer of either of these “beings” to incorporate ref- erences to them in your daily conversation. Here are some examples. If you speak vehemently for or against an issue, you may be identified as either an angel’s or a devil’s advocate. If your argument is emo- tio...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 5 Managed by: Proud Recipient of the Prestigious Ask Us Why! LEARN MORE AT ALLSEASONSLIVING.COM Ann Arbor - NOW OPEN | Birmingham | Rochester Hills | West Bloomfield For the Joys of Senior Living INNOVATIVE. ENGAGING. ENLIVENING. TOTALLY CAPTIVATING. An expansive menu of freshly prepared meals and daily chef specials Fine arts performances A variety of thoughtfully planned, engaging activities Individual ch...…
…6 | APRIL 1 • 2021 essay This Year, I Learned the Beauty of Praying Outside F riday night. We are standing in a paved plaza beside Riverside Drive in Manhattan; the air is crisp, the fresh snow is sparkling like diamond dust in the setting sun. We are 6 feet apart and masked. We join the chazan, chanting the Friday evening prayer, welcoming the Sabbath as the sun disappears over the Hudson River. “Come my beloved towards yo...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 7 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...…
…8 | APRIL 1 • 2021 from the DJN Foundation Board A New Partnership The Jewish News joins with Jewish Senior Life to provide the JN free to JSL residents. A s our readers know, the ownership of the Detroit Jewish News transitioned to the caring hands of a not- for-profit entity earlier this year: The Detroit Jewish News Foundation. The Board of Directors and leadership of the Detroit Jewish News Foundation is focused on re-en...…
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…10 | APRIL 1 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY ETHNIC STUDIES continued from page 4 nition of Jew-hatred, according to the International Holocaust Remembrance Association, as well as material on antisemi- tism from the Anti-Defamation League. ONGOING CONCERNS So, why do many Jews remain worried about the implementa- tion of this curriculum? Part of the reason stems from justified concerns about how it will be implemented in the 1,037 schoo...…
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…OUR COMMUNITY C arl Levin, the longest-serving U.S. senator in Michigan’s history, admits he had to be pushed into writing his memoir, Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate, recently released by Wayne State University Press. And we should be grateful to his wife, Barbara, and his longtime aide Linda Gustitus for doing just that. Political memoirs are often little more than self-satisfying ego trips; I confess I...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 13 Carl Levin’s new memoir chronicles his 36-year Senate career. JACK LESSENBERRY CONTRIBUTING WRITER Q & A with Sen. Levin JACK LESSENBERRY CONTRIBUTING WRITER I talked with Sen. Levin at length when his book was published. Here are highlights of our conversation. Did being Jewish influence how you saw your role? It surely did. I think the values in Judaism are important — the values of being charitable, of thi...…
…OUR COMMUNITY “WE NEED LEADERSHIP IN CONGRESS WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK TOGETHER AND LIKE EACH OTHER EVEN IF THEY DISAGREE.” — SEN. CARL LEVIN Q&A from page 13 14 | APRIL 1 • 2021 were the first Jews to arrive in Birmingham in the 1890s, where they started a little store at Maple and Woodward that eventually became four stores. While I found all that fasci- nating, this is really a book about how government, principally the Senate...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 15 an endless debate would soon back down. DETROIT ROOTS But though he is a man of the Senate, Carl Levin is, even more so, a man whose roots are firmly in Detroit. The one incident he cites at the very beginning of this book, something that shaped his career, happened when he was Detroit City Council president in 1975 and incompe- tent administrators at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were r...…
…16 | APRIL 1 • 2021 I n its efforts to continue to provide Jewish Detroiters a way to virtually connect during the modern Jewish holidays leading up to Israel Independence Day, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, together with JFamily of the Jewish Community Center and the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, invite all to virtually attend “Two Countries. One Family — Days of Memory and Meaning” April 8, 13 an...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 17 one another in the face of hate to prevent acts of vio- lence, and genocide.” YOM HAZIKARON & YOM HAATZMAUT This year’s Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day) ceremony, 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, will focus on stories of the siblings of fallen soldiers or victims of terror attacks. For American Jews, Leket said Yom HaZikaron pro- vides them an opportunity to support and comfort Israelis on one of the country’s most solem...…
…18 | APRIL 1 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY L ast March, when COVID forced us to stop gathering publicly, many syn- agogues transitioned their services to an online format, where they remain today. One year later, as more people are becom- ing vaccinated and, for a while, the number of reported cases in Michigan was trending downward, things slowly started opening up. Public schools brought students back into the classrooms, restaurants reope...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 19 Congregation B’nai Moshe: “At this point, we are not holding in-person services other than for b’nai mitzvah. Our medical advisory team is considering allowing in-person services only for people who have been fully vaccinated. We are reconvening to discuss this opportuni- ty right after Passover. We anticipate holding in-person services by the end of spring. We will continue to livestream our interactive Zoom servi...…
…20 | APRIL 1 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY E very night for a week, more than 200 “travelers” from 11 states — includ- ing a group from Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield — experienced Israel like never before. An Israeli guide led them through an “off-the-beaten-path” tour from the Negev to Masada, the Golan to West Galilee, and to Leket, Israel’s national food bank, with many stops in between. Even more unusual than the sights, soun...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 21 O n April 6, Jewish Family Service (JFS) will hold its annual Spotlight fundraiser event virtu- ally. It will focus on older adults. The special guest for the event will be actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, perhaps best known for her role in the film Father of the Bride. The event will center around Williams-Paisley’s book, Where the Light Gets In: Losing My Mother Only to Find Her Again. The book tells ...…
…22 | APRIL 1 • 2021 M any small businesses have been crushed by the pandemic. According to the marketing firm Womply, more than a third of small businesses in Michigan have closed since January 2020, and many are still strug- gling. Those that are open are so grateful that they’re making it their mission to give back to the community, especially now. Here are a few. DOUGLAS CLEANERS Douglas Cleaners first opened its doors in 1949;...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 23 His mother used to volunteer at Berkley Public Library; in tribute to her, Greenwald recently participated in a Zoom class for the same library, demon- strating how to make his famous mac and cheese. Elwin & Co: (248) 547-8846. THE SUIT DEPOT The Suit Depot in Oak Park was likewise hard-hit when everything closed last March; people had no reason to buy new clothes, especially not suits. Owner Marty Babayov said, “...…
…24 | APRIL 1 • 2021 D an and Jennifer Gilbert announced a pledge of $500 million to aid citizens of Detroit over the next 10 years at a press conference March 25. The Gilbert Family Foundation will contrib- ute $350 million, and the Rocket Community Fund will invest $150 million. The first allocation of $15 million will pay off the property tax debt of 20,000 low-income Detroit homeowners. In doing so, the Foundation will assist i...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 25 a sense of community at a time when people couldn’t see each other,” Besl said. Mi She-Bei-ROCK® and The Funky Craft Studio: (248) 330-8016. ZALMAN’S TREASURES Brian Zifkin, executive vice president of Zalman’s Treasures, a jewelry store and repair shop in Berkley, said it was painful to close its doors weeks before last Passover, usually one of their busiest times. Even once they reopened, people were stil...…
…26 | APRIL 1 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY S cott Hiipakka, CEO of the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator, has received a promotion from the rank of colonel to the rank of brigadier general in the Michigan Army National Guard. The official title of the role is assistant adjutant general. Hiipakka will continue to be responsible for the majority of units in the Guard and building teams ranging from 30 up to 2,500 people in their respe...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 27 F or my family, 2020’s guest-less seders are thankfully a blur. But memories of one feathered, clucking visitor from 2019’s seder kept us uplifted through that lonely Passover of 2020. The last time we celebrated the holiday in “regular” mode, an unexpected, not officially invited and, for some, unwanted caller joined the group. My mom and dad, Ceil and Jerry Liebman, are welcoming of everyone — yearly hosting...…
…28 | APRIL 1 • 2021 HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL CENTER • ZEKELMAN FAMILY CAMPUS Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 7 pm, EDT Holocaust Remembrance Day Yom HaShoah Virtual Commemoration Please join us at www.holocaustcenter.org to watch our community broadcast We remember the six million and honor our father, Sandor Adler, who persevered and created a loving family. Nancy & Jeff Adler Sue & Larry Adler Jenifer & Mitch Rosenwasser In loving memory o...…
…APRIL 1 • 2021 | 29 Presented in cooperation with For more information about the virtual Yom HaShoah Commemoration, please call 248.553.2400 C.H.A.I.M. - Children of Holocaust-Survivors Association in Michigan Hidden Children and Child Survivors Association of Michigan Honoring our mothers Rosa Krasman and Lisa Dell Silver and remembering our fathers. Barbara & Manus Krasman In memory of all who perished and in honor of the survi...…
…30 | APRIL 1 • 2021 PASSOVER M ost of us are familiar with the traditional meaning of Passover, a commemoration of the Jews’ liberation from slavery in Egypt. During the holiday, we take part in the seder and refrain from eating leavened foods. For recovering addicts, the holiday takes on an additional dimension, the celebration of a different kind of freedom. And, accord- ing to Rabbi Benny Greenwald, director of Daniel B. Sobel F...…
