…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 13 Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation. Facing financial dif iculty? ☐ Call jhelp at 1-833-445-4357 ☐ Visit jhelp.org ☐ Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org ☐ Do all of the above X Q We Have Answers. Proceeds benefit Quality of Life Fund at Jewish Senor Life FOR JOURNAL ADS, EVENT TICKETS AND INFORMATION, VISIT ...…
…14 | APRIL 27 • 2023 S ince 2008, thousands of visitors have learned the history of European Jewry before and during the Holocaust through the core exhibit of the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills. Multi-faceted presentations depict the centuries of vibrant Jewish life in European communities before the Nazis gained power and eventually implemented their “Final Solution” — the horrific systematic murder of 6 million Eu...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 15 I do and what can we do?” Mayerfeld says. “You deal with ignorance by education,” he says, noting that the Zekelman Holocaust Center has provided training to 1,000 teachers and that students visit from as far as Grand Rapids, Michigan’s thumb region and the Upper Peninsula. The need for relevant, impactful exhibits is underscored by the recent increase in antisemitic incidents in the U.S., as well as resear...…
…16 | APRIL 27 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY C ongregation Shaarey Zedek will present “Tradition and Innovation at Detroit Opera: A New Generation of Jewish Leadership” Sunday, April 30, from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Southfield shul. The program, sponsored by Barbara and Michael Kratchman, features Detroit Opera Artistic Director Yuval Sharon, Music Director Roberto Kalb, Elizabeth Polese (soprano), Ben Reisinger (baritone) and Nathalie Doucet ...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 17 form of expression. It is an art form that not only expresses our day-to-day life, but also moves us beyond our day- to-day by making us reflect on themes that are innately human. Opera is thrilling, stunning, exciting, dramatic, beautiful, terrifying, delicate: All of these and more are possible in any single production. The beauty of the human voice, accompanied by musicians, is a form of expression that...…
…18 | APRIL 27 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY T hree and a half years ago, the Chabad Center of Troy opened with the goal of serving the Jewish community east of Woodward. Now, that very community will have its own Sefer Torah, its own Torah scroll, the holiest object of Judaism. The Troy and Eastside CommUnity Torah Campaign has launched — with a special opportunity for every Jew to take part in a tremendous celebration for the entire c...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 19 G esher Human Services, the JCC and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit are co-sponsoring the Metro Detroit Nonprofit Career Expo to be held on Wednesday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to noon. The event will be held at the JCC (6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield) and will fea- ture more than 15 local non- profit agencies offering 100 + jobs, including part-time, full- time and seasonal positions. Gesher Human S...…
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…20 | APRIL 27 • 2023 A ccording to the National Pet Owners Survey conducted by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), about 90.5 million American families own a pet. Dogs and cats are the most popular, but millions of others have something a little more out of the box. One local with an unusual pet is Dr. Zvi Kresch of Southfield, who works out of the Kellogg Eye Center. His pet’s name is Tinkerbell, which might make you t...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 21 continued on page 22 Two Vets Return to Open a New Clinic There are two new Jewish vets in town, although they stick to the more common pets — exclusively dogs and cats. Alex Schechter was born and raised in Franklin, attended University of Michigan for undergrad and Michigan State for veterinary school and lived in New York for seven years before moving back to Birmingham with his wife, Alison, their son Gra...…
…22 | APRIL 27 • 2023 Out of all their pets, Cash and Bodhi particularly enjoy helping with the chickens and ducks; they love to feed them and clean their coops. According to Jordyn, care is not particularly complicated beyond providing food, water for the ducks to swim in and a draft-free area to prevent frost bite in the winters. Contrary to their reputation, Jordyn said that chickens are smart animals and that there are many ...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 23 Congregation B’nai Moshe is offering a three-part series called “Concert Talks” with pianist David Rodgers. The series runs from May through July on Tuesday after- noons at 1 p.m. Each unique pro- gram includes piano performances of songs on a given Jewish theme, related historical and cultural information and will include fun facts, musical trivia ques- tions and a question-and- answer session. The sessions ...…
…24 | APRIL 27 • 2023 T he Orthodox Union (OU), the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organi- zation, welcomed Yosi Heber of Metro Detroit to the OU’s Board of Directors. Heber is among 14 new OU Board Members from across the U.S. and Canada elected to a two-year term. Professionally, Heber is founder/ president of Oxford Hill Partners LLC, a marketing firm in Oak Park. He also serves as outsourced CMO and part-time VP of m...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 25 Israel is celebrating 75 years. Magen David Adom has been there for all of them. Magen David Adom has been saving lives since 1930, some 18 years before Israel became a state. We take immense pride in being Israel’s national emergency medical service and in supplying the blood and medical care for the soldiers who have ensured Israel’s existence. Join us in celebrating Israel’s 75th year of independence on Yom HaAtz...…
…26 | APRIL 27 • 2023 In celebration of Passover, JARC hosted seder dinners for the people they serve on April 5. The nonprofit organization that serves adults with developmental disabilities offered five different seders for the 75 people they serve who were present for Passover at the homes. Four in-person seders took place at the Nusbaum, Pitt, Katzman and Milan homes led by Ronnie Elkus, the Fox Family, Dave Konop and Richa...…
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…28 | APRIL 27 • 2023 L ike millions of Soviet Jews who left the U.S.S.R. in pursuit of a better life, Yelena Nisnevich and her family (the Pliskins) immigrated from Kiev to Oak Park in 1992. The 35-year-old KW Domain director of operations, who was 4 at the time, learned many important lessons from her family’s sacrifice that she carries with her today. With Soviet higher education degrees being virtually unusable in the Unit...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 29 In her role, Nisnevich supports just about every team at KW Domain. She oversees the marketing department, works closely with the office broker, partners with a productivity coach, mentors agents and helps grow the business. It’s a busy job, but one she says is highly rewarding. As arguably the biggest purchase of one’s life, Nisnevich says playing a role in people buying their dream home is fulfilling and...…
…82 PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 How We Met ‘The Most Annoying Person I’ve Ever Met’ 14 A Redesign for Future Generations Zekelman Holocaust Center plans new core exhibit with expanded content and interactive components. 16 Community Concert at Shaarey Zedek Free program features the new generation of leadership at Detroit Opera. 18 The Torah of Troy The Chabad Cen...…
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…34 | APRIL 27 • 2023 I f it takes a village to raise a child, then it can take what feels like a whole country to raise a child with special needs. It was with this thought that Bayla and Sruly Berman of Oak Park approached their son Dovid’s third birthday. Traditionally in some communities, a boy’s third birthday is celebrated with an upsherin and marked with his first haircut. The Bermans, filled with appre- ciation for their fa...…
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…36 | APRIL 27 • 2023 tomized anus — was created by the famed Dr. Alberto Pena of Colorado, who invent- ed this surgery only 40 years ago. Dr. Pena is now over age 80; little Dovid Berman was one of his last patients. Along with this diagnosis, Dovid also has a chromosomal abnormality so rare no studies have been done about it. “He has a whole bunch of ‘smaller things’ going on, ” added Bayla. “Dovid is deaf in one ear, has epilepsy ...…
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…38 | APRIL 27 • 2023 On one occasion, the family had planned to drive to Cincinnati together. Bayla was going to take Dovid to his doctor there, while Sruly was going to fly with Zevy to a family wedding in New York. But there was a huge snowstorm, the flight was can- celed, and Sruly and Zevy were stuck in Cincinnati. “It was during Zevy’s winter break, ” explained Bayla, who is extremely sensitive to her older son and the often-ov...…
…4 | APRIL 27 • 2023 column Deliciously Diverse Exploring the culinary tapestry of Israeli cuisine. I srael is known for its rich cultural heritage and diverse population, and one area where this diversity truly shines is in its culinary landscape. Israeli cuisine is a delightful tapestry of fla- vors, techniques, and ingredients that reflect the country’s history, geography, and people. From mouthwatering street food to sump...…
…40 | APRIL 27 • 2023 I t’s spring, and food truck season is in full swing. The eye-catching vehicles are a popular feature at weddings, bar mitzvahs, graduations, birthday parties, corporate events and private events at people’s homes. They roll up to offer a twist on lunch, dinner, dessert and even drinks. “I would say the demand is very high for food trucks, ” says Tal Sasson, owner of food truck The Pita Post, which serves u...…
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…42 | APRIL 27 • 2023 guest count and prepare the food in a short time. They’ll also want to see how the food is presented, and address the more mundane, such as if the truck’s power needs and the venue are a match. “ A food truck, because it’s mobile, runs off generators, which can sometimes be loud and affect the party. People should do their homework and see how each truck is operating to feed their guests the best, ” he advi...…
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…44 | APRIL 27 • 2023 continued from page 42 dresses, there’s even a bowl option, which they eat with a fork. Still, many choose to chance it. “You gotta hunch over, lean for- ward and go for it, ” she says. Herskovitz-Rosenbloom says she’s seen food truck demand increase over the past five years. “It’s much more common now at bar and bat mitzvahs, a little more casual events. I wouldn’t say too many black-tie weddings that we cater ...…
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…46 | APRIL 27 • 2023 Boulder, Colorado / JTA L ike many Jewish teens, Ash Brave was nervous for their b’nai mitzvah. Memorizing the Torah portion, sending invitations, planning a party: It’s a lot for a 13-year-old to think about during what can already be an anxiety-filled age. Despite the typical stress involved with preparing to enter the adult Jewish community, Brave cheerfully described their gender-neutral b’nai mitzvah las...…
…continued on page 48 Although the congregation has offered the option for almost five years, this is the first year they have had teens opting for the inclusive version. Greene said that the congregation also has teens who have transitioned after their b’nai mitzvah. He estimates that they have five- to-seven teen congregants who identify as trans or genderqueer, meaning they do not identify with the gender they were assigned at b...…
…48 | APRIL 27 • 2023 and we want to be supportive in their journeys,” Rabbi Greene of Har Hashem said. Brave also had a ceremony with Har Hashem to change their Hebrew name, and the synagogue made them an updated yad — a pointer used in reading Torah — to match. Teens who were not able to do their ceremony gender-neutral say having access to inclusive ceremonies would have increased the enjoyment and meaning of their b’nai mitzvahs...…
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…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 51 However, it also includes an outdoor patio and another smaller ballroom adjacent to the main ballroom, which alto- gether can hold anywhere from 500 to 600 guests. “We’ve got an upstairs lounge and viewing deck, ” Sherman explains. “We could do craft cocktails and cigars there, for example. ” A PERSONALIZED EXPERIENCE As for food and beverage, M1 Concourse has partnerships with five preferred caterers in the ...…
…52 | APRIL 27 • 2023 W hen Solange Messelian, owner of Bloomfield Hills’ Lee’s Specialty invitations, stationery and gifts, a community go-to for mitzvahs, weddings, parties and everything in between for 46 years, decided to retire, it left customers wondering where they would go for what Lee’s Specialty offered. Carlyn Roth, a Jewish mom of two from Birmingham, has been an event planner designing weddings and parties for the pas...…
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…54 | APRIL 27 • 2023 I n 2019, a small group of investors from diverse backgrounds purchased Wabeek Country Club. The Bloomfield Hills coun- try club, which is known for its golf experience (particularly its junior golf programs) and resort-style pool, underwent a $10 million renovation that sig- nificantly increased its mem- bership. Since the ownership change, Wabeek’s membership has grown from 150 members to some 400 member fam...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 55 “We found that this type of fare made the most sense for our membership,” George says. George admits that many country clubs aren’t known for having “amazing” food, since they only operate about six months per year, but that Wabeek is trying to change that. “We want to be the club where the food is next-level, top-notch, ” he says. While Simtob says most people book a year or two in advance for private events,...…
…S heldon Kay’s late uncle, Hal Gordon, was the TV bandleader when Soupy Sales had an evening adult show produced locally. Gordon took note of his nephew’s early interest in music and advised him to become a lawyer. The rationale expressed for this advice was that being an attorney offered steady employment and playing guitar did not. As Kay was growing up in Southfield, he took guitar lessons and continued playing with a diver...…
…APRIL 27 • 2023 | 57 planning to recall those earlier times. “We get people up and dancing,” Kay said. “ At the B1 Tavern, we even get people up and singing as we play. Aside from me, the other members like to sing, and they have great harmonies that add to the effects of the songs.” One evening, as the band was getting ready to go on stage at 8 p.m., the power went off. While the musicians thought they had overloaded the power l...…
…A s a teenager, The Write Stuff Printing owner and founder Dana Ishbia spent many days working at her grand- mother’s invitation store. Rita Rubin owned Encore III, a Southfield busi- ness well known within the Metro Detroit Jewish community and beyond. There, Rubin sold custom invi- tations, greeting cards and gifts. She taught her granddaughter the ins-and-outs of the invitation and printing business, and Ishbia, 54, of Birmingham...…
