…40 | MAY 4 • 2023 N adav Pais- Greenapple fills part of his present days speaking about artistic Jewish topics of the past and referencing language prevalent in days gone by. The history of Jewish theater in Detroit and translations of Yiddish literature hold important segments of his time. Although there is lots to do as he teaches Tanach at Hillel Day School in Farmington Hills and makes plans for his wedding in October at...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 41 a Yiddish text that his wife’s family found written in the inside of a tallit or tefillin bag in fabric marker, and it was a Holocaust testimony. It was a story of somebody telling how that person survived the Holocaust. I was able to translate that.” Pais-Greenapple, a Wayne State University graduate, has presented multiple lectures about his work and studies. One was for the Jewish Historical Society of Michi...…
…T here were eight bowlers on the two teams in the playoff championship match of the Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson B’nai B’rith bowling league. Seven had previously won a playoff championship. Rick Woolman was the outlier. Not anymore. The 600 Club team, anchored by Woolman, beat the FlashDancers 15-9 for the title on April 24 after being tied 7-7 through two games. Points are awarded through match play and team scores. “Rick bowled...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 43 Zeltzer-Weinfeld I rwin and Lauri Weinfeld and Elliot and Susan Zeltzer announce the engage- ment of their children, Jaime Rebekkah Weinfeld and Paul David Zeltzer. Jaime received her bach- elor’s degree in theater and costume design at Denison University. She owns and operates her own wedding planning and photography business. Jaime is the grand- daughter of the late George and the late Janet Weinfeld, and the la...…
…44 | MAY 4 • 2023 SPIRIT Life Here & Now T he portion of Emor opens with a strange commandment to the kohanim: “ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to the priests … and tell them: “Do not defile yourself by contact with the dead of the nation. ’” (Leviticus 21:1). The Bible goes on to delineate the only dead with whom the kohen may have contact: his wife, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother and his unma...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 45 T here is something unique about the way Parshat Emor speaks about Shabbat. It calls it a mo’ed and a mikra kodesh when, in the conventional sense of these words, it is neither. Mo’ ed means an appointed time with a fixed date on the cal- endar. Mikra kodesh means either a sacred assembly, a time at which the nation gathered at the central Sanctuary or a day made holy by proclamation, that is, through the human ...…
…46 | MAY 4 • 2023 observe the Sabbath day. ” (Deut. 5:11–14) Here there is no reference to creation. Instead, the Torah speaks about a historical event: the Exodus. We keep Shabbat not because God rested on the seventh day but because He took our ancestors out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom. Therefore, Shabbat is a day of freedom even for servants, and even for domestic animals. One day in seven, no one is a slave. Of course, both...…
…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 Bloomfield (248) 78...…
…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 ...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 49 H otel Cuba, a novel by former Michigan resident Aaron Hamburger, releases in May to tell the basic immigration story experienced by his grandmother, Ethel Lansky Fishman, who was born in what is now Belarus, went to Cuba until she could enter the United States and settled in the Detroit area. The book, essentially dealing with incidents in the 1920s and hurdles faced by immigrants, deviates from facts as the aut...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 5 Faceb book and Instagram @CongregationBet thAhm In-Person Daily Minyan Kaddish & Community Sunday 9:00am and 5:00pm M – F morning M – Th evening Friday evening Shavuot learning with special guest Rabbi Michele Faudem Tikkun Leil Shavuot May 25 at 8:00pm Lunch and Learn May 26 at 12:00pm Outside Kabbalat Shabbat followed by a light dinner May 5 and May 19 at 6:00pm Big enough to enrich you. Small enough to ...…
…50 | MAY 4 • 2023 E lena Luchina developed her career in teaching Yiddish as she moved from schools in Russia, France, Israel and the United States and is making friends in this country by establishing a Jewish Song Circle. She lives in an Ann Arbor home, teaches through the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan (U-M) and has people of all ages singing in sessions scheduled about once every two wee...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 51 There are no formal performances by this group. People basically get together for their personal enjoyment in shared music and friendships. “We post meeting notices on Facebook and welcome new members of all ages,” said Luchina, who lists the group on Facebook as Jewish Song Circle in Ann Arbor. “I’ve developed friendships from this program, and these people are very important to me. “It’s also a nice way to ...…
…52 | MAY 4 • 2023 GROSSBERG AND CARLSON, BELAFONTE FAMILY, AND NEW SHOWS As I write this, it’s eight hours after the news broke that Tucker Carlson was no longer a Fox News employ- ee. It’s quite clear he was fired. Right after the news broke, a CNN early morning newscaster went through the “things” that might have led-up to this — and men- tioned the lawsuit that Abby Grossberg, 42, a former Fox News producer, had brought agai...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 53 CHILDREN UNDER FIRE 7 PM, MAY 4 A Zoom presentation organized by NCJW|MI. Featuring John Woodrow Cox, Washington Post reporter and author of Children Under Fire: An American Crisis. He will discuss the true cost of gun violence on our nation’s chil- dren. RSVP via ncjwmi.org. SPECIAL CONCERT 7 PM, MAY 4 The Museum of Jewish Heritage is presenting a one-night only concert ver- sion of Richard Rodgers award-winning ...…
…54 | MAY 4 • 2023 schmoozing. Info: jlive.app/ events/4443. CAREGIVER SUPPORT 1:30-2:30 PM, MAY 9 Virtual caregiver support group for individuals who are care partners for those living with cognitive changes including various types of dementia. Contact Dorothy Moon, Brown Adult Day Program social worker, for Zoom link and more information: 248-233-4392, dmoon@geshermi.org. ORT & THE CITY 6:30-10 PM, MAY 10 At Eastern Market. ORT ...…
…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. MAY 4 • 2023 | 55 FREE ESTIMATES • LICENSED & INSURED HANDYMAN SERVICE • Carpentry • Plumbing • Electrical REMODELING • Kitchen • Bath • Basement A&E ConstruCtion 248-425-9565 Servin...…
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…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY MAY 4 • 2023 | 57 MICHAEL MURRAY COHN, 68, of Lake Orion, died April 22, 2023. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Siena Heights University. He joined Jabil Circuit in 1983, where he built a successful career in supply chain and manufacturing management and developed life-long friendships. Mike was an aficionado of all things rock and roll and sci-fi and always enjoyed ven- turing out to exp...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 58 | MAY 4 • 2023 He was a loving, caring, generous and thoughtful person. Joel had a successful career, working for more than 35 years for American Express before retiring to Portugal. Mr. Colman is survived by his beloved mother, Harriet Colman; his sister and broth- er-in-law, Jill and Paul Ruskin; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Jonathan and Suzi Colman, and Jeffrey Colman and Ellen Nissenbaum; n...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 59 GERALD H. HERMAN, 89, of Farmington Hills, died April 23, 2023. He is survived by his beloved wife, Marilyn Herman; son and daughter-in-law, Leonard and Shari Herman; daughters and sons-in-law, Leslie and Colin (Davies) Herman, Lori and Jim Frye; grandchildren, Erica and Rebecca Nowak; great-grand- children, Ryder and Everette; brother and sisters-in-law, Larry and Mary Ann Herman, Barbara Fink, Brenda Kaplan;...…
…6 | MAY 4 • 2023 1942 - 2023 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: Detroit...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 60 | MAY 4 • 2023 Bloomfield Hills, died April 24, 2023. He was the beloved hus- band of Sydney L. Rose for 56 years; cherished father of Scott (Rachel) Rose, Stephanie (Dr. Joshua) Goldberg and Carrie (Dr. Frederic) Goldman; proud grandfather of Aaron and Ryan Rose, Spencer, Sadie and Hannah Goldberg, and Eliza and Nathan Goldman; dear brother-in-law of William (Victoria) Becker and Julie Becker; d...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 61 law, Sheila Sulkes, Carol Sulkes and Michael Krauss; son and daughter-in-law, Mark Sulkes and Lihua Zhang; grandchil- dren, Zoe Sulkes, Matthew and Sarah Krauss, Jonathan and Carley Krauss, and Daniel and Kenna Krauss; great-grand- children, Adam, Laura, Emily and Chloe Krauss; sister-in- law, Ann Kaplan; many loving nieces and nephews, including Linda Kaplan and the late Sandy Sulkes. Mrs. Sulkes was the beloved ...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 62 | MAY 4 • 2023 Looking Back at the Miracle Mission I t has been a month since JN Editorial Director Jackie Headapohl and I returned from Israel as members of the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit’s 2023 Motor City Mission. I should add that we are officially Bus #3-ers, a lifetime honorific. BTW — there is an un...…
…The Cantors are back at The Berman! …
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…DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com MAY 4• 2023 | 7 essay I Never Thought It Would Be My Family I remember myself standing at the siren, closing my eyes and shedding a tear over an emotional passage or a sad song. I’ve always connected to Memorial Day ceremonies. At least that’s what I thought. That this is how you feel when you connect. But I never t...…
…8 | MAY 4 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY O n Tuesday, April 18, the staff of the Detroit Jewish News Foundation visited the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills. There were about 20 of us, including most of the team and their guests, many of whom had never been to the Center before. The experience was that much more poignant since it took place on Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Israeli commem- oration of the ...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 9 Bid in the May 18th & 19th Auctions www.dumoart.com (313) 963-6255 409 East Jeferson, Detroit, MI 48226 And 900+ Other Lots Lot 1008 | Steven Sorman (American, B. 1948) Intaglio, Lithograph, Woodcut, Collage With Pastel And Watercolor 1988 As When H 37’’ W 91’’ Lot 1013 | Judy Pfaf (American/British, B. 1946) Etching In Colors On Crown Kozo Paper, Ca. 1996, Eavesdrop, H 10’’ W 76’’ Lot 1006 | Park Seo-Bo (Korean, B. 19...…
…JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com A happy ending as an “only child,” 62, meets her unknown siblings for the first time. See page 12 $200 May 26-June 1, 2022 / 25 Iyar - 2 Sivan 5782 A happy ending as an “only child,” 62, meets A happy ending as an …
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…MAY 26 • 2022 | 3 PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and Viewpoints OUR COMMUNITY 12 Mystery Solved! A happy ending as an “only child,” 62, meets her unknown siblings for the first time. 18 A “Home for Everyone” Bais Chabad in final stages of opening a new mikvah and new playground. 20 Beth Shalom’s Mastermind of Events Beth Rodgers brings the community together through events. 22 ‘Charging Up’ Their Faith Kalamazoo’s B’n...…
…4 | MAY 26 • 2022 for openers Our Last Class with Mr. Leuchtenberg A nticipating a high school reunion can evoke varied reactions. Most folks look forward to seeing old friends. Some dread the return of high school angst. For some, it’s the push to really start following that diet. Everyone who attends tries to look their best. And, of course, some skip the whole darn thing. Every 10 years since my graduation, I’ve gone t...…
…MAY 26 • 2022 | 5 Member FDIC. ⬢®, Huntington® and ⬢ Huntington.® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2022 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated People expect banking that suits the bank. We do things differently at Huntington. We work to deliver services that feel intuitive, benefits that feel effortless, and experiences that feel tailored to your life and your goals. People tell us it’s hard ...…
…6 | MAY 26 • 2022 1942 - 2022 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: Detroi...…
…MAY 26 • 2022 | 7 brilliantly noted has the same three syllables as Leuchtenberg). I included a dubious line about how he had helped us to learn to fly like “Leuchtenbirds.” We watched our beloved teacher take it all in, and we just knew we had done something good. It was our chance to try to pay Mr. L. back for all he had given us many years ago. And something else happened as we went around the room that day. We were able to ...…
…8 | MAY 26 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY student’s corner The Bible’s Portrayal of Jewish Trauma U pon reading the books of Ruth and Esther, it may appear as though the only similarity between them is their resilient titular characters. However, when put parallel to one another, their boundless contrasts — from tone to demographic — serve to the Torah’s intent of revealing the difference outlooks on life bring to trauma. With...…
…MAY 26 • 2022 | 9 …
…10 | MAY 26 • 2022 guest column Detroit Project Understanding T he Jewish Community Relations Council/ American Jewish Committee of Detroit (JCRC/ AJC) kicked off the month of May with the inaugural 2022 Detroit Project Understanding fellowship sum- mit. The summit was designed to bring together emerging young leaders in the Black and/or Jewish communities of the Metropolitan Detroit area. It was co-sponsored by the Coalitio...…
…MAY 26 • 2022 | 11 I have a friend who just gave birth in Jerusalem. Her baby girl was struggling to latch, and awash in a flood of hormones and debilitating exhaustion, the two of them spent a long two hours sobbing together in the nursing room at Hadassah Hospital. My friend is Israeli. She wears a Star of David. There was another mother in the room — a Palestinian woman from East Jerusalem … she wore a purple hijab, ...…
…12 | MAY 26 • 2022 ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER E M YSt R At age 62, an “only child” meets her unknown siblings for the fi rst time. ON THE COVER ABOVE: Susie Simons Liebman (center) and her newly found siblings, Maureen Lefteroff and Marvin Katz. RIGHT: A collage of love between the two “new” sisters, Susie and Maureen. OPPOSITE PAGE, RIGHT: Susie with her son Benji Tarockoff and daughters Halli Tarockoff and Abbi Eme...…
…MAY 26 • 2022 | 13 E SOL D V MAY 26 • 2022 | 13 E L he pretty, outgoing little girl always knew she was adopted and therefore felt very special. Her late parents, Rachel and Jack Pludwinski of Southfield, did not believe in keeping the adoption a secret from the child they named Susan Beth Pludwinski. Susie, 62, now known as Susan Simons Liebman of Coral Springs, Fla., left Michigan in 2010 when her now deceased husband, Steven Si...…
…continued from page 13 decided, and went about her life. That includes working as a substi- tute teacher at Lubavitch Hebrew Academy in Margate, Fla. Susie became frum (Orthodox Jewish) 12 years ago and brought along second husband, Steven Simons, when Rabbi Yankie Denburg introduced her to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a form of Chasidic Judaism. Susie had met the rabbi when she had his daugh- ter in her class at the Hebrew Acade...…
…MAY 26 • 2022 | 15 Since the genetic genealo- gy revolution began in the late 1990s, DNA testing has provided valuable informa- tion to anyone interested in learning about their genetic ancestry. Researchers find the commercial DNA testing kits invaluable for untan- gling genealogical riddles on their family trees. The kits reveal how the custom- er’s DNA is similar to others from certain geographic regions. Results are shown by p...…
…16 | MAY 26 • 2022 After the portion stating, “In the Matter of, ” the line below reads “Baby Girl, ” followed by a redacted last name now known to be “Katz, ” and then “Pludwinski. ” Jack, Rachel and their attorney signed the document. FINDING OUT How did cousin Tracey’s mother, Janet, now deceased, learn about the adopted Katz baby? Tracey said the most likely source was Frances Jackson, her grandmother and Janet’s mother. Ethel a...…
…MAY 26 • 2022 | 17 DNA testing has lifted the veil of secrecy on closed adoptions, also called “confidential” or “secret” adoptions. Once a com- mon practice in the United States, they make up only 5% of adoptions today. Closed adoption is a process by which an infant is adopted by another fam- ily, and the record of the biological parent(s) is kept sealed — protected from inquiries. Closed adoption was often a societal solu- t...…
…18 | MAY 26 • 2022 R abbi Elimelech and Chaya Sarah Silberberg came to West Bloomfield with two small children in November 1975 as shluchim (emissaries) of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. They embraced the quiet, suburban community, encouraging people from all levels of observance to learn and increase their participation in Jewish life. The Sara & Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center’s founding fathers were a group of Holocaust sur...…
…MAY 26 • 2022 | 19 members who are the pillars of our community, but many of their children and grandchildren have now moved back,” he said. “Bais Chabad has a very youthful energy, and I’m very happy to say I’m always looking to add to that.” Bais Chabad has two major projects currently in the works. The Mallor Walder Community Mikvah Center, an approximately 2,500-square-foot facility, is about triple the space of the curren...…
…20 | MAY 26 • 2022 B eth Rodgers wears many hats at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park as its vice president and chair of the programming committee. Rabbi Robert Gamer nominated her as Volunteer of the Week because he wanted to shed light on what Rodgers brings to the congregation. “She continues to bring exceptional programs to Beth Shalom as well as the larger community,” Gamer said. “Café Shalom brings musical talents on an...…
