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…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 41 NEXTDOR N EXTGen Detroiters had the opportunity to learn how to be their own florists for a day at NEXTGen Detroit’s Blooms + Brunch program. On Sunday, May 15, experts from Goldner Walsh welcomed guests into their space where they gave a flow- er-arranging lesson on how to create a centerpiece. NEXTGen event co-chair Lacey Foon says this event was a long time in the works. Originally, it was going to be hel...…

…42 | JUNE 9 • 2022 I n April 2017, wellness blogger and influencer Sari Diskin moved from her home of Toronto, Canada, to Metro Detroit. She was marrying her husband, Jacob Diskin, with whom she’d kept a long-distance relationship since meeting at a Jewish summer camp. At the time, Sari Diskin, now the founder and owner of Eat Well With Sari (https:// eatwellwithsari.com), was working in mar- keting and advertising. It was the career...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 43 In the past, Diskin says she obsessed over healthy eating, a mindset that, despite its health-focused outcome, wasn’t actually healthy. Instead, she made mental health a priority and worked hard to avoid falling into social media traps, which can put too much focus on diet and not enough focus on feeling healthy inside and out. HONEST MOTHERHOOD Today, Diskin shares a balance of healthy food options mixed in w...…

…44 | JUNE 9 • 2022 Julia Lynn Blaharski (Yisraela Zahava), daughter of Rebecca and Steven Blaharski, will be called to the Torah as a bat mitzvah at Congregation B’nai Moshe in West Bloomfield on Saturday, June 11, 2022. She is the granddaughter of Elaine and Kerry Greenhut, and George and the late Rosemary Blaharski; great- granddaughter of Lillian Greenhut. Julia is a seventh-grade student at Clifford Smart Middle School i...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 45 Papenheim-Loyd S ydney Marilynn Papenheim and David Adam Loyd were mar- ried recently at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Rabbi Paul Yedwab and Cantor Michael Smolash officiated. Sydney is the daughter of Lisa Shapiro of Farmington Hills, and Erich and Michele Papenheim of Greer, S.C. David is the son of Jane Moskola of Port Orange, Fla., and the late John Loyd. The couple’s closest friend, Hayley Wasserman, s...…

…T he word Naso that gives its name to this week’s parshah is a verb of an extraordinary range of meanings, among them: to lift, to carry and to forgive. Here though, and elsewhere in the wilderness years, it is used, in conjunction with the phrase et rosh (“the head”) to mean “to count. ” This is an odd way of speak- ing, because Biblical Hebrew is not short of other verbs mean- ing to count, among them lim- not, lispor, lifkod and la...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 47 To be sure, this is not the only metaphor for our relation- ship with God. He is also our Sovereign, and we are His ser- vants. He is our Shepherd, and we are His sheep. These evoke more humility than the image of parent-and-child. What is more, when God saw the first human without a partner, He said, “It is not good for man to be alone. ” JUDAISM = ‘I’ + ‘WE’ The Torah is thus signaling one of the defining ten- ...…

…48 | JUNE 9 • 2022 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 Wes...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 49 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 Hi...…

…50 | JUNE 9 • 2022 C omposer Perry Goldstein expressed a Motor City mood in advance of his stint as com- poser-in-residence for the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, which will be marking its 29th anniversary June 10-25. Entering three pieces into this year’s pro- gramming, which has a recurring theme related to nature and the environment, he will be premiering two pieces that commu- nicate different examples of the melodic spectr...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 51 to perform and audiences to experience a wide range of musical repertoire, ” said Maury Okun, festival president, pointing out that programming also introduces chamber styles to works by classical com- posers such as Schumann, Mozart and Beethoven. Okun, also president of Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, represents one of four organizations sponsoring the annual non- sectarian festival. The others are Temple Beth El...…

…52 | JUNE 9 • 2022 A bout six months after its pre- miere, Shoah Ambassadors, the Holocaust documentary film directed and produced by Keith Famie, is still in the film festival circuit nationally and being shown to organi- zations and universities to widen the reach of the film. The film was nominated for four Michigan Emmys. Famie and his Visionalist Entertainment Productions crew are nominated for the documen- tary as a whole, its...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 53 Shoah Ambassadors was featured in the SR Socially Relevant Film Festival New York. Featured Holocaust survivor Rene Lichtman, ambassador Hailey Callahan and Famie were in attendance. The film was honored with the award of Jury Special Mention. Famie enjoys the presenta- tions he’s able to do for univer- sity student bodies where he can engage in in-depth discus- sions afterward. Famie has connected with Hillel o...…

…54 | JUNE 9 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE ART “Embracing Our Differences SE Michigan” can be viewed at parks in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. Art in the Park SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER T he beauty of nature serves as the setting for the beauty of artistic design during an exhibit with worldwide representation and a unifying theme — diversity, equity and inclusion. The exhibit, “Embracing Our Differences SE Michigan,” is spread across tw...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 55 Details “Embracing Our Differences SE Michigan” will be on view at no cost through the end of September at four park areas — Gallup Park, 3323 Geddes Road, Ann Arbor; Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, Ann Arbor; Riverside Park, 2 E. Cross St., Ypsilanti; and Parkridge Community Center, 791 Harriet St., Ypsilanti. For information regarding indi- vidual and group visits, go to EODMichigan.org. To...…

…56 | JUNE 9 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE ART “On our opening weekend in May, a video was taken of the young artists reacting to seeing their enlarged picture and their names next to it. They were so excited. So were we.” Margolis was touched emotionally by a mom reacting to the image Sezer’s Diary from Turkey. It shows a boy in a wheelchair included in playing basketball. The associated slogan (“I am not defined by an inanimate object. Look a...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 57 DINOS FICTIONAL AND NOT, ALBERT BROOKS DOCUMENTARY, THE MOST JEWISH WESTERNS The sixth Jurassic Park movie, Jurassic World Dominion, opens in the- aters on June 10. In this sequel, humans and dino- saurs now live near each other all over the world and the question is: Who will emerge as the “apex pred- ator?” The film was directed by Colin Trevorrow, 41. He also directed the last two Jurassic Park films. Both ...…

…58 | JUNE 9 • 2022 ‘MEAN GIRLS’ NOW-JUNE 19 At the Fisher Theatre. Tuesday-Saturday at 8 pm; Sunday evenings at 7:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Hilarious hit musical for ages 10 and up. Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing pre- pared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lion- ized frenemies led by the charmin...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 59 Artists: Paul Watkins, Nicholas Phan, Peter Sparling. Event is free with admission to the museum. ICE CREAM SOCIAL 4-6 PM, JUNE 12 Join NEXTGen Detroit and JFamily for a fun fam- ily afternoon as we cool down with a summer snack at Franklin Community Association Park, 26495 Carol, Franklin. Get to know other local young Jewish families and enjoy music with Miss Elissa and some fun outdoor activities geared ...…

…60 | JUNE 9 • 2022 cogs-kegs, for $30. Cyclists who register the day-of will pay $35. All participants will receive a custom Cogs & Kegs water bottle. Non-riders can participate in the post-ride cel- ebration at 8 p.m. for $20. SUMMER SAFETY 11 AM-NOON, JUNE 14 Come join JFamily and friends at Royal Oak Chabad for a morning of summer safety fun. At Royal Oak Jewish Center Chabad, 514 E. 4th St., Royal Oak. Decorate a sun hat, ge...…

…the exchange community bulletin board | professional services For information regarding advertising please call 248-351-5116 Deadline for ad insertion is 10am on Friday prior to publication. Aaron Mendelson Heating and Cooling, LLC. 248-855-0437 Cell: 248-912-2292 License # 7118488 Maintenance, Installation, Repair & Hot Water Heaters Ajmendelson1@gmail.com FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1973 $65 SERVICE FEE 24/7 Emergency Service FREE E...…

…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY D r. Abner “ Ab” Ragins, 92, died May 29, 2022, peacefully with his children nearby. Ab was born in 1929 and often joked that he brought on the Great Depression. He lived a Jewish life growing up in Grand Rapids and excelled in academics and debate. He graduated from the University of Michigan and earned an MD at Wayne State Medical University. He went on to specialize in gastroenterology. Befor...…

…L ois Fishman, 87, of West Bloomfield, died surrounded by her loving family shortly after sunset on May 25, 2022. Lois was predeceased five months by her husband of 67 years, Nat Fishman. Growing up in Detroit, Lois took two buses to school at Central High School each morning. Her fam- ily was no stranger to long journeys: Her father, Harry Goldberg, immi- grated from East Europe to Galveston, Texas, before landing in Detro...…

…64 | JUNE 9 • 2022 continued from page 63 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY M iriam Brysk, 87, of Ann Arbor, drew her final breath on May 28, 2022. She joins her parents, Bronka and Heniek Mason, and her beloved family lost in the Holocaust. Miriam was born March 10, 1935, in Warsaw, Poland. Her childhood was one of war-time survival in the Lida Ghetto and with the Russian Partisans in the forests of Belarus. She and her family ...…

…JUNE 9 • 2022 | 65 continued on page 66 Mila Guillaume, Avrumi, Duvi and Chaim Schilo, Gabrielle, Jonathan and Benjamin Schilo. Mrs. Hildesheim was the beloved wife of Abraham “Henk” Hildesheim. Burial took place in Putte, the Netherlands, at the cemetery of the Frechie Foundation. Contributions may be made to the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills or to a charity of one’s choice. GARY R. MILLER, 75, of Milford, d...…

…continued from page 65 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 66 | JUNE 9 • 2022 San Diego, Calif.; brother and sister-in-law, Ronald and Sandy Miller; sister and brother-in-law, Margo and Larry Jacobson; grandchil- dren, Aviva Miller, Noah Miller, Shia Miller, Levi Miller. He was the treasured son of the late Florence and the late Mike Miller. Contributions may be made to Chabad of Farmington Hills, 32000 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hi...…

…continued on page 68 JUNE 9 • 2022 | 67 Rachel Strasberger; and the loving granddaughter of the late Shirley Strasberger, the late Morey Strasberger, and the late Edward and the late Vivian McGill. Interment was at B’nai Israel Memorial Gardens. Contributions may be made to Temple Shir Shalom, 3999 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323, shirshalom. org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. LAWRENCE R. TRAGER, 90, of Farm...…

…continued from page 67 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 68 | JUNE 9 • 2022 Skippy Gittleman; the devot- ed son of the late Louis and the late Evelyn Woolman; the loving son-in-law of the late Hymie and the late Pearl Gittleman. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Michigan Parkinson Foundation, 30400 Telegraph Road, Suite 150, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, parkin- sonsmi.org; or to any Israeli charity...…

…A viva Sandler (neé Thatch) died peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on June 1, 2022. Born during the Holocaust on March 4, 1942, to parents Benesch and Riva Tkatsch (later Thatch), Aviva spent the first two years of her life in a few cramped rooms in the Kovno Ghetto (Kaunas Lithuania) with seven addi- tional family members. When the SS would come to inspect, Riva and baby Aviva would hide in a hole dug in the dirt bene...…

…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 70 | JUNE 9 • 2022 Remembering the Six-Day War F ifty-five years ago, there was only one big story in the JN: The Six- Day War. From June 5-10, 1967, Israel was once again engaged in a war for survival against a coalition of Arab nations. Egypt, Jordan and Syria were the main attacking forces. Israel had no choice bu...…

…ANTHOLOGY OF FARMINGTON HILLS 248-534-4702 30637 W. 14 Mile Rd. / Farmington Hills, MI ANTHOLOGY OF ROCHESTER HILLS 248-453-1669 1775 S. Rochester Rd. / Rochester Hills, MI ANTHOLOGY OF NORTHVILLE 248-560-6960 44600 Five Mile Rd. / Northville, MI ANTHOLOGY OF TROY 586-488-0840 3400 Livernois Rd. / Troy, MI Spend the longest day of the year with Anthology Senior Living. Stop by one of our four Michigan locatio...…

…JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Dispatch from Dnipro One woman’s story of escaping — and surviving — the bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine. See page 12 $200 June 2-8, 2022 / 3-9 Sivan 5782 …

…Drive through for a fabulous carryout meal freshly prepared by our culinary chef. It’s a great way to sample our nutritious fare and meet our professional team members from the comfort of your car. Call to reserve your meal and learn more about our remarkable senior living community. This will be a socially distanced event. Masks required. ANTHOLOGY OF FARMINGTON HILLS Classic Cuisine AnthologyFarmingtonHills.com 30637 W. 14 Mile Rd...…

…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 Dispatch from Dnipro One woman’s story of escaping — and surviving — the bombing of Kharkiv, Ukraine. 18 The Nightmare Hunt for Baby Formula A community of mothers offers resources and support for one another. 22 Kalamazoo’s Congregation of Moses Continues to Grow The shul strives to “reach people where they are.” 23 Denial in D....…

…4 | JUNE 2 • 2022 for openers A Busy Body A goal for us all is to remain as active as possible. Doing so has many positive physical and mental ramifications. If, however, you find your mind is willing, in this instance, but the flesh is weak, you may want to hone your language skills to include as much of your body as you can. Lend me your ear. Do not keep your head in the clouds; that is not practical either literally or f...…

…Yoni Torgow is the recipient of the 2022 Frank A. Wetsman Award The Frank A. Westman Young Leadership Award was established in 1961 by Mrs. Frank A. Wetsman and William M. Wetsman as a memorial to their beloved husband and father. This award recognizes exceptional leadership potential and service to the Jewish community on the part of a young man. The JVS+Kadima Board of Directors and staff wishes you mazel tov on receiving t...…

…6 | JUNE 2 • 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...…

…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 7 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com continued from page 6 reason as to why Shavuot is more obscure than other holidays. When compared to celebrations such as Passover and Chanukah, Shavuot is not commercialized in the slightest. While these holidays see entire sections of stores dedicated to them, community events for children and more, ...…

…8 | JUNE 2 • 2022 opinion Why There’s No Peace in the Middle East R ecent Congressional proposals seek to prohibit Israel’s use of American funds or military equipment to maintain control of the West Bank. Such proposals reflect a (by no means uncommon) belief that Israeli insensitivity to Palestinian aspirations is the main reason peace has never been achieved. If only Israel would commit to withdraw from the West Bank an...…

…Members of Congress, including those AIPAC-allied, condemn group’s comments about Rep. Andy Levin A s former and current members of Congress and supporters of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, we are all too familiar with how differing policy approaches to ending the Middle East conflict have been used to divide and polarize us as a community, especially during elections. That’s why at a moment when so much is at stake in not only d...…

…10 | JUNE 2 • 2022 opinion The Emergence of Congress’ Progressive Pogrom Caucus A prominent editor of a Jewish publication once pointed out to me that the United States had never seen the emergence of mainstream and institutionalized antisemitic politics. My response was simple: Not yet. A few months ago, he wrote me and said that — unhappily — I had been proven right. I take no pleasure in being right, but there is also ...…

…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 11 — and “the Squad” itself — so quick to accuse anyone and everyone of racism on the slightest pretext, remained all but completely silent throughout. This pogrom did not erupt merely because Israel was involved in a conflict with Hamas at the time. It was the product of years, decades of work by these activists and organizations. The idea that their incitement and defamation did not poison the Muslim-American ...…

…ON THE COVER I f you’re born in Ukraine, but you have Jewish roots, most likely your family will have an inter- weaving of Ukrainian and Jewish traditions. My father is Jewish, and this means that my childhood was full of foods such as forshmak (Jewish herring) and matzah. Every year, we celebrate Passover and Rosh Hashanah. We cherish and honor the memory of our origin and know all of our relatives up to five generations back. For us...…

…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 13 ON THE COVER IANA SYROTNIKOVA SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS TRANSLATED BY ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER THE WAR BEGINS The word “war” entered my life on Feb. 24, 2022. At 4:50 in the morning, we were awakened by a sound that I had never heard before in my life: the sound of an exploding shell, followed by the sound of anti-aircraft defense. Two minutes later, my phone rang. My mother was calling me from the ...…

…ON THE COVER “WE EACH CARRIED ONLY ONE BAG PER FAMILY. NOTHING MATERIALISTIC MATTERED. WE SIMPLY HAD TO LEAVE.” — IANA SYROTNIKOVA continued from page 13 14 | JUNE 2 • 2022 windows, and damaged the gas pipeline. Six cars parked outside the building burned down, includ- ing ours. Our possessions were lost. We ran outside and saw a mess of debris — broken windows, dents from fences that flew into the air. Yet some- how, everyone ...…

…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 15 the road. The path was difficult phys- ically and mentally, but we made it out alive. It was painful to see my parents for the first time since the beginning of the war. In the 10 days I hadn’t seen them, they seemed to grow old. They were deprived of the opportunity to spend their retirement in comfort, in their home, among the items they accumulated all their lives. Their tears and empty looks that day will re...…

…continued from page 15 16 | JUNE 2 • 2022 United States, found the tree. In the Soviet Union, it was forbidden to have any contact with relatives in the West, and therefore keeping a relationship wasn’t possible. Before the war began, we rees- tablished our relationship. Strong roots and traditions allowed our family to pick up right where we left off. Now, our Zlatopolsky fam- ily is in touch with us every day. They support us and ...…

…JUNE 2 • 2022 | 17 Federation’s director, who said that if at least one per- son from Mariupol could get through to us, we could send a bus to pick that person up. Getting involved with this cause has allowed me to find strength in myself to help those who need it most. It’s not always possible to help everyone, but if you can help one person, I believe the world becomes a better place. HUMANITY AT ITS GREATEST It’s been two mont...…

…18 | JUNE 2 • 2022 E lyssa Schmier of Huntington Woods likes to be prepared. Ever since her son was born last August, she liked to have a small stock of formula on hand, at least six or seven cans. Her husband, Stephen, used to tease her, saying, “Do we really need so much?” Back then, Elyssa laughed it off. “ Anything could happen … I know it’s an irrational fear. ” But no one’s laughing now, and that irrational fear has become a ...…