…22 | JULY 1 • 2021 T he name Pat Blackwell brings to mind one thing in the Metro Detroit Jewish party-planning commu- nity: Indispensable. The founder and face of the Red Coat Ladies (named for their iconic, eponymous attire), Blackwell has been running the show for bar and bat mitzvahs and weddings for close to 25 years under the name Party Assurance. From wrangling in unruly tween guests to sewing brides into their dresses las...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 23 Orthodox wedding for my employees, ” Blackwell says. “That was fun. ” “Week after week, we at Party Assurance are training vendors to work with Jewish customs. After the ketubah signing, for example, we know that the rabbi is coming back to do the bedekken, but the photographer’s gone because they think they’re done so I’m running after the photographer to come back, ” Blackwell says. “The chuppah might be made...…
…OUR COMMUNITY 24 | JULY 1 • 2021 T wo years ago, Samantha Merecki, a student at L ’ Anse Creuse High School-North in Macomb Township, was scrolling through Instagram. Samantha, who is Jewish, stopped at a post about a synagogue being vandalized and realized antisemitism was still rampant, despite it being many decades since the Holocaust occurred. Then, she saw a post about a synagogue holding a drill to teach people what to do in...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 25 T he ongoing border clo- sure between the U.S. and Canada continues to impact Jewish communities in both countries. These effects are felt especially hard in Windsor and Detroit, where Jewish life is often intertwined with families living on both sides of the bor- der and Metro Detroit residents attending school in Windsor and vice-versa. Since March 2020, the border has been closed to nonessential travel due to...…
…26 | JULY 1 • 2021 P roduction on Keith Famie’s Shoah Ambassadors Holocaust documentary film continued on June 23, as high school students, guests and the two young Shoah Ambassadors themselves took part in a virtu- al Yad Vashem experience. At the Emagine Theatre in Novi, ambassadors Hailey Callahan, 23, and Curtis Bates, 20, sat in the theater with a camera crew filming their experience while designated hosts at Yad Vashem, t...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 27 resonate with the younger generation. “It’s a much better way, it might be the only way,” said Kevin Wang, a 16-year-old Novi High School student. “Especially Curtis, I loved his song and would definitely lis- ten to it outside of this event, at home while I’m studying or something. The way his lyrics are worded gives an accurate depiction of what actually happened, and it’s not just random words thrown togeth- ...…
…28 | JULY 1 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY A s Congregation Beth Ahm’s project chair Debra Darvick fit- tingly stated, this was a situa- tion where “too many cooks do not spoil the sauce.” The situation was an inspir- ing one — Metro Food Rescue, a local food rescue and redis- tribution organization, held a batch cooking event at Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield on June 22, before taking the cooked meals to City Covenant Church in the Brightmoor ...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 29 S hirley Benyas, 93, a resident of Jewish Senior Life’s Meer Apartments in West Bloomfield for the past six years, has been teaching a Yiddish class for other Meer residents for nearly two months. Benyas learned to read, write and speak Yiddish through an afterschool program from the time she was 8 years old until her first year in college. She was also a Detroit Public Schools teacher for nearly 40 years. The c...…
…30 | JULY 1 • 2021 W hile the wait con- tinues for word on those missing after Champlain Towers South, a condominium in the heavily Jewish area of Surfside, Fla., par- tially collapsed on June 24, area Jewish groups stepped in to offer support to the community and to family members who have arrived to the area seeking news. As of Monday morning, nine people had been confirmed dead, and the number of people unaccounted for had ris...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 31 Services of South Florida and Mishkan Miami: The Jewish Connection for Spiritual Support, are providing financial assistance, chaplaincy support, crisis counseling and social ser- vices to people impacted by the tragedy. They have established a fund to help with expenses, and Jewish federations elsewhere have been sharing that link with their members. The Young Israel of Bal Harbour and The Shul of Bal Harbour w...…
…32 | JULY 1 • 2021 T here will be a JCC Maccabi Games in 2021. It won’t look like a traditional Maccabi Games, and the event was organized far more quickly than normal. But nobody is complaining after the Maccabi Games were canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it appeared the same thing would happen in 2021. Here’s the best news for local Jewish teens: Detroit athletes have been invited to participate in the 2...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 33 Maccabi Games experience than sports competitions because of the limited num- ber of sports, but that’s fine because the experience is a very important part of the Maccabi Games, ” Gordon said. Out-of-town athletes must pay for their transportation to San Antonio and hotel stay, which is about $150 per room per night. Each room can have up to three people. The JCC Association of North America will cover uni- form...…
…34 | JULY 1 • 2021 ERETZ E ach month, we’ll feature a Metro Detroiter who has made aliyah. Q: Tell me about your life in Detroit and what your connection was to Israel. Rachel Lichtenstein: I was born in Israel, but I was raised in Detroit from the age of 3. I went to Thompson Junior High [Southfield] and Vandenberg Elementary [Detroit]. Although I was raised in Detroit, I used to come back and forth to Israel all the time. I ...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 35 BUSINESS A fter 10 years in business, local Jewish-owned toy store chain Toyology Toys is sticking to the same goal: to remain in the Klar family and to continue being there for the community. “We want to be a staple in everyone’s home,” says Nori Klar, 62, founder of Toyology Toys. “We don’t want to be the biggest company around.” Launched in 2011 at their inaugural West Bloomfield location by Nori Klar and ...…
…36 | JULY 1 • 2021 Aric Klar continues. “But when we think of toys, we think the brain.” Toyology Toys sees customers of all ages shopping in their stores, including both kids and adults who have autism. They also see adults who are navigating memory loss and are turning to toys for their memory-boosting properties. “These toys became a staple for education,” Aric Klar says. “Once that staple became clear, I think we official...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 37 HOW TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Mazel Tov! announcements are welcomed for members of the Jewish community. Anniversaries, engagements and weddings with a photo (preferably color) can appear at a cost of $18 each. Births are $10. There is no charge for bar/bat mitzvahs or for special birthdays starting at the 90th. For information, contact Editorial Assistant Sy Manello at smanello@thejewishnews.com or (248) 351-5147 for i...…
…38 | JULY 1 • 2021 SPIRIT TORAH PORTION I n this week’s Torah portion, we learn of the daugh- ters of Zelophehad: Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah. The first thing which makes this story unique is that we know the women’s names. So often in the Torah we don’t know the female characters’ names, let alone what they thought, felt or said. The women approach Moses with a request. Since the Israelite laws of inheritance at...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 39 How Can Israel’s Orthodox Prime Minister Run the Country? S ince Israel declared its inde- pendence in 1948, the top political leadership has largely been represented by figures from the so-called “secular” community — sec- ular but committed Jews who understand and embrace the importance and sanctity of our tra- ditions. Still, the fact that Israel’s new prime minister hails from the religious Zionist community ...…
…40 | JULY 1 • 2021 Synagogue Directory CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org Ahavas Israel Grand Rapids (616) 949-2840 ahavasisraelgr.org Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.org Congregation Beth Israel Flint (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.org Congregation Beth Shalom Oak Park (248) 547-7970 congbethshalom.org Beth Tephilath Moses Mt. Clemens (586) 996-3138 bethtephilathmoses...…
…The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Israel Lansing (517) 882-0049 kehillatisrael.net Congregation T’chiyah Ferndale (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org Reco...…
…D rummer Sean Perlmutter leads his own jazz trio, MOUTHBREATHr, but he also performs and records with other groups around Michigan. Most recently, he joined with the Paxton/Spangler Septet for the recording, Anthem for the New Nation, which will be introduced July 11 at the Cadieux Café in Detroit. The album consists solely of compositions by Abdullah Ibrahim, a pianist who mostly performs his own work. “The recorded music came ...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 43 A sia is a journey into a complicated and complex mother-daughter relationship that proves to be heart- warming and heart-wrenching at the same time. The Russian- and English-language film, which has a quick runtime of just 85 minutes, is playing at the Maple Theater in Bloomfield Township now through July 8 and is available for streaming through the Detroit Institute of Arts now through July 30 (dia.org/events/dft-h...…
…44 | JULY 1 • 2021 WHO’S THE BOSS? BETTING ON MICHIGAN The animated film The Boss Baby: Family Business opens on July 2. Lisa Kudrow, 57, again is the voice of the Templeton brothers’ mother, and Jeff Goldblum, 68, is the voice of Dr. Armstrong, a busi- ness rival of the Templetons. Then there’s Lady Boss. A documentary about writer Jackie Collins (1937-2015) began streaming on CNN on June 27. Check listings for encore showings, an...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 45 OUTDOOR KABBALAT SHABBAT 6 PM, JULY 2 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites you to join them for an uplifting Friday eve- ning service, outdoors on the synagogue’s grounds. They will welcome new members of their clergy, Rabbi Dan Horwitz and Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch, director of spiritual care. Reservations are required and limited to the first 150 people to register. Contact the synagogue office at 248-851-5100. The ...…
…46 | JULY 1 • 2021 Good Food Good Decision HEALTHCARE A1 CAREGIVER/COMPANION. Experienced, excellent references. 248-991-4944 We Provide in home service care giver for individuals and elderly at their comfort level in their homes. Please call (734) 680-3803 or (734) 709-5288 Foot Doctor Available for Home Visits! Covered by Most Insurance. Foot Disorders and General Foot Care. Call Dr. Steve 248-219-2638 CAREGIVER. Cert. Medica...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 47 Basement & Garage Epoxy Flooring Specials Decorative / Metallic Epoxy Flake Flooring • Polished Concrete Concrete Floor Cracking Repairs Anti-Slip Coatings LOW COST HIGH QUALITY Basement & Garage Epoxy Flooring Specials Decorative / Metallic Epoxy Flake Flooring • Polished Concrete Flake Flooring • Polished Concrete Concrete Floor Cracking Repairs Concrete Floor Cracking Repairs Anti-Slip Coatings Anti-Slip Coatin...…
…48 | JULY 1 • 2021 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY ‘H ero of Israel, ” a “one- man space agency” and “huge loss for the defense establishment” are just some of the descriptions of Israel Defense Prize laureate and rocket scientist Aby Har-Even, who was injured during riots in Acre last month and died June 6 at age 84. His contribution to space exploration and Israel’s national security is unknown to most Israelis, and much of hi...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 49 continued on page 50 BERNICE BAER, 99, of West Bloomfield, died June 20, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughter-in- law, Richard Baer and Frances Schott-Baer, and Jeffrey Baer; sister-in-law, Gwendolyn Klein; brother- in-law, Elbert Lipman; loving nieces and nephews. Mrs. Baer was the beloved wife of the late Melvyn J. Baer; the loving sister of the late Julian Klein and the late Harriet Lipman. Intermen...…
…50 | JULY 1 • 2021 continued from page 49 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY late Izzy King. Contributions may be made to Hospice of Michigan. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. RONALD M. ROTHSTEIN, 94, of West Bloomfield, died June 24, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Joyce Rothstein; daughters, Jane Rothstein and Emily Minns; sons and daughters- in-law, Charlie and Diana Rothstein, and J. Adam and Julie Rothstein; gra...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 51 great-grandchildren, Rotem, Ido, and Alon Kravi, Shachar, Ori and Zohar Mayan-Scheer, Drake and Eve Navarre, and Keagan and Riley Golemba. Mrs. Scheer was the beloved wife for 70 years of the late Martin Scheer; loving moth- er-in-law of the late Timothy Wright. Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to a breast cancer fund; Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, Wes...…
…52 | JULY 1 • 2021 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY In loving memory of Marcia Applebaum z"l May her memory forever be a blessing. our building's namesake and a pillar of light in our community and beyond. Jewish Community Center Detroit Marcia Applebaum, 81, of Bloomfield Hills, died June 24, 2021. Marcia lived a life devot- ed to her family and com- munity. The love of her late husband, Eugene, was special and inspirational. They w...…
…JULY 1 • 2021 | 53 T he JN’s premier columnist, Danny Raskin, will take a few weeks off to recover from rib injuries suffered in a fall, so we’ll be offering highlights from Danny’s columns until his return. Danny is feeling much better. If you’d like to send greetings, email: dannyraskin2132@ gmail.com or send mail to: Danny Raskin c/o The Jewish News, 32255 Northwestern Hwy., Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. To cheer a...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 54 | JULY 1 • 2021 We Love Our Macs! O kay, I confess. Yes, it’s true. I am one of “them.” I am a devout Apple computer user, and I have been so since 1996. Perhaps, I have been brainwashed to believe, but I love my Mac computer and am happily using it to write this column. Apple Inc. (formerly, Apple Computer Inc....…
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…ANTHOLOGY SENIOR LIVING FARMINGTON HILLS WE LCO M E C E N T E R Grand Opening OPEN HOUSE SERIES Tuesdays & Thursdays July 6-29 / 3-7 PM CALL TO SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT 248-382-8766 MENTION THIS AD FOR A FREE GIFT! Join us This will be a socially distanced event. Masks are required. 32825 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY, SUITE A / Farmington Hills, MI ASSISTED LIVING / MEMORY CARE AnthologySeniorLiving.com/Farmington-Hills NORTHWESTERN HWY W ...…
…Camp Mom Michigan See page 14. Mission? Create a fun summer for the kids. $200 July 30-August 5, 2020/ 9-15 Av 5780 LEARN MORE AT jessicacooper2020.com I want the public to know that they live in a safe place and that we are all working hard to keep it safe, while respecting and upholding the rights of all. PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY CITIZENS FOR JESSICA COOPER 30150 TELEGRAPH ROAD SUITE 373, BINGHAM FARMS, MI 48025 …
… JULY 30 • 2020 | 3 contents OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’ s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to reflect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible, responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life, in...…
…4 | JULY 30 • 2020 WE HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY IN THE ECC! We’ re working hard to prepare our staff and school to safely welcome your children in the fall. You can trust we will take the greatest care to keep them happy and healthy! Scholarships available. For more information, an application or to schedule an individual or virtual tour contact the Early Childhood Center at 248-661-5750. 2020-2021 School Year REGISTER TODAY! WWW.TEMPLE-IS...…
… JULY 30 • 2020 | 5 Views continued on page 8 continued on page 8 for openers Unexpected Consequences of the Pandemic L ast year, we were fortunate to be the proud own- ers of a new car. (Well, new for us.) My kids promptly named our new set of wheels “Marshmallow” — which wasn’ t nearly as creative as the family who named their big red van “ Clifford, ” but not bad. Anyhow … Life was good. Life was GRAND. All car doors open. ...…
…Views 6 | JULY 30 • 2020 essay Making an IMPACT! L ast October, while on my 16th trip to Israel, I had an experience that I will never forget. I got to meet two veteran IDF soldiers whose lives were changed forever, thanks to the IMPACT! scholarships that my husband Norm and I had provided. Here’ s a little background that led to this meeting. On our second trip to Israel in 1980, our group had the privilege of being the f...…
…GETTING OUR COMMUNITY BACK TO WORK JVS Human Services is open and ready to help you navigate the new challenges we face. More of us than ever are uncertain about our careers and great resume interview money FREE • The Road Ahead webinars every Tuesday and Thursday on the JVS Facebook page. We cover a variety of topics that will help you succeed in this changing job market. solutions to your unique problems. ...…
…Views 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 29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Hwy., #110, Southfield, MI 48034. 8 | JULY 30 • 2020 194...…
…JESSICA OPPONENT Democr at i c Backgr ound: Li felong Whi cheverway t he wi nd blows Judi ci al Exper i ence: 28 year s, t r i al and appellat e 1 t er m, fami ly cour t Admi ni st r at i ve Exper i ence: 170+ st aff, $23 mi lli on budget 3 st aff, no budget exper i ence Communi t y Involvement : Const antover ent i r e car eer Si nce declar i ng for t hi s office Ci vi l Li t i gant s Sentt o Jai l Whi le Judge: Zer o 211 Pr osec...…
…10 | JULY 30 • 2020 Views Thoughts on Rashida Tlaib Many readers have submitted reactions to our July 16 cover story, which featured an interview with Rep. Rashida Tlaib, accompany- ing article about her upcoming primary and an editor’ s note explaining our decision to publish the pieces. The JN received more than a dozen letters to the editor and more than 100 Facebook com- ments. Here is a selection of the responses. Some have be...…
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…Views 12 | JULY 30 • 2020 spark controversy was also ter- ribly misplaced. That should have been in last week’ s issue so we knew what was coming, but that would have ruined the sensationalistic shock value of the blindside when we first saw the cover photo (I won’ t even ask about the purpose of the inside photo spread of her smiling and laughing as if we are and have always been best friends). Had your communication come first,...…
… JULY 30 • 2020 | 13 She and Rep. Ilhan Omar planned to visit Palestine under the direction of Miftah, a Palestinian group that has pub- lished articles accusing Jews of using Christian blood to bake matzah and claiming Israeli rabbis instruct their followers to destroy Palestinian farms. Tlaib never once mentioned Palestinians, Palestinian ter- rorism or Palestinian lead- ership’ s multiple refusals of the state they claim to want. ...…
…14 | JULY 30 • 2020 continued on page 16 I t’ s a typical day in the new normal that is sum- mer 2020. Parents want their kids to have fun and get outdoors, all while staying safe, social distancing and wearing masks. That can be a tall order, but there’ s a new, highly active Facebook page that helps hundreds of local parents make it possible: Camp Mom Michigan. Back in March, Shirli Gotlib of Southfield realized she’ d be o...…
…As Oakl and County's Pr osecutor , I 'l l br i ng change. I wi l l i denti f y r aci al di spar i ti es wher e they exi st and l ook f or sol uti ons. Toget her , we can be a saf e communi t y and a j ust communi t y.” I ’l l make cr i mi nal justi ce r ef or m and endi ng mass i ncar cer ati on a top pr i or i ty. VOTE AUGUST 4 By Mai l or I n Per son Democrat for Prosecutor “ McD...…
