…48 | AUGUST 3 • 2023 ARTS&LIFE ART W omen who have been artists for many years were asked to think about creative ways they could express themselves, and 60 of them represented their personalities and outlooks through diverse styles. Those artworks are being displayed Aug. 6-Sept. 13 at the Janice Charach Gallery in the West Bloomfield Jewish Community Center. For clarification, each artwork is accompanied by a statement that com...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 49 who still have the shirts. Starting artwork when she was making the T-shirts, Kutinsky enhanced her skills at both the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center (BBAC) in Birmingham and Atelier School of Art in Royal Oak. Sue Shlom of West Bloomfield welcomes the exhibit as a chance for women to look at themselves as they witness the artwork of others. In “Reaching for Light, ” Shlom establishes the image of trees with branch...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 5 The LOIS ZUSSMAN GOLF CLASSIC provides vital revenue to support the Lois and Milton Y. Zussman Activity Center / Clubhouse — a welcoming community for people served where they can benefit from social and cultural activities, vocational and educational support, horticultural and culinary activities, volunteer engagement, and a community atmosphere with peers. 2023 GESHER GOLF CLASSIC COMMITTEE | Harold Dubrowsky | A...…
…50 | AUGUST 3 • 2023 TONY B. AND MORE OPPENHEIMER As no doubt you heard, singer Tony Bennett died last week, age 96. His singing voice was strong well into his 80s, and he was still “very good” until he had to retire in 2021. I had the good fortune of hearing him (1996) sing a few of his classics in front of San Francisco’s City Hall. As I looked around, I noticed how diverse (age, race, etc.) the large adoring crowd was. I...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 51 NEW PLAY STAGED NOW-SEPT. 2 The Purple Rose Theatre Company announces the final production of their 32nd season, A Jukebox for the Algonquin, a world premiere by Paul Stroili. At a senior living community in the Adirondacks, a small group of residents decide they’re not quite ready to “go gentle into that good night.” It is a serious comedy about sex, drugs and rocking chairs; it contains adult content and...…
…GYPSY JAZZ 2-3:30 PM, AUG. 9 (WED.) At Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. A summer afternoon under the tent on the Saulson Pavilion: concert featuring Yiddish, Jewish and memorable folkloric songs with a jazzy twist by the fabulous local Ukrainian- Jewish musician Vlad Tovbin and his Gypsy Caravan Trio. Special guest Hazzan David Propis. Enjoy bagels and snacks after the show, along with a Q&A with the musicians. Info: j...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 53 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 $85 SERVICE FEE 24/7 Emergency Service basketofsmiles.com pam@basketofsmiles.com 248-326-5684 basketofsmiles.com pam@basketofsmiles.com 248-326-5684 basketofsmiles.com pam@basketofsmiles.com 248-326-5684 Call t...…
…54 | AUGUST 3 • 2023 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY DR. RONALD LAWRENCE BIGMAN, 84, of Lake Worth, Fla., died on July 26, 2023. His sense of humor, love and generosity will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 61 years, Carol; children, Amy Bigman (Stefan Gleibermann), Jill (David) Kindy, and Kevin (Debra Goldberg) Bigman. He was the loving Papa of Drew (Emma) Kindy, Lauren Kindy, and Jack Bigman. He will be remembered with l...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 55 Davya (Slootsky) Cohen; children, Marc (Kelly Furr) Cohen of Springfield, Va., Lisa (John) Ziebell of Henderson, Nev.; granddaughter, Amanda Cohen of Springfield; honorary granddaughter, Emily Kwiatkowski of Pittsburgh, Pa .; sister, Linda (Peter) Friedman of Tucson; nephew, Erik (Likivi Suu) Friedman of Chicago, Ill.; sisters and brother-in-law, Brenda Brook of West Bloomfield, Nan-C- Lee Pukitis of Sitges, ...…
…56 | AUGUST 3 • 2023 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY Born in Detroit to the late Emil and Fannie Edelson, she was the youngest of four siblings. She attended Central High and the University of Miami. She met George Must at a party and eloped with him six weeks later. She traveled the world, loved to dine, dance and embrace the world around her. Her life with George was cut short when he died in 1980 but was lucky to find love again...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 57 Beverly and Jerry Becker. Steve was an adventurous man with many hobbies, including collectables and cultivation of plants. He was acknowledged as one of the first licensed medical marijuana caregivers in the state. He survived cancer with RSO and became a well- known leader in the field of medical marijuana. He also jumped out of airplanes, scuba dived around the world and loved music, sharing these adventu...…
…58 | AUGUST 3 • 2023 Novetsky; grandchildren, Nathan Novetsky, Morgan Novetsky, Sammy Novetsky, Shayna Novetsky; sisters and brothers-in-law, Shirley and Marshall Keys, Marilyn Applebaum and Ron Thomas, Diane Novetsky and Art Guerci-Lena; he is also survived by friends of Temple Beth Emeth and Silver Maples of Chelsea; cousins, Monica Ferri, Linda Mendelson, Don Mendelson. Marvin was the dear brother of the late Jerry Novetsk...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 59 ALAN E. SCHWARTZ, 97, of Birmingham, Michigan, died after sunset on July 27, 2023. Alan was a founder and partner at Honigman LLP as well as a business, civic and Jewish community leader in Detroit for more than half a century. He created permanent, positive change. He was known for his brilliance, elegance, public service, ability to create consensus, sound advice, business acumen, and deep love of commu...…
…6 | AUGUST 3 • 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: Detr...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 60 | AUGUST 3 • 2023 member of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, which bestowed upon him the Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award in 2008. Alan was preceded in death by his wife, Marianne Shapero Schwartz, in 2017. He was the cherished father of Marc (Emily Camiener) Schwartz, Kurt (Susan) Schwartz, and Ruthanne (Joseph) Fuller. He was the proud grandfather of Chris Fuller, Mark (Charlotte Riz...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 61 son-in-law, Deborah and Dr. Andrew Colman; son-in- law, Dr. Ronald Rasansky; grandchildren, Bradley and Diana Stoler, Randy Stoler, Dr. Michael and Jennifer Rasansky, Lisa and Jay Lazar, Jodie Colman, and Dr. Brooke Colman; great-grandchildren, Camellia and Elodie Stoler, Lily and Matthew Rasansky, and Zoey and Cooper Lazar. She is also survived by her devoted caregivers, Tajuanna, Campbell, Regina, Sil and ...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 62 | AUGUST 3 • 2023 10 Years Post-Bankruptcy W e just had a rather infamous anniversary. Ten years ago, on July 18, 2013, Detroit became the largest city in American history to declare bankruptcy. Detroit’s bankruptcy was a long time coming. As early as 1982, Detroit Mayor Coleman Young stated that, if fiscal prac...…
…GOING OUT OF TOWN? Offers Forwarding and Hold Services! While USPS will forward your general mail quickly, periodicals and newspapers sometimes take 60 days for forwarding. Avoid service disruption by updating your information with The Detroit Jewish News as soon as possible. Requests can be submitted anytime in advance up to a week prior of publish date. Requests submitted past then will be processed for the following publish date (...…
…Member FDIC. ⬢®, Huntington® and ⬢ Huntington. Welcome.® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2023 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. People are at the heart of what we do. At its heart, a business is about people. A group of people coming together to create something bigger than themselves. To create a solution or a product or an experience in the service of other people. At Huntington, it’s our...…
…DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com AUGUST 3• 2023 | 7 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 Sunday, August 13 Experience the movement during this hands-on farming and dining experience Advance registration required Outside Kabbalat S...…
…8 | AUGUST 3 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY O n Oct. 27, 2018, Robert Bowers entered Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue intending to kill Jews. His murder of 11 congregants was the deadliest antisemitic attack in our country’s history, shattering a community and forcing Jews, including me, to reckon with our place in America. At the time, I had just started a doctoral program in philosophy in New York. The attacks in Pittsburgh made...…
…AUGUST 3 • 2023 | 9 PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE CO-SPONSORED BY R A B B I D A V I D & A L I C I A N E L S O N LEGACY F E AT U R I N G RABBI AVINOAM SHARON THE IMPLICATIONS OF ISRAEL’S JUDICIARY CRISIS K E Y N O T E P R O G R A M Wednesday, August 23 7:30 p.m. Rabbi Avinoam Sharon: Democracy Under Attack The Implications of Israel’s Reform of its Judiciary Dessert reception follows $15 in advance, $20...…
…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT $200 Aug. 25-31, 2022 / 28 Av- 4 Elul 5782 thejewishnews.com An Astonishing Search for Roots Long-lost brother’s descendants discover their U.S. family eight decades after the Shoah. See page 12 …
…AUGUST 25 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 An Astonishing Search for Roots Long-lost brother’s descendants discover their U.S. family eight decades after the Shoah. 20 A Teacher’s Journey West Bloomfield High teacher tours Poland as an Auschwitz Legacy Fellow. 22 Fashion Flair for a Cause Suitember shopping event will give 10% of proceeds to Friendship Circle. ...…
…4 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY continued on page 7 opinion When Judaism Considers The Long Term, It Looks to the Past M any years ago, I was asked to speak, on short notice, at a symposium in Geneva about the future of the global climate refugee crises. It was an important opportunity but attending meant I was going to miss my 11-year- old daughter Eliana’s choir concert, the one for which she had been rehearsing ...…
…MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 10:30am - 2pm at Temple Israel Train Rides • Pony Rides • Games Magicians • Moon Walks DJ • Kona Ice Truck • Pizza & SO MUCH MORE! Fun for the whole family! No pets, please. Sponsored by the Morris & Esther Bittker Picnic Fund. OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY, FREE OF CHARGE! TEMPLE ISRAEL | 5725 WALNUT LAKE ROAD, WEST BLOOMFIELD, MI 48323 | WWW.TEMPLE-ISRAEL.ORG TI FULL PG JN 8/25/22 LDP.indd 1 TI FULL PG JN ...…
…6 | AUGUST 25 • 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: Det...…
…DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com AUGUST 25 • 2022 | 7 What makes you a futurist — someone who cares and wants to shape society toward a better tomorrow — is putting your device down when your child enters the room and thinking about how your every action will play out over generations. This is the mindset of a true futurist. This is longpath thinking. ...…
…8 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY continued on page 10 essay The Day My Great-Grandparents Died T he reality is that my great-grand- parents didn’t just die, they were murdered. They were two of six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their willing accomplices throughout Europe. And it wasn’t just the two of them, but their children and grandchil- dren, and scores of cousins, nieces and nephews, and neighbors. They were l...…
… Event Chairs Matt Lester and Ian Burnstein invite you to join us for this special evening Boneh Kehilah Award (Builder of Community) Honoring Mark Rubenfire and Mitch Albom The Acclaimed Play by Mitch Albom & Jeffrey Hatcher Thursday, September 15, 2022 at The Berman Featuring a live talkback with Mitch after the performance Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss Please reserve your seats as soon as possible as tickets are very limited...…
…10 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY W hen I talk to Jewish community leaders around the country, I often hear the same comment: You know, Steve, Detroit has an incredibly strong community. I happen to agree, but what, exactly, does this really mean? Much of it is simply the fact that Jewish life at our synagogues and temples, day schools and organizations across the community is rich and varied, and that, over many g...…
…EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY Invest in your dreams, build your future with Hunter Pasteur www.hunterpasteur.com ASK OUR PREFERRED LENDER FOR MORE INFORMATION! Our mission is to deliver an honest, well communicated, knowledge based experience because good people deserve good advice. Brian.shapiro@myccmortgage.com Phone: 248-714-4910 Cell: 248-227-4882 Fax: 248-415-1564 www.crosscountrymortgage.com Brian Shapiro Managing Director, M...…
…OUR COMMUNITY f the nine children born to Esther and Jacob Allweiss in Jaslany, Poland, only my dad Zyga “Zygie” and Uncle Salek “Sol” survived the Holocaust. This was a given, a fact our family knew to be true — until the miracle happened. Now 77 years since the end of World War II, we descendants of the late Zygie and the late Sol found out this spring that another Allweiss brother, Fishel, made it through! He and his wife, Klara, thei...…
…Road sign in Poland for the Allweiss shtetl of Jaslany and two nearby towns In 2006, Zygie Allweiss and daugh- ter Esther Ingber stand at the only headstone they found in an aban- doned Jewish cemetery in Baranow, Poland. They stayed for several days in Mielec as the honored guests of Zygie’s rescuers’ son, Janek Dudzik, and his wife, Janina. Esther Ingber Zygie and brother Sol Allweiss on vacation together. Zygie and Irma Allweiss...…
…“The first time we wrote the family name in English was here, in Israel, ” Ira said. A relative suggested that Ira access the online Shoah Victims’ Names Database of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem. The database includes scanned Pages of Testimony from the museum’s Hall of Names. (See sidebar.) In 2011, Zygie took the time to complete a Page of Testimony for his nine lost immediate family mem- bers. Zygie’s name an...…
…16 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 From my longtime family research, I know the Allweisses I’m more closely related to came from the shtetl (village) of Jaslany (pro- nounced “yawsh-LAH-nee”) in southeastern Poland. The area was part of Galicia in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Jaslany, in Mielec County, is located near the Wistula River, between Krakow and Rzesow. Before my first visit to Jaslany in 1985, I counted 57 relatives on my family...…
…Klara and Fishel Alvais FISHEL ’S FATE By contrast, Fishel’s whereabouts during the same period are shrouded in mystery. “Unfortunately, I have no one to ask, ” Ira said. “Probably Grandma Klara knew, but she didn’t share” details with young Ira. “The only few things we knew about Grandpa Fishel is that he was in Poland and all his family died, ” said Ira’s cousin Alexander, a musician and a salesman at Cars2u. “I tried to find info...…
…18 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 Oxana Korol of the Hall of Names replied to me: “We are always pleased to hear of cases where peo- ple who are listed in the documentation at Yad Vashem as having per- ished in the Holocaust, were actually able to survive.” She explained the process required to update Fishel’s record, something I will leave for Ira to do. The families of Fishel, Sol and Zygie are participating in month- ly Zoom chats, most re...…
…AUGUST 25 • 2022 | 19 …
…20 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 F or the last 17 years, Jennifer Sepetys taught about the Holocaust in schools throughout Metro Detroit, relying upon historical documentation, lit- erature, written accounts and, on occasion, firsthand testimonies from survivors who spoke in her classes. But as she returns to her students this year at West Bloomfield High School, Sepetys will approach the topic with the perspective of a firsthand witness to t...…
…AUGUST 25 • 2022 | 21 was like to endure a hot day. I was not prepared to have those (testimonies) coming back at me. It was very overwhelming. ” In Warsaw, the group toured the Nożyk Synagogue — the only pre-war synagogue in the city to survive the war — which was used as a stable by the Nazis. “ As we toured this synagogue and touched the very bricks where Jews lived and prayed for hun- dreds of years, I thought about the Jewish fam...…
…22 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY D avid Elkus, owner of Baron’s Wholesale Clothiers and Todd’s Menswear, had an idea for an event that gave back to the com- munity. However, he was miss- ing a catchy name. While driving to Chicago with his daughter Audrey, who is an expert in marketing, Elkus told her about his vision for a cele- bration of suits — almost a “suit holiday, ” he explains. He wanted to create a shopping event t...…
…AUGUST 25 • 2022 | 23 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT For those without computer access, please mail the following to 32255 NORTHWESTERN HWY, SUITE 205 FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334: • Who is Turning 80? [first/last] • What Day is their Birthday? • Personalized Message and Signature • A picture of the birthday person (if you would like the picture returned, please include a stamped return envelope.) • A check Continue to celebrate our oc...…
…24 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY M ore than 50 Central High School alum- ni who graduated between 1941-1955 came in late July to Shabbat services at Congregation Shaarey Zedek, where they were called up to the bimah for a group aliyah and to receive special blessings from both Rabbi Yonaton Dahlen and Rabbi Aaron Starr. Because of the pandemic, it has been several years since CSZ has had an event for the Central High grads, ...…
…AUGUST 25 • 2022 | 25 J oy and warmth were in the air at Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s Detroit Mumford High School Reunion Shabbat service on Aug. 13. The event drew alumni from the communi- ty in addition to those members of CSZ who called Mumford their home between 1953 and 1970. Rabbi Aaron Starr and Rabbi Yoni Dahlen blessed the alumni on the bimah after the group chanted the Torah blessings together. Sons and daughters and ev...…
…26 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 Y oung Israel of Oak Park (YIOP) is a Modern Orthodox congregation located at the center of Metro Detroit’s Orthodox Jewish communi- ty, drawing its membership from three adjacent cities — Huntington Woods, Oak Park and Southfield. These neighborhoods are all a short distance to numerous ameni- ties of the Orthodox Jewish lifestyle, including a mikvah, kosher restaurants, supermar- ket and bakery. YIOP pri...…
…AUGUST 25 • 2022 | 27 resurgence of culture, of bring- ing the new generation in and reimagining the different things we can do in the shul — wheth- er it’s technologically, program- matically and even spiritually.” YIOP consists of about 175 member units. Over the last three years, they’ve had roughly 60 member units join the shul. “In that time frame, we’ve had what I would define as 25 mem- ber units who are young profes- sionals, m...…
…28 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 T he Friendship Circle of Michigan nominated Nancy Schulist of Farmington Hills to be our Volunteer of the Week for her years of dedication to the organization. “The special thing about Nancy is that once she leaves Friendship Circle, she doesn’t stop being an advocate for children with special needs,” said Shayna Shemtov, Friendship Circle’s volunteer coordinator. “She brings love and acceptance to people w...…
