…$200 Sept. 28-Oct.4, 2023 / 13-19 Tishrei 5784 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com A Fighter in Lansing A Fighter in Lansing State Rep. Samantha Steckloff first beat cancer, now she’s fighting antisemitism. See page 14 …
…10 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N opinion How Artifical Intelligence Can Renew Engagement at Shul W ith the influx of social and traditional media and the paradox of choice, it’s becoming increasingly hard to gain the interest of consumers. Whether it be a Fortune 500 company trying to sell a product or a government leader aiming to get votes, keeping people engaged is more challenging than ever. Religion and faith-based comm...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 11 J N PROUDLY JEWISH PROUDLY FEDERATION 2023 ANNUAL MEETING Register at: jewishdetroit.org/annual JEWISH FEDERATION & UNITED JEWISH FOUNDATION 2023 ANNUAL MEETING THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2023 7:30 PM The Berman Center for the Performing Arts at the J MEETING HIGHLIGHTS Presentation of The Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to: Mark A. Davidoff Election and Installation of Office...…
…12 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N column Galilee as Israel’s Hidden Gem W hen you think of Israel, what springs to mind may be its rich history, diverse culture or religious significance. What’s more exciting is that there is another aspect of this ancient land that often goes unnoticed — its natural beauty. I will talk about one great place in the northern region of this nation, a place overflowing with beautiful landscapes,...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 13 J N an unwell member can greatly enhance the sense of belonging within the community. THE HUMAN TOUCH While data-driven decision-making in houses of faith may feel detached, the importance of human interpretation is a critical factor in implementing this capability. Such insights and decisions must be made in line with the mission and values of the congregation. AI technology can revitalize many faith-...…
…F ew state legislators are well known, even where they live. Twenty years ago, few people, even in Illinois, had heard of a state senator named Barack Obama. Nor, in 2003, did the average Michigander know the name of a young state representative from East Lansing named Gretchen Whitmer. It was years before they began to be noticed. But on March 3, State Rep. Samantha Steckloff of Farmington Hills, in office barely two years, had...…
…continued on page 16 go “DEFCON 3” on Jewish people, a military term hav- ing to do with preparing for nuclear war. While many denounced that, still, “Kanye doubled his followers after that tweet. He has twice as many (31.7 million) as there are Jews in the entire world,” she said, with a wry shake of her head. Yes, she gets swastikas in the mail and phone calls threatening to kill her. (“They are going after me?, I thought? A lo...…
…moved, too. “I looked in the mir- ror, and I started sobbing because for the first time I looked sick. My breasts had been removed. My fertility was gone, my hair and eye- brows were gone. My eyelashes were gone — my toenails, my fingernails — everything was gone. My teeth were destroyed and ruined. “Everything we so often hold dear to us as women was gone. ” She told her story and bared her soul in order to try to per- suade her colle...…
…You don’t have to know Yiddish to know Jewish Family Service. We’re here to serve the whole community by connecting people to our wide range of services including counseling, transportation, financial assistance and services that meet the needs of older adults. See all the ways we can help at jfsdetroit.org or call our Resource Center at 248.592.2313. If your bubbe needs help, consider us your extended family. Need Help with a...…
…J ARC, a nonprofit serving adults with developmental disabilities in Metro Detroit, wanted to address the real- ity that not all employees and prospective employees have the technology in their homes needed to apply for a position or to complete state-mandated training once hired at JARC. Statistics show that in Detroit alone, there are about 200,000 people who do not have internet access at home. Furthermore, JARC found they were l...…
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…F or six weeks this summer, three young and newly ordained rabbis put into action the teachings of the late Chabad Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson — that every Jewish soul matters, no matter where they live — by hitting the road and traveling to the farthest reaches in Michigan on a mission to locate and connect with other Jews. Embarking on a first-of-its- kind outing in many years for Michigan, the young men were taking part...…
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…continued from page 20 where they go or where they live, we as Jews are all the same, and we are all connected.” A MICHIGAN ROAD TRIP The rabbis’ travels included road trips from Muskegon to Benton Harbor to South Haven. Highlights of the travels included singing Chanukah songs with a man in his 80s living in a senior residence and helping him put on tefillin for the first time. In Cadillac, they visited the public library aski...…
…anyone’s charity of their choice to increase kindness in the world. “I know there have been many incidents in recent years, but we did not experience any of that at all,” Shemtov said. “On the contrary, people were kind, so maybe that can speak to the hope that things are not as dark as we perceive them to be.” Slonim, steeped in the Jewish teachings of Divine providence, believes it was no coincidence they came upon finding no...…
…24 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N OUR COMMUNITY J ARC, a nonprofit serving adults with developmental disabilities in Metro Detroit, is looking to raise $1.2 million in funds to support the important programs and services they provide to enrich the lives of people with developmental disabilities. The nonprofit is kicking off the fall campaign with its annual fundraiser on Sunday, Oct. 15, from 7-10 p.m. at The Magic Bag (22920 Woodw...…
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…26 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N U niversity of Michigan’s Jewish Communal Leadership Program and The Covenant Foundation will honor the memory of Harlene Winnick Appelman, master Jewish educator and long- term executive director of The Covenant Foundation, at a conference on Sunday, Oct. 15. The gathering, which is open to the public, will be held from 1-9 p.m. at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and Michigan Hill...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 27 J N an idea and were committed to making it happen, she would give you everything she had and more to make it a reality. “She never worried about the spotlight being on her. She put her mentees, and I was fortunate to count myself among them, front and center and told me often that true leaders know the light doesn’t move, it only expands to bring oth- ers in. It’s safe to say my journey in Jewish commu- ...…
…28 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N A new business accelerator series for women is making its way to the Jewish community this fall. Level UP — a four-part program — is the first of its kind from the Jewish Working Women’s Network (JWWN) that will take place Oct. 11, 18 and 25 and Nov. 8 at the Max. M Fisher Federation Building in Bloomfield Township. The goal: to “level up” women business owners of all experiences and backgrounds. Whethe...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 29 J N Jewish women business owners not only the chance to network and hear from keynote speakers, but also receive new professional headshots, social media coaching and an action plan for their business success. CREATING A ‘LAUNCHPAD’ FOR SUCCESS The first session will focus on elevating your business and will feature speaker Laurie Greenberg of Infinite Potential Coaching. Greenberg, an experienced ICF-accred...…
…PURELY COMMENTARY 4-12 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 14 A Fighter in Lansing State Rep. Samantha Steckloff first beat cancer, now she’s fighting antisemitism. 18 JARC Gets New Tech Training Room for Staff The new room aims to remove barriers-to- work for current and potential employees. 20 The Roving Rabbis Three rabbis hit the road in search of Jewish souls. 24 JARC Kicks off Fall Campaign Studio 5...…
…30 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N A fter all the hoopla surround- ing the Jewish Matchmaking Netflix show, we can probably better appreciate the role of a match- maker. But, of course, anyone can play matchmaker! In one couple’s case, it was MiMi, the owner of her long-frequented nail salon, Fancy Nails on Maple Road. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Meet Fran White. She grew up in Michigan and shared a beautiful mar- riage with her...…
…Mazel Tov! Mazel Tov! with an announcement in the Detroit Jewish News. Celebrate all of y our milestone moments Scan the QR code to book: • Anniversary • B’nai Mitzvah • Birth • Engagement • Milestone Birthday • Wedding JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT …
…32 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY T he Well and Adamah Detroit are coming together for a Sukkot celebration highlighting the best of harvest season in Michigan. “Sukkot on the Canals: Connecting Earth, Local Food & Live Music” takes place at Coriander Kitchen & Farm on the Detroit River on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The gathering will see attendees engage in meaningful Jewish ritual and learning activ- ities...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 33 J N T emple Israel clergy and staff like to be inclusive when it comes to activities, and so they made a five-minute video celebrating Sukkot to be shared online by Jewish people everywhere. Sukkah is the video that gets the spotlight as it aims attention on the structure that is at the center of the holiday. The video features a parody of a pop song, fun dancing and comedy interactions with all to be enjoy...…
…34 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N Sukkah Events Around Town OUR COMMUNITY FRIDAY, SEPT. 29 FRIDAY, SEPT. 29 DINNER WITH SHAAREY ZEDEK Welcome in Shabbat and the first night of Sukkot with the Shaarey Zedek (27375 Bell Road, Southfield) family. Enjoy a nice Shabbat/yom tov dinner in their beautiful Zevi Davidson sukkah. Services start at 5:30 p.m.; dinner starts at 6. Tickets start at $20. More info at https://jlive.app/events/5139. ...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 35 J N said. “Between going into the studio to record the music, doing pre- production for the video, getting all the props together, renting a car and costumes and filming over the summer, it took about four months until we got the final video. “I like the improvised fun and spontaneity, watching us hanging out and enjoying the jokes. It’s all about being with the people we love. We’re staff in a temple, but we rea...…
…HEALTH P ost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a term that was intro- duced when some Vietnam War veterans returned home with severe emo- tional reactions to their combat experi- ences. Nightmares and panic attacks were sometimes triggered by an everyday noise or experience that brought their traumatic memories back to the surface. Since then, the term has been expanded to include traumas unrelated to wartime service — such as chi...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 37 J N T he MIU Men’s Health Foundation is hosting the 13th annual Men’s Health Event on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Ford Field in Detroit. Metro Detroit-area men 18 years and older, with or without health insurance, are encouraged to take advantage of this free event focused on preventative healthcare. Services will include vital screenings, bloodwork, flu vaccinations, HIV testing, oral ...…
…38 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N Almost 900 school children in Metro Detroit, identified by 18 local social ser- vice agencies, nonprofit organizations and schools, received new winter coats, clothing, socks, underwear, hats, mittens, school supplies, toothbrushes/toothpaste and books in a drive-through event called “Back 2 School Store” arranged by National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW|MI) and held last month. The nonprofit...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 39 J N Senior supermodels strutted their stuff at a fashion show on Aug. 30 at Jewish Senior Life’s Meer Apartments in West Bloomfield wearing the latest fall fashions from the Meer Boutique. Two dozen residents, staff members and volunteers from FRIENDS of Jewish Senior Life (dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for older adults by engaging JSL residents and community members) walked the catwalk surroun...…
…4 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N for openers First Aliyah . . . Then IKEA M y wife and I have moved to Israel. Some people move their furniture and appliances in an industrial shipping container, called a lift. We did not. We bought an airy and empty apartment in a fairly new building in (the biblical city of) Beit Shemesh. We planned to buy about all of our furniture at the new IKEA branch in (the biblical city of) Eshtaol. S...…
…40 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N The Friendship Circle of Michigan’s 18th annual and record-breaking Walk4Friendship fundraiser on Aug. 27 raised more than $850,000, which will go directly to their programs that help individuals with special needs and families struggling with isolation and addiction. The nonprofit raised $100,000 more than its original fundraising goal of $750,000. “Witnessing the remarkable unity of numerous familie...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 41 J N T emple Beth El No. 1 repeated as the Greenberg Division playoff champion in the weekly Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League. Last year, Beth El’s story was about a new team, and a team not from Temple Israel, win- ning the Greenberg playoff title. Temple Israel teams had won the first five Greenberg playoff championships. This year, Beth El’s story is about a spectacular catch by r...…
…42 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N Steuer-Gordon S helley and Geoffrey Gordon of West Bloomfield and Brenda and David Steuer of Orchard Lake announce the wedding of their children, Veronica Paige Gordon and Brandon James Steuer. The couple married on Sept. 23, 2023. The maid of honor was Janey Gordon, the bride’s sis- ter. The bridesmaid was Jamie Steuer, the groom’s sister. Adam Steuer, the groom’s brother, was the best man and the g...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 43 J N SPIRIT Mitzvah of the Four Species T he festival of Sukkot presents us with one of the most unusual prac- tices in Judaism. Namely, the mitzvah of the four species. The Torah (Leviticus 23-40) bids us to: “Take for yourselves, on the first day, the fruit of a beautiful tree, date (palm) fronds, the branch of thick wood and brook willows and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. ” This vers...…
…44 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N P arshat Emor outlines the festivals that give rhythm and structure to the Jewish year. Examining them carefully, however, we see that Sukkot is unusual and unique. One detail that had a significant influence on Jewish liturgy appears later on in the Book of Deuteronomy: “Be joyful at your Feast … For seven days celebrate the Feast to the Lord your God at the place the Lord will choose. For th...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 45 J N for a roof, presupposes the absence of rain. If it rains on Sukkot, we are exempt from the command (for as long as the rain lasts, and providing it is sufficiently strong to spoil food on the table). The difference goes deeper. On the one hand, Sukkot is the most universalistic of all festivals. The prophet Zechariah foresees the day when it will be celebrated by all humanity: “The Lord will be King...…
…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 Blo...…
…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 ...…
…48 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N I t has been almost 20 years since multi-media artist Michelle Sider learned about the plight of Jewish people com- pelled to leave Yemen, and it has been some four years since she began communicating about them by designing mosaic images. With 10 images completed in the “I Am Yemenite” series and more images being planned, Sider has secured display space at ArtPrize, a Grand Rapids exhibition and compet...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 49 J N Details To learn more about ArtPrize, which ends Oct. 1, go to artprize.org. Two of Sider’s images have received competitive recogni- tion. They placed in categories designated by Canvas Pontiac, a program that has been spon- sored by the Detroit Institute of Arts. “I think it can enhance everybody’s lives to understand and learn about a culture that they didn’t know about, ” Sider said. “I think it...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 5 J N …
…ARTS&LIFE MUSIC J osh Epstein had “a myriad” of rea- sons for releasing his latest album under a name — PJ Western — other than his own. “Well, for starters Jeffrey Epstein was in the news around that time. I thought that was a weird connotation to put something out for the first time with my actual name on it, ” the Bloomfield Hills-raised Epstein, 42, a cofounder of the alternative rock band JR JR (formerly Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr) e...…
…mission. “We were very, very cautious and spent most of our time at home, ” he recalls. “Being at home afforded you the luxury of having all the time to make work, but I was not inspired at all. I think around the middle of the pandemic I was starting to get antsy. I was just feeling like I hadn’t been productive enough, and I didn’t have enough to show for my time. ” Epstein “buckled down” and connected with Gus Seyffert, a prod...…
…52 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N GUITAR LESSONS, THEATER CAMP STREAMING, FAMILY REUNION, CHRIS WALLACE Flora and Son begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Sept. 29. This musical comedy-drama film got very good reviews at the Sundance Film Festival last January and, soon after, Apple paid $20 million for the rights to show it. Basic plot: Flora (Ewa Hewson), a single mother in Ireland, has trouble with her teenage son Max. He’s a rebe...…
…SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 | 53 J N PLAY PREMIERES SEPT. 29-OCT. 15 The Inspired Acting Company in Walled Lake, 1124 E. West Maple Road, will present a powerful and thought-pro- voking production of Cadillac Crew by acclaimed play- wright Tori Sampson. It is a mesmerizing exploration of family, identity and the com- plexities of the human expe- rience set against the back- drop of a changing America. Performances are Friday and Saturday ni...…
…54 | SEPTEMBER 28 • 2023 J N JFS Receives Grant to Help Older Adults with Health Care Management A generous grant from the Sinai Medical Staff Foundation will allow Jewish Family Service to expand its chronic disease management services to help older adults overcome barriers to health care management. Chronic diseases place a significant burden on individuals, health care systems and community- based organizations. Based on the...…
