…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints OUR COMMUNITY 12 A Mitzvah for the Dogs The Jewish community has embraced the work of Detroit Dog Rescue, slated to pen a new facility this fall. 18 High Holiday Prayground Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s family event returns for second year. 20 A Lifelong Learner Nancy Kaplan, a force of nature for Judaism and Jewish education, reti...…
…4 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY for openers Waiting for Liftoff I ’m writing this column on Aug. 28, days ahead of its Sept. 8 publication date. This morning I leapt (fact-checked: very slowly rolled) out of bed with the excitement of what it must feel like to be a little kid on Christmas morning, or so I’ve heard. I’m excited because it’s launch day at Cape Canaveral for NASA ’s Artemis 1 space mission to the moo...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 5 With Their Centennial Gift, Judith and Irwin Elson Continue Their Long Legacy of Support for the Jewish Community. Judith and Irwin Elson are lifelong Jewish Detroiters whose shared history reflects the story of the community itself. Descended from Eastern European immigrants, they grew up in households surrounded by family and a love of Jewish life. There they learned firsthand the power of community to connect a...…
…6 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 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: D...…
…DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com SEPTEMBER 8• 2022 | 7 try is uniquely pro-Israel. Organizations and legisla- tors seeking to weaken the U.S.-Israel relationship know that very well and for that reason cynically call them- selves “pro-Israel” while acting to the contrary. The AIPAC PAC endorsement clarifies which legislators are pro-Israel and which are ...…
…8 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY guest column The U.S.-Israel Alliance Saves Lives E arlier this month, as Islamic Jihad, a proxy of the Ayatollah regime in Iran, launched some 1,100 rockets from Gaza toward Israeli communities from Sderot to Tel Aviv, Israel’s Defense Forces once again were challenged to protect their own citizens while avoiding civilian casualties in Gaza. These objectives were achieved largely t...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 9 With Their Centennial Gift, Merton J. and Beverly (z”l) Segal Continue to Enrich Jewish Lives Long into the Future As a longtime community leader and philanthropic supporter, Mert Segal has had an extraordinary impact on Jewish Detroit. “There was hardly a time in my life when I wasn’t involved in Jewish education or community affairs,” he recalls. Born in Detroit, Mert grew up in a kosher household, studied Hebr...…
…10 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 opinion ‘Quiet Quitting,’ The Sudden Trend in Work, Sounds Sort Of … Jewish? I hadn’t heard of “quiet quitting” until about 10 minutes ago. Since then every major news outlet has done a story on this purported trend, defined as a movement among office workers to draw firmer work-life boundaries by doing less work. It means closing your laptop at 5 p.m. when your cubicle- mate is staying late to fin...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 11 rejects “a frame of reference in which value is determined by productivity, the strength of one’s career and individual entrepreneurship.” Easier said than done, however. Her antidote — to “stand apart,” to embrace “solitude, observation and simple conviviality” — is perhaps more feasible if you are an artist rather than an office-worker, let alone a factory worker, home health aide or Amazon warehouse ru...…
…12 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY A Mitzvah for the RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR PHOTOS COURTESY OF KRISTINA MILLMAN-RINALDI ON THE COVER The Jewish community has embraced the work of Detroit Dog Rescue, slated to open a new facility this fall. Dogs …
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 13 etroit Dog Rescue (DDR) started back during the Great Recession, when high unem- ployment drove foreclosures and bankruptcies, and many people had a hard time feeding themselves let alone their pets. Unfortunately, thousands of dogs were being abandoned, according to the orga- nization’s executive director Kristina Millman-Rinaldi. “The Big Three car companies were laying off employees and people were l...…
…OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER reform committee for the City of Detroit. The nonprofit continues to help 80 to 120 dogs at any given time and has helped res- cue and rehabilitate thousands of dogs in their shelter. “Our current facility is 2,000 square feet, and we can hold about 22 to 24 dogs there. We’ve obviously grown out of that space, ” she said. “I received a call one day from a veter- inarian who owned a building on Grand River an...…
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…16 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 continued from page 14 farms to gather ideas for our space and programming, but, most importantly, I met with representatives, religious groups, block clubs and residents to hear what they needed in the city of Detroit. ” To renovate the existing Westcott Veterinary Hospital and sustain operations for the first year, DDR created a $2.3 million campaign. Millman-Rinaldi says the new building will include more ...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 17 headed nowhere. I went to DDR to find myself, but the outcome was so much more, Banooni explained. “My time at DDR matured me as an individual, shaping the person I am today on all fields, both professional and personal. To this day, I’m proud to say Kristina is my lifelong mentor and friend, ” added Banooni, the proud DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) student. When Charfoos heard about the new building fo...…
…18 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY C ongregation Shaarey Zedek will be bringing back High Holiday Prayground for a second year. Taking place during the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, this festival-style alternative program aims to provide a fun and unique twist on traditional services. “We’re trying to find a way for us to have our [typical] High Holiday experience and to have religious and mean- ingful servi...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 19 the event was well-received. “It was 75 degrees and sunny,” he recalls. “It’s hard to replicate that, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed.” Still, congregants enjoyed the idea of an alternative service regardless of weather. “We had a lot of people who came and told us that it was a really great experience for them,” Dahlen says. “Our alter- native service isn’t a watered- down service; it’s still a very meani...…
…20 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 N ancy Kaplan is a lifelong learner who has made it her mission to help others learn about and con- nect with Judaism. Recently retiring from her role at Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield, where she worked on rebuilding the daily minyan from 2007-2016 and various adult learning initiatives, Kaplan is now enjoying more free time. She’s looking forward to visiting her daughter Amy, son-in-law Oren and...…
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…22 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 continued from page 20 LEFT: Nancy with Professor Howard Lupavitch. RIGHT: Nancy with Eilu v’ Eilu instructor Michael Weiss showing an audiocassette lending library of recorded classes. learner of Judaism. She’s held numerous roles and orga- nized volunteer efforts that have made lasting impact on Metro Detroit’s Jewish community, such as serving as director of the Midrasha Center for Adult Jewish Learning ...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 23 Whether at home or on the go, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is with you every step of the way. With the largest network of the highest-quality doctors and hospitals in Michigan, Blue Cross gives you access to the care you need however, wherever and whenever you need it. Including our 24-Hour Nurse Line, online visits, mental health support, urgent care and more. So, you’re covered anytime, anywhere. We’re ...…
…24 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 T o celebrate 20 years of operation, The Shul of West Bloomfield is marking the anniversary mile- stone with a special Broadway- esque night out for the commu- nity. On Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 6:30 p.m., the synagogue will host Broadway at The Shul, a musi- cal evening with Brooklyn-based hazan, sommelier, mixologist and vocal coach David Babinet. A classically trained musician, Babinet will perform a mi...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 25 OUR COMMUNITY C ongregation B’nai Moshe, by way of the Sharlene & Seymour Ungar Scholar-In-Residence Endowment Fund, welcomes Rabbi Josh Warshawsky as its scholar on Sept. 16-17. The weekend will begin with Warshawsky leading a spirited Kabbalat Shabbat ser- vice at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 16 followed by a Shabbat dinner. Afterwards, Warshawsky will lead a discussion: “The Power of Music: Understanding and ...…
…26 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 T he commandment to return lost objects is clearly stated in the Torah in the Book of Deuteronomy. This is a story of how this centuries-old commandment was fulfilled thanks to the 21st-century digital age, social media scrolling and a viral Facebook post. Irwin and Ruchie Weisberg, 76 and 72, love spending their retirement years antiquing. The former Southfield residents who now live in Miami would ...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 27 of the family’s possession. His father passed away in 1996 and his mother Florence died in 2013. It was at that point when his parents’ house was being cleared out and sold that items, including the tefillin, must have been included in an estate sale. “I do not know how or why they were put up for sale, but I am glad I have them back,” Blau said. “When my time comes, I intend to pass them along in my fa...…
…28 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY G esher Human Services, The J and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit are working together to hold a community-wide Jewish agency career expo to help Jewish communal agencies connect with more potential candidates and increase hiring opportunities. Around 15 Jewish agencies are expected to have booths at the career expo where they can meet, screen and interview candidates. Ca...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 29 A fter a two-year COVID interruption, the festive Shofar Factory Festival is back. At the Sherrill Berman Shofar Factory Festival, fun activities will be combined with creative, educational art, delicious food, music and a mitzvah kindness project. The event takes place on Sunday, Sept. 18, from 1-4 p.m. at the JCC in West Bloomfield. Activities include carving your own kosher-to-use shofar, designing a “...…
…30 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 K ehillat Etz Chayim was formed in 2018 as a Modern Orthodox congregation serv- ing Huntington Woods, Oak Park and surrounding areas, guided by the rabbinic leader- ship of Rabbi Asher Lopatin. Lopatin was transitioning from a job in New York run- ning a Modern Orthodox rab- binical seminary and looking at different possibilities when a group from Detroit were in search of a rabbi. “For whatever reason, t...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 31 PHOTOS COURTESY OF KEHILLAT ETZ CHAYIM Shabbat morning and holiday services for a while, but recently purchased a building of its own in north Oak Park. The last Shabbat in August was the first Shabbat that Kehillat Etz Chayim spent in its new space. They’re planning to do a major renovation of the new space that could put them back at Beth Shalom for a few months during that time, but at least for the next...…
…32 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY M ichigan-based nonprofit JARC nominated Rick Herman of Metro Detroit as Volunteer of the Week for his devotion to its Culture and Engagement Committee. The nonprofit serves people with developmental disabilities via group homes, independent living support and in-home respite care. “Rick’s unwavering commitment and extraordinary efforts for JARC is inspiring. Rick is a bastion of strength and...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 33 faces&places Through the generosity of the Joyce Keller & Michael A. Walch Staff Recognition Fund, the annual JARC Staff Appreciation Event was held on July 19 at Beverly Park in Beverly Hills. The event was held in person for the first time in two years and has been hosted every year since 1998 to highlight and appreciate the dedication of JARC’s staff members. Awards were presented in five different ca...…
…34 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 S loan Lemberg knows a little bit about winning medals at the JCC Maccabi Games. She piled up 26 of them competing as a Detroit dancer from 2014-17. So it was no surprise that the three Detroit dancers the 21-year-old West Bloomfield resident coached won a total of six medals at the Maccabi Games held last month in San Diego. Emily Feinstein, Addison Fenster and Madison Kraft were Detroit’s dancers. They...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 35 One was for cleaning the dressing room at the dance venue. Another was for doing the hair and makeup for Tamar Sigler, a dancer from Israel. Tamar was at the Maccabi Games with her mother, Maayan Sigler. As for the third Midot Medal, “all the dance coaches were called on stage to receive a medal because of the great camaraderie and sportsmanship among the dancers,” Lemberg said. “Unless you knew them, yo...…
…36 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 J onah Hirsch grew up in a sports family. “My grandparents were huge on tennis,” explains the 24-year-old Detroit resident, who works as an account executive with the Detroit Tigers. “My mom was huge on basketball and baseball, so baseball was really a love that I shared with my mom and my grandfather.” Hirsch, who grew up north of Chicago and moved to Detroit in 2021 for his new role, knew he always wa...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 37 family is not here right now,” he continues, “and I might not necessarily have a place to spend the Jewish holidays.” Many members help make Hirsch feel “like a family member,” he says. “I’m creating real relationships with people, especially my Jewish members.” FINDING A HUB Hirsch was also recently connected with Royal Oak Moishe House through a friend. He’s been an active participant there since moving ...…
…38 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 W hen the late Jack Goldberg opened Stage Deli with his wife, Harriet, in 1962, most customers patronized delicatessens for hearty, meaty sandwiches on crusty rye bread. These were featured at Stage, but the Goldbergs had higher aspirations. They want- ed “to elevate Jewish delis to fine dining but with quick and good service,” explains his son Steven Goldberg, owner and manager of Stage Deli, now in We...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 39 room. New ones were ordered a while ago but have yet to arrive. Ian Goldberg, 33, Goldberg’s son, began working at Stage Deli as a dishwasher at age 15. Now he is the front of the house manager — a people-oriented job that he enjoys a great deal. Ian is proud of Stage’s responsiveness to customers’ individual requests. “If we can do it, we will,” he said. Jolie, his 25-year-old sister, also works at Sta...…
…40 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 T housands of General Motors dealerships are preparing to use an Israeli start-up’s technology to check the cars they sell for defects in a matter of seconds. UVeye was founded in 2016 by brothers Amir and Ohad Hever, the company’s CEO and COO respectively, to provide under-vehicle inspection solutions for security threats and smuggling attempts. It was later realized that the same technology could be used...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 41 or around the vehicle, it knows what should ideally be there and marks anomalies regarding color, texture, size, etc. “We have scanned motorcycles and golf carts. If we scanned a carriage, we’d still see its tires and what’s underneath it, but we might need to run enough carriages on the system to learn the exact attributes of specific areas.” In 2019, UVeye raised $31 million in its Series B, headed by ...…
…42 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 MAZEL TOV! Finsilver 100th F rances Finsilver of Novi is thrilled to be turning 100 on Oct. 22, 2022. She loves celebrating this milestone birthday with her family: children, Karen Bolak, and Stanley and Shari Finsilver; grandchildren, Amy and Steven Ben-Ezra, Brett Finsilver and Jane Fenkell, Teddy and Shannon Bolak, Michael Finsilver and Matthew Finsilver; great-grandkids, Koby, Reese and Chase Ben-E...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 43 W e are deep into the Hebrew month of Elul when many Jews spend time preparing for the Yamim Nora’im — the Days of Awe. Some will spend the time pre- paring ritually with additional slichot (prayers of penitence) or reflection; some will be prepar- ing culinarily, and many who work in synagogues will be put- ting the final logistics together for the annual homecoming pilgrimage of congregants back to our s...…
…44 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 K i Teitse contains more laws than any other parshah in the Torah, and it is possible to be over- whelmed by this embarrass de richesse of detail. One verse, however, stands out by its sheer counter-intuitiveness: “Do not despise an Edomite, because he is your brother. Do not despise the Egyptian, because you were a stranger in his land” (Deut. 23:8). These are very unexpected commands. Examining and under...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 45 enemies of Israel, but the former were not. In a later age, Isaiah would make a remarkable prophecy — that a day would come when the Egyptians would suffer their own oppression. They would cry out to God, who would rescue them just as He had rescued the Israelites: “When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, He will send them a savior and defender, and He will rescue them. So the Lord will make...…
…46 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 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 ...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 47 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 Farmingt...…
…48 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 NOSH DINING AROUND THE D I n the “fried chicken wars” (which Hour Detroit maga- zine says is a thing), the only local kosher entrant I know about is the crispy fried chicken served at Ess In co. in Oak Park. (“Ess” means “eat” in Yiddish.) After operating for weeks as a word-of-mouth business, Chef Cari Herskovitz Rosenbloom’s sit-down restaurant is now ready for prime time. Chef Cari, in partnership with...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 49 to diners on metal trays lined with vintage-looking newsprint. Cardboard “boats” hold side dishes. I recently ordered the quarter fried chicken, a breast and a wing (I could have had a thigh and a leg), with two small sides. Mine were mashed potatoes with gravy and creamed spinach. Other options include vegan mac and cheese, house-made onion rings, fried dill pickles and Israeli or purple cabbage salad. Th...…
…50 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE TELEVISION T he Emmy awards will be held on Monday, Sept. 12, starting at 8 p.m. It’s on NBC and Peacock. In this article, I will cover the categories in which there is a Jewish nomi- nee(s). Here’s something you should know: In 2015, the number of nominees in all categories was raised. Lead actor/actress nominations went from five to six, while nominations for support- ing actors/actresses went fro...…
…SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 | 51 Jewish. She understands Hebrew but isn’t fluent. SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Henry Winkler, 76, who had a great third season on Barry (HBO), is the heavy favor- ite to win. There is a small chance that Brett Goldstein, 42, a Ted Lasso (Apple) actor and writer, will pull off an upset and win his second Emmy in this category. SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES Alex Borstein, 51 (Mrs. Maisel, Amazon ...…
…52 | SEPTEMBER 8 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE FILM T hree Minutes: A Lengthening is a rare glimpse into Jewish life before World War II. Examining three minutes of footage shot in 1938 in Nasielsk, Poland, the documentary — which will screen at the Maple Theater on Sept. 12 at 6:30 p.m. — contains the only moving images remaining of the town’s Jewish community. Before the war, more than 3,000 Jews lived in Nasielsk, located just northwest of War...…
