… JANUARY 28 • 2021 | 45 I t was acclaimed in the late 1900s to be one of the finest restaurants in America. Tribute, 12 Mile, Farmington Hills, had a goal at the begin- ning … to get even better than just being a fine dining institu- tion … Inside of about five years it reached that goal as a glittering jewel. But to its general manager, Mickey Bakst, and world- class executive chef, Takashi Yagihashi, this wasn’t enough … Ther...…
…46 | JANUARY 28 • 2021 Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org Jews & Hockey I really enjoyed JN sportswriter Steve Stein’s recent article about Eric Israel, a local Jewish kid playing for the Rapid City (S.D.) Rush in the East Coast Hockey League. Israel is a tough and resilient defenseman and, obviously, loves the game. Reading about Israel, I wondere...…
…SUPPORT INDEPENDENT, CREDIBLE, AWARD- WINNING JOURNALISM IN SERVICE TO THE DETROIT JEWISH COMMUNITY! SUBSCRIBE TODAY TO THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS* *Already a subscriber? Please consider giving the Detroit Jewish News as a gif to a family member or friend! Go to https://thejewishnews.com/product/magazine-subscription/ today and enter code NEWSUBSCRIBER for $10 of a one year subscription. Not eligible with any other discount codes. ...…
… JANUARY 14 • 2021 | 1 $200 Jan. 21-27, 2021 / 8-14 Shevat 5781 Trafficking Battling Trafficking Battling Human Sanctum House seeks funding to sustain and expand haven for victims. Page 16 …
…An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results is pleased to recognize our 2020 #1 TOP PRODUCER WITH OVER $70 MILLION IN SALES An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results 248.568.7309 | Cindy@CindyKahn.com | CindyKahn.com 442 South Old Woodward Avenue | Birmingham, Michigan 48009 An Extraordinary Agent Providing Extraordinary Results …
…0% APR FINANCING 0% APR Financing available on approved credit through Honda Financial Services, 0.0% APR for up to 60 months on all new and unregistered 2020 & 2021 HR-V, 2020 CR-V, Ridgeline and 2021 Pilot or 0.0% APR for 48 months on 2021 CR-V and Passport through 02/01/2021, for well-qualified buyers. Not all buyers will qualify. Higher financing rates apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. Actual down payment may vary. Dealer parti...…
…4 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 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, ...…
…6 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging and distinctive. We strive to ref ect 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 Sout...…
…The Detroit Jewish News Foundation, Inc. is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Editor’s Circle: $5,000 Writer’s Circle: $2,500 Emerging Leaders: $1,000 Diamond Benefactor: $750 Benefactor: $500 Patron: $360 Supporter: $180 Friend: $118 Any other amount: $ YES! I’D LIKE TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT, CREDIBLE JEWISH JOURNALISM Donate Online at DJNFoundation.org/donate...…
…8 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 jewfro The Year of the Citizen L ast month, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services revised the civics questions for the natural- ization test for the first time since 2008. There are now 128 questions, up from 100. Answering 12 out of 20 correctly is one of the many steps for anyone applying to become a United States citizen. Here are a few of the questions and their official answers, followed by my right...…
…Nazli G. Sater Family Law Practice Chair | Partner 248.784.5178 nsater@wnj.com Roquia K. Draper Family Law Attorney | Partner 248.784.5081 rdraper@wnj.com wnj.com FAMILY L AW Warner’s Managing Partner Douglas Dozeman is responsible for the contents of our advertising. Contact: ddozeman@wnj.com or 616-752-2148. Please read our full privacy policy on our website. …
…10 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 column Interfaith and Proudly Jewish S everal years ago, I was sitting in a nondescript room in a nondescript hotel at conference for a national Jewish organization. I cannot recall what the session was supposed to be about, but the speaker turned to the subject of intermarriage. I braced myself for the litany of tropes that would follow. Those that intermarry are choosing to opt out of the Jewish comm...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 11 Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation. Facing financial dif iculty? ☐ Call jhelp at 1-833-445-4357 ☐ Visit jhelp.org ☐ Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org ☐ Do all of the above X Q We Have Answers. Welcome! Dr. Kleinsmith has joined Midwest Center for Dermatology & Cosmetic Surgery – Farmington Hills Center...…
…12 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 VIEWS Guest column New Year for Trees A ccording to Jewish tradition, if one is studying Torah while walking on the road and interrupts their learning and says, “What a beautiful tree!” scripture consid- ers that person liable for death. Wait. Really?! How could this be? How could a moment of nature appreciation be seen as a distraction so sinister that it warrants the death penalty? In the words of Ra...…
…zolmanrestoration.com | 3285 Martin Road | Suite N-106 | Walled Lake, MI 48390 Commercial and Residential Restoration Services call us at 800.799.8560 | available 24/7/365 WATER & flood wind & storm Fire & smoke mold personal property JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 13 Call today for your free in-home consultation 248.855.8747 Caren Bass Custom Closets,Inc. WHERE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE as featured on HGTV Leading the industry...…
…14 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 M ost of us have had barely a chance to collect our thoughts about the horrific events that occurred in our Capitol on Jan. 6. The Michigan ADL has been busy fielding many inquiries from our concerned community, and there has been a great deal of commentary from others about the terrible challenge to our nation’s democracy. On Jan. 8, the ADL made history by calling for the removal of the president....…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 15 here? We must have a com- plete and transparent inves- tigation into the activities and violence of Jan. 6. We must look with clarity at the stark inequities between the way Black Lives Matter protesters were treated at anti-racist protests over the summer, compared to the way armed extrem- ists storming the Capitol were handled. We must remember those efforts that occurred to disseminate lies and attempt t...…
…16 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 W hile Claire was liv- ing in a university town, a group of men had been watching her for a while without her knowledge. One day, they sent someone to her door. He was crying and wearing a sling. She didn’t know what to do but she wanted to help, so she invited the man in for a glass of water. “ And that’s sort of how things changed, ” Claire told the Detroit Jewish News. (Only her first name will be used i...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 17 mental healthcare and trauma therapy, vocational skills train- ing and job placement, financial education, peer support and much more. It’s “very much designed in a woman’s needs and what they want, ” Franklin said. “We have people now who want to go to culinary school, who are work- ing outside of the house, who purchase their own vehicles. ” Sanctum House has part- nerships with hospitals, social workers an...…
…18 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 I f you are a parent of a pre- schooler and possess an ample supply of last year’s coveted rolls of toilet tissue and paper towels, hang onto that cardboard center. According to Arielle Endelman, creator of the recently launched Instagram crafting site @itsmarthajewart, the humble cardboard roll can be used for countless projects to keep preschoolers occupied during these long pandemic months. When Endelm...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 19 T he Holocaust Memorial Center will host How Healers Became Killers: Nazi Medical Professionals, to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, Wednesday, Jan. 27. The program also is the opening event of the new featured exhibit, Deadly Medicine: Creating the Master Race, which opens Jan. 17 and runs through July 11, 2021. “This thought-provoking exhibit and opening program scrutinizes the role medical profes...…
…20 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 T he Jewish Community Center of Metro Detroit is in the beginning stages of developing a concept called “Off-Center” — a satellite JCC operation to serve as an “east side hub” located in the Oak Park-Berkley area and a possible additional location in Downtown Detroit. JCC Assistant Executive Director Judy Loebl, who helped conceive of the idea, says this is the latest step in the JCC’s shift from being...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 21 MOMENTS BIRTHS OCT. 19, 2020 Carolyn and Andrew Blechman of West Bloomfield happily announce the birth of their son, William Ari Blechman. Excited older sister is Gabriella Paige. Thrilled grandparents are Randa and Richard Feldman of West Bloomfield, and Rosanne and Karl Blechman of Silver Spring, Md. William was named in loving memory of his great-grand- father Wilfred Feldman and his great-grandmother Anne ...…
…22 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 SPIRIT Lessons of the Past T his week’s parshah, Bo, contains what I believe is one of the Torah’s most important mitzvot: It is a dedi- cation to education, to knowing our past and ensuring that our history informs our future. Having just won their free- dom from Egyptian bondage, the Israelites are instructed by Moses on the laws of Passover, which they are to observe for all time. As they prepare for ...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 23 A year ago, few would have imagined so many of our personal and business interactions would be conducted online, using our computers, iPads and smart- phones to “meet” and socialize safely during the pandemic. Various online platforms — Zoom, Skype, FaceTime and Microsoft Teams, to name a few of the most popular — are now a common way to celebrate family birthdays, have medical appointments and attend cla...…
…24 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 T he Oakland County Health Division (OCHD) is asking residents cur- rently eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, including all residents over the age of 65, to remain patient while the county works to increase its supply. The county does not have enough vaccines to meet demand after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the state has entered its “Phase 2” of vaccine distribution, which includes residents 65 years...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 25 Outstanding Reputation Award-winning Service 27698 Franklin Road | Southfield 248.354.7600 | marisahomecare.com CELEBRATING 10 YEARS GREATER DIGNITY AND SAFETY FOR AGING SENIORS T he D. Dan and Betty Kahn Older Adult Care Loan Fund (KOACLF) at Hebrew Free Loan helps adults age 62 and older, and their families, better afford life-enhancing services, equipment and home adjustments. Interest-free loans of up to...…
…B’nai B’rith Bowling Leagues in the Gutter Because of COVID-19 History has been made in the Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson and Downtown Fox-MLZG B’nai B’rith bowling leagues. But it’s not the kind of history the weekly leagues want repeated. For this first time in each league’s long existence, the season has been canceled. Blame the COVID-19 pandemic, of course. Capacity and other restrictions placed on bowling alleys by the Michigan D...…
…manager Elon Friedman. “He was a great teammate who played anywhere on the field where he was needed and always got the job done. He also was a good hitter. ” Friedman also was Brad’s teammate and manager on a coed floor hockey team called the Ugly Pucklings that plays in a league at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit in West Bloomfield when there isn’t a pandemic. “Brad was our goalie. He was the best goalie in ...…
…28 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 ARTS&LIFE DOCUMENTARY COURTESY OF VERONICA SELVER S usan Fanshel always will remember one import- ant characteristic of the late mother of her best friend, Veronica Selver. When the two friends were teens and summer- ing near the Atlantic Ocean, Irmi Selver invariably would walk along the coastline as they swam, watching them with a compelling intensity. Fanshel could sense anx- iety in the woman’s expres- ...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 29 Now professional colleagues as filmmakers, the two have revealed a biography in a film appropriately titled Irmi. The film is being spotlight- ed Tuesday, Jan. 26, as the last feature of the New York Jewish Film Festival, which this year is available to a wider audience because of digital presentations necessitated by the pandemic. The lineup, running Jan. 13-26, showcases 17 features and seven shorts. “I fe...…
…30 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 D eborah Dash Moore thought back through Holocaust history when she watched the storming of the United States Capitol on Jan. 6. What came to mind was the burning of the German Parliament’s Reichstag Building on Feb. 27, 1933. Knowing Jewish history is everyday for Moore, editor-in-chief of the Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, not a physical library but a published collec- tion availab...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 31 PRIVATE COLLECTION. © ESTATE OF JULES LELLOUCHE. La Ghriba Djerba, Tunisia (ca. 1944) by Jules Lellouche. more than what was under- stood to be religious culture. He thought of it as a very diverse, imaginative culture and believed putting reli- gious restrictions around it narrowed it and excluded all kinds of wonderful materials.” Going beyond historical text, different literary genres are included — cultura...…
…32 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 A fter decades making movies star- ring characters — often women — bristling against social strictures and navigating romance in ways that tended to surprise even themselves, Jewish film- maker Joan Micklin Silver has died at 85. Silver, who died Dec. 31, 2020, was best- known for 1988’s Crossing Delancey, a sur- prise hit. The film finds Isabelle Grossman (Amy Irving), a 30-something Manhattan bookseller, naviga...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 33 SEGEL; LEBOWITZ; SEX AND THE CITY REBOOT Our Friend, a “tearjerker” dramatic film, opens in a few theaters Jan. 22 and is also available that day on video-on-demand. It is based on a 2015 Esquire article in which Matthew Teague detailed the death of his wife, Nicole, from ovarian cancer. The couple’s best friend, Dane, upended his life and stayed with them for months, assisting with everything, including ...…
…34 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 THEATRE PRODUCTION THROUGH JAN. 29 The Nicely Theatre Group presents what hap- pens after happily ever after. Disenchanted! revisits familiar princess charac- ters to get their side of the story. Tickets are $15 per household for the 65-minute musical production. You can watch it whenever you'd like and as often as you like during the run since it is not a ZOOM-style produc- tion. Rather, it was filmed by in...…
…media and popular culture with moderator Jaemi Loeb, senior director of Cultural Arts at the JCC. To see where Jews are and aren't in British film, check out these: Babylon: an incendi- ary portrait of racial tension and police brutality set in Brixton, London; Dough: The owner of a struggling Jewish bakery hires Muslim African immigrant teenager Ayyash Habimana to work in the shop. Tickets: $5 per person per film. Info: filmfest...…
…36 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 M ost of us are invol- untary homebodies these days because of the pandemic lockdown. For nutrition, we might rely on carryouts and deliveries from restaurants or devise meals of our own, of varying quality. At this point, many house- holds might welcome a healthy and convenient new option. One just starting to roll out to the public is “Fresh n ready by Chef Cari.” The all-natural, glu- ten-free and fresh...…
…HEALTHCARE G&F Professional Services- Compassionate, affordable, responsible and efficient homecare. Call Georgiana (248) 571-1837 (www. gfprofessionalservices.com) A1 CAREGIVER/COMPANION. Experienced, excellent references. 248-991-4944 Seeking reliable female caregiver for mother. Experienced with Alzheimer's and Severe Medical Needs. please call (313) 670-0438 Exp. private duty caregiver for 27 yrs would love to care for your ...…
…38 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY JOANNE ARONOFF, 81, of Farmington Hills, died Jan. 6, 2021. She is survived by her husband of 62 years, Larry Aronoff; children, Marc Aronoff, Jacqui Aronoff and Michael Kinsella, April Aronoff and Bruce Gerstman, and Nance Aronoff and Kari Spaeth; grandchildren, Alexander Kinsella, Emily Kinsella, Dominique Hall, Leo Chiasson-Aronoff, Hugo Gerstman and Nathaniel Gerstman. She...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 39 His daughter remembers him as a fierce supporter of Jews and Israel. SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Hero of Israel’s Founding Dies at 96 A aron Friedman, a founding hero of the State of Israel, died Jan. 6, 2021, at the age of 96 in the Los Angeles area, where he lived for many years. Friedman helped to smuggle Jewish refugees from Europe to Palestine during the British mandate when immigration wa...…
…40 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 of the late Alexander Ashendorf, who also died during the Holocaust. Contributions may be made to Friendship Circle, 6892 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; or to a Jewish charity of one’s choice. A family graveside service was held at Workmen’s Circle Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. NANCY MAGID GLANZ- MILLER, 89, of Hallandale Beach and Deerfield Beach, Fla., formerly of Wind...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 41 SANDRA KOPELMAN, 69, of Franklin, died Jan. 10, 2021. She is survived by her husband of 48½ years, Jeffrey Kopelman; daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Aaron Fenberg; grandchildren, Luke and Justin Fenberg; sisters and brothers-in-law, Arline and Allan Rein, and Rhea and Richard Sweet; brother-in-law, Michael Kopelman. She was also loved and adored by her canine companions, Brooklyn and Yogi. Mrs. Ko...…
…42 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY Samantha; sisters and brothers-in-law, Georgia and Chuck Robertson, Rhonda and Mike Matlack, Martha and Paul Lee; brothers and sisters-in-law, Victor and Jody Commons, Raymond and Catherine Commons; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Interment took place at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Soc...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 43 Contributions may be made to Jewish Family Service, 6555 W . Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322. A family graveside service was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. GEORGE H. SIMMONS, 95, of Bloomfield Township, died Jan. 10, 2021. He is survived by his sons and daughters- in-law, Mark and Ellen Simmons, and Michael Simmons and Stacey Dobrusi...…
…44 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 SOUL OF BLESSED MEMORY SONJA SZAKAL, 67, of Southfield, died Jan. 6, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Gabriel and Jenny Szakal, and Jason Szakal and Danielle Cook; other loving relatives and friends. Mrs. Szakal was the beloved wife of the late Robert Szakal; the devoted daughter of the late Irene and the late Arthur Snitchler, and the late Alexander Mann. Contributions may be ...…
… JANUARY 21 • 2021 | 45 F olks used to love going to Cedars of Lebanon Lounge on Columbia, Detroit … Customers will never for- get the potpourri of Middle East food that was so exotic … as well as the wonderful native dancing that brought many stomping feet. The food brought out always tickled the tongue with an odor of pleasing excellence … Like the hum- mus with tahini …a dish that consisted of mashed chick- peas and sesame seed b...…
…46 | JANUARY 21 • 2021 Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org Justice for Louis Gross T wo weeks ago, I had a very inter- esting conversation with Judge Avern Cohn. To be sure, a chat with Judge Cohn is always interesting. This time, he told me a story that led me into the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit history for this week’s “Looking...…
