…22 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N OUR COMMUNITY S ince 1996, Mitzvah Day has been an annual occurrence in Detroit’s Jewish community. As the community’s single largest day of volunteering, Mitzvah Day — which takes place on Christmas Day, Dec. 25 — gives Jewish community members a chance to step in to support both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations, especially those experiencing a void due to reduced staff and volunteers who are off t...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 23 Learn About Mass Incarceration On Sunday, Dec. 17, from 10-11:30 a.m., join Congregation Shir Tikvah for the fourth session in its series of learning opportunities regarding mass incarceration. Guest speakers Ron and Felecia Waters will provide an engaging look at what is being done to help citizens who are incarcerated and those who have returned. Ron works as a community outreach specialist with the...…
…24 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N OUR COMMUNITY T he writer Sholem Aleichem adopted his pen name from the Hebrew shalom aleichem, or “peace be with you. ” Born Solomon Rabinovich in 1859 in what is now Ukraine, Aleichem began writing as a youngster, jotting down his stepmother’s humorous expressions. When he was 15, he wrote the Jewish version of Robinson Crusoe. Later, married with children, he lost everything in a stock speculation a...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 25 ANTHOLOGY OF FARMINGTON HILLS 248-534-4702 30637 W. 14 Mile Rd. / Farmington Hills, MI Assisted Living / Memory Care ANTHOLOGY OF NOVI 248-617-0761 42400 W. 12 Mile Rd. / Novi, MI Independent Living / Assisted Living / Memory Care Continue Your Life Story With Us AnthologyMichigan.com Anthology Senior Living wishes you and your family happiness, prosperity, peace and good health as we come together to celeb...…
…26 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N W e are moving tar- gets. ” Those were the words that made Millet Ben Haim realize what she was run- ning from — Hamas terrorists overrunning the Nova Music Festival, killing everyone in sight. It was not a dream; it was real. Millet is a part of a network of survivors from the Nova music festival massacre who travel around the United States as a part of the initiative “Faces of Oct. 7, ” speaking to ...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 27 J N ning with screamed out when the terrorists found him. He was kidnapped and taken to Gaza. Terrified, she and her friends remained in hiding for six more hours. With her phone at 2%, she got enough of a cellular signal to call a person she heard of who took it upon himself to drive around and rescue sur- vivors of the festival. He drove a white Toyota truck, the same vehicle that the terrorists drove....…
…28 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N I n a poignant ceremony last month, Temple Beth El celebrated the centennial anniversary of the Readers Club, founded during the 1921/1922 school year by the visionary Irwin Hamburger. As a Sunday School teacher, Hamburger instilled a deep belief in the transformative power of written words, fostering a lifelong passion for reading and emphasizing engagement with Jewish literature. Hamburger’s influ...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 29 SUPPORT JEWISH JOURNALISM The Detroit Jewish News has been telling and preserving our stories since 1942. Subscribe today so that we can continue telling them tomorrow. JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT SCAN TO DONATE OR SUBSCRIBE TODAY! …
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 3 J N contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 To Be Jewish on Campus Since Oct. 7, a new generation of Jewish college students have been the targets of historic levels of antisemitism. 22 Do a Mitzvah This December The 27th annual Mitzvah Day returns on Christmas Day. 24 One Door Closes, Another Opens Detroit’s Sholem Aleichem Institute’s programs to co...…
…30 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N S hortly after Rosh Hashanah, David and Mira Benjamin moved from their house in Southfield to an apartment in Beit Shemesh in Israel. Their oldest child had already moved to Jerusalem; their two younger children are studying in Israel, one living at his yeshivah and the other living with them in Beit Shemesh. David and Mira knew what to expect: getting their paperwork in order, applying for new job...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 31 around the country. Often the number of volunteers exceeds the number of work stations. David notes that outside the cafe were “people waiting until someone comes out to leave, and then they can come in. At times the line is so long that we just turned around and went home.” MAKING BEEF JERKY But on another occasion, David went elsewhere to join Beef Up Our Boys (see story on page 32), “a group of people...…
…32 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N F oodies around the world recognize Israeli cuisine for many specialties, but not especially for beef jerky; in fact, though, Israel has several producers. Right now, at a synagogue in Beit Shemesh, Chef Etan Ogorek oversees a team producing as much of that meaty snack as they can. SmorgasBOARD by Etan is ramping up production, not to sell to the public, but to deliver directly to soldiers in the f...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 33 ABOVE, from left: Volunteers lay out the beef on trays to fit into the dehydrators. Packages of beef jerky are sent to soldiers around the country. FACING PAGE: Soldiers love beef jerky, often the only protein they eat aside from tuna. protein source he had where he was stationed was canned tuna, which he could not eat, or canned beans. “This was the first real food I have had in a month.” POPULAR WITH SOLDIE...…
…34 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N On Sunday, Nov. 5, 345 volunteers gath- ered at Congregation Shaarey Zedek to participate in Jewish Family Service’s 27th annual Fall Fix Up event. After a few words from JFS CEO Perry Ohren and Rabbi Aaron Starr from Shaarey Zedek, these eager helpers dispersed across Oakland County, rakes (and bags and leaf blowers) in hand, ready to help older adults served by JFS prepare for the cold winter months. “...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 35 J N T he Zekelman Holocaust Center (The HC) celebrated its 39th Anniversary Benefit last month at Detroit’s Huntington Place. Lifelong Detroiters Cynthia and Marvin Zucker were honored for their unwavering support of Holocaust education as an antidote to counter rising antisemitism. Against the backdrop of the hor- rors of Oct. 7, the center’s flagship fundraising event brought together a diverse community u...…
…36 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N Throughout the fall, JARC helped the people they serve enjoy the season with several holiday and fall-themed events, activities and celebrations. Beginning with Rosh Hashanah, JARC CEO Shaindle Braunstein hosted an apple cobbler baking class, and sessions of JARC’s recurring Ettable Art series guided participants on how to make caramel apple grapes and graham cracker sukkahs for Sukkot. Ettable Art ...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 37 J N On Nov. 10, Jewish Senior Life residents, staff and friends celebrated Veterans Day 2023 in patriotic style at two of the organization’s West Bloomfield buildings decorated in red, white and blue. At Hechtman Independent Living Apartments, Jewish War Veterans of Michigan representatives Arnold Gartner and Mark Weiss shared the history, goals and current activities of Jewish War Veterans of Michigan as w...…
…38 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N T eams from the largest high schools in the state play Division 1 boys tennis. For the second straight year, Bloomfield Hills was the best of all of them. The Blackhawks won their second straight Division 1 state championship at the state tournament held this fall, winning six of the eight flights. Seven of the 12 players in Bloomfield Hills’ lineup at the state tournament are Jewish. Sophomore Jonah Che...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 39 J N NOSH DINING AROUND THE D A fter the doors closed July 2 at Star Bakery on Coolidge Highway in Oak Park, customers thought they’d had their last opportunity to taste Star’s popular challah, seven-layer cake and other scrumptious baked goods. The public, including me, didn’t know the whole story until now: that the venerable bakery, founded in Detroit in 1915, kept on going! Owners Dan Buckfire an...…
…4 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N for openers Can You Relate? I n lieu of addressing a spe- cific topic, I’ve chosen to use my last missive of 2023 to clear out my “junk drawer of thoughts. ” They’ve been stored up in my brain and on little sheets of scrap paper with nowhere to go. There will be no connecting of the dots of these comments, just a list of rambling, miscellaneous observations and queries that may, for better or worse...…
…business SPOTlight brought to you in partnership with B I R M I N G H A M 40 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N J ust over a decade ago, Jewish businesswoman Rachel Lutz faced the last $1,500 credit card limit left to her name. After being unemployed for a year-and-a-half and taking a food application from Yad Ezra that she didn’t have the courage to turn back in, Lutz decided enough was enough. Lutz, whose grandparents operated a ch...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 41 J N absorb under The Peacock Room brand as the business expands, a project that’s set to be completed by next spring, Lutz says loyal customers of Yama and Frida will still be able to find their aesthetic at the larger Peacock Room boutiques. “Yama and Frida were spin-off aesthetics that I already carried in The Peacock Room,” she explains. “So, if Yama customers really love modern, contemporary [clothin...…
…42 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 TRAVELING FAR & WIDE So far, Lutz has traveled to Dallas, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Las Vegas, England and more to purchase items for The Peacock Room and her other brands. She even ventured to China for the country’s famous Pearl Market, where 75% of the world’s pearls are bought and sold. “There’s really no place I wouldn’t want to explore to bring back the very best for Detroiters,” she says. Being...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 43 J N Council Re|Sale (3297 W. 12 Mile Road, Berkley) is getting jolly this season with holiday sales throughout December. The store is known for featuring high- end clothing including designer wear, professional attire, shoes, evening wear and home décor, all generously donated by the local community, and was awarded 2023 Best Resale Shop by Metro Times magazine. Proceeds benefit the programs and servi...…
…44 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 S omething extraordinary happens between the previous parshah and this one. It is almost as if the pause of a week between them were itself part of the story. Recall last week’s parshah about the child- hood of Joseph, focusing not on what happened but on who made it happen. Throughout the entire rollercoaster ride of Joseph’s early life, he is described as passive, not active; the done-to, not the do...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 45 from prisoner-without-hope to viceroy of the greatest empire of the ancient world. Why this extraordinary chain of events? It is telling us something important, but what? Surely this: God answers our prayers, but often not when we thought or how we thought. Joseph sought to get out of prison, and he did get out of prison. But not immediately, and not because the butler kept his promise. The story is telling...…
…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 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N W ondering what to see on Broadway if you are plan- ning a visit to New York City over the holidays? Here is a rundown of new shows with a Jewish connection: Appropriate stars Sarah Paulson, Elle Fanning, Natalie Gold and Michael Esper.Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and directed by Lila Neugebauer, it’s a dark comedy drama centered around a patriarch’s death. The Lafayette family has returned...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 49 J N extremely inaccurate. The duo rented a theater for a bare-bones staged reading and wind up acting out dozens of the characters themselves. The show has a rotating list of celebrity guest stars appearing as the producer. It runs through Jan. 28. At the James Earl Jones Theatre, 138 West 48th St. (212) 239-6200. Harmony, with music by Barry Manilow and books and lyrics by Bruce Sussman, chronicles ...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 5 J N Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofi t corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Learn more at MIBluesPerspectives.com/ReadyToHelp We put care in health insurance. Get the care you need, when you need it, with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network. From the largest network of doctors and hospitals in Michigan to c...…
…50 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 WHO’S WHO IN MAESTRO; A NEW WONKA; TEDDY BEARS, A “KOSHER” DOLL Maestro, a bio pic about Leonard Bernstein (1918- 1990), opened in a limited number of theaters on Nov. 22 (to be eligible for Oscars) and premieres on Netflix on Dec. 20. The reviews range from raves to “mixed.” Here’s “stuff” that will not be in most reviews: The characters are all “real” people — and most were Jewish. About half of the ca...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 51 Merrily We Roll Along stars Daniel Radcliffe, Lindsay Mendez and Jonathan Groff in a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1981 musical. When the show first ran in 1981, the ill-fated production featured music and lyrics by Sondheim and was directed by Hal Prince. It was panned by critics and closed after 16 performances. Subsequently, Prince and Sondheim ended their collaborations. However, this 2023 revi...…
…52 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N Just for Fun ACROSS 1. Chat 3. Motherly pride 6. To burst 7. Blessing 10. Pray 11. Piece 12. A gossip 14. Prayer of thanks and praise 17. Shabbat staple 18. The point of the matter 19. Neither milk nor dairy DOWN 2. Perfect homemaker 4. Hearty Shabbat stew 5. See 16 Down 8. Snack or nibble 9. To whine 12. Pointer 13. Spirit or breath 14. Skullcap 15. To Carry 16. See 5 Down See solution in next week’s is...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 53 J N KINDNESS ART MENORAH 5:30-6:30 PM, DEC. 14 (THURS.) This year’s Kindness Art Menorah will be created by hundreds of students from local Jewish and public schools. The menorah will be made of tzedakah boxes. Kindle all eight candles in Franklin Village, near the Franklin Public Library, 32455 Franklin Road, Franklin. Enjoy the traditional Chanukah delicacies: donuts, latkes and warm soup plus an am...…
…54 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 and sisters in Central Galilee; support Detroit’s homeless through local nonprofit Heart 2 Hart; pack 100 lunches with a special cookie hand- decorated by students; assemble 100 essentials for the Detroit homeless. At Congregation Shaarey Zedek. Complimentary pizza lunch for volunteers. Sign-up: shaareyzedek. shulcloud.com/event/ ProjectMitzvah. FILM OFFERING 2 PM, DEC. 17 (SUN.) At Detroit Fim Theatre i...…
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…56 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY R abbi Laurie Phillips, 55, a visionary spiri- tual leader, innovative educator and ambassador for kindness, passed away over Thanksgiving weekend at her childhood home in Southfield. In 2017, Laurie commis- sioned 10,000 red, oblong- shaped pins with the words “BE KIND” emblazoned in white capital letters to enlist thousands to join her as kind- ness ambassadors. Adorning lap...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 57 J N continued on page 58 BRUCE LAWRENCE COLTON, 81, of Bloomfield Hills and Delray Beach, Fla., passed away Dec. 3, 2023, after a brief illness. A graduate of Mumford High School and the University of Michigan, where he received both an undergraduate degree in economics and a juris doctor from the law school, Bruce was a shareholder at Domestic Linen Supply and Laundry Company, where he served for nea...…
…58 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N C.C. Colton; and friends and relatives from all over the country. Bruce was the son of the late Sol and the late Diane Colton; the younger brother of the late Marilynn and the late Norton Weiss. Interment was at Oakview Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Friends of the IDF, Michigan Chapter, P .O. Box 999, Walled Lake, MI 48390, fidf.org/donate; or National Kidney Foundation, 30 E. 33rd Street, Ne...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 59 J N law of Sylvia (the late Harry) Smaller. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, other family members and friends. Mae was the beloved wife of the late Louis Woodberg and the late Albert Fink. Interment was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to Jewish Family Service in San Diego, Calif., or to the San Diego Cent...…
…1942 - 2023 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.thejewishnews.com 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: Detroit Jewish News, 322...…
…60 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N of Greater Detroit (hadassah. org/region/greater-detroit); or PanCAN (pancan.org/donate). STEVEN HEISLER, 86, of Livonia, died Dec. 7, 2023. He is survived by his beloved wife, Judith Heisler; children, Fern (Al) Jensen, Stacey (Kevin) Mason, Suzanne Mason, Stuart (Kamala) Heisler, Neil (Carol Myers) Heisler, Frank Zychowski; grandchildren, Jen (Alex) Gruin, David (Hugo) Heisler, Mark (Hilary) Heisl...…
…DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 61 OBITUARY CHARGES The processing fee for obituaries is: $125 for up to 100 words; $1 per word thereafter. A photo counts as 15 words. There is no charge for a Holocaust survivor icon. The JN reserves the right to edit wording to conform to its style considerations. For information, have your funeral director call the JN or you may call Sy Manello, editorial assistant, at (248) 351-5147 or email him at sman...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at thejewishnews.com 62 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N Love Him or Hate Him H enry Kissinger died on Nov. 29, 2023, at the age of 100. Kissinger led a remarkable life and, like many prominent people, he was a highly controversial figure within his lifetime. Indeed, for many observers, Kissinger was a great diplomat who did a lot of good in the w...…
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…DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com DECEMBER 14 • 2023 | 7 J N unity and volunteerism is shining brightly. This year, I am celebrat- ing the miracle of solidarity. Grassroots efforts have popped up overnight like nothing Israel has ever seen. Meals have been dis- tributed, people have been welcomed into homes, and thousands of reservists, 130% of those calle...…
…8 | DECEMBER 14 • 2023 J N PURELY COMMENTARY analysis How the IDF is Reducing Civilian Casualties in Gaza T he Israel Defense Forces is making great efforts to limit civilian casual- ties in its war against Hamas, despite the terror group’s core strategy of embedding itself in the heart of civilian areas and sites. According to a senior IDF offi- cial, the military’s approach is com- prehensive, inte- grating advanced technologi...…
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