…MAY 4 • 2023 | 19 AT HOME AT WSU For Shevitz, it was a slam dunk to return to Michigan and go to Wayne State. “I always consid- ered Michigan home, and I have roots at Wayne State and law in Michigan going back genera- tions, ” he said. “My father, Henry Shevitz, a medical doctor, did his graduate studies at Wayne, and my late mother, Susan, and her two sisters were Wayne alumnae. My mother’s father taught at the WSU School of Medic...…
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…20 | MAY 4 • 2023 Bright Spirit OUR COMMUNITY Catching up with Rebecca Rosen, two decades after her JN debut. JACKIE HEADAPOHL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR …
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 21 t’s been almost 22 years to the day since the Detroit Jewish News intro- duced then Rebecca Perelman, a 24-year-old medium, to the Metro Detroit Jewish community in a cover story titled “Spiritual Messenger. ” Since that time, Rebecca Rosen has gone on to build a worldwide reputation as a spiritual medium, speaker and author of four books. She’s been seen on national TV shows such as Extra, Nightline and The Rachel ...…
…continued from page 21 22 | MAY 4 • 2023 recently written a book on a similar topic. “I thought it would be of interest to our readers, ” Zimmerman said. “ And, boy, was I right. After that story came out, our phone was ringing off the hook with people who wanted to get in touch with her. ” WELCOME TO EARTH SCHOOL Rosen describes herself as “an ambassador between the spirit world and our day-to-day world — relaying wisdom and insigh...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 23 continued on page 24 before we were born, and it’s up to each of us to unravel the meaning at the heart of them. ” The third lesson is “I am sup- ported. I am surrounded. ” She said it’s hard to accept on a conscious level that there is a reason for life’s struggles and tragedies. “Know that you are not alone. We all have a spirit team made of our guides, angels and deceased loves ones, as well as a ‘ground crew, ’...…
…24 | MAY 4 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY reach out to Spirit and connect with loved ones on the other side, Rosen said. “We all have the gift to a certain degree. It’s like a mus- cle that requires development. Meditation helps. It gets you out of your mind and ego so your intuitive senses can start work- ing. It takes practice and faith and trust. ” For those still working on our own intuitive skills, a reading with someone like Rosen can ...…
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…W hen Cantor Michael Smolash was tasked with booking the 2023 Laker Concert, he knew that Dan Nadel from B’Nai Jeshurun in New York would be a natural fit for Temple Israel and the Greater Detroit Jewish community. And the show, “Like a Rolling Stone — Bob Dylan’s American Mythology, ” is free and open to the public on Sunday, May 7, at 4 p.m. The concert is sponsored in loving memory of Sarah and Harry Laker, who through t...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 27 I N V I T E S Y O U T O H O N O R I N G JANE F. SHERMAN JUNE 4, 2023 • 5:00PM 5 0 5 0 W . M A P L E R O A D W E S T B L O O M F I E L D T O W N S H I P , M I 4 8 3 2 2 KNOLLWOOD COUNTRY CLUB U S E T H E Q R C O D E T O R E G I S T E R T O D A Y F O R E V E N T I N Q U I R I E S , C A L L 9 7 3 - 5 5 9 - 3 1 4 6 …
…OUR COMMUNITY “D onating a piece of artwork each year for the ORT auction has always been a creative artistic challenge, ” says Lisa Spindler, a veteran contributing artist of ORT and the City. “The most rewarding and important part is knowing that the money raised from this auction is going to provide opportunities for students in great need of support to follow their education. Through the piece I created this year, I hope to in...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 29 Art Your Heart Out Coffee House is a community engagement program for experienced adults to share in expert led, enriching discussions. Join us for great conversation, food and connection! LEARNING COMMUNITY Host Committee: Joy and Allan Nachman • Sharon Alterman David Broner • Richard J. Burstein • Lynda Giles Barbra Giles • Wendy Handler • Betsy Kellman Susan Kozik Klein • Barbara Kratchman Sharon Lipton • Dottie an...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 3 PURELY COMMENTARY 4-12 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 14 A Race Against Time One million Ukraine family history records will be available on JewishGen by summer. 18 In Tune with the Law Honored WSU law student strikes all the right chords. 20 Bright Spirit Catching up with Rebecca Rosen two decades after her JN debut. 24 Genesee County Marks Education Day Sheriff echoes the Rebbe’s call ...…
…30 | MAY 4 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY A t a packed governor’s mansion last month, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hosted a “Freedom Seder” for the second consecutive year. I had the pleasure of participating, along with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and an intimate group of Black and Jewish community leaders. Throughout the evening, we retold the story of the Exodus while interweaving parallel themes of freedom through the lens of the Blac...…
…using a customized Haggadah written for the occasion. Each of the 28 participants read a section while sitting at a long dining room table. Gov. Whitmer recited “First They Came” by German Pastor Martin Niemöller, the anti- apathy poem displayed at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Others read selections from Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr., along with traditional seder standards of prayers, texts and songs, including “Go Dow...…
…32 | MAY 4 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY A ndrew Doctoroff isn’t sure if he pursued law because he was being “uncreative” or to follow in his father’s footsteps, but he imagines it’s a combination of both. The late Judge Martin Doctoroff was a prominent Metro Detroit attorney and litigator who gained his reputation in town as being one of a few divorce attorneys who also specialized in mediation. “I think either consciously or subcon- sciou...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 33 as an adjunct professor at University of Detroit Mercy from 2008-2012, and then at University of Michigan Law School from 2018 onwards, where he continues to teach today. At the latter, he created the course “21st Century Infrastructure: The Lawyer’s Role, ” which covers infrastructure history and related legal and ethical issues. MAKING A PIVOT As a topic he’s now intimately familiar with, Doctoroff put his high-pr...…
…OUR COMMUNITY I recently had the opportunity to volunteer with 826 Michigan in a kindergarten class- room at University Preparatory Academy — Mark Murray Campus in Detroit. A friend spoke highly of this organization, and when I reached out to learn more for this column, I was invited to join them to help facilitate their “Word Collectors” curriculum. Our group leader, Denise, read The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds to a classro...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 35 New Class from Bais Chabad Dreams, Ghosts, Spirits, the Afterlife … What’s the Jewish take on these topics? Join Bais Chabad for a fascinating voyage into the superstitious and supernatural. This four-part series is sure to pique your curi- osity and provide knowledge from Jewish texts that many don’t even know exist. Classes are taught twice weekly by Rabbi Shneur Silberberg, Sunday morning and Wednesday evenings, in pe...…
…OUR COMMUNITY T he heart of Hillel Day School has been permanently transformed, thanks to the mural work by Israeli artist Solomon Souza. The 16-foot mural depicts the prominent Zionist Theodor Herzl and a female pioneer, or chalutzah, monochromat- ically painted in shades of blue and high- lighted in shades of gold, gazing out over Jerusalem, often called the City of Gold. This incredible permanent mural by the talented Souza is bas...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 37 core Jewish values come to life through our strong arts program,” said Dr. Darin Katz, Head of School at Hillel Day School. When looking at the mural (from left to right), viewers will see Theodor Herzl: the Father of Modern Zionism, the visionary for the Jewish State and the organizer of the Zionist Congresses. In the middle is a landscape of the city of Jerusalem — including the Old City’s Jaffa Gate, traditional ...…
…38 | MAY 4 • 2023 I believe camp is the best gift a parent can give to a child, and I am so happy to be a part of sending kids to Tamarack. ” These inspiring words of Doreen Hermelin, this year’s Send a Kid to Tamarack (SK2T) Community Leader hon- oree, are a testament to the vital role sum- mers at Tamarack Camps have on the lives of children and the value of making camp financially acces- sible to all. She will be honored at Nigh...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 39 faces&places On April 2, high school students from Frankel Jewish Academy’s Finance Club partnered with JARC, a nonprofit organi- zation serving adults with developmental disabilities in Metro Detroit, to host a “Fun with Finance” event. The event took place at the Max M. Fisher Federation building and was attended by 15 people JARC serves and 12 students. The participants engaged with one another by splitting into...…
…4 | MAY 4 • 2023 essay Weather Notes O ne of the most talked about subjects seems to be the weather. It is usually too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry … rarely is it just right. Are you aware, however, that some people are not happy to just talk about the climatic conditions; they have put their observations to music. As a result, there are many songs with weather conditions in the title. “Stormy Weather” is one that many wi...…
…40 | MAY 4 • 2023 N adav Pais- Greenapple fills part of his present days speaking about artistic Jewish topics of the past and referencing language prevalent in days gone by. The history of Jewish theater in Detroit and translations of Yiddish literature hold important segments of his time. Although there is lots to do as he teaches Tanach at Hillel Day School in Farmington Hills and makes plans for his wedding in October at...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 41 a Yiddish text that his wife’s family found written in the inside of a tallit or tefillin bag in fabric marker, and it was a Holocaust testimony. It was a story of somebody telling how that person survived the Holocaust. I was able to translate that.” Pais-Greenapple, a Wayne State University graduate, has presented multiple lectures about his work and studies. One was for the Jewish Historical Society of Michi...…
…T here were eight bowlers on the two teams in the playoff championship match of the Brotherhood-Eddie Jacobson B’nai B’rith bowling league. Seven had previously won a playoff championship. Rick Woolman was the outlier. Not anymore. The 600 Club team, anchored by Woolman, beat the FlashDancers 15-9 for the title on April 24 after being tied 7-7 through two games. Points are awarded through match play and team scores. “Rick bowled...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 43 Zeltzer-Weinfeld I rwin and Lauri Weinfeld and Elliot and Susan Zeltzer announce the engage- ment of their children, Jaime Rebekkah Weinfeld and Paul David Zeltzer. Jaime received her bach- elor’s degree in theater and costume design at Denison University. She owns and operates her own wedding planning and photography business. Jaime is the grand- daughter of the late George and the late Janet Weinfeld, and the la...…
…44 | MAY 4 • 2023 SPIRIT Life Here & Now T he portion of Emor opens with a strange commandment to the kohanim: “ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to the priests … and tell them: “Do not defile yourself by contact with the dead of the nation. ’” (Leviticus 21:1). The Bible goes on to delineate the only dead with whom the kohen may have contact: his wife, his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother and his unma...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 45 T here is something unique about the way Parshat Emor speaks about Shabbat. It calls it a mo’ed and a mikra kodesh when, in the conventional sense of these words, it is neither. Mo’ ed means an appointed time with a fixed date on the cal- endar. Mikra kodesh means either a sacred assembly, a time at which the nation gathered at the central Sanctuary or a day made holy by proclamation, that is, through the human ...…
…46 | MAY 4 • 2023 observe the Sabbath day. ” (Deut. 5:11–14) Here there is no reference to creation. Instead, the Torah speaks about a historical event: the Exodus. We keep Shabbat not because God rested on the seventh day but because He took our ancestors out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom. Therefore, Shabbat is a day of freedom even for servants, and even for domestic animals. One day in seven, no one is a slave. Of course, both...…
…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 Bloomfield (248) 78...…
…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 ...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 49 H otel Cuba, a novel by former Michigan resident Aaron Hamburger, releases in May to tell the basic immigration story experienced by his grandmother, Ethel Lansky Fishman, who was born in what is now Belarus, went to Cuba until she could enter the United States and settled in the Detroit area. The book, essentially dealing with incidents in the 1920s and hurdles faced by immigrants, deviates from facts as the aut...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 5 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 Shavuot learning with special guest Rabbi Michele Faudem Tikkun Leil Shavuot May 25 at 8:00pm Lunch and Learn May 26 at 12:00pm Outside Kabbalat Shabbat followed by a light dinner May 5 and May 19 at 6:00pm Big enough to enrich you. Small enough to ...…
…50 | MAY 4 • 2023 E lena Luchina developed her career in teaching Yiddish as she moved from schools in Russia, France, Israel and the United States and is making friends in this country by establishing a Jewish Song Circle. She lives in an Ann Arbor home, teaches through the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Michigan (U-M) and has people of all ages singing in sessions scheduled about once every two wee...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 51 There are no formal performances by this group. People basically get together for their personal enjoyment in shared music and friendships. “We post meeting notices on Facebook and welcome new members of all ages,” said Luchina, who lists the group on Facebook as Jewish Song Circle in Ann Arbor. “I’ve developed friendships from this program, and these people are very important to me. “It’s also a nice way to ...…
…52 | MAY 4 • 2023 GROSSBERG AND CARLSON, BELAFONTE FAMILY, AND NEW SHOWS As I write this, it’s eight hours after the news broke that Tucker Carlson was no longer a Fox News employ- ee. It’s quite clear he was fired. Right after the news broke, a CNN early morning newscaster went through the “things” that might have led-up to this — and men- tioned the lawsuit that Abby Grossberg, 42, a former Fox News producer, had brought agai...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 53 CHILDREN UNDER FIRE 7 PM, MAY 4 A Zoom presentation organized by NCJW|MI. Featuring John Woodrow Cox, Washington Post reporter and author of Children Under Fire: An American Crisis. He will discuss the true cost of gun violence on our nation’s chil- dren. RSVP via ncjwmi.org. SPECIAL CONCERT 7 PM, MAY 4 The Museum of Jewish Heritage is presenting a one-night only concert ver- sion of Richard Rodgers award-winning ...…
…54 | MAY 4 • 2023 schmoozing. Info: jlive.app/ events/4443. CAREGIVER SUPPORT 1:30-2:30 PM, MAY 9 Virtual caregiver support group for individuals who are care partners for those living with cognitive changes including various types of dementia. Contact Dorothy Moon, Brown Adult Day Program social worker, for Zoom link and more information: 248-233-4392, dmoon@geshermi.org. ORT & THE CITY 6:30-10 PM, MAY 10 At Eastern Market. ORT ...…
…the exchange community bulletin board | professional services For information regarding advertising please call 248-351-5116 or 248-234-9057 or email salessupport@thejewishnews.com Deadline for ad insertion is 9 a.m. on Friday prior to publication. MAY 4 • 2023 | 55 FREE ESTIMATES • LICENSED & INSURED HANDYMAN SERVICE • Carpentry • Plumbing • Electrical REMODELING • Kitchen • Bath • Basement A&E ConstruCtion 248-425-9565 Servin...…
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…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY MAY 4 • 2023 | 57 MICHAEL MURRAY COHN, 68, of Lake Orion, died April 22, 2023. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Siena Heights University. He joined Jabil Circuit in 1983, where he built a successful career in supply chain and manufacturing management and developed life-long friendships. Mike was an aficionado of all things rock and roll and sci-fi and always enjoyed ven- turing out to exp...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 58 | MAY 4 • 2023 He was a loving, caring, generous and thoughtful person. Joel had a successful career, working for more than 35 years for American Express before retiring to Portugal. Mr. Colman is survived by his beloved mother, Harriet Colman; his sister and broth- er-in-law, Jill and Paul Ruskin; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Jonathan and Suzi Colman, and Jeffrey Colman and Ellen Nissenbaum; n...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 59 GERALD H. HERMAN, 89, of Farmington Hills, died April 23, 2023. He is survived by his beloved wife, Marilyn Herman; son and daughter-in-law, Leonard and Shari Herman; daughters and sons-in-law, Leslie and Colin (Davies) Herman, Lori and Jim Frye; grandchildren, Erica and Rebecca Nowak; great-grand- children, Ryder and Everette; brother and sisters-in-law, Larry and Mary Ann Herman, Barbara Fink, Brenda Kaplan;...…
…6 | MAY 4 • 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: Detroit...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 60 | MAY 4 • 2023 Bloomfield Hills, died April 24, 2023. He was the beloved hus- band of Sydney L. Rose for 56 years; cherished father of Scott (Rachel) Rose, Stephanie (Dr. Joshua) Goldberg and Carrie (Dr. Frederic) Goldman; proud grandfather of Aaron and Ryan Rose, Spencer, Sadie and Hannah Goldberg, and Eliza and Nathan Goldman; dear brother-in-law of William (Victoria) Becker and Julie Becker; d...…
…MAY 4 • 2023 | 61 law, Sheila Sulkes, Carol Sulkes and Michael Krauss; son and daughter-in-law, Mark Sulkes and Lihua Zhang; grandchil- dren, Zoe Sulkes, Matthew and Sarah Krauss, Jonathan and Carley Krauss, and Daniel and Kenna Krauss; great-grand- children, Adam, Laura, Emily and Chloe Krauss; sister-in- law, Ann Kaplan; many loving nieces and nephews, including Linda Kaplan and the late Sandy Sulkes. Mrs. Sulkes was the beloved ...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 62 | MAY 4 • 2023 Looking Back at the Miracle Mission I t has been a month since JN Editorial Director Jackie Headapohl and I returned from Israel as members of the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit’s 2023 Motor City Mission. I should add that we are officially Bus #3-ers, a lifetime honorific. BTW — there is an un...…
…The Cantors are back at The Berman! …
