…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 11 between the continent of Africa, with its rich natural resources, and Israel, with its technological innovations. I appreciated the cultural tribal preservation aspects of their church. In the coastal city of Cape Town, we started with a tour of Robben Island, where African National Congress member Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life and labor. After serving 18 of his 27-year sentence, he was released in 1...…
…12 | MARCH 9 • 2023 M aybe it’s because the Torah com- mands us to pursue justice. Or maybe it’s because Jews have historically been the victims of injustice. For whatever reason, Jews have long been active in the fight to help individuals who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes they did not commit and incarcerated, sometimes for decades. This article will introduce you to four such crusaders in southeast Michigan, including a...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 13 continued on page 14 hundreds of cases, that people who have few resources and who are scared after being arrested will confess if enough pressure is put on them, even if they are innocent. As an example, he cited Harris County, Texas, which includes Houston, where 45 defendants were exonerated months or years after their convictions on drug charges when lab tests showed nothing illegal in the materials seized f...…
…14 | MARCH 9 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 13 ON THE COVER died of COVID in Italy before his family could bring him home. Newman, who lives in Huntington Woods, meets monthly with a group of exonerees to provide support and help them with problems they might be having reintegrating into society. Mental health and substance abuse problems are com- mon, but most exonerees avoid further legal trouble. Newman’s office has ...…
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…16 | MARCH 9 • 2023 told me that, historically, most wrongful conviction studies had focused not on the innocent persons themselves but on the causes of miscarriages of justice that expose systemic flaws in the criminal jus- tice system, ” she said. Zalman invited her, as a trauma researcher, into his world and challenged her to explore the human impact of wrongful conviction on the wrongfully con- victed person’s life and the li...…
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…18 | MARCH 9 • 2023 F amilies who have a child with spe- cial needs will gather for a parent symposium on Sunday, March 12, designed to help them navigate their young adult/adult children’s transitional years. The three-hour event, which is being offered at no cost, will be held at the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit. Some 20 area agencies will be on hand to connect with the more than 130 attendees who have already...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 19 Linda Rosberg, who has run special needs groups for over 30 years and today works at Rehab Pathways Group in Troy, will be one of the staff members representing the agency at the upcoming event. She says there’s a need for more education about the services available. “I think people need to share the information they have,” she says, adding that people usually find out about services through word of mouth. “...…
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…20 | MARCH 9 • 2023 T he FBI coordinated with local authorities in mid-February to arrest a heavily armed man who had threatened on social media to kill all Jewish elected officials in Michigan, according to a recently unsealed criminal case. The man appears to have been a former employee of the University of Michigan. Jack Eugene Carpenter III, a resident of Tipton, Michigan, had tweeted on Feb. 17 that he was “heading back to ...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 21 was charged with ethnic intimidation after screaming antisemitic profanities at a local synagogue preschool. The state has also been home to a growth in vio- lent extremist movements, including a group recently put on trial for plotting to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; one of the leaders of that effort was sentenced to 19 years in prison. The University of Michigan had employed Carpenter for 10 yea...…
…22 | MARCH 9 • 2023 O n Tuesday, Feb. 7, a team of Jewish high school students pre- sented at a history class taught by Mark Catani at Pershing High School in Detroit to explain what Jewishness means to them. This was the first presenta- tion by Metro Detroit Student to Student, a program coordi- nated by Sam Dubin (assistant director/director of media relations of the JCRC/AJC in Detroit), along with Sam Kole (AJC Young Leaders...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 23 ABOVE: As part of the presentation, one of the students blew the shofar. BELOW: The Metro Detroit Student to Student group presents to a class at Pershing High School in Detroit. Yom Kippur break the fast. The presenters passed around a Chanukah menorah. “ As much as we did work to engage the group, I think it was definitely the hands-on aspects that were most engaging, ” Shapiro said. The Metro Detroit team of ...…
…24 | MARCH 9 • 2023 R achel Devries of Berkley, a JN 36 Under 36 2023 win- ner, is this week’s Volunteer of the Week. As a graduate of Hillel Day School and Frankel Jewish Academy, a lifelong member of Adat Shalom Synagogue and an alumna of Tamarack Camps, Devries’ upbringing in Jewish Metro Detroit was instrumental in cultivating her passion for giving back to the community. Devries has volunteered her time and expertise to ...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 25 FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE: Volunteer Rachel Devries is a regular blood donor. Rachel, in background, volunteers with children at SandCastles grief support program through Henry Ford. Rachel helps MSU Hillel students learn how to get a job through Gesher Human Services and later as a passion project. She continues to ele- vate her community as the membership engage- ment manager for the Birmingham Bloomfield Chamber ...…
…26 | MARCH 9 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY C ongregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield has a new program for kids of all ages and the whole family: Drama & Davening. Drama & Davening blends the traditional prayers of Shabbat in Hebrew with fun, dramatized versions of the weekly Torah portion, as well as icebreaker games and an opportunity to lead the congregation in the final prayer of Adon Olam on the bimah in the main sanctuary. The...…
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…28 | MARCH 9 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY M any of us know that PJ Library sends free, award- winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture to families with children from birth through age 12. What you may not know is that PJ Library offers “Get Together” grants to help families host Jewish-themed gatherings with friends. Get togethers can be anything from hosting a traditional Shabbat dinner to a Jewish book club to a playd...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 29 J ohn Hardwick of Royal Oak, direc- tor of marketing operations for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, is traveling to Israel for the first time on Federation’s Motor City Mission trip this month. Hardwick, 55, has worked at Federation for nearly 16 years. Though he’s not Jewish and was raised Catholic, Hardwick has felt a connection to the Jewish community here in that time. “ As a non-Jew, I’ve been...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 3 PURELY COMMENTARY 4-11 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 The Justice Seekers Meet four crusaders helping those who have been wrongfully convicted of a crime. 18 A Special Event for Special Families JCC will host a symposium for parents of kids with special needs. 20 FBI Makes Arrest Feds arrest Michigan man who plotted to kill Jewish elected officials in the state. 22 Sharing t...…
…30 | MARCH 9 • 2023 M arch is a wonder- ful time of year for celebrations! As you enjoy Purim and Reading Month with your family and friends, please consider joining in on one of the following vol- unteer opportunities as well. Keep an eye out for litera- cy-centered events this month. United Way states: “Research shows that reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for eventual success in reading, a key fa...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 31 students who attend Durfee Middle School and Central High School and advise Life Remodeled regarding Durfee Innovation Society program- ming. They implement the LRYA plan and execute all aspects of a monthly event including logistics, market- ing, budgeting, decor, public speaking, etc. Examples of these events include a Thanksgiving Dinner + Movie Night, Holiday Pajama Jam, Vision Board Party, Black History ...…
…32 | MARCH 9 • 2023 Many people served by JARC were among the more than 110 million who tuned into the 57th Super Bowl in February. JARC, a local non- profit organization serving adults with developmental disabilities in 45 locations in Metro Detroit, decorated the homes of the people they serve for the big game and provided chips, salsa and pizza. The people JARC serves enjoyed the evening watching the game in the company of ...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 33 R on Rycus has turned a sad ending into a happy beginning. All it took was a 15-year-old bowling ball and a perfect 300 game. The sad ending involved the 75-year-old B’nai B’rith bowling league in Lansing. It shut down in December, the victim of dwindling interest and participation. It was down to four three-man teams, and some of those bowlers weren’t showing up to bowl. “One of the guys on my team had been...…
…34 | MARCH 9 • 2023 W atching Rihanna rock the Super Bowl Halftime show, I noted to a living room full of fellow millennials how validating it is to see the NFL catering to our generation’s musical tastes rather than those of our parents. “That’s because now we are the parents, ” someone quipped. It’s true. Millennials — those kids who would never settle down — are now adults who are, by and large, settling down. And as Rihanna’...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 35 continued on page 36 personal values,” she said. “Now, it’s our generation’s turn to plant seeds for those to come. “That’s really what motivates me to do what I’m doing — it’s acting as the next generation for the generation that is going to come after,” DePriest said. I met DePriest at Chroma — a fittingly hip coworking and event space in Detroit’s Milwaukee Junction where her board had recently met — to learn...…
…36 | MARCH 9 • 2023 21-year-old end of the spectrum. Then for the people on the older range of our spectrum, we’re providing more significant opportunities … that would meet our “babysitter-worthy” criteria. In any given week, NEXTGen Detroit can be hosting a bar night, we can be hosting a conversation about Israel or we can be hosting a Ninjew Warrior program where people are doing something physical. Through these programs, peop...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 37 THE PROGRAM FOR HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS & FAMILIES PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS: • Support Groups • Individual Counseling • Café Europa • Individual Wellness Calls • Special Holiday Events • Portraits of Honor Oral History Exhibit and Photo Gallery at the Holocaust Center. Please visit: portraitsof honor.org TO REGISTER AND DONATE visit jslmi.org/phsf- fundraiser There is no cost to Holocaust Surviv...…
…business SPOTlight brought to you in partnership with B I R M I N G H A M 38 | MARCH 9 • 2023 here’s to Gina Horwitz, associate director of philanthropy and alumni relations at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), has retired after 12 years as a leading fundraiser for Wayne State University. Raising millions during her time at the college, Horwitz will be remembered fondly by a long list of colleagues, faculty and don...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 39 to study the winery business by Baron Rothschild. When Israel became a state, Yehuda Kaufman changed his last name to Israeli. After graduating from Pardes Hanna, Coby enlisted in the Israel Defense Forces. This mandatory military service “changed my direction, ” he said. The military responsibilities of the unit to which Coby was assigned specialized in the relationship between Israel and Lebanon, primarily ...…
…4 | MARCH 9 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY guest column A Lifetime of Shabbos Dinners M any perspectives are incorporated into the ways the Sabbath is celebrated. Some people cele- brate it as the most important holiday in the Jewish calendar. Some say, since it is the most frequent holiday, it is the most important. Others say because it is the only holiday mentioned in the Ten Commandments, it is therefore the most important. S...…
…40 | MARCH 9 • 2023 business SPOTlight here’s to Williams, Williams, Rattner & Plunkett, P.C. is pleased to announce that Jeremy Manson has been elected shareholder. Jeremy focuses his litigation practice on business, real estate, employment, and probate matters on behalf of individuals, small businesses and large corporations. Jeremy is an active member of the legal community, serves on the board of directors of the Michigan ...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 41 Basic Computer Skills Training for Job Seekers Gesher Human Services will be holding a new program called Computer Basics for Job Seekers from March 13-29, offering 12 hours of classroom time at its headquarters in Southfield (29699 Southfield Road)). The program is being offered by the nonprofit agency as a new report shows that digitization of work across the U.S. is expanding, with more than three-qu...…
…MAZEL TOV! 42 | MARCH 9 • 2023 William Maxwell Goodman became a bar mitzvah at Congregation Beth Ahm on March 4, 2023. Will is the son of Gene and Sherri Goodman and big brother to Max, Tate and Izzy. Proud grand- parents are Bob and Bylaina Lavine, and the late William and Sandra Goodman. Will is a student at Hillel Day School in Farmington Hills. He enjoys base- ball, basketball, football and hanging out with his friends...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 43 T he poet Yehuda Amichai writes: “I don’t want an invisible god. I want a god who is seen but doesn’t see, so I can lead him around and tell him what he doesn’t see… ” (“God Changes, Prayers are Here to Stay” in The Poetry of Yehuda Amichai, ed. Robert Alter, pp. 409- 10) Back in Parashat Mishpatim, the Torah tells us that Moses was called up to the mountain to work on the stone tablets and remained there for 40 ...…
…44 | MARCH 9 • 2023 T his week’s Torah por- tion serves as a pivotal point for Moshe and the Bnei Yisrael’s relationship with God — but in two very opposite and distinct ways. By the end of our parshah, the Bnei Yisrael have betrayed God while Moshe has had the most intimate encounter with God of anyone before or since. As a result of the nation’s betrayal, God withdraws from direct association with them. The nation mourns, g...…
…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...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 46 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 H...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 47 ARTS&LIFE FILM T he Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 12, at 8 p.m. (ABC). Jimmy Kimmel will host. The ceremony is produced by Glenn Weiss, 61, and his professional partner, Ricky Kirshner, 60. Rihanna will sing at the ceremony, as will Dianne Warren, 66. Warren and Sofia Carson will perform “Applause,” a song Warren wrote. It’s up for the best song Oscar this year. Warren has previously be...…
…48 | MARCH 9 • 2023 ARTS&LIFE FILM continued from page 47 Some good sources say Curtis has a good shot at winning. Others say the opposite. She now has some momentum, having just won the SAG award for supporting actress. Jamie is the secular daughter of the late actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Tony was an absent father and a hard guy to be around, period. But Jamie managed to maintain ties to him. Together, they helped r...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 49 home movies of his (real) daughter every year on her birthday. We follow her as she grows into adulthood. BEST PICTURE There are 10 nominated films. The Oscar goes to the film’s principal producers. Here are six best picture nominees with a “verified” Jewish producer(s). Avatar: The Way of the Water, was co-produced by Jon Landau, 62. Landau is either freakishly lucky or a kind of genius. He’s only produced n...…
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…50 | MARCH 9 • 2023 T hey were two talented New Yorkers from Brooklyn and Roosevelt Island who met as freshmen at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, also known as the “Fame” school. They went to Ithaca College together. And, in a bold move, they even auditioned as a duo for the coveted leads on the national tour of The Simon & Garfunkel Story. For two shows on Saturday, March 18, at Detroit’s...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 51 Ithaca College with a voice major and theater minor while Bobo graduated with a degree in composition. Since then, Bobo and Smith have performed with differ- ent bands, and Bobo opened a recording studio where he has been very busy as a music producer. Smith and his broth- er, Damon, a pianist, recently released a record under the name “The Brightmares, ” which is streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and iTunes. C...…
…52 | MARCH 9 • 2023 WARNER GRANDSON VS. KILLER, POP-POP POPS- UP AGAIN, TODD DOING WELL The Ritual Killer is an action thriller that opens in theaters on Friday, March 10. Here’s the capsule plot: Detective Boyd (Cole Hauser) is haunted by his daughter’s death. He goes on a fevered hunt for a serial killer who murders according to a brutal tribal ritual known as Muti. He seeks help from Professor Mackies, an anthropologist (M...…
…MARCH 9 • 2023 | 53 …
…54 | MARCH 9 • 2023 NOSH & MOVIE NOON-2 PM, MARCH 12 At Adat Shalom Synagogue. Pre-K to fourth-graders will enjoy a nosh and watching the movie The Lorax during this special kids’ event that is part of Shomrei Adamah Guardians of the Earth series. Cost: from $10. Info: jlive.app/events/3840; 248- 851-5100. SUPPORT GROUP 12:30-1:30 PM, MARCH 12 Dr. Jay Inwald, a psychologist and Congregation Shaarey Zedek officer, has volunt...…
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…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY HELEN FEDER, 99, of Nashua, New Hampshire, died Feb. 23, 2023. Helen was a lifelong mem- ber of Congregation Shaarey Zedek and the first female member of the drafting divi- sions of General Motors and Vickers Corp. Helen also served as a BBYO coordinator, volunteered at the Southfield Public Library and Sinai Hospital and was a member of the Tau Epsilon Rho Auxiliary. Mrs. Feder is survived by her so...…
