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…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 11 wouldn’t have been very meaningful. He didn’t want to walk the 1,700 miles either, as that would have taken too long. So he decided he would ride a bike. The only problem was that he had never ridden one before. At the time, Kaplan, a University of Michigan grad who moved to the West Coast after graduation, was an exec- utive at Specialized Bikes, a California-based company that specialized in high-tech bi...…

…OUR COMMUNITY M embers of Jewish War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary of Michigan, Lt. Raymond Zussman Post 333, was busy last week preparing their “Blessings in a Bag” care pack- ages for drop-off to Piquette Square in Detroit, just in time for Veterans Day. Piquette Square is a 150- unit apartment complex near Detroit’s New Center area that provides housing and care for homeless veterans. Its mission is to “create a welcoming envi...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 13 Let the Shopping Begin! You can bring light and joy to those we serve by participating in this year’s Adopt a Family program. Participation is simple! Shop from an individual or family’s personal wish list, donate gift cards or make a monetary donation to the program. However you choose to participate, you will be brightening the holidays for so many. TO SIGN UP, VISIT TO SIGN UP, VISIT JFSDETROIT.ORG/ADOPT J...…

…OUR COMMUNITY A s antisemitism in its many forms con- tinues to be on the rise around the country and world, a pair of hoax bomb threats were called into West Bloomfield’s Frankel Jewish Academy — one on the after- noon of Tuesday, Nov. 1, and one on the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 2. A few minutes before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, FJA received a call from an unknown individual asking questions about the layout of the building and ref- e...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 15 O ct. 12 was an exciting day at Hillel Day School as the boys’ soccer team enjoyed its first home game of the season on the new Sue and Alan J. Kaufman Field. The beautiful day saw many parents, fans and supporters celebrating the state-of-the-art synthetic field. The field is multi-use, enhances competitiveness, improves safety and allows consistent access for all students regardless of inclement weath...…

…16 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY S tephanie Brovenick was a supporter of Hadassah, the women’s Zionist organization, long before she became one of its administrators. “Hadassah was the first organization I belonged to while growing up and, at 8 years old, I raised funds for Hadassah. It set the groundwork for me to understand what it is to be Jewish and find community as a woman. Hadassah’s values have resonated with ...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 17 Hadassah affiliations of her mother and grandmother. Such multigenerational connections are common for Hadassah. Before joining Hadassah, Brovenick was the b’nai mitzvah and event coordinator for Temple Israel, where she is a member. She grew up in Monroe and attended a temple in nearby Toledo. Now a West Bloomfield resident, Brovenick has lived in several areas within Hadassah’s Midwest Region. She is ...…

…18 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY D r. Conrad “Connie” Giles of Detroit will be the Guest of Honor at ORT America’s 100th Anniversary Gala dinner Nov. 20 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. Giles has demonstrated his commitment and dedication to strengthening Jewish life locally, nationally and internationally. Since 2016, he has served as president of World ORT, which transforms lives through training and educ...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 19 H amilton Jewish Federation will present the first #nomoreantisemitism International Conference in Hamilton, Ontario, Nov. 19-21. #nomoreantisemitism is a three-day event. Each of the three days features keynote speakers, as well as an exhi- bition with book sales, and displays and booths hosted by community organizations. “Our #nomor- eantisemitism International Conference is a first for Hamilton Jewi...…

…20 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 B ay City’s Temple Beth Israel is part of a tri-city Jewish community, along with Saginaw and Midland, that’s existed since the late 18th and early 19th centuries when Jews followed the centers of the lumber industry. Like many Jewish communities, the Bay City Jewish community was once far more densely populated but has shrunk over time due to aging demographics and people moving away. In the mid-1900s, th...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 21 The temple has a religious school con- sisting of about 10 kids at various ages. Edut and Witkin run several classes, including Introduction to Judaism, Women in the Bible and an adult b’nai mitzvah class. The temple holds community seders, and Chanukah, Purim and Sukkot programs. In the past, a yearly community-organized Holocaust Memorial Day has been held. TBI not only has members from the tri-city area, ...…

…22 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 H annah Moss, 74, of Huntington Woods was nominated by Jewish Senior Life (JSL) as our Volunteer of the Week for her hands-on and active partic- ipation with the nonprofit organization for more than 30 years. “Hannah is the chair of our annual fundraiser, Lives Well Lived, in which she is hands-on in both fundraising and pro- graming, ” said Beth Robinson, director of FRIENDS of Jewish Senior Life. “She’s also...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 23 J ARC, a nonprofit orga- nization serving adults with developmental dis- abilities in Metro Detroit, was honored Oct. 13 as a Diversity Champion in Corp! maga- zine’s 15th Annual Salute to Diversity Awards. The award is given to leaders, companies and organizations that champion diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and achieve- ments in their organizations. JARC is honored to be rec- ognized for ...…

…M eet Danielle DePriest, 32, of West Bloomfield, the new president of NEXTGen Detroit. DePriest is also an active member in the community as a commercial litigation attorney and sits on the executive committee of Jewish Family Service. “I met Danielle DePriest as I entered NEXTGen Detroit as the director in 2019,” Tomer Moked said. “Very quickly I realized how impressive a leader she is. She’s always been passionate about the...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 25 members or meeting our staff to learn more about where they might fit best within the NEXTGen Detroit programs.” The newest addition to the organization is the Herzl Society, which recognizes young philanthropists who generously support the community with a gift of $2,500 or more to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Annual Campaign. Over the past year, DePriest says the organization has had ...…

…26 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 N EXTGen Detroit brought together pet parents and their furry friends for a Canine Happy Hour Oct. 24 at Red Oaks Dog Park in Madison Heights. “It was nice to meet new people who I haven’t seen come out to NEXTGen Detroit events and see people with their dogs, ” said Carly Schiff, event chair for Canine Happy Hour. Schiff has been involved with NEXTGen for years. Being a Michigan native, she enjoys being invo...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 27 4130 Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 MelanieSold.com 248.867.7800 SERVING THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FOR OVER 30 YEARS! • Over $63 million SOLD in 2020! • We live & work in your area. • 2 top agents for the price of one! • Call now for a free market analysis. • It’s the right time to sell! • Crain’s Top 100 Real Estate Agents in Michigan • Ranked in the Top 1/2 of 1% of Realtors Nationwide • Real Trends 500 Ameri...…

…28 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 M emories of summer 2022 are quickly fading. Before they do, let’s wrap up coverage of the 27th season of the Inter-Congregational Men’s Club Summer Softball League and the inaugural season of the Detroit Jewish Men’s Basketball League. First, the softball league, which once again played its games at Drake and Keith sports parks in West Bloomfield. Richard Elias from Temple Shir Shalom No. 1 was the rec...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 29 contribute. I applaud Richard for stepping up and presenting a bat as a fundraising incen- tive, ” said Richard Jacobs, who has been Shaarey Zedek’s player/manager since the team’s inception in 1996, the league’s first year. “Richard (Elias) is always there for us when need- ed, ” said Bassie Shemtov, Friendship Circle director. The Yendick Award was presented originally in the B’nai B’rith Softball League, ...…

…JARC, a nonprofit organization serving adults with developmental disabilities in the Metro Detroit area, hosted “Sukkot in the Lot, ” an annual Sukkot holiday celebration for the people they serve on Sunday, Oct. 16. Held in the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s parking lot in Bloomfield Hills, participants of the event enjoyed cider and donuts, played fall-themed games and danced to music with their favor- ite Star Trax DJ....…

…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT For those without computer access, please mail the following to 32255 NORTHWESTERN HWY, SUITE 205 FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334: • Who is Turning 80? [first/last] • What Day is their Birthday? • Personalized Message and Signature • A picture of the birthday person (if you would like the picture returned, please include a stamped return envelope.) • A check Continue to celebrate our octogenarian mile stone f...…

…Back to theFuture! Visionary Joshua Sirefman returns to Detroit to transform the historic Michigan Central Station into Ford’s futuristic innovation hub. ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER 32 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 BY STEPHEN MCGEE Joshua Sirefman business SPOT brought to you in partnership with B I R M I N G H A M light …

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 33 B ill Ford (William Clay Ford Jr.), executive chair of Ford Motor Company, gave his chief of staff, Mary Culler, a stealth mission about five years ago. Bill tasked Mary to look at the city of Detroit and explore places where Ford could have a presence. His vision not only related to mobility but also building and engaging community. Mary worked with the city to look at countless buildings and walked around ...…

…world-class destinations and developing innovation communities with a focus on mobility all fit the bill for the job. Culler noted that Sirefman has done large-scale developments, worked in government and been deep in the weeds of public-private partnerships, which Sidewalk Labs pursued in a Toronto- based project. “We’ve seen his deep commitment to community that he has, which is really important for us, and he saw the power of the...…

…A PROUD HISTORY The last train to leave Michigan Central Station would occur at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 5, 1988. It was train No. 353 bound for Chicago. The decades of earlier activity often included notable events in Jewish Detroit history. When the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, a world-famous scholar, traveled to Detroit in 1930, a special route was arranged for his admirers to gather at Michigan Central Depot for ...…

…War II, for emotional greetings of refugees reaching Detroit for the first time, and for receptions to welcome dignitaries to the state. An early 1931 cover of the Detroit Jewish Chronicle exclaimed: “City and state officials this week signified their readiness to join the Jewish communities of Michigan in welcoming to Detroit the world president of the Jewish National Fund, Menachem Ussishkin, on Sunday and Monday, Jan. 18 and 19. ...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 37 of subjects to collaborate on,” he added. “ And so [whether it’s academia or business or entre- preneurship or real estate], in some ways, we’re all in it together.” A GRAND VISION When Jennifer Maiseloff, now a set designer for the stage, was beginning her painting stud- ies at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit at the age of 18, she found inspi- ration by visiting Michigan Central. She’d go thr...…

…38 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 BUSINESS A s documented in a 2008 JN feature story on Jerry Schostak, the beginnings of Schostak Brothers & Company Inc. are as humble as can be. A long line of Schostak rabbis from the Ukraine ended in 1920 when Louis Schostak (Jerry’s father) quit rabbinical college in Cincinnati and, without any capital or experience, stuck a real-estate business sign on his lawn. The leap of faith worked out — and l...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 39 opportunity hub. In August, the Community Health and Social Services (CHASS) Center Inc. announced it received a $150,000 gift from Schostak Brothers & Company to launch a community doula program at CHASS Center. In September, the Salvation Army of Metro Detroit received a $50,000 gift from Schostak Brothers & Co. The donation will help support the nonprofit’s Bed & Bread Program, which supplies the Metro De...…

…40 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 BUSINESS the Schostak family made a contribution to another Detroit staple celebrating its centennial — the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, which is currently going through a complete renovation. Already planning to make a contribution, the Schostak brothers increased their original contribution after taking a tour of the synagogue and seeing some of the things they’re doing to the building. “Within that...…

…A special group of seven volunteer judges will be reviewing submissions and choosing the 36 winners. Honorees will receive free three-year subscriptions to the JN and be featured in a February 2023 issue. GO ONLINE TO THEJEWISHNEWS.COM AND NOMINATE THEM BY DECEMBER 12, 2022 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT Do you know someone who gives of themselves to the community in robust — and often thankless — ways? Someone you admire and aspire to...…

…42 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 NOSH EATS | DRINKS | SWEETS L ongtime fans, and about-to-be fans, will have a chance to experience the delectable pizza magic of Chef Max Sussman this weekend at “PizzeriaVino: A Wood-Fired Pop-Up” at Cari and Joe Vaughn’s restaurant Frame. The self-de- scribed “culinary space” in Hazel Park brings guests together for a variety of culinary delights from its changing lineup of chefs. “Max Sussman is one of Metr...…

…Taleggio (a soft Italian cheese, comparable to brie). ” A University of Michigan and Berkley High School graduate from Huntington Woods, Sussman said his cooking career started “by accident” at Habonim-Dror Camp Tavor in Three Rivers, Mich. Tavor is the Labor Zionist-oriented summer camp where he and Eli spent their formative years. As the story goes, Max at around age 19 was preparing to become a counselor when the camp asked if he...…

…ERETZ A pparently in Israel, the fifth time is the charm. After repeated attempts by the opposition, by defectors from his own right-wing bloc, by the pros- ecution and the Supreme Court to prevent embattled former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from ruling, the electorate final- ly ended Israel’s protracted political deadlock by voting overwhelmingly in favor of Netanyahu and his natural — and loyal — right-wing allies. Netanyah...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 45 In addition, the Bennett- Lapid alliance brought a self-de- clared anti-Zionist Arab party into government for the first time. Without the Ra’am Party, the anti-Netanyahu bloc could not have assembled its bare 1-seat majority in June 2021. The ideologically disparate alliance lasted barely a year to the day, with Ra’am wavering in its support of the government during major Israeli security operations in Gaza...…

…46 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 MAZEL TOV! SEPT. 20, 2022 Julia (Hollander) and Jared Hoffman of Beverly Hills are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter, Sloane Harper, named in loving memory of her great-grandparents. Also welcoming Sloane are proud grandparents Jane Smitt of Birmingham, Harvey Hollander of Las Vegas, and Jackie and Bob Hoffman of West Bloomfield. Charley Asher Gross, son of Jill and Mark Gross, will be called...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 47 loving grandchild of Passie and the late Perry Shulman, and Ruth and the late Herman Spiegel. Ari is a student at Clifford H. Smart Middle School in Commerce Township. His most meaningful mitzvah project was collecting bottle and can returns to donate money toward his Zaydie Perry’s education fund at the Zekelman Holocaust Center. Barnett-Firsten S asha Barnett and Matt Firsten, a longtime couple who ...…

…48 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 T he early history of humanity is set out in the Torah as a series of disap- pointments. God gave human beings freedom, which they then misused. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. Cain mur- dered Abel. Within a relatively short time, the world before the Flood became dominated by violence. All flesh pervert- ed its way on the earth. God created order, but humans created chaos. Even after the Flood, humani...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 49 This is a remarkable speech. By what right does a mere mortal challenge God Himself? The short answer is that God Himself signaled that he should. Listen carefully to the text: Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him” … Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gom...…

…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...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 51 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...…

…52 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE JEWELRY I n February, Matthew Gross and his wife, Elena, decided they needed a break from Michigan’s brutal winter. So they booked a two- week trip to Mexico. And that’s where Gross, “a nice Jewish boy,” jokes that he found Jesus. There, in San Miguel de Allende, about 170 miles from Mexico City, Gross did, indeed, find Jesus. Jesus Villaverde Fuentes. “For years, my customers have told me about t...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 53 PHOTOS COURTESY OF MATTHEW GROSS continued on page 54 started a GoFundMe account for the Fuentes family. Once the story of Gross’ mission to help the Fuentes family hit a jewelry trade publication, calls started coming in. The first call came from Mark Tapper of Tapper’s Jewelry in West Bloomfield, Troy and Novi. “Mark called and said that they had a bunch of equipment that they were going to sell but, afte...…

…54 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 to Mexico. “I use my power of OCD to get things done,” Gross laughs. “I use it for good, not evil. In a normal world, this logistically would have been a nightmare.” Gross sought out philanthropic Jewish Americans who have ties to or homes in San Miguel de Allende, like Linda and Chuck Soberman of West Bloomfield, who helped Gross lay out a charitable path. As more-than-luck would have it, the Fuentes fami...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 55 jewelry,” he laughs. After the jewelry store in West Bloomfield closed, Gross started working for another jeweler where he would work in the back doing jewelry repairs. His senior year of high school, Gross switched from Southfield-Lathrup High School to Berkley High because they had an excellent jewelry casting program. And that’s where Gross met his future wife. “I gave her my business card. I started m...…

…56 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 ARTS&LIFE THEATER A high school senior aiming for a theater career and a high school senior planning to keep theater as an important activity appear together in the musical Newsies set for Nov. 17-19 at Bloomfield Hills High School. Rachel Berris of Bloomfield Hills and Cameron Klein of West Bloomfield are excited to be in the play based on a newsboys strike of 1899 in New York City. Berris portrays repor...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 57 “They have to get the money for their family themselves. “They’re newsies for the time being, and they find themselves wrapped up in this strike situation. They come to love the newsies as their best friends, and they help lead the strike although they’re brand new.” Klein participates in the chorus at Temple Israel, and he takes part in the group song “Seize the Day” in the play. “Newsies showcases a d...…

…58 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 JEWISH DETECTIVE SERIES, SPIELBERG’S FAMILY MOVIE, THE LAST VETS The Calling, an eight- episode series, begins streaming on Peacock Nov. 10. It is loosely based on The Missing File, a novel (2013) by Israeli Dror Mishani, 47. The central character of The Calling is NYPD detective Avraham Avraham. He is a special investigator in Crown Heights, a Brooklyn neighborhood where many Chasidic Jews live. Jeff W...…

…NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 | 59 BABIES & NOSH 10:30-11:30 AM, NOV. 11 Come grab a snack and meet some new friends through JFamily Detroit. This event is geared toward families with babies ages 0-9 months. At Beverly Hills Park, 18801 Beverly Road. Info: jlive.app/events. 2859. COOKIE WALK NOV. 11-Dec. 2 Corner Shower and Laundry’s 5th Annual Cookie Walk is hosted by the Temple Beth El Sisterhood. Order holiday cookies online for curb...…

…60 | NOVEMBER 10 • 2022 ISRAELI ELECTION 7-8:30 PM, NOV. 16 On the campus of MSU, East Lansing. Dr. Yael Aronoff will analyze the fifth Israeli elections in three years, looking at the latest results and coalition possibilities and discussing their implications. She is the director of the Serling Institute for Jewish Studies and Modern Israel. She is also professor of International Relations at James Madison College. Info: 517-...…