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…LEONARD ABRAMS, 77, of Novi, died May 26, 2021. He is survived by his daughter, Diane “Dee Dee” Charette; sons and daughters-in-law, Daniel “Danny” and Jennifer Abrams, and David and Adrianne Abrams; grandchildren, Lola Abrams, Jonah Abrams, Talia Abrams, Noah Abrams, Haley Charette and Jeremy Charette. Mr. Abrams was the beloved husband for 53 years of the late Julia Ellen Abrams. Interment was at B’nai Israel Memorial Garden...…
…JUNE 3 • 2021 | 49 continued on page 50 She was preceded in death by her father, Charles Factor. Interment was at Paradise Memorial Park in Scottsdale. Memorial contributions may be made in Lori’s name to the Arizona Humane Society. azhumane.org LOIS LEDGER, 83, of West Bloomfield, died May 25, 2021. In her earlier years, Lois worked with children as a nanny and school monitor. When she eventually moved into Hechtman, she was ...…
…50 | JUNE 3 • 2021 continued from page 49 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY continued on page 52 SARAH “SALLY” MANDEL of Southfield, died peaceful- ly on April 23, 2021, at the home of her son, Harleigh Mandel, in California, where she had been living for the past 11 years. She and her late hus- band, Dr. Leslie Mandel, a rheumatologist, gave of themselves to their family, community and provided their children with a loving warm home...…
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…52 | JUNE 3 • 2021 continued from page 50 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY LEONARD “LARRY” RAIMI, 95, of Santa Monica, Calif., formerly of Michigan, died May 20, 2021. The retired owner of Central Outfitting Company, he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and his mas- ter’s in business from the University of Michigan. His grandchildren were the lights of his life, and he fol- lowed their lives and care...…
…JUNE 3 • 2021 | 53 C elebrating its anniver- sary this month, many say that his restaurant is better today than even those two highly prestigious ones where he used to be execu- tive chef. There wasn’t much doubt after dining at the French-style restaurant where Paul Grosz is also its owner-execu- tive chef … and is also noted for doing its own baking of assorted breads and elegant pastries that include a bevy of luscious offe...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 54 | JUNE 3 • 2021 A UP Disaster that Mirrored Mt. Meron L ast month, Israel experienced the worst civil disaster in its history. On April 30, tens of thousands of Orthodox Jews attended a celebration of Lag b’Omer on Mt. Meron in northern Israel. As celebrants began to leave the event, they used narrow, slippery st...…
…See Our Improved Features to Help Manage Your Account! • Online Account Access for Immediate Updates • Submit Address Changes, Starts and Stops • Easy Renewal Payments • Manage Gift Subscriptions • More ways to get in touch Email Us: subscriptions@thejewishnews.com Reach Out Through Our Website: https://thejewishnews.com/contact/ Or Call 248.351.5108 Subscribe Today! $200 Feb. 11-17, 2021 / 29 Shevat-5 Adar 5781 JEWISH NEW...…
…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com $200 May 27-June 2, 2021 / 16-22 Sivan 5781 Our Zoo’s Guardian to Retire Detroit Zoo CEO Ron Kagan followed his moral compass ... and helped redefine how zoos are run. Page 14 …
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…MAY 27 • 2021 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-12 OUR COMMUNITY 14 Our Zoo’s Guardian to Retire Ron Kagan followed his moral compass … and helped redefine how we run our zoos. 18 Vaccines for Teens Farber vaccination program expands into the community, with 12-to-15-year-olds up next. 19 Protecting the Young Federation, JARC hold vaccine clinic for teens. 20 Solidarity with Israel ZOA-led rally on Orchard La...…
…4 | MAY 27 • 2021 Pro-Israel Rally Shows the Flag Israel won and Hamas lost on May 15 in West Bloomfield where 200 supporters of Israel gathered waving flags and cheering a triumphant Israel. Hundreds of cars passed the rally participants blowing their horns in support of the participants waiving American and Israeli flags. Many thanks to rally creator Eugene Greenstein and his team of Kobi Erez, Shel Freilich (both ZOA-MI), Re...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 5 Federation’s 2021 Annual Campaign ends on May 31, which is when we begin distributing resources to our partner agencies. Please consider joining with nearly 10,000 other Jewish Detroiters who are supporting our community. DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT: Until the end of this month—thanks to a generous supporter—any donor who did not donate last year will have their gift matched, dollar for dollar, up to $180. YOUR IMPACT Helping J...…
…6 | MAY 27 • 2021 PURELY COMMENTARY continued on page 12 1942 - 2021 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...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 7 Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation. We Have Answers. Need to find help during a family crisis ¨ 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 Q X 248.289.0660 www.tusharvakhariya.com 6755 Telegraph Road | Bloomfield Hills MI 48301 210 S Old...…
…8 | MAY 27 • 2021 essay Israel Under Attack: A Community Briefing T his has been a tragic and terrifying time for the people of Israel. It has also been an extraor- dinarily difficult time for Jewish people across the world, as well as for anyone who hopes for peace. My perspec- tive is somewhat unique. As an Israeli citizen currently living in Detroit, thou- sands of miles away from my home, my friends and loved ones, I have w...…
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…10 | MAY 27 • 2021 essay The Four Absurd Criticisms of Israel’s War Conduct M uch of the media and many experts and observers have succumbed to what can be described as a complete loss of rational think- ing when it came to evalu- ating the Israel- Hamas war. Israel’s critics invented an entirely new set of illogical rules of war for Israel that one can only con- clude is aimed at leaving the Jewish state defenseless and all...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 11 In an editorial discussing civilian casualties caused by U.S. drone strikes in the Middle East, which number by estimates at over 1,000, the New York Times conceded, “no matter how precise the weap- ons, how careful the planners and how skilled the fighters, mistakes, faulty intelligence, even calculated decisions often led to civilians being killed” and that “There is no such thing as combat without risk.” In ...…
…PURELY COMMENTARY ANTI-ISRAEL MEDIA Also, the complexities of attempting to thwart a terror-state’s rocket fire, cynically launched from the midst of a civilian pop- ulation, have undermined Israel’s international stand- ing, with numerous world leaders and opinion-shapers maliciously or lazily compar- ing death tolls and conclud- ing that because Israel’s is lower, it must be the aggres- sor. The likes of HBO talk show host John Oli...…
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…14 | MAY 27 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY After 28 years, Detroit Zoo’s Ron Kagan to retire. A Friend to the Animals … and Other Inspiring ‘Tales’ ALAN MUSKOVITZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY Ron Kagan at the Arctic Ring of Life …
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 15 continued on page 16 I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with nature and critters, ” said Ron Kagan, executive director/ CEO of the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS), when I asked how far back his passion for animals went. It was the first question I posed to Kagan, 69, during our recent phone con- versation to discuss the major change coming in his life. Kagan officially announced his retirement earlie...…
…16 | MAY 27 • 2021 OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 15 certainly an interesting con- versation starter. I just wasn’t prepared to learn the incident included a surprising second biter. Four-year old Ron Kagan was nestled in the backseat of his parent’s car. The suburban Boston family had just picked up their new puppy — a boxer. “We were bringing him home, and I couldn’t have been more excited. His name was Bobby. I was pullin...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 17 something to help, ” Kagan recalled. “During those first 10 days, it looked like Israel was about to be pushed into the Mediterranean. So, the idea of waiting until next summer seemed ridiculous to me. ” Kagan remembers the image of the darkened runway upon his arrival in Tel Aviv, a black- out to prevent the airstrip from being a nighttime bombing tar- get. A long way from a college campus, Kagan said, “I didn’t ...…
…T o ensure Farber Hebrew Day School students who were eligible for, and wanted, COVID-19 vaccines received them, Dr. Howard Korman put on two hats — along with his regularly-worn kippah. A member of the Southfield school’s medical advisory board for the COVID program, as well as a self-described “vac- cine-activist, ” he created an avenue for high schoolers 16 years and older to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. And ...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 19 T he Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and JARC held a vaccine clinic at the Federation building on Thursday, May 13. The clinic took place the day after federal regulators expanded authorization for the use of Pfizer- BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine in children ages 12-15. The clinic was open to anybody but was aimed at 12-to-15-year-olds. JARC has been holding clinics, especially for the people ...…
…20 | MAY 27 • 2021 M ore than 100 people attended a pro-Israel rally on the west side of Orchard Lake Road in West Bloomfield on Friday, May 14, to show support for Israel in its ongoing clash with Hamas. The event was helmed by the Zionist Organization of America’s Michigan Region. In attendance was Eugene Greenstein, former ZOA-MI president, who hoped the rally expressed the local support for Israel. “We felt we needed to come o...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 21 T he Holocaust Memorial Center (HMC) has launched the Virtual Museum Experience (VME), a new online program for students learning about the Holocaust. When the pandemic hit and HMC had to shut down, HMC’s Education Department knew they didn’t want to stop teaching the lessons of the Holocaust. The team began strategizing how to take the museum experience to students virtually, customizing the content for each...…
…22 | MAY 27 • 2021 A $100,000 academic award funding the study of catalysts in the human body became a cat- alyst for developing unrelated science videos that include one explaining how COVID-19 vac- cines prevent infections. Leah Witus, assistant profes- sor of chemistry at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., was among 25 educators chosen for this year’s Cottrell Scholar Awards given by the Research Corporation for Science Ad...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 23 JEWS IN THE DIGITAL AGE T he year 2020 was so full of changes and disappointments that it is no wonder we began 2021 eager for things to return to normal. That certainly was not the case for my CES experience in January. The annual international Consumers Electronics Show has become a regular activity on my calendar at the start of each year, and I was especially looking forward to this year’s convention fo...…
…24 | MAY 27 • 2021 An asymmetrical one-shoulder tulle ballgown from Lee Petra is adorned with geometric flower appliques. Israel is home to stunning white-sand beaches, vibrant foods, iconic sights — and world-renowned wedding gown designers. LYNNE KONSTANTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER continued on page 26 …
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…26 | MAY 27 • 2021 continued on page 28 LEE PETRA GREBENAU The darling of New York Bridal Fashion Week, Lee Petra Grebenau launched her own design house after growing up in the family textile business. Also graduating with honors from Shenkar Fashion Art Academy, Grebenau not only has an inti- mate understanding of fabrics, but is known for her luxurious embroidery and embellishments. “I like to work with silk,” she told the Bridal Cou...…
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…28 | MAY 27 • 2021 continued from page 26 HOUSE OF MEDINA The Medina family has been designing and sewing wedding gowns for more than 70 years, with an emphasis on handmade corsets. Designer and studio director Michal Medina leads the atelier with head designer, her daughter, Tal, who graduated with honors from Shenkar Fashion Art Academy, a top fashion design school in Tel Aviv. Tal’s signature: luxuriously shimmery fabrics combined ...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 29 W hen it comes to winning state championships in hockey, the Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood High School team has no peers. The Cranes have played in 20 state title games and won 18 of them, losing only to Calumet in 1996 and 1998. Their latest triumph was a 4-1 win over previously undefeated Calumet at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth for the Division 3 title, their first state championship since 2015. Five ...…
…30 | MAY 27 • 2021 MAZEL TOV! Robert Nathan Feldman (Natanel Dov) of West Bloomfield will become a bar mitzvah at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills on May 29, 2021. Robbie is the son of Julie and Mike Gold, and Melissa and Brad Feldman. He is the adored grandson of Ellen and Paul Chute, Cheryl and Dennis Yashinsky, Millie and the late Morton Feldman, Simone Vitale, Jeannie Vitale and Jeffrey Parsons. Robbie is the br...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 31 CAP & GOWN HIGH SCHOOL GRADS SOPHIA AARON Frankel Jewish Academy Indiana University LILLIAN BEAVERS Frankel Jewish Academy Friendship Circle’s Umatter Board, 2018 One thing I Wish You Knew speaker, Tennis, Volleyball, Student Government, Created a website for her photographs and received multiple art honors. American University JACK BEHRENDT Bloomfield Hills High School National Honor Society, Varsity Tennis...…
…MAZEL TOV! 32 | MAY 27 • 2021 HOW TO SUBMIT ANNOUNCEMENTS Mazel Tov! announcements are welcomed for members of the Jewish community. Anniversaries, engagements and weddings with a photo (preferably color) can appear at a cost of $18 each. Births are $10. There is no charge for bar/bat mitzvahs or for special birthdays starting at the 90th. For information, contact Editorial Assistant Sy Manello at smanello@thejewishnews.com or (248) 35...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 33 ERETZ T he Jewish News has asked me to write a column interviewing former Detroiters living in Israel, so I thought I would begin with myself. I was a teacher at Akiva Hebrew Day School (now Farber Hebrew Day School), Bais Yaakov and Yeshiva Beth Yehudah before making aliyah with my family in 2006. Why did I want to make aliyah? When I was young, my family spent every summer in Israel. Being in Israel ...…
…34 | MAY 27 • 2021 A s part of its ongoing efforts to facilitate greater connections between Israel and world Jewry, the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Central Galilee and Michigan partnership hosted a virtual running tour of the Central Galilee region to cele- brate Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day). Israeli participants in the Partnership2Gether network (P2G) hosted the virtual run- ning tours of Central Galilee areas to p...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 35 I n this week’s parshah, Moses has a breakdown. It is the lowest emotional ebb of his entire career as a leader. Listen to his words to God: “Why have You brought this trou- ble on Your ser- vant? What have I done to displease You that You put the burden of all these people on me? Did I con- ceive all these people? Did I give them birth? ... I cannot carry all these people by myself; the bur- den is too heavy f...…
…36 | MAY 27 • 2021 SPIRIT Moses As ‘Mother’ W e know that God has no gender. In fact, according to Maimonides, God is so far beyond description that we should take special care not to describe God. Still, the Torah and broader Jewish tradi- tion does describe God extensively. We can think of all the descriptions of God as metaphors. These shape the way we see God, the way we under- stand the world around us as well as our own ...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 37 Synagogue Directory CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org Ahavas Israel Grand Rapids (616) 949-2840 ahavasisraelgr.org Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880 cbahm.org Beth Israel Flint (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.org Congregation Beth Shalom Oak Park (248) 547-7970 congbethshalom.org Beth Tephilath Moses Mt. Clemens (586) 996-3138 bethtephilathmoses.com B’nai Is...…
…The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Israel Lansing (517) 882-0049 kehillatisrael.net Congregation T’chiyah Oak Park (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org Reco...…
…MAY 27 • 2021 | 39 F inal Account grapples with a difficult question that the world has struggled to answer in the decades following the Holocaust: At what point does complicity turn people into predators? The 90-minute documentary gathers the final remaining accounts of the last-living generation of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. It retells the stories of everyday men and women who grew up in Germany and joined the Nazi movement, many...…
…40 | MAY 27 • 2021 S urrounded by people who complain about their family annoyances, Cory Kahaney jokes about hers in come- dy clubs, on TV and for special events. Funny family fiascos have built Kahaney’s career through the pandemic, and she will livestream her approach to raise funds for community service projects sponsored by the National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan. “Raising Laughter, ” zooming into homes at 7 p.m. Sunday,...…
