…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 13 Gratitude at FJA Frankel Jewish Academy (FJA) has been learning in-person all year, except when high schools were closed briefly in November and December. In order to limit in-person interaction, the school day was adjusted, and classes now run from 8:30-1:20, with only 60-minute classes. FJA Director of Advancement Shana Kantor said, “This limits instructional time and makes projects and science labs hard...…
…Farber Hebrew Day School has been in-person for the Early Childhood Center and Elementary Divisions, with a hybrid of alternating in-person and virtual days for middle school and high school. According to Naomi Gardin and Jenny Schwartz, co-PTO presidents at Farber, teachers had to tweak their teaching style in order to engage students simultaneously in the classroom and on the computer, and get used to new technology such as ...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 15 For the ECC-Grade 8 students at Hillel Day School, learning has been in-person this year, except for about 10% of students whose families have opted for virtual learning. Of the teachers, Dr. Katz said, “They are teaching in masks all day, every day. They are providing an authentic, excellent education while ensuring that our students maintain physical distancing, wash their hands, wear their masks properly...…
…W ith Jews around the world preparing for their second virtual Passover experience, The Well’s yearly #Friendseder is com- ing back — with a twist. This year, the new addition is the #Friendseder Box Experience. The box, available for sale now, is a physical box filled with curated items. The box has the #Friendseder Haggadah and some other ritual resources, while also includ- ing innovative content allowing people to celebrate Pass...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 17 F or nearly four years, Birmingham- based artist and graphic designer Sarey Ruden has been transforming unsolicited messages from men on dating apps into thought-provoking artwork. By doing so, she aims to shine a light and drive conversation about the many issues women face in online dating. As the creator and owner of Sareytales: The Art of Online Dating, Ruden has built a community equally passionate about solv...…
…18 | MARCH 4 • 2021 O akland University President Dr. Ora Hirsch Pescovitz still remembers going to the March on Washington with her parents in 1963 and sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have A Dream” speech. Pescovitz also remembers when her father responded to Dr. King’s call for clergy of all faiths to join him in Selma, Ala., for a pivotal voting rights demonstration; ...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 19 said it’s good to give anonymously, one reason to not give anonymously is I think it sets an example for other people,” Pescovitz said. “Fifteen minutes after I gave my gift, someone else at the university immediately gave another gift just because they were inspired.” The gift was announced in a recent OU board meeting via Zoom with Rabbi Hirsch in attendance. Hirsch, now in his mid-90s and living in Flori...…
…20 | MARCH 4 • 2021 H ow sweet it is to have good neighbors during a pandemic. When 8-year-old twins Sara and Bella Selesny of Southfield get bored, they need to go no further than across the street to visit with their good friend Sheila Guyer, who is 80. There, ever since they can remember and were old enough to cross the street by themselves, Guyer’s home has been a place where on Shabbat afternoons they would enjoy the comp...…
… MARCH 4 • 2021 | 21 of grandparents who live nearby. Their friendship with their neighbor is one extra person they have in their life for a special intergenerational friendship. Over the years, Guyer has attended special school events at Farber Hebrew Day School, where Sara and Bella are third-graders, and even needlepointed covers for when the twins received their first siddur. Guyer was a high school teacher but spent most...…
…W hen COVID-19 guidelines halted plans for the annual indoor Tu b’Shevat festivities typically held by The Shul and JCC’s PJ Library Detroit, the two could have just taken a pass on the programming and start- ed up again next year. But then, instead of allowing the snowy, winter days to be a deterrent, they revised their plan to fit the times. Through the creation of two innovative Story Walk events, they brought families outdoor...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 23 vat, written by Detroit native Doba Rivka Weber and illus- trated by Phyllis Saroff. “The book’s pages were printed, with permission from the publisher, on large posters and attached to wooden posts, ” Eliefja said. “The families went from post to post reading the book as they walked. They would read the story, thinking about the points brought out on ‘thoughts to ponder’ slips and try to figure out some funny ...…
…24 | MARCH 4 • 2021 B right sunshine helped mitigate the winter chill for volunteers and staffers of Kids Kicking Cancer, who braved tempera- tures in the low-20s on Feb. 14, during the nonprofit’s Valentine’s Day Drive-By event for pediatric oncology patients. Founded more than 20 years ago by Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg, the organization serves the needs of children battling cancer through its Martial Arts Therapy pro- gramming...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 25 S tudents of JCC’s Sarah & Irving Pitt Child Development Center created family trees in honor of Tu b’Shevat, which staff have plastered along the hallways of the center. Staff sent home all the basic materials the families would need to create the trees and asked them to sit with their chil- dren and talk about what trees provide and what they enjoy doing outside in nature. The families created the trees toge...…
…26 | MARCH 4 • 2021 BUSINESS W ith the COVID-19 pandemic presenting a need for many businesses to pivot their opera- tions to survive, one industry rethinking its services is the world of fitness. For Jewish-owned boutique gym studio Fuse45, which has physical locations in Royal Oak and West Bloomfield, this meant taking their services online. Now complete- ly digital, the gym studio offers Fuse Live, an online workout program avail...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 27 A fter a long and storied career as a white-collar criminal defense law- yer working with some of the most important cases in the last few decades, attorney Richard Zuckerman is back in town. Zuckerman, whose most recent assignment was serving three years as acting attorney general of the Tax Division of the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., is taking some time to unwind in Metro Detroit as he waits f...…
…28 | MARCH 4 • 2021 Alexis Jane Berman, daughter of Jennifer and Tom Berman, will lead the congregation as she becomes a bat mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, March 6, 2021. She will be joined in celebration by her sister Olivia, proud grandparents Kim and Ronald Berman, Kathleen and Jay Dreifus, Linda and Fred Walny, and great- grandmother Bernice Berman. Alexis attends Detroit Country Day in Beverl...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 29 Freedman 100th R ose Fink Freedman of West Bloomfield cel- ebrated 100 years on Feb. 18, 2021. Her loving and caring children, Michael and Nanci Freedman, and Wendy Freedman, all in Oakland County, helped celebrate by Zoom with family and friends all over the country. Besides Rose’s children, her loving sister, Sylvia Smaller; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-neph- ews; and Brenda Saperstein wish Ro...…
…30 | MARCH 4 • 2021 NOSH DINING AROUND THE D B ring on the fragrant matzah ball soup and sweet carrot tzimmes! Passover begins the night of Saturday, March 27, bringing with it the anticipation of enjoying traditional Jewish specialties. These five catering companies, in alphabetical order, promise to add delicious, homemade flavor to your observance and festive seder meal. BLOOM’S KOSHER CARRYOUT AND CATERING of Southfield bloo...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 31 March 16, to Stephanie at stephanie@temple-israel. org. Distribution: Contactless curbside pickup at TI’s sanctuary portico entrance, 9:30-11:30 a.m. Friday, March 26, with delivery available. Chef: Carole Wendling • We offer (non-kosher) traditional foods and special items — including gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options — all to enjoy in the comfort of your home. • Seder-to-Go, with all the Passover items re...…
…32 | MARCH 4 • 2021 ARTS&LIFE MUSIC R abbi Ariana Silverman has been impressed watching her two children, ages 4 and 6, as they participate in remote Tot Shabbat services offered this year by the congregation she leads. The rabbi enjoys the way they have learned and enthusi- astically sing along with Gavri Yares — new musician-in-res- idence for the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue — and she is uplifted when hearing her son and...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 33 “I PLAN ON USING MY EXPERIENCES TO STRENGTHEN THE SYNAGOGUE’S MUSICAL TRADITIONS.” — GAVRI YARES. and teaching positions at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Maryland. He also has performed in secular venues, touring North America, Europe and the Middle East while work- ing with his brother, Ami. The Brothers Yares present Americana and Middle Eastern repertoire. Yares was a musician, prayer leader a...…
…R ochel Burstyn is at it again. The Southfield mother-of-eight, occasional Jewish News humor col- umnist and author of children’s books published two new picture books last fall and two more in late February. Almost all of her books have focused on Orthodox charac- ters, reflecting Burstyn’s own family and communal life. One new offering, a picture book called Benny the Bus Gets the Job Done (Israel Book Shop publications) is “what ...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 35 H istorian Nancy Sinkoff read From That Place and Time: A Memoir, 1938-1947 by Lucy S. Dawidowicz and decided there was much more to tell about this 20th-century author, a Jewish and political pub- lic intellectual. Approval of Sinkoff’s subse- quent manuscript came from the Wayne State University Press, which last year pub- lished From Left to Right, Lucy S. Dawidowicz, the New York Intellectuals, and the P...…
…36 | MARCH 4 • 2021 On Star’s beautiful already low-priced trays $5 OFF Expires 03/31/2021. One Per Order. Not Good Holidays. 10 Person Minimum. With this coupon. DELIVERY AVAILABLE “…one of America’s finest carryout-only delicatessens! Star’s reputation has never wavered!” — Danny Raskin STAR STAR DELI DELI COMPARE OUR LOW PRICES WITH ANY DELICATESSEN IN TOWN! SALAD TRAY $14.99 per person per person DAIRY TRAY $23.99 SALA...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 37 GOVERNMENT INSIGHT MARCH 4 (8:15 AM), 12 (NOON) & 18 (8:15 AM). JCRC/AJC highlights legislators from different levels of government on Zoom to discuss their 2021 priorities. Each session is 45-minutes long, open to the community and includes a Q&A period. Free. This week will feature Rep. Andy Levin and Rep. Elissa Slotkin. Info: Lauren Garfield-Herrin, 248-642- 2641 or jcrcajc.org/events. TOUR ISRAEL NOON-1PM...…
…HEALTHCARE A1 CAREGIVER/COMPANION. Experienced, excellent references. 248-991-4944 Exp. private duty caregiver for 27 yrs would love to care for your loved one. Melinda (313) 208-3305 24-HOUR AFFORDABLE CAREGIVER. 26+ yrs exp. Exc Ref. April 586-335-5377 Army of Angels Caregiving Services 313-610-7651Our services offer highly trained staff and ensures comprehensive application of respectful, thoughtful caregiving services. At...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 39 continued on page 40 DANA LAUREN BERMAN, 55, of Birmingham, died Feb. 22, 2021. She is survived by her sons, Michael Hords, Kyle Hords and Andrew Hords; many other loving family members and friends. Interment took place at Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the Michigan Humane Society or the American Cancer Society. Arrangement by Dorfman Chapel. DR. MARK BIEDERMAN (Melech ...…
…to further honor the memory of Donald Robert Epstein may do so by making a contribution to one of the following organizations: Yad Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road, Berkley, MI 48072, (248) 548- 3663, yadezra.org/donate; Hebrew Free Loan, 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, (248) 723-8184, hfldetroit. org; Temple Beth El, 7400 Telegraph, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, (248) 851-1100, tbeonline.org/donation-page; Je...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 41 continued on page 42 ROWENA HEATHER KRAKAUER, 65, of Austin, Texas, formerly of Detroit, died Feb. 17, 2021. She is sur- vived by her son, Gabriel Tabashnik of Tuscon, Ariz.; brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Yehoshua and Dr. Sarah Krakauer; sisters and broth- ers-in-law, Sabrina Lynn and Dr. William Streusand of Austin, Melissa Beth Krakauer and Herb Ganz of Austin; other loving family members and friends. C...…
…42 | MARCH 4 • 2021 48076, diabetes.org. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. EARL KRENTZIN, sil- ver sculptor, 91, passed away Feb. 2, 2021, at his home in Grosse Pointe Farms. A 1947 graduate of Cass Technical High School, he earned a B.F.A. from Wayne State University and an M.F.A. from Cranbrook Academy of Art. A recipient of a Fulbright Grant, he did post-degree work at the Royal College of Art, London, 1957-58. A Tiffan...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 43 medicine and was in the top 6% of his medical school class. He also did medical research. An avid reader, a Jeopardy wiz, he was also an avid sports fan, including the Detroit Tigers; he also loved tennis; Tom Brady was his favorite football player. He played hockey with the Southfield Hockey program. A proud Jew, he received his bar mitzvah at Congregation Shaarey Zedek and then went to Israel with his famil...…
…44 | MARCH 4 • 2021 Madonna College. She was a proud feminist and Democrat, was always fascinated by all things Jewish, and was a devoted member of Congregation B’nai Moshe for 65 years Mrs. Weberman is survived by her three adoring children, Bernie (the late Rachelle Levitt) of Washington, D.C.; David of Vienna, Austria, and Freya of Huntington Woods; brother, Leo Hollander (Harriett) of Farmington Hills; five cherished grandc...…
…MARCH 4 • 2021 | 45 I t seemed like their first visit to the famous old landmark on Woodward and 10 Mile, Pleasant Ridge … And for cer- tain, if youngsters were with the customers who came to Hedge’s Wigwam. On the roof was a simulated giant wigwam … From 1927 until 1967, this wig- wam meant two things to the peo- ple of Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills. To the residents, it meant they were home … To ot...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 46 | MARCH 4 • 2021 A Hero of World War II S eventy-six years ago, on Feb. 23, 1945, Joe Rosenthal, a photographer with the Associated Press, took one of the most iconic images in American history. The photo, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography, showed six United States Marines raising the American flag on M...…
…Call Catering Department to place order. 24 hour notice needed. 248.855.0007 Call Catering Department to place order. Call Catering Department to place order. 32906 Middlebelt Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Passover MAIN ENTRÉE *Each Platter serves 10-12 People Price Roasted Beef Brisket Platter $100.00 ea. With caramelized onions and gravy Beef Tenderloin Platter $174.99 ea. Garnished with vegetables and horseradish sauce Baked o...…
…Nazli G. Sater Practice Chair | Partner 248.784.5178 nsater@wnj.com Roquia K. Draper Attorney | Partner 248.784.5081 rdraper@wnj.com wnj.com FAMILY L AW Warner’s Managing Partner Douglas Dozeman is responsible for the contents of our advertising. Contact: ddozeman@wnj.com or 616-752-2148. Please read our full privacy policy on our website. Opening in April Bloomfield Hills Office 40701 Woodward Avenue | Bloomfield Hills, MI …
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…FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 | 3 contents Purely Commentary 4-10 On the Cover 12 Like Floating on a ‘Cloud’ With Detroit’s help, Israeli firm creates app to give your car a smoother, more efficient ride. Our Community 17 Aid for Women Is in the Works Women’s Foundation resumes grants with new director. 18 Moms Making Matches Jewish moms’ Facebook page dedicates a day to help singles find love. 20 ‘Scissorhands’ Th...…
…4 | FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 continued on page 6 PURELY COMMENTARY letters It Takes a Village My work in the Jewish commu- nal field began when I needed a summer job during college, and I was looking though the Detroit Jewish News help wanted section. I saw that Jewish Family Service (JFS) needed volunteer drivers to take older adults to doctor appointments. Thus began my career in the Jewish communal service field, and I never looked ...…
…FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 | 5 PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRENDA ROSENBERG Schmidt’s Antiques Inc. www.SchmidtsAntiques.com 5138 West Michigan Ave. • Ypsilanti, Michigan • (734) 434-2660 Since 1911 Estate Watch Auction: Friday, April 23rd at 11:00 a.m. View the catalog and bid online Soon at www.Liveauctioneers.com 25% Buyers Premium on all lots Watch Payments by Wire Transfer or Zelle Only • Absentee bids accepted Over 300 Select Wrist Watches and Po...…
…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 Publisher The Detroit Jewish News Foundation | Board of Directors: Chair: Gary Torgow Vice President: David Kramer Secretary: Robin Axelrod Treasurer: Max Berlin Board members: Larry Jackier, Jeffrey Schlussel, Mark Zausmer Senior Advisor to the Board: Mark Davidof...…
…FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 | 7 DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 29200 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 110, Southfield, MI 48034 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com Downtown Birmingham welcomes this high end fully furnished new construction luxury one of a kind Condo. This masterpiece by Lou DesRosier exceeds all expectations featuring 3 bds 3 full bths, Custom one of a kind kitchen with SS Wolf appliances, sub zero fridge, motorized cabinetry and soft close touch p...…
…PURELY COMMENTARY 8 | FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 continued on page 10 guest column It’s Time to Reexamine Jewish Education U pon retiring from 48 years in Jewish educa- tion, I still find myself writing and learning about the field. I am working toward a doctorate in Jewish Studies from Chicago- based Spertus Institute of Jewish Learning & Leadership, and my disser- tation topic is “21st Century Non-Day School Jewish Education.” At my...…
…FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 | 9 Answer the Call. Help us take care of those in need in our community. After an unexpected one-year hiatus, Super Sunday IS BACK! Once again, we will be making calls to secure donors to Federation’s 2021 Annual Campaign. Never has Federation’s work been more critical than right now. Every day, our partner agencies are handing out kosher meals to older adults, children and other vulnerable individuals. Providing em...…
…PURELY COMMENTARY 10 | FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 created the first national study of Jewish education. Looking for direction, educators decid- ed to find out how Judaism was lived by their families and what parents wanted children to gain from attending religious school. Two thousand religious school parents in 22 commu- nities were asked why they were sending their children to religious school and what they hoped the children would gain...…
…FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 | 11 Click. Call. Give Now. www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184 Hebrew Free Loan Detroit 6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 300 • Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48301 @HFLDetroit Marquette’s Temple Beth Sholom found itself in a quandary. “We had the opportunity to purchase a building that could house our congregation closer to our small Jewish community (which shifted geographically over the 50 years since we built our first Templ...…
…12 | FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 F or the past 16 months, 20 of the city of Detroit’s vehicles have been using Israeli software to automatically map hazards on the city’s roads. Tactile Processor, developed by Tactile Mobility of Haifa, Israel, gathers data from each car’s built-in sensors and sends it to the company’s Tactile Cloud. Then, the Cloud uses a mathematical model called SurfaceDNA to combine the crowd- sourced data into a map, ...…
…FEBRUARY 25 • 2021 | 13 “It would sometimes take it a week or two to calibrate itself for the specific car and roadmap, but eventually it would be super-accurate, like nowhere else in the world,” Mizrachi said. About one year later, it was a Detroit company’s scout who challenged Mizrachi to create a cloud-based app that would control the car’s speed and gear-shifting according to where the car was heading. Mizrachi worked on the so...…
…the engine gone?’ They told me that in Porsche cars, the engine is at the rear.” In 2018, the company hired a vice president of business development, Eitan Grosbard, who was previously responsible for mergers and acquisitions at Gett. “I had known the automobile industry, but from a different angle,” Grosbard said. “I have entered a whole new world of software and data monetization.” In 2019, the company has gained two major inves...…
