…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 19 assembling individual first aid kits for the Ukrainian Army. As a doctor, seeing crucial medical supplies made it clear these kits are designed for quick medical response to save lives. These kits are going into a war zone. Together, the volunteers packed 1,000 individual first aid kits. From Michigan, the kits will travel to Razom in New York and from there to Ukraine. Razom is the Ukrainian word for “...…
…20 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY E xpect at least a few laughs at the Judi Schram Annual Meeting of Hadassah Greater Detroit as the fea- tured presenter is Ophira Eisenberg, a television talk show and comedy specials guest, radio host and club comedian. Eisenberg, who didn’t think about becoming a jokester until after college graduation in Canada, will join the luncheon starting at noon Tuesday, Sept. 13, at Adat Shalom...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 21 day [at his suggestion], and it was met with some laughs. I wanted to do it more. “I moved to Toronto and tried to take it seriously there, where there was a lot more opportunity to go on stage and figure it out. I had a lot more success in Toronto and wanted to try a bigger stage so I moved to New York, where it was all about putting your nose to the grindstone and working hard.” For a while, Eisenberg wa...…
…22 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 O n Saturday, July 9, Daniel Lebedinski of Bloomfield cele- brated his bar mitzvah at Temple Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield. Daniel’s parents, Alexander and Svetlana Lebedinski, immigrated separately with their families to the Detroit area from Ukraine in 1994, where they were welcomed by Washtenaw County Jewish Family Services’ Refugee Resettlement Program in Oak Park. The Lebedinski family has been follow- in...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 23 T he Orthodox Union (OU) Women’s Initiative hosted a conference in Stamford, Conn., at the end of July with a goal of creating the first- of-its-kind fellowship to help rebbetzins (rabbis’ wives) assist women in the communities they serve to deal with mental health issues. Jenna Beltser of Southfield, who’s actively involved with the Orthodox community in Michigan, attended the conference and expressed th...…
…24 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 C ongregation Or Chadash is an inclu- sive, halakhic syn- agogue in the heart of the Huntington Woods/Oak Park community. Or Chadash’s min- yan is a participatory one in which everyone volunteers their services. Or Chadash was founded by Rabbi Eliezer Cohen over two decades ago, when his prior pulpit was eliminated by the merger of two synagogues. Intent on maintaining a platform for their outlook on T...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 25 staff, no paid rabbis, everything is free- will contributions and what people choose to put into it. It’s a unique and special place, ” she said. Though not full- time, Rabbi Azaryah Cohen, Rabbi Eliezer Cohen’s son, is co-rabbi of the shul with Rabbi Louis Finkelman. Or Chadash has services on Shabbat and on all of the holidays but does not have weekday services. As things are starting to get back t...…
…26 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 Y ad Ezra nominated the mother- daughter duo Amy and Lilah Greenspan of Oak Park as Volunteers of the Week for their efforts at its Giving Gardens. “Amy and Lilah have been dedicated, hardworking volunteers in the garden for years,” said Josh Gordon, Yad Ezra’s Giving Gardens manager. “It is a huge pleasure having their smiling faces and kind spirits join consistently into the volunteer shifts. They alway...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 27 OUR COMMUNITY SUB DEPARTMENT A s we all know, life is filled with twists and turns. The painful loss of a loved one or terrifying near-miss is traumatic and devastating. Fortunately, the Detroit Jewish community is known for its warmth, generosity and kindness. As people become accustomed to their new normal, they take comfort in the strength of the unifying community — family, friends, neighbors, fellow con...…
…28 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 27 WeeCare, a New Jersey-based organization that provides peer support for Orthodox moms of premature babies. Different com- munity members who weren’t members of any organization offered to help care for the babies during the night so the Kleins could sleep. Being on the receiving end of all this kindness was a new experience for the Kleins. “ Accepting all this help was h...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 29 AT THE END OF LIFE Ezra Drissman of Oak Park, formally of Farmington Hills, is a young father who has unfortunately experienced several family deaths in recent years. His mother, Harriet Drissman, passed away unexpectedly nine years ago. Three weeks after that, his father- in-law, Rabbi Eliezer Cohen, passed away. “The community was incredible, ” Ezra said. “I can’t describe the amount of phone calls, visits a...…
…30 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 MAZEL TOV! 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 (24...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 31 A bbie Jankelovitz says she’s lucky to have two jobs. This way, she can pursue both of her passions in life: mental health and fitness. Jankelovitz, 28, of Royal Oak, works part-time as a clinical mental health counselor for Venture Counseling, a private practice. In the mornings and at night, she teaches group fitness classes at Beverly Hills Club and also offers home personal fitness training. As a champ...…
…32 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 YESHIVA BETH YEHUDAH A N N U A L D I N N E R Twenty Twenty -Two Twenty Twenty -Two 10 30 22 10 30 22 Detroit Detroit Marriott Marriott Sunday Evening Sunday Evening EVENT SPONSOR JAMES GROSFELD O U T S T A N D I N G L E A D E R S H I P AWA R D E E NORCIA F O R S P O N S O R S H I P S , A D V E R T I S I N G A N D R E S E R VAT I O N S V I S I T W W W.Y BY D I N N E R .O R G O R C A L L 2 4...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 33 Twenty Twenty -Two Marriott Marriott JERRY NORCIA JERRY NORCIA EVENT CHAIR NANCY GROSFELD HONORARY CHAIR PENNY BLUMENSTEIN HONOREE TRIBUTE CHAIR NORMAN PAPPAS SCHOLARSHIP CHALLENGE CHAIR ARTHUR WEISS CAMPAIGN CHAIR DAN GILBERT HONORARY CHAIR STEVE STEINOUR CORPORATE COMMIT TEE CHAIR VINNIE JOHNSON HONORARY CHAIR SANDY PIERCE GENERAL CHAIR MARK DAVIDOFF GENERAL CHAIR Be a part of Be a p...…
…34 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 sports HIGHlights T here were 14 teams in the hockey competition at the JCC Maccabi Games in San Diego. Only two — Philadelphia and Toronto — had players from one delegation. The other teams were made up of a potpourri of teen athletes from several delegations. After being canceled in 2020 and 2021 by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maccabi Games returned in August with many delegations unable to field their...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 35 was followed by a 7-1 win over Orange County, earning Detroit a berth in the bronze medal game. The four Detroit players piled up goals and assists during the tournament and were team leaders on the ice and bench. Ben-Ezra (nine goals, six assists), Gesund (five goals, six assists), Hutten (three goals, eight assists) and Juszak (five goals, five assists) each reached double digits in points. All four play...…
…36 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 G old, silver and bronze medals were won by the Michigan Maccabiah Men at last month’s 21st Maccabiah in Jerusalem, where 10,000 athletes from 60 countries competed in 47 different sports. The Masters Basketball Team, which took the bronze against Brazil, included Michael Friedman, who competed in his 12th Maccabiah for Team USA at the world’s largest Jewish athletic competition in the tra- dition and values...…
…Another dozen Michiganders joined Gerdov, Wooten and Fishman on the 1,300-member Maccabi USA delegation. • Jeremy Modell of Bloomfield Hills, an attorney in Birming- ham, was part of Team USA’s Gold Medal in Masters Golf. • Mikaela Schulz of West Bloomfield, a University of Michigan senior, was part of Team USA’s Gold Medal in Open Golf (female). • Ryan Berke of Farmington Hills was part of Team USA’s Ice Hockey (Men’s) ...…
…38 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 SPORTS possible levels of sports com- petitions, and strengthening their connection to the State of Israel and the Jewish peo- ple,” she said. “While the competition lasted only one day,” Gerdov said, “the three-week expe- rience included touring sig- nificant sites, learning about Jewish culture and history, and connecting with Jews from around the world, and learn- ing about Israel.” Their three weeks in Isr...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 39 ROSH HASHANAH GREETINGS Ad Deadline: September 14th, 2022 Continue a 80-year tradition! Wish your family and friends and the entire Jewish community a Happy New Year with an ad in The Detroit Jewish News. For information, call 248-351-5116 or email salessupport@thejewishnews.com GO TO: thejewishnews.com/rosh-hashanah-greeting to reserve your space today or call us at 248.351.5116 STEP 1: Select Your Style ST...…
…40 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 A t a dinner to celebrate the work of a communal leader, the guest speaker paid tribute to his many qualities: his dedication, hard work and foresight. As he sat down, the leader leaned over and said, “You forgot to mention one thing. ” “What was that?” asked the speaker. The leader replied, “My humility. ” Quite so. Great leaders have many qualities, but humility is usually not one of them. With rare exce...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 41 of Narcissism, subtitled, American life in an age of diminished expectations. It was a prophetic work. In it, he argued that the breakdown of family, community and faith had left us fundamentally insecure, deprived of the tra- ditional supports of identity and worth. He did not live to see the age of the selfie, the Facebook profile, designer labels worn on the outside and the many other forms of “advertis...…
…42 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 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 Congrega...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 43 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...…
…ARTS&LIFE DESIGN 44 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 Laura Earle is bringing women artists to the forefront of September’s Detroit Month of Design. JULIE SMITH YOLLES CONTRIBUTING WRITER A “I understand the world better if I make artwork out of it, ” says Earle, a Farmington Hills resident who has degrees in furniture, interior, industrial and visual commu- nication design. “When I work with a large group, I love to see artists pushing their bo...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 45 “Men Control the Narrative,” a piece in The FET!SH Project by Laura Earle. Photo by Laura Earle ed two conceptual pieces for the project. Earle’s artistic process always begins with the source material, which was having the 15 FET!SH artists, including herself, read Brandsplaining. In a group set- ting, each artist would then share her experience from her findings. Earle’s inspiration for combining art with soc...…
…ARTS&LIFE DESIGN 46 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 us,” she said. “To achieve this, I am artistically exploring three major issues: gender equality, racial equality and healing the environment. At the nexus of these three issues, we find women. “It’s time for balance,” added Earle. “Men need to share the mic. Women need to be able to speak for themselves, be heard and respected as equals.” ART WITH A PURPOSE January kicked off Earle’s y...…
…Where to See The FET!SH Project FET!SH Project performance at 8 p.m. during the 6- 1 p.m. event on Sept. 1: Month of Design’s Opening Party at Spot Lite, 2905 Beaufait St., Detroit. Free admis- sion. https://designcore.org/event/ detroit-month-of-design-kick-off- party-20220901/. FET!SH Project performance at 8 p.m. during the 6-11 p.m. event on Sept. 15: Month of Design’s Eastern Market After Dark, Shed 2 at Eastern Market, Detroit...…
…48 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 Larry Grenadier JUAN HITTERS/ECM RECORDS ARTS&LIFE MUSIC L arry Grenadier travels the world playing bass with many jazz groups and, over Labor Day weekend, he returns to Michigan for the free Detroit Jazz Festival. He joins with pianist Ethan Iverson and drummer Nasheet Waits for the program. The trio performs 2-3:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 5, at the Carhartt Amphitheater Stage in Hart Plaza on the closing ...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 49 I think about the people playing those instruments. It’s about the personalities combining my personality and trying to have these con- versations to make music out of them.” Grenadier, 56, is married to singer-songwriter-guitarist Rebecca Martin, and they have a young son. The couple have performed together and made recordings of her work. A recording made in 2019, The Gleaners, features him on solo bass ...…
…50 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 AN OFFICE COMEDY FOR LABOR DAY; SANDBERG RE-MARRIES; BUSEY, VICTIM OF KARMA? Out-of-Office is an original Comedy Central film that premieres on Sept. 5 (Labor Day) at 8 p.m. The film has a somewhat vague official syn- opsis. I gathered this much — it focuses on how the pri- vate lives of at-home workers often gets mixed-up with their work lives. It focuses on a young woman who finds out that keeping her jo...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 51 BABIES & NOSH 10:30-11:30 AM, SEPT 2 Hosted by JFamily Detroit. Come grab a snack and meet some new friends at Poppleton Park in Birmingham. This free event is geared toward families with babies ages 0-9 months. LABOR DAY PICNIC 10:30 AM-2 PM, SEPT. 5 Sponsored by Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield. Train rides, pizza, magicians, pony rides, Kona Ice Truck, moon walks, DJ, face pain...…
…52 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 this new edition of our toddler class. Miss Elissa of Elissa’s Learners brings a new twist to a fun- filled morning. Siblings are welcome; just let us know ahead of time. For children 12-36 months old and an adult. Course costs $140 per child. Adat Shalom members can register for $126. Drop- in rates are available as well. Contact Sammi Shapiro, sshapiro@ adatshalom.org with any questions. SECOND CITY 8 ...…
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…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 55 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY S urvivors of the Shoah in Metro Detroit are estimated at approx- imately 450, according to Dr. Charles Silow, director of Jewish Senior Life’s Program for Holocaust Survivors and Families. Among his dwindling cohort, Michael Weiss was a standout, noted for his dedication to Holocaust education and fellow survivors. The strong faith in God he carried since boyhood was not shaken ...…
…56 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 M ichele Schurgin Lachman, 77, of Shaker Heights, Ohio, died on Aug. 14, 2022. Michele passed away from pneumonia. She was born May 2, 1945, in Opa Laca, Florida, to Ruth and Ben Schurgin. Her older brother is Leon Schurgin; her younger sister, Miriam Silverstein; and her younger brother, Arthur Schurgin. The family grew up in suburban Detroit, and her parents supported it with a furniture store they ow...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 57 Samuel Young and Stephanie Bellissimo, and Rachel, Bridget and Penelope Dick; great-grandchildren, Toby and Phoebe Krakauer; sister- in-law, Helen Glick. He is also survived by his special friend, Pam Opperer; his devoted caregivers, Pam Brown and Dominique Peters; many other loving relatives, colleagues and a world of friends. Dr. Finkelstein was the beloved husband for 70 years of the late Florence Sach...…
…58 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 Dr. Bradley (Dr. Shannon) Kay, Dr. Daniel (Hannah) Vahaba, Rachelle (Aaron) Rosenfield, Rebecca Neshkes, Dr. Elana (Rabbi Jeremy Markiz) Neshkes, Dr. Lisa (Dr. Andrew Schreibman) Firestone, Ryan (Wendy Morales) Firestone; great- grandchildren, Charlie, Elijah, Aubrielle, Eliana, Addison, Ryleigh, Raegan, Ruth, Ira and Nolan; many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Mrs. Firestone wa...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 59 service was held at Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. ELLIOT KRAMER, 72, of West Bloomfield, died Aug. 5, 2022. He is survived by his beloved wife, Nancy Kramer; brother and sister-in-law, Robert and Starr Kramer; son and daughter-in-law, William and Kelley Cantrell; daughter, Chari Rzepecki; grandchildren, Robbie (Brooke) Cantrell, Emily Rzepecki, Kristin Rzepecki...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 60 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 OBITUARY CHARGES The processing fee for obituaries is: $125 for up to 100 words; $1 per word thereafter. A photo counts as 15 words. There is no charge for a Holocaust survivor icon. The JN reserves the right to edit wording to conform to its style considerations. For information, have your funeral director call the JN or you may call Sy Manello, editorial assistant, at (248)...…
…SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 | 61 H arlene Appelman, a nationally known innovator in Jewish education, died at the age of 75 on Aug. 18, 2022, in Ann Arbor. Funeral services were held at Beth Israel Congregation of Ann Arbor. Appelman realized early in her career that congrega- tional schools would be suc- cessful only if parents were engaged in their children’s education. She created inter- active educational programs such as “Shabbat in a...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 62 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 An Important Anniversary T his past week marked an important 125th anniversary. In Basel, Switzerland, on Aug. 29, 1897, Theodor Herzl called together about 200 delegates to discuss and debate the creation of a Jewish state. This was the first Zionist Congress, now known as the World Zionist ...…
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…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT $200 Aug. 25-31, 2022 / 28 Av- 4 Elul 5782 thejewishnews.com An Astonishing Search for Roots Long-lost brother’s descendants discover their U.S. family eight decades after the Shoah. See page 12 …
…AUGUST 25 • 2022 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-10 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 12 An Astonishing Search for Roots Long-lost brother’s descendants discover their U.S. family eight decades after the Shoah. 20 A Teacher’s Journey West Bloomfield High teacher tours Poland as an Auschwitz Legacy Fellow. 22 Fashion Flair for a Cause Suitember shopping event will give 10% of proceeds to Friendship Circle. ...…
…4 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY continued on page 7 opinion When Judaism Considers The Long Term, It Looks to the Past M any years ago, I was asked to speak, on short notice, at a symposium in Geneva about the future of the global climate refugee crises. It was an important opportunity but attending meant I was going to miss my 11-year- old daughter Eliana’s choir concert, the one for which she had been rehearsing ...…
