…MAY 11 • 2023 | 31 From Auschwitz to Wall Street Legend UNSTOPPABLE: UNSTOPPABLE: Sunday, May 21 1:00 PM at The Zekelman Holocaust Center Join us for an Exclusive Member Event with bestselling author Joshua M. Greene. Unstoppable tells the incredible true story of Siggi B. Wilzig, who survived Auschwitz, immigrated to the United States, and built an oil and banking empire. To become a member of The HC and register for the event,...…
…32 | MAY 11 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY J ewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit is celebrating its 30th annual fundraising celebration, Eight Over Eighty, on May 21 at 11:30 a.m. The event takes place at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Master of ceremonies Al Muskovitz will kick off the gala luncheon with a film about the eight honorees. Eight students from the Sam and Jean Frankel Jewish Academy — Rosalia Aronov, Ant...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 33 Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation. .org We Have Answers. Need help finding senior care? Call jhelp at 1-833-44-JHELP Visit jhelp.org Chat online with a staff member or schedule a call at jhelp.org Do all of the above ✗ Q …
…34 | MAY 11 • 2023 B ’nai Moshe volunteers played a prominent role on March 19, helping Yad Ezra prepare Passover boxes for Yad Ezra’s client families. The boxes con- tained 14 kosher-for-Passover items that were loaded on pallets in the Yad Ezra ware- house. During the two-hour shift, 12 B’nai Moshe mem- bers, alongside approximately 20 other volunteers, assembled 780 boxes for families. The following week, B’nai Moshe members ...…
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…38 | MAY 11 • 2023 W ant to enjoy the great outdoors this summer without the hassles usually associated with living under the stars? “Glamping”— glamorous camping — might be just what you need. At least that’s what Lauren and Jason Blanford of Boyne Falls are hoping. The couple will open Lost Woods Farm & Forest soon for their third summer season. The site has three platform tents and a small A-frame cabin that sleep two to six pe...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 39 school in Adelaide, Australia, so Lauren went with him. He earned a master’s in wine mar- keting and she a master’s in international marketing. “We even found a temple there to attend Rosh Hashanah services and celebrated Passover with Jason’s thesis adviser, ” she said. The Blanfords now have two children, Fiona, 9, and Asa, 7. When they returned to Chicago after two years in Adelaide, Lauren accepted a tra- dit...…
…4 | MAY 11 • 2023 for openers When Harry Met Big Al L egendary singer, actor, WWII veteran and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte passed away at age 96 on April 25. The news of his passing instantly opened the floodgates of some of the most cherished memories of my career and life. I was given the high privilege of performing on stage with Harry — not just once, but twice! Don’t fact check me. I have witnesses and, as y...…
…40 | MAY 11 • 2023 here’s to Ian Weinberg is a 17-year-old investor, author and high school student from Birmingham who has just published his first book: Invest Early to Grow Your Wealth, which is currently available on Amazon. For more than 20 years, Northwestern Mutual financial adviser Carol Hoffer has been dedicated to giving back to her community, specifically through the Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Washtenaw County...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 41 XXXX We are so proud of you! Congratulations on getting your Masters.You are an incredible person and will go far in life. All our love, Mom, Dad, Jeff and Shayna Mazel Tov! Ad Style #4 1/8 PAGE $150 XXXXXXX You continually make us proud, keep shining your light. Mom, Dad, Brianna, Hannah, Lacey, Mazel T ov! Ad Style #3 1/16 PAGE $125 Custom Style 1/2 PAGE $485 Can include multiple images & any design! Ad...…
…42 | MAY 11 • 2023 SPORTS T he final stop in Josh Nodler’s college hockey career will be Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He hopes he’s saved his best for last. Bowling Green will be the 22-year-old Berkley High School graduate’s third team in three years. After playing three seasons at Michigan State University, Nodler transferred to the University of Massachusetts, played one season there, and now has moved on to Bowl...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 43 How much do academics mat- ter in the Bowling Green hockey program? Last season, 17 Bowling Green hockey players were named to the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s All-Academic list (3.0 or higher grade-point average) and 13 were Scholar- Athletes (3.5 or higher GPA). On the ice, the Falcons were 15-19-2 and fin- ished in third place in the CCHA. But this is a traditionally strong program that has sent man...…
…44 | MAY 11 • 2023 O n May 22, Jewish young adults will have a chance to meet and hear from local Holocaust survivor Rene Lichtman. Born in Paris, France, in 1937, Lichtman was the son of Polish Jews who fled the Lublin area of Poland in 1936 to escape the growing Nazi terror. As part of ongoing NEXTGen Detroit programming, “Their Testimony. Our Responsibility” is intended for young adults ages 21 to 39. NEXTGen Detroit is ...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 45 matter,” says Zekelman Holocaust Center director of education Ruth Bergman. “Just as language, culture and customs built our foun- dation and our collective Jewish history, whether or not we have a direct con- nection to the Holocaust has also shaped the Jewish people.” At the free Zekelman Holocaust Center event, participants will not only hear Lichtman’s story, but will also discuss what col- lective responsib...…
…NOSH DINING AROUND THE D O n my list of favorite sweets, man- del bread has never rated highly. I typically find the bite-sized, crunchy bar cookies to be dry and kind of dull to eat, if you know what I mean. Then Facebook friend Ron Elkus, retired owner of the Shirt Box clothing store, posted a rave review for his friend’s home-baked Goldie’s Mandel Bread. As he put it: “ Amazing!! Guarantee you will love them — if not, I will e...…
…Community Coalition (www. gwbcoalition.org). She previ- ously worked in banking. Berkey’s organization is involved with efforts to keep West Bloomfield, and par- ticularly youth under age 18, “healthy, safe and free from substance use. ” Toward that end, Berkey and her colleagues work with local organizations, agencies, concerned citizens, policy makers, educators, stu- dents and parents to provide “leadership, education, resourc- es...…
…48 | MAY 11 • 2023 ERETZ J ewish Federations of North America hosted its Israel at 75 General Assembly during the last week in April “with calls for deeper engagement between Israel and the North American Jewish community.” The event overlapped with Israel’s Memorial and Independence Days with seminars in Tel Aviv the first day and then site visits to commemorate the Holocaust, those that sacrificed over Israel’s existence and it...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 49 During the event, I spoke with Julie Platt, who currently serves as the chair of the Jewish Federations of North America, the second woman to hold that position after native-Detroiter Congresswoman Kathy Manning. ONE-ON-ONE WITH JULIE PLATT Jewish News: What has been the most meaningful part of being in Israel during the 75th anniversary year? Platt: I’ve never been in Israel for Yom Hazikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut, th...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 5 in my career. He wanted to know about my role on the Dick Purtan Show. I told him I played a sidekick character on the morning show known as Big Al Muskavito. “Harry,” I said, “I’m Italian by morning and Jewish by night.” Little did I know that line would be revisited in a most surprising way. As the dinner party wound down, I was surprised with yet another invitation to team up with Harry for a bonus engageme...…
…50 | MAY 11 • 2023 ERETZ I srael, like most other countries, has a parliament (the Knesset) and considers Jews worldwide to be part of Am Yisrael, the Jewish nation family. How are Jews spread around approxi- mately 80 countries thus represented? “The WZO is the democratically elected parliament of the Jewish people, ” says Tova Dorfman, new World Zionist Organization president and former Oak Park and Farmington Hills resident. “Yet...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 51 and American Jewish com- munities right now? Platt: Our presence, our thoughts, our engagement have been welcomed with open arms by everyone on every side in every conver- sation, and I am very glad about that. We will contin- ue to express our thoughts, but I think our relationship with the State of Israel has never been closer. It’s about sharing openly the issues that are of great concern to the diaspora. We h...…
…MAZEL TOV! 52 | MAY 11 • 2023 Casey Jace Belen, son of Andrea and Jeffrey Belen, will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on Saturday, May 13, 2023. He will be joined in cele- bration by his sister Maya. Casey is the loving grand- child of Kenneth Korotkin, and Donna and Jack Belen. He is a student at Derby Middle School in Birmingham. Casey’s most meaningful mitzvah project was raisi...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 53 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) 351-5147 for i...…
…54 | MAY 11 • 2023 T he first reference to Israel out- side the Hebrew Bible is on the Merneptah stele, a slab of black granite engraved in the days of Pharaoh Merneptah, successor to Ramses II, the man some scholars iden- tify as the Pharaoh of the Exodus. It says, “Israel is laid waste; her seed is no more.” The first reference to Israel outside the Bible is an obitu- ary. Israel’s enemies thought it was dead. More than 32 centu...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 55 him, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel replied, “God, you alone know.” Then the bones came together, and grew flesh and skin, and began to breathe, and live again. Then God said: “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up. Avdah tikvatenu, our hope is lost.’ Therefore, prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what God says: My people, I am going to open your 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 Bloomfield (248) 78...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 57 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 Hi...…
…58 | MAY 11 • 2023 ARTS&LIFE THEATER O n the afternoon of Sunday, May 21, National Council of Jewish Women, Michigan (NCJW|MI) will be performing its fundraising spring play, The Vagina Monologues, for the second time in its history. The episodic play, written by Eve Ensler in 1996 and which has now been performed thousands of times all over the world, covers all aspects of the feminine experience, from sexual violence to b...…
…in the fortunate position of being supported in their reproductive choices, the current national conversation means that everyone needs to be vigilant on being informed on this issue and standing up for women’s choices. Levine pointed out that The Vagina Monologues was written by a woman, is being produced by two women and will be performed by 20 local women, featuring a cross section of the Jewish community. “The camaraderie ...…
…6 | MAY 11 • 2023 1942 - 2023 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. Postmaster: send changes to: Detroi...…
…60 | MAY 11 • 2023 DANA BASH/JOHN KING & WOLF BLITZER, MORE BEL POWLEY AND FOOL ’S PARADISE On April 27, it was announced that CNN cor- respondent Dana Bash, 51, would take over as the anchor of Inside Politics, a daily CNN program. Bash wasn’t happy, however, when the Los Angeles Times headlined this news with this original headline: John King Exits CNN’s ‘Inside Politics’ for New Role. His Ex-Wife Dana Bash Will Succeed Him...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 61 ON THE GO PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS MUSICAL ON STAGE NOW-MAY 21 At Detroit Public Theatre, 3960 Third Ave., Detroit. Passing Strange is a dar- ing, hilarious and moving musical that takes us on a journey across boundaries of place, identity and theatri- cal convention with a young bohemian who charts a course for “the real” through sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Tickets: detroitpublictheatre. my.salesforce-sites.org...…
…62 | MAY 11 • 2023 WELLNESS FORUM 4 PM, MAY 17 National experts on mul- tiple sclerosis will gather at the Holistic Health and Wellness Forum for MS at the Radisson Hotel in Southfield. This event, presented by Yoga Moves MS, offers those with MS and their care partners the best and the latest informa- tion on a “whole systems” approach to wellness, where holistic health prin- ciples are integrated into educational forums. The p...…
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…64 | MAY 11 • 2023 HELEN CHARNEY, 97, of Farmington Hills, died May 2, 2023. She is survived by her children, Jeff (Catherine) Charney, Susan (Michael) Feldman and Jennifer Charney; loving grandchildren, James (Hsing) Charney, Rebecca (Anikat) Shah, Matthew (Melissa) Feldman and Sarah (Chris) Olson; great-grandchildren, Audrey, Amelia, Emma and Kira; many other loving family members and friends. Mrs. Charney was the beloved...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 65 ESTELLE GLADSTONE, 90, of Farmington Hills, died April 29, 2023. She is survived by her children, David Gladstone and Susan Jaber, Nancy and Dianna Gladstone; grandchildren, Max (Sam Cacace) Kirn, Aaron (Ella) Kirn, Shayna Gladstone, Stephanie Gladstone, Danni Romas; great-grandchildren, Lucas and Hope. Mrs. Gladstone was the mother of the late Lorrie Kirn. Interment took place at Clover Hill Park Cemetery ...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 66 | MAY 11 • 2023 GREGG HERMAN, 68, of West Bloomfield, died May 4, 2023. He is survived by his wife, Cathy Herman; daughter and son- in-law, Emily and Alex Horn; sons and daughters-in-law, Jeffrey Herman and Nicole Barvie, Daniel Herman and Katie Holland; parents, Arlene and Morton Herman; grandchildren, Zachary Horn, Victoria and Natalia Herman; brothers and sisters- in-law, Ron and Sharon Herm...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 67 GORDON L. HOLLANDER, 84, of Farmington Hills, died April 29, 2023. He is survived by his children, Dan (Emily) Hollander and Sandra (Greg) Murphy; dear brother and sister-in-law, Harvey and Kimberly (Fodero) Hollander; sisters and brother-in-law, Bernice Brenner, Ella and Jerry Modell; loving grandchildren, Kayleigh (Dan) Pylar, Kelsy Murphy, McKenzie Murphy, Arianna Hollander and Jacob Hollander; great-gra...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 68 | MAY 11 • 2023 Kovinsky. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Congregation Beth Shalom, 14601 Lincoln, Oak Park, MI 48237, congbethshalom.org; JARC, 6735 Telegraph, Suite 100, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301, jarc.org; Zionist Organization of America, 633 Third Ave., Suite 31-B, New York, NY 10017, zoa.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kauf...…
…MAY 11 • 2023 | 69 member of Temple Beth El, a longtime member of Franklin Hills Country Club, a Club Champion, and a six-time Club Champion finalist. He was formerly chairman of the board of Grinnell Brothers Inc., a 63-store music store chain, and executive vice president of Rose Jewelry Company. David became a successful real estate developer later in his life. He was proud that his creativity through real estate development...…
…B’nai B’rith Great Lakes College Scholarship Program Open enrollment for high school students entering college in the fall of 2023. We anticipate awarding three scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year in the amount of $5,000 each. It is our goal that these scholarships will inspire the honorees to pay our gift forward after graduation by serving as leaders in their communities and as ambassadors for the B’nai B’rith Great Lake...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 70 | MAY 11 • 2023 Sweets for Mom M other’s Day is Sunday, May 14. So, I thought I would write about two types of sweeties this week: our moms and candy! Mother’s Day has a large presence in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. A search for the term “Mother’s Day” raises 3,612 pages that ment...…
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…8 | MAY 11 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY letters Successful Event The March 23 “Point/Counterpoint” event at the Berman Theater featuring Professor Howard Lupovitch (Wayne State University professor of history and director of the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies), David Bernstein (founder and president of the Jewish Institute of Liberal Values) and Rabbi Aaron Starr (rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Zedek) stirred 350 attendees with ...…
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…A Race Against Time $200 May 4-10, 2023 / 13-19 Iyar 5783 JEWISH NEWS JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Against Time Against Time One million Ukraine family history records will be available on JewishGen by summer. See page 14 See page 14 Against Time Against Time Against Time One million Ukraine family history One million Ukraine family history Against Time One million Ukraine family history Against Time records will b...…
…10 | MAY 4 • 2023 PURELY COMMENTARY W hen I read about the arrest of American Jewish Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Russia on March 29, my mind went back to the 1980s. In July 1985, I went to visit Abe Stolar. Abe was well into his 70s. We bonded immediately, two American Jews, me listening to his stories intently, in his native Chicago accent. The strange thing is that I was not visiting Abe and his wife, Gi...…
