…48 | APRIL 20 • 2023 ARTS&LIFE THEATER J eff Thomakos built a varied perfor- mance and teaching career involving theater, and that included appear- ances for the Jewish Ensemble Theatre (JET). When he learned JET was closing, Thomakos decided this would be a chance to realize his dream of establishing a stage company. Putting his money together to rent the Walled Lake building that held JET and to buy the stagecraft structures used ...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 49 that says we’re here to have fun. ” Thomakos, who holds a bachelor’s in theater from Kent State University in Ohio and a master’s in theater from Wayne State University, has worked freelance and headed the Water Works Theatre Company (now Shakespeare Royal Oak). Most recently, he was in charge of stage instruction at the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts. The cast he chose for Private Lives, wh...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 5 …
…50 | APRIL 20 • 2023 BLUME-MANIA AND DEAD RINGERS, REDUX On April 21, Amazon Prime begins streaming Judy Blume Forever, a documentary about Judy Blume, 84. She’s the author of many best-selling novels for “tweens” and young adult audiences — and a few big-selling novels for adults. The respected Hollywood Reporter gave the “doc” a rave review, noting: “[The film] looks at the legacy of the pioneering young adult fiction write...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 51 POP ART NOW-APRIL 31 At Art Leaders Gallery, 33086 Northwestern, West Bloomfield. The Pop Art movement made art accessible and connectible to the masses, influencing an entire new wave of artistry and expressionism. Art Leaders Gallery celebrates these iconic “characteristics” in the series of works by featured artists, highlighting these bold and vibrant colorways of popular imagery and satire that is P...…
…52 | APRIL 20 • 2023 on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester Hills. Country hits like “Stand by Your Man,” “9 to 5” and “Harper Valley PTA” tell the tale of three gutsy gals who follow their dreams of being country music stars. They may come from different backgrounds, but all roads to stardom lead to Nashville. Ticket info: 248- 377-3300. CAREGIVER SUPPORT 1:30-2:30 PM, APRIL 27 Virtual Caregiver Support Groups for ...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 53 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! ...…
…54 | APRIL 20 • 2023 the exchange community bulletin board | professional services For information regarding advertising please call 248-351-5116 or 248-234-9057 or email salessupport@thejewishnews.com Deadline for ad insertion is 9 a.m. on Friday prior to publication. Aaron Mendelson Heating and Cooling, LLC. 248-855-0437 Cell: 248-912-2292 License # 7118488 Maintenance, Installation, Repair & Hot Water Heaters Ajmendelson1@gmail....…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 55 OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY HEALTHCARE A1 CAREGIVER/COMPANION. Experienced, excellent references. 248-991-4944 Cita Angels Home Care. Caregiver Services 24 hr. care. We assist in cooking, cleaning, bathing/grooming, doctor appointments, errands, etc. We accept private pay and Medicaid payment. Please call 1-866-542-6435. LPN with 10 yrs exp. I am loving, caring and reliable. I would love to care for your...…
…56 | APRIL 20 • 2023 S eymour Stein, one of the most influential music executives of the 20th century, who frequently throughout his career referred to his Jewish Brooklynite roots, died at 80 on April 2, 2023, at his home in Los Angeles. The cause was an unspecified form of cancer, according to reports. Stein, born Seymour Steinbigle in 1942 and raised near Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, signed artists to his Sire record label ranging ...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 57 Fran loved life and people; so, after Lloyd’s death, she moved to the Fox Run community in Novi and involved herself in every possible way. She was greatly loved and admired by all who knew her. Fran will be dearly missed by all whose lives she touched. Mrs. Finsilver is survived by her daughter, Dr. Karen Bolak; son and daughter- in-law, Stanley and Shari Finsilver; grandchildren, Amy and Steven Ben- Ezra, B...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 58 | APRIL 20 • 2023 DR. WILLIAM SANDFORD FLOYD, 90, of Boca Raton, Fla., died April 8, 2023. Dr. Floyd is survived by his wife of 46 years, Gayle Floyd; children, Jered Floyd, Brian Gibbons, Richard Nordin, Jennifer Floyd, Scott Floyd, Linda and Dan Berger, and Debbie Snoek; grandchildren, Hjalmar Floyd and Caitlin Berger; sisters-in-law, Lynne Levine, Karen Ginsburg and Suzanne Ginsburg; niece...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 59 dear son-in-law of the late Elaine and the late Steven Fish. Contributions may be made to Bais Chabad of West Bloomfield, 5595 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; Friends of Israeli Defense Forces, P.O. Box 999, Walled Lake, MI 48390; or Farber Hebrew Day School, 21100 W. 12 Mile Road, Southfield, MI 48076. A funeral was held at Hebrew Memorial Chapel. Interment took place at Machpelah Cemetery in F...…
…6 | APRIL 20 • 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: Detr...…
…60 | APRIL 20 • 2023 to Hospice of Michigan, 400 Galleria Officenter, Suite 400, Southfield, MI 48034, hom. org/donations; or Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, 6555 W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jewishhospice.org/donate/ tributes. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. FREDERICK “FRED” SCHATZ, 87, of West Bloomfield, died April 6, 2023. He was born in Detroit. Fred was a graduate of Mumford High School and the Unive...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 61 B enjamin Ferencz, the last surviv- ing member of the prosecuting team at the Nuremberg trials that convicted Nazi ringleaders for crimes against humanity, died April 7, 2023, in Florida. He was 103. Ferencz was 27 and a graduate of Harvard Law School when he was named as the chief prosecutor at the Einsatzgruppen Trial, in which 20 mem- bers of the SS’s mobile death squads were convicted of war crimes and crimes...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org 62 | APRIL 20 • 2023 Children Learning Hand in Hand O n our recent Israel adventure with the Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Motor City Mission, JN Editorial Director Jackie Headapohl and I took a diversity excursion in Jerusalem. It was a most enlightening experience. Our first stop was the Hand in Hand Center fo...…
… FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER Classically Classically CHARLEVOIX Many may recognize the architectural style of Earl Young from its famed stone work and undulating rooflines. Few know about the SECRET EARL YOUNG PENTHOUSE within the Weathervane Terrace Inn & Suites. For the FIRST TIME EVER, this hidden gem is available for daily and weekly rental. The Earl Young Tower Suite offers THE BEST VIEWS in Charlevoix with a ...…
…Member FDIC. ⬢®, Huntington® and ⬢ Huntington. Welcome.® are federally registered service marks of Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. ©2023 Huntington Bancshares Incorporated. People are at the heart of what we do. At its heart, a business is about people. A group of people coming together to create something bigger than themselves. To create a solution or a product or an experience in the service of other people. At Huntington, it’s our...…
…DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 32255 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 205, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 248-354-6060 thejewishnews.com APRIL 20• 2023 | 7 A PREMIER DESTINATION FOR GOLF A JACK NICKLAUS & PETE DYE 18-HOLE GOLF COURSE SAVOR THE FLAVORS: FOOD & BEVERAGE PROGRAMS INDULGE IN A CULINARY ADVENTURE AT OUR DIVERSE FOOD & BEVERAGE PROGRAMS REJUVENATE AND RELAX: SPA & FITNESS REVITALIZE YOUR BODY AND MIND AT OUR SPA FOCUSED LOCKER ROOMS AND FITNESS C...…
…8 | APRIL 20 • 2023 guest column The Problem in Israel I have been trying to write this piece for a while now. Every day in the past three months seemed to be a dawn of a new era, and a moment I had to express myself and share how it feels to be an Israeli. I found it extremely challenging to find the words or even to identify what it is that I think and feel. I see myself as a critical thinker and a hopeful dreamer. Stil...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 9 agree upon the majority of issues. One of our biggest problems is we are held hostage by leaders who create a culture of catchy, divisive and power-driven discourse. HOPE AND DESPAIR Am I hopeful? Of course, I am. Is this the first time our society is in danger? Hell no. We fought with one another for thousands of years, and have been able to overcome and establish our own state. We are the “start-up nation.”...…
…$200 April 20-26, 2023 / 29 Nisan – 5 Iyar 5783 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Preserving Our History Two Jewish archives join forces as the new Jampel Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage. See page 14 …
…10 | APRIL 20 • 2023 guest column Senseless S enseless. The cold-blooded murder of three peaceful women, Lucy Dee, 48, and two of her four daughters, Maya, age 20, and Rina, age 16, was a senseless act of … lunacy. These women were my neighbors; we lived in the apartment upstairs from them. Their sister Tali babysits for my young children, and their father and I are friends, and we spent much time in shul together. The attack o...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 11 You’re Invited to the Israel Party 75 Years in the Making Don’t miss our Yom Ha’Atzmaut party for the entire community of all affiliations. $10 per person. Children 5 and under free. Register today: jewishdetroit.org/75 Thursday, April 27, 5:00 pm | Congregation Shaarey Zedek 5 PM Activities and booths for all ages and kosher Israeli food 6 PM Official Israel@75 Celebration 6:30 PM A special show by world-renowned ...…
…12 | APRIL 20 • 2023 opinion When Is Enough, Enough? O ver 30 years ago I completed my presidency of the community relations agency of the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit, an organization now known as JCRC/ AJC. Thinking about the future and reflecting that I had just spent three years building bridges with the leadership in both political parties and the leaders of the community’s religious and ethnic groups, I contact...…
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…14 | APRIL 20 • 2023 Two Jewish archives join forces as the new Jampel Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage. Preserving Our History SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMIE FELDMAN OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER …
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 15 PHOTOS BY JAMIE FELDMAN M ichigan’s Jewish history began during the late 1700s when Jewish traders arrived in the state. By 1850, a small group of German Jews organized Detroit’s first Jewish congregation — Temple Beth El. With a history dating back more than 200 years, it’s not surprising that Detroit’s two major Jewish archives hold a vast array of historic records. Jewish Federation’s Leonard N. Simons Je...…
…Currently, Laura Gottlieb, the temple’s director of cultural resources, serves that role. According to Gottlieb, college students, professors doing research for books, architectural researchers interested in Albert Kahn (a Temple Beth El board member) and Minoru Yamasaki, the famous architect who designed the current temple, use the Archives, as well as those with genealogy questions or an interest in Michigan Jewish history. The Le...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 17 Honda Available on approved credit through Honda Financial Services, 0.9% APR for up to 36 months on select new and unregistered 2023 Honda Ridgeline models through 05/01/2023, for well-qualified buyers. Not all buyers will qualify. Higher financing rates apply for buyers with lower credit ratings. Actual down payment may vary. Dealer participation may affect actual payment. Dealer sets actual prices. See dealer for det...…
…that preserve the heritage of Jewish Michigan, ” Terman adds. Additional collections besides those of Federation and Temple Beth El are maintained there as well. Organizations that want to join the Center can retain ownership of their collections and allow the Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage to maintain them or deed ownership to the Center. Terman adds that Federation and Temple Beth El thought that combining the collections into...…
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…20 | APRIL 20 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY F rankel Jewish Academy (FJA) is holding its Annual Gala on Thursday, May 11, spotlighting two honorees — David Kurzmann as the distinguished alumni honoree and Pat Anderson as the distinguished staff honoree. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a strolling dinner in the lobby of the JCC. The event will then move to the Berman Center. As in years past, attendees will hear from school le...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 21 J HSM (Jewish Historical Society of Michigan) announces Howard Lupovitch will receive the 2023 Leonard N. Simons History- Maker Award. A fourth-genera- tion Detroiter, Lupovitch is pro- fessor of history and director of the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University. The annual award recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to the enrich- ment, conservation, knowledge and...…
…22 | APRIL 20 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY A merican Jews can no longer afford to harbor illusions about how insulated or protected they might be from antisemitism — the pernicious, historic and often deadly hatred, acknowledged as the world’s oldest. Even close to home, in Detroit’s affluent suburbs, anti-Jewish thought, speech and actions are on the rise. Which is why Temple Israel of West Bloomfield will be sponsoring an evening M...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 23 Temple Israel is thrilled to welcome keynote speaker, Bari Weiss, and featured guest, Mitch Albom, for a fascinating evening as a part of our TI4Israel program series. Join us for riveting conversation with these two renowned authors and journalists as it relates to the growing dangers of antisemitism and antizionism. Wednesday, May 3, 2023 TI4Israel is generously supported by The Miriam z”l and Dr. Isaac Barr Is...…
…24 | APRIL 20 • 2023 S ome educators leave a legacy to their students. History teacher Gennadiy Grigorievich Bosovets of David-Horodok in Belarus takes it one inspirational step further. He initiated the creation of a monument in remembrance of the Jewish descendants of David-Horodok in the town square. Many of the descendants today, fondly known as David-Horodokers, live in Metro Detroit. The Detroit David-Horodok Org...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 25 The Facebook page of the Descendants of David-Horodok connects landsmen and friends worldwide. When former Detroiter Cheri Eisenberg, currently living in Atlanta, visited David-Horodok in 2010 with more than 100 David-Horodokers, she was enthralled by the history. “The trip greatly impacted me, and in 2013, I was motivated to start a Facebook page to connect other landsmen.” Many of her relatives perished in David...…
…26 | APRIL 20 • 2023 T he Michigan Department of Trans- portation has long planned to replace the Victoria Park Overpass Bridge of I-696 in Oak Park. Project manager Abdul Siddiqui, a senior project and contracts management engineer at MDOT, expects the demolition and reconstruction, to begin in the spring of 2025, and to conclude by the fall or winter of 2026. Motorists on I-696 notice huge icicles hanging from the bridge. Th...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 27 also want to congregate under some pavilions, to have pic- nics there in the shade. ” Another item on the wish list is access to restrooms, “which obviously we cannot put on the bridge itself, but we are looking into the possibility of locating them just off the bridge” in adjacent areas, he says. Before those plans get finalized, Siddiqui anticipates at least one additional public meeting this month, probabl...…
…28 | APRIL 20 • 2023 OUR COMMUNITY D ia del Nino, ” or Children’s Day, as it is called in English, is celebrated every year in Mexico and other Latin American countries. The celebration honors the important role of children in society and is often accompanied with music, magi- cians, clowns, balloons and other festivities for kids. JCRC/AJC is partnering with the Mexican Consulate of Detroit for a special “Children’s Day” eve...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 29 T he Zekelman Holocaust Center (The HC) will host its annual com- munity-wide Yom HaShoah commemoration on Sunday, April 23, at 2:30 p.m. The event will take place in-person and will be livestreamed at www. Holocaustcenter.org. This year’s program will be led by local clergy Rabbi Aaron Bergman and Hazzan Daniel Gross of Adat Shalom Synagogue. Survivors and children of survivors will light memorial candles, a...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 3 contents PURELY COMMENTARY 4-12 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 14 Preserving Our History Two Jewish archives join forces as the new Jampel Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage. 20 FJA Gala Honors Two of Its Own David Kurzmann, Pat Anderson to be feted. 21 JHSM to Honor Howard N. Lupovitch with Simons Award 22 Confronting Antisemitism Temple Israel to host an evening with Bari Weiss and spec...…
…30 | APRIL 20 • 2023 O h, our beloved Charlevoix and its special Earl Young mushroom houses … Earl Young, who built the playful houses of stone in and around Charlevoix add- ing to its natural charm, is also known for his biggest project, the Weathervane Terrace Hotel Inn and Suites and adjacent Weathervane Restaurant in the heart of Charlevoix. While those who go to Charlevoix know the Weathervane Terrace Hotel, unknown by most is...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 31 with Earl Young. And his interest inspired his partner, Alice Blumenthal McGinty, a children’s book author, to write Mushroom House Man: The Story of Earl A. Young and His Cottages of Stone, which was released in July 2022. The Tower Suite exemplifies Earl Young’s use of light and natural materials to create cozy spaces throughout, including its iconic circular room. It also boasts a unique wrap-around deck offer...…
…A young adult from our corner of the world is helping teach English in the Israeli education system. West Bloomfield’s Justin Weiss is currently part of Masa Israel Teaching Fellows, a program where young adults serve as teaching assistants in classrooms from large cities to small towns across Israel. Masa Israel Teaching Fellows explore their Jewish identities while empowering Israeli children who may not have otherwise had...…
…APRIL 20 • 2023 | 33 Weiss says he gained a new appreciation of languages and how the more knowledge of languages you have, the more freedom you have to explore the world and the more doors open for you. “My idea is by being here with these kids and helping them learn English, who knows, maybe I’m opening some doors for them to others, and giving them a new passion in English,” Weiss said. “One girl at my old school in Beit Sh...…
…34 | APRIL 20 • 2023 quick hits BY STEVE STEIN T he list keeps growing. And it’s an impressive list. What list? The list of Division I colleges that have offered Birmingham Groves High School football star Avery Gach a scholarship as he turns the corner from his sophomore to his junior seasons. “It’s cool. It’s crazy. It shows that my hard work is paying off, and if I keep working hard, there will be more offers, ” Gach said. ...…
