…APRIL 4 • 2024 | 57 play because it made me fall in love with theater and being on stage telling stories to an audience,” said Valimont, who dates that first experience back 20 years. “We have eight kids in the show, and they are part of a youth ensemble. They’re basically helping to tell the stories, and they play animals in Noah’s ark. We had open auditions in January, and each person auditioning sang and danced for us. We ch...…
…1. Orange and black butterfl ies _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (8 letters) 2. Backyard songbird _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (7 letters) 3. Gardening chore _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (7 letters) 4. The season of ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ (6 letters) 5. Tiny nectar-sipping bird _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (11 letters) 6. Yellow fl owering weed _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (9 letters) Word Games Each word ends with the fi rst letter of the next word. All the words relate to spring. Can you ...…
…APRIL 4 • 2024 | 59 J N CAFÉ DILEMMA 7 PM, APRIL 4 (THURS.) Join the Detroit Shinshinim for coffee, snacks and to discuss dilemmas relat- ed to Israel. At Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park. Shinshinim are Israeli young adults who under- take a year of service in Detroit and who, during that year, operate educa- tional and other program- ming in the community. The goal is to have a dis- cussion and learn different sides of the issues with a...…
…1942 - 2024 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.thejewishnews.com 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: Detroit Jewish News, 322...…
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…62 | APRIL 4 • 2024 J oseph Lieberman, a longtime senator from Connecticut who as Al Gore’s running mate in 2000 became the first Jewish member of a major presidential ticket, died March 27, 2024. He was 82. A statement sent to former staffers and reported widely said Lieberman had suffered compli- cations from a fall. A moderate — some would say conservative — Democrat turned independent, Lieberman was known for his attempts t...…
…APRIL 4 • 2024 | 63 JOSEPHINE BRISKIN, 96, of Haverford, Pa., formerly of West Bloomfield, died March 27, 2024. Mrs. Briskin is survived by her sons and daughters- in-law, Robert and Laurie Briskin, Gary and Nancy Briskin, and Kenneth and Jill Briskin; grandchildren, Perrie, Jamie, Lauren, Dana, Greg, Noah and Andrew; great-grandchildren, Gavin, Bennett and Mason. She was the beloved wife of the late Ben Briskin. Interment wa...…
…64 | APRIL 4 • 2024 J N made to National Council of Jewish Women, 26400 Lahser Road, Suite 306, Southfield, MI 48033, ncjwmi.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. LOIS FORMAN, 87, of Sun City West, Ariz., formerly of Walled Lake, died March 22, 2024. She is survived by her children, Perri (Irwin) Goodman, Jodi (Andy) Grodman and David (Jody) Forman; grandchildren, Shayna (Brad) Millman, ...…
…APRIL 4 • 2024 | 65 J N mother and grandmother and instilled in her children the importance of family over everything. Her children are extremely close with one another. She had many hobbies and interests: antiques, knitting, gardening, exercise, travel, visiting family and friends, including her very close friends Samra Robbins and Sheila Shulman. She is survived by her loving husband of 55 years, Robert; her three sons, Geoff...…
…OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY 66 | APRIL 4 • 2024 J N M ichael Kelmenson, 36, of West Bloomfield, died Feb. 6, 2024. Michael was a proud alumnus of the University of Michigan for both his undergraduate degree and his master’s in social work. He worked in the Michigan school systems, coordinated the youth mentorship program at Jewish Family Service and worked as an independent consultant. He made friends extremely easily an...…
…APRIL 4 • 2024 | 67 J N EVELYN ROSS, 99, of Southfield, died March 21, 2024. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Robin and Robert Gershman; daughter and daughter-in-law, Melissa Ross and Michelle Shartran; son, Jonathan Ross; grandchildren, Lauren Gershman, Julie Gershman and Azriel Gilmore, and Juliet Flam-Ross and Tristan Marquise. She is also survived by her loving caregivers, Tauheedah Harris and Lisa Young. ...…
…68 | APRIL 4 • 2024 J N OBITUARIES OF BLESSED MEMORY J oel Alan Hershman, A native Detroiter, died peacefully in his San Diego home on Feb. 12, 2024, at the age of 72; his wife of 48 years and his three children were by his side. Joel was born on May 21, 1951, in Detroit to Edith Hershman Levin and David Hershman. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1973 and from U-M Medical School in1977. He married Debra Hershman...…
…APRIL 4 • 2024 | 69 She was a great mother and cook, famous for her lemon meringue pie and other delicious specialties. Rita was a devoted mother, sister, sister- in-law, aunt, daughter, cousin, grandmother who was loved by all. Rita was known for her big smile, great sense of humor and charismatic laugh. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends and neighbors. Mrs. Sklar was preceded in death by her mother, Martha Abrah...…
…APRIL 4 • 2024 | 7 J N WEEK 1 (April 4 – April 10) $5.00 OFF when you spend $50 Not valid in combination with any other discount coupon or offer. Offer can only be redeemed once. Excluding alcohol. Coupon must be present at the time of purchase. No photo copies of ad will be accepted. Coupon must come from original magazine. WEEK 2 (April 11 – April 17) $10.00 OFF when you spend $100 Not valid in combination with any other discount c...…
…Looking Back From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at thejewishnews.com 70 | APRIL 4 • 2024 J N R ecently, Harvey Bronstein contacted the JN. He suggested that we might want to revisit and acknowledge a great Jewish Detroiter, one with a legacy that we should always remember to honor: David Hermelin. Bronstein is spot-on. Simply stated, David Hermelin (1936-2000) was one of the giants of Je...…
…SUPPORT JEWISH JOURNALISM The Detroit Jewish News has been telling and preserving our stories since 1942. Subscribe today so that we can continue telling them tomorrow. JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT SCAN TO DONATE OR SUBSCRIBE TODAY! …
…PASSOVER MENU 2024 To place your Passover order: order online at QualityKosher.com call us - 248-352-7758 ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH 2024 THIS PASSOVER, ENJOY HOME COOKING, WITHOUT COOKING AT HOME! PICK UP MONDAY, APRIL 22ND FROM 9:30AM - 12:30PM* at Shaarey Zedek 27375 Bell Rd. Southfield, MI. 48034 *please come at the time you select when placing your order GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST (PACK OF 2) Boneless flame grilled ...…
…8 | APRIL 4 • 2024 J N T he presence of over a million Gazan civil- ians in the Rafah area serves as a kind of “armor” for Hamas’ remaining battalions in southern Gaza, which is why any Israel Defense Forces operation aimed at taking control of this last bastion of the terror group must begin with the evacuation of civilians. In order for the Israel Defense Forces to be able oper- ate freely in Rafah, the civilians there wil...…
…APRIL 4 • 2024 | 9 J N JOIN US! LUNCH & LEARN EVENT WEDNESDAY, MAY 22ND 12:00 - 2:00PM LONGACRE HOUSE 24705 FARMINGTON ROAD, FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48336 Join us for a special lunch and learn event with Rose Senior Living Farmington Hills, a brand-new senior living community in your neighborhood. Learn about Rose Senior Living and the benefits of joining our Founders Club! RSVP by Thursday, May 16th by calling (248) 850-1351 Con...…
…$200 March 28-April 3, 2024 / 18-24 Adar II 5781 JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT thejewishnews.com Bookstock used books and media sale celebrates its 20th anniversary. See page 12 …
…10 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N continued from page 9 Lucille Ball of our time,” noting her Emmy Award for her role in Will and Grace, one of the first network television show with openly gay characters. Messing, making her first visit to Detroit, grew up in Rhode Island. Her parents were observant Jews active in the local Jewish federation, but she was one of only three Jews in her school. In second grade, she was told to “get to the ba...…
…she stood up and saw the sea of Israeli flags, “I didn’t want to be anywhere else.” More recently, Messing made her first trip to Israel to bear witness and to tell Israelis that American Jews are with them. She is looking forward to an upcoming documentary on antisemitism, Primal Fear, which she has helped to produce and which will be shown on college campuses and via social media. Messing says she wants to be remembered as so...…
…Buy the Books! OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER 12 | MARCH 28 • 2024 …
…A s Bookstock celebrates its 20th anniversary, its achievements keep grow- ing — hundreds of thousands of used books and media items sold, raising $3 million for local nonprofit literacy and education programs. Every year, thousands of readers look forward to what is believed to be the largest used book sale in the country and cer- tainly the only one that is operat- ed solely by volunteers. An amazingly dedicated volun- teer leader...…
…“THE BEAUTY OF BOOKSTOCK IS THAT WE GET BOOKS OUT OF BASEMENTS AND BACK INTO PEOPLE’S LAPS.” — NEAL RUBIN, DETROIT FREE PRESS COLUMNIST AND HONORARY CO-CHAIR OF BOOKSTOCK continued from page 13 OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER 14 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N Mall. According to Bookstock co-founder Jodi Goodman, “Roz had read in the Jewish News that the Brandeis ladies wanted to retire.” At the time, Roz Blanck and Jodi Goodman, both moth- ...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 15 J N continued on page 16 Special Days at Bookstock (bookstockmi.org) PRE-SALE Bookstock kicks off with a special Pre-Sale on Sunday, April 7, at 8:15 a.m. featuring a performance by the Ukaladies and the Bookstock parade of vol- unteers. Admission is $25 for the Pre-Sale only, which ends at 11 a.m., and offers first choice of Bookstock’s huge array of used books and media. MONDAY-FRIDAY BARGAIN DAYS Shoppe...…
…continued from page 15 OUR COMMUNITY ON THE COVER 16 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N Organizations that Benefit from Bookstock Many local nonprofit educational and literacy organizations have applied for and received grants from Bookstock proceeds. Randie Levin, Carolyn Tisdale and Margo Lazar chair The Bookstock Fund. A few of the recipients of Bookstock grants include: • Brilliant Detroit provides holistic services for kids 0-8 in 1...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 17 bookstockmi.org 248-502-2849 facebook.com/BookstockMI BookstockMI @BookstockMI 2024 LEAD SPONSOR IN HONOR OF OUR 20TH SALE: Monday - Friday Bring a Bookstock Bag from any previous year for 20% of entire purchase (One bag discount per customer. Not applicable with Teacher Appreciation discount.) TEACHER APPRECIATION Tuesday, April 9 and Wednesday, April 10, 2-7 PM 50% discount for teachers with a valid id POCKE...…
…18 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N S eder is such a core part of Jewish identity, ” says David Stryk, a lifelong member of Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield and a Bloomfield Hills resident. “This year, for me, more than ever, with everything that’s going on in the world, the communal seder gives you a chance to get together with the broader com- munity.” This will be the second time that Stryk and many members of his family will ce...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 19 director of communications at Temple Beth El, echoes Stryk’s sentiment that “this year, more than ever, may we come to realize the ancient call for peace and fulfillment, and the freedom of our people … Next year in Jerusalem! “Passover is the most-cel- ebrated holiday across the American Jewish community, ” Weber asserts. “Our mission is to share the joy of our people’s foundational narrative through special ...…
…PASSOVER MENU 2024 To place your Passover order: order online at QualityKosher.com call us - 248-352-7758 ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH 2024 THIS PASSOVER, ENJOY HOME COOKING, WITHOUT COOKING AT HOME! PICK UP MONDAY, APRIL 22ND FROM 9:30AM - 12:30PM* at Shaarey Zedek 27375 Bell Rd. Southfield, MI. 48034 *please come at the time you select when placing your order GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST (PACK OF 2) Boneless flame grilled ...…
…20 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N F ollowing is a roundup of programs that local synagogues and temples of different religious streams are presenting during the days leading up to the start of Passover 2024 (Hebrew year 5784). The events listed are for congregants and others, as indicated, in the broader Jewish community. RSVP dates are given when known. Continuing into Passover, the first seder this year will be held on Monday, April 2...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 21 J N children in the community. • Sisterhood will share the spirit of the coming Passover holiday with a nod toward the Sephardic observance of the holiday. The meal will include Sephardic-style charoset and salad. Aviva Phillips will lead the service and CBS Executive Director Shira Shapiro is the song leader. • $48 adult; $20 ages 5-12, March 28-April 3. • RSVP: (248) 547-7970 (CBS office); vegetarian meals ...…
…22 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N I n life, timing is everything. Unfortunately, the clash of Passover falling during Michigan State University’s schedule of finals and April 26-28 graduation weekend is causing the MSU Jewish community to have to juggle their religious observances with final projects and exams and crossing the commencement ceremony stages. Jewish students, families and faculty at MSU pointed out this calendar clash ov...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 23 will keep Passover and have a delayed celebration. “We usually break Passover with pizza, but because it’s my graduation, I’m hoping we scale it up a bit when the holiday is over,” Saulson said. MSU HILLEL STEPS UP According to MSU Hillel, there are about 3,500 Jewish students on campus, around 9% of the total student body of over 39,000 students. MSU Hillel Executive Director Robyn Hughey said plans are ...…
…M ichael Krebs, 64, has long flown an American flag on the porch of his home in St. Clair Shores. Starting in December, in a show of solidarity with Israel after the Oct. 7 massacre, he began to fly an Israeli flag next to it. On Feb. 10, the flag was sto- len. Krebs, who says he may be the only Jewish person on his block, said it was stolen three times after that. Krebs’s daughter Michelle Sprader, 39, also of St. Clair Shores...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 25 “We are seeing the trend (of stealing and vandalizing Israeli flags) all over the country,” Normandin said. “Sometimes it is just vandalism; sometimes it is accompanied with assault and a violent grabbing of the flag from someone’s hands. When incidents like this hap- pen, I encourage people to make a report with the ADL. It is our data that drives decisions. “We can then help coordinate our efforts with law e...…
…26 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N A re you an Ed Asner fan? Ed was an Ashkenazi Jew and seven-time prime time Emmy Award-winner by the time he passed away in 2021. One of his little-known accomplishments is that he inadvertently made a shidduch for a Huntington Woods couple. In the 1970s, Ed played Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show … and Lou’s backstory was that he had worked for the Detroit Free Press. At the same time and a few...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 27 admitted Laura. “So, when I learned that Marty wrote for the now bygone lifestyle section called ‘For & About Women, ’ I asked him, ‘What’s a man doing working in a women’s section?’” Marty explained that he wrote things that were of interest to anyone, not just women. “That’s when I realized this is a nice, good, cool, interesting guy … and I thought, I’m interested, ” said Laura. When Laura asked Andy for M...…
…28 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N OUR COMMUNITY G esher Human Services, The J Detroit and Jewish Federation of Detroit will again co-sponsor the Metro Detroit Nonprofit Career Expo, which will take place on Wednesday, April 3, from 10 a.m. to noon at The J Detroit in West Bloomfield. The Metro Detroit Nonprofit Career Expo will feature seven local nonprofit agencies offering approx- imately 50 jobs, including part-time, full-time and ...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 29 J N B ryan Robbins has done it all at the JCC Maccabi Games: inline hockey player for four years, hockey coach for nine years and, now in 2024, co-commissioner of ice hock- ey at the Detroit Games being organized by The J in West Bloomfield from July 28-Aug. 2. Robbins, 39, loved his time playing hockey as a teen, first in Detroit then in Cherry Hill, N.J., Staten Island, N.Y., and in Philadelphia. “I’d look forw...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 3 J N PURELY COMMENTARY 4-8 Essays and viewpoints. OUR COMMUNITY 9 A Record-Breaking Crowd At Women’s Philanthropy’s Signature event, guest Debra Messing shares message of empowerment. 12 Buy the Books! Bookstock used books and media sale celebrates its 20th anniversary. 18 Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat Metro Detroit synagogues offer communal Passover seders. 20 Preparing for Pa...…
…30 | MARCH 28 • 2024 J N continued from page 29 TOP (left to right): • Bryan Robbins at 2015 Milwaukee Games is flanked by Zachary Raider (left, who passed away in 2021) and (right) Stephen Friedland. • Maya Gurfinkel, Games Director at The J. BOTTOM (left to right): • Doris Shanbrom-Ross (right) with her daughter Franci Silver at the 2015 JCC Maccabi Games in Fort Lauderdale. • Bryan Robbins now. • Doris Shanbrom-Ross...…
…JEWISH NEWS THE DETROIT A SPECIAL SECTION PRESENTED BY …
…32 | MARCH 28 • 2024 …
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…Mothers-of-the-bride (and groom): Shine on! MamaMia LYNNE KONSTANTIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Make an entrance with a big bold bow: Sachin & Babi’s Cupid’s Clutch in Electric Lime in duchesse satin opens to pink satin lining and includes a chain. Sachinandbabi.com. Mac Duggal’s Puff Sleeve Sequin Wrap Gown in Plum is subtle yet stunning. Macduggal.com. The Dominica Earrings by Adorn Pili are centered around lustrous freshwater pea...…
…MARCH 28 • 2024 | 35 S ure, it’s the bride’s big day. But that doesn’t mean the moms can’t shine, too. The mothers-of-the-bride and groom are no longer relegated to the matronly corner — from flowing gowns to architectural cocktail frocks and everything in between, the new MOB/G attire has elements of all the trends in fashion, and there are more options than ever. Delicious colors, tons of shimmer, big stand-out bows and floral...…
…36 | MARCH 28 • 2024 Hand-sequined floral appliqué with pearl accents embellishes the sheer tulle overlay of Mac Duggal’s Floral Applique Long- Sleeve Illusion Gown in Sage. Macduggal.com. Sachin & Babi one-shoulder satin-crepe midi Carmen Dress in blooming Noir Blossom oozes elegance. Sachinandbabi.com. Lovely lavender and just enough sparkle in a classic silhouette, and best of all: Pockets! Lavender Sequin Gown with satin hi-l...…
