DJN December 2, 2021 by The Detroit Jewish News

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200 Dec. 2-8, 2021 / 28 Kislev- 4 Tevet 5782

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After six months in a Myanmar prison, journalist is with his family in Huntington Woods. Page 12

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contents Dec. 2-8, 2021 / 28 Kislev- 4 Tevet 5782 | VOLUME CLX, ISSUE 17

30 46

PURELY COMMENTARY

CAMP GUIDE

EVENTS

OUR COMMUNITY

backcountry hikes.

FOOD

Securing Tamarack’s Future

2022 Camp Listings

ETC.

4-10 Essays and viewpoints. 12

Home Free

After six months in a Myanmar prison, journalist is with his family in Huntington Woods.

17 Irreplaceable! Alan Lowen retires as Temple Beth El’s

b’nai mitzvah coordinator after 17 years.

19 Mitzvah Day Now Mitzvah Weekend JCRC/AJC expands annual event. 20 From Detroit to Dubai Local leaders travel to the UAE on a

JDC Entwine mission.

23 Art for the Holidays Meet three artists with Jewish connections

participating in the BBAC Holiday Shop.

25 ‘The Warrior Backpack’ New picture book helps kids battle anxiety. 26 Jews in the Digital Age Genetic genealogy for the digital age.

SPORTS

28 Drama on the Court Thrilling tie-breaker victory gives

Franklin Athletic Club tennis team a national championship.

30 Fun is Not Just for Kids Tamarack alumni get together for

FACES&PLACES

38 Homecoming 2021 39

New Art at Prentis Apartments

EPIC Success for NEXTGen Detroit

MAZEL TOV

Community Calendar Chef Aaron Egan

Spotlight The Exchange Obituaries Looking Back

55 55 57 62

Shabbat & Holiday Lights

ARTS&LIFE

Chanukah sixth night: Friday, Dec. 3, prior to Shabbat Shabbat begins: Friday, Dec. 3: 4:42 p.m. Shabbat ends: Saturday, Dec. 4: 5:47 p.m. Chanukah seventh night: Saturday, Dec. 4, after Shabbat Chanukah eighth night: Sunday, Dec. 5

Tony Award-nominees and producers for What the Constitution Means to Me.

ON THE COVER: Cover art: Danny and Bryan Fenster. Courtesy of the Fenster family. Cover design: Michelle Sheridan

Interfaith Unity

“The Blessing Israel” brings a Jewish flavor to a Christian song.

Celebrity News

41 Moments

SPIRIT 41

Torah portion

42 Synagogue Directory 44 Three Approaches to Dreams 46 A Homecoming for Hometown Producer Rachel Sussman and Aaron Glick are

*Times according to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

thejewishnews.com Follow Us on Social Media: Facebook @DetroitJewishNews Twitter @JewishNewsDet Instagram @detroitjewishnews DECEMBER 2 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY for openers

So Close, But …

hen we converse, we sometimes struggle to find the right word or phrase. This may lead to a misspoken word/phrase because of similarities in sound or a confusion in our minds. We are Sy Manello so close, but … Editorial There is a Assistant vast difference between a wise man (someone whose knowledge we respect) and a wise guy (someone who “acts up”). If you are a golfer, you can attempt a chip shot, but when you verbally attack a fellow player, that is a cheap shot. If you like remote spots and delight in heights, you may want to consider being a lighthouse keeper.

If you only dust when absolutely necessary, you are a light housekeeper. (What a difference a break makes!) Overdo being a yes man and you may be described as a bootlicker. Those who smuggled whiskey during Prohibition were bootleggers. If you enjoy eating in the outdoors, that is dining al

fresco. What you may be served is a pasta dish … alfredo. Another favorite food is spaghetti carbonara; however, a metal loop used for connections is a carabiner. Talking medical problems? You may have trouble with kidneys. Talking about children’s boo-boos? Those are kids’ knees.

Geographically, the area is Indochina. Your “good dishes” are indoor china. Many a child wishes to be a superhero. In a restaurant, you may be given a choice: soup or hero? In the olden days, cleaning was often done with a rush broom. Fungi are mushrooms. (Note: How do you tell the difference between mushrooms and poisonous toadstools? Eat one. If you awake the next day, it was a mushroom.) A youngster who eats all the Fruit Loops before his siblings get any is a cereal killer. The creepy guy who goes on a killing spree is a serial killer. Nowhere near the same! Now that you know what to listen for, I am sure you will be more careful with your choice of swords … er … words.

essay

Responding to the Moment

n the first week of June 2020, I was sitting in my basement on a Zoom call with a group of colleagues discussing what our communal response to the murder of George Floyd might look like. Organized by Sarah Allyn (then executive director of Rabbi Ari Repair the World Witkin Detroit), most people “in the room” were representing organizations and congregations that historically had been more active in the work of build-

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

ing racial justice. This was, in many ways, new territory for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit where I serve as the director of leadership development. Looking around the Jewish world, I saw myself in good company. It felt like a new day of engagement and advocacy

as just about every organization, regardless of its mission or history, was launching some sort of statement, campaign or program to support Black community, Jews of color and BIPOC folks (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) more broadly. In the early days of last sum-

mer, it seemed as though a sort of kairos (critical) moment had emerged at the intersection of the killings of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery; the early months of the COVID pandemic and a growing incitement of political polarization sweeping the nation. As someone who has long worked to center the conversation about justice in mainstream Jewish institutions, this moment felt exciting. However, in the excitement there was a great question about just what we, as individuals and organizations, ought to do.

THE NAIVETY OF BEST INTENTIONS For those of us on that call, white Jewish professionals who in our own lives had begun a journey of anti-racist learning, there was a sense of eagerness and urgency about the opportunity to bring our broader community and institutions into the conversation. And so, we ambitiously put a plan in place. With a focus on centering the voices of Jews of color, we would invite the broader Metro Detroit Jewish community to an opportunity to learn more about what was happening in the world around us. What we had overlooked in our hurry to capture the moment was how far behind we and our community were and are in the work, and how many assumptions we had made in the brainstorming of this program. Over the course of the next few days, we reached out to individuals we had relationships with to garner feedback on our plan and solicit participation from Jews of color locally and nationally. The response we received could not have been clearer: Don’t ask us; start with yourselves. The feedback admittedly was hard to swallow, but so important. I am particularly grateful to my friend and colleague, Rebecca SteinmanDeGroot, for her generosity of spirit and intellect in helping us understand our location in that moment. Though our immediate programmatic plans had taken a back seat, the conversations that had begun opened the door to what became a year of listening and learning, which led to the creation of a new

unique and important initiative. STARTING WITH OURSELVES In the weeks that followed, Sarah and I met with various individuals and stakeholders in Detroit and around the country. Though much was unclear at that time, what was obvious was that meaningful engagement was not about the moment, but about the work we would do in the long run. Yes, everyone and their rabbi was going to post on Facebook that summer that Black Lives Matter, but would our community and our organizations make a real commitment to cultural and systemic change? One of our early conversations was with Dr. Andrea Jacobs, a longtime leader and educator in her work to help Jewish communities become more inclusive and equitable spaces. Together, we began to think about what it would mean for organizations like the Federation and Repair the World Detroit to begin an anti-racism learning journey. While we knew there was no one thing to do, thanks to the hard work and determination of Rachel Wasserman, a fellow at Repair the World Detroit, and with the feedback of our friends fresh in our minds, we launched Start Here: A Jewish Anti-racism Learning Cohort. Led by Dr. Jacobs, with support from the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, the Jewish Fund Teen Board, the Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, this program brought together 17

mid-career white Jewish professionals and lay leaders, representing 13 area organizations, for a seven-month learning intensive. WHAT WE LEARNED The first question we inevitably got every time we spoke about this idea was “why just white people?” What we know is that while there is important work for white and BIPOC folks to do together, separate affinity space gives room to build understanding of the history of racialization in the U.S. while increasing participants’ capacity or critical analysis and self-awareness around the issues of race. Additionally, and importantly, as a response to that initial feedback, that we must start with ourselves and take responsibility for our own learning, rather than placing that burden on BIPOC folks. The content of our learning provided a curricular arch that began with the genesis of racialization and the racial disparity upon which America was constructed. We studied settler-colonialism, anti-black racism, the toll racism has taken on white people, the intersections of racism and antisemitism and what it means for Jews to be white. Most importantly, throughout the entire program, Dr. Jacobs moved us toward understanding the ways in which we can bring our learning home as we work to make anti-racism an inherent part of Jewish community infrastructure. WHAT COMES NEXT The truth is, I’m not sure we totally know what comes next, nor do I believe this work is

linear. What I hope is that the learning we have done these past months, and the relationships we have built, provide a framework and a foundation to each of us in the moments when we continue to encounter the legacy of racism and white supremacy acting in the Jewish community. I’m proud that our Federation, through the Hermelin Davidson Center, created a fund to promote racial justice programs in the community, including modest funding for a staff person at Detroit Jews for Justice focused on building community amongst local Jews of color. I am grateful for the support and leadership, particularly of the many women of color, who have long been doing this work in the Jewish community, and consistently and benevolently give their time and energy, all too often without compensation. It has been nearly 18 months since George Floyd was murdered. Our communal Twitter feed and d’vrei Torah, briefly ablaze with calls for racial justice, have by and large returned to business as usual. This cycle is not new, but what can be is a far more impactful and quieter commitment in the stalwart structures and organizations of Jewish life. While we don’t know what’s next, in Detroit we have chosen to Start Here, with a serious look at ourselves, knowing there is still a long way to go as we continue to work to show up for racial justice. Rabbi Ari Witkin is director of leadership development at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. DECEMBER 2 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY essay

The Most Chanukah Time of the Year … Making Peace with Christmas

y first recollection of feeling uncomfortable about Christmas occurred in music class in the fourth or fifth grade. We were singing “songs of the season,” and I started to think about what I was actually singing: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” It’s a beautiful melody about the birth Dr. Jeff of Jesus. Another London song ends with the phrase: “Oh come let us adore him, Chri-ist, the Lord.” I’m sure we had sung

the same songs previous Decembers, but it somehow felt different this time. So, I decided I just wasn’t going to sing those words. I didn’t discuss it with my teacher or parents or classmates. I just made sure that I substituted (in a soft voice) “You know who, NOT the Lord!” There … that showed ’em where I stood! I recall my mom taking my siblings and me downtown to Hudson’s for a visit with Santa, but I’m not sure how she explained it to us or whether it felt weird. I think my mom had a strong wish to break away from the “Dexter Davidson

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shtetl” of her extended family and push our little family toward assimilation with mainstream American culture. I still went to Hebrew school and learned all the Chanukah songs and always knew that we didn’t celebrate Christmas. But why we went to see Santa, I’m just not sure. I quickly learned that while Santa Claus was coming to town, he wouldn’t be coming down our chimney. | Advertising Sales Director of Advertising: Keith Farber kfarber@thejewishnews.com Senior Account Executive: Kathy Harvey-Mitton kmitton@thejewishnews.com

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We always sang our Chanukah songs after lighting candles. I recall we also watched endless Christmas specials with Perry Como or Dean Martin (or maybe even Jack Benny), but I don’t recall a lot of discussion about us not celebrating Christmas. Our neighborhood was fairly diverse in terms of religion, and I don’t recall feeling left out at the holiday season. We had Chanukah; they 1942 - 2021 Covering and Connecting Jewish Detroit Every Week

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had Christmas. I don’t think I realized, at that time, how miniscule the Jewish population was compared to Christianity in the bigger world. By the time I reached college age, I was more aware of the unbelievable power of Christmas. My wife (then girlfriend) was placed in a dorm room with two girls from the west side of the state. Her roommates were intrigued and curious to meet an actual Jewish person, and the cultural exchange led to some good discussions. Another roommate invited her to midnight mass one Christmas, and I was included. The mass was spiritual and beautiful, but we knew it was “their thing.” It felt like a field trip, definitely an “away game.” JEWISH IDENTITY DURING THE HOLIDAYS After we got married, we moved to Cincinnati for my residency training. We moved into a decidedly non-Jewish community. We had our first child and began to develop our holiday family traditions. I recall huge Christmas trees in the homes of our neighbors. We were invited over for cookies and to help deck their halls. Feeling a bit like strangers in a strange land, we had more of a need to emphasize our Jewishness, and we invited them to taste latkes and to light Chanukah candles. But I began to feel a greater sense of how our Jewishness was perceived as otherness (by us as well as by them). Many of our neighbors were really shocked to learn that we didn’t celebrate Christmas. My wife and I had always enjoyed singing and we knew a lot of Christmas carols, and we didn’t feel at all hesitant about singing them with our neighbors. We may even have gone caroling door to door. I’m not sure if I sang about “Christ the Lord,” but I certainly didn’t mind singing

about Santa and Rudolph! When we returned to Michigan, we soon had our three children, which seemed to further intensify the importance of expressing our Jewish identity at the holiday season. We lived in a Jewish neighborhood but had an even greater awareness of the power of Christmas to the greater world. We updated holiday traditions, including family Chanukah parties and enjoyed singing songs from “Dreidel Dreidel” to “Ma Otzur.” A nightly favorites was “In the Window,” which talked about the glow of the menorah shining out, which I now see may have been our version of the Christmas lights shining in front of the homes of our non-Jewish neighbors. I recall taking our kids to see the Christmas lights displays in other neighborhoods. Again, it felt like a field trip to a winter wonderland. I don’t recall a lot of “Christmas envy” from our kids. We also became aware of the wonderful sense of giving and generosity that accompanies the commercial blitz of the holiday season. This is the time of year when many folks make big contributions to the Salvation Army and Yad Ezra and participate in clothing drives and soup kitchens. It really seems to bring out the best in people. HOLIDAY MUSIC For many years, we have enjoyed the Pop Series at the Detroit

Symphony, which includes a Christmas concert, whoops, I mean a “Home for the Holidays” concert. We love listening to the beautiful music, secular and religious, including gorgeous harmonies from the high school choirs. They would always toss in a cute version of a happy song in a minor key “for our Jewish friends,” but we all knew that Christmas was really what it was all about. And we really enjoyed it! Even though our muted clothes were lost in a sea of red and green, we joyfully sang along. The explosion of various types of media and the increasing commercialization of Christmas has seemed to further encourage my uncertain feelings at the holiday season. I think this coincides with a growing sense of concern about the separation of church and state. The seeming harmlessness of singing Christmas carols gradually seems to feel a part of a slippery slope toward a more overtly Christian nation. But we still love to sing those beautiful songs along with our Chanukah medleys. In fact, my wife and I have a tradition of singing songs of the season in the car with two of our dearest Jewish friends. We remember all the harmonies to “The First Noel” and the car provides nice acoustics, as well as a warm respite from the outside world. But, there still is that linger-

ing question that we all have to answer. How much do we assimilate with the prevailing American (Christmas) culture and how much do we choose to maintain and be true to our Jewish culture? Is Christmas joy really a threat to anyone? Is it OK to take your kids to see Santa and Christmas lights? And is it appropriate for us to sing beautiful songs that celebrate … well “you know who, not the lord”? My song parody expresses another way to think about the same questions. (Sung to the tune of “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year”) It’s the most Chanukah time of the year With the latkes we’re frying and presents we’re buying And loved ones are near It’s the most Chanukah time of the year (but) it’s the least secular season of all. With your neighbors’ lights glowing and folks mistle-toeing “you know who’s” at the mall. It’s the least secular season of all. With the carols they’re singing and Christmas bells ringing A Jew can feel kind of ignored What’s a mere game of dreidel compared to a cradle Containing “the son of the lord?” But it’s a most wonderful time of the year Neighbors helping each other, like brother to brother And full of good cheer Yes, it’s a most wonderful time Christmas joy isn’t a crime It’s a most wonderful time of the year. Happy Chanukah to all and to all eight good nights. Dr. Jeff London is a retired child psychiatrist from Farmington Hills. DECEMBER 2 • 2021

PURELY COMMENTARY

essay

Spending Shabbat in Kiryat Arbah: Coming Home

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

thousands of Jews, including Chasidic families, students in their post-high school gap year, and local Jewish children who were showing us the way. We saw tents, RVs and cars set up for sleeping, and even some people walking around holding mattresses for later. We arrived at the courtyard of the Maarah in time for Kabbalat Shabbat and were among the first 1,800 people who could have fit into the ancient building but decided against it and found a minyan of French yeshivah students outside. As more and more people drew closer to the Maarah, the crowd reached full capacity, and those who arrived later were left to daven on the stairs or even farther away. The sounds of the different minyanim, in their different dialects and traditions (Ashekenazi, Sephardi, Chabad, etc.), filled my heart with spirituality. These were all different people, whose history brought them all to

Israel, davening at the same time, next to one another. All different, yet all the children of Avraham and Sarah. Arye said it best when he mentioned that this Shabbat was like a family reunion. No matter where the children end up, no matter where their lives have taken them, no matter how observant they are as Jews, they can always

come home to see their “grandparents” and be with their family. Walking back to my cousins’ house for a delicious dinner, we smiled at and said Shabbat Shalom to every brave soldier along the way, and they each responded in turn. After a delicious Shabbat dinner, Arye and I went back down the hill to experience more. This time, we were able to get inside the Maarah and visit the elusive Ulam Yitzchak, Yitzchak and Rivka’s burial place, which is only open fewer than 10 times per year because of political reasons. At the entrance to the room, there was a short line of women waiting their turn, and I asked one of the women what they were waiting for. She told me it is the entrance to Gan Eden (Garden of Eden), where our souls will go when we die, and that the women were leaning down to breathe in the sweet and holy

NOAM ARNON

ecently, my husband, Arye, and I traveled to the holy city of Kiryat Arbah for the Shabbat of Parshat Chayei Sarah, the Torah parshah that describes the sale of the Cave of the Patriarchs — Maarat Hamachpela — to Avraham Aviva Zacks Avinu. We had the privilege of spending Shabbat with my cousins who have lived in Kiryat Arbah for more than 10 years. After reading all the rules and requirements and understanding that the number of expected guests could reach 30,000, we decided to arrive early in the day to avoid traffic and to be sure to get a parking space. As Shabbat started, we began walking down (or is it always “up” to a holy site?) to the Maarah in Hebron. My husband, my cousin and I were slowly joined by

BORDER PATROL OF MAARAT HAMACHPELA (TAKEN BY A NON-JEW ON SHABBAT)

Thousands gather to pray at the ancient Cave of the Patriarchs.

A family gets ready for a Shabbat camping adventure.

Our STORY BORDER PATROL OF MAARAT HAMACHPELA

One of many tent cities set up by guests.

aroma. I wasn’t sure that was something I wanted to do, so I passed on the opportunity for the moment. We left the Maarah after we had both prayed for our family and for Am Yisrael (people of Israel) and started wandering around Hebron. We saw entire sections of the city filled with tents and tables, and we found the apartment of a family who invited everyone in for a Friday night oneg (festive Shabbat gathering). We also saw Jews from all over Israel deep in conversation with soldiers and police officers about politics and religion. We simply absorbed the atmosphere. The next morning, we once again headed to Hebron for prayer and joined a minyan of men from our

own shul in Modiin. The Torah was read by a teenager from our shul who has been reading this parshah in Hebron since his bar mitzvah. The entire reason to be there, these words in this place, was even more special than I expected it to be. Living in Israel for the past 15 years, it has become commonplace for us to be in a place described in the Tanach. We even live in Modiin, home of the Maccabees. But reading the Parshah about the purchase of the exact place where we were standing was exceptional and memorable. Later that day, we went back to the Maarah, and I did breathe in the beautiful and indescribable scent and spirit of Gan Eden.

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‘Miracles Exist’ – A Letter to Danny Fenster on his Return Home

Dear Danny, I’m beyond delighted that you are not seeing a tally of days you’ve been in prison (and I’m smiling as I write this) because we no longer have to count them. I think it’s safe to say we’re all smiling now. We are celebrating Chanukah (the Festival of Lights). I think it’s auspicious that you were freed in the Hebrew month of Kislev; the month when we celebrate Chanukah. Kislev is known as the month of miracles. The energy of Kislev is known as the power of harmony; the harmony that emerges after chaos. Sound familiar? Even more telling is that you were freed on the 11th of Kislev. Spiritually, the number 11 has many meanings. For those familiar with angel numbers, 11 represents balance, vision and fulfillment (there are several other meanings, but they all relate to a message from heaven). In Gematria (the Kabbalistic method of assigning a numerical value to single or groups of Hebrew letters) the Hebrew letter ‘Kaf ’ is the 11th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It is the first letter in the word, kavanah, (which means intention, sincere feeling and direction of the heart). I can’t even begin to describe how much all of this relates directly to what we all have been doing for the past six months each time we set our clocks (and our pure intention) and gathered to pray in whichever way is meaningful to us as individuals. With one common, sacred, mission in mind (and pure love in our hearts), we gave our faith and trust in G-d, the Universe and pure energy, the power to travel across oceans and bring you home where you belong. A few weeks ago, I wrote on the Bring Danny Home Facebook page that I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe that everything happens for a reason even when it makes no sense to us. While your past

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

Miraculous Chanukah Both USA and Israel received their Chanukah gifts a little early this year, with the miraculous release of Danny Fenster and the Israeli couple released from jail in Turkey after being accused of spying. The USA and Israel Two countries that are free, Are sure to bring their sons from hell Wherever that will be. — Rachel Kapen West Bloomfield

Judge Cohn

six months were nothing short of a living nightmare (for you and your family — and for all of us who love all of you), we never lost hope or our belief that this beautiful community of people of all faiths would make a difference. We called, emailed, texted and posted on every social media platform. We remained steadfast and relentless in order to make sure those in a position of power paid attention and took action. Your captors were unrelenting, but their cause was no match for an army of kind people with pure hearts and pure intention who always believed that light would win over darkness. Kislev is a month of miracles and, as we kindle the flames of our chanukiyot and celebrate holidays of our respective faiths, we will think about what it means to illuminate every corner of our world with light, peace, grace and love. Danny, Juliana, Bryan, Cara, Rose, Buddy and your amazing, beautiful family: We all are collectively exhaling and embracing you as we finally and happily ditch the ‘BringDannyHome’ hashtag and, instead, embrace the words: “Welcome Home Danny! We love you!” — Dina Kawer Huntington Woods

Danny Schwartz (Nov. 18, page 21) describes the biography of Judge Avern Cohn as including “a wide selection of Cohn’s own writing on legal and especially historical subjects.” I immediately thought about his prodigious output of letters to publications far and wide on topics considerably more varied than law and history. Judge Cohn is a true polymath who apparently writes whenever he has something to say. He might agree with me that writing letters is more productive than throwing things at the television. I once asked him how often his letters were accepted for publication. He seemed surprised at the question, thought a moment and then said, “Oh, about 40%.” It’s an honor to say that on one occasion he and I shared the Letters page of the same issue of the Detroit Jewish News, his letter about Jonathan Pollard, mine on the midterm Congressional races. — Roger H. Leemis Southfield

Corrections: The story “Open-Mic Night” (Nov. 18, page 26) had an incorrect author byline. The story was written by Avery Geller, a junior from West Bloomfield at MSU. In “A Link to Past Generations” (Nov. 18, page 48), Jay Saper’s aunt should have been identified as Jeri Saper.

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ABOVE: An emotional reunion: Danny Fenster with parents Rose and Buddy and brother Bryan. OPPOSITE PAGE: Danny Fenster in the airport after his plane trip home.

Home FREE

After six months in a Myanmar prison, journalist is with his family in Huntington Woods. STACY GITTLEMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

anny Fenster is free. Just days after the military junta of Myanmar sentenced him to 11 years of hard labor for visa breaches, unlawful association with an illegal group and spreading false news, the managing editor of the independent online publication Frontier Myanmar and Huntington Woods native was back on American soil Nov. 16. He embraced his parents, Buddy and Rose Fenster, and brother Bryan Fenster outside the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York as recorded jazz music blared from a loudspeaker. Buddy presented his son with a T-shirt bearing the logo with his portrait that had become the mainstay on many lawns and storefront signs all over Metro Detroit during the 176 days he was held captive in Myanmar’s Insein Prison. Speaking briefly inside the hotel at a press conference sponsored by the Committee to Protect Journalists, Fenster expressed gratitude to former New Mexico governor and U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson and the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, the nongovernmental nonprofit organization responsible for securing his freedom. He said he looked forward to spending

some private days reuniting with his family yet stressed he will work on keeping the focus on the thousands of Burmese who remain imprisoned on false charges. According to rights group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 10,143 people have been arrested since the Feb. 1 coup and 1,260 people have been killed in violence in Myanmar, most of them in a crackdown by security forces on protests and dissent. According to the United Nations, at least 126 journalists, media officials or publishers have been detained by the military since the takeover and 47 remain in custody, though not all of them have been charged. “We need to continue to concentrate on not just the captured journalists, but the Myanmar citizens who are doctors, teachers and others who are still in prison right now,” Fenster said to the press. “So, this will be a short little celebration. Let us all keep focused on what the actual story is here.”

JOURNEY TO FREEDOM Fenster spent prison days in his harsh environs “reading, jogging in circles in a small courtyard, thinking for hours while staring at the walls and getting in ‘trouble’ when he tried to turn the lights off in his cell at night to sleep.” He said he was not beaten or starved. He added that eventually his wife, Julianna, was allowed to visit him every other week to deliver parcels of food. At one of his many hearings at a courthouse, Fenster recalled how a police aide secretly flashed a photo on his phone showing Buddy and Rose on CNN asking for his release. “My parents were on CNN wearing T-shirts with my face on it,” Fenster recalled. “It was a bizarre thing to see. I was a little aware of what was going on (to call for my release), and I know my brother (Bryan) and all the good things he is capable of.” During Fenster’s captivity, Richardson, along with the efforts of a multi-national continued on page 14 DECEMBER 2 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 13

RIGHT: The first photo released of a freed Danny Fenster, with Ambassador Bill Richardson. OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT: Rose, Buddy and Bryan Fenster wait to greet Danny.

negotiation with the Myanmar military government, secured the release based on humanitarian reasons. They worked independently from the U.S. government and divulged few details of the conditions of Fenster’s release. On Monday, Nov. 15, the military junta did not clear Fenster of his charges but announced to him he was being deported. He was driven to an airport in Naypyidaw, Myanmar’s capital, where Richardson and a small delegation met Fenster on a tarmac outside a private chartered jet headed to Qatar. After an overnight stay, Fenster, Richardson and the delegation touched down at JFK on Tuesday, Nov. 16. At the conference, Richardson Center Executive Director Mickey Bergman said the organization had been in constant contact with the Fenster family while Richardson had four in-person meetings with Myanmar junta Commander in Chief General Min Aung Hlaing since the beginning of the ordeal. Bergman praised Richardson for his negotiation skills as well as the efforts of Qatari government officials. “We believe diplomacy is about showing up,” said Bergman, a former Israeli Defense Forces paratrooper. “It’s about personal relationships and especially sitting down with people with whom you disagree. “It is complicated, and sometimes it fails. Today, it worked. Seeing Danny hugging his family outside was absolutely worth every single step of the way. I am thankful for Gov. Richardson for always being willing to show up.” Before giving his statements, Richardson

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

acknowledged the efforts of Fenster’s family and remarked that the joyous day could not have been possible without a team effort that spanned across political parties, countries, government and non-government organizations. He said he believed that visits with those in his organization with Hlaing not only freed Fenster but also Aye Moe, a 31-year-old woman on Richardson’s staff who was arrested during civilian protests. He added that his visits also secured deliveries of humanitarian and COVID aid to Myanmar’s population and loosened up visitation restrictions for those jailed at Insein Prison. “During those meetings, I said to (Hlaing) that (Fenster’s release) would be a humanitarian gift to the American people,” Richardson said. “Fenster was a journalist doing his job reporting what was happening, and he shouldn’t suffer. Like Danny said, we’ve got a long way to go all over the world. The more vulnerable people that are arrested are journalists because they’re reporting the truth. This is not just in Myanmar. This is worldwide. And this is not right.”

REACTION FROM THOSE AT HOME Congressman Andy Levin (D-9), who serves as the vice-chair of the Asia Sub Committee for the House Foreign Affairs Committee and penned the first resolution condemning the Feb. 1 military coup in the country formerly known as Burma, said the knowledge that Fenster had cleared Myanmar airspace was “his happiest moment in Congress.” He praised the efforts of Richardson and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and U.S. Ambassador to Burma Thomas Vajda. Imploring for an end to unfruitful unilateral diplomacy, he praised the efforts of the governments of Japan, Singapore, Thailand, China, Israel, Qatar, Sri Lanka, India and others for the success of Fenster’s freedom. “This was an incredibly broad effort that proves that America going it alone has never worked,” Levin said to reporters. “We want to thank those (we worked within these countries) who did things, most of which will never be known to get him out of there.” Levin noted that the diplomacy to free Americans being detained abroad is not

“FENSTER WAS A JOURNALIST DOING HIS JOB REPORTING WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND HE SHOULDN’T SUFFER.” — GOV. BILL RICHARDSON

over, referring to American missionaries who have been kidnapped and held for ransom in Haiti since late October (though at press time some have been released). Levin praised his Huntington Woods constituents as the “heart and soul” of keeping Fenster’s plight in the public eye for many months. Outside the press conference, statements of great relief from government officials at Fenster’s release were tempered with the message that so many political prisoners, many of them journalists, remain behind bars in Myanmar and around the world. Blinken’s office released the following statement: “We welcome the release of American journalist Daniel Fenster from prison in Burma, where he was wrongfully detained for almost six months. I commend Ambassador Tom Vajda and his team at U.S. Embassy Rangoon, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, the expertise of Consular Affairs, and the dedicated partners, including Gov. Bill Richardson, who helped facilitate Danny’s release. “We are glad that Danny will soon be reunited with his family as we continue to call for the release of others who remain

unjustly imprisoned in Burma.” Sen. Gary Peters, along with his Michigan colleagues, repeatedly called for the release of Danny Fenster and has held numerous conversations with Biden Administration officials while co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation condemning the Burmese military coup. Welcoming Fenster home, Peters wrote: “This nightmare is finally over for Danny’s family, friends and loved ones. Danny was doing incredible work telling the stories of the Burmese people — and his unjust detention was an attack on the freedom of the press. That’s why I worked with administration officials and Danny’s family in Michigan to continue to press for Danny’s release, and I want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly to bring Danny home.” Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter expressed gratitude for the persistence of the Fenster family, the negotiating skills of Richardson and the perseverance of Danny Fenster, a journalist “who never should have been arrested for doing his job.” In a press release, Michigan state officials such as Sen. Jeremy Moss (D-Southfield) and Rep. Regina Weiss

(D-Oak Park) said grassroots activity in their communities greatly contributed toward Fenster’s release. “I’m so grateful that, after almost six months, Danny is finally headed home,” Weiss said. “There is no doubt that the tireless advocacy of Danny’s family and so many in our community has had an immense impact on Danny’s release. I am elated that he will soon be back home in Michigan with his family.” In June, the Michigan Legislature adopted Senate Resolution 61, sponsored by Moss, and House Resolution 118, sponsored by Weiss, calling for Fenster’s release and safe return home. “This is the moment we’ve been waiting for,” Moss stated. “Many voices from our community shared Danny’s story over these last 176 days, making sure the efforts to secure his release were fueled and energized. I’ve been in awe of the resilience, tenacity and strength of the Fenster family during this uncertain time.” JOURNALISTS AT RISK American Jewish Congress/Jewish Community Relations Council Detroit Executive Director Asher Lopatin in a press release said the organization gives gratitude to all who played an important role in enabling his release, including Levin and Richardson, while maintaining grave concern for those still in peril in the cloistered country. “We continue to express outrage that so many in the media, reporters and continued on page 16 DECEMBER 2 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY continued from page 15

ABOVE: The new message is clear on this sign supporting Fenster’s release. RIGHT: Danny Fenster in Yangon, Myanmar.

journalists are still being held in prison in Myanmar by the military government and are awaiting trials and call for their immediate release,” read the statement. “The JCRC/ AJC and the Jewish community stands firmly behind the right of free speech and … human beings to speak the truth. May the light and courageous stories from the upcoming holiday of Chanukah inspire all those who are awaiting freedom and justice and fill us all with hope.” Journalists and organizations that support domestic and global efforts for a free press and freedom of speech agreed that Fenster’s release was encouraging but cautioned there are still journalists imprisoned and imperiled all over the world by totalitarian governments. “We lend our voice to the broader issue of freedom of the press and the free flow of information around the world,” Roy Gutterman, Syracuse University professor and director for the Tully Center for Free Speech, told the JN. “Journalists take risks to tell the rest of the world what’s going on. We rely on foreign reporters the same way we rely on the local reporter who goes to that city council or board of education meeting to keep the rest of us informed. The press serves an important function and, unfortunately, that can mean taking risks and going to places where they are not welcome.” The Society of Professional Journalists in a press release said the organization remains concerned that Fenster’s conviction has not been expunged.

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“It is clear that Fenster’s only crime was being a journalist,” said SPJ International Community Co-Chair Dan Kubiske. “He should not be forced to bear the burden of being convicted of any crime simply because of his good work.” Former CBS White House Correspondent Peter Maer, who traveled to Myanmar to cover former President Barack Obama’s 2014 visit with 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi, who was the country’s leader before she was ousted by the military takeover and is also in prison on similar charges faced by Fenster, described a country where citizens were under constant surveillance and “everyone is always looking over their shoulders.” “As we celebrate Fenster’s freedom, we cannot forget the oppression of the other reporters who are still there in prison just for doing the job of reporting the news,” Maer said in an interview with the JN. “We have to also consider the fact that those who have the means and connections should fight for freedom for journalists who are being held by authoritarian regimes for doing nothing more than doing their work. We also have to be on guard in this country on attacks on journalism and the First Amendment.” Burmese native Kyat Thien worked as a citizen journalist in Myanmar, notably smuggling out reports to foreign news agencies in 2008 when the Burmese military blocked international humanitarian aid in the wake of a devastating cyclone

that killed thousands. He was jailed for six months, being repeatedly beaten and tortured while blindfolded in the middle of the night by his captors who tried to get him to reveal the names and whereabouts of his colleagues. He said he was released by lying to his captors that he would spy on other journalists but instead, through a clandestine and complicated network of contacts, he paid his way out of Myanmar, made it to Thailand and eventually to the United States in 2010. “In my opinion, the general released Danny Fenster to Bill Richardson because the Burmese military is afraid of the United States military; it’s that simple,” Thein, who now lives in California, told the JN. “I do not have hope that other Burmese journalists who are imprisoned will be released. I have concern for all those who are detained in the notorious prisons of Burma and every day (the military) arrests more. The military is especially afraid of Generation Z and many are being arrested because they are resisting the military and want to have a free open society.” Editor’s Note: Look for an interview with Danny Fenster in an upcoming issue after he has had time to recover from his ordeal and enjoy his family during the holidays.

COURTESY OF TBE

PHOTO CREDIT

OUR COMMUNITY

Alan Lowen has helped nearly 1,000 kids with their b’nai mitzvahs.

Irreplaceable! Alan Lowen retires as Temple Beth El’s b’nai mitzvah coordinator after 17 years. DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

fter 17 years as Temple Beth El’s b’nai mitzvah coordinator, Alan Lowen is retiring from the role at the end of 2021. Lowen has spent a total of 34 years at the temple. To honor Lowen, TBE is planning a special Shabbat service on Friday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. TBE is creating a memory book for Lowen that will be presented to him at the service. People contributed to the memory book in many ways, including writing tributes, submitting photos and making a donation in Lowen’s honor to the newly established Alan Lowen B’nai

Mitzvah Fund. TBE will be using the fund to help families going through its b’nai mitzvah program. Throughout his time at TBE, Lowen has lived by the phrase, “If somebody loves what they do, they never have to work a day in their life.” “It’s been a wonderful experience, and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” Lowen says. “Just to make a difference in a kid’s life, and for a kid to say, ‘I wouldn’t be up here if it weren’t for Mr. Lowen,’ it makes me feel good.” Lowen began at TBE as a special needs teacher on Saturday mornings, which turned into also teaching

Sunday school. He soon began teaching Hebrew classes and, eventually, teaching Torah. Lowen officially became b’nai mitzvah coordinator 17 years ago but worked with b’nai mitzvah students before then. Lowen estimates he’s helped nearly 1,000 kids with their b’nai mitzvahs in his time at TBE. Debbie Morosohk, TBE’s director of education, knows much of Lowen’s success at running the b’nai mitzvah program comes from his skills as an educator. “He’s so talented at understanding children and their individual needs, and he’s able

to bring everything he knows and loves to them in the way they need,” Morosohk said. Along with his role as b’nai mitzvah coordinator, Lowen is TBE’s gabbai, working with TBE’s Torahs on Shabbat and holidays, maintaining and organizing them, and with adults who want to read Torah at those different occasions. Lowen’s other duties at the temple include teaching an adult b’nai mitzvah class for more than 20 years and helping lead shivah services when needed. TBE Rabbi Mark Miller believes Lowen is one of the warmest, kindest, most

continued on page 18

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continued from page 17

Jewishly engaged and committed people he’s ever known. “He’s an inspiration, and a Jewish role model for me. His value to our community goes far beyond his title as b’nai mitzvah coordinator,” Miller said. One reason Lowen believes he’s been successful in the role is he realizes every student comes from a different background. “Not every kid comes from the same mold, and you have to take that into consideration when you teach,” he says. Another reason Lowen believes he’s been successful is the light-heartedness of his teaching style. “Becoming a bar mitzvah — it’s a prayer, not a performance,” Lowen says. “It

doesn’t matter how well the student sings or how a word is pronounced; it’s the kind of person they are and become. I have fun with my kids, and they have fun with me. I take it seriously, but you can get more done with a feather than a stone.” Looking back on his 17 years in the role, one memory in particular makes it all worthwhile for Lowen. “There was a student whose mother was dying, and I came to the hospital by her bedside and the student did his Torah portion and prayers for her,” Lowen recalled. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. That’s one thing I’ll never, ever forget.” There will be no one replacing Lowen’s position. Instead, the b’nai mitzvah

process is being adapted so all of the clergy and a group of tutors will take care of the duties. Miller says Lowen is irreplaceable. “When people hear the name Alan Lowen, they think Torah, joy and love, and I think as much as anything else, people will think about how they can connect to Torah in a fun, loving and caring way,” Miller said. “That’s a legacy he’ll continue to participate in and benefit from.” Lowen reiterates that he’s retiring from the role, not from the temple. He’ll still be there as a gabbai and Hebrew teacher, and the kind, helpful presence he’s been for over three decades. “I’m still there for anybody who needs me,” he says. “And

A special service will be held Dec. 10 for Alan Lowen.

I’ll be there, God forbid, until the day I die.” The special Dec. 10 service will be in person and streamed online at www.tbelive.org and Facebook Live.

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OUR COMMUNITY

From last year: Judah Lopatin, left, delivers a bag of gifts from Jimmy’s Kids. Patty Stelmaszak, right, delivers food and gift bags from Meals on Wheels.

Mitzvah Day Now Mitzvah Weekend JCRC/AJC expands annual event. JN STAFF

ewish Community Relations Council/ American Jewish Committee (JCRC/AJC) will mark its 25th Annual Mitzvah Day by hosting the event for the Christmas holiday weekend, from Friday, Dec. 24, to Sunday, Dec. 26. Traditionally, the daylong event is held in partnership with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Called Mitzvah Weekend this year, volunteers of all ages and faiths, including Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Christian, will visit organizations throughout Metro Detroit providing services to fill staff shortages or allow nonprofits to reduce staffing for the holiday. “As Christmas takes place on a Saturday this year, we knew it would benefit both the participating organizations and volunteers to expand the program’s length,” said Rabbi Asher Lopatin, executive director of JCRC/AJC.

“For the nonprofits offering opportunities, we have found that some are planning different or expanded activities since Christmas is not during the week. For our more observant volunteers who mark the Sabbath, this change will allow them to give back on Friday before sundown or the day after Christmas.” Volunteer opportunities, including activities like serving meals and building clean-up, are planned at organizations such as Brilliant Detroit, Pope Francis Center, Michigan Humane Society and Samaritas. Due to the ongoing pandemic, JCRC/AJC will inform the public of available opportunities through weekly eblasts and social media postings, which will begin this week. These announcements will include a description of volunteer activities, a contact person at the organization and any mask or vaccination

requirements. Those interested will then register and finalize details directly with the selected nonprofit. Mitzvah Day, which is historically the single largest day of volunteering by Detroit’s Jewish community, was founded in 1996. The word “mitzvah” is Hebrew for “commandment,” and commonly refers to performing a good deed. “While the pandemic has affected this beloved community tradition, we know that the spirit of giving is stronger than ever. We hope people of all backgrounds, ages and faiths take advantage of this beautiful opportunity to come together, safely, to give to others,” Rabbi Lopatin said. For Mitzvah Weekend information: Option 1: Visit www.jcrcajc.org and add email to signup bar at bottom of the page; Option 2: Follow JCRC/AJC on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ JCRCAJC or Instagram at @jcrcajc. For more details, contact Sandy Lippitt at slippitt@jfmd.org.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

From Detroit to Dubai

Local leaders travel to the UAE on a JDC Entwine mission.

ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

s I sat down to write this piece, another historic first occurred: Israel, the U.S., Bahrain and the UAE held joint military exercises together. This moment is but one of many over 15 months of near-miraculous progress since the launch of the Abraham Accords.

1: Majed Alseyabi of the UAE, center, joins Roman Golshteyn and Adam Finkel of Detroit. Alseyabi also joined several hundred Russian Jews visiting the UAE over Shabbat. 2: Warren Frenkel, Shimon Gal Levy and Adam Finkel of Detroit with Ambassador Houda Nonoo of Bahrain. Ambassador Nonoo was the first Jewish ambassador from the Arab region. 3: The Entwine delegation visited with one of the last few Jewish families that immigrated to the UAE from Yemen.

The groundbreaking diplomacy between Israel and a number of its Arab neighbors, long sworn enemies, overturned traditional thinking in the region, leading to new chapters of economic activity, security cooperation, cultural partnerships and expanding Jewish life. At the heart of these tectonic shifts are people fostering change and building bridges in ways never thought possible. And I got to see and experience it firsthand last month. I was joined by eight other young professionals from Detroit, and a handful of peers from the U.S. and Israel who explored this transformative narra-

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

tive in the UAE. We saw an emerging Jewish community full of possibility, through the lens of shared responsibility. NEXTGen Detroit helped to organize the trip run by Entwine, the young professionals’ platform of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC). Tomer Moked, director of NEXTGen Detroit, said the trip came on the heels of a virtual experience organized by Entwine during the pandemic for young professionals in the community to have an immersive visit to see Jewish life in Morocco. “We knew it would be incredibly interesting to make connections between Detroit and other global Jewish communities,” Moked shared. “The idea to

send the leadership of NEXTGen Detroit, current and former board members, leaders who are known and committed to the community, and then bring back those stories, insights and lessons, was a mission we wanted to help make possible.” According to Moked, JDC is a valued agency doing humanitarian work around the world in both Jewish and non-sectarian settings. Entwine organizes trips to communities that JDC serves to engage young professionals who see global Jewish responsibility as part of their identity. “NEXTGen Detroit is thrilled with the partnership, and we hope to grow it in the future in ways that continue to advance our local community,” Moked said.

4: Roman Golshteyn, Shimon Gal Levy, Brian Satovsky, Benjamin Blumenstein, Jessica Katz, Warren Frenkel, Abby Rubin and Adam Finkel, all of Michigan 5: Benjamin Blumenstein of Detroit listens to Ahmed Obaid Al Mansoori, founder of the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum, which includes several Judaic and Israeli artifacts. 5

JDC’S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UAE “JDC Entwine began our relationship with the Jewish community of the UAE in 2019 through Detroit native Jessica Katz, the 2019 Entwine Ralph I. Goldman (RIG) Fellow, who was deployed to serve in Dubai. Since then, our work in the UAE has blossomed into a full-time Jewish Service Corps placement and now Entwine’s first week-long Insider Trip,” said Jenette Axelrod, JDC Entwine senior operations manager. “I am proud that these are truly opportunities for mutual learning and collaboration between Entwine participants and the local community, forging ties between Jews globally and reinforcing our responsibility to one another.” Given COVID-19 travel restrictions and the relatively low rates of infection, the UAE was cho-

sen for Entwine’s first Insider Trip since the start of the pandemic. The trip was run in partnership with NEXTGen Detroit, the William Davidson Foundation and Jewish Twin Cities YALA — locations where grassroots Jewish life is thriving. JDC and the Detroit Jewish community (including continued on page 22

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OUR COMMUNITY 8 6

6: Jessica Katz 7: Shimon Gal Levy 8: Roman Golshteyn 9: Tomer Moked

continued from page 21

Federation, JDC board members, local foundations and dozens of generous individual donors) share a rich and proud history of partnership and generosity, including JDC’s past president, Penny Blumenstein. The relationship goes back over half a century and has yielded wide-ranging impact in helping people in need globally, including pioneering national early childhood initiatives in Israel, and providing food, medicine and homecare to impoverished elderly Jews in the former Soviet Union and beyond. “This trip was a combination of many partnerships and, personally for me, it was an honor to be able to be a part of bringing together so many elements of my life — JDC, Entwine, NEXTGen, Detroit Federation, the Dubai Jewish community and all the people involved,” said Katz, who served as trip chair given her experience as the RIG Fellow. “The opportunity to revisit a place and community that has seen such tremendous change, somewhat unrelated to COVID, only two years after being there, and to do it with peers and members of the Detroit community was pure joy and incredible,” she added. The Ralph I. Goldman Fellowship in Global Jewish Leadership is JDC’s premier leadership opportunity, awarded to one person annually, for rising Jewish communal or lay leaders, young thinkers and doers from all fields — policymakers, writers, business innovators, artists and community builders.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

“The experience I had in 2019, pre-Abraham Accords, was unique and completely different to what the Jewish community has evolved into today,” Katz said. “Projects I worked on or merely brainstormed alongside community members are beginning to come 7 to fruition; outside the community, the Abrahamic House (a UAE government-funded campus including a mosque and a church) was a conversation while I was there before — but we drove by the physical building more than halfway through construction and I was amazed by the fast progression! “In doing the work of a JDC Fellow, often the feeling is one of planting seeds and wondering if something might grow from it. This was an experience to physically see the growth and connect with those continuing to do the work,” Katz said. “When we have the opportunity to travel abroad, we are always reminded of the vast differences of Jewish community; but to me, it’s also a reminder of the similarities — the things that keep us, especially as Jews, connected on a global level — and to be able to bring home this experience with other Detroiters means we get to continue to build connections together and have an impact beyond the weeklong trip.” DETROIT DELEGATION Shimon Gal Levy, an executive board member of NEXTGen Detroit, was part of the dele-

gation and was amazed by the 9 confluence of history and modernization. “Seeing up close how the Jewish tradition in Dubai has been practiced for less than a decade was fascinating,” said Levy, who translated for the group from Hebrew into English when the participants met a Jewish family that left Yemen; a conversation that was a highlight for many attendees. Roman Golshteyn, another NEXTGen executive board member, described the trip as a historical and life-changing experience. For him, some highlights included meeting local leaders of Dubai’s Jewish community, connecting with local Emirati leaders supportive of the growing Jewish community, and seeing up close how the idea of normalizing relationships between Arabs and Jews is becoming a reality. Another highlight Roman mentioned was a visit to the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum, which has Judaica, Israeli artifacts and documentation about the Holocaust within its exhibitions. The founder of the

museum, Ahmed Al Mansuri, befriended Justice Richard Bernstein of the Michigan Supreme Court during Bernstein’s travels to the UAE over the last year. Golshteyn says that he realizes the more we have the ability to converse, work and trade, the better off we will be. “I was able to experience firsthand how the stereotypes are being broken down in both ways and, by the end of the trip, I was convinced that it is extremely important for our local Jewish community to support and assist the growth of Dubai’s Jewish community.” The delegation celebrated Shabbat in Dubai alongside Ambassador Houda Nonoo, the first female Bahraini ambassador to the United States and the first Jewish ambassador from the Arab region. Bahrain became the fourth Arab state to recognize Israel. Nonoo shared how she recently visited Israel and brought back a mezuzah to place on Bahrain’s synagogue. She also recently celebrated her son’s wedding with her community. “It is my hope,’’ Golshteyn said, “that these relationships we saw in person continue to grow, and the relationship between Jews and Muslims continues to improve so much that it spills over into neighboring countries and causes a positive geopolitical shift in the region.”

OUR COMMUNITY

Art for the Holidays PHOTO CREDIT

Meet three artists with Jewish connections participating in the BBAC Holiday Shop. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ow in its 41st year, Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center’s Holiday Shop is an annual tradition where Metro Detroiters can buy unique gifts from more than 200 top local artists. Opening Dec. 2 and running through Dec. 21, the 3,000-square-foot retail area will include an expanded home goods section in 2021, plus additional baby and children’s gift items. This year, BBAC’s Holiday shop, which is free and open to the public, will also see a selection of renowned Jewish artists and artists selling Judaica. Here are three artists with Jewish connections to look for at the annual shopping event. PATTI TAPPER Jewish artist Patti Tapper centers her art around the idea of living a colorful life. Since the age of 7, she has had a passion for painting, beginning by working with pastel paints and later transitioning to oil paints. As an adult, she received a bachelor of fine arts from Bowling Green State University to continue pursuing her love for art on a

professional level. In addition to painting, Tapper also works with mixed media sculptures, but the items she’ll have for sale at the BBAC Holiday Shop are her vibrant earrings made of clay. “I like to work with bright colors,” says Tapper, a member of Temple Israel. “I work in polymer clay and usually add some metal components.” Tapper, who has been making jewelry for 20 years, is particularly drawn to the color green, especially a chartreuse green that she integrated into her unique earring designs. “That’s my favorite color,” she says of the shade. By adding metal accents like gold or silver leaf as well, Tapper says her homemade earrings can be dressed up or

Linda Buck’s mezuzahs

down for everyday wear or special occasions. “Polymer clay is awesome because it’s a very lightweight material,” she explains. “You can do a huge earring and it’s not uncomfortable for the wearer, which I love.” Tapper also has a set of earrings for sale made with both metal and pearl. “I got a kick out of pairing the metal with pearls because a lot of times, pearls are seen as really delicate and dressy,” she says. “I wanted to pair them in a different way so people could wear them with jeans or with their workout clothes, whatever they do during the day.”

Martha Zausmer’s printed cards

MARTHA ZAUSMER Martha Zausmer had an unconventional entry into the world of art. At the age of 52, she began her career making fine art, now

BBAC Holiday Show Dec. 2–Dec. 21, 2021 10 a.m.–6 p.m. MondaySaturday; 12 Noon–4 p.m. Sundays 1516 S. Cranbrook Rd. Birmingham, MI 48009 practicing for more than 30 years. “I went back to school,” she says of the transition in her 50s, graduating at age 60 with a bachelor of fine arts from Wayne State University. From there, she went on to teach children’s classes at BBAC, where she’ll be selling her Jewishthemed cards during the holiday show. “Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center has been a home away from home for me,” she says. “It’s really a place of safety and encouragement and good art.” Zausmer’s fine-art cards for sale come in a series of five designed with Jewish symbols. “I painted a collage [on them] continued on page 24 DECEMBER 2 • 2021

OUR COMMUNITY

Patti Tapper’s jewelry

continued from page 23

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to make large paintings,” she says of the cards, which were originally 24- by 36-inch pieces of art. Then, having the paintings professionally photographed, Zausmer was able to create smaller versions in printed cards that are emblazoned with menorahs, Jewish sayings and more. The Temple Israel member has been inspired by the classes she’s taken at the synagogue, where she’s learned about Jewish studies, life and culture. “I have been guided into some of the things I want to write on the paintings that I make,” she says of her education. Zausmer’s Jewish gifts are colorful and often abstract. The cards are sold in boxed sets or individually. LINDA BUCK Linda Buck has built a personal and professional life around art. Working as an art teacher for 20 years in both public and private schools, she continued to practice different forms of drawing — her go-to medium — throughout retirement and beyond. “I’ve drawn all my life,” the artist says. Just before retiring, she

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

took a creative workshop that introduced her to a new form of drawing that involved drawing on clay. “I really liked the texture and the final product,” Buck explains, “so I stuck with it.” Now, Buck has been making clay-backed drawings for nearly two decades. Yet when some of her Jewish clients suggested making Judaica pieces to complement the candleholders she was creating at the time, Buck realized there was a new way to evolve her art even further. Though Buck isn’t Jewish, she designs one-of-a-kind menorah and mezuzah drawings created on clay that she says have a “positive view of life.” For sale at the BBAC Holiday Show will be Buck’s Judaica artwork that includes beautiful blue and black mezuzahs, among others. “One of the things I really enjoy about being in an art show is that many people will ask me what a mezuzah is,” she explains. “I feel privileged to be able to tell them the significance. “It really warms my heart to see so many people nod their heads and say, ‘Oh, that’s a really nice tradition.’ And I’m glad that I know it.”

COURTESY OF JULIE REYNOLDS

Julie Reynolds and her daughters Sophie and Sloane

‘The Warrior Backpack’ New picture book helps kids battle anxiety. ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ver since the pandemic began and lives have been uprooted in almost every area, many people’s anxiety has reached unprecedented levels, including children. Children now have one more resource to help them combat anxiety, with Julie Binder Reynolds’ new picture book, The Warrior Backpack. The book is about a boy named Alex who feels nervous about going to school. His mother helps identify his anxiety and pull outs four anxiety-busting strategies from an invisible backpack. The methods are all rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy. “Reading books about characters that face the same challenges is especially helpful for children. It’s called bibliotherapy. It’s not as personal as when kids are talking about themselves,” Reynolds said. The book also contains a resource section for parents and a workbook journal and daily check in for kids to keep track of their thoughts and feelings. As a child, Reynolds grew up in

Birmingham, attended Groves High School and University of Michigan. Her family attended Temple Beth El and she spent summers at Camp Tanuga. “I did the whole Detroit thing … My mom, Linda Deutsch, and siblings still live there, and I visit frequently,” Reynolds said. “I still consider it home.” After graduation, Reynolds relocated to Denver, Colorado, equipped with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, a master’s in school counseling and post-master’s degree in counseling. A certified licensed professional counselor, Reynolds worked in schools for 15 years before starting her own small private practice. “This provided me with a very deep understanding of the struggles kids face today,” said Reynolds. During the pandemic, Reynolds, who has a passion for helping kids live their best life and who missed working with students in schools, took her knowledge and experience to online marketing and social media. She began making TikTok videos.

“It sounds weird, but it’s true; TikTok made me do this book!” She’s only half-joking; it was through her TikTok videos that she saw what was most needed. “I was doing a lot of TikTok videos and whenever I did one on anxiety tips and strategies, I got tremendous feedback. Everyone loved it,” Reynolds said. She decided to write her tips in an easy-to-read book kids could refer to whenever they needed it. She didn’t know how to make a book, though. TikTok came to the rescue again! Reynolds watched a TikTok video on how easy it was to make a book on Amazon and decided to forge ahead. Her own education and real-life experience with the many students she had counseled over the years served as the writing backdrop. As for an illustrator, Reynolds turned to her daughter, Sophia, now 11, who was eager to be part of what was quickly becoming a family project. Sophia, then 10, used the Procreate App, an iPad app that allows even a young artist to sketch, paint and edit with professional results. Reynolds’ youngest daughter, Sloane, now 9, also wanted to contribute. She added a small hidden animal on each page for kids to find, adding a dimension and turning the book into a game. Reynolds’ husband, Steve, also offered advice and support. “The writing and art didn’t take long. The complicated part was figuring out the logistics of publishing, getting it formatted and all the behind-the-scenes issues,” Reynolds said. The book was published in August 2021 and quickly received rave reviews. Within just one week, it earned “No. 1 new release best seller” in three different categories. Most heartwarming is the effusive praise the book has received from parents and school therapists alike. One woman’s review on Amazon said she bought the book for her daughter, but admitted she was planning to use the simple strategies herself, too. Parents have stopped Reynolds in the street to share how The Warrior Backpack helped reduce their children’s anxiety about attending school. Reynolds is thrilled to hear that her book is helping kids. “That’s exactly why I created it,” she said. DECEMBER 2 • 2021

JEWS IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Genetic Genealogy for the Digital Age

everal years ago, I was contacted by a representative at ancestry. com who offered me the opportunity to submit my DNA using a saliva collection kit. I figured I would be able to get the results and then complete my family tree going back many generations. I set up an ancestry. Rabbi Jason com account Miller and started to Contributing Writer add relatives to my family tree. When I received the DNA test results back, they did not yield any surprises (99% Ashkenazi Jewish), and, unfortunately, there were not any matches of my close relatives or ancestors. This is because there were not enough people paying for and submitting the saliva DNA to the website. Fast forward to this past summer when I received an email alert from ancestry. com. I had actually forgotten I ever set this account up. The alert told me that my first cousin was a DNA match and was likely my first or second cousin. This was not earth-shattering news to me since I already knew my first cousin was related to me, and I also knew how she was related. However, this piqued my interest yet again in my genealogy. I returned to the web-

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

The grave of Sarah Wiener.

site, and sure enough, more DNA matches showed up for potential cousins. I began looking through other family trees that distant cousins had set up as well as 100-year-old documents that gave me hints about my long-lost relatives. I immediately got lost in the genealogy black hole, spending hours researching my family tree and sharing my findings with my family members. I was amazed to see photographs of my great-great-grandparents. I located photographs of my ancestors’ grave monuments, which provided details including their Hebrew names, when they were born and when they died. I discovered an ancestry. com account belonging to my mother’s first cousin,

who had already spent a lot of time adding relatives’ vital information and photographs to his family tree. In his collection, I was amazed to see photos of my grandparents (his aunt and uncle) I had never seen before. I started connecting the genealogy dots that led me to extend my family tree back several generations, and I was able to do this for my wife’s family tree as well. While monthly or annual membership to ancestry. com (or to other genealogy websites) can be quite costly, I learned that many local libraries offer complimentary access to ancestry. com and other online genealogy resources. I was able to take advantage of the access provided by the Farmington

Hills Library, which gives library members full access to the ancestry.com website by logging into the library website. In addition to the Ancestry website, I also have used both familysearch.com and myheritage.com to look up birth and death records and other helpful documents, like immigration records and high school yearbooks. The only time I spent money on this hobby was when I ordered a copy of my great-grandparents’ New York City marriage license. One resource very helpful to me in doing this genealogical research is the website findagrave.com. In a few instances, I was able to identify a cemetery in which a relative was buried, but no other information about that relative or a photograph of the monument was available. I simply clicked a button on the website that reads “Request a Photograph” and within one day I was notified by email that photographs of my ancestors’ grave monuments had been updated to the website. Being able to use genetic ancestry testing together with historical documentation has been an exciting and very interesting way for me to delve into my genealogy. Had I not submitted that saliva DNA sample several years ago and created an online account at ancestry.

com, I would never have discovered the fascinating hobby of genetic genealogy. Now, every time I receive an email from ancestry.com with another DNA match or a clue about where one of my distant ancestors might have come from, I’m intrigued and drop whatever I’m doing to log into the website. Back in 2019, it was estimated that more than 26 million people had added their DNA to the four leading commercial ancestry databases, which includes ancestry.com. At that time, it was predicted that if the pace continued, the gene troves could hold data on the genetic makeup of more

than 100 million people within the next two years. That means that there’s a very good chance that there are DNA matches to longlost relatives just waiting to be discovered on websites like ancestry.com. In addition to discovering your roots, there are countless health benefits to identifying your relatives as well. I highly recommend the intriguing hobby of genetic genealogy. Rabbi Jason Miller is a local educator and entrepreneur, who writes about the intersection of technology with Jewish life in the 21st century. Follow him on Twitter at @ RabbiJason and visit his website: www.mitzvahrabbi.com.

In the yearbook photo, Jason Miller’s grandmother is at the top: Adele Goldberg.

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UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION

SPORTS

TOP LEFT: Franklin Athletic Club teammates rush the court to congratulate Storm Kirschenbaum after his national championshipclinching victory. TOP RIGHT: Storm Kirschenbaum wins his match and a national championship for his Franklin Athletic Club team. LEFT: Franklin Athletic Club tennis team captain Ari Byer holds up his team’s national championship trophy.

Drama on the Court

Thrilling tie-breaker victory gives Franklin Athletic Club tennis team a national championship. STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

torm Kirschenbaum figured it out very quickly. “As I was going into the tie-breaker of my match, I saw the looks on the faces of the guys on our team who had come over to watch,” he said. “I could tell they weren’t there to just enjoy watching the tie-breaker.” Indeed they weren’t. A United States Tennis Association national championship hung on the result of the tie-breaker. Kirschenbaum came through. He roared from behind to defeat his singles opponent from Austin, Texas, 6-1, 3-6, 10-8, rallying from an 8-5 deficit in the tie-breaker. That gave the Franklin Athletic Club team a 3-1 win over Austin and the USTA

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

national title in the 40-andover men’s team division on a windy day in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was the first time in at least 40 years that a team from the Midwest won the 3.5 age 40-and-older men’s national championship, and the first time since 2001 that any team from southeast Michigan won a USTA national team title. “We stormed the court after Storm won his match,” said Franklin team captain Ari Byer, at first not realizing his appropriate choice of words. Later came an avalanche of congratulatory texts to Byer from the area tennis community. “I’ll bet I got a thousand texts in 48 hours,” he said. Kirschenbaum, 43, Byer, 47, and Steve Cohen, 60, were the three Jewish members of the

Franklin team, whose 3.5 skill level is in the middle of the USTA’s 2.5 to 5.0 scale. Kirschenbaum, a Birmingham resident, played singles, Byer played No. 2 doubles and Cohen played No. 1 doubles in the national championship match. Cohen, who lives in Bloomfield Hills, also had a crucial victory against Austin. He teamed with Jay Dalal to win 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 at No. 2 doubles, finishing the match just before Kirschenbaum went into his tie-breaker. Kirschenbaum has an exceptional sports resume. He was named the 1997 Jewish News Male High School Athlete of the Year after an outstanding baseball career at Birmingham Groves, and he was inducted into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall

of Fame in 2012 for also being a Division I college baseball player and an excellent hockey player. He places what happened in Oklahoma in October at the top of his athletic accomplishments pedestal. “Winning that tennis match to clinch a national championship for my team was the most meaningful accomplishment I’ve ever had in sports,” he said. “First, I don’t have much experience playing tennis. I’ve only played competitive tennis for four years. Plus, it’s more difficult to accomplish things athletically, and it’s such a mental grind to play at a high level when you get older.” Kirschenbaum’s winning tie-breaker point came on a backhand shot down the line that his opponent could only

A virtual special presentation return into the net. That came after Kirchenbaum had some luck tying the tie-breaker 8-8. A shot that hit the frame of his racquet had so much spin on it that it kicked away from his opponent. Franklin went 5-1 in the 16-team, three-day national tournament, going 3-1 in round-robin play and winning semifinal and championship matches. Three of Franklin’s six matches ended in a 2-2 tie and went to a tie-breaker. Franklin won twice through the tie-breaker, including a victory over San Francisco in the semifinals. Kirschenbaum said solid team chemistry played a major role in Franklin’s run to a national title. Franklin won league, district, state and Midwest championships en route to the national tournament. “A big reason for our good team chemistry was having a leader (Byer) who continuously pushed you to do your best,” Kirschenbaum said. “Ari did a phenomenal job.” Byer, a Beverly Hills resident, praised his team. Eleven players went to the national tournament. “I sent an email to the entire team before the season that said we had only goal: get to the national tournament,” he said. “Not one person complained then, or during the season, about not getting enough playing time. “It was a great group. We had players from all over the area, from Chesterfield Township to Northville.”

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CAMP GUIDE

The Aggrressive Deer Club is made up of Tamarack alumni.

Fun is Not Just for Kids Tamarack alumni get together for back-country hikes.

This fall, the group hiked the iconic Four Pass Loop near Aspen Colorado.

Beautiful scenery was was enjoyed during the challenging hike.

The Aggressive Dear Club in Colorado.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

ounded in 2008, the Aggressive Deer Adventure Club is a group of proud Tamarack Alumni from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, who lead normal lives as doctors, lawyers and business owners. Every few years, using the camping skills they learned at Tamarack, they take backcountry hiking trips to beautiful destinations in North America: Yosemite (Half Dome), Kings Canyon (Rae Lakes), Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park (The Nub), Mt. Robson Provincial Park (Berg Lake) and Maroon BellsSnowmass Wilderness (4 Pass Loop). Aggressive Deer is led by two former board presidents, Joe Lash and Darren Findling, who “bicker for months before each trip about the destination, and then blame each other when something goes wrong,” they joke. Members are former Tamarack campers, counselors, supervisors, Western and Alaskan trip staff, Fresh Air Society Board Members, and parents of Tamarack campers. They include Mitch Rosenwasser, Robert Blacher, Joel Smith, Dr. Joel Topf, Dr. Noah Siegel, Dr. Jefferey Michaelson, Daniel Findling, Dr. Jeffrey Zonder, Marc Nakisher, Dan Tucker, Matt Egrin, Darren Findling and Joe Lash. Lash explains: “It’s not really a club. Although we have a logo, we’re really just a bunch of Type-A Jewish guys, who have been camping together since our Tamarack years. We now use valuable vacation time to sleep on the

ground, often at high elevations, in frigid temperatures, and at ages and in declining physical conditions that are probably better suited for the golf course. And we wouldn’t have it any other way!” So why do they call themselves the Aggressive Deer? “We are named after a harrowing encounter with a precocious deer (think Bambi, but smaller), who menacingly walked through our campsite and wouldn’t leave, until a few brave souls stepped up to defend our group,” said Daniel Findling. This September, the group completed a four-day, 26.5-mile backcountry hiking trek near Aspen, Colorado (the iconic Four Pass Loop), where they traversed four 12,500-foot passes with full packs. “It was one of the most challenging trips that many of us have ever taken,” said Robert Blacher. “Tamarack Camps and the outdoor experiences we enjoyed as campers and staff fostered our love for nature and adventure,” said Darren Findling. “We learned valuable leadership and problem-solving skills as young adults that we still use today in our jobs and as parents. Like many others in the community, we made some of our closest friends in the world during our summers, while proudly celebrating being Jewish in a fun and joyful way. Quite simply, Tamarack made us who we are today.” This story was originally posted in the Camp Tamarack newsletter.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

CAMP GUIDE

Securing Tamarack’s Future

e are thrilled to announce that, with the help of our generous community, we have successfully completed the William Davidson Foundation scholarship endowment match! In raising more than Robin $800,000 in Trepeck scholarship endowment, the William Davidson Foundation has matched that amount dollar-for-dollar. This effort was accomplished with gifts of all sizes, through newly created endowment

funds and contributions to existing ones, by memorial tributes and celebratory occasions — all with a shared desire to secure the future of Tamarack Camps. Together, these contributions surpassed the matching goal and, individually, each gift advanced our mission of building a vibrant community by providing enriching Jewish camping experiences for children and families, respectful of financial ability. Thank you to every contributor who supported this meaningful initiative! The inspiration behind the William Davidson Foundation match was to spark passion in

0% MEDIA Send your kids to a summer camp where they will develop an appreciation for nature, learn new skills and make friendships that will last a lifetime, all without the help of social media.

Travel trips are back at Tamarack.

our camp community, eager to work together to sustain Tamarack’s future. To continue this momentum, we are grateful to the Blumenstein Family; with enthusiasm, they picked up the torch and are matching endowment gifts from Nov. 1 through

Dec. 31, 2021 (up to $75,000)! If you are considering a yearend gift to Tamarack Camps, we invite you to think about the impact an endowed gift would make — now and for future generations. Gifts can support our general endowment, an existing named fund or establish an entirely new fund. Year after year, our endowment provides much-needed dollars for many organizational needs: scholarship, facilities, programs and more. We hope you will join us as we move from strength to (even greater) strength. To make an endowed gift or learn more, visit https:// tamarackcamps.com/giving/ endowment. Robin Trepeck is director of philanthropic partnerships at Tamarack Camps.

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CAMP GUIDE

2022 CAMP LISTINGS

CAMP RAMAH IN CANADA

100 Elder St. Toronto, ON M3H5G7 Canada (416) 789-2193 campramah.com Located in the beautiful Muskoka region of southern Ontario, Camp Ramah in Canada features outstanding programs on the waterfront, in sports and outdoor adventure, and in the arts — all within the context of a vibrant, fun and caring Jewish community. We offer a number of different sessions and specialty tracks for children in grades 1-10. For more information, contact Sami at (416) 789-2193 or info@campramah.com.

CAMP TAMAKWA

Michigan Address: 1760 S. Telegraph Road, Suite 300 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302 (248) 335-6400 Toronto Address: 55 Wingold Ave. Toronto, ON M6B 1P8 (416) 924-7433 tamakwa.com With one of the most diversified outdoor recreational programs available, Tamakwa campers and staff members enjoy 85 years of rich traditions, core values, family atmosphere and camp spirit, all in a beautiful Algonquin Park setting.

CAMP YOUNG JUDAEA MIDWEST

E989 Stratton Lake Road Waupaca, WI 54981 (224) 235-4665 cyjmid.org Join the CYJ Midwest family, where we provide a fun,

safe and supportive environment for our campers to grow their connection to Judaism and to Israel. Our program features tubing, archery, climbing, bikes and more!

HILLEL DAY SCHOOL

32200 Middlebelt Road Farmington Hills, MI 48334 (248) 851-3220 Join us for another fabulous summer! Camp Funtabulous is for children ages 2-5 and runs eight weeks. Weekly themes involve hands-on learning, exploration in our outdoor nature center, gardening in our greenhouse and our garden, creative play on our playground, water play and indoor fun. Fun in-camp field trips or visitors each session. Activities foster social and emotional growth, and lifelong friendships begin. Our trained staff encourages, nurtures, teaches and supports campers every day. For more information, contact rpappas@hillelday.org.

INTERLOCHEN ARTS CAMP

4000 J. Maddy Parkway Interlochen, MI 49643 (231) 276-7472 interlochen.org The nation’s premier multidisciplinary summer arts program, where emerging artists transform passion and potential into purpose. Guided by internationally renowned artists, campers ages 8 to 18 study music, theater, dance, visual arts, creative writing and film in a glorious, natural setting with like-minded peers. continued on page 36

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

CAMP RAMAH IN CANADA

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For more information, contact Robin Pappas, Director of Early Education, at 248-539-1489 or rpappas@hillelday.org.

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CAMP GUIDE

2022 CAMP LISTINGS continued from page 34

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT 6600 W. Maple Road West Bloomfield, MI 48322 (248) 432-5578 Camp.jccdet.org JCC Day Camps offers traditional and specialty programming for grades K-9. Transportation is offered from multiple locations to our 250 beautiful, wooded acres in West Bloomfield. Instructional and recreational swim offered. Programming for special needs available. ACAaccredited.

LAWRENCE TECH SUMMER CAMPS

21000 W. 10 Mile Road Southfield, MI 48075 (800) 225-5588 summercamps@ltu.edu ltu.edu/summercamps Academic summer camps for high schoolers interested in engineering, design, technology and science are taught by professors in modern labs and studios on LTU’s 107-acre Southfield campus.

ROEPER SUMMER CAMPS

41190 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield, MI 48304 (248) 203-7370 roeper.org From lacrosse to coding to theater, Roeper Summer Programs offers a variety of enriching and rewarding camp experiences to children throughout Metro Detroit. Diversity and respect for everyone’s potential are central characteristics of the community.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

TAMARACK CAMPS

6735 Telegraph Road, Suite 380 Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301 (248) 924-1249 bfishman@tamarackcamps.com tamarackcamps.com Tamarack Camps, Michigan’s premier Jewish summer camp, is home to 1,100 acres of woods, private lakes and nature trails. But more than that, it’s home to your next adventure.

WILLOWAY DAY CAMP INC.

P.O. Box 250933 West Bloomfield, MI 48325 (248) 932-2123 www.willowaydaycamp.com Willoway Day Camp has been offering the best summer ever for generations of campers. Our mature staff of teachers and leaders and acres of outstanding facilities combine to create lasting memories for campers 5 to 14. The fun starts the moment the campers board the Willoway bus. Whether it’s making a splash or learning to swim in our two pools or enjoying our varied athletic fields, pond and lake programs, animal farm, nature trails and fishing or drama, dance, kayaking, go-karting, archery, tennis, golf and ga ga ga — at Willoway, it’s summer fun for everyone. American Camp Associationaccredited.

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248.289.0660 www.tusharvakhariya.com 6755 Telegraph Road | Bloomfield Hills MI 48301 210 S Old Woodward | Ste. 200 | Birmingham MI 48009

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faces&places

Gene Sperling shares remarks with the crowd.

Homecoming

Lisa Soble Siegmann, Program Partner of The Max. M & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, provides an overview of Jewish life in Detroit to the attendees.

2021 Jewish Detroit Expat reception honors Dr. Larry Brilliant and White House Adviser Gene Sperling. ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES FELDMAN

ontinuing an annual tradition each fall to recognize “Detroit Expats” who have roots in Jewish Detroit, the Jewish Expat Reception was held Sept. 24 to honor the legacy of Dr. Larry Brilliant and Gene Sperling. Gene Sperling, who grew up in Ann Arbor, is a senior aide to President Joe Biden and, on behalf of the president, leads the COVID Rescue Plan for the country. He was National Economic Council director and national economic adviser to Presidents Obama and Clinton, the only person to have served two presidents in that role. Dr. Larry Brilliant, who spoke over Zoom, is a pioneering physician and epidemiologist who used his educational experience at the University of Michigan and Wayne State University to go

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

on to lead the UN campaign to eradicate smallpox in India. He served as the first executive director of Google.org and as the chair of the Skoll Global Threats Fund. He founded the Seva Foundation, which has restored sight to more than 4 million blind people in dozens of countries. Dr. Brilliant’s roots run deep in this city, from his father’s Brilliant Music’s location to his motorcycle rides Downtown to get his wisdom teeth filled to his experiences in BBYO/AZA, where he met his wife. As a Mumford High School graduate of 1961, his contributions to our world are global but his life’s roots are within this city. In his autobiography, he talks about his identity as a Jewish Detroter, and how the issues he saw early on helped guide the remarkable leader he’d become.

Eli Saulson, Congressman Andy Levin and former Congressman Sandy Levin.

ABOVE: Richard Bernstein, Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, converses with Howard Handler and Lisa Applebaum. LEFT: Rabbi Ariana Silverman of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue.

faces&places

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BEST MUSICAL

New Art at Prentis Apartments Residents welcome artist with a reception.

n Nov. 10, residents of Prentis Apartments and their guests held a reception with artist Paul Adams, whose paintings of Downtown Detroit, Royal Oak and the Dream Cruise are incredibly detailed. Harvey Singer, a resident at the Anna and Meyer Prentis Apartments, purchased more than a dozen of these paintings in the form of limited Paul Adams and Harvey Singer edition prints, which Adams framed and JSL hung 1960s. “For many residents, at the Anna & Meyer Prentis it’s like a trip down memory Apartments. lane,” Singer said. Adams was born in 1940, grew up in Detroit and lived between the Grand Trunk Railroad tracks and the Detroit Department of Street Railways. His artwork is largely influenced by his experiences with the railroads and streetcars that Adams’ painting of the J.L. surrounded his childhood. Hudson building in Detroit He graduated from Cass around the holidays. Technical High School and attended the Detroit Arts and Crafts School. For over 30 years, he worked as a professional commercial illustrator and has won numerous awards for his work. The artwork, which lines the walls on the first floor, Adams’ painting of Old City brings back memories of Hall, circa 1951. Detroit in the 1950s and

DECEMBER 12-18 • MUSIC HALL

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Cassie Beck

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DECEMBER 2 • 2021

faces&places

An EPIC Success for NEXTGen Detroit PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEXTGEN DETROIT

PIC, NEXTGen Detroit’s premier annual fundraiser benefiting the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, took place Nov. 6 at the M-1 Concourse Event Center. This year’s COVID-conscious, indoor/outdoor iteration, “An EPIC Night at the Carnival,” welcomed 420 young Jewish Detroiters who collectively raised more than $285,000 for the Federation’s 2022 Annual Campaign. “After nine EPICs that all featured a standup comedian, we were excited to try something new,” said Samantha

Foon, EPIC co-chair. “Creating this after-dark carnival complete with fairway games, prizes, fair food and even a carousel gave our guests a fun and safe night out, full nostalgia and the chance to connect with their fellow young Jewish Detroiters.” An EPIC Night at the Carnival — brought to the community by Sue & Alan J. Kaufman & Family — is a shining example of how the Federation’s young adult division continues to provide meaningful and engaging experiences for the NEXTGen Detroit community despite

challenging times. “Everyone had an incredible time, and the fact that we all came together to support such an important cause made it even more special,” said Mike Ran, EPIC co-chair. “The money raised at EPIC will have an even greater impact on taking care of the needs of the community, thanks to a generous matching gift in memory of Irving & Ethel Palman.” NEXTGen Detroit’s calendar of upcoming events can be found at jewishdetroit.org/ nextgen. A winter fundraiser is currently in the works and planned for February.

1: EPIC guests gather under the carnival tent created for the event. 2: NEXTGen Detroit President George Roberts addresses the crowd. 3: NEXTGen Detroit Director Tomer Moked, EPIC Co-Chairs Andrew Sherman, Samantha Foon and Mike Ran, and EPIC Lead Staff Hallie Eisenberg 4: Sarah Timlin, Noam Hadad. 5: Taylor Sher, Samantha Foon, Ashley Nathan, Carly Schiff, Stephanie Beer. 6: Stephanie Parzen, Zack Slabotsky, Emily Slabotsky, Stacie Bernard, Joshua Bernard.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

MAZEL TOV!

SPIRIT

TORAH PORTION

Noam David Kantor will be called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 4, 2021, at Congregation B’nai Moshe in West Bloomfield. He is the beloved son of Shana and Rabbi Shalom Kantor and an amazing brother to Rena and Ari. Noam will be joined in his celebration by his grandparents and their spouses Beth and Michael Alderman, Margie and Joel Teig, and Laura and Bob Kantor, in addition to extended family. Noam is a student at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington Hills. He is working with the Jewish Family Service Adopt a Family program to help collect toys and other gifts, helping to ensure that other children can have a happy holiday season.

Raminick 90th

laire Raminick celebrated her 90th birthday on Nov. 24, 2021. Her children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren wish her good health and happiness for many years to come.

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Joseph And His Brothers

his Torah portion conwaged between the Greeks and tinues the story that the Jews was an outgrowth of began with the sale of a battle between two cultures. Joseph by his brothers. At one The Greeks believed that everypoint, the brothers discuss the thing in life should be subserpossibility of murdering vient to the egocentric Joseph. needs of man. They even A superficial reading believed that all heavenly seems to indicate that the spirits were secondary to brothers were overcome them. Jews, on the other with jealousy due to the hand, serve Hashem special garment that their by insuring that in all Rabbi Elimelech father Jacob had given to areas of life the spiritual Joseph. The problem with Silverberg dominates the material. that simplistic approach Judaism is based on Parshat is that Rashi, the forethe belief that there is Miketz: Genesis 41:1- Divine Providence that most commentator on Torah, quotes the Talmud 44:17; I Kings guides our every step. 3:15-4:1. (Rosh that when the brothers Unfortunately, many of Chodesh & returned to the (future) the Jews at the time of Chanukah 7) land of Israel from Lavan’s Chanukah embraced a house they were all righteous. Hellenistic lifestyle. (Shabbos 55B) Suggesting that Today’s secular society is a group of righteous brothers really built on the culture of were scheming to kill or sell Hellenism of old: Belief that their brother due to jealousy Hashem is a factor or player in over a coat cannot be taken at one’s life is, for the most part, face value. non-existent. One answer put forth is based The story of Chanukah is that on our belief that together with a small group of believers was the freedom that everyone has able to maintain its dedication to make proper (or improper) to the ideals of Torah against all moral and ethical decisions, we odds. It is the story of the light are also guided by a compoof Divine Providence overcomnent of Divine Providence that ing the emptiness of a Godless steers us in a certain direction. culture. Concerning the sale of Joseph Chanukah is the time to by his brothers, the Talmud reveal the light of our souls that states that this was all part of has the power to reignite our the Divine plan to bring Jacob’s lives and to enjoy a meaningful family to Egypt (Sota 11A ). relationship with the Almighty, The brothers certainly made which, in turn, will enable us to some miscalculations and a have proper relationships with price was paid for their conduct; all we encounter. but considering that a Divine May we all be blessed plan was being played out, they with a luminous and joyous remain tzadikim in the eyes of Chanukah. Torah. Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg is a rabbi This Torah portion generally at Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center is read on Chanukah. The battle in West Bloomfield. DECEMBER 2 • 2021

SPIRIT

Synagogue Directory CONSERVATIVE Adat Shalom Synagogue Farmington Hills (248) 851-5100 adatshalom.org

Temple B’nai Shalom Benton Harbor (269) 925-8021 tbnaishalom.org

Ahavas Israel Grand Rapids (616) 949-2840 ahavasisraelgr.org

INDEPENDENT Grosse Pointe Jewish Council Grosse Pointe Woods (313) 882-6700 thegpjc.com

Congregation Beth Ahm West Bloomfield (248) 851-6880  cbahm.org Congregation Beth Israel Flint (810) 732-6310 cbiflint.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) 788-0600 bnaimoshe.org Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue Detroit (313) 962-4047 downtownsynagogue.org Congregation of Moses Kalamazoo congregationofmoses.org Congregation Shaarey Zedek Southfield (248) 357-5544 shaareyzedek.org

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

Kehillat Hatzhav Hagadol Mackinac Island (906) 202-9959 mackinacsynagogue.org

Beth Tefilo Emanuel Tikvah Southfield (248) 559-5022 Birmingham-Bloomfield Shul Birmingham (248) 996-5818 bbchai.org B’nai Israel-Beth Yehudah Oak Park (248) 967-3969 bi-by.org B’nai Zion Oak Park (248) 968-2414

ORTHODOX Agudas Israel Mogen Abraham Southfield (248) 552-5711 aymadetroit.org

Chabad House-Lubavitch of Eastern Michigan Flint (810) 230-0770 chabad.org

Ahavas Olam Southfield (248) 569-1821 Ahavasolam.com

Chabad Jewish Center of Commerce-Walled Lake Commerce Township (248) 363-3644 jewishcommerce.org

Ahavas Yisroel Oak Park (248) 298-2896 Learntorah.info Aish Hatorah in the Woods Oak Park (248) 327-3579 Aishdetroit.com Bais Chabad of Farmington Hills (248) 855-2910 chabad.org Bais Chabad of North Oak Park (248) 872-8878 chabad.org Bais Haknesses Hagrah Oak Park (248) 542-8737 Balfour Shul – K’Hal Rina U’Tefila Oak Park (732) 693-8457

Chabad Jewish Center of Novi-Northville (248) 790-6075 novijewishcenter.com Chabad Jewish Center of Troy Troy/Rochester Hills (248) 873-5851 jewishtroy.com Chabad-Lubavitch of Bingham Farms Bloomfield Hills (248) 688-6796 chabadbinghamfarms.com

Etz Chayim of Toledo Toledo, OH (419) 473-2401 Etzchayimtoledo.org First Hebrew Congregation South Haven (269) 637-1603 firsthebrewcongregation.org Kehillat Etz Chayim Huntington Woods etzchayim-detroit.org Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit Oak Park (248) 968-1891 kollel@kolleldetroit.org Mishkan Israel, Nusach H’ari, Lubavitch Center Oak Park (248) 542-4844 theyeshiva.org Ohel Moed Shomrey Emunah West Bloomfield (248) 737-2626 ohelmoed.org Or Chadash Oak Park (248) 819-1721 or-chadash.org Sara & Morris Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center of West Bloomfield (248) 855-6170 baischabad.com Shaar Hashomayim Windsor (519) 256-3123

Chabad of Western Michigan Grand Rapids (616) 957-0770 chabadwestmichigan.com

Shaarey Zedek Windsor (519) 252-1594 shaareyzedekwindsor.com

Dovid Ben Nuchim-Aish Kodesh Oak Park (313) 320-9400 dbndetroit.org

Shomer Israel Oak Park (248) 542-4014 godaven.com

Shomrey Emunah Southfield (248) 559-1533 congregation-shomreyemunah-105705.square.site The Shul-Chabad Lubavitch West Bloomfield (248) 788-4000 theshul.net Woodward Avenue Shul Royal Oak (248) 414-7485 thewas.net

Congregation Beth El Windsor (519) 969-2422 bethelwindsor.ca

Temple Emanu-El Oak Park (248) 967-4020 emanuel-mich.org

Temple Beth El Battle Creek (269) 963-4921

Temple Israel West Bloomfield (248) 661-5700 temple-israel.org

Temple Beth El Bloomfield Township (248) 851-1100 tbeonline.org

Temple Jacob Hancock templejacobhancock.org

Temple Beth El Flint (810) 720-9494 tbeflint@gmail.com

Temple Kol Ami West Bloomfield (248) 661-0040 tkolami.org

Temple Beth El Midland (989) 496-3720 tbe_midland@yahoo.com

Congregation Shaarey Zedek East Lansing (517) 351-3570 shaareyzedek.com

Young Israel of Southfield (248) 358-0154 yisouthfield.org

Temple Beth Israel Bay City (989) 893-7811 tbi-mich.org

Temple Shir Shalom West Bloomfield (248) 737-8700 shirshalom.org

RECONSTRUCTIONIST Congregation Kehillat Israel Lansing (517) 882-0049 kehillatisrael.net

Temple Beth Israel Jackson (517) 784-3862 tbijackson.org

Yagdil Torah Southfield (248) 559-5905 Young Israel of Oak Park (248) 967-3655 yiop.org

Congregation T’chiyah Ferndale (248) 823-7115 tchiyah.org Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit (313) 567-0306 reconstructingjudiasm.org REFORM Bet Chaverim Canton (734) 480-8880 betchaverim@yahoo.com Temple Benjamin Mt. Pleasant (989) 773-5086 templebenjamin.com

Congregation Beth Shalom Traverse City 231-946-1913 beth-shalom-tc.org Temple Beth Sholom Marquette tbsmqt.org Temple B’nai Israel Kalamazoo (269) 342-9170 Templebnaiisrael.com Temple B’nai Israel Petoskey (231) 489-8269 templebnaiisraelofpetoskey.org Temple Emanuel Grand Rapids (616) 459-5976 grtemple.org

REFORM/RENEWAL Congregation Shir Tikvah Troy (248) 649-4418 shirtikvah.org SECULAR/HUMANISTIC Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit Farmington Hills (248) 477-1410 chj-detroit.org Sholem Aleichem Institute Lathrup Village (240 865-0117 secularsaimichigan.org SEPHARDIC Keter Torah Synagogue West Bloomfield (248) 681-3665 rabbisasson.wixsite.com/keter

Ohr Hatorah Oak Park (248) 294-0613 Ohrhatorah.us MINYANS Fleischman Residence West Bloomfield (248) 661-2999 Yeshivat Akivah Southfield (248) 386-1625 farberhds.org

ANN ARBOR

CONSERVATIVE Beth Israel Congregation (734) 665-9897 @BethIsraelCongregation ORTHODOX Ann Arbor Chabad House (734) 995-3276 jewmich.com Ann Arbor Orthodox Minyan annarborminyan.org RECONSTRUCTIONIST Ann Arbor Reconstructionist Congregation (734) 445-1910 aarecon.org REFORM Temple Beth Emeth (734) 665-4744 templebethemeth.org RENEWAL Pardes Hanah pardeshanah.org SECULAR HUMANISTIC Jewish Cultural Society (734) 975-9872 jewishculturalsociety.org Please email factual corrections or additional synagogues to list to: smanello@thejewishnews.com.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

SPIRIT

A WORD OF TORAH

Three Approaches to Dreams

n one of the greatest transformations in all literature, Joseph moves in a single bound from prisoner to Prime Minister. What was it about Joseph — a complete outsider to Egyptian culture, a “Hebrew,” a man who had been languishing in jail on a false charge of attempted rape — that marked him out as a leader of the greatest empire of the ancient world? Joseph had three gifts that many have in isolation but few in combination. The first Rabbi Lord Jonathan is that he dreamed dreams. Sacks Initially we do not know whether his two adolescent dreams — of his brothers’ sheaves bowing down to his, and of the sun, moon and 11 stars bowing down to him — are a genuine presentiment of future greatness or merely the overactive imagination of a spoiled child with delusions of grandeur. Only in this week’s parshah of Mikketz do we discover a vital piece of information that has been withheld from us until now. Joseph says to Pharaoh, who has also had two dreams: “The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon” (Gen. 41:32). Only in retrospect do we realize that Joseph’s double dream was a sign that this, too, was no mere imagining. Joseph really was destined to be a leader to whom his family would bow down. Second, like Sigmund Freud many centuries years later, Joseph had a gift for interpreting the dreams of others. He did so for the butler and baker in prison and, in this week’s parshah, for Pharaoh. His interpretations were neither magical nor mirac-

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

ulous. In the case of the butler and baker, he remembered that in three days’ time it would be Pharaoh’s birthday (Gen. 40:20). It was the custom of rulers to make a feast on their birthday and decide the fate of certain individuals. (In Britain, the Queen’s birthday honors continue this tradition.) It was reasonable, therefore, to assume the butler’s and baker’s dreams related to this event and their unconscious hopes and fears. In the case of Pharaoh’s dreams, Joseph may have known ancient Egyptian traditions about seven-year famines. Nahum Sarna quotes an Egyptian text from the reign of King Djoser (ca. 28th century BCE): “I was in distress on the Great Throne, and those who are in the palace were in heart’s affliction from a very great evil since the Nile had not come in my time for a space of seven years. Grain was scant, fruits were dried up, and everything which they eat was short.” Joseph’s most impressive achievement, though, was his third gift, the ability to implement dreams, solving the problem of which they were an early warning. No sooner had he told of a seven-year famine then he continued, without pause, to provide a solution: “Now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so

that the country may not be ruined by the famine.” (Gen. 41:33-36) We have seen Joseph the brilliant administrator before, both in Potiphar’s house and in the prison. It was this gift, demonstrated at precisely the right time, that led to his appointment as viceroy of Egypt. LESSONS FROM JOSEPH From Joseph, therefore, we learn three principles. The first is: dream dreams. Never be afraid to let your imagination soar. When people come to me for advice about leadership, I tell them to give themselves the time and space and imagination to dream. In dreams we discover our passion, and following our passion is the best way to live a rewarding life. Dreaming is often thought to be impractical. Not so; it is one of the most practical things we can do. There are people who spend months planning a holiday but do not give even a day to planning their life. They let themselves be carried by the winds of chance and circumstance. That is a mistake. The Sages said, “Wherever [in the Torah] we find the word vayehi, ‘And it came to pass,’ it is always the prelude to tragedy.” A vayehi life is one in which we passively let things happen. A yehi (“Let there be”) life is one in which we make things happen, and it is our dreams that give us direction. Theodor Herzl, to whom more than any other person we owe the existence of the State of Israel, used to say, “If you will it, it is no dream.” I once heard a wonderful story from Eli Wiesel. There was a time when Sigmund Freud and Theodor Herzl lived in the same district of Vienna. “Fortunately,” he said, “they never met. Can you imagine

Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center Presents

“IN DREAMS WE DISCOVER OUR PASSION, AND FOLLOWING OUR PASSION IS THE BEST WAY TO LIVE A REWARDING LIFE.” what would have happened had they met? Herzl would have said: ‘I have a dream of a Jewish state.’ Freud would have replied: ‘Tell me, Herr Herzl, how long have you been having this dream? Lie down on my couch, and I will psychoanalyze you.’ Herzl would have been cured of his dreams and today there would be no Jewish state.” Thankfully, the Jewish people have never been cured of their dreams. The second principle is that leaders interpret other people’s dreams. They articulate the inchoate. They find a way of expressing the hopes and fears of a generation. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was about taking the hopes of Black Americans and giving them wings. It was not Joseph’s dreams that made him a leader; it was Pharaoh’s. Our own dreams give us direction; it is other people’s dreams that give us opportunity. The third principle: Find a way to implement dreams. First see the problem, then find a way of solving it. The Kotzker Rebbe once drew attention to a difficulty in Rashi’s writing. Rashi (Ex. 18:1) says that Yitro was given the name Yeter (meaning, “he added”) because “he added a passage to the Torah beginning [with the words], “Choose from among the people …” (Ex. 18:21). This occurred when Yitro saw Moses leading alone and told him that what he was doing was not good: He would

wear himself and the people to exhaustion. Therefore, he should choose good people and delegate much of the burden of leadership to them. The Kotzker pointed out that the passage that Yitro added to the Torah did not actually begin, “Choose from among the people.” It began several verses earlier when he said, “What you are doing is not good.” (Ex. 18:17) The answer the Kotzker gave was simple. Saying “What you are doing is not good” is not an addition to the Torah — it is merely stating a problem. The addition consisted in the solution: delegating. Good leaders either are, or surround themselves with, problem-solvers. It is easy to see when things are going wrong. What makes a leader is the ability to find a way of putting them right. Joseph’s genius lay not in predicting seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, but in devising a system of storage that would ensure food supplies in the lean and hungry years. Dream dreams; understand and articulate the dreams of others; and find ways of turning a dream into a reality — these three gifts are leadership, the Joseph way. The late Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks served as the chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, 1991-2013. His teachings have been made available to all at rabbisacks.org. This essay was written in December 2020.

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ARTS&LIFE THEATER

A Homecoming for Hometown Producer

Rachel Sussman and Aaron Glick are Tony Award nominees and producers for What the Constitution Means to Me. JULIE SMITH YOLLES CONTRIBUTING WRITER

hen Rachel Sussman comes home to visit her family in December, the first stop on her agenda is the Fisher Theatre. She’ll attend performances of What the Constitution Means to Me, which runs from Dec. 14, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022. Sussman is a co-producer of the Tony Award-nominated play and Pulitzer Prize finalist. “I’m really excited that the show that I love so much is coming to my hometown and that Michigan audiences will get to experience it,” says Sussman, who was raised in Bloomfield Township. “This is going to be the first time that I am seeing a show that I co-produced at the Fisher Theatre where I saw shows growing up.” Written by Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means to Me starred Schreck on Broadway and has Schreck telling the story of her 15-year-old self who traveled across the country to compete in Constitutional debate competitions and win money to pay for her college tuition. Having given birth to twin girls last year, Schreck will not reprise her role on the national tour. Cassie Beck (I Know What You Did Last

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

What the Constitution Means to Me producers (from left) Diana DiMenna, Aaron Glick and Rachel Sussman at the 2019 Tony Awards.

Summer and The Humans on Broadway) will take on the comedic and poignant role that traces how the Constitution shaped the lives of four generations of women and the next generation of

Americans. Sussman first saw a New York Theatre Workshop production of What the Constitution Means to Me in the fall of 2018. “I have a very distinct

memory of that day because I watched the Brett Kavanaugh [Supreme Court confirmation] hearings and was understanding his abuse and treatment of women and hearing Christine Ford testify. I went to the play that night, and I remember how painfully resonant it felt. The story is so beautifully personal that it’s universal. I left the theater feeling so overwhelmed. It stayed with me in a powerful way,” Sussman said. When she heard that What the Constitution Means to Me was going to Broadway, she called the three lead producers, Aaron Glick, Diana DiMenna and Matt Ross, and said that she wanted to be a co-producer. “I just knew that if I wasn’t a part of it, I would regret it,” says Sussman, who became a co-producer along with her partners JJ Maley and Cori Stolbun. Sussman became friends with Glick when she interned at 321 Theatrical Management the summer of 2011, just prior to her senior year at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Glick was working as a Broadway producer in the same building at Stone Productions, which oversees Wicked, The 25th Annual

What the Constitution Means to Me, a play by Heidi Schreck and starring Cassie Beck.

Putnam County Spelling Bee, Next to Normal, If/Then and War Paint, to name a few. FROM ACTOR TO PRODUCER Glick grew up in Lafayette, Indiana, where his family still lives. During the pandemic, Glick and his husband, Nick Coburn, and Glick’s family purchased and saved The Pink Walrus Frozen Yogurt shop, which they operate in Lafayette. While running businesses and addressing the logistics, artistic aspects, finances and COVID compliance and safety issues of Broadway productions is now Glick’s forte, it didn’t start out that way in Lafayette. “I was a theater and music show choir kid,” says Glick, who attended Marymount Manhattan College with the intent of majoring in acting. “But, by junior year, I wasn’t feeling it anymore. The joy of being on stage was overshadowed by my interest in the production details.” So, he switched majors to Theater Studies and focused on getting a career in the business of theater. His first job after graduating in 2006 was as a talent agent. And

then he heard about a dream but low-paying, internship working with prolifically successful Broadway Producer David Stone on Wicked. “I cashed in my bar mitzvah bonds so that I’d have enough money to pay three months of rent,” Glick says about the Manhattan apartment he shared with three roommates. At the end of the threemonth internship, Stone offered Glick a “real position” as Stone’s assistant where Glick has now worked for 15 years building an impressive producer resume of shows with Stone and some of his own with other producers, including What the Constitution Means to Me. TONY AWARD NOMINEES While Sussman and Glick had both previously attended the Tony Awards, 2019 was the first time they were attending the Tonys as Best Play nominees for What the Constitution Means to Me. Glick was also nominated in a second producing category for Best Revival of a Play for The Boys in the Band. “It was amazing to be there

PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS, 2019

DETAILS What the Constitution Means to Me will run Dec. 14, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022, at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit. Tickets for What the Constitution Means to Me start at $25 (includes facility and parking fees) and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787 and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office. Patrons will be required to show photo identification and proof of a negative COVID test within 72 hours of the performance date or proof of full COVID-19 vaccination. Additionally, all patrons will be required to wear a mask while inside the theater, regardless of one’s vaccination status. For more information, visit www.BroadwayInDetroit.com.

for both shows, especially since Boys in the Band had already been closed for a year and it honored the 50th anniversary revival of [playwright] Mart Crowley, of blessed memory,” said Glick who earned his first Tony Award for Boys in the Band. “You don’t produce shows to win awards. But just being nominated helped extend the run for What the Constitution Means to Me at the Broadway box office, and it was very profitable,” Glick adds. What the Constitution Means to Me had been on the national tour in Chicago when all shows were shut down due to the pandemic in March 2020. It resumed touring on Sept. 30, 2021, in Minneapolis. Detroit’s Fisher Theatre will be the fourth stop for the three-week limited engagement. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS “What the Constitution Means to Me is a relevant piece of theater that will never go out of style. The audience will always have a new way of experiencing it depending on what’s happening in the world

around us,” Sussman says. “Like now with Texas and the abortion issues. We will always be fighting for our rights and civil liberties and look at how the Constitution protects us.” When Glick married Coburn on Aug. 18, 2017, they had a small ceremony at City Hall in NYC followed by a fun “half-Jewish gay wedding” at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn where Glick’s dad explained the tenets of Jewish law to the wedding guests. Glick and Coburn, who is nondenominational, made their own ketubah. “It was very important for us to get that paper in a federal building and honor legal gender,” Glick says. When What the Constitution Means to Me officially opened on Broadway on April 2, 2019, Coburn posted on Facebook: “What does the Constitution mean to me? Well, to start, a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling centered on the 14th Amendment gave me the federal right to marry Aaron Glick.” “The one thing we found with What the Constitution continued on page 49 DECEMBER 2 • 2021

ARTS&LIFE MUSIC

Interfaith Unity

“The Blessing Israel” brings a Jewish flavor

SUZANNE CHESSLER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ichael HarPaz, raised in Huntington Woods and relocated to Israel while attaining pop music star limelight, has long expressed a public voice against antisemitism. As a student at the University of Michigan, focused on Jewish studies, he wrote a 1993 editorial for the “Campus Life” section of the Detroit Jewish News, repeating his criticism of a Holocaust denier’s letter allowed publication in the school newspaper. HarPaz’s latest initiative, going on for almost two years, has to do with the making of a musical video about unity among people of different heritage. He worked behind the scenes and before cameras as part of a team bringing together Christians and Jews — representing Israel, America and Africa — to sing out the peaceful values they share. The video, “The Blessing Israel,” musicalizes and adds to a prayer in the Biblical Book of Numbers: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face to you and give you peace.”

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

Previously recorded by Christian groups, after introduction by singer/songwriter Kari Jobe working with Elevation Worship, this newest version adds the element of Hebrew. The original recording received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song in 2021. “I hold this project very special in my heart because, in addition to the beautiful music, we’re doing some good,” HarPaz said. “We’ve topped a million views on our video in the first two weeks, and the use of American, African and Israeli music stars — Jews and Gentiles — bridged a gap to combat the lies of global antisemitism.” ADDING THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE HarPaz gives credit for the video idea and the initial efforts bringing it about to Daniel Berkove, a longtime friend from Michigan also relocated to Israel. After hearing an earlier version of the prayer set to music, Berkove wanted to create a video that could be more directly related

to the Jewish experience. An observant Jew, Berkove speaks the prayer every day during morning services and every Friday night during his family’s Shabbat meal. “It’s a beautiful song, and I realized that it had gone viral by its nature,” Berkove said. “The original was written by Evangelical Christians, and after it came out, Christian communities around the world did versions of it. I work a lot in Africa, so I was intrigued that a former schoolmate posted a [rendition] from Zimbabwe, which was the first version I heard.”

LEFT: Daniel Berkove RIGHT: Michael HarPaz

Some resources for initiating the Israeli-joined project reached back to people Berkove knew from Southfield, while other contacts involved his relocation to Israel and world travels as a senior adviser for HIS Markit,

an information analytics firm. StandWithUs, an Israeli advocacy organization, collaborated on the release. AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT As Berkove sought out HarPaz to work on the project, they met with participation enthusiasm from many famed singers, including Israelis Avraham Tal and Gali Atari, Americans Ricky Skaggs and Jacky ClarkChisholm and Africans Rahel Getu and Mynah Rams. “Michael introduced me to my video partner, Erez Dan, a producer and director who became responsible for the whole project and the dayto-day part,” Berkove said. “Michael arranged the musical direction, and my job was to raise the funds and oversee the project from a strategic standpoint.” Funding came from a Christian group, Passages, which sends Christian college students to Israel in exploration of their religious roots and in efforts to connect them with those of other religious backgrounds. Passages participants provided backing vocals for the video

“I HOLD THIS PROJECT SPECIAL IN MY HEART BECAUSE, IN ADDITION TO THE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, WE ARE DOING SOME GOOD.” — MICHAEL HARPAZ

to a Christian song. as Christian students from Michigan colleges appear on the organization’s website to give testimonials of the value of their travel. “This is a good song to bring Jews and Christians together,” said Scott Phillips, Passages executive director. “I’ve heard this song many times in church.”

Details “The Blessing Israel” is available on YouTube. Passages has been compared to Taglit Birthright Israel, which sponsors visits of Jewish young adults to Israel. Berkove, who explains the main goal of Passages as educational, also describes the group as a Zionist organization that supports Israel and is friendly toward Jews. “‘The Blessing’ is a Christian

song and so it was decided that this would be a ChristianJewish collaboration,” Berkove said. “However, we are all looking forward to an opportunity to create a musical collaboration that will celebrate the Abraham Accords or Jewish-Muslim Relations.” The lengthy time involved in completing the project had to do with the pandemic. Performers had to videotape themselves, and the results of

their efforts had to be merged technically. Jacky ClarkChisholm, a member of the gospel-singing Clark Sisters and a Grammy Award winner, wanted a Detroit setting that reflected her hometown. “It’s nice to shed a little light in the world,” said HarPaz, whose professional engagements just before the pandemic included being an MC for major events as well as an actor. “That’s what we tried to do.”

continued from page 47

Means to Me is that no matter when you see it, the show is always going to be timely,” says Glick. “The way that [playwright] Heidi Schreck treats the text of the Constitution and the world of law is exactly the way we’re taught as Jews to examine the biblical text in the Talmud and have it connect to our personal lives.” As they navigate successful careers as producers, Sussman and Glick continue to be good friends, colleagues and mentors, including both being recipients of the prestigious Prince Fellowship for producing new works. The project Glick developed with his 2013 Prince Fellowship is

the new musical Eighty-Sixed, about one man’s journey during the AIDS epidemic, which will have its world premiere in May 2022 at San Diego’s Diversionary Theater. Sussman’s project, developed over the last seven years, with additional support from her 2019 Prince Fellowship, is the new musical SUFFS, which is centered on the American women’s suffrage movement. SUFFS will start performances in March 2022 at The Public Theater in New York City. “Who would have thought that two nice Jewish kids from the Midwest would end up working together on Broadway?” Sussman always jokes with Glick. Guess it was beshert.

Rachel Sussman grew up in Bloomfield Township. DECEMBER 2 • 2021

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BERKLEY AND BLAIR UPDATE; GREAT PLAY: MANY JEWS; REMEMBERING ADRIENNE SHELLY Over the years, I have written about Selma Blair and Elizabeth Berkley, two wellknown actresses who grew up in the Detroit area. In the last few weeks, I happened to come across a number of items related to the pair. Berkley, 47, grew up in Farmington Hills. She became famous playing Jessie Spano, a lead character on the hit NBC high school comedy series Saved by the Bell. In its original version, Saved ran from 19891993. After Saved, Berkley’s hopes of having a major film career derailed when she co-starred in Showgirls (1995). The director, Paul Verhoven, was coming off a series of hits when he made Showgirls, so you can’t blame Berkeley for accepting the role of Nomi, a Las Vegas showgirl who was frequently less than fully clothed. Critics

Elizabeth Berkley

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

hated the film and Showgirls was a film career killer. Otherwise, her life went well. In 2003, she married Greg Lauren, now 51, in a lavish Jewish wedding. The couple has one child, a son now 9. Greg’s father, Jerry Lauren, now 87, is a very wealthy man. He long headed-up the menswear division of Ralph Lauren (Ralph, 82, is Jerry’s brother). In 2020, a re-boot of Saved by the Bell began streaming on Peacock and got good reviews. A second season began streaming on Nov. 24. Berkley again plays Spano, who now is a high school counselor with a doctorate. Also, in 2020, You Don’t Nomi, a documentary defending the growing, “positive” cult status of Showgirls, was released. I didn’t realize that Berkley and Selma Blair were friends until Blair disclosed in 2018 that Berkley, after hearing about Blair’s medical symptoms, insisted that she see her brother, Jason Berkley, a Los Angeles neurologist. He confirmed (2018) that Blair had Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Blair, 49, a Southfield native, had built a strong film and TV acting career when she first got MS symptoms in 2011. She went public with her diagnosis in 2018 and a Discovery+ documentary about her struggle with MS, Introducing Selma Blair, began streaming in October. The documentary revealed that actress Jennifer (Dirty Dancing) Grey, 61, contacted Blair when she heard about her condition. Grey didn’t know Blair then but con-

vinced her to seriously look into a stem cell treatment Grey had heard of. The treatment has really helped Blair. Meanwhile, on Amazon Prime, a “new” Selma Blair movie, Far More, began streaming (free) this month. Blair plays the caring wife of a great guy who is dying from cancer. Adrian Grenier (Entourage) co-stars as her husband’s brother. Really strong acting by the two leads makes up for some script weaknesses. I dug out that Far More had a one-theater opening in 2014 (under another title) and never saw the light of day again until Amazon began showing it. It’s worth your time. Also worth your time is The Humans, a film that had a very limited theater opening last week and, at the same time, began streaming on Showtime. It is based on a one-act play by Stephen Karam that won (2016) the Tony for best play. The film was written and directed by Karam, a Scranton native of Lebanese Christian background. Very basic plot: Brigid Blake (Beanie Feldstein, 28), a musician, and her boyfriend, Erik (Steven Yuen), live-in a run-down Manhattan apartment. Brigid’s parents, Richard (Richard Jenkins) and Deidre (Jayne Houdyshell), drive in from Scranton to celebrate Thanksgiving with Brigid. They are joined by Aimee, Brigid’s sister (Amy Schumer, 40), who is a lawyer in Philadelphia, and Momo (June Squibb, 82), Erik’s grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Semla Blair

Gradually, a lot of family secrets and problems are exposed. On Dec. 1, HBO began streaming the documentary Adrienne, about the life of actress/writer/director Adrienne Shelly (19662006). Shelly’s death was the subject of headlines when it became clear that she did not commit suicide, as the police first thought, but that she was brutally murdered by a construction worker in her building. Her husband, Andy Ostroy, 62, directed the HBO film, and he is a major character in the film. He pushed the police to re-investigate Shelly’s death; he raised their daughter, Sophie, now 17; and he founded a big arts foundation bearing Shelly’s name. Shelly was born Amy Levine and grew up on Long Island. She gained some fame as the star of several well-received indie films in the 1990s. However, she’s best remembered for Waitress, a film that she wrote and directed that was released just after her death. This feminist comedy/drama got very good reviews and, in 2015, a musical version of Waitress opened. It ran on Broadway for four years.

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS

SOULFUL YOGA 10 AM, DEC. 4 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites you to join Rabbi Aaron Bergman and yoga instructor Mindy Eisenberg. Connect body and soul as we apply the wisdom of Torah to the gentle practice of yoga. No yoga experience is necessary. There is no fee to participate. For info contact (248) 851-5100. MATINEE PLAY 2-4 PM, DEC. 5 The Odd Couple (Female Version) at the Berman Center for the Performing Arts will be presented by Frankel Jewish Academy’s Performing Arts Department. It is the late, great Neil Simon’s revision of his hugely successful play The Odd Couple. Info: theberman.org. Andy McKee

GUITAR VIRTUOSO 7:30 PM, DEC. 5 The Ark in Ann Arbor will host Andy McKee, acoustic guitarist. Tickets: $25. Info: andymckee.com; facebook. com/TheArkAnnArbor. CHANUKAH FEST NOW-DEC. 5 This online program is presented by the Yiddishkayt Initiative as organized by YI Love Jewish. Several virtual events are lined up at yilovejewish.org/hanukkahfest-2021.

ROSH CHODESH 10-11 AM, DEC. 6 Adat Shalom Synagogue Sisterhood invites women from the community to welcome the new month of Tevet with a morning study session led by Rabbi Blair Nosanwisch, director of spiritual care at Adat Shalom. No charge. RSVP: Rochelle.r.lieberman@gmail. com or 248-553-2498. Zoom link will be provided. STORIES IN SONG 8 PM, DEC. 6 The Ark in Ann Arbor will host Charlie Parr and Dead Horse with a vibrant patchwork of classic and contemporary influences. Tickets: $20. Info: charlieparr. com; facebook.com/ TheArkAnnArbor. Charlie Parr

REMIX JUDAISM 7:30 PM, DEC. 7 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites you to join Rabbi Dan Horwitz on Zoom for his interview with author Roberta Rosenthall Kwall. Professor Kwall’s widely acclaimed new book, Remix Judaism: Preserving Tradition in a Diverse World, demonstrates how developing a richer set of culturally religious norms can provide a foundation for transmissible Jewish tradition, even if some of the normative requirements of Jewish law are “remixed.” Free. To RSVP and receive

Roberta Rosenthall Kwall

the Zoom link, contact Jodi Gross, jgross@adatshalom. org, 248-851-5100, ext. 238. JEWISH BLUEGRASS SOUNDS 8 PM, DEC. 7 Nefesh Mountain will appear at The Ark in Ann Arbor. They truly give voice and openly represent Jewish American culture, tradition, values and spirituality in the world of American roots music. Tickets: $20. Info: nefeshmountain. com; facebook.com/ TheArkAnnArbor.

Nefesh Mountain

LUNCHTIME SERIES NOON, DEC 8, 15, 22 Adat Shalom Synagogue invites you to join Rabbi Aaron Bergman via Zoom for a new lunchtime series. Karl Lueger, the mayor of Vienna at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, had a strong impact on Herzl, Hitler, Mahler and Freud, influencing both the development of Zionism and

modern antisemitism. Free. To RSVP and receive the Zoom link, contact Kellie Yost, kyost@adatshalom.org, 248851-5100, ext. 246. INSIDERS’ TOUR 2-3:30 PM, DEC. 8 The Jewish Historical Society will hold an exclusive, in-person, behind-the-scenes tour of BasBlue, Detroit’s brand-new nonprofit social club for women and nonbinary people, housed in a historic Midtown mansion. Hosted by Barbara Cohn. Features: a conversation with BasBlue founder Nancy Tellem, an in-person tour of the club’s recently renovated locale on Detroit’s distinctive Ferry Street, light refreshments on the third floor. Cost: JHSM members: $36; non-members: $54. Info: info@michiganjewishhistory. org.

BasBlue Building STEPHEN KELLOGG SINGS 8 PM, DEC. 8 The Ark in Ann Arbor will feature New England native Stephen Kellogg who has received a Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Blues Record.” Tickets: $25. Info: stephenkellogg. com; facebook.com/ TheArkAnnArbor. continued on page 52 DECEMBER 2 • 2021

ON THE GO

PEOPLE | PLACES | EVENTS continued from page 51 Stephen Kellogg

ROUNDTABLE ON RACE NOON-2 PM, DEC. 9 Sponsored by the U-M Frankel Center for Judaic studies in Ann Arbor. Panelists: Katrina Daly Thompson of University of Wisconsin-Madison, Robert Phillips of Ball State University, Edwige Crucifix of Bryn Mawr College, Shanon Shah of King’s College London,

Adi Saleem Bharat of University of Michigan. They will reflect on historical and contemporary representations and experiences of queer Jews and Muslims in a wide range of geographies. Register: myumi.ch/qgDEy. HEALTHCARE SERVICES NOW-JAN. 15 Community members can work with a certified healthcare navigator at Jewish Family Service to explore their health insurance options. Learn about coverage options, subsidies and tax breaks, update your information and review your plan to ensure it’s still a good

fit. Explore your options through Zoom or over the phone. This free service is open to all community members. For more information or to schedule an appointment, contact Jewish Family Service at 248-592-3973 or navigation@jfsdetroit.org. INTERFAITH FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 7-9 PM, DEC. 9 Join the Hindu Community Relations Council and the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee for their third Chanukah and Diwali Celebration: A Festival of Lights and Friendship. At Sri Sri

Radha Gopijana Vallabha Temple, 36600 Grand River Ave., in Farmington Hills. Discuss the similarities and differences between the two holidays. Moderated by WJBK-TV’s Roop Raj, the conversation will feature State Reps. Padma Kuppa (D-41) and Samantha Steckloff (D-37) as they also address their experiences and identities as Hindu and Jewish legislators. Masks are highly recommended. Register at https://jlive. app/events/1236 or email kuper@jfmd.org with questions. Compiled by Sy Manello/Editorial Assistant. Send items at least 14 days in advance to calendar@ thejewishnews.com.

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M O N D AY, D E C E M B E R 1 3 AT 7 : 0 0 P M Storyteller Rabbi Hanoch Teller will empower audiences with relatable lessons from the Holocaust. More info at holocaustcenter.org and (248) 553-2400.

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We are grateful for all of you and your never ending support. Thank you for all the years together! DECEMBER 2 • 2021

FOOD

FROM THE HOME KITCHEN OF CHEF AARON

grow a variety of tomato in my garden called a “Pineapple tomato.” They’re naturally large, and my habits around fertilizing and plant location make for even bigger tomatoes when they finally ripen toward the end of August. (The Chef Aaron plants, though, Egan are still yielding new fruits as I write this in October.) They’re a delightful true heirloom varietal, sweet and juicy; splitting easily if not cared for properly (and even

when cared for!) and leaning heavily as the tomatoes grow large on their not-all-that-hardy stems. This sort of tomato, in culinary terms, is often called a “slicer” tomato, noted for the solid internal structure (more tomato flesh, less open seed area) and large size making for nice slices on sandwiches, burgers, etc. I particularly like to fry these slices up, breaded, and serve them with a garlic aioli or a good savory sauce (tomato or otherwise) that will complement the sweetness of the tomato.

TOMATO MILANESE Yield: as many tomatoes as you want to eat Ingredients Large, steaky tomatoes (like Pineapple tomatoes), ripe or green Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper All-purpose flour Eggs Breadcrumbs Vegetable oil Directions Slice the tomatoes about ¼-½ inch thick. Cut along the latitude lines, not the longitudes; if you need to split a particularly large tomato in half from stem to bud, you can do that, but they’re good to work with large as well. Dice the very bottom of the tomato for salad and core out the top few slices to get rid of any tough green or white parts. Lay the tomato slices on a rack above a sheet pan with sides. Season them heavily with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Flip the slices over and coat the other side similarly. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes, or up to an hour in the fridge. Pour breadcrumbs in an even layer on a sheet pan lined with parchment

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

Tomato Milanese

paper. Toast in a 200°F oven, stirring frequently and watching carefully, until they’re just starting to crisp up. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before moving them into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and some dried herbs, if you like. Prepare a breading station: Pour a cup or two of flour onto a plate or shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Beat together a couple eggs (for one or two larger tomatoes) and place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish. Place a cup or two of the toasted and seasoned breadcrumbs into a shallow dish and arrange them in order flour-eggbreadcrumbs. Perform the following sequence: Coat the tomato slices thoroughly in the flour, shake off as much excess as you can, then dip them into the egg. Remove them from the egg, allow excess to drip off, and make sure it’s coated completely. Dip back into the flour to double-coat them, shake off excess, then back into the egg. Remove from the egg and allow excess to drip off. Once again, ensure that there’s egg all over the tomato slice, then (finally!) place it into the breadcrumbs. Coat the tomato completely in

breadcrumbs, then place it carefully onto a dry rack and allow to set for a few minutes before storing up to overnight in a sealed container. Two nights might be pushing it. Prepare a landing zone for your tomatoes by placing a rack over a sheet pan. Heat a frying pan large enough to hold your largest tomato slice over medium-high heat and pour in your cooking oil to create about ⅛ inch of oil in the pan. When the oil is shimmering on the surface, gently slip a tomato slice into the pan. Shake the pan back and forth gently as the bubbles begin to rise from the breadcrumb bottom to keep it from sticking, and when it’s turned a nice golden brown around the edges, carefully flip it over with a spatula. Fry until the other side is browned, and if need be, flip once or twice to finish browning evenly. Immediately remove cooked tomatoes from the pan and place them on the cooling rack for a moment or two. Immediately season the tomatoes on both sides with a little bit of kosher salt and fresh black pepper. Serve promptly with aioli, tomato sauce, a salad of endives with vinaigrette, or even ranch dressing if you’re feeling that sort of mood. Enjoy the fruits of your garden!

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Michigan Opera Theatre Receives $5 Million Grant At its Annual Meeting on Nov. 18, 2021, Michigan Opera Theatre (MOT), in partnership with the William Davidson Foundation, announced that the Foundation has awarded a $5 million grant to support critical infrastructure renovations at the historic Detroit Opera House (DOH) and artistic programming over two seasons. “It is with deep appreciation that I announce that the partnership between the William Davidson Foundation and Michigan Opera Theatre has resulted in MOT receiving its single largest charitable gift in the organization’s 50-year history. The Foundation’s $5 million grant is an investment in the next 50 years of MOT, and importantly, an investment in the performing arts sector for the Metro Detroit Region,” said MOT President and CEO Wayne S. Brown. The Michigan Opera Theatre is now in the middle of a $15 million capital campaign to modernize the 2,700 seat Detroit Opera House, which is home to MOT’s main stage produc-

tions as well as its educational programs. With this gift, the William Davidson Foundation becomes the lead donor of the campaign for the Detroit Opera House, with $3 million of the award designated for building renovations that will help make the nearly century-old building more welcoming and accessible. “The William Davidson Foundation has been backing MOT for many years, supporting their work to develop the next generation of artists and in recognition of the important role MOT plays in Downtown Detroit,” commented Ethan Davidson, Board Chair of MOT and chair of the grants committee at the William Davidson Foundation. “At this most critical time for our cultural community, my family and I are proud to re-invest in the facility and support the current and next seasons of programming. We appreciate MOT’s commitment to telling stories that resonate with the Detroit community, its embrace of artistic risk, and the strength of its partnerships across the region.”

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OBITUARIES

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EMILY ARNOLD, 94, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 21, 2021. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Susan and Robert Sunquest, Beth and David Kirschner; son and daughter-in-law, Stuart and Reena Arnold; grandchildren, Julie (Robert) Byers, Craig (Megan) Arnold, Eric (Jenna) Arnold, Samantha (Bradley) Hurewitz, Scott Kirschner, Skip (Alice) Arnold, Brent Arnold and Lexi Miller, Sandy (Joe) Hayes; great-grandchildren, Danielle, Jaxon, Chase, Jordyn, Rudy (Taylor) and Margaret, Lyla, Shane, Paige and Bodhi. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Emily was the beloved wife of the late Dennis Arnold, the loving mother of the late Dennis Arnold. Interment took place at the Beth El Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the Susie Arnold Education and Choir Fund at Temple Israel. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. NADIA BERGER, 84, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 16, 2021. She is survived by her sons and daughterin-law, Oleg and Kristina Berger and Vadim Berger; grandchildren, Mark Allen Berger, David Zachary Berger, Benjamin Oliver Berger, Alexis Zoe Berger and Nika Galina Berger; brother,

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School for Boys • Beth Jacob School for Girls • Bais Yehudah Preschool Weiss Family Partners Detroit • Kollel Bais Yehudah • Maalot Detroit P.O. Box 2044 • Southfield, MI 48037• 248-557-6750 • www.YBY.org

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OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 57

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Vladimir Gilfman; sister-inlaw, Susanna (Michael) Berger. She is also survived by many other loving family members and friends. Nadia was the beloved wife of the late Joseph Shifelman. Interment took place at the Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery in Livonia. Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. EDWARD GARY CERESNIE, 71, of Wentworth Falls, (near Sydney) Australia, formerly of Oak Park, passed away on Nov. 21, 2021. After completing degrees from Wayne State University and Indiana University, Ed settled in Australia. He had a successful career in special education, where he was loved by his many students and colleagues. Ed’s special passion was golf, both as a participant and spectator. Mr. Ceresnie is survived by brothers and sister, Steven (Patty) Ceresnie, Michael (Paula) Ceresnie, Glenn (Nancy) Ceresnie, Janice (Ching) Liang; many loving nieces and nephews. He was the loving son of the late Sophie and Sol Ceresnie. Interment was in Wentwoth Falls, Australia. It is suggested that those who wish to further honor the memory of Ed may do so by making a contribution to a charity of their choice. BRENDA JOYCE FANTICH, 80, of Walled Lake, died Nov. 23, 2021. She is survived by her son and

daughter-in-law, Steven and Carolyn Gabel; daughters and sons-in-law, Lisa and Keith Hall, Tracey and Jason Carlock; grandchildren, Jaclyn Gabel, Aaron Gabel, Alexandra Gabel, Courtney Gabel, Brandon (Kennedy) Hall, Taylor Hall, Ryan Hall, Miller Carlock, Megan Carlock and Andrew Carlock; sisters and brothers-in-law, Judy and Michael Reznik, Eileen and Harry Greener. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, other family members and friends. Brenda Joyce was the beloved wife of the late Charles Fantich. Interment took place at the Machpelah Cemetery in Ferndale. Contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. ALVIN FRIEDMAN, 88, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 21, 2021. A graduate of Central High School, Mr. Friedman attained four educational degrees: a bachlelor’s degree in law, a master’s degree in law, a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in accounting. Mr. Friedman is survived by his wife of nearly 60 years, Madelyne Friedman; daughters, Amie Friedman of West Bloomfield, Lisa Friedman of Brentwood, California, Betsy Friedman of Southfield; brother and sister-in-law, Arthur and Leba Friedman of Israel; sister, Linda Sherr of Farmington Hills; grandchildren, Rachel Elysse Friedman, Matthew Richard

Friedman; also survived by many other loving relatives and friends. Mr. Friedman was the treasured son of the late Edith and the late Jack Friedman; dear brother-in-law of the late Ronald Sherr. Contributions may be made to Sara Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center, 5595 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322; Yeshiva Beth Yehuda, PO Box, 2044, Southfield, MI 48037; or David-Horodok Organization, c/o Gail Nosanchuk, ghnosan@gmail. com. Funeral service took place at Hebrew Memorial Chapel. Interment was held at Adat Shalom Memorial Park in Livonia. Arrangements by

Hebrew Memorial Chapel. FRANCES HERMAN, 70, of White Lake, died Nov. 18, 2021. Born Frances Hanna Salzberg circa 1969 in Jonkoping, Sweden, she became an American citizen at age 5. Fran grew up in Detroit where she attended Bagley Elementary School. She went to Hampton and Lederle junior high schools. She then went to Southfield High School, graduating in 1969. Fran then attended Wayne State University where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in medical technolo-

gy in 1974. Fran interned at Harper Hospital during 1975, then worked full time. In 1982, Fran passed her specialist in hematology boards. On Sept. 22, 1974, Frances married Gilbert Herman. They celebrated their 46th anniversary in 2020. Thus, Frances Hanna Salzberg Herman, SH., MT, (ASCP) worked for several more years at the Detroit Medical Center. After leaving DMC, Frances became an instructor at Carnegie Institute of Detroit/Troy where she taught students for more than a decade. In her later years, Frances worked as the manager of Kitchen Glamor, a division at Hawthorne Appliance. As the wife of Gilbert

Herman, Ph.D., M.D., Frances was active in guiding his career. Fran enjoyed many activities ranging from swimming (obtaining her WSI certificate), archery, cooking, bowling, exercise/ yoga, fly fishing and boating. Frances taught Sunday school at Temple Israel in the early 1970s, later marrying at the Palmer Park Synagogue. Fran was a natural artist, working with painting on silk, Japanese woodcut and other art forms. Fran was a devoted wife and the pillar of her family. Frances is survived by her husband, Gilbert Herman; many friends and cousins in Sweden, Canada and the USA, (Abraham, Rachel, Anne, continued on page 60

Jews believe that death is not a tragic end, but a transition. Let us assist your loved one in that journey.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

OBITUARIES

OF BLESSED MEMORY continued from page 59

Deanne and Hanna/Anne). She is also survived by sisterin-law Nancie Herman and her husband, Larry Tobin. Contributions may be made to the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, the Holocaust Memorial Center orAmerican Cancer Society. Interment took place at the Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel. MORTON JACOBS, 91, of West Bloom-field, died Nov. 20, 2021. He is survived by his beloved wife, Joan Jacobs; daughter and son-in-law, Suzanne and Marc Lipshaw; son and daughter-in-

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

law, Michael and Marla Jacobs; grandchildren, Josh and Jeremy Lipshaw, and Hannah, Noah and Raynah Jacobs. Mort is also survived by many other loving family members and friends. He was the dear son of the late Samuel and Ella Jacobs and loving brother of the late Celia Moylan. Interment took place at the Clover Hill Park Cemetery in Birmingham. Contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel CAROL LYNN LEWIS, 58, of Bloomfield Hills, died Nov. 11, 2021. She was the

beloved wife of Paul Thomas; dear mother of Megan Lewis and Cheri Frink (George); loving daughter of Ernest David Lewis and Audrey Tina Lewis (nee: Licht); caring aunt of Abby and Josh. She is also survived by many extended family members and friends. Services were held at A.J. Desmond & Sons Funeral Home, 2600 Crooks Road, Troy; (248) 362-2500. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made to American Cancer Society. View obituary and sign tribute wall at AJDesmond.com. RICHARD MOSS, 88, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 17, 2021. He is survived by his wife

of 64 years, Judie Moss; son and daughter-in-law, David and Jerri Moss; daughter and son-in-law, Sue and Michael Barash; grandchildren, Amanda Moss, Isabel Moss, Xinsheng Moss, Peninah Barash, Moshe Barash, Yoni Barash; sister-in-law, Sue Donahue. He is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews. Mr. Moss was the dear brother and brother-in-law of the late Arthur Moss, the late Samuel and the late Edith Moss, the late Adelle and the late Sy Robbins. Contributions may be made to Na’amat Midwest, 10024 Skokie Blvd., #226, Skokie, IL 60077; or American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center

Drive, Southfield, MI 48076. Graveside service took place at Oakview Cemetery in Royal Oak. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel. EUGENE “GENE” NABAT, 84, of Farmington Hills, died Nov. 16, 2021. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Sandee Nabat; daughters and sonin-law, Lisa and Rick Wald, and Jacqueline Nabat and her partner, Atom Kaiser; son, Craig Nabat; grandchildren, Seth Wald, Stephanie Wald and Nikki Wald; brother-inlaw and sister-in-law, Earl and Renee Ishbia; many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and a world of friends. Mr. Nabat was the loving brother of the late Ronald Nabat. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Pan CanPancreatic Action Network Inc., 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266, pancan.org; American Heart Association, 27777 Franklin Road, Suite 1150, Southfield, MI 48034, heart.org/en/affiliates/michigan/Detroit; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. SEYMOUR “SKIP” ROBERTS, 87, former Detroiter of Solana Beach, Calif., died Nov.

18, 2021. He graduated from Central High School in 1952, attended MSU and Wayne State and made a 45-year advertising career: 35 years at Doner as

executive vice president and 10 years at NW Ayer, managing the Ken Burns relationship for GM. Mr. Roberts is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 65 years, Carol Roberts; brother, David Roberts (Geri Margolis); son, Bradley (Sarah Mason); daughters, Tracey (Bob) Pierce and Kristin Roberts; grandchildren, Jason Roberts, Emily (Eric) Parker, Elana Roberts, Mason Church, Jackson (Lindsay) Pierce, Charlotte Pierce; other loving extended family and friends. Contributions in his memory may be made to the Honor Foundation (honor.org); the Elizabeth Hospice (elizabethhospice.org); or the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation-Michigan (crohnscolitisfoundation.org/ chapters/michigan). BARBARA H. RYCUS, 87, passed away on Oct. 6, 2021, after losing her battle with dementia. She was born on March 25, 1934, in Detroit. Affectionately known to her friends and family as Barb, she had been a resident of Sedona, Ariz., since relocating there in 1983. Barb was the owner and operator of Rycus Corners, a unique stationery and gift shop in the Village of Oak Creek that was a cherished establishment for many decades since opening in 1983. She was truly passionate about helping her customers and friends who were in need of wedding invitations, baby announcements or any other special occasion that called for her beautiful and distinctive stationery. She took great pride and joy in helping her customers choose that perfect greeting card or gift.

Mrs. Rycus is survived by her husband of 67 years, Mel Rycus; her daughter, Sherry Calderone; son-in-law, Jon Calderone; grandchildren, Tracy Hooker, Corbin Batdorf, Brandon Calderone and Trevor Calderone. She was predeceased by her daughter, Denise Batdorf. A small private memorial for immediate family was held in Sedona, where she currently rests. Condolences may be sent to her husband, Mel Rycus, at 105 Vultee Road, Sedona, AZ 86351. Those who wish to remember Barbara in a special way may make a donation to the Make A Wish Foundation, which was her favorite charitable foundation. RUTH STOBER, 94, of Bloomfield Hills, died Nov. 19, 2021. She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Judee and Richard Lewis, and Susie and David Sillman; son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Richard and Judy Stober; grandchildren, Lindsay and Scott Ishbia, Robyn and Jordan Lanyi, Daniel Sillman and Kim Ross, Laura Sillman, and Marisa and David Ruby; stepgrandchildren, Jessica (Scot) Lautzenheiser, Lindsay (Joel) Scharboneau, Aaron (Amie) Kugan; great-grandchildren, Sloane Sillman, Lennon Ruby, and Ashton and Jonah Ruby. Mrs. Stober was the beloved wife of the late Louis J. Stober; the devoted daughter of the late Israel and the late Gertrude Steloff; and the loving sister of the late Arthur “Skip” Steloff. Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions

may be made to Humane Society of Michigan, 30300 Telegraph Road, Suite 220, Bingham Farms, MI 48025, michiganhumane.org; ASPCA (the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), P.O. Box 96929, Washington, D.C., 20090-6929, aspca.org; American Cancer Society, 20450 Civic Center Drive, Southfield, MI 48076, cancer.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel. HAROLD WOLKIND, 76, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 20, 2021. He is survived by his wife, Ruthie Wolkind; son and daughter-in-law, Ed and Jenny Wolkind; grandchildren, Emily and Betsy Wolkind; stepdaughters, Missy (Aaron Wasserman) Lewin and Jami Lewin (fiancé, Scott Benz); sister and brotherin-law, Carole and Norman Weingarten; brother and sister-in-law, Raymond and Rita Wolkind; brother-in-law and sisters-in-law, Terry and Jo Lampert, Marci Lampert and Lynne Haase, and Beth Lampert; many loving nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and loving friends. Mr. Wolkind was the devoted son of the late Edward and the late Sara Wolkind. Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to Jewish Family Service, 6555 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, jfsdetroit.org; or to a charity of one’s choice. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

The Indefatigable Gilda Jacobs

efore this calendar year ends, I want to write about someone whom I greatly admire and someone who has devoted her career to bettering the lives of Jewish and non-Jewish Michiganders. That someone is somebody special: Gilda Jacobs. It was announced this past July that, after four decades of public service, Gilda is going to retire from her position Mike Smith as president and CEO of the Alene and Michigan League for Public Graham Landau Archivist Chair Policy (July 1, 2021, JN). She has led the League for the past 11 years. The League, by the way, was established in 1912 as a nonprofit civic organization for the study and development of good public policy. Under Gilda’s leadership, it has been in the forefront of advocacy for the wellbeing of children and for equitable policies regarding taxes, jobs and economic security, as well as health care and education, just to name a few areas of initiative. Finding articles and reports on Gilda in the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History was an easy task. She has a presence on more than 300 pages of the JN since the 1980s. The hard part is choosing which of her many accomplishments to mention when there are so many. As former director of the Walter Reuther Library, Wayne State University, and former Johanna Meijer Magoon Principal Archivist at the Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, I have personally benefited from Gilda’s support. She assisted me in collecting historic records for the Bentley and attended important events at the Reuther. Gilda began her career in 1981 as the first woman elected to the Huntington Woods City Commission. She served there until 1994, when she was elected to the Oakland County Commission (1995-1998).

DECEMBER 2 • 2021

Subsequently, Gilda served in the Michigan State Senate for eight years and the Michigan House for four years. During this era, she also made some history in the House when she became the first woman to be a floor leader in either chamber. Gilda then moved on to head the Michigan League for Public Policy (Aug. 12, 2010, JN). The stories in the JN also demonstrate that Gilda’s work always reflected her Jewish roots and that she never forgot the local Jewish community. In this respect, Gilda was given numerous communal accolades such as the NCJW Detroit Section’s Josephine S. Weiner Community Service Award in 2012 (Sept. 13, 2012, JN). In 2019, she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. What also impresses me is the many times Gilda participated in local community events (Does she ever sleep?). Gilda will often speak about a serious topic such as “Social Justice, Politics and Jewish Life” (May 19, 2005), or will publish a meaningful essay. See “Mentor a Student, Change a Life” in the Sept. 24, 2009, JN. And, she always seems to be ready for a bit of fun, passing out kosher candy at Oak Park’s July 4 parade (July 21, 2005) or judging a chili cookoff (Danny Raskin’s column, Nov. 19, 2009). One of Gilda’s campaign advertisements stated “She’s always made us proud.” Indeed, she has done just that. Thanks for all your kindness and your work to make Michigan a better place, Gilda. Mazel tov!

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation. org.

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS 200 Feb. 11-17, 2021 / 29 Shevat-5 Adar 5781

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Meet the cohort of 2021 — young Jews making a difference in our community. See page 8

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Sense of

Duty Young Detroiters serve in the IDF to “give back” to Israel. See page 12

THE DETROIT

JEWISH NEWS 200 Feb. 25-March 3, 2021 / 13-19 Adar 5781

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With Detroit’s help, Israeli firm creates app to give your car a smoother, more efficient ride. See page 12

Todah Morim! Thank you, teachers! An appreciation of our day school educators during this pandemic. See page 13

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