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Washtenaw Jewish News Presort Standard In this issue… c/o Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor U.S. Postage PAID 2939 Birch Hollow Drive Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Permit No. 85 Art and Jewish Looking Culture Diversity for Rose page 7-10 page 12 page 24 May 2020 Iyar /Sivan 5780 Volume XVIV Number 8 FREE WASHTENAW Local Jewish health professionals on the COVID-19 pandemic Fran Martin, special to the WJN iving under the cloud of COVID-19 has affected all of us in some way. L The Washtenaw Jewish News sought personal accounts from local Jewish health care workers to report on the effects of the pandemic in their daily lives. We are so grateful to everyone who does this essential work. These reflections were collected in early April. By May some of the particulars may have changed. But the dedication these individuals show, and our respect for them, is timeless. Adrianne Neff David Lieber Gary Freed Karen Rappaport Pam Shore Steve Aronson Thank you to all these respondents who Pam Shore, age 57, an internal medicine weeks. This allows for downtime in case we or two symptoms for a day or two, which graciously and generously took precious free physician in the private practice Partners become sick during those three days so we would then be replaced a day or two later minutes to contribute to this article. May we in Internal Medicine. can be back on the line for our next shifts by other symptoms. Low-dose Tylenol all go from strength to strength. Steve Aronson, chief of the psychiatry service with time to recover in-between. For the would attenuate to symptoms if needed. For the purpose of this article, we have in- at Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Medical other two weeks, we do video visits [and] Symptoms disappeared after eight days. terviewed: Center. Steve works exclusively in the answer patient calls and portal messages. The worst part was the following 6 days Adrianne Neff, 54, a hospitalist physician medical, surgical, Intensive Care Unit and Steve Aronson: I tested positive for COVID-19 of “cabin fever” to complete my 14 days assistant at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Emergency Room settings. in early March. I had mild flu-like at home. The county health department Oakland. WJN: How has your life changed since symptoms, and as a hospital physician, the maintained essential daily contact with me, David Lieber, age 56, a registered nurse at February? Have your work hours decision was made to test me. I was among then cleared me to return to work per CDC Mott Children’s Hospital. changed? Are you getting time off? the first COVID-19-positive persons in guidelines. Since my return to work, I am Gary Freed, age 58, a pediatrician and an Gary Freed: Our work schedule has changed Michigan. I isolated at home for 14 days. struck by how few people have had personal associate chair of the Department of as we consolidate clinical sites and adjust to My symptoms were mild flu-like symptoms experience with coronavirus-positive Pediatrics at the University of Michigan. trying to do as many visits as we can through of mild headache, muscle ache, dry cough persons. My intention is to humanize this, Karen Rappaport, age 42, a registered nurse video or telephone. We have organized to and chills. Interestingly, the symptoms did hopefully to allay fears and perhaps put a on the Pediatric Hematology- Oncology limit our face-to-face encounters in the not cluster together the way they usually “face to the name” of the illness. So has my floor at Mott Children’s Hospital. outpatient setting to three days every three do in a viral infection. Rather, I had one Continued on page 4 COVID-19 racial disparities in Ypsilanti expose inequities across Washtenaw County Sarah Rigg HEATHER NASH PHOTOGRAPHY NASH HEATHER This piece originally appeared in Concentrate known all his due to the virus are black, despite the fact re s p on s e .” Media, an online magazine covering what's life. that only 12% of county residents are black. The health next for Washtenaw County. Read more of “That’s not Those numbers shine a spotlight on larger department’s their coverage at concentratemedia.com happening (only) disparities in the county, and local activists statement on frican-American Washtenaw in Detroit. That’s are working to turn the despair of the current the dishearten- County residents, particularly happening right moment into social change in the long run. ing data doesn’t A those in the 48197 and 48198 zip- here in Ypsilanti Jimena Loveluck, health officer with the beat around the codes, are experiencing COVID-19 in a to people I per- Washtenaw County Health Department, bush, naming dramatically different way from their white sonally know,” says the department’s report on COVID-19 “structural and peers. Foley says. is in line with what the county already knew environmental “A white activist friend and I are work- Recently re- about health disparities in the community. racism” as a root ing on a project where we’re comparing our Alize Asberry Payne “The health department has been very Yodit Mesfin Johnson cause. Facebook timelines,” says Yodit Mesfin John- active in working with community members African- son, executive director of Washtenaw Coun- leased data from the Washtenaw County and community leaders to address health in- Americans in every part of the United States ty nonprofit NEW. “Mine is filled with black Health Department found that while only equities in our county,” Loveluck says. “We’re have been harder hit by the virus than their diagnosis, death, and despair.” 29% of the county’s population lives in the very much building on a lot of the work white peers. That holds true in Washtenaw Ypsilanti community activist Bryan Foley 48197 and 48198 zipcodes, 44% of confirmed we’ve already been doing, particularly shin- County, where black residents are more likely says he knows more than 20 people who have cases are from those zipcodes. Additionally, ing a light on health equity or inequities in to have underlying health conditions like died from COVID-19, including a friend he’s 48% of residents who have been hospitalized the county and bringing around resources in Continued on page 5 IFrom the Editor espite COVID-19, not much has Washtenaw. ganizationally. We’ve had plenty of experi- 2935 Birch Hollow Drive changed at my Washtenaw Jewish Please note that WJN will continue special ence. There was never any question regarding Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 D News home office. I still haven’t advertising rates for community greetings and whether we would continue to do our things: (734) 395-4438 cleaned off my terribly messy desk; I still love ads for artists and musicians. Contact our Ad- the only questions related to “how.” And of www.washtenawjewishnews.org putting out a monthly local Jewish newspaper. vertising Manager, Gordon White, wjn.ads@ course, the “how” has been answered with [email protected] Unless the cur- gmail.com with any questions. energy, determination, and creativity. Many rent administration Washtenaw County’s political primary will articles in this issue of the WJN attest to that. Editor and Publisher destroys the United be August 4 and through the summer months I’m feeling how each of us is vulnerable to Clare Kinberg States Postal Service, we hope to publish profiles and discussion of this virus against which humans do not yet have Advertising Manager the WJN will con- local candidates, beginning this month with immunity. As Sarah Rigg points out in our front Gordon White tinue to publish and a report on a panel discussing justice reform page article on racial disparities, our vulnerabil- be delivered to your featuring Eli Savit, candidate for Washtenaw ities are exacerbated by longstanding inequities. Design and Layout home. A couple of County Prosecuting Attorney. Though all of our lives are touched by fears Dennis Platte adjustments: We will As I heard this month from each Jew- of sickness, sadness and grief, there are so be publishing month- ish group, I encountered first-hand the Jew- many stories in these 32 pages of new connec- Staff Writers Clare Kinberg ly issues through ish community’s preparedness to weather tion and growth. Chazak chazak v’nitchazak/ Lonnie Sussman the summer, but no annual Guide to Jewish storms—spiritually, economically, and or- May we go from strength to strength. n Contributing Writers Rabbi Jared Anstandig, Emily Burack, Shelby Bruseloff, Debra Nussbaum Co- hen, Eileen Freed, Rabbi Aharon Gold- stein, Dave Greenwald, Daryl M. Hafter, Sarah Schneider Hong, Joanne Brown- IIn this issue… stein Jarvi, Beth Jarvis, Janet Kelman, Advertisers .............................................. 31 Rabbi Robert Levy, Randy Lubratich, A MESSAGE FROM CHAVERIM B’SHIRIM Fran Martin, Efrayim Mintz, Steve North, Book Review ............................................15 Sarah Rigg, Jennifer Rosenberg, Ellen C. WE ARE POSTPONING OUR CONCERT Schwartz, Clara Silver, Sabena Stark, Han- Calendar ...................................................28 UNTIL THE VIRUS IS BEYOND US. nah Steinkopf-Frank, Jessica Weil, Dina Hebrew Day School .....................................7 White, Lior Zaltzman WATCH THE WASHTENAW JEWISH NEWS FOR UPDATES. Jewish Family Services ............................... 6 The Washtenaw Jewish News is published IN THE COMING MONTHS, WE WISH EVERYONE monthly, with the exception of January and Kosher Cuisine...........................................14 July by JCMWC, LLC. Opinions expressed Obituaries .................................................29 HEALTH AND JOY IN LIFE AND SONG! in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of its editors or staff Rabbis Corner ...........................................20 --MARILYN KRIMM AND HER TRUSTY BAND OF SONGSTERS.-- ©2020 by the Washtenaw Jewish News. All rights reserved. No portion of the Washtenaw Vitals ....................................................... 31 Jewish News may be reproduced without Washtenaw County ..................................13 permission of the publisher.

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