Daniel Kahn Concert Begins Year of Yiddish Culture at Frankel Rabbi
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Washtenaw Jewish News Presort Standard In this issue… c/o Jewish Federation of U.S. Postage PAID Greater Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 2939 Birch Hollow Drive Permit No. 85 High Binge Mizrachi Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Holidays on Israeli Holiday Schedules TV Food Page 4 Page 24 Page 26 September 2019 Elul 5779 Volume XIX: Number1 FREE Daniel Kahn concert begins year of Yiddish culture at Frankel Rabbi Jonah Kelsey Robinette Keeves, special to the WJN Pesner at TBE on he Frankel Institute will kick off its joined in this role in the winter by Justin Cam- join fellow Karolina Szymaniak November 19 theme year on “Yiddish Matters” with a my from Smith College. to discuss the revival of Yiddish culture and lan- concert by Daniel Kahn, Yeva Lapsker, The Institute has also planned a series guage in contemporary Poland in a panel titled S’lichot T Bette Cotzin, special to the WJN and Jake Shulman-Ment. In collaboration with “Yiddish in Poland: Past, Present, and Future.” the School of Music, the Frankel Institute will Head fellow Julian Levinson will be a part of host the free concert September 26, 7:30 p.m. at a panel discussion on Yiddish and trauma, to- “Study alone is not enough, our tradition Britton Recital Hall in the Earle V. Moore Build- gether with Harriet Murav and Hannah Pollin- demands action.” – Pirkei Avot ing. Detroit-born, Berlin-based singer, song- Galay, on February 25. ounded nearly 60 years ago, the Reli- writer, translator, and U-M alumnus Daniel On December 5, at 4 p.m. in Room 2022 gious Action Center of Reform Judaism Kahn will return to Ann Arbor for an intimate of the Thayer Building, there will be a panel F(the RAC), is the center of Jewish social polyglot program in Yiddish, English, Russian, entitled “Translating from Yiddish: New Ap- justice work of the Reform Movement. Temple German, and French. Featuring images and proaches in Theory and Practice.” The panel Beth Emeth is hon- surtitles designed and projected by co-trans- will address the unique challenges of translat- ored to be welcom- lator and partner Yeva Lapsker and acclaimed ing Yiddish into other languages and how trans- ing its director, Rabbi violinist Jake Shulman-Ment, Kahn’s songscape lations are affected by phenomena such as the Jonah Dov Pesner, traverses the borders of language, culture, histo- rise of Zionism, the Holocaust, and changing on Saturday night ry, and politics and draws on Kahn’s own origi- relations between American Jews and the im- September 21. Rabbi nal songs and translations of Yiddish folk songs. migrant experience. It will feature Frankel In- Pesner will teach at 8 As part of its theme year on “Yiddish Mat- stitute fellows Anita Norich, Yaakov Herskovits, p.m, followed at ap- ters,” the Frankel Institute is presenting a wide Daniel Kahn and Julian Levinson. Norich and Herskovitz proximately 9 p.m. variety of events in the coming academic year of lectures and panels that will showcase the will both be returning to Ann Arbor to partici- by TBE’s beauti- that will explore different facets of the history fellows’ research and cover diverse aspects of pate in the Institute Theme Year after retiring Rabbi Jonah Pesner ful S’lichot service and culture of Yiddish. The Head Fellow in the contemporary Yiddish studies. U-M professors and graduating from U-M, respectively. which will help to prepare us spiritually for the fall semester will be Julian Levinson; he will be Geneviève Zubrzycki and Benjamin Paloff will The theme year will also include two larger upcoming the High Holidays. continued on page 3 A dynamic and charismatic leader who is a tireless advocate for social justice, Rabbi Pesner leads an organization with a storied history. For Much loved conductor Arie Lipsky has health crisis example, on the conference room tables of the RAC, parts of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and By Emily Camras the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were drafted. The uring my five years studying in Ann on the Huron River while swans came to visit RAC was also saluted in a special tribute at the Arbor, I became close with many our boat. Arie sang the famous piece for cello, White House Rose Garden in 1961 in which Dspecial families. One of them was the The Swan, to the majestic creatures as they ap- President John F. Kennedy was presented with Lipsky family: Arie Lipsky, his wife Rachel, and proached. an historic Torah by the Isaac Mayer Wise Tem- their daughter, Inbal. I met Inbal at a Shabbat During two summers at the Chautauqua ple in Cincinnati, Ohio, symbolizing the last- meal hosted by a friend. Soon after, the Lipskys Music Festival, I studied cello with Arie, a leader ing contribution of Jews to the moral fabric of invited me, my cousin, and another friend to and a mentor in every sense of the word. His mu- American society. celebrate Hannukah at their home. The invita- sicianship, leadership, involvement in outreach The RAC is a non-partisan organization tion would have been special enough due to the and education are present in Ann Arbor and in which represents the values of the Reform Jew- beautiful meal that Rachel prepared, but more every place he worked. He was cello instructor ish Movement, building coalitions and mobiliz- special was getting to know the family. and head of the chamber music program at the ing around legislation which will help create a We spoke about Israel: Arie was born in Hai- Inbal and Arie Lipsky festival. He organized and coached ensembles more compassionate and just society. fa and Rachel in Akko. Both served in the Israel tute of Music after moving to the States. and provided extra performance opportunities At his core, Rabbi Pesner is a teacher of To- Defense Forces (IDF) during the Yom Kippur Inbal, who is about my age, was then pur- for chamber music groups in house-concerts rah and a community organizer. He encour- War. Arie served in the tanks, and Rachel was a suing a Masters’ degree in Library Science at and in masterclasses. He worked with faculty and ages communities to come together to work clarinetist with the IDF Band. They didn’t know Wayne State University. Thanks to their hos- community members to improve the program. for diverse causes, including economic justice, each other at the time. pitality, a unique relationship began. Over the Thanks to his efforts, the program bought marriage equality, immigration reform, gun Arie had studied Aerospace Engineering at next four years, we remained close. Inbal and I high-quality music parts, and chamber music violence prevention, environmental justice, the Technion, not music. Like him, I was study- enjoyed many outings; Rachel, who taught He- ensembles began to perform in the Chautau- racial justice, reproductive justice and ac- ing science (physics), even though all I really brew for twenty-three years at the University of qua amphitheater. For his cello studio, Arie also cess to health care. The RAC runs programs wanted to do was play the cello. We all had mu- Buffalo, provided ample opportunity for me to went “above and beyond,” offering extra lessons, which have taught thousands of teenagers and sic in common: Arie and Rachel both pursued practice. I enjoyed many meals at their home. personal guidance, and coaching. adults the skills associated with advocacy and artistic graduate degrees at The Cleveland Insti- My favorite outing was riding on peddle-boats continued on page 3 continued on page 3 IFrom the Editor n early August, the Jewish Telegraphic also interviewed Rabbi Alana Alpert, director Agency (JTA) syndicated two articles of Detroit Jews for Justice, as a representative 2935 Birch Hollow Drive written by DC-based commentator Ron leader of the “vocal progressive,” wing of the Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 I (734) 395-4438 Kampeas that caught my eye because they were community. He also talked to Jews who sup- www.washtenawjewishnews.org specifically about port President Trump. Kampeas summarized CKinbergeditor@washtenaw jewish news.org Michigan Jews and his impression of Detroit as “a community national politics. The stuck between a rock and a hard place, grap- Editor and Publisher first article, “Detroit pling with a president that most Jewish voters Clare Kinberg Jews are caught be- revile for his apparent biases and a Democratic tween a rock named Party that appears increasingly driven by its Advertising Manager Trump and a hard Israel-critical left wing.” Gordon White choice among Dem- In the meantime, the issues raised in the ocrats” was written articles become more exasperating each day. Design and Layout Dennis Platte after a short visit to President Trump’s declarations that Jews who Detroit where the vote Democratic are disloyal to Israel make Clare Kinberg Staff Writers main attraction was clear his intention to use Israel to win re- Beth Dworkin, Lonnie Sussman covering the mid-July Democratic primary de- election by dividing Jews and trying to pit us bate. The second article, which Kampeas sub- against Muslims, people of color, and immi- Contributing Writers mitted three days later, had the headline, “Not grants. Michael Appel, Candace Bulkley, Rabbi Nadav Caine, Emily Camras, Bette Cotzin, The Squad: Rep. Elissa Slotkin and her ‘Gang of There are differences of opinion among Valeriya Epshteyn, Rebecca Epstein, Ketl 9’ offer Democrats a path of moderation.” The Jews, we know this. But divisive manipulation Freedman-Doan, Sharyn J. Gallatin, JTA website is www.jta.org. of our differences has got to be out of bounds. Stephanie Glass, Naomi Goldberg, Rabbi Kampeas grouped Detroit Jews into two It is my belief that an important role of a com- Aharon Goldstein, Nora Greenstein, Idelle disparate camps, and also made an effort to munity newspaper is as a “public square,” a Hammond-Sass, Joanne Brownstein Jarvi, find a variety of voices.