February 2019
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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 Let your Meet A Family Permit No. 85 summer the new Haggadah plans begin Editor for all with Camp the kids page 10-14 page 2 page 17 February 2019 Shevat/Adar1 5779 Volume XVIII: Number 5 FREE HMC special exhibits: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Japanese 2019 Belin Lecturer American internment and the Rwandan genocide is James Loeffler Leslie Pardo, special to the WJN Kelsey Robinette Keeves, special to the WJN he Holocaust Memorial Center Zekel- eyewitnesses of Nazi genocide. The exhibition thirds of them American citizens. The exhibit n March 12, the Frankel Center man Family Campus in Farmington documents the story of Jehovah’s Witnesses in revisits the injustice of Japanese-American will welcome Professor James Loef- T Hills has announced its newest special the Holocaust and provides an in-depth look at confinement by telling their stories and asking O fler to the University of Michigan exhibits which run January 13 through April ordinary people who followed their conscience in a question that resonates today: How could to deliver the 2019 David W. Belin Lecture 1, 2019. The special exhibits include “Jehovah’s the face of tyranny. The exhibit was created by the the United States imprison people without in American Jewish Affairs. Loeffler’s lecture, Witnesses: Faith Under Fire,” “Rwanda: Person- Arnold-Liebster Foun- due process, based solely on their ethnicity? “Prisoners of Zion: American Jews, Human al Images” and “The Tragedy of War: Japanese dation in Germany. The exhibit was curated by the Kennesaw Rights, and the Israeli- American Interment.” State University Museum of History and Ho- Palestinian Conflict,” “We take our mission very seriously and re- Rwanda: Personal locaust Education in Georgia. based on his recently main committed to learning lessons from the Images-Artwork “Jehovah’s Witnesses: Faith Under Fire,” published Rooted Holocaust and applying what we have learned by Vivian Bower. “Rwanda: Personal Images” and “The Trag- Cosmopolitans: Jews to other genocides. In a world still filled with The exhibit is a se- edy of War: Japanese American Interment” are and Human Rights hate and bigotry, this is more important than ries of pastel drawings generously supported by Barbara and Jim Bay- in the Twentieth Cen- ever,” said Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO, Holocaust by Vivian Bower about son, Julie and Peter Cummings, Robin and Leo tury, will explore how Memorial Center. “The most important lesson the genocide that took Eisenberg, Nadine and David Farbman, Nancy American Jews have we teach is that history is made through a series place in Rwanda dur- and James Grosfeld, the Karp family, Jackie and become polarized of choices and that every choice has a conse- Vivian Bower ing 1994 and 1995 Larry Kraft, Susie and Norman Pappas, Malke James Loeffler over human rights is- quence. Choices by individuals have power.” when 500,000-1,000,000 Tutsis were brutally and Gary Torgow, and in memory of Barbara sues related to both Israel and antisemitism. The three special exhibits debuting at the massacred by Hutu friends, family and colleagues. and Lee C. Saperstein and Craig A. Saperstein. The David W. Belin Lecture in American Holocaust Memorial Center in January include: Bower’s intention is to confront the truth and ex- The special exhibits are open Sunday Jewish Affairs was established at the University through Friday and are free with museum ad- of Michigan in 1991, through a gift from the Jehovah’s Witnesses: Faith Under Fire. press her pain and horror. The exhibit is on loan from the Florida Holocaust Museum. mission or membership. Docent-led tours are late David W. Belin, to provide an academic A Christian community of 35,000 Jehovah’s available at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 17 forum for the discussion of contemporary Witnesses in Germany and Japanese American Internment. and March 31. Docent-led tours also are avail- Jewish life in the United States. Previous speak- occupied lands refused to During World War II, 120,000 ethnic Japa- able at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 4, March ers have included Deborah Lipstadt, Samuel conform to the Nazi ideology nese on the west coast were forced into a series 11 and March 25. Sign up for a tour or more in- Freedman, Lila Corwin Berman, and Ruth of hate. They were thrown of camps to live under armed guard. Two- formation by calling (248) 553-2400, ext. 145. n Messinger. Each lecture is subsequently pub- into Nazi camps and became lished in the Belin Lecture Series. “Global antisemitism has returned to the world in ways few ever anticipated after World Fifty years of Feminist Activism Coming to Town War II,” Loeffler explains. “For some in the Jew- ish world, the only solution is a renewed com- Paige Walker, special to the WJN mitment to protecting human rights at home ngaging with and contributing to the Judaic Studies, the Covenant Foundation, and the UM Ann Arbor campus, primarily at the and abroad. For others in the Jewish world, University of Michigan and the sur- the Jewish Women’s Archive in Brookline, Mas- School of Social Work. The symposium will the very phrase ‘human rights’ has become a E rounding Ann Arbor and Metro De- sachusetts, JCLP is offering an extended and bring an array of pioneering and contemporary symbol of today’s antisemitism, especially in troit Jewish communities with dynamic public feminist activists to Ann Arbor to consider the the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ” programs is a cornerstone of the Jewish Com- role of Jewish identity in the framing and de- Loeffler is Jay Berkowitz Endowed Chair munal Leadership Program (JCLP). Every JCLP velopment of second wave American feminism. in Jewish History at the University of Virginia, event creates opportunities for students to bring Using as a starting point the interpretations where he teaches courses on Jewish and Euro- together University and community members offered by historian Joyce Antler in her recent pean history, legal history, and the history of to discuss and explore the challenging questions book, Radical Jewish Feminism, the symposium human rights. Rooted Cosmopolitans explains that animate their own ongoing engagement will ask activists from the 1960s through today the history of Jewish political activism in hu- with Jewish community and identity. In par- to explore the significance of Jewish identities man rights through the stories of five Jewish ticular, students organize an annual Commu- in the development of the women’s liberation activists, and shows how the idea of human nal Conversation, held on campus, that brings movement and the impact of feminism on rights has been intertwined with Jewish his- together community members and prominent quite remarkable series of public programs from American Jewish culture, politics, and religion. tory in the last 70 years. It was named a “new Jewish leaders, educators, and activists to deep- March 13 through 17. In addition to conversations between veteran and noteworthy” book by The New York Times. en discussion and understanding of core issues A special symposium, “Jewish Feminisms/ feminists and more recently-minted activists, The book began as a relatively narrow in American Jewish life. This year, in partner- American Visions: Perspectives from Fifty Years the program will include a screening of the doc- study of American Jewish political advocacy ship with the University’s Frankel Center for of Activism” will take place March 13 – 15th on umentary Heather Booth: Changing the World and legal diplomacy on behalf of Eastern Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 IFrom the Editor We can help! 2935 Birch Hollow Drive irst off, I want to thank Susie Ayer for nity and I originally moved there to be close to Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 entrusting me with this publication my brother, Rabbi Myron Kinberg z”l. I say of voice: 734/971-1800 F that she nurtured for 27 years as a ser- Eugene, yes the community of Jews is small, but e-mail: [email protected] vice to the Jewish community of Washtenaw I knew all of them. Myron was the rabbi in Eu- www.washtenawjewishnews.org County. In my role as editor/publisher of the gene from 1978 to 1995. Yes, that’s right, I said Let Encore Sell It For You: Washtenaw Jewish News, honoring her legacy the rabbi, because for much of his time in Eu- Electronics • Musical Instruments of service to the com- gene, there was only one synagogue and he was Editor and Publisher Designer Items • Antiques & Collectibles munity is my foremost its rabbi. Temple Beth Israel in Eugene served a Clare Kinberg Sterling Silver • Sporting Goods intention. My hope is congregation of Jews from every denomination: Camera & Audio/Visual Equipment that every Jewish agen- So many lessons learned about being an open, Advertising Manager Gordon White cy, congregation and welcoming, growing, and porous container for 1954-D South Industrial (in the Revel & Roll Plaza) organization will con- Jewish diversity! I aim to make the WJN a meet- Design and Layout tinue to use the WJN ing place for the rich diversity of interests and Dennis Platte 734.761.6187 as an outlet for pub- opinion of Washtenaw County’s Jews. EncoreOnlineResale.com licity and reflection Many in the community already know me Staff Writer on your good works. I as the librarian at Temple Beth Emeth (since Lonnie Sussman Clare Kinberg hope, too, that individ- 2012), and as the Communications Coordina- uals in the community will submit their own tor and Religious School director for the Re- Contributing Writers newsworthy activities, thoughtful and thought- constructionist Congregation.