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 Modern Multi-faith For this year's Day aid for hamentashen, Queen Syrian hold the jam Esthers refugees page 7 page 18 page 28 March 2015 Adar/Nisan 5775 Volume XXXIX: Number 6 FREE “We Refuse to Be Enemies”—motto of Hand in Hand Schools in Israel Edible Landscape program Helena Robinovitz, special to the WJN rescheduled for March 15 he weekend of March 20–22, Lee Gor- cultures. Together the Jewish and Arab pupils study, to play, to live with Palestinian partners.” Carole Caplan, special to the WJN don, co-founder and executive director learn and speak each other’s language, study (Boston Globe, “Refusing to be Enemies in Jeru- The Jewish Alliance for Food, Land and Justice, T of five bilingual and bicultural schools each other’s history and culture, and share in salem,” December 7, 2014.) in partnership with the Ann Arbor Recon- in Israel, will be in Ann Arbor to educate the The structure structionist Congregation and Pardes Hannah, community about this innovative model of of the HIH Schools will present “Ed- education. On Saturday, March 21, 8–10 p.m., provides an oppor- ible Home Land- there will be an interfaith event at St. Clare’s tunity for interac- scapes—From Episcopal/Temple Beth Emeth. The topic will tion that naturally Saving Seeds to be “Building a Shared Society Together: Multi- evolves between stu- Harvesting Your cultural Education and Peacemaking in Israel.” dents and families in Trees” on March On Sunday, March 22, 4–6 p.m., the Jewish Fed- an integrated school 15, from 2–4 eration of Greater Ann Arbor will host Gordon system. Parents be- p.m., at the Jewish at the Jewish Community Center of Greater come involved in Community Cen- Ann Arbor. The topic will be “Overcoming the their child’s educa- ter of Greater Ann Jewish-Arab Divide in Israel: Building a Model tional process, at- Arbor. of Integrated Schools and Communities.” tending events at the Everyone is The Hand in Hand Schools are unique school and friend- invited to learn because typically Jewish and Arab children in ships form, first be- Eric Kempe from local seed Israel attend separate schools whose curricu- tween children and expert Eric Kampe, of Ann Arbor Seed Com- lum emphasizes the culture and language of then between fami- pany, about a sustainable food supply that can their own people. The Hand in Hand Schools the celebration of each other’s holidays. lies. In some instances the HIH Schools engage be grown right outside one’s kitchen door! (handinhandk12.org) operate with one Arab A parent of a youngster at the Max Rayne in an outreach to involve the surrounding com- Growing interest in permaculture and home and one Jewish teacher simultaneously in Hand in Hand School in Jerusalem said his munity. The community experiences changes gardening point to more individuals looking to each classroom, supported by texts from both son learned, “…. from the first day of school to continued on page 2 understand how growing one’s own food can help to create a sustainable, local food system. There will be dialogue, teachings on Shmita (the Jewish teachings around perennial edibles), Belin Lecture to explore Jewish connection to Detroit hands-on learning, and refreshments. Yaffa Klugerman, special to the WJN This event, originally scheduled to take place ews lived in Detroit, most left it, and now her new book, Metropolitan Jews: Politics, Race, nently because, as Corwin Berman explains, it last month, was cancelled due to inclement many are trying to revitalize it. What lies and Religion in Postwar Detroit, forthcoming provides the paradigmatic example of a “white weather. The event is free, but pre-registration J behind these contradictory decisions to this April by the University of Chicago Press. flight” city, where much of the white commu- is appreciated at http://foodlandjustice-edible- live, to leave, and even, perhaps, to return? Her new book thinks through in a broader nity abandoned the city and decamped to the landscape.eventbrite.com. Lila Corwin Berman will discuss the answer sense the role that urbanism played in craft- suburbs within a very short period. Contact Carole Caplan (caplan.carole@ to these and many other questions about Jews ing American But there were other reasons she chose to gmail.com,) or Idelle Hammond-Sass (ham- and urbanization during the Frankel Center for Jewish identity. concentrate on the Motor City. “I married [email protected]) for more info. Judaic Studies’ 25th annual David W. Belin Lec- It argues, she says, into a family that’s from Detroit,” she said. ture in American Jewish Affairs. The talk, “The “that instead of “So there was a sense that this was a city that Jewish Romance with the Modern City: Lov- abandoning ur- I wanted to learn more about because I had a ing, Leaving, and Reforming,” will take place on banism when [personal] connection to it.” Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m., at Forum Hall, Jews left the Her research of Detroit also began with be- Palmer Commons, 100 Washtenaw Avenue. cities, they actually ing in the right place at the right time. Corwin The event will begin with a reception at 6:30 refashioned it into Berman was a fellow during the Frankel Insti- p.m. and is free and open to the public. a different po- tute’s inaugural year in 2007–2008 when she Corwin Berman holds Temple University’s litical, economic realized that she wanted to write about the jour- Murray Friedman Chair of American History and cultural iden- ney from city to suburb, and what that meant as associate professor in the Department of Lila Corwin Berman tity.” The lecture for Jews’ political, economic, religious and History and Director of Feinstein Center for represents her ef- cultural consciousness. American Jewish History. She is the author of fort to think through the kinds of ways that Jews “There was an element of serendipity,” she the award-winning Speaking of Jews: Rabbis, have connected themselves to cities in the mod- said, “that I happened to be close to Detroit Intellectuals, and the Creation of an American ern period. when I was starting this project.” Public Identity (University of California Press, While her talk will focus on a general view of 2009). Her talk will focus on themes explored in Jews and urbanism, Detroit will figure promi- continued on page 2 Not Just A ICommunity Photobooth! WEDDINGS 2935 Birch Hollow Drive BAR/BAT Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108 JCLP 2015 Communal Conversation voice: (734) 971-1800 MITZVAHS Emily Meisterm special to the WJN e-mail: [email protected] www.washtenawjewishnews.org SCHOOLS he University of Michigan School to celebrate the stories of various community BIRTHDAYS of Social Work’s Jewish Commu- members, as well as provide a forum to share T nal Leader- and discuss the origins Editor and Publisher CORPORATE ship Program’s annual of their Jewish identities. Susan Kravitz Ayer EVENTS Communal Conversa- The storytelling event tion will be held on will feature a variety of Calendar Editor 248.545.6460 Sunday, March 15, speakers ranging from Claire Sandler from 5–7 p.m. The Shira Schwartz, a PhD Advertising Manager event will take place in student in Comparative Gordon White Code: the Educational Confer- Literature at U-M, to lo- WJN ence Center, room 1840, cal community members Design and Layout SSW, 100 South Univer- and lay leaders. Addition- Dennis Platte sity Avenue. Andrew Lustig ally, the event will feature This year’s event, “Maggid: Stories of the Andrew Lustig, a Jewish Slam Poet known for his Staff Writers Mary Bilyeu, Sandor Slomovits, Rochel Urist Present Day Jew,” will focus on sharing the sto- viral YouTube video “I Am Jewish.” ries of members of the Jewish community. The The students hope that it will be an inspi- Contributing Writers word maggid is Hebrew for a speaker of impor- rational evening of learning and honoring the Carole Caplan, Phillipa J. Clarke, Rabbi Robert tance. The graduating JCLP students organiz- stories iinot yet heard, which contribute to the Dobrusin, Hadar Dohn, Chana Sara Elias, Rosemary ing the event hope to use it as an opportunity identity of the Jewish community today. n Frenza Chudnof, Emily Eisbruch, Chana Sara Elias, Karen Freedland, Rabbi Aharon Goldstein, Peretz Hirshbein, Ori Hoffer, Jade Jansen, Jacob Kamaras, Hand In Hand Schools, continued from page 1 Dalit Kluger, Yaffa Klugerman, Jennifer Tzivia MacLeod, Emily Meisterm, Avital Ostfield, Rabbi Jack Riemer, Helena Robinovitz, David Shtulman, of attitude of one group towards the other, with of the students in the school were horrified and Clara Silver, Elliot Sorkin, hatred, suspicion, and fear replaced with caring, some questioned the safety of their children appreciation and support. amidst such fanatic actions. However, within The Washtenaw Jewish News is published monthly, with the exception of January and Many studies have been done on the value a few hours they all met at the school, shared July. It is registered as a Non-profit Michigan of diverse school systems like the Hand in Hand their concerns with each other and created a Corporation. Opinions expressed in this pub- Schools. In 2008 a study done by Amy Stuart banner in Arabic and Hebrew, “We continue lication do not necessarily reflect those of its Wells, Jacquelyn Duran, and Terrenda White together, without hate and without fear,” and editors or staff was published in ERIC, “Refusing to Leave De- hung it up outside the school.