By Rabbi Bruce Warshal If you are reading this, you may know that Clare Kinberg is the publisher and editor of the Washtenaw Jewish News. Clare reached out to me to reflect on the origin of Genesis of Ann Arbor on this 50th anniversary of its founding. As I was the first rabbi of Temple…
Editor’s note: When I read Ann Arbor native and University of Michigan alum Jonah Shifrin’s widely shared and engaging Facebook post about his experience with the encampment, I wrote to him to ask if I could publish it in the WJN. I think he speaks for a lot of people. I also wanted to hear…
By Eileen Freed, CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor According to just-released data, the Washtenaw County area Jewish community is much larger than previously thought. Estimates from the past 20+ years had suggested the local Jewish population was approximately 8,000 Jews, in 3,000 households. But with a population of 11,000 households, and 20,000 Jewish…
By Jack Zaientz, chair, TBE cantor search committee There is a lot of excitement at Temple Beth Emeth. Beginning this summer, Cantor Emma Maier will be assuming the position of cantor at Temple Beth Emeth previously held by TBE’s beloved Cantor Regina Hayut, who is retiring after a decade of service to the Ann Arbor…
By Rav Nadav Caine, Beth Israel Congregation I couldn’t be more excited about Beth Israel’s Rosenberg Scholar in Residence Weekend this coming April 3–5. Our scholar is my mentor, Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, and promises to be a weekend of learning and stimulating discussion. Rabbi Dr. Artson holds the Abner and Roslyn Goldstine Dean’s Chair…
By Deborah Meyers Greene Passover is a deeply resonant holiday for many Jewish People of Color. On Sunday, April 7, Ann Arbor-area JPOC and their families are invited to join a discussion on the topic. The haggadah, the seder, and the songs of Pesach hold special meaning and promise for Jewish People of Color —…
By Ruth Kraut, special to the WJN For many Jews, time is now split into “before” and “after” October 7. In the “before times,” the Jewish Federation/Jewish Community Relations Committee convened a parents’ group to discuss antisemitism in Washtenaw County schools. (See the October 2023 WJN for a summary.) They had also requested, from the…
by Cilla Tomas I recently had the opportunity to return to Bern, Switzerland — to the synagogue where I grew up — to introduce the book, The Ones Who Remember: Second-Generation Voices of the Holocaust, a collection of stories written by my Second Generation group at Temple Beth Emeth. The synagogue in Bern was built…
Idelle Hammond-Sass interviews Rabbi Adina Allen of the Jewish Studio Project In response to the unfathomable events of October 7 I was struggling to digest the daily news, meetings, podcasts, articles, Zooms, emails, and conversation. The exhausting flood of information left me grasping for ways to cope so I could engage with the ongoing conflict….
By Candace Bulkley and Trina Fuller Candace and Trina became friends in the Temple Beth Emeth adult b-mitzvah class that graduated in 2022. They will be honing their palates, visiting, and writing about a variety of independent, locally owned Washtenaw County restaurants, catering to a variety of dietary preferences. Introduce your tastebuds to their new…