Outside The Core

Novi and Northville are communities on the edge . . . on the edge of the “core” of the Metro Detroit Jewish community.

The recently completed 2005 population study done by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit showed the suburban area where most Jews live expanded from 13 ZIP codes in 1999 to 23 ZIP codes in 2005. Royal Oak to the east and Commerce Township and Walled Lake to the northwest have been added. But the Jewish population in Novi and Northville did not exhibit enough growth to nudge the core further west.

Pol wins unions’ label in hot race

Two major unions will back Democratic City Councilwoman Yvette Clarke in a hotly contested Brooklyn congressional race.

The presidents of two powerful Service Employees International Union locals, 1199 SEIU, which represents health care workers, and 32BJ, which stands for building services workers, told the Daily News yesterday they would back Clarke’s bid to replace retiring Rep. Major Owens.

“Yvette has a proven record of leadership in the fight for quality affordable health care, a humane immigration policy and opposition to the Iraq war,” 1199 President Dennis Rivera said.

Feminine Soul

I’ve just read an autobiographical summary of R’ Yisroel Meir Lau, former chief rabbi of Israel. He speaks about the childhood of which he was robbed, growing up during the Holocaust.

I read how he was orphaned from his parents in his tender years. How, as a five-year old boy, he witnessed a member of the Gestapo rain down one murderous blow after another on his father.

He describes the anger, the humiliation, and the pain in seeing his father and hero beaten with a club, kicked by hobnailed boots and degraded while mustering the inhumane strength to stand upright and not beg for mercy.

Bochur Assaulted On Utica and Eastern Pkwy.

Last week Wednesday, August 16, a Bochur walking home at 11:30 at night after a shiur, was assaulted by a black male. The incident took place on Utica Ave. between Lincoln Pl. and Eastern Pkwy. where the perp came up behind the Bochur and struck him in the back of the head then ran away, making no demand for money.

The Bochur who happened to be on the phone with 911 for some other reason, immediately told the 911 dispatcher that he was just assaulted and that he still see’s the perp and they should dispatch a police unit, according to the Bochur the dispatcher said that the police will be there shortly and the Bochur requested that the dispatcher remain on the line with him for he didn’t feel safe in the neighborhood, to which the dispatcher responded “I have no time” and hung up.

43 minutes after the initial 911 call the Bochur flagged down a passing police officer who was nice enough to stop and hear the Bochur’s story and fill out a police report, during which the dispatched police unit showed up 15 minutes after flagging down that cop that was already writing up the report, where he took all his information and was told that a detective will be in touch with him.

Women robbed in the heart of Crown Heights in broad daylight

On Wednesday August 17th 2006 at 4:15pm a Jewish mother pushing her 2 year old child in a stroller at the corner of Crown St. and Albany Ave. Was approached by a black man around 20 years old around 5′-10“ normal build, asked her for directions ”where is Montgomery Street?“ The woman pointed to the direction, the next second, he got really close to her and told her ”don’t yell or scream there’s someone behind you and if you yell he will hurt you and your child“. The black man said ”give me your diamond ring“, after she gave the ring and he repeated ”don’t yell or say anything to anyone”. He then ran into a waiting Dark New Chrysler Pacifica Minivan

The police were immediately called. They arrived immediately and were very comforting. They said to keep our eyes open, and if we see the person we should immediately call 911.

Cops: Rabbinical student ‘moons’ crowd

The reason the Rebbe said not more then four?

Morristown, NJ — A student of the Rabbinical College of America was arrested for punching a man, trying to steal his car and then “mooning” onlookers.

Police were called at 10:27 p.m. Saturday after a resident of Tikvah Way, a residential condominium area for the Rabbinical College community, approached *** ***, 19, of Crown Heights, N.Y., a student, who appeared to be intoxicated and walking on the street.

The resident asked *** if he needed help and even offered him a ride home. Police said *** responded by grabbing the man’s car keys and then got into the man’s car and tried to put the car into reverse.

Athlete recalls Munich slayings

Fort Worth, TX – Dan Alon still remembers the roar of the crowd when he and his Israeli teammates marched into Olympic Stadium in Munich, Germany, 34 years ago.

He also remembers the rat-tat-tat of machine gun fire days later, when Palestinian terrorists stormed their quarters in the Olympic Village and took several of his teammates hostage.

Eleven athletes eventually died. The events brought a brief halt to the 1972 Olympics and shocked the world.

Today, Alon travels the world, sharing his experience. He spoke recently in Fort Worth.

“Some people say that God leaves survivors so they can tell stories,” he said. “I believe I am one of those survivors.”

Shliach Davening WIth Soldiers

Newspaper clipping from The New York Times of Rabbi Moshe Shmuel Oirechman Shliach to the Krayot davening with soldiers on the Lebanese front.

Spreading message of hope and peace

Two young rabbis have been in Regina this week to spread the messages of their faith and of peace to the city’s small Jewish community.

Rabbis Shaul Goldman and Boruch Cohen — both 22 years old and residents of New York City — arrived in Regina last Sunday as part of their month-long outreach project for Saskatchewan Jews.

The pair, who were ordained as rabbis earlier this year, plan to spend about 10 days reaching out to the city’s Jewish population, helping them to rediscover their heritage and religion.

“Everyone has a soul, and who are we to judge what someone’s situation is? Every person has their challenges in life and so on, and the idea is to stress positivity and the like,” Cohen, who is originally from England, said earlier this week.

Koptsev confesses attack on synagogue, denies nationalism

Moscow, Russia — The Moscow City Court has opened hearings on the merits over the case of 22-year-old Alexander Koptsev, a resident of Moscow, accused of attacking praying worshipers at a Moscow synagogue early this year.

The defendant confessed the very instance of attacking parishioners, but denied any nationalist motive behind his actions.

“I do confess I caused injuries, but I do not recognize guilt under articles “attempted murder” and “incitement of inter-ethnic discord,” Koptsev said.

The prosecutor read out the bill of indictment. Victims began to be questioned afterwards.

Ex-convict: I killed granny

The ex-con who allegedly stabbed to death a Brooklyn great-grandmother was angry that her sister didn’t pay him enough for their sham marriage, police sources said.

Anderson Scrubb, 50, had married a sister of 69-year-old Gloria Boney so that the woman could get a green card, the sources said.

But Scrubb said the family had only paid him half of the $5,000 they promised for his bogus union with Jocelyn Ford. And when Boney refused to pay up and threatened to tell the authorities on Saturday, Scrubb snapped, the sources said.