Episode list

Fisher family scion and matriarch Jane Sherman has the subject of legacy on her mind. Not only is she focused on ensuring the continuing tradition of her iconic family's philanthropic largesse in support of the Jewish people and the State of Israel established by her late father, businessman and informal presidential advisor Max M. Fisher (aka The Quiet Diplomat), but she's also focused on improving the lives of marginalized people, from Ethiopian Jews to Refuseniks. Sherman previews seminal moments that strengthened and deepened her Jewish identity throughout her life and offers insights into the Detroit Jewish communities steadfast commitment to Israel.

Joel Katz never thought he'd take over the family business. But when his father Albert Katz (founder of Al's Plumbing and Heating Company) got injured, Joel applied his business acumen to ensuring the company continued to thrive. Joel shares memories about the civil disturbances in Detroit during the late 1960s, the experience of being an observant Jew in the midst of his military service in Vietnam and loving his kids even when they annoy him.

Carl Levin, the late Michigan Senator who represented The Great Lakes State for 37 years until his retirement in 2015, was a big believer in oversight and bipartisanship. A model of leadership and authenticity, he recognized that effective governance required necessary compromise and worked to find common ground with political rivals and the opposing party from his days on the City Council, to the State House to Capitol Hill. When we interviewed him in early 2020 just before the start of the COVID pandemic (and about 18 months before his death in July 2021), he spoke passionately about his formidable family history and their many generations of public service, the importance of Judaism in his life and his enthusiasm about the bright future that lay ahead for the city of Detroit. His work and legacy live on in the work of the Levin Center at Wayne Law, whose mission is to build oversight capacity in legislative bodies at all levels to ensure effective governance.