Mandy Garver, at The Blogs

Nov 29, 2023, 1:20 AM

I sometimes find it hard to disconnect, to ignore the ring tone that tells me a text has arrived or to avoid compulsively checking my email. We live in an age where being connected is of supreme importance, where...

Apr 20, 2023, 9:15 PM

How to Combat Lashon Hara: The Power of Words and Kindness

I'd like to talk a little bit about the power of words and kindness. We've all heard, and probably said, as children, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me." How untrue! We all have...

Apr 5, 2023, 7:24 AM

Featured Post

The four strong women of the Pesach story

The annihilation of the Israelite children was defeated by Shifra, Puah, Pharoah’s daughter and Miriam – and the moral compass they shared

Apr 4, 2023, 1:49 AM

Education, Learning and Teaching, the Three Touchstones of Being a Jew

How important is education? As Jews, I think many of us, particularly those who had immigrant parents, felt the weight of their expectation regarding education. How many of us handed over every birthday check sent by far-flung relatives to...

Sep 23, 2022, 8:05 AM

The Shofar: Our Call to Action

We’re currently in the Hebrew month of Elul, the month preceding the High Holy Days. Elul is a month of cheshbon nefesh, an accounting of the soul. It’s the time for reflection and introspection - a time to take...

Aug 10, 2022, 9:53 PM

Seeing Through Another’s Eyes

The July 20th Detroit Jewish News column by Rabbi Michael Moskowitz about the weekly parsha from Numbers, concerned the daughters of Zelophehad. And it made me think about strong women and different perspectives. It also made me think about...

Jun 13, 2022, 10:58 PM

Beha’alotecha – Lessons learned in Jewish Leadership

I'd like to talk a little bit about leadership in a Jewish context. We tend to look at leaders through a slightly different lens than much of society. While I recognize this is a generalization, and not every secular...

Jun 10, 2022, 6:50 PM

Yom Yerushalayim: Working Together Hand in Hand for Peace

Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, CEO of the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network, had an interesting article in last week’s Detroit Jewish News. He told of moving to Michigan, being told he had to pick a college sports’ team to support,...

Jun 3, 2022, 5:55 PM

National Gun Violence Awareness Day – June 3, 2022

Once again, we're shocked beyond words at yet another school shooting, this time at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Twenty-one innocent souls, 19 children and two adults, were gunned down in what was the deadliest school shooting since...

About Me

Mandy Garver, President of Hadassah Greater Detroit Region, is a member of the Hadassah Writers' Circle. She has been a Michigander since 1982. Her undergraduate degrees from Heidelberg University in Ohio were in French, German and English and she has a J.D. from Case Western Reserve University. She worked for Ford Motor Company for 30 years, retiring in 2008. She has been active in the Detroit Jewish community, as president of her shul and the Eleanor Roosevelt chapter of Hadassah. Mandy is married to her bashert, Allen, has two children, Rivka and Daniel, one lovely son-in-law, Dave and two spectacular twin grandchildren, Maya and Jonah.

Contact Me