Rick Bloom has a special passion for dogs.
So, when Bloom – an attorney, CPA, and financial adviser from Franklin – heard about a therapy dog program for Israel’s soldiers, he was sold, paws down.
“I love dogs, and I know the power that dogs have,” said Bloom, a University of Michigan Law School alum. “And when they told me I could name the dogs after special dogs in my life, it was like hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to win the World Series.”
In the 20 months since the beginning of the Iron Swords War in Gaza, loss and suffering are a daily fact of life in Israel. Soldiers have paid a high price, from their very lives to their mental and emotional health. Not surprisingly, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is tearing apart the veterans of this war.
As a result of this growing health crisis in Israel, the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) initiated the PTSD Therapy Dog Program, which pairs specially trained dogs with IDF veterans grappling with emotional trauma. These therapy dogs offer not just comfort, but also a lifeline—helping veterans reengage with daily life and reconnect with their families.
FIDF is the sole authorized U.S. partner of the IDF, supplying the non-combatant needs of soldiers, from hygiene kits to medical equipment, bereavement care, and PTSD counseling. While Bloom supports many FIDF initiatives, he was moved in a powerful way by the PTSD Therapy Dog Program.
“It hit me in the heart,” said Bloom, who became a CPA after earning his accounting degree with honors from Michigan State University in 1976. “When I heard that FIDF was training dogs to help soldiers with PTSD, I knew I had to be part of it.”
So, when Bloom – an attorney, CPA, and financial adviser from Franklin – heard about a therapy dog program for Israel’s soldiers, he was sold, paws down.
“I love dogs, and I know the power that dogs have,” said Bloom, a University of Michigan Law School alum. “And when they told me I could name the dogs after special dogs in my life, it was like hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th to win the World Series.”
In the 20 months since the beginning of the Iron Swords War in Gaza, loss and suffering are a daily fact of life in Israel. Soldiers have paid a high price, from their very lives to their mental and emotional health. Not surprisingly, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is tearing apart the veterans of this war.
As a result of this growing health crisis in Israel, the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) initiated the PTSD Therapy Dog Program, which pairs specially trained dogs with IDF veterans grappling with emotional trauma. These therapy dogs offer not just comfort, but also a lifeline—helping veterans reengage with daily life and reconnect with their families.
FIDF is the sole authorized U.S. partner of the IDF, supplying the non-combatant needs of soldiers, from hygiene kits to medical equipment, bereavement care, and PTSD counseling. While Bloom supports many FIDF initiatives, he was moved in a powerful way by the PTSD Therapy Dog Program.
“It hit me in the heart,” said Bloom, who became a CPA after earning his accounting degree with honors from Michigan State University in 1976. “When I heard that FIDF was training dogs to help soldiers with PTSD, I knew I had to be part of it.”
Jadah has found a happy home in the life of an Israeli soldier who has suffered from the effects of PTSD.
For Bloom, he knew the healing power of canine friends.
“A few years ago, I had a heart issue, and I was in the hospital,” he explained. “The hospital had a dog that they would bring to the rooms, and whenever the dog came to see me, my spirits just rose. And when they said they were going to start this program to help the soldiers, it just hit me right in the middle of the heart. I have to do this.”
That experience inspired Bloom’s decision to fund not one, but two therapy dogs, naming them Alfie and Jadah – tributes to the most beloved pups in his life. Alfie was named after his childhood poodle, who accompanied Bloom from his bar mitzvah to law school. Jadah is the name of his current Labradoodle, and also represents an acronym:
Jewish, American, Dad (in memory of his late father), Alfie, and Hilda (in honor of his mom).
On a recent visit to Israel, Bloom had the opportunity to meet both the puppy, Alfie, who is still in training, along with Jadah, and the soldier who received her, Eyal. The soldier, once housebound by PTSD, now leads a more independent and joyful life thanks to Jadah’s help.
“He told me that before Jadah, he could not leave the house. Now he’s going places, reconnecting with his family, even playing with his kids,” Bloom shared. “I got to meet him, and I realized I was more the beneficiary than the donor. I got to see, in real time, what my contribution did. That’s a rare and incredible gift.”
The soldier even continues to send Bloom pictures of Jadah with his children, a visual reminder of how one act of generosity can ripple through a family and a community.
“There are lots of causes worth supporting, but if you love dogs and you love Israel, there’s no better way to make a difference,” Bloom said. “You’re giving a soldier a lifeline, and you’re giving a dog a purpose. You’ll feel great knowing you’ve helped a family, supported a veteran, and honored the bond between humans and dogs.”
To learn more or contribute to the PTSD Therapy Dog Program, visit BlessIsraelsSoldiers.org.
Attorney rubs golf elbows with Hall
of Fame reliever at American Century
By Tom Kirvan
Legal News
As celebrity golf tournaments go, the American Century Championship that was held earlier this month on the shores of beautiful Lake Tahoe traditionally rates as one of the best in the world, regularly attracting Hall of Fame players from the NFL, NBA, and NHL ranks.
his year’s tourney, held July 11-13, drew the likes of former Atlanta Braves ace John Smoltz, San Francisco 49er legend Jerry Rice, NBA great Charles Barkley, former NFL standout Charles Woodson of University of Michigan fame, and scores of others.
The celebrity-amateur portion of the event, which is held before the three-day tournament begins, is populated by others from the worlds of sports and entertainment, including such notables as golfing legend Annika Sorenstam, sportscaster Joe Buck, comedian Ray Romano, and even the esteemed Larry the Cable Guy.
Adding some Michigan flavor to the celeb-am segment was attorney Rick Bloom, one of the principals with his brother Ken in the Farmington Hills law firm of Bloom, Bloom, & Associates. A 1982 U-M Law School grad, Bloom has had the joy of playing in the event two times, and this year was part of a foursome that featured reliever Goose Gossage, a flame-throwing pitcher who befuddled batters for 22 seasons before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.
“I was wearing my Tiger hat when I met Gossage, and his first comment to me was something on the order of, ‘I can’t believe I’m playing with an effing Tiger fan,’” Bloom said with a hearty laugh.
For Detroit baseball fans like Bloom, Gossage will be forever etched in a happy World Series memory when he squared off against Tiger star Kirk Gibson in an eighth-inning showdown of Game 5 of the 1984 fall classic. With the Tigers leading 5-4 over the San Diego Padres, the lefty-hitting Gibson strode to the plate while Padres’ manager Dick Williams went to the mound to confer with his star pitcher.
“There were two Tiger runners on base at the time, and Williams wanted to intentionally walk Gibson, but Gossage insisted on pitching to him,” Bloom related. “In fact, Goose told me that he told Williams, ‘I own Gibson.’”
On that day, he didn’t, as Gibson launched a three-run homer into the upper deck of right field at Tiger Stadium, setting off a title-clinching celebration that still warms the hearts of all Tiger fans.
“Despite our baseball differences, Gossage turned out to be a great guy to be partnered with in the golf outing,” said Bloom, who during college spent his summer nights as a hot dog vendor at Tiger Stadium. “We had a lot of fun talking baseball.”
As for the golf, Bloom had a singular purpose in mind: “Don’t do anything to humiliate myself.”
Said Bloom: “I’m not a very good golfer, as I’m more than happy to get a bogey on every hole. But playing in an event like that tournament brings a special kind of pressure, as there was a gallery and you don’t want to hit an errant shot that might cause problems.”
In this year’s case, Bloom said it was “mission accomplished,” as he played a steady round of golf with no mishaps.
As a bonus, Bloom enjoyed the opportunity to meet another legendary sports figure – Mike Eruzione, the captain of the 1980 U.S. hockey team that defeated the Soviet Union in the famous “Miracle on Ice” game.
Eruzione, a left-winger who played for Boston University, scored the winning goal against the Soviets, beating star goalie Vladislav Tretiak in the semifinal game of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.
“He couldn’t have been nicer or more down-to-earth,” Bloom said of Eruzione, who sparked the U.S. squad in its march to the gold medal. “He even joked that if he hadn’t scored that goal, he’d be painting houses for a living.”
Legal News
As celebrity golf tournaments go, the American Century Championship that was held earlier this month on the shores of beautiful Lake Tahoe traditionally rates as one of the best in the world, regularly attracting Hall of Fame players from the NFL, NBA, and NHL ranks.
his year’s tourney, held July 11-13, drew the likes of former Atlanta Braves ace John Smoltz, San Francisco 49er legend Jerry Rice, NBA great Charles Barkley, former NFL standout Charles Woodson of University of Michigan fame, and scores of others.
The celebrity-amateur portion of the event, which is held before the three-day tournament begins, is populated by others from the worlds of sports and entertainment, including such notables as golfing legend Annika Sorenstam, sportscaster Joe Buck, comedian Ray Romano, and even the esteemed Larry the Cable Guy.
Adding some Michigan flavor to the celeb-am segment was attorney Rick Bloom, one of the principals with his brother Ken in the Farmington Hills law firm of Bloom, Bloom, & Associates. A 1982 U-M Law School grad, Bloom has had the joy of playing in the event two times, and this year was part of a foursome that featured reliever Goose Gossage, a flame-throwing pitcher who befuddled batters for 22 seasons before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.
“I was wearing my Tiger hat when I met Gossage, and his first comment to me was something on the order of, ‘I can’t believe I’m playing with an effing Tiger fan,’” Bloom said with a hearty laugh.
For Detroit baseball fans like Bloom, Gossage will be forever etched in a happy World Series memory when he squared off against Tiger star Kirk Gibson in an eighth-inning showdown of Game 5 of the 1984 fall classic. With the Tigers leading 5-4 over the San Diego Padres, the lefty-hitting Gibson strode to the plate while Padres’ manager Dick Williams went to the mound to confer with his star pitcher.
“There were two Tiger runners on base at the time, and Williams wanted to intentionally walk Gibson, but Gossage insisted on pitching to him,” Bloom related. “In fact, Goose told me that he told Williams, ‘I own Gibson.’”
On that day, he didn’t, as Gibson launched a three-run homer into the upper deck of right field at Tiger Stadium, setting off a title-clinching celebration that still warms the hearts of all Tiger fans.
“Despite our baseball differences, Gossage turned out to be a great guy to be partnered with in the golf outing,” said Bloom, who during college spent his summer nights as a hot dog vendor at Tiger Stadium. “We had a lot of fun talking baseball.”
As for the golf, Bloom had a singular purpose in mind: “Don’t do anything to humiliate myself.”
Said Bloom: “I’m not a very good golfer, as I’m more than happy to get a bogey on every hole. But playing in an event like that tournament brings a special kind of pressure, as there was a gallery and you don’t want to hit an errant shot that might cause problems.”
In this year’s case, Bloom said it was “mission accomplished,” as he played a steady round of golf with no mishaps.
As a bonus, Bloom enjoyed the opportunity to meet another legendary sports figure – Mike Eruzione, the captain of the 1980 U.S. hockey team that defeated the Soviet Union in the famous “Miracle on Ice” game.
Eruzione, a left-winger who played for Boston University, scored the winning goal against the Soviets, beating star goalie Vladislav Tretiak in the semifinal game of the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.
“He couldn’t have been nicer or more down-to-earth,” Bloom said of Eruzione, who sparked the U.S. squad in its march to the gold medal. “He even joked that if he hadn’t scored that goal, he’d be painting houses for a living.”
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://www.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
