Americo ,Jewish Periodical eeh

DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE

Page 20

Thursday, March 23, 1950

Hi hli hts from the History of Beth El

•

•

• • •

•

Dr. Franklin Served , Detroit
and Conuretration for 42 Years

Temple Influential in Starling
Reforms in Modern Service

.

By IRVING I. KATZ

ARLY in the year 1850, a German-Jewish couple by the
E name of Isaac and Sarah Cozens arrived in Detroit from
New York and took up residence in a house near the corner of
Congress and St. Antoine streets. Detroit then had a popula-
tion of 21,019, including a few German-Jewish families.

came the official publication of eration of Temple Youth.
Beth El until 1910 when the Tem-
At this Council, the National
pie Bulletin resnmed publication, Association of Temple Secretaries
continuing to this day.
was founded by Irving I. Katz,
In 1903 the temple on Wood- executive secretary of Temple
ward Eliot, Beth El's third house Beth El, who served as the first
of worship and the first to be built president of the Association.
by the Inembers, was dedicated. In the fall of 1941 a group of
In the same year, Sunday morn- Beth El members organized Tem-
ing services were introduced plc Israel, Detroit's second reform
which continued until 1936 when temple.
they were replaced by the late
In November, 1941, Dr. B.
Friday evening services• which Benedict Glazer, senior associate
continue to this day.
rabbi of Temple Emanu-El in
DEMOCRATIC REFORMS
New York and a graduate of the
In 1903, Beth El was 'the pi- 1926 class of the Hebrew Union
oneer congregation in the coun- College, succeeded Dr. Franklin.
try to intrfoduce democracy in Under his spiritual leadership, the
the synagogue by adopting the Temple has grown from 900 fain-
unassigned seating system at ser- ilies in 1941 to 1,600 families in
vices throughout the year, a plan 1950 and today is the fourth larg-
which has since been inaugurated est Jewish congregation in the
in over 50 per cent of the liberal United States.
congregations in the country.
INNOVATIONS IN SERVICE
" From 1907 to 1909, Dr. Frank- In 1942, a children's monthly
lin served as president of the Sabbath morning service, a con-
Hebrew Union College Alumni secration service for confirmands
Association and from 1919 to 1921 and their parents at the Sabbath
he was president of the Central Eve service preceding confirma-
Conference of American Rabbis. tion, and an annual book review
In 1914, Dr. Franklin establish- course were instituted' by Dr.
ed the Jewish Student Congrega- Glazer.
tion at the University of Michi-
In the same year, Rabbi Her-
gan, the first in the country and shel Limon was appointed as
the forerunner of the present minister of religious education.
Bnai Brith Hillel Foundations.
In 1943, Dr. Glazer founded the
In 1917, when Rabbi Samuel annual Institute on Judaism for
Mayerberg came here as the first the Christian clergy of the city.
full-time assistant rabbi, supple- In the same year the Congrega-
mentary services on the High tion liquidated its mortgage in-
Holy Days for non-members were debtedness.
introduced.
In 1947 the first American Jew- -
Rabbi Henry Berkowitz suc- ish Cavalcade service was held
ceeded Rabbi Mayerberg as as- jointly with Temple Israel. In
sistant rabbi.
August, 1947, Rabbi Sidney Ak-
In 1922, the present edifice on selrad assumed the post of assist-
Woodward - and Gladstone, one of ant rabbi.
the finest in the country, was de-
To accommodate its large mem-
dicated.
bership, double services on the
In 1925 an amendment to the evenings of Holy Days were in-
by-laws of the congregation was troduced in 1948. In the same
adopted which provided that the year, Dr. Glazer inaugurated the
wife of a member automatically child naming ceremony at the
becomes a member of the congre- Sabbath morning services, and in
gation in her own right with full the following year, memorial ser-
membership privileges. This led vicd's on the last day of Passover
to the election of women on the were introduced.
The following have served as
board of trustees of the temple.
In that year, Rabbi Leon Fram presidents of Beth El during the
succeeded Rabbi Berkowitz as di- past century:
Jacob Silberman, Joseph New-
rector of religious education.
In 1930 the congregation was man, Isidor Frankel, Morris
re-incorporated in perpetuity. In Hirschman, Emanuel Schloss, Si-
1937 Dr. Franklin delivered the mon Freedman, Sigmund Roths-
Alumni Lectures and Founder's child, David J. Workum.
Day address at the Hebrew Union
Simon Heavenrich, Martin Bid-
College. These lectures were pub- zel, Seligman Schloss, Julius Rob-
lished in 1938 under the title "The inson, Samuel Ileavenrich, Julius
Rabbi—The Man and His Mes- Freud, Louis Blitz, Justice Henry
sage."
M. Butzel, Bernard B. Selling;
In 1941, Temple Beth El and its
Benjamin L. Lambert, Louis
a u x i l i a r y organizations were Welt, Bernard Ginsburg. Isaac
hosts to the 37th Council of the Gilbert, Adolph Finsterwald, Mil-
Union of American Hebrew Con- ford Stern, Milville S. Welt, Is-
gregations and the national con- rael Iliinelhoch, Morris Garvett,
ventions of the National Federa- Harry C. Grossman, Joseph M.
tion of Temple Sisterhoods, Na- Welt, Leonard T. Lewis, Dr. Her-
tional Federation of Temple bert I. Kallet and Nate S. Sha-
Brotherhoods, and National Fed- ptro, the incumbent.

The Cozens soon were joined
by other Jewish immigrants and Minhag America (American re-
in the spring of
form ritual).
1850, the first
_ (2) To retain organ music and
Minyan (requir-
a mixed choir as an integral part
ed number of 10
of the service.
males 13 years
(3) To introduce the three-year
and older to hold
cycle of reading from the Torah
services in De-
RABBI GLAZER
instead of the one-year orthodox
• • •
troit was con-
cycle.
--,ducted in their
ices which was optional with the
(4) To abolish the wearing of members until that year.
home by Marcus
Cohen.
the Talit (prayer shawl) at serv-
The long and distinguished
ices and the use of Tachrichim ministry of Dr. Leo M. Franklin,
As has been
(shrouds) for interments.
I. Katz
traditional in
(6) To Permit congregants to a graduate of the 1892 class of the
Jewish life throughout the ages
Hebrew Union College, extends
when 10 or more Jewish families worship without hats at services. for almost half a century. Dr.
(7) To allow men and women
found themselves living together,
Franklin served as active rabbi
the little band of Jews in Detroit to sit together at services.
8) To introduce the ceremony
formed a congregation.
Steps were taken in the sum- of confirmation in addition to the
mer of 1850, through the initia- orthodox ceremony of Bar Mitz-
The Jewish chronicle is in-
tive of Mr. and Mrs. Cozens, to vah.
debted
to Mr. Irving Katz, ex-
Dr. Isidor Kalisch, one of the
establish a congregation. Joseph
ecutive secretary of Temple
Newman was elected temporary leading spirits of the Cleveland
Beth El, for his cooperation in
chairman and after a series of Rabbinical Conference in 1855,
providing our staff with the
the
first
in
America
,and
one
of
meetings, the Beth El Society,
vast material on the history of
Michigan's first Jewish congrega- the editors of the Minhag Amer- Temple Beth El.
ica
Prayer
Book,
was
the
first
tion. was organized on September
The pictures of historical
22, 1850, by about 25 German- Detroit Rabbi to preach English value in this issue also were
sermons.
Jewish families.
Rabbi Elias Eppstein introduc- obtained from Mr. Katz's files.
The first officers elected were
ed
late Friday evening services in
Jacob Silberman, president; Solo-
of Temple Beth El from 1899 to
mon Bendit, vice-president and 1867, immediately following the 1941 and as rabbi emeritus from
occupancy
by
the
congregation
of
treasurer, and Joseph Freedman,
the Washington Avenue Temple, 1941 to the time of his death in
secretary.
Beth El's second house of worship 1948.
OUTSTANDING LEADERS
on Washington avenue (now
In 1901, the Temple Bulletin,
During the first half century of boulevard). and Clifford, which one of the first congregational
its existence, Congregation Beth was dedicated by Dr. Isaac M. bulletins in the country, was pub.
El (originally the Beth El Society) Wise.
Isihed.
was served by the following Rab-
KOHLER'S INFLUENCE
At the end of that year, how-
bis:
Dr. Kaufmann Kohler, who was ever, Dr. Franklin became the
Samuel Marcus, 1850-1854; Dr. brought by Beth El from Ger- editor of the Jewish American,
Liebman Adler, 1854-1861; Abra- many and in later years became Detroit's first English -Jew is h
ham Laser, 1861-1864; Dr. Isidor the most powerful intellectual Weekly, and the newspaper be-
Kalisch, 1864-1866; Elias Eppstein, force in reform Judaism in Amer- 1
• • •
1866-1869; Dr. Kaufmann Kohler, ica and who served as president
1869-1871; M. Greenblatt, 1870- of the Hebrew Union College, I
1871; Emanuel Gerechter, 1871- abolished the observance of the
1874: Dr. Leopold Wintner, 1873- second day of the major festivals.
.1876; Dr. Henry Zirndorf, 1876- Thus in less than a decade, since
1884: Dr. Louis Grossman, 1884- organ music and a mixed choir
1898.
were introduced at Beth El, the
Originally Beth El was an or- congregation traveled nearly the
thodox congregation. The first whole gamut of reform.
On July 8, 1873, a delegation
Rabbi, Rev. Samuel Marcus, ful-
filled the functions of teacher, from Beth El attended the meet-
cantor, shochet (ritual slaughter- ing of 34 congregations in Cin-
cinnati which organized the Un-
er) and mohel.
Moderate modifications of the ion of American Hebrew Congre-
ritual began during the ministry gations, and on September 28 of
fo Dr. Liebman Adler who came that year Beth El became an affil-
to Detroit at the recommendation iate thereof.
Representatives of Beth El also
of Dr. Isaac M. Wise, the founder
of Reforem Judaism in America, attended the Cleveland conven-
and who was the first Rabbi in tion of the Union of American
Detroit to preach sermons (in Hebrew Congregations in July,
1874, where the establishment of
German).
During the first decide the con- the Hebrew Union College was
gregation met at 'the Cozens endorsed and opened the follow-
home, private homes of members, ing year. The Hebrew Union Col-
NATE SIIAPERO
a rented room above the store of lege is celebrating this month the
■•••■■•■■•••■•••■■■■••■■••■••■•• •••• ■ .........mrysm...MEMNIMAIMIINK1.1111.11M0.••••••••••• ■••■■•
Silberman & Hersch on Jefferson 75th anniversary of its founding.
Dr. Henry Zirndorf, who was
avenue, and a rented hall over a
drug store on Michigan Grand brought to Detroit from Germany
and in later years served as pro-
avenue (now Cadillac Square).
1861 the congregation pur- fessor of history and literature at
chased for $3,500 the French the Hebrew Union College, estab-
M.E. Church on Rivard street. On lished the temple library, oldest
August 30, 1861, the Rivard street Jewish congregational library in
Synagogue, Detroit's first Jewish Michigan and one of the oldest in
house of worship, was dedicated the United States
RABBIS ORGANIZE
by Dr. Isaac M. Wise, who preach-
Please Place Your Passover Order with Your Twin Pines Driver or Call
Dr. Louis Grossmann was the
. ed the first English sermon at
first Hebrew Union College grad-
Beth El.
The use of organ music and a uate to occupy the pulpit of Beth
INSPECTION
mixed choir at the dedication of El. In July, 1889, Temple Beth
CORDIALLY
LOOK FOR THE LABEL
the synagogue created a schism El was host to the 11th Council of
*Under
supervision
of
INVITED
in the congregation, resulting in the Union of American Hebrew..
the withdrawal of 17 members Congregations.
Detroit Council of Ortho•
At this convention, the Central
who established the orthodox con-
gregation Shaarey Zedek which Conference of American Rabbis,
dox Rabbis.
•
of the largest con-. the national organization of liber-
today is
servative congregations in the al rabbis in the United States
IT PAYS TO DO BUSINESS WITH .. .
country. This move gave a free which is today the largest and
hand to the remaining liberal most influential rabbinical body
members and in 1862, the congre- in the world, was organized.
In 1895, the congregation adopt-
gation voted to introduce the fol-
ed the use of the Union Prayer
lowing reforms:
Book published by the Central
REFORMS ENACTED
(1) To replace the Minhag Ash- Conference of American Rabbis.
This 4.1111 1
kenaz (German ritual used in In 1896, a law was passed prohib-
orthodox congregations) by the iting the wearing of hats at serv-

-

A Word of Thanks

,M04•

N- 1)1V . . . The whole family can enjoy the delicious good

ness of TWIN PINES FARM DAIRYHomogenized Milk and
all dairy products brought to you strictly *Kosher for Passover . .
and made in Detroit's newest, most modern and Sanitary Dairy.

I!.

TE. 4-1100

8445 Lyndon

OPt.

`

FARM DAIRY'

nee,