THE JEWISH NEWS
Page Twelve
A Factual History
of Tem le Beth El
by
1850 - 1945
IRVING Is
KATZ
Executive
Secretary
Temple Beth El
On the occasion of the Congregation's
95th Anniversary
The Beginning
T
raditions differ as to the
circumstances that led to the forma-
tion of Beth El. However, a well
authenticated account attributes its
organization to Isaac and Sophie Co-
zens who came to Detroit from. New
York in • 1850 and established resi-
dence at Congress and Antoine Sts.,
where, a few months later, the first .
Detroit Minyan was held.
In the early summer of 1850 steps
were . taken by the little band of
Jews in Detroit, then a city of 21,000,
to organize a congregation, and on
Sept. 22, 1850, the "Bet-El Society"
was founded, with Joseph Newman
as organizing chairman.
Jacob Silberman- was elected first
president (his daughter, Miss Hattie
Silberman, is still a member of the
Temple). Mr. and Mrs. Cozens of-
fered their home as a temporary
place of worship and Rev. Samuel
Marcus of New York was engaged as
spiritual leader. The congregation
was orthodox and the Rev. Marcus
acted not only as rabbi but as Shochet
and teacher. The congregation mov-
ed to a room above the store of Sil-
berman and Hirsch on Jefferson Ave.
On Jan. 1, 1851, one-half acre - of
land was purchased in Haintramck
Township for cemetery purposes and
the cemetery became known as the
"Champlain Street Cemetery" (now
referred to as the •"Lafayette Street
Cemetery" and still kept up by the
congregation). The , purchase price
was $150 of which.- one-half was paid
in cash and the other half secured by
notes, payable with interest in six
and twelve months respectively, and
for their payment a mortgage was
given on the cemetery.
On April 21, 1851, the congrega-
tion was legally incorporated and. the
first constitution adopted, with 'the
following as charter members: Jacob
Silberman, olomon Bendit, Joseph
Friedman, Max Cohn, Adam Hersch,
Alex Bein, Jacob Lang, Aron "Joel
Friedlander, Louis Bresler and C. E.
Bresler. In 1854, • Rev. Marcu,.s was
stricken with cholera and was inter-.
red in the Chartiplain Street Ceme-
tery.
Rev. Marcus was succeeded by
Dr. Liebman Adler who came to the
United .States from • Germany where
for five years he was - principal of a
secular school in his native town. On
May 1, 1859, the congregation leased
a hall on Michigan Grand Ave. (noW
Cadillac Square) "to be used as a
meeting house and .schOol room." In
1860 the charitable work of the con-
gregation, which began almost im-
mediately following its organization,
was taken over by. the Beth-El Relief
Society which functioned • until No-
vember, 1899, dispensing almost $100;-
000, when it became part of the
United Jewish Charities out of which
the Jewish Welfare Federation • later
came into being. On March 5, 1860,
the congregation was re-incorporated.
The Rivard Street Synagogue
In 1861 Dr. Adler was succeeded
by Rev. A. Laser. On March 1, i 861,
the . congregation purchased for $3,500
the property of the French M. E.
Church. on Rivard Street and the new
,place of worship was dedicated by
Dr. Isaac M. Wise on Atigust '30, 1861.
Folio' ing the entrance of the con-
g•egation into the Rivard Street Syna-
gogue, some of ,the more liberal mem-
bers succeeded . in introducing and
carrying a resolution' to establish -a
mixed choir to sing at the services and
.A. J. Franklin was chosen as the first
Choir director. This innovation, which
was considered by the more orthodox
members as a violation of orthodox
law, created a rs-:hism, resulting. in
62 in the f•Junding of the orthodox
e
wo,....•- ■ •• ■ rnam+
congregation Shaarey Zedek,. which in
later years joined, the Conservative
movement. The space occupied by
the women in the gallery was now
necessary for the new choir and the
ladies were obliged to sit at least in
the same auditorium with their hus-
bands. This was the beginning of the
family pew which was later officially
sanctioned and introduced.
On Sept. 1, 1863, Rev. Laser was
succeeded by Dr. Isidore Kalisch, the
famed translator into English of • Les-
sing's "Nathan the Wise," who served
until September, 1864, when Rabbi
Elias Eppstein became the spiritual
leader. During this year, the select
day school, which was conducted by
the congregation since_ itstirganization
and where, in addition to religious
instruction, secular subjects were
taught, was discontinued. Instead, a
religious school was organized, meet-
ing on Sunday morning and Tuesday
and Thursday afternoons, and in la-
ter years on Saturday and Sunday
mornings. Rabbi Eppstein published
a textbook for religious education, de-
dicated to the School Board of Beth
E 1. • I n January,
1865, the Minhag
AshkenaZ (German.
Ritual), which was
used since 1850,
was replaced by
the English.
Washington
Boulevard
Temple
On March 9.,
1867, • the Taber-
nacle Baptist
Church on Wash-
ington Ave. (now
•
Boulevard) was
purchased for $16,-
000 and the new
temple dedicated
by Dr. Isaac M.
Wise in September,
1867.. The congre-
gation entered. the
Washington Boule-
vard Teniple with
a new ritual, the
Minhag America (American Ritual),
published by Dr. Isaac M. Wise and
adopted by the congregation in July,
1867.
The -old ritual was retained, how-
ever, for the High Holy Days. The
orthodox method of reading from the
Torah was abolished,- first using the
seven-year cycle and later the three-
year cycle. Members were- also per-
mitted to worship without hats.. In
September, 1867, Late Friday Evening
Seivices were in-
troduced.
Upon the res-
ignation of Rabbi
Eppstein in 1869,
t h e congregation
sought a successor
abroad and engag-
ed Dr. Kaufmann
Kohler of Furth,
Bavaria, who was
highly. recom-
mended by Euro-
pean rabbis and
who assumed. h i s
post here in Sep-
tember, 1869. Dr.
Kohler • abolished
the wearing of the
Talis( P r a y e r-
shawl) at services
1861 ,
a n d discontinued
1867
the observance of
the second day of
. festivals.
major
During Dr. Koh-
ler's ministry, Rev.
Below
Greenblatt, . w h o
1850
was formerly a
teacher in Bavaria,
served as reader
and teacher. In
later • years, -Dr.
Kohler served a s
president o f the
Hebrew Union Col-
lege. -•
I n November,
1871, Dr. Kohler
was succeeded by
Rabbi Emanuel
Gerechter who ser-
ved until May ,
1873, when. D r .
Leopold Wintner
was called to offi-.
Friday, March 30, 1C".5
ciate as rabbi, Rev. Gerechter con-
tinuing, however, as reader until No-
vember, 1874.
In 1873, the congregation acquired
Section North F in Woodmere Ceme-
tery which was dedicated by Dr.
Wintner on- Nov. 16. On Sept. 28,
1873, the congregation joined the
Union of American Hebrew Congre-
gations, which came into being only
a few months earlier.
In July, 1874,. a delegation was
sent to the Cleveland meeting of the
Union of American Hebrew • Congre-
gations, where the formation of He-
brew Union College was discussed.
A resolution was later passed by the
congregation to support the Hebrew
Union College.
On Aug' 5, 1876, Dr. Wintner
preached his farewell sermon and the
congregation called to its pulpit Dr.
Heinrich Zirndorf who was then rabbi
and preacher at • Munster, Prussia,
and who was highly recommended for
the vacancy at Beth El. Dr. Zirndorf
was known as an historian, having
published a number of scholarly
books, and was particularly favored
DR. .B. BENEDICT
GLAZER
Rabbi of Temple
Beth El
DR. LEO M.
- FRANKLIN
Rabbi Emeritus of
Temple Beth El
by the members because of his know-
` ledge of the English language- which
he acquired during a 12-year resi-
dence in England where he officiated
as preacher -and teacher. Dr. Zirn-
dorf began his ministry in Septem-
ber, 1876,..and in December an organ
was purchased and a children's choir
organized.
In 1880 the congregation was host
to the Rabbinical Literary Associa-
tion.
hi September, 1883, Israel Aaron,
a student at the Hebrew Union Col-
lege, was invited to assist Dr. Zirn-
dorf at the Holy Day Services.
In 1884, Dr. Zirndorf was called
to the chair of History at Hebrew
Union College and was succeeded by
Dr. • Louis Grossman, the first grad-
uate of the Hebrew Union College
(class of 1884) to hold a rabbinical-
post at Beth El, who was elected on
Thanksgiving Day, 1884, and began
Dr.
his ministry in January, 1885.
Grossman re-introduced . the Friday
Evening Services which had been dis-
continued for a while and the
gregation adopted the Minhag Amer-
ica for the High Holy Days as well.
In 1886, the Temple Library was
established.
In July, 1889, the congregation
was host to the assembly of the Union
of American Hebrew Congregations
and at this meeting the Central Con-
ference of American Rabbis was
formed. In October, 1889, Sunday
Morning Lectures were introduced,
and Friday evening services discon-
tinued.
On Jan. 26, 1893, the use of the
Temple was given to the Detroit High
School whose building had been de-
stroyed by fire. In 1895 the. Friday
Evening Services were again re-in-
troduced.
On Sept. 22, 1895, the newly- pub-
lished Union Prayer Book was adopt-
ed. In 1896 the wearing of hats at
services was prohibited. Dr. Gross-
man was known in his day as an
authority on religiouS education, and
he laid special emphasis on the im-
portance of the Religious School and
the necessity of having trained teach-
ers. On Sept. 8, 1895, the board of
trustees approved Dr. Grossman's re-
commen tion to establish a branch
school, but it did not materialize.
During his ministry, week-day class-
es for adults were established, and
the congregation participated in many
civic activities.
4.. Grossman was succeeded by
Dr. -Leo M. Franklin, - a graduate of
the 1892 Class of the Hebrew Union
College, who came here on Jan. 24,
1899, frOm Omaha, Neb., where he
had served Temple Israel as rabbi
since- his ordination. At that time
the congregation had 136 members.
Friday evening services were at once
re-introduced.
In the summer of 1899 the congre-
gation was host to the 10th annual
meeting of the Central Conference of
American .Rabbis, and on Oct. 7, 1899;
the congregation was re-incorporated.
At a special meetrig of the con-
gregation on Oct. 10, 1900, it was de-
cided to build a new temple to ac-
commodate the growing membership.
On Nov. 10, . 1900, the congregation
held its semi-centennial celebration.
On April 3, 1901, a site was purchased
on Woodward and Eliot for the erec-
tion of a new temple. On Sept. 29,
1901, the. Temple Alumni Associa-
tion was formed, with Joseph M. Welt
as the first president. A few years
Continued on Page 43
Temple Beth El s Houses of Worship
Below
• 1867 - 1903
1903-
1922
1922-
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