'Sisterly Love Soc lety'--A Page Out
Early History of Temple Beth El

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, January 7, 1972-39

The noted American-Jewish his - and we do not know, therefore,
torian, Dr. Jacob R. Marcus; ob - I when the Ahabas Achjaus Society
served that "The careful historian was organized. It is important to
soon comes to the unfailing rid e note that just as the Ahabas Ach-
that no Jew is ever the first Jew jaus Society took the initiative in
in any town; there is always one 1859 to spark the acquisition of a
who had been there before him.' regular house of worship for Beth
Simon Feldman
Emanuel Schloss
• Rabbi L. Adler
Dr. Marcus' observation fits per - El, so a woman, Sarah Cozens, was
fectly the story of this article if responsible for the founding of The break with orthodoxy came the was no woman's auxiliary at Beth
we substitute "'Jewish women's or - Temple Beth El in 1850.
following year when Beth El EL On Nov. 26, 1901, Rabbi Frank-
ganization" for "Jew."
In 1859, Temple Beth El was in moved to its Rivard St. Syna- lin organized the Woman's Auxil-
MAX SCH RUT
For many years it has been as- existence but nine years. The gogue between - Crogham (now iary of Temple Beth El, which in
For Good Photographs
sumed that the first Jewish wom- membership of 49 families wor- Monroe) and Champlain (now La- 1922 changed its name to the Sis-
and Prompt Service
en's society to be organized in De- shipped in a rented hall at 39 fayette), originally the building of terhood of Temple Beth El.
troit was "The Ladies' Society for Michigan Grand Ave. (now
Call'Me at
the French Methodist Episcopal
the Support of Hebrew Widows Cadillac Sq.), between Bates
of the Rivard St. Synagogue, an
FOR THE BEST IN
and Orphans in the State of Michi- and Randolph Sts. The home
melodeon and a mixed choir at the
MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT
gan"—a long name from the leis- was above John Sherer's drug- Sabbath services of the dedication
urely past—which became popular- store. The officers of the congre- of the Rivard St, Synagogue, an
Weddings - Bar Mitzvas
ly known as "Die Frauern Verein" gation • were Emanuel Schloss, innovation which was contrary to
W. Como to Your Horne
And His Orchestra
With sampl..
(The Women's Society). This So- president; Simon Freedman, Orthodox Judaism, split the con-
358-0938
ciety was organized in 1863. Re- vice-president and treasurer. . gregation, resulting in the with-
TY 5-81105
UN. 4.6845
cently discovered material by the (Mr. Freedman later served as drawal of 17 members who or-
author of this article at the world- president from 1866 to 1865. His ganized the present Cong. Shaarey
famous American-Jewish Archives granddaughter, Miss Miriam Zedek.
in Cincinnati disproves the as- Teichner, a resident of New York
How long the Ahabas Achjaus
sumption that the Frauern Verein (Sty, left a number of years ago Society of Temple Beth El was in
was the first Jewish women's so- a sizeable bequest to Temple existence we do not know. When
ciety in Detroit. It was preceded Beth El which will be used the available records of Temple
by a Jewish women's organization toward the cost of constructing Beth El begin (September, 1874),
of Southfield
known as Ahabas Achjaus (Sisterly Beth El's new synagogue on the name of this society is no
Love), an auxiliary society or- Telegraph and 14 Mile Rds. in longer mentioned.
and
ganized in . 1859 at Cong. Beth Bloomfield Township), and Her-
Many years in the history of
El (now known as Temple Beth man Freedman, secretary. Rabbi
El). This information comes from Liebman Adler, whose initial Temple Beth El elapsed before a
of Birmingham
the pen - of Rabbi Liebman Adler, salary was PO a year, acted as new women's auxiliary was formed.
have joined the staff of
spiritual leader of Temple Beth El preacher (in German), -cantor, In 1891, Rabbi Louis Grossmann
Award Winning Stylists at
organized the Woman's Club of
from 1854 to 1861, and appeared in
teacher, shokbet (dial slaugh-
the German-language newspaper, terer) and mobel (ritual eir- Temple Beth EL Later, the name
of the society was changed to the
Die Deborah, a supplement to the cumcher).
it
25040 SOUTHFIELD ROAD
Jewish Woman's Club of Detroit.
4.11,
English-language - Israelite, pub-
. 4 %
Two years after his coming Out of this organization sprang in
AT 10 MILE RD.
lished by Rabbi, Isaac M. Wise of
V
to Beth El be did so well that
1925 the Detroit Section of the
Cincinnati, founder of American
PHONE 557-6044
he was voted "a sizeable raise National Council of Jewish Women.
Reform Judaism.
We are here to service you
in salary." He was a staunch
When Rabbi Leo M. Franklin
The article, dated Oct. 16, 1859, advocate of the Union Cause.
Monday Thru Saturday
appeared in the Oct. 28, 1859 issue Since Beth El was the only Jew- came to Beth El in 1899, there
of Die Deborah and this is the ish congregation in the city, the
translation:
synagogue and the small Jew-
Quite frequently we read in this
ish community of Detroit were
esteemed
paper
the
well-deserved
Praise of Jewish women, who. after
synonymous.
their husbands had accomplished the
• Dubb s Country Kitchen
In 1859 Detroit had a population
construction of a House of God, en-
deavored to add the beautiful to the of about 45,000, including about
• Sherri s
necessary and the practical, and_
who,
with great stiertfice, took over the 200 Jews, and ranked 19th in size
• ffros Proscriptions
task of adorning the Temple.
among U. S. cities. At the
"To the women
here at
Cong. national elections in November,
• fabulous Star Bakery
Beth El even higher praise is
due. They laid the cornerstone for the Michigan's six electoral votes went
• Bud Rollins Shops
building of a new synagogue. At its
most recent meeting the local women's to Abraham Lincoln for President.
• The Bootel,,
organization, Ahabas Achjaus, decided Earlier in the year, on Sept. 20,
by an overwhelming majority to take
the
Prince
of
Wales
(later
King
• Pickwick Shops
$250.00 from its funds and make a
gift of it to the congregation, with the Edward VII) visited Detroit, and,
• Bab s Hair Fashions
provision that steps toill be taken speed- in October, Stephen A. Douglas
ily towards the earnest realization of
• Rigsby Shoe Service
the long-discussed building of the syna- was the speaker at a big Demo-
gogue. This magnanimous gift Is the cratic meeting.
're
• Ala s Barber Shop
more praiseworthy since it cannot
Temple Beth El was undergoing,
help but stimulate even more the
• Room At The Bottom
desire of their husbands to show them in 1859, the pangs of a transition
selves worthy of possessing such noble from an Orthodox to a Reform con-
• Doug Hoffman: Ltd
and pious wives.
"At said organization, Ahabas Ach- gregation. A new constitution and
jaus, the following officers were by-laws was adopted in 1860 con-
elected for
the current year:
Mrs.
Caroline Meier, president, Mrs. Caro- taining ideas of Reform Judaism.

SAM EMMER

BLAIR STUDIO

.

THE WORD
IS OUT!
MISS LYNN

MR. RUSS

MAXIM'S

-

NEW ORLEANS MALL

Greenfield and Ten Mile

THE EASY-TO-SHOP MALL

line Weichselbaum,
treasurer, and
Leibman Adler, secretary."

The records of Temple Beth El
prior to September, 1874, were lost

Bonn, Sudan Renew
•Diplomatic Relations

BONN (JTA)—The West German
Foreign Ministry announced that
the Federal Republic and Sudan
have renewed diplomatic relations
and will exchange ambassadors "in
the very near future." The an-
nouncement followed an earlier one
that Bonn has renewed diplomatic
ties with Algeria. Relations be-
tween West Germany and most
Arab states were broken by the
Arabs in 1965 after Bonn extended
de jure recognition to Israel. Jor-
dan and Yemen split with West
Germany after the 1967 Six-Day
War. Egypt is expected to renew
relations shortly.
According to official circles here,
the only Arab country still resist-
ing a diplomatic rapprochement
with Germany is Syria. Damascus
is said to consider the present
Social Democratic government of
Chancellor Willy Brandt to be
"just as pro-Israel as its Christian
Democrat predecessors." An emis-
sary of the Brandt regime, Bund-
estag member Hans Juergen Wish-
newski, is currently in Damascus
trying to negotiate a renewal of
diploma tic relations.

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