UP FRONT
U-M Hillel Foundation
Moves From Facility
JENNIFER TAUB
Jewish News Intern
Springtime in Ann Arbor — the
scene is familiar — scattered books,
overflowing garbage bags and harried
students hauling furniture out into
the hot sun. Moving out at the
University of Michigan is a normal
part of college living. U of M's B'nai
B'rith Hillel Foundation is also mov-
ing out this summer.
As of July 1, Hillel left its 50 year
old 22,000 square foot building at
1429 Hill Street. Hillel's new location
is across campus in 1,000 square feet
of office space on East Liberty.
Unlike a U of M undergraduate,
however, Hillel will not be moving
back this fall to settle-in and
redecorate for the new semester. In
fact, according to a recent decision,
Hillel will never return to that struc-
ture. The original plan to remodel and
expand the existing facility has been
scrapped. The building will be torn
down and replaced at the Hill Street
site.
"It was a patchwork situation;'
said Michelle Passon, Jewish Welfare
Federation's director of leadership
development and field instructor for
U of M. The decision to rebuild was
made in place of what was determin-
ed to be a "band-aid approach."
The opposition to remodeling is
tied to the structure's history. It was
built both for Beth Israel Synagogue
and Hillel. Hillel director Michael
Brooks said the facility was "design-
ed to keep the two organizations
apart."
"The new (27,000 square foot)
building is being designed with our
needs in mind;' explained Hillel
associate director Joseph Kohane.
"The new building will really be a
lifesaver. We couldn't grow without
it."
"The second largest student
-
organization on campus," is home base
for 30 student groups and serves an
estimated 1,500 people each week
with its film, lecture, religious and
classroom programs, according to
Brooks.
New features have been planned
to better accommodate a larger
number of students. For example, the
present dining hall seats a maximum
of 150 whereas the future facility
should hold several hundred patrons.
A 400-seat performance hall will
replace the antiquated auditorium.
The increased seating capacity will
allow for theatre-in-the-round, film
screenings as well as other functions.
The film co-op will take the risk with
more expensive movies as the larger
audience will enable them to break
even with the screenings, Kohane
said.
With progress comes temporary
inconvenience. Some adjustments
must be made until the planned com-
pletion, for the 1988-1989 academic
year.
Kosher meals will be served in a
designated dorm. The Jewish student
organizations will need to find new
rooms from which to operate. Brooks
anticipated the Michigan Union will
provide space and that classrooms
have already been reserved for some
of the groups.
The larger programs which use
Hill auditorium, Power Center or
Rackham, such as the Hill Street
_Forum and the Great Writers Series
will not be affected. Nobel prize win-
ner Desmond Tutu and writer John
Irving are both expected to speak this
fall.
More than $1.2 million has been
raised toward the $3 million building
fund goal. Hillel Foundation is work-
ing under the "guidance, leadership
and support" of the Jewish Welfare
Federation according to Passon. The
first fundraising meeting will be held
in August.
Miriam Levin Friedman represented the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan in greeting
Michigan's sesquicentennial wagon train near Fowlerville. The wagons made a 150-mile, two-
week trip to mark Michigan's 150th birthday.
Temple Beth El Membership
In Dispute Over Its Rabbi
The election of two petition can-
didates last week at Temple Beth El's
annual meeting may impact on Dan-
nel Schwartz's tenure as senior rabbi
of the state's oldest synagogue.
Rabbi Emeritus Richard C. Hertz
since 1974.
Renewal of Rabbi Schwartz's con-
tract is expected to be on the agenda
of the temple's July 23 board meeting.
While
Dr. Abrams and Mrs. Lynn
Dr. Barry Abrams and Mrs. Diane
Seats on the 47-member
hold
two----
Lynn, seeking to retain Rabbi
board,
Dr.
Abrams said "the con-
Schwartz and to improve communica-
gregation
made
a statement last
tions between the temple board and
week and we feel the congregation is
its membership, defeated candidates
proposed by the temple's nominating. in favor of retaining Rabbi Schwartz
committee. Approximately 1,000 tem- at this time, as shown by the board
ple members attended the annual election."
Incoming temple president
meeting.
Jerome Ash and former president
Dr. Abrams and Mrs. Lynn Paul Dizik declined to comment on
represented "Friends of Temple Beth the election. "I feel it is in the best in-
El;' which formed earlier this year in terests of Rabbi Schwartz and the con-
response to steps being taken by the gregation that we don't discuss this in
board not to renew Rabbi Schwartz's the press;' Dizik said. "It would not
contract. Rabbi Schwartz has been serve any purpose to discuss it outside
senior rabbi since 1982, and assisted the temple:'
'ROUND UP
B'nai Moshe
Rabbi Leaves
Rabbi Stanley Rosenbaum
has left Cong. B'nai Moshe in
Oak Park after serving the
congregation 13 years, the
last ten as spiritual leader.
Rosenbaum resigned, effec-
tive June 30, under pressure
from synagogue officers and
members. He would not
discuss the reasons for his
resignation and has not yet
found a new position. "If I
wanted another pulpit, I
could have had a job a year
ago without any problem,"
Rosenbaum told The Jewish
News. "But I wanted to stay
in this area because my kids
are here, and because of my
parents."
Rosenbaum's father died
last month after a long il-
lness.
"Staying in the area," he
said, "may rule out another
congregation. But it does not
rule out the rabbinate —
that's a personal commit-
ment." Rosenbaum said he
will begin job hunting again
after helping to complete his
parents' affairs. He said he
may teach "or do something
else" that utilizes his
background in rabbinics and
psychology.
Stolar Family
Blocked Again
Long-time refusenik Abe
Stolar, whose family moved to
the Soviet Union in the 1930s
from Chicago to work at a
Soviet automobile plant for
Ford Motor Co., is facing more
bureaucratfc red tape in his
effort to return to his native
America.
Detroit Soviet Jewry ac-
tivist Rae Sharfman told The
Jewish News that a national
campaign is being mounted
on the Stolar family's behalf.
The latest round in the
Stolar saga began earlier this
year when Sen. Paul Simon
(D-Ill.) asked industrialist Ar-
mand Hammer to pressure
the Soviets on the Stolar case.
Stolar has been given permis-
sion to leave the Soviet
Union, but will not do so un-
til his entire family can come
with him. His daughter-in-
law's mother has refused to
grant the required permission
for her daughter to go with
the Stolars.
Sen, Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
placed a strong statement in
the Congressional Record
over the incident, and Detroit
area activists including Sher-
win 'Puke' at the Zionist
Organization of America,
Detroit District, are planning
a national campaign with
Soviet Jewry activists on
behalf of the Stolars.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
5