COMMUNITY
Annual Memorial Academy
Will Mark Yom Hashoah
Gemini kicks off its national tour at an Ann Arbor concert.
Gemini To Give Family
Concert In Ann Arbor
Gemini, Ann Arbor's na-
tionally known, family music
duo, will present "Growing
Up Together — A Musical
Celebration for Children
and the Whole Family" on
April 22 at 1:30 p.m. at the
Power Center in Ann Arbor.
The concert, sponsored by
The University of Michigan's
Office of Major Events, will be
the start of the twin brothers'
1989 national tour to promote
their new album, "Growing
Up Together!" Tickets are
available at the Michigan
Union and at all Ticket-
master outlets.
WSU Forum Focuses
On Holocaust, Genocide
"Witness to Evil," a forum
about Holocaust and genocide
will be held at 9:45 a.m.
Wednesday at Wayne State
University's McGregor
Memorial Conference Center.
This year the annual pro-
gram features presentations
by historians John Stine and
Leon Bass.
Dr. Stine, whose articles
have appeared in magazines
and newspaper publications
throughout the country, will
discuss, "German Complicity
in the Armenian Genocide."
He has served as editor for
Ann Arbor Magazine,
Witness, The Consultant and
Metropolitan Detroit
Magazine.
Stine received numerous
awards, including a Merit
Scholarship (1959), an
Amherst Fellowship to Study
Abroad (1963-1964); and the
Eisner Prize in Creative
Writing (1968).
Bass has been affiliated
with the National Associa-
tion of Secondaiy Principals;
Educators Roundtable; the
Phi Delta Kappa of Temple
University, the Columbia
Branch of the YMCA board
and the William Penn
Charter School, board of
trustees.
Additionally, Bass has lec-
tured across the country at in-
stitutions that include Stan-
ford, Wichita, Berkley and
West Chester State
universities.
Bass received numerous
awards including the B'nai
B'rith Women Educators
"Educators of Excellence
Humanitarian Award" in
1985.
The program is sponsored
by WSU's office for communi-
ty relations, the Center for
Peace and Conflict Studies,
the departments of Romance
and Germanic language, and
Slavic and Eastern languages
and the Hillel Foundation.
For reservations or informa-
tion, contact the office of com-
munity relations, 577-2246.
Shaarit Haplaytah Organ-
ization of Metropolitan
Detroit — Survivors of the
Nazi Genocide — in coopera-
tion with Holocaust
Memorial Center, Jewish
Community Council, Greater
Detroit Interfaith Round
Table of Christians and Jews,
the Ecumenical Division
of Archdiocese of Detroit
and Jewish Community
Center will hold the an-
nual Holocaust Memorial
Academy April 30 at 1:30 p.m.,
at the Maple/Drake Jewish
Community Center.
Abraham A. Weberman,
president of Shaarit
Haplaytah, and Sonia
Popowski chairman of the
academy, said that the an-
nual academy is held in con-
junction with the observance
of Yom Hashoah — Holocaust
Remembrance Day.
A candlelighting ceremony
by the survivors of the con-
centration camps and ghettos
will be led by Mrs. Popowski.
The candlelighters are:
Esther Monchnik, Magdalene
Thirman, Hana Weinstein,
Sam Moskowitz, Sidney
Neuman and Ben Sweet.
They will be accompanied by
the children of Holocaust sur-
vivors: Gloria Balaj, Amy
Rubin, Helena Opatowski
Shavell, Bernard Kent, Morry
Levin and Steve Weberman.
Cantor Louis Klein of Con-
gregation B'nai Moshe will
chant memorial prayers and
renditions. He will be accom-
panied by Rochelle Peterson.
Greetings will be extended
by Leon Halpern, president,
Holocaust Memorial Center;
Henry S. Dorfman, chairman
executive committee, HMC;
Dr. Conrad Giles, president,
Jewish Welfare Federation;
Father Alex J. Brunett, direc-
tor ecumenical and inter-
religious affairs, Archdiocese
of Detroit; Richard J. Maddin,
president, Jewish Communi-
ty Center; Robert A. Arcand,
director, Greater Detroit In-
terfaith Round Table of the
National Conference of Chris-
tians and Jews; Charles
Silow, chairman, Holocaust
Committee, Jewish Com-
munity Council; Arthur
Weiss Junior Division,
Shaarit Haplaytah; Gail
Gales, officer CHAIM
(Children of Holocaust Sur-
vivors Association in
Michigan).
Dr. Jan Karski, a Roman-
Catholic, who in 1943 was the
first person to bring the
Hitler's Final Solution to the
attention of Western leaders
including President Franklin
D. Roosevelt, will be the reci-
pient of the Righteous Among
the Nations of the World
Award. Dr. John J. Mames,
chairman department of oral
history and Holocaust
studies, will pay tribute to the
righteous gentiles and make
the presentation.
Flutist Miriam Ciesla will
render memorial musical
selections and will be accom-
panied by Rochelle Peterson
at the piano. Sharron Gordon
will give a recitation.
Proclamations, resolutions
and messages from President
George Bush, Gov. James
Blanchard, from senators,
congressmen and other
dignitiaries will be
acknowledged by Dr. Irvin
Gastman, Junior Division of
Shaarit Haplaytah.
Rabbi Charles H. Rosenz-
weig, director of the Holocaust
Memorial Center, will deliver
the memorial address. Milton
Klein, commander, and
members of the Jewish War
Veterans of the United States
of America, department of
Michigan, will present the
colors.
The academy will be con-
cluded at the Eternal Light,
Holocaust Memorial Center.
The community is invited.
Tri-Cities Synagogues
Form Joint Association
RICHARD PEARL
Staff Writer
he Conservative syna-
gogues in Saginaw,
Bay City and Midland
have formed the Tri-City
Jewish Community Associa-
tion to provide "a more mean-
ingful Jewish program" for
their memberships, according
to Rudy Salinger of Midland.
The new association, which
became official upon approval
of its - bylaws in February,
makes it possible to hire a
full-time rabbi to serve all
three synagogues and provide
both Sunday and Hebrew
school for the 45 youngsters.
"The three temples have
not merged," said Salinger,
board chairman of the
Association. The three
temples are B'nai Israel of
Saginaw, Temple Israel of Bay
City and Temple Beth El of
Midland.
"Each community's so
small, it's hard to get along by
ourselves," he said. "We need-
ed to get a rabbi up here to
conduct meaningful pro-
grams for adults and
children, but none of us alone
could afford to hire our own
rabbi."
The Association prevents
"an untenable position for
one rabbi to have to deal with
three separate boards. Now
we have an operating board
that the rabbi deals with —
it's a way of having an effec-
tive and efficient operation.
We feel it's been working out
quite successfully. It's enabl-
ed all of us to lead a more
meaningful program."
"There are those people in
the community who think
one synagogue for all three
communities is the future.
But there are no plans at pre-
sent for implementing such
an idea," Salinger said.
The association unofficially
began two years ago when
Rabbi Robert Scott, a Reform
rabbi who had served a Con-
servative South African
synagogue, was brought to
the Tri-Cities.
The rabbi serves the
synagogues on successive
Sabbaths. He conducts a corn-
'It's an untenable
position for one
rabbi to have to
deal with three
separate boards.
bined tri-city service the first
Friday of each month, which
rotates among the com-
munities. Lay leaders in
Midland and Saginaw con-
duct Sabbath services the
other Friday nights.
The Sunday morning con-
solidated religious school is
held weekly, one semester in
Midland, where most of the
children reside; the other, in
Bay City. Four parents serve
as teachers. Hebrew school,
conducted by the rabbi, is
held Mondays and
Wednesdays in Midland and
Tuesdays and Thursdays in
Bay City.
The three communities are
17 to 20 miles apart.
Saginaw's synagogue has 75
families, Bay City's 80 and
Midland's 50. Salinger said
the total Jewish population in
the area is about 500. ❑
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
39