FOCUS

Extendin
The
Tradition

Beth Achim's new rabbi plans
no sweeping changes. In fact,
he'll try to attract more young
families to traditional
Conservative Judaism.

RONELLE GRIER

Special to The Jewish News

T

aking the helm of
a synagogue that
has known the
same leader for
more than 30
years is no easy feat. But
then, Rabbi Martin Berman
has never done things the
easy way.
When he took over the
leadership of Congregation
Beth Achim in Southfield
following the retirement of
Rabbi Milton Arm, Rabbi
Berman took on some for-
midable challenges.
Not least among them is
the question of how to make
traditional Conservative
Judaism, the immovable cor-
nerstone of Beth Achim, more
appealing to the younger
members the synagogue
wishes to attract. Then
there's the challenge of filling
the shoes of a rabbi whose
name had become almost
synonymous with Beth
Achim.
But Rabbi Berman seems
undaunted and, in fact, quite
optimistic as he talks en-
thusiastically about his
plans. He is adamant that
both the Southfield location
of Beth Achim and the strict
traditional bent of the
synagogue are here to stay.

And he doesn't worry about
being compared to Rabbi
Arm. He is confident that his
new congregation will accept
his unique rabbinical style.
"Some rabbis give people
what they want; I try to make
people want the right thing,"
said Rabbi Berman. "I mean
to show our members that be-
ing Jewish in a traditional
sense can be fun, to light
some fires under people."
While actual fires may take
a little longer, Rabbi Berman
has certainly started things
smoking at Beth Achim. He is
working hard to reach out to
younger families and to
change Beth Achim's image
as an older, stodgier
congregation.
His efforts include every-
thing from a new, updated
logo for the synagogue to live-
ly, family-oriented events like
the recent Carnival of Jewish
living.
Rabbi Berman also plans to
become more involved in pro-
grams that attract young
families to the Southfield
area, including the Neighbor-
hood Project, which helps
Jews finance homes in Oak
Park and Southfield.
Rabbi Berman, who will
turn 40 in March, lives in
Southfield with his wife,
Marilyn, and their three
children; Etan, 12, Tamar, 10
and Ari, 8. All three children

augment membership which
has gradually declined from
about 750 to 560 families over
the last 10 years. Enrollment
in the Beth Achim branch of
United Hebrew Schools has
also dropped significantly —
from 600 students to fewer
than 200.
Rabbi Berman acknowl-
edges that many young peo-
ple have moved away from the
area near the synagogue and
many others do not want to
make the commitments that
traditional Conservative
Judaism requires. He feels
there is also misunderstand-
ing about the woman's role in
the traditional Conservative
synagogue.
"Many people don't realize
that Judaism is a system bas-
ed on obligations," he said. "A
lot of women are clamoring
for their rights, but you don't
see that many rushing to put
on tallit and tefillin."
The system of obligations
set forth in Halachah (Jewish
law) forms the basis for many
of the stipulations regarding
women, such as the one pro-
hibiting women from reading
from the Torah during a
public service with men. Ac-
i= cording to Rabbi Berman,
there is nothing in Jewish
0 law that forbids women to
Congregation Beth Achim's Rabbi Martin Berman.
read from the Torah alone or
with other women. In fact, he
also have good rapport with
attend Akiva Hebrew Day
hopes:to see the creation of a
younger people.
School in Lathrup Village,
special women's minyan at
where Marilyn is a teacher in
Beth Achim, as well as in-
"I was looking for a tradi-
the nursery program.
creased participation by
tional congregation, and Beth
Etan will celebrate his bar
women in many aspects of
Achim was looking for a rab-
mitzvah in April, giving the
synagogue life.
bi with a traditional bent, so
rabbi first-hand experience
He has already made some
we made a shitach (a match),"
with an event he's helped
changes regarding women's
said Rabbi Berman.
countless families survive.
participation in the services,
He serves on the board of
"Preparing for this bar
but he is quick to point out
the Union for Traditional
mitzvah has been a great
that all of these modifications
Conservative Judaism
education for me," he said. "I
are strictly in keeping with
(UTCJ) a group committed to
finally understand what
preserving classical Conser-
Halachah.
every parent goes through."
New mothers now bring
vative Judaism. He has
Martin Berman grew up in
their babies up onto the
belonged to the UTCJ since
Jacksonville, Fla., in a Con-
bimah for naming ceremo-
its inception in 1983, when
servative Jewish home, with
nies, and brides-to-be now join
the group formed in response
their future grooms during
to the issue of women's or-
the aufruf, the aliyah given to
dination as rabbis.
"I try to make
the man in advance of the
"At one point, Rabbi Ber-
people want the
marriage.
man told us that if we were
right thing."
Girls celebrating their bat
looking for someone to
mitzvah, although they are
liberalize our congregation he
not permitted to read from
two brothers and two sisters.
wasn't our man," said Abe
the Torah on Sabbath morn-
After high school, he at-
Gamer, synagogue president
ing, now recite the kiddush at
tended Yeshiva University
and co-chair of the search
the end of the service.
and the Jewish Theological
committee. "That really went
In other areas, however,
Seminary in New York.
a long way."
Rabbi Berman is even more
After receiving his rabbinic
It soon became apparent
exacting than his predecessor.
ordination in 1977, he served
that Rabbi Berman was their
He has, for example, im-
as rabbi for Congregation
man, and, according to
plemented stricter supervi-
Shaare Zion in Sioux City,
Gamer, his arrival has been
sion procedures for outside
Iowa. From there he moved to
met with resounding en-
products brought into the
B'nai Zion in El Paso, then to
thusiasm.
synagogue's dairy kitchen.
the Beth Joseph Synagogue
"He's fast becoming a peo-
"What I'm trying to offer is
ple person, and it's really cat-
in Denver.
something I call modern
When Rabbi Arm announc-
ching on," said Stuart Rogoff,
traditionalism," he said. "I
ed his retirement plans, Beth
executive director of Beth
believe in taking modern
Achim officials began looking
Achim. "He's breathed new
tools and using them to define
for a rabbi who would uphold
life into the synagogue."
and understand, not to tear
the traditional Conservatism
New life is something Beth
down, our tradition. [I]
of Beth Achim and who would
Achim hopes to cultivate, to

