I SYNAGOGUES
A FAMILY
AT
FIFTY
In 1941, a
handful of
friends sat
down to
discuss the
possibility of
a new temple.
Today, Temple
Israel is one
of the largest
congregations
in the country.
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Assistant Editor
R
abbi Leon Fram
had a vision. He
imagined a tem-
ple that sup-
ported Zionism,
that functioned
like an extended
family, that was dedicated to
social action for Jews and
non-Jews, and that welcomed
both Reform Jews who wore
kipot and those who did not.
It was, in its time, a
radical vision. Most temples
in the 1930s embraced
classical Reform Judaism.
They were anti-Zionist and
opposed the use of tradi-
tional religious symbols and
the observance of religious
rituals, including b'nai
mitzvah.
But Rabbi Fram was de-
termined. So one night he
and a group of friends met in
the library of the Hun-
tington Woods home of
George Stutz. Soon after,
they gathered downtown to
work out the final details.
Together, they made plans
for a new congregation,
Temple Israel.
Today, Temple Israel is the
largest synagogue in Mich-
Rabbis Syme, Loss and Yedwab at a brit.
40
FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1991
igan and one of the largest
Reform congregations in the
country. Headed by Rabbis
M. Robert Syme, Harold
Loss, Paul Yedwab and Can-
tor Harold Orbach, the tem-
ple this year is celebrating
its 50th anniversary. Among
its successes: a 2,400-family
congregation, a youth and
adult education curriculum
said to be the biggest in the
United States, and an exten-
sive list of programming
that includes everything
from mailing packages to
soldiers in the Persian Gulf
to helping Jewish recovering
alcoholics.
Included in the 50th an-
niversary celebration, which
is chaired by James Jonas,
were a dinner and a play by
temple members, a visit by
Union of American Hebrew
Congregations President
Rabbi Alexander Schindler,
and to come, a June 2 picnic.
The man who started it all,
Rabbi Leon Fram, was a
scholar who loved children
and was committed to the
arts and human rights. A
native of Lithuania, he was
a founder of the local Jewish
Community Council; of the
League for Human Rights in
Michigan, a leading anti-
Nazi organization; and of the
Detroit Round Table of
Catholics, Jews and Protes-
tants.
George Stutz, a founding
member and in 1947 presi-
dent of Temple Israel, de-
scribed Rabbi Fram. as "a
recognized Zionist leader."
Among his friends were
prominent Zionists Abba
Hillel Silver and Stephen
Wise.
Many today believe it was
Rabbi Fram's commitment
to Zionism that resulted in
his parting with Temple
Beth El, where he had serv-
ed as assistant rabbi and di-
rector of religious education
since 1925. Like almost all
Reform congregations of its
time, Beth El was not
Zionist. When its senior
rabbi, Leo Franklin, an-
nounced his decision to
retire and his assistant was
not promoted, Rabbi Fram
opted to move on.
On July 7, 1941, Rabbi
Fram became spiritual
leader of the new Temple
Israel, Michigan's second
Reform temple. Temple
Israel's first services were
held at Hampton Elemen-
tary School in Detroit, where
its religious school met.
For its first Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur,
the congregation rented the
auditorium at the Detroit
Institute of Arts, where the
temple soon began holding
regular Shabbat services.
Temple Israel attracted
200 men and women to its
first High Holy Day services.
A number of families had
followed Rabbi Fram when
he left Beth El. He also
brought in congregants from
Conservative synagogues
and from his friends at the
Jewish Welfare Federation,
where Rabbi Fram was ac-
tive.
Mr. Stutz attributes the
temple's quick success to its
family-like atmosphere and
to-Rabbi Pram's approach to
religion.
"At Temple Israel, we ac-
cepted Reform Judaism
without abandoning
ceremonies and the many es-
tablished and significant re-
ligious practices of the re-
ligion," he says. For many
years, Mr. Stutz himself did
not drive on the High Holy
Days and walked to temple
services at the DIA.
Later, Temple Israel would
be the first Reform con-
gregation in the state to hire
a cantor and introduce b'nai
NOW
Temple Israel today.
THEN
Temple Israel on Manderson Road.