THE JEWISH NEWS COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE
1942-1992
Jane Sherman
and her father,
Max Fisher.
Sherwin Wine 27 years
ago founded a local congrega-
tion called the Birmingham
rIbmple. It was the first tem-
ple to espouse Humanistic
Judaism, which advocates
belief in the moral goodness
of man and disavows belief in
a supreme being.
Today, more than 30,000
men and women identify as
Humanistic Jews.
A Detroit native, Rabbi
Wine serves as spokesman for
the movement, which in addi-
tion to its U.S. offices has
branches in Canada, Argen-
tina, Uruguay, France,
Belgium, Israel and
Australia. More than 30
Humanistic congregations
are in the United States.
Dora Ehrlich was one of
Detroit's most active female
leaders in the 1930s through
the 1950s. Dedicated to ad-
vancing and improving social
services, she served as head of
the Jewish Family Welfare
Organizations, which handl-
ed thousands of social welfare
cases.
A Zionist, Mrs. Ehrlich sup-
ported the founding of
Detroit's first Jewish Home
for Aged and first Jewish
hospital. She was a leader in
Detroit's first chapter of the
American Jewish Congress
and helped organize local war
efforts, including a drive that
raised $360,000 toward the
purchase of a B-29. She
helped found the Federation's
Women's Division and the
local chapter of Hadassah.
Harlene Appelman is the
creator and director of
J.E.F.F., Jewish Experiences
For Families, which has
pioneered creative Jewish
education programs used in
Detroit and throughout the
United States. In addition to
J.E.F.F., Mrs. Appelman has
established such programs as
family camp and Jewish ac-
culturation for immigrants
from the former Soviet Union.
Senior consultant on
Jewish education for the
Federation, Mrs. Appelman
also serves as advisor for the
Finally a committee, in-
cluding Rabbi Levin, was ap-
pointed to consider the issue.
Eventually, the committee
settled on compromise. The
Center was opened on Satur-
day, but with the stipulations
Whizin Institute for the
Family at the University of
Judaism and for Torah Aura
Productions.
— set forth by Rabbi Levin —
that the parking lot stay clos-
ed and that only cultural-
Rabbi Leizer Levin, who
until his recent death served
as head of the Va'ad, the
Council of Orthodox Rabbis,
was a leading force in shaping
Detroit's Orthodox commu-
nity.
A native of Lithuania, Rab-
bi Levin came in 1938 to head
Congregation Beth Tikvah,
located on Boston and Petos-
key streets. The synagogue
later merged and was re-
named Beth Tefilo Emanuel
Tikvah, today located in
Southfield.
Throughout his more than
50 years in Detroit, Rabbi
Levin was an outspoken
champion of Orthodox
Judaism. An example can be
seen in his actions during the
late 1950s and early '60s,
when Rabbi Levin became in-
volved in one of the city's
most controversial debates.
In 1959, the executive board
of the Jewish Community
Center voted to open the
Center, then on Curtis and
Meyers, on Saturdays.
Leading Orthodox, Conser-
vative and Reform rabbis op-
posed the move and appealed
to the board to reverse its
decision.
"If the Center is open (on
Saturday), it will be like
hanging a swastika," Rabbi
Levin said.
Laymen also protested the
Saturday opening, but the
Center's board would not
budge. The hostility became
so great it threatened to
divide the Jewish community.
religious programs be permit-
ted on Shabbat.
Joyce Keller has served
since 1978 as executive direc-
tor of JARC, the Jewish
Association for Residential
Care. As such, she has been
an advocate for Jews with
developmental disabilities.
rIbday, JARC has a $4.2
million budget and operates
13 group homes and three in-
dependent living programs.
Ms. Keller, who holds a
master's degree from Har-
vard, also is active with
Forgotten Harvest, the Coali-
tion on Temporary Shelter
(which provides shelter to
Michigan's homeless) and the
Allied Jewish Campaign.
Morris Adler, once called
"the most quoted rabbi in the
United States," headed Con-
gregation Shaarey Zedek
from 1946 to 1966. He was a
leader both in Detroit and
among Conservative Jews
throughout the country.
Rabbi Adler's first passion
was combatting Jews' indif-
ference to their religion,
especially among youth. He
helped organize the Institute
of Adult Jewish Studies,
which offered numerous
Jewish education courses,
and was a leading supporter
of the United Hebrew Schools.
An Army chaplain during
World War II, Rabbi Adler
was active in the Jewish Com-
munity Council, where one of
his responsibilities was serv-
ing as chairman of the
culture commission. Rabbi
Adler worked tirelessly to
From the top:
Rabbi Isaac
Stollman, Moishe
Haar and Dora
Ehrlich.
MARCH 27, 1992
13