Interfaith Efforts
Recognized, Honored

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

R

abbi M. Robert Syme
stepped foot into the
Shrine of the Little
Flower. Father Malcolm
Carron brought Jewish studies
to the University of Detroit.
Both acts shocked some, but
the men believed they were nec-
essary to further intergroup re-
lations.
For that spirit, the Ecu-
menical Institute for Jewish-
Christian Studies will honor the
spiritual leaders of Temple Is-
rael and the Loyola Academy of
Detroit with the first-ever Dove
Awards at an April 19 benefit
dinner. The Rev. James
Lyons, director of the Ecu-
menical Institute, said while the
dinner serves as an excellent
fund-raiser for the 12-year-old
institution, the choice of hon-
orees is true to the goal of fur-
thering interfaith dialogue.
"Look at most fund-raising
dinners and you find a big name
or a prominent business person
being honored. We were look-
ing for two genuine heroes of
faith," the Rev. Lyons said.
"Both these men have had a

tremendous impact on me, with
quiet encouragement and un-
derstanding, when most people
didn't even know what we were
talking about."
As interfaith dialogue has
gained exposure and accep-
tance, both Rabbi Syme and Fa-
ther Carron have labored on
with their early intents.

"It's about
respecting thy
neighbor's
right to be
different."

Father Carron found his way
into the Jewish community
through the help of his allergist.
An Orthodox Jew, the aller-
gist suggested Father Carron
implement Jewish studies as an
elective course during his 25-
year tenure, beginning in 1966,
as president and chancellor of

University of Detroit.
"I thought this was an excel-
lent opportunity to do some
branching out. Even though U
of D-Mercy is a Jesuit-Catholic
school, I believed we needed to
be more outgoing," Father Car-
ron said.
Rabbi Richard Hertz of Tem-
ple Beth El was named as hold-
er of an endowed chair in the
Jewish studies department and
remains in that position.
Throughout the years, and dur-
ing the later part of Father Car-
ron's tenure, U of D-Mercy has
taken on a more secular slant.
In addition, Father Carron
believes his time as a "wran-
gler," assisted in his efforts to-
ward better understanding of
different faiths.
Once a year, spiritual lead-
ers of different denominations
would meet to read papers to
each other on a variety of top-
ics, have dinner and "wrangle."
"We had a great time chal-
lenging each other," Father Car-
ron said.
Rabbi Syme of Temple Israel
believes the greatest challenge

Rabbi Syme and Father Malcolm Carron: Dove Award recipients.

ahead is survival, not of Jews,
but of humankind.
"We've reached the point
where we can get to the moon,
but we still can't reach out to
each other. This is crucial,"
Rabbi Syme said.
That thinking brought Rab-
bi Syme to the Shrine of the Lit-

A Special Pool For Children
And Disabled Honors A Memory

JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER

B

ecause • two-year-old
Samantha Erin Rosen
loved swimming at the
Maple/Drake Jewish
Community Center, her grand-
parents thought building a pool
in her memory would be the per-
fect tribute.
On Sunday, Helen and Sy In-
dianer and Samantha's parents,
Phyllis Indianer and Alan Rosen,
. gathered with family and friends
to break ground for a children's
special needs pool.
The pool, which is being built
next to the existing outdoor pool,
is designed for young children
and to accommodate persons
with special needs.
Once completed, it will be an
indoor/outdoor pool that extends
from zero to 4.5 feet and will in-
clude a handicap lift and bench
in the deeper end.
"It's great that this can hap-

L

pen and that
everyone will re-
member her for-
ever," said
Samantha's par-
ents, who have
established an
endowment for
the pool's pro-
gramming.
"Samantha was
a very generous
girl. She was
very giving and
we know she
would have en-
joyed this."
Breaking ground for a children's special needs pool.
Madalyn Ro-
sen, an unrelated donor, has also a project," Madalyn Rosen said.
provided funds toward creating `But the programming, that's on-
the program endowment. This going and to me that's the heart
will cover the ongoing costs of op- of it."
erating the pool.
The pool, which is being fund-
"You can always get someone ed entirely by the donors, is ex-
to put money into the building of pected to be completed and

opened by the middle of August
Programming for the pool will
include arthritic classes, infant
and toddler classes, birthday
parties and programs for the
visually and mentally impair-
ed. ❑

tle Flower in Royal Oak last
year. Long known for the anti-
Semitic radio broadcasts of Fa-
ther Charles Coughlin before
and during World War II, the
Shrine's religious leadership
has made efforts to clear the
church's name.
Monsignor Alex Brunett in-
vited Rabbi Syme to the church,
spoke of its history, and apolo-
gized for its past deeds.
"Some people called and
wrote to question why I'd go to
such a place filled with such
memories of hate. But Mon-
signor Brunett was illustrating
that we could rectify past errors.
He was saying that that chap-
ter is over and gone and we are
writing a new chapter. I believe
we need to let go of that past
which is wretched and rotten,"
Rabbi Syme said.
"This act by Monsignor
Brunett took courage. People of
good will need to be more
demonstrative in this way."
Efforts and respect, Rabbi
Syme said, are key.
"I've learned nobody is truly
safe until everyone is safe. If I
want freedom for my grandson,
everyone must have it, too. For
no other reason, I must worry
about the welfare of those in So-
malia and Bosnia. It's more
than the commandment to love
thy neighbor, it's about re-
specting thy neighbor's right to
be different," Rabbi Syme said.
"The best example is this
dinner which honors Father
Carron and myself. It will be
kosher. That is sensitivity."

