Love
Story
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR
For more than 35 years,
Helen Gilbert has been teaching
children and adults at
Temple Israel.
S
he often started working Hebrew school. The first class had 12
dents read from the Torah
Thanks for the
says. "The lady just doesn't
as early as 7:30 am. and students.
memories: Helen
you knew there wouldn't
stop.
was still going strong 13
Gilbert, fourth from
Rabbi Syme offered to teach him- be a single mistake."
left, with some
"She has patience — you
hours later. Day in, day self, but he needed help. He asked the
Just ask Shirley Saltz- Temple Israel clergy have no idea what kind of pa-
out.
mothers of all 12 if they would be will- man. One of several Tem-
and some of the
tience. She would start in the
It all depended on the ing to work in the classroom. Four,
adults whom
ple Israel adults whom
she taught.
morning at 7:30 and go all day.
student's schedule. If he wanted a lit- including Helen Gilbert, volunteered.
Mrs. Gilbert tutored for
And not just for Temple Israel
tle tutoring before work, Helen
Mrs. Gilbert, who today resides at last September's High Holy Day read-
members. She was there for whoev-
Gilbert would get up early and give the West Bloomfield Nursing Home,
ings, Ms. Saltzman wrote a song in er needed her help." Both of Yolan-
him a call. If the late afternoon or quickly established herself as one of
honor of the experience. Following da Tisdale's daughters studied with
evening was more convenient, she the school's most popular and dedi-
the services, Mrs. Gilbert's students
was available then, too.
cated instructors. In addition to work- donned "I survived Beresheit with Mrs. Gilbert. Mrs. Tisdale describes
the longtime tutor as, "very dedicat-
For more than 35 years, Mrs. ing with the children, she volunteered
Helen Gilbert" T-shirts and sang ed, very kind."
Gilbert has been tutoring members to tutor older congregants, both for
"Thanks for the Memory."
"She was always very encouraging
of Temple Israel, and others in the their adult b'nai mitzvah ceremonies
Thanks for the memory
and available day or night. She is a
community, for their bar or bat mitz- and whenever they read Torah on the
To the Helen we adore
lovely, lovely lady."
vah ceremonies and for Torah read- holidays.
For Torah, '94
In addition to her tutoring skills,
ings at the holidays.
"Virtually half of our congregation
We're still alive
Mrs. Gilbert has a reputation as an
Temple Israel Rabbi M. Robert has been touched by her teaching,"
We did survive
outstanding baker. Mrs. Tisdale's fa-
Syme describes her as "a legend in Rabbi Syme says.
Your tutoring and more
vorites
were the cherry pies, which
this congregation. No one could even
It wasn't just that she taught with-
We thank you so much
Mrs. Gilbert would bring over for the
count all the adults and children she out pay, though that, too, is remark-
In 1987, Mrs. Gilbert compiled a holidays.
has tutored — many of whom have able, Rabbi Syme explains. It was the
collection of Torah and Haftorah
Or sometimes students and their
gone on to become teachers them- way she worked with the students
readings, in both Hebrew and Eng- families stopped in at Mrs. Gilbert's
selves. And she never got a dime for that makes her so unforgettable.
lish, which has been used by hun- apartment, which was filled with
any of it."
"There were never any discipline dreds of Temple Israel students.
plants and flowers. They even spilled
A native Detroiter, Helen Gilbert problems in her class because they
In her introduction to the book, out into the hallway.
first became active in the early 1950s all loved her," he says. "She was the
June Kamil, then president of the
Although her own husband,
at Temple Israel, then located on essence of kindness, the epitome of
congregation, said of Helen Gilbert: Harold, died in 1978, and her chil-
Manderson Road near Palmer Park. goodness.
"She has devoted literally hundreds
It was still fairly new, having formed
"This is a story of love," he adds. of hours to the Sidrah and Haftarah dren settled out of state, Mrs. Gilbert
never tires of hearing about others'
in 1941 under the leadership of Rab- "That's the only way she taught and
book, which would have never seen , families.
bi Leon Fram.
she was effective because of it."
the light of day without her meticu-
"Her first question when she sees
It didn't take long for Temple Is-
Which isn't to say she was a lous organizational qualities."
me is, 'How is your family?"' Mrs. Tis-
rael, Detroit's second Reform con- pushover. Mrs. Gilbert was commit-
Ida Nemzin came to know Helen dale says. "She always wants to hear
gregation, to need a second rabbi. M. ted not only to her students but to the
Gilbert when Mrs. Nemzin's hus- about the children.
Robert Syme signed up in 1953.
material she taught. She was never band, Mark, prepared to read from
"In fact, I think she keeps in touch
Like Rabbi Fram, Rabbi Syme was satisfied with mediocrity when it
the Torah on the High Holidays. The with all of the children she has ever
committed to Jewish education. Soon came to reading from the Torah.
Nemzin children, Stacy and Robert, tutored. There are pictures of them
after coming on board at Temple Is-
"She was a perfectionist," Rabbi also learned with Mrs. Gilbert.
all over her walls. They were her
rael, he established the congregation's Syme says. "Whenever any of her stu-
"I don't know how she does it," she pride and joy." ❑