Jewish Life Moves In The Fast Lane. Building Plans Follow Young Israel Merger Can You Spare A Few Minutes? PHIL JACOBS EDITOR ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR T Subscribe To The Jewish News. A 500-seat social hall is planned. How Can You Afford Not To? JUST A FEW MINUTES A WEEK GIVE YOU ALL THE IMPORTANT LOCAL INFORMATION AND NEWS DELIVERED TO YOUR MAILBOX ONCE A WEEK. THE JEWISH NEWS / I I I Save 37°ha off the newsstand price by resporifing today. Receive 52 issum ci The Jewish News plus five issues of Style magazine fer only $42 ($58 out-of-state). Yes, I'd like my own subscription to The Jewish News. ❑ Please bill me. ❑ Payment enclosed. ❑ Charge to my ❑ MasterCard ❑ Visa Card # ❑ I'd like to send a subscription as a gift to: Name Address Exp. Signature (required) City My Name Phone My Address Gift Card Message City State State Zip Zip New subcribers only Phone Please send all payments along with this coupon to: The Jewish News, P.O. Box 2267, Southfield, MI 48037-2267. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. 17 For faster service cat 810-354-6620 and charge it to your Visa or MasterCard between the hours of 8:30 an and 5:00 pm mom emm my.m. tg:sm wom nmsm mr-A t at *2 .,o . 4.4 .1% a AD395 sr m or he memberships of Young could be done until the merger Israel of Oak-Woods and was approved last week. Young Israel of Greenfield He said Oak-Woods would voted last week to form a like to maintain a minyan at the new congregation and expand at building for 12-15 member fam- the Greenfield site in Oak Park. ilies living nearby. "One of the The merged congregation — possibilities when the building to be called Young Israel of Oak is sold is that part of it could be Park — plans to expand on the maintained as a shul," Mr. Tanz- north side of the Young Israel of man said. Greenfield building on 10 Mile Rabbi Steven Weil of Young Road. Israel of Greenfield will be the Tentative plans call for ren- spiritual leader of Young Israel ovations to begin in May with of Oak Park. Rabbi Eliezer Co- construction of a new social hall hen, who has been part-time that will seat up to 500 people, spiritual leader at Oak-Woods which would allow for more for 10 years, is a full-time room for an Orthodox function teacher at Akiva Hebrew Day than any existing Detroit-area School. Rabbi Cohen's contract Orthodox facility. with Oak-Woods concluded Feb. Young Israel of Greenfield 29. Mr. Tanzman said Rabbi Co- President Dr. Steven Tennen- hen was gifen a generous sev- berg, who now heads the merged erance package. entity, said that it is the con- Alex Saltsman, a member of gregation's hope to have the so- Greenfield's merger committee cial hall completed by the High with Dr. Tennenberg and Steven Holidays. The congregation Cohen, said Greenfield put its would then conduct services in the new social hall while reno- vations are made to the sanctu- ary. "With the reality of a chang- ing geographic makeup of the Oak-Woods community and its shrinking membership, the ob- vious proximity of the two congregations and the close re- lations between the two syna- own renovation plans on hold gogues, the impetus was there when the merger idea surfaced to merge," Dr. Tennenberg said. in November. Oak-Woods was founded in Serving with Mr. Tanzman on the 1950s and now has 57 mem- the Oak-Woods merger com- bership units — 35 families and mittee were Larry Horowitz and 22 singles. Greenfield was David Barth. founded in the late '50s and has Mr. Tanzman said the merg- 180 membership units. er, and eventual sale of the Oak- At separate votes on Feb. 21, Woods building, has the more than two-thirds of each potential to create a much larg- congregation approved the er facility. merger, according to Oak-Woods "You won't have to go to ho- President David Tanzman. tels or long distances to have fa- He said Oak-Woods members cilities for everybody right in the will have a special meeting heart of the Jewish community," Wednesday, March 6, to elect he said. five members to the board of There are two major assets to Young Israel of Oak Park. The the merger, according to Dr. officers of Oak-Woods will serve Tennenberg. "There's an in- as ex-officio members of the crease in membership for Green- merged board until their terms field and, of course, the expire on Shavuot in May. Oak-Woods building. Already, According to Dr. Tennenberg, area schools and other institu- Oak-Woods members will have tions have looked at it. free membership for two years "I feel the merger is a tremen- and some may be assisted to dous opportunity. Both sides feel move closer to the new Young Is- proud of it. You have two inde- rael of Oak Park. pendent shuls in Oak Park. Now Oak-Woods is in the process we'll work together. We feel of selling its building on Coolidge there's no problem we cannot Highway. Mr. Tanzman said a solve together. We're becoming number of Jewish and rim-Jew- a shul with about 250 member ish groups have inquired about units, learning and teaching and the building, but nothing official davening together." ❑ .e a --