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A Heimish Atmosphere

Congregation T'chiyah and Reconstructionist
synagogues nationwide draw in unaffiliated Jews.

JULIE WIENER STAFF WRITER

I

t has no building and no as traditional family units.
rabbi, but Congregation
Judith Kerman, a dean at
T'chiyah's members — who Saginaw Valley State Univer-
include U.S. Sen. Carl Levin sity, comes from Saginaw to De-
— call it the best-kept secret in troit to celebrate holidays at
metro Detroit.
Tchiyah. "Tchiyah is one of the
Unique in many respects, reasons I'm active in the Jew-
Congregation T'chiyah is the ish community at all," she said.
only congregation in metro De-
Like Mr. Warshay, Ms. Ker-
troit affiliated with Judaism's man was not brought up reli-
youngest, smallest and report- gious, and until recently she felt
edly fastest-growing denomi- alienated from religious obser
nation: the Reconstructionist vance. "Every time I went to a
movement.
synagogue, I didn't know what
Founded in the 1930s, the was going on, and what I did
Reconstructionists have 50,000 understand I didn't like," re-
members nationwide in 92 con- called Ms. Kerman, who par-
gregations and chavurot, ac- ticularly disliked the passivity
cording to Rabbi Sherry of many members.
Shulewitz of the Jewish Re-
Four years ago she heard
constructionist Federation. The about Reconstructionism and
movement — which was the tried out Congregation Tchiyah
first to observe a bat mitzvah for the High Holidays. "I was
— defines Judaism as an evolv- impressed by people's knowl-
ing religious civilization and edge and participation," she
combines traditional Judaism
with democratic values. It
views Jewish law as more
flexible than under Orthodox
and Conservative Judaism,
yet encourages Jews to con-
sider a wider range of tradi-
tional practices than under
Reform Judaism.
However, both at T'chiyah
and nationwide, it is com-
munity, not ideology, that
attracts most members. Ac-
cording to a recent national
survey commissioned by the
Jewish Reconstructionist Fed-
eration, most members iden-
tify because "they are seeking
a warm, inclusive, egalitari-
an and democratic Jewish
community."
Nathaniel Warshay was attracted to
Nathaniel Warshay, a Tichiyah's atmosphere.
T'chiyah member since 1988,
loves the heimish atmosphere said. Last year she decided to
of his congregation. Although become a member and the 51
he grew up unaffiliated in De- year-old Ms. Kerman celebrat-
troit after most Jews had left ed her bat mitzvah.
the city, Mr. Warshay started
"I feel closer to the practice
attending Shabbat services as and approach [at T'chiyalii
an undergraduate at the Uni- than any place that I've been,"
versity of Michigan, and heard she said.
about Tchiyah when he moved
Other T'chiyah members
back to Detroit. He and his echo Ms. Kerman's enthusiasm
family found the people there about the high level of partici-
more welcoming and more open pation required. Because the
than at other synagogues.
congregation does not have a
Congregation Tchiyah num- full-time rabbi (a rabbinical stu-
bers 50-55 "member units," a dent visits once a month), mem-
term used to emphasize that bers who are bar mitzvah age
the congregation welcomes and older are expected to take
membership from singles and turns leading Shabbat services.
nontraditional families as well HEIMISH ATMOSPHERE page 24

A Gift Worth Giving?

The sale of Sinai Hospital draws mixed reactions from benefactors.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

L

illian Hechtman was sur-
prised when she read about
the sale of Sinai Hospital to
the Detroit Medical Center
(DMC) in the newspaper.
The octogenarian philan-
thropist, whose name appears on
the side of a Sinai Hospital build-
ing, feels she was left out of the
loop during the sale of the hospi-
tal and its properties — includ-
ing the building she and her late
husband Samuel donated mil-
lions to renovate. A member of
the Jewish community who was
active in the development of the
hospital, Mrs. Hechtman was
never personally informed of the
sale.
"I didn't feel good about it," she
said. "It did hurt me a little bit.
"We have given to Sinai ever
since it first existed. We were in-
terested in giving to Jewish peo-
ple and JeWish facilities," she
said. "They should have told me."
Harold Berry can understand
that. His parents, Louis and Vi-
vian Berry, gave their time and
money to ensure that Jews in the
community had a high-caliber
health-care facility to rely upon
in times of need. The Berrys have
had a connection with the Jew-
ish hospital from the years when
the hospital was a wish, not yet
a reality.
"Sinai Hospital was a dream

that came to fruition in the 1950s. Telegraph Road north of 13 Mile
The dream, to a certain extent, raises the issue of how to deal
was fulfilled with Jewish chap- with donors when their gift has
laincy and kosher food and Jew- been sold. It is an issue that is
ish doctors having a place to see well known to the Jewish Feder-
patients," he said. "It was a ation of Metropolitan Detroit, a
dream that was fulfilled and a communal organization that has
dream that passed."
endured an almost constant
But when Sinai's Louis
northwestern migration
and Vivian Berry Surgery Just months
for the past several
Center passed into the con-
befor e Sinai
decades. With that move-
trol of DMC, he was not was s old, Cis ment has come the in-
Maisel Kellman evitable sale of buildings,
upset in the least.
"My dad was a busi- cut the ribbon to some of which had been
nessman," he said. "If eco- the W omen's named in honor of bene-
Health Center.
nomic necessity propelled
factors.
this decision, he would
Robert Aronson, Fed-
have been all for it."
eration's executive vice president,
The reactions of Mrs. Hecht- said a committee was formed sev-
man and Mr. Berry underscore eral years ago to deal with this
the diverse feelings major bene- issue. According to a protocol the
factors have experienced since committee established, the donor
the hospital was sold.
would be informed of any change
So far, the DMC has not de- in plans for the use of the build-
cided the future of the Detroit ing.
hospital or its 35 affiliated loca-
"It really is an issue we try to
tions.
deal with," Mr. Aronson said.
"At this stage in the game,
In most cases, the name of the
nothing really has been worked donor would be included in a new
out in terms of the buildings," building to serve the needs of the
said Cheryl Yurkovich, a DMC moving population. Before the
spokesperson 'That is something recent sale of Prentis Manor
that will take time in terms of nursing home in Southfield, Fed-
looking at the physical facilities eration officials met with the
we have in the northwest area." Prentis family and informed
But Mrs. Hechtman's reaction them of the plan to include their
to the sale of the Lillian and name in part of Dant° Center,
Samuel Hechtman building on SALE OF SINAI page 24