Close Up
In le 'den I
- ,
Saginaw, Bay City and Midland Jews share
both a rabbi and a concern for the future.
LYNNE MEREDITH COHN
STAFF WRITER
LLJ
C/D
LLJ
I--
CD
cc
LLJ
LLJ
40
ight now, Jews are living and pray- first to admit that he cannot indefinitely con- three congregations formed Congregation
ing in Bay City, Saginaw and tinue running between Friday-night services Am Yachad as a compromise. It has a 15-
Midland.
in Saginaw or Midland and Shabbat morn- member board and joint religious schools.
But each day, their num- ing davening in Bay City.
People paid dues to both the Am Yachad um-
bers are dwindling, as kids go
Although Rabbi Scott is happy in his role, brella organization and to their individual
off to college and trade small- he sees little potential for future growth be- synagogue, Hart says.
town homes for lives in big- tween the three separate Jewish communi-
The joint organization went through two
ger cities that offer more ties. "There is no one to replace those who phases — one to determine how to function
career and social opportuni- leave, nothing to bring younger people in," together and another to draft a document to
ties. Or they intermarry.
he says.
lead to merger. But as they got closer to the
Despite being surrounded on
Many young Jews intermarry, he adds. end of a phase, "all the agony and fear and
all sides by gentiles, the 150 or The rabbi and his wife encouraged their chil- emotion was making it very hard to be func-
so Jewish families in the Tri- dren to go away for college, to schools with tional," Hart says. 'There would be so much
City area retain a high level significant Jewish populations.
stress at meetings that people walked away
of Jewish affinity, observance
'We all know we can't have it ideally the
and said, 'Why am I doing this?' It became
and spirituality — in part due way we like it, but we all keep Jewish iden- obvious that we couldn't do it, we couldn't
to the one rabbi that holds tity here," he says.
truly merge."
the three communities to-
Rudy Salinger, a Midland resident for 33
"All three congregations realize none of us
gether.
years, says the three congregations are can go it alone," Rabbi Scott says. 'The ques-
Rabbi Robert Scott has al- thrilled to share Rabbi Scott. "Of course, it's tion is, Will it be under one roof?' Not in my
ways been a small-town rab- a tremendous drain on him to move around, lifetime," he says.
bi. Raised in England and and it's going to be very difficult to find a rab-
For two years, the three congregations
North Carolina, he left his bi of his stature who wants to do this type have successfully held joint religious schools,
traditionally observant Jew- of thing, when he retires."
Hart says. There are about 70 students in
ish childhood for the Reform rabbinate. He
Salinger believes "the future of the Jew- Sunday school (preschool through age 15)
says he likes the way Reform Judaism allows ish community in the Tri-Cities is some form and 35-40 in Hebrew school (4th-7th grades).
worshippers to find meaning in a modern of togetherness. Whether that's a federation The congregations switch off between hold-
context.
or a total merger probably isn't as important.
ing classes in the Bay City synagogue, which
Before assuming the mid-Michigan post,
[Besides,] a total merger doesn't work; we're has ample classroom space, and in either per-
he was assistant rabbi at Temple Beth Israel just too different."
sonal homes or the few classrooms in the Mid-
in Phoenix, then at Temple Shalom in Chica-
The reason? Some individuals wanted one land shul.
go, where he met his wife, Arlis. Next, it was congregation under one roof, equidistant be-
Stuart Bergstein thinks those who want
on to Monroe, La.; Huntsville, Ala.; and Jo- tween the three cities, but others stand firm to make a Tri-Cities merger are wrong. "On
hannesburg, South Africa.
behind their existing shuls, says Bonnie Hart, paper, a congregation of 200 certainly sounds
For a decade, Rabbi Scott has served three who has lived in the Midland area since 1966. better. But if you go to any joint service in
Conservative congregations in Michigan,
When the three communities hired Rabbi Midland, nobody comes except Midland peo-
which are about a 20-minute drive apart. Si- Scott, they hired him together, under the Tri- ple. The same thing happens in those two
multaneously.
City Jewish Community Association, says cities. If you put one out in the fields, I fear
It works. Because the rabbi believes Jews Hart, who now affiliates with Temple Israel no one will come."
must find modern meaning for age-old tra- in Bay City, since becoming an adult bat mitz-
Bergstein believes there must be a Jewish
ditions, it means that congregants with a vah under Rabbi Scott's tutelage.
presence in Midland. "I can't tell you how
more observant bent compromise. It also
"The job of that group was to give the rab- many calls I get from people interviewing at
means keeping various levels of kaslu-ut, ac- bi some group to deal with," she says. Over Dow [Chemical]" who want to know if there
cording to the preferences of each synagogue.
time, it expanded to a joint Sunday school.
is a viable Jewish community, he says.
And it means allowing the rabbi to drive be-
Then the Association unraveled.
"Everybody realizes there's never going to be
tween congregations to facilitate worship,
It "became very cumbersome because that a $2 million building somewhere" in the mid-
and to call women to the bimah for aliyot.
group couldn't make decisions," says Hart, dle.
Rabbi Scott and his congregants know this who presided over the Tri-City Association.
Rudy Salinger remembers a time when
marriage will not last forever. For one, Rab- It would vote on an issue, then each member Bay City had "well over 100 [Jewish] fami-
bi Scott's wife has a rapidly worsening case would have to return to his or her individual lies, so did Saginaw." Midland did not pick
of Alzheimer's and now requires constant congregation for approval.
up in population until Dow started hiring
care. And the rabbi, who is in his 50s, is the
About two-and-one-half years ago, the Jews after World War II.