There's A World To See With The JCC

JW1

Joe SUMMER

Travel

A Liberal Congregation
Flourishes In Munich

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Photo by Ruth Rovn er

TRAVEL

JEWISH SPAIN 0,

June 3-18 1998

.

Informational Meeting

Monday, March 30 • 7:00 p.m.
D, Dan & Betty Kahn Building

ALASKAN Ai/VENTURE

July ZO-27, 1998

(Cruise Only)
or

July 20-29, 1998

(With a Two Day Vancouver Extension)

Informational Meeting

Thursday, April 2 • 7:00 p.m,
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building

For additional travel information, please
call Marilyn Wolfe at (248) 661-7649.

Jewish Community Center
Maccabi Games
August 16-23 1998

3/27
1998

116

Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
6600 West Maple Road • West Bloomfield, MI 48322

She's lived in Munich since 1992
when she and her husband, Max, a
Munich native, moved back to his
hometown from Chicago, where they'd
aiting at the entrance to a
been living, so that he could take over
stately brownstone,
the family business. The con-
Lauren Fink Rid
gregation evolved from an
leads the way up
Lauren Rid is informal havurah which began
the winding staircase and then
president of with four American families
into the sanctuary. It looks
Beth Shalom living in Munich. In 1990, they
almost brand new, this a room
in Munich.
joined together informally for
with simple design, white walls,
services, meeting in a commu-
polished wooden floors, 150 seats
nity center that was a converted farm-
for worshippers.
What is distinctive about this sanctu- house.
This past June, Beth Shalom's own
ary is not only its pristine beauty but its
member, Dr. Walter Homolka, was
significance. Temple Beth Shalom is the
inducted as rabbi, one of the few liberal
only liberal synagogue in Munich, and
rabbis in Germany and the only one in
one of the few in Germany. It's the
Bavaria. The ceremony was attended by
home of a new congregation which has
prominent leaders of progressive and
already had an impact far beyond its
Reform Judaism in Europe and the
numbers.
United States, including Dr. Walter
The capital of Bavaria, Munich is a
Jacob of Rodeph Shalom in Pittsburgh.
cosmopolitan and colorful city known
The same weekend of Rabbi
for its cultural attractions as well as its
Homolka's induction marked another
beer gardens. It's also the third largest
first: the founding of the Union of
Jewish community in Germany, after
Progressive Jews in Germany, Austria
Berlin and Frankfurt. It has a Jewish
and Switzerland. Ten congregations
community center, kosher restaurant,
became charter members, and Beth
day school and four synagogues, all of
Shalom gained a high profile as a leader
them Orthodox, within the official
in the organizing initiative.
community.
It was also Beth Shalom's leadership
But Beth Shalom is outside the
that led to another milestone: the pub-
mainstream, standing on its own and
lication of a German-Hebrew liberal
offering a new outlet to those seeking a
prayerbook — a first for post-war
more liberal form of Judaism. "We're
Germany. "We've had enough of xerox ,
the core for progressive Jewish life in
ed
sheets and traditional siddurim with
Munich," says Rid, who's president of
insertions taped in," says Rabbi
the congregation.

RUTH ROVNER

Special to The Jewish News

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