Editorials

Honoring Rabbi And Sonia Syme

he turned to Wise's Jewish Institute of Religion
A rabbi, a confidant, a philosopher, a friend —
in New York City instead of law school.
M. Robert Syme has been all of these to con-
Ordained in 1945, Syme held pulpits in
gregants at Temple Israel, his beloved home for
New Jersey and Pennsylvania before arriving in
45 years.
Detroit in 1953 to work with Rabbi Leon
The synagogue board recently granted his
Fram, another ardent Zionist, who built Tem-
request to step aside from day-to-day obliga-
ple Israel from scratch in 1941 after leaving
tions and become rabbi emeritus. "Rabbi
Temple Beth El.
Syme has led this congregation in righteous
Never one to recoil from controversy, Syme
paths and helped to forge our Temple into
through the years has joined public debate
the caring, creative and loving family that it
about Saturday hours at the Jewish Communi-
is today," President Jimm White wrote to
ty Center of Metropolitan
congregants.
Detroit, Jewish slumlords in
Under medical care him-
the
inner city, a Detroit
self, Rabbi Syme, 77, has
Jewry photo retrospective fea-
yearned to spend more time
turing the Purple Gang and
with his ailing wife Sonia,
the State of Israel's role in
head of the Sisterhood's
fostering peace in the Middle
Interreligious Institute and a
East. He's past president of
former adult education
the Zionist Organization of
instructor and religious
America/Metro
Detroit Dis-
school teacher. Their 55-year
trict.
He
has
held
leadership
marriage has seen son Daniel
posts with the Jewish Nation-
ordained as a rabbi, son
al Fund and Central Confer-
David rise to concert pianist
ence of American Rabbis.
and son Michael die sudden-
Says Temple Israel's Rabbi
ly at 21.
Harold Loss, a colleague for
_"We have given Rabbi
28 years: "Rabbi Syme has
Syme the one gift that we
been a soldier fighting to
could never give him before
Rabbi M Robert Syme
strengthen the Jewish people.
— the gift of time," White
He has been a professor
wrote. "We do so with grati-
teaching us about our faith,
tude for the remarkable gifts
history and traditions. He is
that we have received and will
now emeritus, redefined to
continue to receive."
mean teaching, preaching
An impassioned speaker
and caring, but on his terms,
with a loyal following, Syme
rather than on ours."
continues to give Shabbat
Drawing on his upbring-
sermons and officiate at life-
ing,
Syme introduced ele-
cycle events, as his health
ments of traditional Judaism
permits. His influence on
to Temple Israel, including
Reform Judaism reverberates
the optional wearing of tal-
throughout the Diaspora.
lit and kippah by congre-
Over the years, he not only
gants. He also introduced
has marched on Washington
the daily service so members
with the Rev. Dr. Martin
could recite Kaddish and the
Luther King but also has
Hebrew school so children
strived to heal old wounds by
Sonia Syme
could prepare for bar/bat
speaking at Royal Oak's
mitzvah.
Shrine of the Little Flower,
"My mother and father have touched more
once the pulpit for Father Charles Coughlin's
lives as a couple than has been seen since the
anti-Semitic tirades.
days when Rabbi Morris and Goldie Adler were
The youngest of five children, Syme grew
a team at Congregation Shaarey Zedek," said
up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of a Russ-
Rabbi Daniel Syme of Temple Beth El. "My par-
ian immigrant couple who adhered to an
ents admired the way the Adlers had their own
Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. Every day after pub-
identity yet worked together so well."
lic school, he studied at the Winnipeg Hebrew
His parents, Daniel added, like to touch
Free School, where he sang in the choir. As a
lives one by one: "What's really important in
teenager, he served as cantor at a neighbor-
their eyes is the individual."
hood shul. Blessed with a beautiful voice, he
On behalf of Detroit's Jewish community,
later worked as a nightclub singer.
we express heartfelt appreciation to Rabbi and
A 1941 rally hosted by American Zionist
Sonia Syme for their devotion to helping oth-
leader Rabbi Stephen S. Wise in Winnipeg so
ers become spiritually fulfilled.
moved Syme, an ardent Zionist himself, that

IN FOCUS

.

Holiday Glow

Nomi Greenberg was among the 120 high school students of
the Beth Jacob School for Girls who celebrated Lag B'Omer on
Wednesday, May 13. Some say the annual bonfire is a symbol
of the light of Shimon Bar Yochai, a second-century scholar
and putative author of the Zohar, who died on Lag B'Omer.
(For more Lag B'Omer coverage, see pages 14 and 15.)

LETTERS

Chafets Clearly
Speaks His Mind

We have just returned home
from hearing Ze'ev Chafets
speak at
Temple Beth
El. What a
remarkably _
honest and
courageous
person he is!
Unlike so
many, politi-
Chafets
cians
cians and
journalists who waffle and
dance about a topic without
ever being specific about
where they stand, Ze'ev lets
you know exactly where he
stands.
His discussion of Israel's
great danger being from with-
in, rather than from outside,
its borders was frightening,
but it had the ring of truth to
it.
Certainly, our future con-
tributions to Israel and to
Jewish causes in general will
be chosen very carefully. It is

time for Reform and Conser-
vative Jews to stop feeling like
"second rate" Jews. The Israeli
Ultra-Orthodox must wake
up to the 21st century.
David and Judy Schwartz
West Bloomfield

Actual Dates
In Question

After reading my piece titled
"The Partition Resolution
And Independence Day" (Jew-
ish News, May 5), my good
friend and fellow Israeli,
Daniel Gilan of Bloomfield
Hills, drew my attention to
an inaccuracy in the timing.
Contrary to what I said
regarding the great rejoicing
that took place following the
Declaration of Independence
on May 14, 1948, I was
reminded that this sponta-
neous singing and dancing
actually took place earlier, on
the night of the Partition Res-
olution, Nov. 29, 1947. Mr.
Gilan reminded me that at
the time of the declaration,

5/22
1998

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