Stretching Out

Young Israel of Oak Park has launched its first expansion.

JULIE EDGAR

News Editor

I

n another confirmation of Oak
Park's revival as a center of
Jewish life in metro Detroit,
Young Israel of Oak Park broke
ground Sunday for a $1.7 million
addition that will include a new sanc-
tuary and an expanded social hall and
classrooms.
The event at the 10 Mile Road syn-
agogue attracted some 250 congre-
gants and non-congregants who came
out on a rainy morning to mingle and
watch as shovels were symbolically
thrust into the ground. A clown enter-

9/4
1998

8 Detroit Jewish News

tained children, as did Michigan State
Police Lt. Daniel Bateman, who
patiently explained the apparatus
hanging from his belt. Bateman works
out of the police post just down 10
Mile Road from the synagogue.
"It's a community affair, really,"
said Leah Irons, who attended the cer-
emony with hey husband, Rabbi
Shmuel Irons of the Kollel Institute.
"It shows the expansion of the com-
munity. We're still growing."
Rabbi Steven Weil, who joined
Young Israel four years ago, likened
the expansion of the centrist
Orthodox synagogue to a physical
body, which is necessary to a healthy

The first dig:
Coolidge to a Montessori
soul. He remarked to the
school and merged with
crowd that the addition will Members of Young
Israel's building com- Young Israel of Greenfield.
help to "perfect the corn-
mittee and board
The new hybrid came to be
muniry soul."
Weil added that without break ground for the called Young Israel of Oak
addition. In the fore- Park. Membership swelled
the founders of Young
ground
is Alex
to 240 families, making it
Israel of Oak-Woods, which
Saltsman,
a founder the largest Orthodox syna-
closed its doors two years
of Young Israel of
gogue in the state. Since
ago and merged with the
Oak-Woods.
the merger, about 10 more
then Young Israel of
families have joined, bring-
Greenfield, the expansion
ing the total number of members to
would not have been possible. One of
about 400, said synagogue President
the shovels used in Sunday's ground-
breaking dates back to the 1965 build- Joe Greenberg.
But the growth has stretched the
ing of Oak-Woods on Coolidge.
synagogue's capacity to accommodate
Two years ago, Young Israel of
worshippers and to hold larger social
Oak-Woods sold its building on