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Mr. Temple Beth El'

Short Life, Many Honors

DAVID SACHS

Flowers, spoke at the funeral. "Izzy was a
JONATHAN FRIENDLY
father figure who loved me as his own son
siding, then was buried at Clover Hill
and JON HALL
Park Cemetery.
and respected me as a Christian leader," he
ifty years of relentless service to
said. "He was a consummate bridge builder..
He is survived by his parents, Alex J.
He was not afraid to sit down at the table of
t is perfectly fair that Adam Miller
and Marlene F. Miller; his brothers,
his temple earned Izzy Malin the
brotherhood.
Jeffrey Miller and Air Force Reserve
would give us an assignment.
nickname "Mr. Temple Beth El."
"When my church first visited Temple
We had given him a lot of
Major Russell Waggoner, and his grand-
Beth El, it was a night to behold. It was
But in multi-ethnic Detroit, Mr. Malin's
assignments when he was our stu-
parents, Saul and Shirley Lederer of Palm
dent in the journalism program at the
Beach, and Max and Rachel Miller of
striving to tear down barriers between Jews,
filled with excitement and enthusiasm. And
Bingham Farms.
Arabs, Christians and African-
University of Michigan, and we never cut
Izzy rook picture after picture after picture."
Americans inspired Beth El
him any slack just because the tumors he
Donations may be made in
At the temple, Mr. Malin was
Rabbi Daniel Syme to bestow
had made it hard for him to
known for his photography. He
Adam's memory to Roeper
hear or see or walk.
another tide upon him.
Athletics, in care of Ernie
would attend most every event,
"Izzy Malin was a modern-
So, in death, he would be
taking pictures, and days later,
Righetti, 32411 Westlady,
ready to hold us to his excep-
clay Don Quixote, who achieved
Beverly Hills, MI 48025, or
distributing copies to the congre-
dreams of bringing people
tional standards — and to cor-
the Services for Deaf and
gants. He helped form the tem-
together," he said.
rect us when we don't get to
Hard of Hearing Students,
ple's Married Group, was a leader
the point.
Isadore Malin, 82 ; of West
University of Michigan, in
in the Beth Elders and donated
The point in this case was
Bloomfield, a retired wholesale
care of Joan E. Smith, 8832
"gallons" to blood drives over the
that Adam — who died
food salesman, died May 27. He
Lincoln Dr., Whitmore Lake,
years. He was president of the
Wednesday, May 26, at his
was eulogized at his funeral
MI 48189.
Temple Brotherhood in different
home in West Bloomfield at
Sunday at Temple Beth El,
Although Adam became
terms 40 years apart and served
the age of 27, was an excep-
before hundreds of people he
on the board of trustees.
an activist for the disabled, a
•
Adam S. Mill er
I zz
y Malin
tional example of bravery and
touched, in the sanctuary of the
role thrust upon him, it was
He served in countless volun-
accomplishment.
temple he loved.
too easy a label and he would
tary positions, and in his latter
have none of it.
From the outset, when the nerve dis-
Employed by food distribu-
years was at the temple daily,
"It's not what you think," he
ease that rook his life, neurofibromatosis,
helping out wherever a need arose.
tors General Tobacco, Grosse Pointe Foods
explained once, noting he preferred to
was diagnosed at age 7, Adam found a
Mr. Malin, former president of Brandeis
and Abner Wolf Cornpany, N'Ir. Malin used
teach by example, not polemics.
way. When vision problems made it hard
and Bloch lodges, received a 50-year mem-
business contacts to reach out to the corn-
munity.
His record of accomplishment reads
to read, he absorbed tens of thousands of
ber/service award from B'nai B'rith. He was
like a scroll of things you'd do in a life-
pages read to him. And he didn't just
a Jewish Apartment and Services Eight Over
"Izzy devoted his life to building
absorb it, he mastered the stuff.
time, if you had the time: a U-M honors
Eighty honoree and, with his wife, received
bridges," recalled Rabbi Syme. "Because of
graduate, who served four years as sports
By 1989, he was ready to leave the
the Lamed Vav award of the Metropolitan
his great integrity, business relations became
editor and columnist on the Michigan
exclusive Roeper City and Country
Detroit Federation of Reform Synagogues.
friendships. People came to know that his
Daily; founder and president of
School in Bloomfield Hills. There he
In high school, Mr. Malin was a star ath-
man had a special calling. He felt he could
Webcrossings, a Web development corn-
compiled a record that earned him
lete. He played on Central High's state
change the world if people could like each
pany that earned numerous awards; and
other as people."
entrance to the University of Michigan.
championship basketball team and was
Webmaster for WDIV-TV (Channel 4),
He wenCon to earn a 1994 bachelor's
offered a baseball contract by the Detroit
He was one of the founders of the
where his work brought the station dis-
degree in communications, a 1996 mas-
Tigers. He served in the Marine Corps dur-
American Arab and Jewish Friends in 1982,
tinction as America's No. 1 TV Web site,
ing World War II.
ter's in journalism and near-legendary
a group that promotes person-to-person
nine times since 1997. He was also a
status as a devoted "Michigan Man."
At his side, sharing in his myriad volun-
friendships and grants college scholarships to
prolific writer, who was published in
Nothing intimidated Adam. When he
teer community and temple interests and
Jewish and Arab teenagers. He was co-
newspapers, technology journals, Hour
arrived at Michigan, his heart set on
activities was his wife of 61 years, Frances
founder of Youth Day on Belle Isle, designed
Magazine and academic journals; and a
being a sports writer, he finagled his way
to help teens find jobs. He and his wife
Malin. "We did almost everything together,"
community volunteer and activist for the
into living in the jock dorm. Faced once
she said. "We spent almost all of our lives
Frances were the only Jewish committee
together."
Roeper High School Alumni Association,
with a professor who said he ought to
members of PIME Missionaries in Detroit,
Ronald McDonald House of Detroit and
give up on being a journalist because,
His daughter, Elaine Schonberger, said
which raises money to help impoverished
NF2 Crew, a support group for those
well, he talked funny, wasn't very mobile
her father "loved his family. He was a won-
children around the world. Mr. Malin invit-
having his illness.
and had trouble hearing, Adam reacted
derful role model. At the funeral, his six
ed his friend Adam Cardinal Maida CO
Then there are Adam's honors:
predictably for him. He figured out a way
grandsons were his pallbearers. And each in
address Catholic-Jewish relations at a
Golden Apple Award (the highest pre-
to communicate with people using a lap-
his own way is helping to carry on his
Shabbat service at the temple on March 5.
sented by his high school), Columbia
top computer, and how to get where he
grandfather's legacy of building bridges."
Despite suffering the ravages of cancer
wanted to go.
Gold Circle Award, Kappa Tau Alpha
Mr. Malin is also survived by daughters
and chemotherapy, Mr. Malin, in a wheel-
Top Scholar (highest grade point aver-
At a ceremony honoring Adam last
and sons-in-law Beverly and William Levy
chair and with an oxygen tank, attended the
age in his graduating class of communi-
year, a friend noted that "If Adam Miller
of North Carolina, Linda and Joseph Hebert
awards and scholarship dinner of the Arab
cations majors), Phi Beta Kappa, U-M
went to the front door and he found that
of Farmington Hills, Elaine and Mark
and Jewish Friends on May 16 and was
Angell Scholar (four 4.0 semesters) and
the front door was locked, then he went
Schonberger of West Bloomfield; grandchil-
given an emotional standing ovation.
National Merit Scholarship
to the back door to only find that the
dren Kevin Levy, Jason Levy and fiancee
Recalled Rabbi Syme, "Almost 500 people
Commended Scholar.
back door was also locked, Adam went to
Alison Stamper, David and Michelle Hebert,
rose in thunderous acclaim for the one man
A few days before he died, he e-
the window. And if he found the window
Anthony Hebert, Michael Schonberger and
who brought them together, the one man
mailed that he was "getting through the
was shut tight and locked, he went
Keith Schonberger; sister and brother-in-law
with the heart of gold."
through the wall."
neck thing" — his euphemism for the
Lynn and Irving Rich of Las Vegas.
In 1995, Mr. Malin initiated a relation-
multiplying tumors — "but it is a chal-
Adam was mourned Friday at services
He was brother of the late Larry Malin,
ship between Temple Beth El and the
lenge. You never know what will occur."
at Ira Kaufman Chapel with Rabbi
the late Jack Malin and the late Ben Malin.
Greater New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church of
That's the way he lived his life, unsure
Joshua Bennett, Cantor Harold Orbach
Interment was at Beth El Memorial Park.
Detroit. The church has since become the
of what was next, but unwilling to set
and Rabbi E. B. (Bunny) Freedman pre-
Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman Chapel.
temple's sister congregation and members
aside his goals.
Contributions may be made to a special
visit each other's services and share a
In the end, we may have taught him
Jonathan Friendly is news editor of the
memorial fund to be established at Temple
Passover seder and other special events.
Jewish News, Jon Hall is a freelance writer in
about journalism, but he taught us about
Beth El.
The church's pastor, Rev. Kenneth
life. We got the better part of the deal.
Ann Arbor.

Editorial Assistant

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6/4
1999