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SHELLI DORFMAN
Editorial Assistant

T

largest Conservative synagogue, but he
has developed ties with other religious
leaders and is currently president of
the Rabbinical Assembly Michigan
Region, the Conservative rabbis' asso-
ciation.
He was married briefly after he
moved to Detroit, but is now single.
With his square-chinned, elegant and
slightly exotic good looks (imagine
Fernando Lamas as played by Bruce
Willis), he's in much social demand.
Bitran is an enthusiastic skiier,

he day before he became a
United States citizen, Rabbi
Leonardo Bitran stood
before his congregation in
the sanctuary of the Shaarey Zedek
B'nai Israel Center in West
Bloomfield.
As usual, the 39-year-old Chilean-
born spiritual leader of the
Conservative synagogue was a model
of trim, soft-spoken self-con-
trol. His dark beard was neatly
trimmed, his shoes freshly
shined, his tallit (prayer shawl)
well pressed.
And then the tallit slipped
during his sermon. The congre-
gants smiled, catching a
glimpse of the rabbi's unchar-
acteristic necktie — rows of red
and white stripes tapering to a
point of white stars on a blue
background.
Bitran launched into an
explanation of why his becom-
ing an American citizen the
next day would be the formal-
ization of his religious trans-
formation.
Then and in a subsequent
interview, Bitran (bih-TRAN)
talked about growing up in
Chile, the son of a profession-
ally successful but not religious
° home in Santiago. Trained as
an economist, he found that
his Jewish roots were demand-
ing something more of him.
So Bitran enrolled in 1987
at the Jewish Theological
Seminary in New York City,
leaving behind the dictatorship
that he describes as the worst
chapter in Chile's history. It is
ironic, he said, that now that
he is an American, Chile has
restored democracy.
Bitran came to Shaarey
Zedek in July 1992, three
months after his ordination,
He settled into his role as a
congregational rabbi, servicing
members at the B'nai Israel
Center, and participating with
the religious school, nursery
and kindergarten and the syna-
gogue's Jewish Parenting
Center. Bitran has maintained
a relatively low profile in
Rabbi Leonardo Bitran: pledge allegiance..."
Shaarey Zedek, the area's

often taking off on northern Michigan
trips with friends Manny and Sandy
Glazier. Manny Glazier describes his
friend as "a normal guy, who takes off
his rabbi garb," and watches the
Glaziers' sons play hockey.
Glazier said he once told Bitran
that the chair lift could be used on
Shabbat even by the observant because
the rule is if transportation is already
running for others, you can jump on.
The rabbi disagreed.
Bitran said that becoming an
American has increased
his loyalty to Israel;
choosing one over the
other would be like mak-
ing a choice between a
child's love of two par-
ents, he said.
In Chile, he said, he was
a Jewish Chilean. Now, he
said, he is an American
Jew. He enjoys the democ-
racy of a country where he
says, "we can be as Jewish
as we want to be."
He noted the Jewish
influence on much of
American life, including its
food, movies, universities
and politics. That is in
sharp contrast with the
land of his birth, he said,
where most would not rec-
ognize the word "kosher.
Bitran took his Oath of
Allegiance to the United
States in a group ceremo-
ny held on the Fourth of
July in Detroit's Chene
Park. He was surrounded
by hundreds of other
immigrants in an annual
ceremony that, he said, let
him "share the once-in-a-
lifetime experience."
With friends, his
brother and nephew from
Toronto and his Aunt
Pearla Bitran looking on,
Congressman Sandy Levin
shook his hand. His
mother, Cora, a federal
judge who had come up
from Chile, hugged him
and told him that if his
new country is one with
values of freedom and a
lack of discrimination,
then she is happy for him.
But, clearly, not as
happy as he. I 1

,

American
Rabbi

Once a "Jewish Chilean,"
Leonardo Bitran becomes
a U.S. citizen.

7/9
1999

28 Detroit Jewish News

,,

Remember
When • •

From the pages of The Jewish News
for this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.

1989

Nira Lev, associate professor of
Hebrew at Midrasha College of
Jewish Studies, received the commu-
nity's second annual Berman Award
for Outstanding Professional Service.
Israel implemented a new system
to screen Palestinians from the
Gaza Strip wishing to enter the
country, barring those with crimi-
nal or security records.

The Lubavitch Movement in New
York marked the 52nd anniversary of
the liberation of the late Lubavitcher
Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok
Schneerson, from a Soviet prison.
Rabbi Leon Fram was chosen as
the 1979 honoree of the Michigan
Chapter of Magen David Adorn,
the Israel counterpart of the
American Red Cross.

•

••;.'*".4:4

In honor of the birthday of M. Ben
Lewis, his family gave a Torah scroll
to the Nezach Israel synagogue near
Ashkelon, Israel.
A wedding ceremony at Temple
Israel, performed by Rabbi M.
Robert Syme and Cantor Harold
Orbach, joined Sara Bahar, a
Sephardic Jew from Turkey, and
Father Paul Kosnik, a Roman
Catholic priest.

1959

Hans Eiserle, an SS doctor at
Buchenwald, was granted certain
prisoner of war benefits upon his
release from prison, where he had
served seven years for crimes against
humanity.
Michael Mark Tarnow of Oak
Park was the only Michigan Boy
Scout chosen to attend the world-
wide Boy Scout Jamboree in Israel.

1949

Baron Guy de Rothschild was elect-
ed president of the Central
Consistory of French Jewry.
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah became
the largest day school west of New
York, shattering precedents in
American Jewish education.