Th.
a fr
u s al sa m At Its Most Basic
WILL To SURVIVE
BROOKDALE
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V't
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2000
14
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from page 12
The Town Hall meeting may not
have yielded the help the congregation
had hoped for, but it did score a new
member — which, after all, is the onl
hope for Beth Isaac's survival.
"There are no roots left in the shul,
not one of our children are members
of Beth Isaac," said Jones, the original
Sunday school teacher. "They either
don't practice, or are members else-
where. That's 10 of the kids we had in
Sunday school who are gone, and
that's only between the four of us."
There are children who belong to
Beth Isaac, but their religious school-
ing needs force their parents to carry
dual memberships.
Barbara and Dario Merlos of New
Boston, members of Beth Isaac for
15 years, also belong to Temple Beth
Emeth in Ann Arbor so their chil-
dren Brian, 9, and Allison, 7, can
receive instruction to become
bar/bat mitzvah.
Last year, Beth Isaac performed one
bar mitzvah and one wedding ceremo-
ny. While no other life-cycle events ar
planned yet for this year, the congre-
gation still gets together for religious
holidays.
During last year's Chanuka gather-
ing, the downstairs social hall was
packed with members, their children
and grandchildren. The congregation's
biggest fund-raiser was a grab bag.
Gifts were wrapped at home, then
auctioned to the crowd.
Many heavy glass bowls were
bought, and the families soon found
that the nicer the wrapping, the
cheaper the gift.
A simple event with lots of laughs
and a crowd filled with children is jus
what the founders envisioned when
they started meeting nearly 50 years
ago. But people have become more
mobile.
"Before World War II, people tend-
ed to settle near their families. A lot
has changed since then," Davis said.
Beth Isaac doesn't need money and
it doesn't need pity. Its members only
need to find a way to continue the
love they have for the congregation
they built, and to ensure its future for
another generation.
"Realistically, we're looking into
how long can we survive," Pick said.
"We can gussy it up for you, but that'
the way it is. We don't knew where to
draw from. If the shul lasts five [more
years, we'd all be surprised."
Shabbat is now over. The members
have gone home. In the sanctuary, the
charred star stands as a reminder of
the past. Now the concern is who will
carry that history into the future? ❑