The
imposing
sanctuary at
the current.
Temple
Beth El.

taken to outside
venues for Jewish
learning and
experiences.
With an eye to
the coming year,
Rabbi Syme says a
primary emphasis
is the Reach For
Hope program,
established with a
grant from the
Jewish Fund. The
purpose is to fight
youth suicide. Its
goal, he says, is "to bring together the
entire Jewish community, starting with
the parents and teachers, in training ses-
sions designed to eliminated youth sui-
cide from the vocabulary of the Jewish
community of Detroit."
An overall focus for the future is a
continuation of "lifelong Jewish edu-

cation from nursery school through
the adult years."
Beth El President Marion Freedman
recalls a December Torah dedication at
the temple when "Rabbi Syme taught
us that a Torah lasts 300 years."
Her hope, based on the continuity
of the Jewish people, is that the tem-
ple's programming and education will
endure past today's children and
grandchildren to their children and
grandchildren.
On the temple's Web site is a
photo of the congregation's building.
Above it, the past, present and future
of Temple Beth El are told in these
words: 'As reflected in the shape of
our sanctuary, Temple Beth El, like
the tent.of our ancestors, is a home
where all may find a place in the pres-
ence of God. Come home to Beth El.
The light is always on." El

Community events , i1 celebration of
Temple Beth El's 150th anniversary:

.

Saturday, May 13, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, May 14, 11:30 a.m.
and 2:30 p.m.: "The Best of Beth El — 150 Years: A

Musical Retrospective" featuring slides and music, present-
ed in the former Beth El building, now the Bonstelle
Theatre, Woodward at Gladstone, Detroit. For ticket infor-
mation, (248) 865-0616, ext. 2.

Saturday, June 24, 7 p.m.: Auction 2000 "Starlight Soiree,"
Temple Beth El. (248) 865-0616.

Thursday, July 20, 10 a.m.: Brotherhood Golf Outing in

memory of Izzy Malin, at Tanglewood Golf Course in
South Lyon. $125/golf and dinner package; $35/dinner
only. For ticket information, call Louis Rose, (248) 865-
4465, or Harvey Goodman, (248) 661-4465.

Saturday, Nov. 11: Gala Anniversary Dinner, Ritz-

Carlton Hotel in Dearborn. For ticket information, call
(248) 865-0616.

See page 20 for a full list of Temple Beth El rabbis

T he Legacy Of

Beth El

M

Rabbi
David
Shapero

ary Shapero, granddaughter of
Rabbi Leo M. Franklin, who
was Temple Beth El's rabbi from
1898-1941 and rabbi emeritus
until his 1948 death, shares the
impact her grandfather- had on the
community through the words of
Dr. Richard C. Hertz, who said:
"He brought standards to the
congregation of pastoral excellence.
He placed Temple Beth El in a
position in the community so that
the rabbi of Temple Beth El, who-
ever he is, is in a leadership role."
Shapero's son is Rabbi David
Shapero, an Orthodox rabbi and
executive director of Ohr
Somayach. She describes him as "a
product of Beth El, who
won prizes including a trip
to Israel, always wanting to
find out more about
Judaism."

Penny Blumenstein, president of the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, recognizes Temple Beth El as
the beginning of the organized Jewish
community of Detroit and admires

how, "150 years later, it's still here."
even attended kinder-
Speaking of the temple's impact on the
garten- at Temple Beth
community, she says, "Their deep roots
El. Ile proudly relates
have given us our deep roots."
how he brought his
She sees the temple as "the base of
wife of almost 50 years
many things, including Federation, with
to his synagogue as
Hebrew Free Loan Association, .the oldest
soon as they were mar-
agency of Federation, existing largely
ried. His 10 Detroit-
because of stalwarts of Beth El." She says
area grandchildren
Rabbi Leo M. Franklin had "the fore-
attend Hebrew school
sight to see the Jewish community need-
at Temple Beth El. All
ed a broader perspective" beyond the syn- Ro bert Canvasser
four of his children
agogue walls, and urged Beth El's leaders
hold Beth El family
to become involved.
memberships, including his son who lives in
She stressed the significance of synagogue
California with his wife, whom he met
leaders becoming communal leaders and vice through Temple Beth El's youth group.
versa, citing Beth El President Marion
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president of the Union
Freedman's involvement with Federation's
Neighborhood Project as a professional exec- of American Hebrew Congregations, repre-
senting 886 synagogues, says as "one of the
utive.
oldest congregations within the movement,
we look at [Beth El], delighted by its extra-
Robert Canvasser, president of Temple Beth
ordinary revival over the last four years.
El from 1969-1973, says, "I grew up there at
What we've seen is a synagogue, always
Woodward and Gladstone," where the syna-
strong, but with
gogue was housed from
renewed rabbinic and
1922-1972. He looks back
lay leadership, bring-
at the temple's "long histo-
ing a whole new
ry of Jewish/Christian rela-
dimension of pro-
tions," such as holding its
gramming and spiri-
first interdenominational
tuality to a wonder-
Thanksgiving service in
ful, exciting and
1902.
dynamic place."
A lifelong member of
the congregation, Canvasser

Penny Blumenstein

Rabbi Eric Yo

4 N

5/12

2000

19