Clockwise:
Shir Tikvah's new outdoor sanctuary where
benches are hand carved from fallen trees and
tree trunks.
A hollowed tree trunk serves as the Ark of the
Covenant.
Rabbi Arnie, in the midst of the new sanctuary.
Shir Tikvah
to dedicate outdoor
sanctuary as a spiritually
uplifting memorial.
LISA FEIN
Special to the Jewish News
A
long-awaited dream has come true for Rabbi
Arnie Sleutelberg and Congregation Shir
Tikvah. They have completed construction
of their new outdoor sanctuary
At noon Saturday, June 24, a loving son and
brother, Richard Coskey, will dedicate this gift from
nature in memory of Leo A. Coskey and Dr. Ralph
J. Coskey.
.
"Words cannot express the beauty of this extraor-
dinary space," says Rabbi Sleutelberg. "It is an amaz-
ing, holy place where you feel God's spiritual pres-
ence in nature."
The sanctuary is nestled in the woods, in a clearing
in the forest behind the Troy synagogue. A hollowed-
out maple tree serves as the Ark of the Covenant,
where the Torah scroll is kept. The aisle and bima are
of blue cobblestone, in the shape of a kiddush cup
that symbolizes celebration. Seating is made of native
Michigan timber, hand carved from fallen trees and
tree trunks. A country lane winds from the main
building to the outdoor sanctuary. And a mezuza
from a 900-year-old oak tree from Jerusalem adorns
two trees that form the "sanctuary gates."
The sanctuary was one year in the making by a
team of dedicated volunteers.
Rochester Hills' Dena Scher, a founding member
of the 17-year-old congregation and head of design-
ing the outdoor sanctuary,
said, "We were looking for
distinctive seating. I visited
the Detroit Zoo and wanted
to use the benches used in
the chimpanzee display. After
making many phone calls, a
person was found in Royal
Oak who makes benches out of fallen trees. We
went with his work. We also went on the Internet
and ordered some benches with backs and arms."
In addition to wood, the planners wanted to use
rocks. Scher visited a quarry across from the Pontiac
Silverdome and chose some distinctive ones with
pink and green running through them. They were a
coup to obtain. "I was told that the owner would
never give those boulders up," she said. "They were
in his personal rock collection."
In addition to Scher and Rabbi Sleutelberg,
Diane Katz of Bloomfield Hills, Rohn Goldman of
Huntington Woods, Carolyn Davidson of Rochester
Hills and the Coskey family of Bloomfield Hills
helped bring the congregation's dream to life.
Michael Bernstein of Troy and Richard
Lemanek of Bloomfield Hills, members of Shir
Tikvah's landscape committee, helped clear the
area and path. Other volunteers assisted.
"When the benches were completed," Scher said,
"they were very heavy and we were not sure how to
move them. We asked some fathers, picking up their
children from Sunday school, to help.
Thanks to their assistance, we were able to
set up the seats in 15 minutes."
sA01111*----
Richard Coskey, a five-year member of
Shir Tikvah, was struck by the
opportunity to build and dedicate
the special sanctuary. "My input is
taking two quiet contributors to
our community — my father and
brother — and remembering
them.
"It will be long-term recognition
for them. I wanted something qui-
etly done, not showy. The dedica-
tion will be for the children, the
youth, for future generations, and
to fulfill Rabbi Arnie's dream to be
able to pray outdoors."
Coskey added, "I have seen
the finished sanctuary and it is
unbelievable. I have been to
outdoor retreats in Malibu,
California, but I have seen
nothing like this. I was glad
that I was able to aid Rabbi
Arnie in this way."
The sanctuary already has been
used for a bar mitzvah, a wedding
and a National Federation of
Temple Youth service for teens.
Shir Tikvah's Josh Scafe, 16, of
Rochester Hills attended the NFTY
service, hosted by his synagogue
youth group. The self-described
"nature person" enjoyed the set-
ting. "It was not stuffy as it sometimes is when indoors
for services," Josh said. "I relate it to Mount Sinai and
to historical Judaism — being open and free."
In this place, Josh added, "it is a chance to see
how God blesses nature with the trees, birds and
sun, and they are all right there. You get a different
feeling. It is a truer sanctuary. You can feel God in
the sanctuary and really see what God created."
According to Congregation President Marla
Scafe, Josh's mother, Congregation Shir Tikvah
began 17 years ago holding services in Troy area
churches. For the first few years, the 25 founding
members led services. Rabbi Sleutelberg has been
the full-time rabbi since 1988. In 1997, to
accommodate the growing membership, congre-
gants built the current synagogue building on
Northfield Parkway.
Shir Tikvah now has 308 member families.
"It has always been the rabbi's dream to have a syna-
gogue in the woods," Scafe said. The new space "fulfills
this dream of having a place to have an outdoor service
or to meditate when a service is not occurring."0
6/23
2000
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