THE IRA KAUFMAN CHAPEL

A LEGACY OF COMPASSION

munity, Herbert places the utmost importance on the family part of the
family business. "As a new century begins, I can only imagine my father's
pride as the fourth generation of our family stands ready to continue the
verlooking the lobby of The Ira Kaufman Chapel is a portrait
proud legacy my dad started 60 years ago."
of Ira himself. For those fortunate enough to know him per-
Between Herbert, his two sons-in-law, David Techner and Otto Dube,
sonally, and those who knew of him by reputation, Ira's image
and his daughter, Ilene Kaufman Techner, the Ira Kaufman Chapel has
still evokes sentiments such as class, dignity and compassion.
become woven into the very fabric of Jewish metro Detroit.
Although familiar to the entire community during his stewardship of one
David, who was mentored by Ira, has become especially ingrained in the
of Detroit's best known Jewish institutions, little was known of Ira's hum-
community. His work with children, particularly, has been invaluable in
ble background as a match salesman, milkman and hardware store owner.
bringing a sense of comfort and
From that beginning, few would
trust to children facing the loss of
suppose that the business he creat-
a loved one. Author, spokesman
ed would ultimately embrace the
and leader, David has taught
essence of 21st century technolo-
many generations about the cele-
bration of life, which is the
gY.
Ira Kaufman's legacy changed
covenant of the Jewish funeral
at the suggestion of a colleague
tradition.
who noticed his innate ability to
In 1999, David teamed with
make friends and put people at
Academy Award-winning film-
ease. The friend, who happened
maker Sue Marx to produce
to be a funeral director, knew of
"Generation to Generation:
Ira's love of Judaism and his calm-
Jewish Families Talk about
ing nature in a profession that
Death." The film was seen on
placed an emphasis on compas-
PBS by more than 20 million
sion. With his encouragement,
viewers. "Generation to
Ira entered night school to earn
Generation" has received national
his license.
acclaim, earning a Golden Eagle
Shortly afterwards, The Ira
award for best documentary and a
Kaufman Chapel was established
Silver Wold Medal at the New
in 1940. Originally housed in a
York International Film Festival
two-story flat on Dexter
for Best Documentary on human
Boulevard, the chapel produced
relations.
astounding growth in a number of
Otto, likewise, is committed
services and also stature within the
to reaching out to the communi-
Jewish community.
ty. He has been an advisor to
The Ira Kaufman philosophy
youth organizations and B'nai
from the very beginning was dig-
B'rith for more than two decades.
hanie
Techner
review
The
Ira
Kaufman
Herbert Kaufman and granddaughter Step
nity, understanding and respect,
Coming from Tucson, a retire-
Chapel Web site.
exemplified by Ira s insistence on
ment community, Otto brought
being available at all times of the
to The Ira Kaufman Chapel his experience in developing respected pre-
day and night throughout the week of shiva and beyond. Ira was often
need and pre-arrangement programs.
seen at a family's home during a minyan, as a leader and a friend. His
Ilene saw further opportunity to support the community through her
presence was his commitment towards insuring that the needs of these
AfterCare Services, a model program she created to aid those who desired
families were always served. These beliefs remain the mainstay of the
to reach out to their families beyond the funeral. Without consideration
chapel's commitment to the community.
of where, or even if, a funeral was conducted, Ilene has been instrumental
Sustained growth made it necessary to seek more spacious quarters.
in finding solutions to troubling situations for the bereaved. There is no
With an eye to the future, The Ira Kaufman Chapel selected its current
charge for this, the most comprehensive after care program anywhere.
address in Southfield and the landmark 26,000 square foot facility con-
Modern technology has increased the chapel's reach. Through the cre-
structed in the early 1960s is still a model of efficiency today.
ation of an informational and educational Web;site, those interested can
After spending 20 years on Dexter, and now 40 years on Nine Mile
learn fascinating and useful facts about Jewish funeral customs and prac-
Road, questions of a new site are often raised. However, being situated
tices, as well as the complete scope of services the chapel has to offer. The
near every street and highway connecting metro Detroit and just minutes
site is programmed to provide visitors information such as funeral times,
away from the prominent Jewish cemeteries (which are not moving), the
directions to a Shiva home, the family's preference for charitable contribu-
chapel is still in an ideal location.
tions and other details for their convenience.
It is that six decades of compassion that enables The Ira Kaufman
Connecting with families on a personal basis led to "Kever Avot, The
Chapel to uphold its relationship with the community. Ira Kaufman
Graves of our Ancestors," which earned an award by the UAHC for excel-
Chapel remains family owned and independent even though more than 50
lence in new programming for social action. Kever Avot arranges for sen-
percent of all Jewish funerals in the United States in 1999 were conducted
iors to visit the graves of their relatives prior to the High Holy Days.
by corporate-owned funeral homes. The chapel has always answered to the
The future of The Ira Kaufman Chapel is rooted in its past. There is no
individual families they serve, not to a board of directors or shareholders.
question that the 21st century will see just as much involvement, dedica-
That is not an option available to those serving the corporate funeral
tion, concern, respect, comfort and support from this family business,
giants.
ensuring the chapel's close ties with Detroit's Jewish community will
Herbert Kaufman has been involved since the 1950s and upholds the
endure and grow.
ideals that his father embraced. A visible member of Detroit's Jewish corn-

A family business serving families for 60 years.

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2001

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