100 Years of

Temple Beth El
Sisterhood
The Race Of
A Lifetime

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Hadassah Lieberman speaks of her husband's
national campaign at dinner marking Beth El
Sisterhood's 100 years.

Members of sisterhood during the early 1900s.

campaign staff and Secret Service
detail had ever met, she said, and
they weren't used to putting a
national campaign on hold every
he can still draw a crowd.
She
week for the Sabbath.
Lieberman,
Lieberman told of Secret Service
wife of U.S. Sen. Joseph
agents sitting next to her, wearing
Lieberman, D-Conn, joined
kippot and sunglasses, and walking
350 people during a dinner cele-
to and from shul to go to services.
brating the 100th anniversary of the
Thirty-five days after the election,
Temple Beth El Sisterhood on Oct.
after "we floundered
17.
along with the rest of
After dinner, she
the country'," the
spoke of the past elec-
result was finally
tion, when her hus-
decided, and the les-
band was the running
son was evident, she
mate of Democratic
said. "Those 35 days
presidential candidate
brought more people
Al Gore, to .a crowd of 3.
into the voting
well over 500 in the
process."
main sanctuary.
During a short
She told a story of
question-and-answer
the dizzying pace of a
period, she brushed
national election. It
off thoughts of her
began with the first
husband running for
announcement of can-
president.
didacy and the hoard
Hadassab Lieberman
"We're not think-`
of press camped out-
ing in terms of a
side their Connecticut
nomination. Right
home, and ended 35
now, we're _good, we're fine and we'll
days after the election when the
take our time."
courts agonized over the closest
I applaud all the work that you
election in American history.
do
through Sisterhood," she said.
"The intensity was met by one
"It's just so important for us all to
saving grace," she said. "From sun-
be strong, and positive and affirma-
down Friday to sundown Saturday-,
tive, and to really be involved in
we celebrated Shabbat."
tikkun olam, repairing the world
The Liebermans were the first
together."
Orthodox Jews that many of the

HARRY KIRSBAUM

Staff Writer

■

Legacy
Continues

Celebrating 100 years of
Beth El's Sisterhood.

s

isterhood had its start on Nov. 26, 1901, when Rabbi
Leo M. Franklin began the "Women's Auxiliary of
Temple Beth El." Lottie Sloman was the organiza-
tion's first president.
During sisterhood's early years, the group raised substantial
sums of money in times of need, especially for the 1922 con-
struction of Temple Beth El's Woodward and Gladstone
Temple. This function of sisterhood continues to this day.
The welfare of the community at large was, and remains,
of vital concern to sisterhood members. An outstanding
example of this kind of service took place during the two
world wars, when Temple Beth El's Red Cross unit was the
largest and most productive among all of the churches and
synagogues in Detroit.
In addition, sisterhood founded, and continues to support,
a Braille bindery.
In the late 1940s, a sisterhood pamphlet introduced the
congregation to the group's philanthropic work. This brought
a surge of new members.
The list of active committees since the 1950s shows that
sisterhood's concerns have turned increasingly in the direc-
tion of social consciousness.
When the issue of race relations swept the country in the
wake of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, the organiza-

10/26,

2001

57

