Stand Up And Sing
Temple Israel children's choir,
with more than 100 boys and girls,
gets ready to sing for Chanukah.
Clockwise from far right:
Kathy Lowenthal directs the choir.
Jake Levy, 9, of Bloomfield Hills adds
his voice to the chorus.
Alex Chudler, 11, of Bloomfield Hills
belts out a song.
Chase Basch, 10, of West Bloomfield
sings from the heart.
hen you're anywhere
between 10 and 14 years
old, some things are too
embarrassing to even
consider: Like your mother wearing a
midriff-baring tank top when she
picks you up from school.
Or your father singing along with
the Beach Boys, the radio turned full
volume and the car windows down.
Or your grandmother telling your
friends how you (voluntarily) wore a
Barney costume to your second-grade
birthday party.
Or being part of your temple choir.
Unless you're at Temple Israel,
where something of a modern miracle
has occurred. Because at Temple Israel,
not only is it decidedly not embarrass-
ing to be in the choir — it's down-
right hip. Just ask Julie Lowenthal.
Julie, 10, is both a member of the
Temple Israel choir and the daughter
of the choir director, Kathy
Lowenthal.
"My Mom is so cool," Julie says.
"She teaches us a new song in one day.
She pushes us and she helps us and
she works with us. My Mom makes it
a lot of fun."
Kathy Lowenthal insists it's a team
effort. She credits Temple Israel
Cantor Lori Corrsin ("Without
Cantor Corrsin, this wouldn't have
happened," she says), Educational
Director Fran Pearlman and the con-
gregation's rabbis with making the
choir a success — and its success is
impressive.
Last year the choir, the Shabbat
Singers, comprised 40 children. This
year, it's up to more than 100, set to
sing in a Chanukah service at Temple
Israel this evening, Dec. 12. (See below
for more information) •
"There's nothing more important
for a child than getting this kind of
connection with their synagogue,"
Cantor Corrsin says. "Having a
vibrant Jewish children's choir in this
community has been one of my goals
since coming to Detroit. As one of my
favorite professors in Jerusalem says,
`You are making Jews when children
sing together.'"
SING on page 44
12/12
2003
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