Creating The Sizzle
Aish Detroit moves to bigger offices in Southfield.
SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
StaffWriter
A
fter six years in Birmingham, Aish
Detroit has made a move to Southfield,
to "the crossroads of the city," said Aish
executive director Rabbi Alon Tolwin.
One of 26 full-time branches of Aish HaTorah,
a non-profit, apolitical international network of
Jewish education centers, Aish Detroit's doors are
open to Jews of all backgrounds looking to learn
about their credo of "Why be Jewish?"
With last month's move came more space for
expanding opportunities for Aish Detroit. The
new offices were donated by LoanGiant, whose
owners Jack Wolfe, Howard Babcock and Rob
Silverstein have been involved in the organization
for the last seven years, and who host a weekly
lunch and learn.
"Since Jack, Howard and Rob started learning
with Aish, they have become aggressive partners in
the Jewish community, supporting schools, syna-
gogues and agencies," Rabbi Tolwin said. "I think
they are shining examples to other business leaders
in the metro area of how business can partner
with Jewish education to enhance the spirituality
in our community."
Being inside the large LoanGiant building of
offices affords the organization — and the com-
munity — access to its conference center, a room
that seats 150 people and is wired for high-tech
communications.
"We also have a library room with books and
tapes open to the public for people to stop, browse
and borrow," Rabbi Tolwin said.
Rabbi Tolwin established the Detroit branch of
Aish in 1987, after Rabbi Noah Weinberg found,
ed Aish HaTorah to combat rising assimilation
rates. Rabbi Tolwin was one of his first students.
"Aish creates an alternative to colorless
and tasteless Judaism," Rabbi Tolwin
said. "We sell the sizzle. We create events
for young Jewish families and singles
designed to give them access to the
genius of the Jewish experience. We
empower them to decide 'how Jewish
they want to be' from a position of
knowledge.
The group's programming efforts
range from the festive "Aish Comedy
Night" to the spiritual "Shabbat
Hospitality," a Friday night dinner cele-
bration. Classes include a study of classi-
cal text and the three-times-a-week Aish
HaYoga classes.
Aish Detroit's trademark lunch-and-
learn sessions have grown from one loca-
tion to regular weekly classes about town,
including the longest-running lunch and
learn in the Detroit area — held at the
J ewish News offices each Thursday. Aish
Detroit also has become involved in Aish
HaTorah's SpeedDating phenomenon,
offering Jewish singles the chance to
meet seven individuals for one-on-one
seven-minute mini-dates. Fl
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v ve5, "
104.4,4,
The new address for Aish Detroit is
26500 Northwestern Hwy.,
Suite 280, Southfield, MI 48076.
For information about Aish Detroit
and its programs, call
(248) 936-7200 or access the
Web site at. www.aishd.etroit.com
Rabbi Adam Sofer and Rabbi Alon Tolwin unpack boxes in their new Aish Detroit office.
4/23
2004
59