Song Of Hope
Troy Shir Tikvah draws congregants
with its special spirit.
RONELLE GRIER
Special to the Jewish News
A
t the core of the Troy-Rochester-Auburn Hills
Jewish community is Congregation Shir
Tikvah, which was founded in 1982 by a small
group of people who saw a need for a Jewish presence
in the residential areas east of Woodward Avenue.
The congregation's original name was the Troy
Jewish Congregation. In 1988, it was changed to Shir
Tikvah, which means Song of Hope.
The congregation continued to hold services in local
churches and other facilities until six years ago when
the synagogue acquired a home of its own on
Northfield Parkway between Coolidge and Crooks.
Nestled in the woods, the new building includes a spa-
cious sanctuary, several classrooms, complete kitchen
facilities, a library and nursery, plus an outdoor
labyrinth and an outdoor sanctuary complete with an
ark in a hollowed tree.
•
Over the years, membership has grown to 350 fami-
lies, who come not only from Troy and Rochester, but
also from surrounding suburbs.
According to Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg or "Rabbi
Arnie," Shir Tikvah's spiritual leader for the last 16
years, the congregation is a combination of Reform
Judaism and Jewish Renewal.
Jewish Renewal is a worldwide, trans-denomination-
al movement grounded in Judaism's prophetic and
mystical (kabbalistic) traditions, which carries forward
Judnism's perpetual process of renewal. It seeks to bring
creativity, relevance, joy and an all-embracing aware-
ness to spiritual practice, and to help heal the world by
promoting justice, freedom, responsibility and caring.
"Many folks feel that our congregation is like an
extended family," said. Rabbi Arnie. "There is an inti-
mate atmosphere and a pervasive spiritual nature.
People are warm and welcoming, and friendships
develop quickly.
Our services are very
eclectic, we draw from all
of the Jewish movements,"
said Rabbi Arnie. "We are
also very participatory.
Instead of a performance
choir, our congregants are
the choir. Music fills the
room as everyone sings
together in full voice.
"We are fairly liberal in
Jason, Laura, oAnne and Dan Levy of Troy at the Shir Tikvah outdoor sanctuary.
our ideology, but pretty tra-
ditional in our practice,"
said Rabbi Arnie. "Much of
Starr," said Rabbi Arnie. "Even though we've grown,
our service is davened, and we find meaning in many
we've
been able to maintain the intimacy that drew us
of the old traditions."
together in the first place."
Longtime members of Shir Tikvah also include real
estate developer and philanthropist Sam Frankel and
Feeling Al Home
his wife, Jean, who endowed the synagogue's Sam and
Founding members Cary and JoAnne Levy found the
Jean Frankel Family Education Program, which pro-
community they were looking for both in Shir Tikvah
vides classes for children from kindergarten through
and in their home city of Troy
seventh grade, plus a continuing program for high
"We had phenomenal. neighbors," said Cary Levy.
school students.
"It was a very cool place to bring up our kids, they
Congregants Dan and Janet Brunell, who own and
learned about diversity and tolerance, and we all
operate a real estate business in downtown Rochester,
gained a lot from being expased to different cultures."
moved from New Jersey to the Rochester area in 1996
The Levy's have two children, Laura and Jason, who
without realizing its Jewish population was so sparse,
were raised in Troy and celebrated their b'nai mitzvah
• but it was a decision they don't regret
at Shir Tikvah. JoAnne is a past president of the syna-
We knew that metro Detroit had a large Jewish
gogue and currently serves as the congregation's
population,"
said Dan Brunell, who also serves as
administrator.
•
treasurer of Shir Tikvah. "We were given the names of
When Shir Tikvah's growth from 100 member fami-
three people to call, and. it turned out that all three of
lies to more than 350 created a need for a second
them were Jewish and lived in Rochester, so we just
rabbi, a comprehensive search culminated in the hiring
assumed it was a predominantly Jewish area."
of Rabbi Aaron Starr, a Troy native who celebrated his
By the time they realized that Rochester was not the
own bar mitzvah at Shir Tikvah (see story below).
"We're all very excited about the addition of Rabbi
SONG OF HOPE on page 19
ome Again
Shir Tikvah's second rabbi returns to synagogue of his youth.
RONELLE GRIER
Special to the Jewish News
ho says you can't go home again? Certainly not
Rabbi Aaron Starr, who officially joins
Congregation Shir Tikvah in Troy this month.
Not only did Rabbi Starr grow up in Troy, but he celebrated
his bar mitzvah at Shir Tikvah under the auspices of Rabbi
Arnie Sleutelberg, who has officiated at the synagogue for the
past 16 years. Rabbi Starr's parents, James and Margie Starr,
who still live in the same part of Troy where they raised their
family, joined Shir Tikvah when it was first established in the
early 1980s.
When I started looking for a position, I realized I was
lqoking for congregational communities that resembled Shir
■
"
4-,
•
Tikvah, in terms of its passion and family-like atmosphere,"
said Rabbi Starr.
When he learned that his home congregation was looking
for a new rabbi because of its recent growth, he immediately
contacted Rabbi Sleutelberg, or "Rabbi Arnie," as he is fondly
known.
"I was debating whether or not it was a good idea to come
back here, and Rabbi Arnie told me I should pick the syna-
gogue where I'd most like to be a member," said Rabbi Starr.
"So here I am."
Margie Starr said she and her husband are "very excited that
he decided to come back to the synagogue where he grew up.
When we first moved to Troy, we planned to stay only a few
years, but once we got involved with Shir Tikvah, we found a
2004
HOME AGAIN on page 18
17