THE DETROIT JEWISH HISTORIC TIMELINE

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orne historical milestones in the
Detroit Jewish experience are
highlighted here. They
represent events and trends that had
lasting impact.
For more information, refer to The
Jews of Detroit by Robert Rockaway
and Harmony & Dissonance: Voices of
Jewish Identity in Detroit, 1914-1967
by Sidney Bolkosky. Both books form
the basis for this timeline, with addi-
tional help from Heidi Christein,
director of the Leonard N. Simons
Jewish Community Archives; the
Temple Beth El archives; Judith Levin
Cantor, past president of the Jewish
Historical Society of Michigan; and
David Gad-Harf and Allan Gale of
the Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit.

S

1850: Bet El Society,
the first Jewish
congregation in
Michigan, is formed.

1850s and 1860s:
Jews begin to establish
significant businesses
and enter civic and
political offices.

■ 1762:

First-known
Jewish settler
arrives in
Detroit and,
over the
decades,
is followed
mostly by
German
Jewish
immigrants.

■

1880:
Detroit's
Jewish
population
reaches
1,000.

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1857: B'nai B'rith organizes
first local chapter.

1861:
Shaarey
Zedek
Society is
established.

1881:
Influx of
Eastern
European
Jews
begins.

N 1889:
The Central
Conference
of American
Rabbis is
founded in
Detroit.

• 1869: Detroit's first centralized
philanthropic agency is formed:
The Gentlemen's Hebrew Relief
Society.

Suzanne Chessler

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Photography
by David Bierkamp

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28

■ 2004-2005 Community Directory

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