Community Balabusta
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
IdE
y mother and Aunt Helen — not tall
women — stood on step stools in the
kitchen," recalled former Detroiter
Rabbi. Joel Roth, "stirring large pots of cabbage
for Simchat Torah." The extended family shared
a Detroit duplex and lifetime bonds.
Helen Weiss stirred more than cabbage in
Detroit's Jewish community and at Congregation
B'nai Moshe. Rabbi Roth's remembrance this
week came at Mrs. Weiss' funeral at Ira Kaufman
Chapel. Mrs. Weiss, 93, died Sept. 16, 2004, in
Sacramento, Calif., where she had lived the past
two years.
A native of Hungary, she and her family natu-
rally gravitated to B'nai Moshe, the "Hungarian
shul," after they came to Detroit when she was
10.
Her commitment to the synagogue and Jewish
causes was renowned. She was a past president of
the Greater Detroit Chapter of Hadassah, an
officer of the Michigan Branch of the Women's
League for Conservative Judaism and a founder
with her husband, Ben, of the Detroit Friends of
the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
Rabbi Roth is a former chair of the Committee
on Jewish Law and Standards at the Conservative
seminary in New York City.
Mrs. Weiss was an ardent supporter of Israel
and, according to Rabbi Roth, president of the
B'nai Moshe Sisterhood for more years than I
could easily count."
A graduate of Detroit Northeastern High
School, where she also took college-level business
classes, Helen Moskovitz of Detroit met Ben
Weiss of Chicago at a cousin's wedding. She was
Roth, "but her love was
never in doubt." That love
included returning from
trips to New York with 30
the maid of honor; he was the best man.
men's suits for family,
They married in 1937 and, together,
friends and acquaintances
founded Machinery Liquidating Co. in
down on their luck. It
Detroit in 1945 and later Industrial
included bringing people
Rental Service.
into the family business
They were instrumental in supplying
until they could get on
materials to the emerging State of Israel
their feet and go out on
and shipped a gear manufacturing plant
their own.
to Ashkelon to build motor vehicles.
B'nai Moshe's Rabbi
Her family recalled receiving a letter
Elliot Pachter said the
from Helen during one of her and Ben's
Weisses were always active
earliest visits to Israel. Helen warned
members of the syna-
Helen Weiss
them she would be bringing home no
gogue
oaue and the communi-
gifts from the trip because the needs in
ty, "leaders in good times
Israel were too great to be spending money on
and during times of transition."
presents.
Mrs. Weiss is survived by her sons and daugh-
Lifelong B'nai Moshe member Dr. Edward
ters-in-law, Calvin and Carolyn Weiss of
Klarman of Southfield recalled, "Helen Weiss
Farmington Hills, Daniel and Elena Weiss of
and [her cousin] Esther Roth [Rabbi Roth's
Sacramento; grandchildren, Paul and Ruth Ann
mother] were the foundation of every event at
Weiss, Eric Weiss, Matthew and Niloufar Weiss,
B'nai Moshe. You need food prepared? Call
Steven Weiss, Kendall Weiss, Shelby Weiss; great-
Helen." For part of that time, Ben Weiss served
grandchildren, Connor Benjamin Weiss, Anya
as the congregation president.
Barbara Weiss; brother, Sidney Moss of
"Her commitment to a long list of institu-
California.
tions," said Rabbi Roth, "paled in comparison to
She was the beloved wife of the late Benjamin
her commitment to family." But her definition of Weiss.
"family" included everyone she came in contact
Interment was at Workman's Circle Cemetery.
with
Contributions may be made to Congregation
Son Daniel, president of the Jewish Federation
B'nai Moshe, 6800 Drake, West Bloomfield, MI
of the Sacramento Region, told the funeral atten
48322; Mosaic Law Congregation, 2300 Sierra
dees that he sometimes wondered as a child "if
Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95825; Jewish Federation
my mom was just a pushy woman. But no one
of Sacramento Region, 2351 Wydaway,
seemed to mind because of her kind, warm
Sacramento, CA 95825; Jewish Theological
heart." Everyone was her friend, said Daniel, and Seminary of America, 3080 Broadway, New
everyone would hear advice from the "blond gen- York, NY 10027; or Hadassah, 5030 Orchard
eral," as Ben called her after she began dying her
Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48323.
prematurely graying black hair.
Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
"She could be a tough cookie," said Rabbi
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