Opinion
Dry Bones PaR oN
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TO SLIP INTO
GAZA FROM
EGYPT
Editorial
Kol Ami's Vision
H
eadlines draw attention to
Temple Kol Ami's expansion
plans, which include an on-site
religious school for the first time and a
larger social hall. In the interest of eco-
Judaism, the ambitious building project
is certified green, or environmentally
responsible.
But the bigger story is how this 425-
family congregation that gathers in the
long shadows of four larger synagogues
not only has survived 41 years amid a
declining local Jewish population, but
also modestly prospered to the point of
tackling a $5 million "We're Good to Grow"
campaign, let alone breaking ground Dec.
9 on Phase I (classrooms and an office
wing). Projections call for $4 million for
construction and $1 million for an endow-
ment.
It's the story of a little synagogue that
could — and did.
Founding Rabbi Ernst Conrad must
be beaming with how far his successor,
Norman Roman, has taken the congrega-
tion, born in the ferment of the human
rights drama of the 1960s, from civil
rights to women's rights to the anti-war
movement. Rabbi Roman, who arrived
from Temple Beth El in Bloomfield
Township 22 years ago, has built a loyal
following within his congregation and
has gained the respect of many Jews and
the interfaith community outside of his
congregational family. Cantor Kat Hastings
joined Kol Ami in July 2006 and has
enriched the synagogue with her music.
The new religious school will secure
the temple's standing with young families,
always the standard for a synagogue that
wants to grow. Kol Ami leaders are smart
enough to realize if you don't self replen-
ish your membership, you risk a withering
congregation.
Classes for the current enrollment of
165 kids have gone well in nearby rented
space. But there's something special about
having youthful learning going on within
the temple walls — about having kids
in the building on days other than when
there is a bar or bat mitzvah. The new-
found knowledge echoes and reinforces
Kol Ami as a special place for families.
Congregants view Kol Ami as unabash-
edly progressive. They aren't afraid to
acknowledge their inclusive, inviting
approach to religious beliefs and ethnicity.
While Kol Ami chose modest expansion,
its Reform neighbors up and down Walnut
Lake Road — Temple Shir Shalom and
Temple Israel — were able to grow more
quickly. With a mildly more proactive
IN HOPES THAT IT
WILL KEEP THE
CRAZIES FROM
DECIDING
TO SLIP INTO
EGYPT FROM
GAZA!
O
DryBonesBlog.com
approach, Kol Ami could have secured a
broader membership base, and the addi-
tional financial stability that comes from
it, sooner.
Still, Temple Kol Ami's building expan-
sion will give Jewish Detroit a glimpse at a
vibrant congregation. It may have often
flown below the communal radar, but it
now has the opportunity to showcase a
capable clergy, a committed and diverse
membership base and a vision for the
future. E
Reality Check
Compulsion In Cleveland
E
very so often a man hears a call,
compelling and Clear, that tells
him unmistakably what he has to
do. That call came through for me late last
month. It told me to get to a Cheesecake
Factory.
These restaurants have attained a cult
status among a great many people in
Michigan. Because you always treasure
most the things you cannot have.
Many of us first encountered one of
these restuarants on a trip to a warm
place, maybe California or Arizona or
Florida. For Sherry and me, it was during
a stay in the Marina del Rey area of Los
Angeles in 1991. A Factory was right down
the block from our hotel and, when we got
in late and didn't feel like taking on the
freeways, we walked over.
We went back for lunch the next day
and two more dinners. I was ecstatic when
I learned that it was a chain and came
home to Michigan anticipating the day
when they would arrive here.
Still, as you well know, waiting.
I have heard a thousand sto-
ries why. The founder, who grew
up in northwest Detroit, carries
a grudge against his hometown.
Or there is a family feud or a
family trust involved — and
aren't they usually the same
thing?
I thought it could be a reluc-
tance to locate in this part of the
country, but when they started popping
up in Ohio I knew that was wrong. During
the holidays, the separation anxiety
became acute. I went online and found
that the closest Cheesecake Factory is
located in Westlake, Ohio, in the western
suburbs of Cleveland. It is 172 miles away,
or about two and a half hours by car.
"I think we should drive down there for
lunch:' I told my wife. "I think you've lost
it:' she responded in her winning fashion.
But a man's got to do what a
man's got to do. I finally per-
suaded her to make the drive
with me.
With no road construe
tion and no schools in ses-
sion, it was an easy trip. We
left at 8:30 in the morning
and by 11 a.m. we were
turning off Interstate 90 on
Crocker Road. This Factory
is located in a development
called Crocker Park, one of those outdoor
malls configured to look like a traditional
downtown. The restaurant didn't open for
another half hour and I favored standing
right at the front door until they let us in.
Sherry, however, wanted to explore the
shops.
It was a pleasant day for late December,
a nice time for strolling outdoors. But at
11:25 I started getting nervous. "We'd bet-
ter get over there before the rush:' I said.
"What rush?" answered Sherry "There's
hardly anyone here
Nonetheless, we walked in at 11:30 and
were the second table seated. It was all
that I could have wanted, with the bright
interior pillars that resemble hallucino-
genic mushrooms and a menu as thick as
a Dickens novel.
Sherry had the Chinese chicken salad, I
had the fish tacos and we shared a gener-
ous piece of oreo cheesecake. Then we got
in the car and drove home.
Maybe others took more exciting
vacation trips over the holidays. Maybe
others dined at Michelin establishments
or cruised the Caribbean. But I'll guar-
antee that no one ever enjoyed a trip to
Cleveland more than I did. I'd like to say
the same for Sherry, but she has abstained
from that vote.
George Cantor's e-mail address is
gcantor614@aoLcom.
„IN
January 10 • 2008
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