Spirituality
Road To The Future
Emanu-El boasts new cantor, educator and mosaic donor wall.
Vivian DeGain
Special to the Jewish News
M
embers of Temple Emanu-El
in Oak Park gathered July 29
to dedicate a beautiful mosaic
wall, celebrate the achievements of its
Lech Lecha endowment campaign and to
officially welcome a new cantor and direc-
tor of education.
"This is an exciting time for the temple
and this wall celebrates those achieve-
ments and the commitment of our mem-
bers to a long and bright future:' said
Dolores Galea, synagogue president.
"Tonight we are making history for
Temple Emanu-El:' said Rabbi Joseph
Klein. "The endowment fund was initi-
ated and named Lech Lecha, which means
go to yourself, go for yourself, go forth
— even like Avram goes forward with-
out knowing where he is going, but goes
because God tells him to. This gift means
that we are going forth into our future."
The Lech Lecha Donor Wall is hand-chis-
eled stone some 8 feet by 10 feet. It frames an
original mosaic piece, 6 feet by 4 feet, created
by temple congregants and artists Jo Strausz
Rosen and Mary Gilhuly. The mosaic is com-
posed of 7,000 pieces of hand-cut Van Gogh
and Venetian glass tiles that almost move
with changing daylight. It features three
raised figures set into the background.
Rosen, director of the Detroit Chapter
American Technion Society, conceived
the figures and imagined the family of
Abraham going forth, and connected this
image to the spiritual temple family.
"The people I designed are multi-
dimensional and represent the many sides
of the human psyche and soul;' she said.
"Our temple family is made of differ-
ent configurations of people — tradi-
tional matriarchal and patriarchal systems
— and contemporary families comprised
of a variety of people, friends, lovers, sib-
lings and grandparents who live together
not always in traditional ways. I visualized
people walking toward the future, some
Glenn Liebowitz of Farmington Hills, Don
Cohen of Oak Park and Elaine Driker of
Detroit spearheaded the Lech Lecha
endowment campaign.
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41
alone, others touching hands, and still oth- piece for the community that means so
ers ahead in lines that blur past and future, much to my family. I know every family
existing as a moment in time. I hope these
named on this wall."
representations bring inspiration to our
Members Don Cohen, Bruce Gordon,
temple for years:' Strausz Rosen said.
Elaine Driker and Glenn Liebowitz spear-
Gilhuly, owner of a graphic and design
headed the Lech Lecha endowment cam-
business in Oak Park, designed the mosaic paign.
background, hand-cut all the tiles and cre-
"Work began in 1994:' Liebowitz said.
ated the mosaic.
"Our board had identified some tough
"I studied the text of Lech Lecha and
financial obstacles. We knew that we need-
visualized a dramatic backdrop that would . ed to foster a culture of endowment giving
incorporate God's promises to Abraham `to
in order to sustain our community."
make his descendants more numerous than
Driker said her commitment to making
the stars in the heavens and the grains of
this fund possible grew from her deep con-
sand at his feet," she said."I wanted the sky nection to Temple Emanu-El, where her two
and landscape to reflect both the promise
children completed their religious school
and the challenge facing Abraham!'
and life-cycle events and where her five
Gilhuly estimated the mosaic took three grandchildren are doing the same today.
intensive months to complete in her stu-
"As I look at this magnificent work
dio. She began her work while recovering
of art, I am thinking about all the good
from shoulder surgery.
things that come to those who wait:'
"I loved it:' she said. "I am honored to
Driker said. "The wall is beautiful beyond
have been chosen to create this lasting
all our expectations." ❑
Congregants Mary Gilhuly of Oak
Park and Jo Strausz Rosen of West
Bloomfield are the artists behind the
donor wall.
Vivian DeGain is a member of Temple Emanu-El.
New Cantor Joins Emanu-El
C
antor Darcie Sharlein, a recent
graduate of Hebrew Union
College-Jewish Institute of
Religion, School of Sacred Music in New
York, joins Temple Emanu-El as its full-
time cantor.
Rabbi Joseph Klein said she is the only
HUC-trained and invested cantor serving
a congregation in Michigan.
"Cantor Sharlein's warm personality and
gentle spirit have already endeared her to
us:' Klein said. "I look forward to sharing
the bima with her."
Sharlein will become an important part
of the educational staff, working with all
ages, including adults.
"Temple Emanu-El prayer services are
warm, welcoming and truly a community
event:' Sharlein said. "I believe my role is
to be a facilitator of prayer and make the
worship experience meaningful for each
person who comes into our sanctuary.
The subtext is that I am trying to forge
moments of connection. By choosing
melodies that speak to the words of our
prayers, and praying myself, I help con-
gregants connect even more deeply to our
sacred texts ... and to the Divine."
Temple Emanu-El was committed to
bringing a full-time, invested cantor to its
Cantor on page A28
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August 7 • 2008
A27