o Was Adolph LIchmann... Does He Matter Tocia9? Wednesday May 13th 7:30 p.m. The Trick Of Guiding from page A25 The Rabbi David and Alicia ,Aelson Legacy Fund proudly presents Dr. Deborah LiPstadt, eminent Holocaust historian, as the speak-erjb for its inaugural program. She will present a 50-_year perspective on the capture and trial of Adolph Eichmann. The Fund was created to continue Rabbi Nelson's legacy of service to his congregation, and the community. This event is open to the community. Tickets: $10/advance, $15/at the door. For infonnation call 248-547-7970 or send a check to: Reservations: Legacy Event Congregation Beth Shalom 14601 West Lincoln Road Oak Park, Michigan 4823 7 Jewish . Federation David and Howard Jacobson and Steve Swartz invite you to tour • Featuring 1 & 2 Bedroom apartments for those aged 55+ • Beautifully landscaped grounds •:Social activities and events • Utilities included with rent • Balconies with great neighborhood views Visit us today! (248) 399-9300. 2345 Oxford Located just North of 11 Mile and East of Coolidge CELEBRATE YOUR BAR / BAT MITZVAH AT THE CENTERT Whether it's a formal gathering for 150 or a grand celebration for 800 guests, The Center is the perfect place to celebrate your child's special day! Ford Community & Performing Arts Center 15801 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI (313)943-2381 www.dearbornfordcenter.com April 16 2009 Spirituality . LEGACY r(JND A26 I often taking his family on vacation trips in a large recreation vehicle with no idea of where they were going. He thrilled the neighborhood kids by giving them rides in an antique fire engine. He really took Oslo by storm, serving hot dogs and salami to world leaders and throwing the biggest Fourth of July party in the his- tory of the U.S. Embassy. The elder Hermelin, who had the uncanny ability of being able to attend three or four meetings in the same evening, served on several Shaarey Zedek committees, mainly on educa- tion, before moving up the ladder to the presidency in 1983-85. "I want to resonate with our close to 1,700 member families and our employees in the same way:' said the younger Hermelin. Looking Ahead "Being president of a synagogue is a huge responsibility, and Brian's a busy man, but I'm sure he'll carry on the Hermelin tradition and do a great job at Shaarey Zedek," said his mother, Doreen Hermelin of Bingham Farms. "He's very capable and he has youth on his side. It seems that synagogue presidents are a lot younger than they were years ago. My four daughters also have followed our lead and are very active in the Jewish communities of New York, Los Angeles and the Detroit area:' Rabbi Emeritus Irwin Groner of Shaarey Zedek noted, "David would have been proud to know that Brian is continuing the family tradition of dedi- cation to Shaarey Zedek. I've observed Brian since his childhood and he has matured into a fine young man, dem- onstrating leadership qualities in the world of business and at Shaarey Zedek. I'm confident he'll meet the serious challenges that will confront him and his officers, and they will serve the con- gregation well." Hermelin emphasized that the syna- gogue has made changes in several areas recently and others are on the way. "A major positive change has been starting Shabbat services at 9 a.m. in the small chapel with Torah study, then moving to the main sanctuary at 10 a.m. for bar and bat mitzvahs, followed by a complimentary luncheon',' he said. "We've received a lot of feedback on all of this and we're still tweaking the format. "We're accelerating our 'youth move- ment' with one of the youngest rabbin- ate teams in the nation, reaching out to young families. There's a great deal of friendship and camaraderie among them. But we still involve members and generations of all ages in our program- ming. We even have a inter-generational planning committee to give input on programs." Money Management Shaarey Zedek's financial situation is not as rosy. The synagogue is feeling the pinch of the state's poor economy "We rely a lot on our endowment investments, which, of course, are down, and we have a deficit in general; we've implemented budgetary con- straints, and we had to lay off some of the office staff;' Hermelin said. "There's no doubt we could use more money, so we continue with our funding efforts, such as our annual fundraising event in the fall honoring various members." "But in deference to the tough economy,' he added, "we will not raise dues this year; nor do we plan to build on land we own in Novi. Our Southfield campus is the largest Jewish 'room' in the area and continues to play an important role in hosting synagogue events and major Jewish community programs." Helping Hermelin get through the difficult times will be "my strong offi- cer team" of Steve Margolin of West Bloomfield, first vice president; Mary Knoll of Farmington Hills, second vice president, and Jonathan Aaron and Larry Nemer, both of Bloomfield Hills, treasurer and secretary, respectively "They've already made many con- tributions to the synagogue and have indicated a continuing commitment into the future," said Hermelin. Rest Of The Story Hermelin is extremely active in the community in many other ways, serv- ing on several Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit committees, on the board of Detroit's Children's Hospital of Michigan and with other organizations and charities. A staunch Democrat like his parents, Hermelin has held fundraisers at his home for now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and others. He met with then presidential candidate Barack Obama at a private gathering of supporters in downtown Detroit last fall. Hermelin lives in a home built in 1850 by land developer David Bingham. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three chil- dren: Max, 12; Isobel, 10, and David, 6. "Becoming president of Shaarey Zedek is a big commitment and these are challenging times:' Hermelin asserted, "but we're going to roll up our sleeves and get to work." And he'll be trying to perform some of that old Hermelin magic. LI