"Rabbi Loss always, always has a posi-
tive outlook on life Kaluzny said. "I like to
say that he teaches people how to see the
world through `Loss-colored lenses."
Temple Israel's Cantorial Soloist Neil
Michaels described his first meeting
with Loss: being welcomed "with all of
the warmth, charm and humor of an old
friend."
Important to Rabbi Hornsten are the
"many lessons that Rabbi Loss has taught
me through his leadership and friendship
about being present to the moment.
"I love that he maintains an open-door
policy': she said.
Outside of the synagogue, Loss is past
president of the West Bloomfield Clergy
Association and the Michigan Board of
Rabbis and a member of the Rabbinic
Cabinet of the United Jewish Appeal. He
serves on Federation's Hermelin-Davidson
Center for Congregational Excellence com-
mittee.
In 2008, the Losses were honored
by their children's alma mater, Hillel
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit in
Farmington Hills.
Importance Of Synagogue
Three years running — 2007, 2008 and
2009 — Loss's name was included in
Newsweek magazine's list of "50 Most
Influential Rabbis in America" as rabbi
of the largest Reform congregation in
America, with more than 12,000 members.
Loss once referred to Temple Israel
— founded in Detroit in 1941 by Rabbi
Fram and in West Bloomfield since 1980
— as "the largest small congregation in
America," indicating the relationships
between clergy and the congregation.
"Rabbi Loss can sit down on the floor
with little children and go to meetings
with adolescents': Finsilver said. "He has
an ability to be with anyone and to relate
to everybody. He senses who, in a room,
needs him, and goes to sit and talk with
that person. He doesn't understand how
important he is.
"And he is almost as accessible to the
entire Jewish community as he is to mem-
bers at Temple Israel. If someone doesn't
have a rabbi, he's there for them."
David Tisdale said, "He has helped so
many families in times of need. Most of
the time, no one even knows about it."
"With Rabbi Loss,
it's not all about
Temple as an
institution;
it's about the
people and the
legacy of having
Temple Israel here
years from now."
- Temple President Stanley Finsilver
Pillars Of The Temple on page 16
June 24 • 2010
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