Special Report

ALL ABOUT FAMILY I ON THE COV

Pillars Of
The Temple

Temple Israel celebrates
Rabbi Harold and Susan Loss for their
years of dedication and leadership.

SheIli Liebman Dorfman

Senior Writer

I

f you look at Rabbi Harold Loss'
schedule at Temple Israel, constantly
running from baby-namings to
funerals to hospital visits, you would
imagine him as someone who has 250,000
miles on his car — but who doesn't really
go anywhere," said his friend and commu-
nity leader David Techner.
"And yet," Techner added. "He's every-
where:'
Rabbi Jennifer Kaluzny, Loss's colleague
at the West Bloomfield synagogue, said, "I
am convinced there is more than one of
him. Amazingly, he attends his children's
and grandchildren's events in three states,
visits with his parents in yet another state,
and is by the side of innumerable congre-
gants at simchahs and in sadness — all
with a pep in his step."
"He is the consummate 24/7 rabbi:' said
Temple Israel Executive Director David
Tisdale. "He seems to have more hours in
his days than most. It's never too early and
never too late; and its never an imposition
if he's called upon by someone who needs
him. Somehow, he has managed to be an
incredible husband, father, grandfather,
colleague and friend, and the spiritual
leader to almost 3,400 families, all at
once."

A Special Celebration
This Shabbat, many of those impacted
by Loss and his wife, Susan, throughout
their 40 years at Temple Israel will come
together to celebrate the milestone as well
as the rabbi's recent 65th birthday. They

14

June 24 • 2010

will gather at a community-wide outdoor
Kabbalat Shabbat service beginning at
7:30 p.m. on Friday, June 25, at Temple
Israel.
Born in New York and raised in Florida,
Loss — whose family includes 18 gen-
erations of rabbis — has served at the
Reform synagogue in West Bloomfield his
entire professional life.
He came to the congregation shortly
after receiving rabbinic ordination at
Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of
Religion in Cincinnati in 1971. He received
a doctor of divinity degree from the
school in 1996.

A Selfless Gift
"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:' said synagogue President
Stanley Finsilver.
"All I wanted for my birthday, and all I
want to commemorate our 40 years here,
is to secure Temple Israel: Loss said. "We
have the same number of families today
as we did at our height and that's with a
diminished Jewish population in Detroit.
I want us to be able to ensure that and to
keep our programming going to enhance
Judaism in our community."
Many have already stepped up in a cam-
paign to retire the synagogue's mortgage
through donations in honor the Losses.
Among those received is one that Tisdale
says "epitomizes the inclusiveness of
Temple. It was a $5 bill from a 99-year-old
man who wrote in a note that he wished
he could have given more, but still sent his
donation because he wanted to be part of

Rabbi Harold and Susan Loss in the
Temple sanctuary

the celebration and the campaign."
An additional honor will be bestowed
upon the Losses. The center within Temple
Israel that cares for and educates 400 chil-
dren each year, from preschool through
kindergarten, will be renamed the Susan
and Harold Loss Early Childhood Center.

Working Together
Through the years, Loss has shared the
bimah with Rabbi Leon Fram, who passed
away in 1987, Rabbi M. Robert Syme, who
passed away in 2003, and Cantor Harold
Orbach, who retired in 2002.
His current Temple Israel colleagues are
Rabbis Paul Yedwab, Joshua Bennett, Marla
Hornsten and Jennifer Kaluzny; along with
Cantor Michael Smolash and Cantorial
Soloist Neil Michaels.

"We have seven clergy members and an
education and lifelong learning director
[S. Robert Morais] who is also a rabbi, so
the ratio of clergy to congregants is high:'
Loss said. "And with our unbelievable
administrative and support staff, we don't
have to worry about managing the details,
which gives us more time for hospital vis-
its, counseling, teaching, traveling to Israel
and to work on programming to enhance
Judaism. And the spirit of Judaism among
my colleagues is what makes a 65-year-old
rabbi smile."
To Rabbi Bennett, Loss is "a mentor,
teacher and friend whose advice I seek in
challenging times."
Rabbi Yedwab said warmly, "Growing
up, I never had a big brother. And then I
did."

