Ballistic Missile Committee in the
1970s, when the U.S. government tried
to install these missiles in the Detroit
area and other heavily populated
centers to forestall possible attacks
by potential enemy nations. "We held
rallies and succeeded mainly due to
the outcry of the public and their resis-
tance to this unnecessary project:' he
recalled.
In the 1980s, he became the first
clergyman to serve on the Michigan
Judicial Tenure Commission, which
settles grievances in the legal com-
munity, appointed by Gov. James
Blanchard. He subsequently was
its chairman for four years. He also
served twice as president of the
Michigan Board of Rabbis and was a
board member of many Jewish and
civic organizations.
Highest Honor
But the crowning achievement of his
career was his presidency in 1990-
1992 of the Rabbinical Assembly, an
international organization of 1,500
Conservative rabbis. "This definitely
has been the highlight of my profes-
sional career:' he said. He also was
chairman of a governing board that
conducted a 10-year project resulting
in publishing of Etz Chayim, a one-
volume commentary on the Torah.
Rabbi Groner gets a lion's share of
the credit for ascension of women
into more prominent roles at Shaarey
Zedek, such as a woman becoming
president, counting women as part of
the daily minyan, giving them aliyot,
allowing them to read from the Torah
and enabling them to become ushers
on Shabbat. He also helped launch an
endowment program among syna-
gogue leaders that today totals more
than 200 contributors.
The rabbi was famous among con-
gregants for the admonitions and
suggestions he used in sermons, affec-
tionately known as "Gronerisms." They
usually were heard at the beginning
of sermons, especially on the High
Holidays. He often would say: "Before
I talk, I want to say a few words.
"I use humor to encourage the audi-
ence to listen and be more attentive. If
it's done correctly, it will work for any
rabbi:'
His sermons, essays and other
articles were published in many peri-
odicals of the Conservative movement.
He wrote a Torah portion of the week
column from time to time for the
Detroit Jewish News.
One of his favorite stories was about
a woman on a plane who became
frightened because of turbulence. She
noticed that the man sitting next to
her is a rabbi and she implored him:
"Can't you do something about this?"
The rabbi answered: "I'm in sales, not
management:'
Rabbi Groner recalled the time a
congregant came to his office com-
plaining that a eulogy the rabbi had
just given was not good enough for the
deceased. "He told me to give a better
eulogy at his funeral; the rabbi said.
"I told him that if he felt so strongly
about it, he should write the eulogy
himself, and I would deliver it when
the time came. The man replied, 'I
can't; I'm too modest:"
In later years, Rabbi Groner was
slowed by Parkinson's disease, then
suffered a mild stroke in 1999 while
visiting his good friends, Ambassador
David Hermelin and his wife, Doreen,
in Norway. He told the congrega-
tion about the stroke in a letter, then
rebounded and returned to the pulpit
within months.
Shortly after taking emeritus status,
he became confined to a wheelchair.
However, he, Leypsa and a caregiver
were often seen around the commu-
nity, and he would even go to his syna-
gogue office a few days a week.
Summing up his career once during
a private conversation, he philoso-
phized: "If I had to do it all over again,
I wouldn't change anything. I did the
best I could do. My outlook has been
the same throughout my life:'
He then cited the words of Solomon
Schechter, the noted Jewish educator
and philosopher: "Always leave a little
bit for God to take care of:'
Rabbi Irwin Groner is survived by
his beloved wife of 59 years, Leypsa
Groner; sons and daughter-in-law,
Judges David Groner and Amy
Hathaway, Dr. Joel Groner; Judge
Hathaway's children, Lisa, Stephen and
Kathryn; sister, Sarah Barach; and his
friend and caregiver, Marek Stepniak.
He was the loving father of the late
Deborah "Debbie" Groner; the dear
brother of the late Rabbi Benjamin
Groner, the late Rabbi Oscar Groner,
the late Julius Groner, the late Morton
Groner and the late Ruth Rosenbaum;
the devoted son of the late Rabbi Max
Groner and the late Beatrice Lehrfield
Groner.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to the Rabbi Irwin Groner
Fund at Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
Arrangements were by Ira Kaufman
Chapel.
The
Craig Fahle
Show
cadet
101.9 fm
4
While You're Living Your Life
4
Craig Is Getting Ready
I
il
4
You Can Count On
The Craig Fahle Show
❑
JN Senior Copy Editor David Sachs, Story
Development Editor Keri Guten Cohen and
Contributing Editor Robert Sklar contrib-
uted to this story. Because of early mailing
deadlines due to the New Year's holiday,
4
Weekdays at 10 a.m. & 7 p.m.
this report was compiled on Sunday and
includes some material previously pre-
pared.
WDET is a
service of
WAY N E STATE
UNIVERSITY
1804550
January 3 • 2013
9