metro

Energy Award

Kol Ami honored by interfaith group
for its major environmental efforts.

At the awards dinner: Frank Wilhelme, Michigan Interfaith Power and Light
advisory board member; Kol Ami members David Henig, Rhonda Kotzen,
Kineret Gable, Rabbi Ariana Silverman and Sara Kravitz; and Larry Kaufman,
Michigan Interfaith Power & Light vice president.

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14 March 14 • 2013

emple Kol Ami in West
Bloomfield was honored
March 7 for its outstanding
leadership integrating sustainable
practices into its house of worship and
pursuing a LEED Silver Certification
from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The temple is poised to be the first
LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) certified syna-
gogue in Michigan.
Kol Ami was honored with the
Outstanding Green Congregation
award at the 10th anniversary celebra-
tion of Royal Oak-based Michigan
Interfaith Power & Light, a nonprofit
organization aimed at promoting ener-
gy efficiency and renewable energy in
Michigan faith communities through
education, advocacy and action.
"It is part of our sacred calling as
Jews to be stewards of the Earth:' said
Rabbi Ariana Silverman of Kol Ami.
"This is something that we teach our
children, and we must do so not just
with words, but with action.
"When our children walk into our
religious school and see this certifica-
tion, they will learn that we are com-
mitted to environmental sustainability,
so that they, and their children, will
have safe, healthy and sacred lives.
"I am honored that Temple Kol Ami
was one of only three houses of wor-
ship in all of Michigan to receive this
award:' she said. "It is a tribute to the
memory of our founding rabbi, the late
Ernst Conrad, and to our senior rabbi,
Norman Roman, that we were honored
in the interfaith community for our
dedication to social justice:'

Lee Schottenfels, Kol Ami co-
president, said, "This is a particularly
meaningful award for us because
both Temple Kol Ami and Michigan
Interfaith Power & Light understand
the need for real action in the drive
for sustainable alternatives in energy
usage. We are proud to serve as an
example to the greater community that
there are choices we all can make to
operate our buildings in a much more
energy-efficient manner:'
Paul Gross, first vice president at
Kol Ami, was on the original building
committee that made decisions about
construction of the new school wing.
"Environmental stewardship is part
of Kol Ami's core identity:' he said.
"That did not end with completion of
the project. We have a recycling col-
lection system set up so that all glass,
plastic, cardboard and paper that
comes through our building and is no
longer needed gets recycled. We also
are purchasing renewable energy cred-
its from DTE, which sends a strong
signal to our community that we are
serious about doing our part to help
protect the environment:'
Kol Ami members also are excited
about working toward LEED certifica-
tion, a voluntary multi-step process.
Silverman told those gathered at the
anniversary dinner: "We will certainly
keep you posted as we finally get to the
LEED certification process. This has
been a wonderful process, it's taken a
very long time, but we're so close. It
really means a lot to us that Michigan
IPL has recognized us in this way. It's a
labor of love and it's wonderful to know
that we're part of a larger community
that's committed to this work:'

❑

