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Jewish Detroit:
Year In Review
Rabbi Irwin Groner
e
Rabbi Bentzion Stein carries the
Torah in a procession near the school
while celebrating the grand opening of
the Lubavitch Yeshiva International
School.
Bill Carroll
Rabbi Leo Goldman with ADL's Abe Foxman This hateful sign sprouted up in Detroit.
JANUARY 2013
FEBRUARY 2013
Sad Partings
Nazi Slogan Removed
From Packard Overpass
The hateful words that greeted Jews at
Auschwitz, Arbeit Macht Frei (Work
Makes You Free), were seen on the Grand
Boulevard Overpass at Detroit's aban-
doned Packard Plant. Detroiter Roni
Leibovitch, the grandson of a Holocaust
survivor, and Randy Wilcox, a local art-
ist, both showed up at the site later that
afternoon to remove it.
The Detroit Jewish community says good-
bye to two giants: Rabbi Irwin Groner,
longtime spiritual leader at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, and Rabbi
Leo Goldman, remembered for his dedica-
tion to congregants, Jewish learning and
the ailing. Rabbi Groner took over after
Rabbi Morris Adler was gunned down on
the bimah by a troubled young member
of the synagogue. Rabbi Groner went on
to a stellar career that included social
justice and presidency of the Rabbinical
Assembly. Rabbi Goldman became rabbi
at several shuls, including the Tyler Shul
and Young Israel of Northwest in Detroit.
The Detroit Jewish News also said good-
bye to one of its own. Longtime writer Bill
Carroll, formerly a public relations execu-
tive at Ford Motor Co., died from a sudden
and voracious form of leukemia.
It Takes A Village
Jewish Senior Life introduced the
Village, a grassroots community in
Huntington Woods that provides a con-
cierge service of all kinds of support for
seniors who wish to continue living in
their own homes and neighborhoods.
8
Neo-Nazi Sympathizer Who
Stockpiled Weapons Arrested
FBI agents raided the home of neo-Nazi
sympathizer Richard Schmidt of Toledo,
Ohio, where they found a stockpile of
deadly weapons as well as a notebook
containing information on Federation
CEO Scott Kaufman, as well as other
Metro Detroit leaders. According to
Kaufman, the man had never posed an
imminent threat to the Federation or any
other local Jewish agency.
Former Tamarack
Staffer Charged
Part-time Tamarack Camps staff member
Jesse Hermann was charged with four
counts of criminal sexual activity by
Canton Police, including two counts of
MARCH 2013
"child sexually abusive community activ-
ity!" The criminal activity was not con-
nected with any Tamarack programs or
participants, and there were no similar
complaints at camp.
Rabbi For Life
Congregation Shir
Tikvah in Troy cul-
minated a yearlong
celebration of the
25th anniversary of
its beloved Rabbi
Arnie Sleutelberg,
who is well-known for Rabbi Arnie
Sleutelberg
his bridge-building
between the Jewish
community and other religions, ethnici-
ties and races.
Dancing In The Streets
Members of the Lubavitch Cheder-Oholei
Yosef Yitzchak hosted the grand open-
ing of their new high school campus.
The school, also known as the Lubavitch
Yeshivah International School for Chabad
Leadership, estimated to cost upwards
of $5 million, is on 10 Mile Road, east of
Greenfield in Oak Park.
Synagogue Refresh
The Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue
launches an online building campaign to
renovate the 90-year-old shul. The "Make
It History" campaign raised more than
$120,000 for capital improvements at the
historic synagogue, including two new
bathrooms that were installed during the
summer.
Grandmother's
Murder Trial Begins
The trial began for Sandra Layne, the
West Bloomfield grandmother who
was arrested in May 2012 after shoot-
ing her 17-year-old grandson, Jonathan
Hoffman. Layne was found guilty of the
crime and is serving time in prison.
Green Honors
Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield was
honored for integrating sustainable prac-
tices into its house of worship and pursu-
ing a LEED Silver Certification from the
U.S. Green Building Council by Royal
Oak-based Michigan Interfaith Power
& Light. The temple is poised to be the
first LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) certified syna-
gogue in Michigan.
Jewish Detroit 2013 on page 10
December 26 • 2013