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Jewish Revival

Symposium focuses on Jewish
involvement in Detroit.

Harry Kirsbaum
Contributing Writer

A

Fisher Theatre • May 13-18

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one-day symposium at
Wayne State University
on April 6 gave a crowd of
100 a comprehensive look at Jewish
Detroit's history and future.
Sponsored by the Cohn Haddow
Institute and the Jewish Historical
Society of Michigan, the day began
with a memorial tribute to Dr. Sidney
Bolkosky, professor of history at
University of Michigan-Dearborn,
who died in 2013.
The morning sessions con-
sisted of two lectures dealing with
Detroit Jewish history: "Suburban
Synagogues and the Architecture
of Urban Ambivalence" by Temple
University professor Lila Corwin
Berman and "Wealth, Religion and
Race in Metropolitan Detroit, 1950-
2000" by Dr. Walter Greason of the
International Center for Metropolitan
Growth in New Jersey.
The afternoon sessions included
two panel discussions among Jewish
Detroiters from corporate executives
to community activists.
"Why Now? The Revival of Detroit
and its Jewish Community" spoke
of the Jewish community's present
involvement with the city of Detroit,
and included David Carroll, vice
president at Quicken Loans; Leor
Barak, president of the Isaac Agree
Downtown Synagogue; and Gabe
Leland, Detroit City Council member.
Barak called long-standing Detroit
Jewish organizations like JVS, the
Reconstructionist Congregation of
Detroit and Hillel of Metro Detroit
"building blocks:'
"We use the previous building

blocks to grow the Jewish commu-
nity, which is why the Downtown
Synagogue threw a welcome party
for Chabad," he said. "It's a beautiful
thing to see the Jewish community
grow:'
A Chabad House was introduced
in the city this year by Rabbi Yisrael
Pinson.
Carroll said that the economic
development community is tight-knit
and on the right track.
"We all know each other, and we
see each other at the same events.
We work together," he said. "We're
constantly recruiting people to come
Downtown and work and live:'
Leland said there's a synergy tak-
ing place, all at the same time, and it
reaches into city government.
"The honeymoon is still alive
between the council and the mayor,"
he said. "Synergy and capacity-build-
ing is important, and we talk about
it all the time. The relationships are
strengthening. When businesses want
to relocate, they look at the dynamics
of local government, and what they
see today in Detroit is positive!'
But, Barak cautioned, a balance
must be struck between growth and
longtime residents.
"The growth in Midtown and
Downtown is wonderful; however,
we also have to balance that with the
needs of the people that have been
there for many, many years. There
are extremists who say, 'Let's displace
them; it doesn't matter. That's good
for business, that's good for econom-
ics," he said.
"And there are people on the other
side who are paranoid and think
there's a conspiracy. There needs to

Jewish Revival on page 26

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24

lay 1 • 2014

Gabe Leland, Leor Barak and David Carroll