The Save Our Synagogue Committee petition meeting on July 13 drew a large crowd.

Krakoff To Leave CSZ

Grassroots members' committee upset by lack of transparency by Board of Trustees.

Keri Guten Cohen

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

According to a handout prepared by the
SOS Committee, Shaarey Zedek bylaws as
well as statutes from the state of Michigan
say a petition with at least 200 signatures
is needed to call a special meeting to
remove the executive
board, consisting of
Mary Knoll, president;
Larry Nemer and Robert
Goodman, vice presi-
dents; and Jeri Fishman,
Janice Stoneman and
Rick Cohen, at-large
members. They were
Mary Knoll
elected at the CSZ annual
meeting at the end of
April.
"Under law, when officers are removed,
they must be replaced," stated the SOS
Committee handout. The petition itself
lists three names as replacements chosen
in consultation with committee members
— Lawrence Berry, Jacqueline Zeff and Dr.
Gary Edelson. Marvin Shwedel, a gabbai
(ritual assistant) at Shaarey Zedek, ran the
meeting at The Corners.
Other reasons for recall of officers stated
on the petition include bringing disrespect
to the congregation among members of
Metro Detroit's Jewish community, creat-
ing a hostile workplace for CSZ employees
and jeopardizing the future of the congre-
gation through loss of
members as a result of
not honoring Krakoff's
contract.
"We want a synagogue
that's open and manages
itself in a manner appro-
priate to a Conservative
synagogue, where people
Jeannie
are treated with respect,
Weiner
openness and kindness,"
said Jeannie Weiner, SOS Committee
spokesperson and a CSZ member for more
than 40 years.

20 July 17 • 2014

I Story Development Editor

"All congregants got was a little email"
regarding the situation with the rabbi,
Weiner said.
The 52-word email alluded to "changes
at Shaarey Zedek" and "discussions with
Rabbi Krakoff" and said it was "premature
to share further details at this time:'
"This was shocking and bewildering and
very sad," Weiner said. "I received dozens
and dozens of calls and emails. We're
concerned about this behind-closed-doors
thing, which leads to this swirling, vicious
rumor mill ... People think he must have
done something wrong:'
Krakoff's attorney Sue Ellen Eisenberg
of Bloomfield Hills refutes that rumor, and
a letter from Knoll to congregants says
Krakoff served the congregation and com-
munity with "great dedication, distinction
and character" and invites members to a
special Shabbat service and luncheon on
Aug. 16 honoring the rabbi, his wife, Susan,
and their children, Atara, Micah and Elan.
Weiner says petitions still will be cir-
culating but must be presented to the
synagogue at least 15 days before a special
synagogue meeting Aug. 24, as called for
in the petition.
Two hours before the SOS Committee
meeting at The Corners, CSZ sent a notice
to congregants telling them a town hall
meeting will be held Tuesday, July 15, for
"constructive discussion:' (The meeting
was to occur after the JN's press time.)

Working To Heal
Concern about loss of membership —
something plaguing most synagogues
nationwide — also drew people to the
meeting at The Corners, Weiner said. "We
want this resolved before we lose people.
This is concerning a lot of people:'
For example, one member whose family
has connections to Shaarey Zedek going
back several generations said he reluctant-
ly was considering shopping for a new shul
because he was concerned about CSZ's

lack of transparency and how the situation
with Krakoff was handled.
"The many congregants who comprise
the SOS Committee are hopeful that out
of this terrible debacle, Shaarey Zedek will
change for the better," Weiner said. "We
know of synagogue processes that involve
congregation members and officers in
decision making.
"It is decades past time for this syna-
gogue to leave the back-room decision
making of a few and develop a governing
process that recognizes the desires of the
majority. Done properly, a rabbi's authority
and dignity could always be protected.
"We want the congregation to heal," she
said.
"We appreciate Rabbi Krakoff's dedicated
service, and I also appreciate the commu-
nity's passion for the synagogue, which I
share," CSZ President Mary Knoll told the
JN. "I understand that change is difficult,
so we welcome the opportunity to work
through these issues together and construc-
tively with the Shaarey Zedek community.
"We have not started a search for a new
rabbi, but we expect to initiate that process
soon. The Board of Trustees understands
that Shaarey Zedek has been a cornerstone
of Conservative Judaism for generations,
and we are committed to this vision for
the future.
"We are also committed to working
with the Shaarey Zedek community to
help build our congregation now and for
the future generations who are depending
upon us:'
On the evening of July 10, CSZ congre-
gants received an email containing two let-
ters — one from Knoll and the other from
Krakoff.
"We recognize that many of you have
been frustrated by the fact that we could
not provide more information to you, but
we hope that you can understand and
respect that both parties agreed to keep
the details of our discussions confiden-

tial until we worked out a resolution that
would be beneficial to both parties," Knoll
wrote.
The letter also explained that the deci-
sion regarding Krakoff extended beyond
the executive board to the entire board as
well as past presidents, past Sisterhood
and Men's Club presidents and other con-
gregational leaders.
'All those who participated in this pro-
cess have been motivated solely by the
responsibility and desire to do what is
in the best interest of the Congregation,"
the letter continues. "Our fiduciary duty
requires us to make difficult decisions
from time to time as we strive to ensure
that Shaarey Zedek will flourish in the
years to come:'
A letter from the five most recent CSZ
past presidents emailed Monday afternoon
acknowledged that "this process has frus-
trated some members and allowed rumors
and innuendo to divide the congregation
when it needs to come together to heal:'
Steven Weisberg, Gregg Orley, David
Wallace, Brian Hermelin and Steven
Margolin also state they consulted exten-
sively with the executive officers, who have
their full support and the support of their
families.
In his July 10 letter, Krakoff expressed
love for the congregation that embraced
him and his family and said his resigna-
tion is in "the best interest of the syna-
gogue and me personally:'
"Although I appreciate the outpour-
ing of support from the community over
the past two weeks, I do not support any
antagonism toward the congregation or
its leadership," he wrote. "I encourage all
of you to embrace this change and join
together as a community to plan and build
Congregation Shaarey Zedek for the gen-
erations to come:'
Krakoff came to Shaarey Zedek directly
after ordination; he has served the syna-
gogue 16 years.

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