arts & life

collections

Jan Durecki holds photographs of Robert Canvasser during WWII. He was instrumental in procuring the architect for Temple Beth El.

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Suzanne Chessler I Contributing Writer
Jerry Zolynsky I Photographer

The Franklin Archives

at Temple Beth El

— and the archivist

who runs it — offer a

little-known world of

Jewish history at

our fingertips.

4 hortly before Jan Durecki
lectured on Jewish involve-
ment in the early years
of the film industry, she got an
unexpected call from an actor. He
asked about Ben and Lou Cohen,
brothers who owned local movie
and vaudeville theaters and would
be mentioned in her talk.
Durecki, who administers the
Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives at
Temple Beth El, was able to help
the caller and went on to questions
of her own. She inquired about

others she would be discussing —
but without as much information
as she would have liked. The actor
was able to help.
"It's fun how these things fall in
my lap and fill in the blanks:' says
Durecki, who has been temple
archivist for 10 years, collecting
materials and disseminating infor-
mation that document the history
of both the congregation and the
surrounding Jewish community.
As the temple celebrates its
165th anniversary, becoming the

first Jewish congregation orga-
nized in Michigan, it also can
mark 34 years of maintaining an
archive that holds family files,
photos, artifacts and recordings to
chronicle the activities of individu-
als and organizations; there also
is in annex that holds paintings
of Jewish soldiers who served in
WWII and Vietnam. She accepts
the holdings of those seeking a
repository, and she encourages
material donations.
The archive was started using

holdings of two people: the rabbi
after whom the archive is named
and who served from 1899-1941,
as well as Irving Katz, a Jewish
historian and the executive secre-
tary of the temple from 1939-1979.
Miriam and Aid Kushner, con-
gregation volunteers, took charge
until 1997, when the first full-time
professional archivist was hired.
"The filing system had been set
up by my predecessors, and they
did a great job:' says Durecki, who
this year will be working with

in the archives

- 4-

Among the thousands of holdings
in the Franklin Archives: stained-
glass windows first seen in an
early building that housed Temple
Beth El; two large candelabras
that belonged to the disbanded
Temple Beth Jacob in Pontiac;
the Jewish War Veterans —
Department of Michigan's Golden
Book honoring those lost in war;
and letters to Rabbi Franklin ask-
ing for help finding work during
the Great Depression.

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A certificate, dated 1946, grants a Jewish War Veterans charter to Charles and Aaron Kogan, Post No. 510. ABOVE, CENTER: A Jewish

marriage certificate, dated 1890. ABOVE, RIGHT: A Masons' apron belonging to Sheldon Schwartz."Mr. Schwartz, a late member of the congrega-

tion, also was a longtime member of the Masons;' Durecki says. "He took great pride in the apron he received from the organization but had no

heirs who could hold on to it. He donated the apron to the archives for safekeeping:'

62 October 29 2015

