Tasteful & Timeless

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Beautiful, maintenance-free apartment homes
are available now at Fox Run.

The Brighton Large one bedroom

Living Area
12’3” x 17’9”

Linen

Bedroom
12’4” x 13’0”

Walk-In
Closet

DW

Bath

Kitchen
8’7” x 8’1”

W/D

The McKinley Extra large two bedroom

New
design

Bedroom
11’11” x 20’11”

Living/Dining Area
14’0” x 22’8”

Bedroom
11’5” x 13’6”

Walk-In
Closet

Walk-In
Closet

Closet

Linen

DW

Closet

Bath

Bath

Kitchen
7’4” x 5’10”

Pantry

Laundry
W
D

Call 1-800-917-8169 for your free brochure
or to schedule a personal tour.

FROM THE HEART
From the day he began at Kol Ami,
Roman has placed high importance on
tikkun olam, interfaith dialogue and
social justice.
“For me, Reform Judaism has always
been about how the Jew affects the wider
world,” said Emily Eichenhorn, who,
with her husband, Josh, has raised two
sons, Eddie, 12, and Miles, 17, at TKA.
“TKA has a unique version of tikkun
olam as it is emphasized on a regular
basis from the Hebrew school and dur-
ing religious services.”
Roman agreed. “Most of our social
activism work goes under the radar,” he
said, referring to his work with organiza-
tions such as Mazon and Yad Ezra, as
well as the deliberate decision to include
a full shower in the building’s renova-
tion for when the congregation houses
homeless families one week a year from
the South Oakland Shelter. “We don’t
do these things to grab attention. We do
these things because it is the right thing
to do.”
Roman’s influence is also evident in
his congregant’s connection with Israel.
TKA member Suzanne Zwiren, 60, had
never been to Israel when last year she
approached Roman about going.
“He told me, ‘I have no trips planned
at the moment, but let’s see if we can get
some people interested and we can plan

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, head of the Union
for Reform Judaism, with Rabbi Roman.
Jacobs spoke as part of Kol Ami’s 50th
anniversary celebration.

one together,’” said Zwiren of Bloomfield
Hills. Last December, Zwiren, Roman
and 23 others from TKA, including her
husband, Mark Zwiren, 63, spent two
weeks touring Israel.
Recalling the trip, Zwiren said she
“still gets chills.”
“I felt such pride touring Israel
through Rabbi Roman’s eyes and felt so
embraced by the Israelis we met,” she
said. “And to think it was all because one
congregant asked the rabbi a question
about the possibility of planning a trip
to Israel.”
Each Yom Kippur, Roman’s con-
gregants looked forward to Roman’s
“Hineini” sermons. Each year he high-
lights an individual who made a differ-
ence in Detroit, in Israel or in the world.
It was an annual rite eagerly anticipated
by congregants.
In Roman’s final Yom Kippur sermon,
the “person” of honor was Temple Kol
Ami itself.
In his rabbi emeritus status, Roman
will serve as a guide to the new rabbi,
Brent Gutmann, who starts in June after
serving a congregation in New Zealand.
Roman looks forward most to flexibility
in his schedule, teaching and catching up
with family and friends.
“I also have a few books in the works,”
he said. “And, yes, one of them includes a
compilation of my Hineni sermons.”

*

KOL AMI CELEBRATES

In celebration of 50 years as a congregation and the retirement of Rabbi Norman
Roman, Temple Kol Ami honors the rabbi and his wife, Lynne, at its Gala Jubilee cel-
ebration, “Celebrating the Past — Building the Future, ” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 21,
at Kol Ami in West Bloomfield.
The congregation will pay tribute to Roman’s 30 years of distinguished service and
commemorate TKA’s 50 years of achievements. The evening includes cocktails and
hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert as well as the music of Peri Smilow, internationally
acclaimed singer, composer, educator and activist.
For details, call Nena Chudnof, (248) 701-6344 or Jody Schottenfels, (248) 855-3380.

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Novi | 1-800-917-8169 | EricksonLiving.com

26 April 28 • 2016

to leave for a wide range of reasons,”
Roman said. “With this system, people
in their 70s could still make contribu-
tions to the temple. Some have remained
on as active members while taking
advantages of programs at other syna-
gogues in the community.”
Evidence to the success of this new
dues model in retaining members could
be seen at a recent service attended by
about 110 people to welcome Rabbi Rick
Jacobs, president of the Union of Reform
Judaism.
“Jacobs asked by a show of hands who
in the sanctuary has served as a board
member. Nearly 80 percent of the room
raised their hand,” Roman said. “For
me, success is not about the size of an
endowment fund I will leave behind,
but the number of quality people I have
influenced in their life decisions.”

Paul Gross

R ETIR EMENT LI V ING

2061700

