munities as part of a Detroit Promise
College fundraiser in 2013.
In 2010, he became one of the
first rabbis inducted into the Martin
Luther King Jr. Board of Preachers of
Morehouse College.

WHAT’S NEXT
Throughout his rabbinate, Syme has
lent his time and talent to organiza-
tions such as the American Zionist
Youth Movement, Jewish National
Fund of America, United Israel Appeal,
American Zionist Movement, Coalition
for the Advancement of Jewish
Education, Memorial Foundation for
Jewish Culture, National Council for
Jewish Education, the Ecumenical
Institute and the Coalition for Jewish
Unity.
He received the Justice Louis D.
Brandeis Award from the Zionist
Organization of America in 1999
and, in 2012, was presented with the
Community Leadership Award by the
American Jewish Committee.
Syme, an avid collector of California
wines, with 400 bottles in his collec-
tion, will likely take a trip to Napa

Valley with wife, Jill. They go every
year. However, he will maintain an
office at Temple Beth El and plans to
be around “quite a bit.”
“I will remain active in the commu-
nity as a rabbi, educator and advocate
for the causes in which I believe,”
Syme said.
“I’ve done everything I would have
ever had on my bucket list. I’m just
going to keep doing what I’m doing.
And if something new crosses my
path, I’ll do that, too.”

*

Details

On Friday, June 24, Temple Beth
El will honor and celebrate Rabbi
Daniel B. Syme’s 20 years of service
and his transition to rabbi emeritus.
A Shabbat dinner starts at 6 p.m.,
followed by services at 7:30. Cost
of the dinner is $36 per adult;
$15 per child; age 3 and under,
free. Register at tbeonline.org/
event-registration, or contact Laura
Lucassian at (248) 851-1100 or
llucassian@tbeonline.org.

Focus On Suicide Prevention

A

s I enter the third chapter of my
career as a rabbi, I will focus on
depression and suicide and lessen-
ing the tragic tool of loss by suicide
in America under the umbrella of
the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy
Network (JHCN) and the Nefesh Achat
or ‘A Single Soul’ program,” said Rabbi
Daniel Syme, who is the suicide pre-
ventions program’s founder. A Single
Soul will be the first suicide prevention
His brother Michael’s suicide at age 21
program in the Detroit Jewish com-
still haunts and motivates Rabbi Syme.
munity.
A Single Soul will teach clergy and
others ways in which suicide might
E.B. “Bunny” Freedman and the rabbin-
be avoided. Studies suggest suicide
ic staff of the JHCN. James and Marge
is a preventable tragedy that can be
Hiller will chair the founding board,
eliminated by listening, caring and
along with Freedman.
people who will take action to help.
“A Single Soul aims to ensure that
“Most young people do not really want
every
Jewish young person and their
to die. They are crying out for help,”
families
facing a mental health crisis
Syme said.
can
receive
guidance and support
A Single Soul has a two-fold mis-
from
within
the larger Jewish commu-
sion: education and intervention. The
nity,
”
Syme
said.
program will educate children about
The organization will begin this
critical suicide warning signs and how
fall
by providing suicide prevention
to respond if a friend exhibits these
training
to clergy staff members of
signs. It will also stress the importance
the
JHCN.
“Through them, we will also
of “breaking the wall of silence,” telling
reach
parents,
teachers, clergy and
an adult who can help.
young
people
in
all movements in the
The new nonprofit will be guided by
Jewish
community,
” Syme added. “Stay
a volunteer board of directors under
tuned.
”
the leadership of Rabbi Syme, Rabbi

*

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Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit
D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building
Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus
6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322

2061920

June 9 • 2016

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