looking back

Hyman Buchhalter from Berditchev, Russia, was ordained as a rabbi at
the young age of 19. In 1881, he and his wife, Rachel, came to the
United States with their four children. They settled in Alpena, where
Buchhalter served as rabbi and teacher to the Jewish community.
Around 1890, the family moved to Detroit. Buchhalter served as
bookkeeper at the Jewish Old Folks Home and as principal of the

original Talmud Torah Hebrew school on Division Street.
Miriam, the oldest daughter, and her sisters Ida and Tena were
teachers in Detroit. Dora received a degree from the University of
Michigan; Esther became a successful retail salesperson. Sarah devoted
most of her life to caring for family members. •

Pictured: (top row) Sarah, Miriam “Mary,” Dora, Esther and William “Mitchell”; (bottom row) Ida, Hyman and Rachel, and Tena. Photo, circa 1905, from
the 1996 exhibition “Becoming American Women: Clothing and the Jewish Experience in Michigan,” curated in part by the Jewish Historical Society of
Michigan. Image submitted by Joseph Colten, son of Ida Buchhalter Colten.

From the DJN

Davidson Digital Archive

D

uring one of my cruises through the William Davidson
Digital Archive, I ran across a great article in the Feb. 21,
1992, issue of the JN: “Hidden Detroit.”
It is a fascinating piece by Elizabeth Applebaum about some
interesting bits of Jewish culture that are “hidden” in some unex-
pected places in the city.
As she begins her article, Applebaum warns
readers that they “will not hear about big build-
ings or parks. There are no museums,” and that
they should not “ask if you can stop to pick up a
souvenir of the tour. This map is all you get.”
For one example, did you know that the old-
est religious institution in the city, St. Anne’s
Catholic Church on West Lafayette, near the
Mike Smith
Detroit Jewish News Ambassador Bridge, prominently displays a
Foundation Archivist Magen David in the church?

62

February 23 • 2017

jn

While the congregation was formed the day after Cadillac land-
ed on the banks of the Detroit River in 1701, the current St. Anne’s
church dates from 1886. It still has a vibrant congregation, and the
Star of David stained-glass window is still near the altar.
For another, did you know about the Tehillim Church of God
in Christ? Founded in 1983, Pastor Michael Hollis was searching
for a name and discovered the Hebrew word for “praises.” Since
that time, the Tehillim Church has been praising God on West
McNichols in Detroit.
These are just two of the stories of Jewish Detroit symbols that
are off-the-beaten-path. It is an excellent read for armchair adven-
turers, as well as those who like to explore the city. •

Want to learn more?
Go to the DJN Foundation archives,
available for free at www.djnfoundation.org.

Historic photos are curated by the
Jewish Historical Society of Michigan.