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May 18 • 2017
jn
CLOCKWISE:
Otto Dube shows
the Brewster Street
building in 1917.
Shlomo Sandweiss
was outraged when
he heard about an
indigent Detroit Jew
who had been buried
in the city’s “potters’
field” for paupers.
He and 10 other men
formed Chesed Shel
Emes in 1916. He was
its first president.
A candelabra from
the early days.
Its nonprofit status sets Hebrew Memorial apart from
Detroit’s other two funeral homes, Ira Kaufman Chapel and
Dorfman Chapel. The three have a collegial relationship.
“The American funeral industry has been greatly criticized
for taking advantage of families at a stressful time, pushing
expensive coffins and services they don’t need,” Levin said. “We
don’t have that problem in the Detroit Jewish community. All
our funeral homes
have fine reputations.
“But we are the
only one that is non-
profit. Any money
we earn above our
expenses is put back
into the community.”
The organization also
accepts tax-deduct-
ible donations.
“We are a full-ser-
vice funeral home,”
said Otto Dube, man-
aging funeral direc-
tor. “We can assist
families of means,
and provide the sup-
port they need as
well as an eloquent
and beautiful service.
But we also assist
indigent families.”
Some whose fami-
lies have been helped
do try to repay the
good deed. One
woman left $14,000,
her life savings, to
Hebrew Memorial in
her will. “She remem-
bered how we took care of her mother, who had no money,”
Levin said. “She said she wanted to be part of the mitzvah.”
INTERESTING FUNERALS
Hebrew Memorial provides Orthodox funeral services for
everyone, including tahara (the ritual preparation of the body),
burial shrouds and wooden caskets, even though 85 percent of
the funerals they handle are for non-Orthodox Jews, Levin said.
Many have no congregational affiliation.
“They know we’re willing to provide whatever type of ser-
vice they want,” Dube said. There have been funerals featuring
Dixieland bands and bagpipers, and one for a motorcycle club
member whose funeral procession included more than 50 bik-
ers in full regalia.
Myron Armon, who worked in an auto plant, had no family
and lived his final years at Jewish Federation Apartments. He
told Levin he was afraid no one would come to his funeral, so
he asked the rabbi to give $100 and a box lunch to everyone
who did. Hebrew Memorial got the word out, and more than
100 people showed up. Armon also left money for a nursing
scholarship, which Hebrew Memorial administers, in memory
of his mother, who had been a nurse.
Morris Fridman was 94 when he came to the chapel to make
his own funeral arrangements. He asked how much it cost
to write a Torah scroll. When Levin told him approximately
$40,000, he said, “I’ll take two!”
He donated the scrolls in his and his late wife’s names. In
September 2000, the Torahs were paraded from his home in
Southfield up Greenfield Road to the chapel. Hebrew Memorial
lends them for use at shivah houses on Monday and Thursday
mornings, when the Torah is read.
Another client with ample means created a special life insur-
ance policy so Hebrew Memorial can give a kosher steak dinner
continued on page 20