Metro Detroit's
Lectures On Sephardic Jews
At JGSMI Annual Meeting
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JGSMI Leaders for 2017-2018: The tall man at back is Keter Torah Synagogue President Rick Behar,
who addressed the JGSMI annual meeting. He and the genealogist group’s new leaders are shown in
the synagogue’s sanctuary. The officers are: David Goldis, president; Adina Lipsitz, publicity; Joshua
Goldberg, recording secretary; Diane Freilich, corresponding secretary; Neil Goldman, treasurer;
and Adina Lipsitz, past president. The positions of programming and membership are still available.
Also shown are committee chairs Linda Bell, librarian; Leah Bisel, library committee; John Kovacs,
constitution and by-laws/slate committee; James Grey, speakers bureau; Lipsitz, webmaster; and
Bisel, Irwin Alpern, David Sloan and Kerry Greenhut, members-at-large. Not pictured are Marc
Manson, cemetery project, and Ruth Rosenberg of the library committee.
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W
ith a nod to the 100th anniversary of Metro Detroit’s
Sephardic Jewish community, the Jewish Genealogical
Society of Michigan (JGSMI) recently held its
Morris and Betty Starkman Annual Genealogical Lecture, “The
Sephardic Journey to Detroit,” along with an elections of officers,
at the Orthodox community’s Keter Torah Synagogue in West
Bloomfield.
Rabbi Sasson Natan, spiritual leader of
Since its founding by Betty
Keter Torah, provided an overview of the
Provizer Starkman in 1985, the
history of Sephardic Jews, whose origins are
Jewish Genealogical Society
in southeastern Europe and the Middle East.
of Michigan has served as
The main event was synagogue president
a valuable resource for local
Rick Behar, a born storyteller, sharing fasci-
researchers exploring their
nating anecdotes about ancestors on both
Jewish family history. Members
sides of his family.
and guests enjoy speaker
His presentation, “The Chicorel Family
programs, workshops, films and
Story and the Sephardic Community in
field trips to archives. The group’s
Detroit,” began with his paternal great-
genealogical holdings in the
grandfather, Nissim Behar. Born in 1858,
Gayle Sweetwine Saini Memorial
the man’s coincidental brushes with famous
Library can be accessed at the
people and historic situations caused Behar
to dub him “the Jewish Forrest Gump.”
Holocaust Memorial Center’s
Succeeding generations of Behars — fluent
library in Farmington Hills. JGSMI
in multiple languages, like Nissim — went on
membership is $36 annually
to have their own remarkable experiences.
for an individual and $50 for a
Behar’s maternal grandparents were
married couple. More information
Cantor Jacob and Judith Chicorel, immi-
is available at www.jgsmi.org.
grants from Turkey. In 1917, they founded
what became the Sephardic Community of
Greater Detroit. Keter Torah Synagogue’s
dedication in 2002 was the culmination of the community’s
dream for its own house of worship.
A kosher dessert reception featuring homemade baklava con-
cluded the evening. •
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June 29 • 2017
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