32 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2019 

Rosh Hashanah

T

he High Holidays are 
an intense time as 
synagogues and tem-
ples typically offer additional 
services and special educa-
tional programs attended by 
large numbers of congregants. 
Clergy and administrative 
staffs start planning well 
in advance to ensure that 
services are especially mean-
ingful and provide a strong 
foundation for this period of 
self-reflection, repentance and 
celebration.
Cheryl 
Friedman, now in 
her 12th year as 
executive director 
of Temple Kol 
Ami in West 
Bloomfield, says 
that in June she 
starts working on such issues 
as security, a shuttle service 
for parking and reaching out 
to congregational volunteers 
who serve as head ushers.
“We have a master spread 
sheet developed over time 
that has worked well although 
we may tweak some things,” 
she says. Friedman and other 
Kol Ami staff members go 
over this plan in July to make 

sure everyone knows their 
role.
At the Isaac Agree 
Downtown Synagogue 
in Detroit, 
Rabbi Ariana 
Silverman says 
that small-scale 
planning starts 
at the beginning 
of summer. 
An early step 
is a letter to congregants 
and others to inform them 
about services, which are 
free and open to the public. 
Congregational volunteers 
design ads for the Jewish News 
and Facebook inviting the 
community. During the sum-
mer, Silverman starts to work 
on services with their canto-
rial soloist, who is based in 
Chicago, and starts to think 
about ideas for sermons.
The synagogue has an 
added challenge of a special 
location for High Holiday 
services — the former Temple 
Beth El (also in Detroit), 
now owned and operated by 
Breakers Covenant Church. 
Services are held there because 
the Agree synagogue build-
ing holds only 70 while 450 

Friedman

Silverman

Planning and 
Commitment

High Holidays mean hard work
for synagogue and temple staffs.

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

continued on page 34

Wishing You a Happy and 
Healthy New Year!

LINCOLN CENTER 
Greenfield at 10 ½ Mile

from the shops at

Advance America 

Bling Bling 

Book Beat

Conservative Cuts

Dollar Castle

DTLR

Dr. Lazar

J Anthony 

Lee Beauty Supply

Metro PCS

Metropolitan Dry Cleaners

Mookey’s Beans & Greens

Original Bread Basket

Paper Goods Warehouse

Rainbow

Street Corner Music

Step In Style

Suit Depot

T Nails

Top That

ALDI

White Castle / Church’s Chicken

Lincoln Shopping Center