Jews in the D

Congregation
Growing
A

Temple Israel expands its West Bloomfi
eld campus to
enhance its educational, communal and prayer functions.

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
T

emple Israel, Michigan’
s
largest Jewish congrega-
tion, is undergoing a major
expansion to enhance and enlarge
its education, prayer and social
facilities. The two-phase expan-
sion will add approximately 24,000
square feet to its West Bloomfield
location.
At the same time, the congre-
gation continues its search for
a building in the eastern part
of Oakland County potentially
for early childhood education,
child care, religious school and
some other programs to accom-
modate families in
Huntington Woods,
Royal Oak and other
nearby areas, accord-
ing to Rabbi Paul
Yedwab, who says,
“We want to serve our
members on that side

of town.
”
The expansion at the temple,
built in 1980, is planned not only
to add more room but also to
create spaces that will transform
educational programs and congre-
gational gatherings of all kinds.
Phase I, now under way and
expected to be complete this
spring, is a 12,000-square-foot
addition to provide
eight specialized
state-of-the art class-
rooms for children
ages 2-5, according
to David Tisdale,
Temple Israel’
s CEO.
The new classrooms
will be needed
because some of the area currently
used as classroom space will be
reconfigured for other purposes
in the temple’
s second expansion
phase.
The new classrooms will feature

a greenhouse for planting and har-
vesting produce as well as a learn-
ing kitchen with lower counters to
facilitate cooking and baking ses-
sions with children, their parents
and grandparents. A dedicated
children’
s music room is designed
for dancing and choirs. Children
will enjoy a new mini gym space
with a climbing wall and a reading
pit, which will be in “The Bridge”
— a connecting component
between the new classrooms and
the existing temple structure.
“The school is growing. It’
s
innovative and forward-thinking,
and we want to keep up with that.
It’
s a great facility
and this will make it
better and worth the
drive,
” says Hilary
King of Bloomfield
Hills, Temple Israel
president. “Our pre-
school is very robust

Rabbi Paul
Yedwab

David Tisdale

continued on page 16

ABOVE: In this photo
from October, it’
s easy
to see areas in Phase
I construction that will
include classrooms for
children ages 2-5 that will
feature a greenhouse, a
functioning kitchen and a
music room; “The Bridge,”
a connecting space to
the existing building, will
offer a mini gym with a
climbing wall and
reading pit.

Hilary King

COURTESY SACHSE CONSTRUCTION/

OXBLUE.COM/TEMPLE ISRAEL

14 | DECEMBER 19 • 2019