MAY 6 • 2021 | 23
of worshippers and inter-re-
ligious families,
” she explains.
“Rabbi Zerwekh is also very
committed to inclusion and
social action.
”
UPDATED SANCTUARY
In addition to housing JGN,
Temple Emanu-El is also focus-
ing on revamping its own home
by remodeling its sanctuary. “We
brought our sanctuary more in
line with how we pray,
” Zerwekh
says.
The first step was to replace
some of the fixed pews with
movable seating, which allows
for a bigger variety of prayer
arrangements. Though the
temple has been closed due to
COVID-19, Zerwekh says that
members who tune in for broad-
casts have appreciated the new
design.
Temple Emanu-El also
upgraded every light to LED
and removed the wooden doors
from its ark, which allows for a
better view of their handmade
Torah covers.
“Members of the temple
created them for our Torahs,
”
Zerwekh explains. Now, the
ark has frosted glass doors with
some of the artwork that was
on the old doors etched into the
new, a bridge between past and
present.
“You can see the beautiful his-
tory that’s in the ark,
” Zerwekh
continues. “It helps to bring a
little bit of additional light into
the space.
”
With so many efforts in the
works, Temple Emanu-El hopes
to establish itself as a model in
supporting the larger communi-
ty in their efforts to engage with
Judaism, regardless of through
a Reform lens or unaffiliated
lens. “That’s how the world is
right now,
” Zerwekh says. “Folks
in their 20s and 30s are going
directly to where the energizing
Jewish content is.
”
The temple wants to make
itself a presence for anyone
interested in positively influenc-
ing the world. “We’re making it
clear that we are there to support
Jewish learning and engage-
ment,
” Zerwekh explains.
“We’re occupying a space to
give people a chance to engage
with Judaism in an unaffiliated
way, but we’re also a presence for
when they find the need for a
congregation family.
”
The updated
ark with views
of the Torah
scrolls
M
embers of Ann
Arbor’s Beth Israel
Congregation were
in court this week arguing for
more enforcement to prevent
the weekly anti-Israel protests
that have greeted worshipers
arriving for Shabbat services
at the Conservative synagogue
since September 2003.
Appearing before a three-
judge panel of the U.S. Sixth
Circuit Court of Appeals in
Cincinnati on April 27, mem-
bers of the synagogue sought
to re-establish claims against
the city of Ann Arbor and the
group of protesters who have
demonstrated near its entrance
every Saturday morning for
nearly two decades.
The protesters have held signs
with messages including “Jewish
Power Corrupts” and “Resist
Jewish Power.
”
The original December 2019
lawsuit was filed by Marvin
Gerber, a Beth Israel member.
Dr. Miriam Brysk, a Holocaust
survivor and member of Pardes
Hannah Congregation, which is
located in an annex next to Beth
Israel, is a part of the lawsuit as
a co-plaintiff.
The suit argued that the pro-
testers violated several federal
statutes which make it unlawful
for private citizens to engage
in conduct, including speech,
which targets particular indi-
viduals based on their race or
ethnicity. The suit separately
alleged that the city of Ann
Arbor aided and abetted the
protesters by failing to enforce
the prohibitions in its sign ordi-
nance.
They have now appealed the
decision of U.S. District Judge
Victoria Roberts in August 2020
to dismiss calls for the protests
to be curbed. Roberts dismissed
the claims on the grounds that
the plaintiffs did not prove
they suffered concrete injury
as a result of the protests. In
response, the plaintiff’s counsel
filed a motion for reconsider-
ation, which was denied as well.
“Indeed, the First
Amendment more than protects
the expressions by defendants
of what plaintiffs describe as
‘anti-Israeli, anti-Zionist, and
antisemitic,
’” Roberts wrote in
her opinion. “Peaceful protest
such as this — on sidewalks
and streets — is entitled to the
highest level of constitutional
protection, even if it disturbs, is
offensive and causes emotional
distress.
”
In their appeal to the Sixth
Circuit, Gerber and Brysk
argued Roberts misinterpret-
ed the scope of the relief they
requested, which they claim
involved only “the imposition of
reasonable time, place and man-
ner conditions” on the protests.
They accused the district
court of ignoring several syna-
gogue members who attested to
the emotional distress caused by
the protesters’ signs and said the
distress constitutes an “intan-
gible injury” that grants them
standing.
Marc Susselman, the plain-
tiff’s lead counsel, and Ziporah
Reich, co-counsel to the plain-
tiffs, hope the appeal process
signifies them making headway.
“We got a chance to flesh
out our arguments more,
”
Susselman said.
At this point, the counsel
believes the key to making
further headway is whether the
appeal panel gives the thumbs
up on there being standing for
emotional distress as a concrete
injury and the imposition of
reasonable time, place and
manner conditions for the
protests.
No timetable has yet been set
for the court’s final decision.
Ann Arbor Shul
Appeals Ruling
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
ALEX SHERMAN
A protestor’s
sign
outside the
synagogue.