FEBRUARY 10 • 2022 | 33

We found inspiration from his 
words to do the same thing for 
the archives.” 
Gottlieb adds, “With a com-
munity as intertwined as ours, 
we all have ownership over the 
stories and legacies of those 
who came before us. The cen-
ter is one step toward making 
a home for future generations 
to feel a part of a long line of 
incredible Jewish leaders — and 
hopefully inspire them, too.” 
The archivists not only work 
together, they’re friends, too, 
and a great team, each with par-
ticular talents. 
“Robbie brings a wealth of 
ideas and experience to her role. 
She’s an incredible resource as 
well as mentor. The energy we 
have when working together 
takes us so much further than 
if we were working alone,” 
Gottlieb says. 
Likewise, Terman relates that 
Laura “is full of imagination 
and out-of-the-box thinking. 

She is bringing a new perspec-
tive into the work we do and 
is most creative in her efforts 
to reach new demographics of 
patrons.”

A CENTER IN 
THE MAKING
The CMJH began with baby-
steps. When Gottlieb was hired 
in 2017, she and Terman saw 
the potential in collaborating 
and developed a pipe dream 
that became the Center for 
Michigan Jewish Heritage. They 
began partnering on programs 
and exhibits, and launched 
combined social media on 
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook 
and YouTube. 
The idea for a combined 
physical space was conceived in 
2018. They put their concept in 
a proposal that was enthusiasti-
cally supported by their respec-
tive leaderships. Both groups 
are now working together to 
make a collaborative space at 

Temple Beth El a reality in the 
near future.
To make the new archives’ 
storage state-of-the-art, their 
plan included environmental 
controls and a dry fire suppres-
sion system (fire is an archivist’s 
worst nightmare). To this end, 
the CMJH just received a major 
$52,000 grant from the from the 
Donald R. and Esther Simon 
Foundation for a fire suppres-
sion system for the new space. 
In addition to expanded storage 
and professional workspace, the 
project envisions using space 
at Temple Beth El as a reading 
room for patrons. The new col-
laborative archive is projected to 
open in 2022.
Gottlieb and Terman con-
tinuously work toward their 
vision of a one-stop hub where 
community members, students, 
scholars and other researchers 
will engage with the primary 
sources of Michigan Jewish 
history, collections such as the 

organizational records of nearly 
every Jewish Federation agen-
cy; the congregational records 
of Temple Beth El; the records 
of the Jewish War Veterans of 
Michigan and the Jewish War 
Veterans Ladies’ Auxiliary; and 
personal papers of community 
leaders such as Leonard N. 
Simons, Paul Zuckerman, David 
Hermelin, the Butzel/Heineman 
Family and Rabbi Leo M. 
Franklin.
In the words of both Terman 
and Gottlieb: “We hope that 
the Center for Michigan Jewish 
Heritage will continue to grow 
and preserve the archives of 
Detroit Jewish history. We want 
to excite the next generation 
about our community’s history 
and help them learn by studying 
those who came before them.” 
A worthy quest, indeed. 

Visit the Center for Michigan Jewish 

Heritage at https://mijewishheritage.cat-

alogaccess.com.

Supported through the generosity of The Jewish Fund and the D. Dan and Betty Kahn Family Foundation.

 
 
 
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