JUNE 9 • 2022 | 25

“We now have well over 
100 families, which even 10 
years ago would’ve come as a 
surprise to the leadership of 
the congregation,” Levin said. 
“Many of the new folks are 
younger. We have families, 
and we have older folks who 
see the vibrance of our com-
munity and are drawn in.” 
T’chiyah programming 
has expanded thanks to its 
growth. 
“We have (a program) 
called Getting Good at 
Getting Older that appeals to 
the older generations, intro-
ductions to Jewish prayer, 
a conversion track for folks 
wanting to either reconnect 
with Judaism or connect with 
it for the first time, and to 

me that’s been a clear draw,” 
Levin said. “We get folks 
in these programs who are 
not members and once they 
spend some time with us, 
they tend to stick around.” 
Known for its inclusivity, 
T’chiyah says a third of its 
member households include 
at least one LGBTQ+ person. 
When Levin attended 
T’chiyah growing up, he says 
he was one of a small number 
of young people who attend-
ed. That’s since changed in a 
wonderful way, according to 
Levin, who believes his new 
role as president is an oppor-
tunity to participate in a gen-
erational shift that’s already 
taking place.
“This growth has happened 
organically. We didn’t set 
out as a synagogue to grow,” 
Levin said. “It just turned 
out amid the pandemic and 
many other challenging 
things going on in the world 
over the last five to 10 years 
that many folks out there are 
looking for the same thing. 
We’re happy to welcome 
them and share space with 
them.” 

A service at 
Congregation 
T’chiyah

Watch Ask the 
Rabbi with 
Rabbi Alana

RABBI IRWIN GRONER
Memorial
Lecture

Admission is free and open to the community.
Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove

For more information, call (248) 357-5544.

Rabbi Elliot J. Cosgrove is the Senior Rabbi of Park 
Avenue Synagogue in New York City and a leading voice 
in the Conservative Movement and the challenges faced 
by American Jewry. He was ordained at the Jewish 
Theological Seminary and earned a Ph.D. at the 
University of Chicago Divinity School.

Sponsored in memory of A. Alfred Taubman

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2022 • 7 P.M.

J
U
D A
I
S M

NOT YOUR
MOTHER’S

Registration:
shaareyzedek.shulcloud.com/event/groner-lecture

27375 Bell Road, Southfield, MI 48034
shaareyzedek.org

Upcoming Soundstage
Shaarey Zedek Event
Dara Horn - November 4-5, 2022

Sponsored by The Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation

