OUR COMMUNITY

F

or many years, the 
Conservative Beth Israel 
Congregation was the 
only Jewish synagogue in the 
Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti area. In 
1966, Professor Ronald Tikofsky 
initiated a meeting in the hopes 
of establishing a Reform temple. 
 
 Beginning with a small gath-
ering in his home, with help 
from the regional director of 
the Union of American Hebrew 
Congregations, a preliminary 
steering committee was formed. 
Several community meetings 
were held, and the group began 
to form plans for religious wor-
ship and a religious education 
program. Beth Emeth, House of 
Truth, was chosen as the name 
for the new temple in the Ann 

Arbor community.
Temple Beth Emeth held its 
first services in August 1966 at 
the Congregational Church on 
State and William streets. In the 
early years, services were con-
ducted by temple members or 
by guest rabbis in the region. 
As the congregation grew 
from approximately 30 families 
in 1968 to almost 100 families 
over the next two years, they 
realized they needed more 
space. 
In 1971, the congregation 
leased the sanctuary of St. 
Clare’s Episcopal Church on 
Packard Road.
After several years of leasing 
school facilities and renting St. 
Clare’s for religious services, 

mid-week Hebrew school and 
office space for the rabbi, the 
congregation recognized the 
need for one building to house 
all of the temple’s diverse func-
tions. In June 1974, the Rev. 
Douglas Evett of St. Clare’s 
came to invite Temple Beth 
Emeth “to join us in this place.” 
Discussions with members of 
both congregations took several 
months and culminated in June 
1975 with approval to form a 
corporation officially named 
Genesis of Ann Arbor. 

THE GENESIS 
PARTNERSHIP
This unique arrangement defined 
the joint sharing and owning of 
a single facility by a Jewish and 

Christian congregation. A week-
end dedication saw the installa-
tion of the Star of David along-
side the Cross in front of the 
building on Packard Road. Media 
throughout the country carried 
stories about the joint venture. 
As the membership of Temple 
Beth Emeth continued to grow, 
once again, space became an 
issue. A plan was made that sup-
ported Genesis, to enlarge the 
facility for both congregations. 
In November 1994, Temple Beth 
Emeth and St. Clare’s dedicated 
a new building that included a 
new sanctuary, a religious school 
classroom wing, a new social hall 
and kitchen, offices and a small 
Jewish chapel. 
“While there are lots of exam-

Ann Arbor’s Temple Beth Emeth co-owns 
its building with a Christian church.

A Unique 
Partnership

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

20 | AUGUST 4 • 2022 

SYNAGOGUE SPOTLIGHT

