20 | SEPTEMBER 22 • 2022
C
onnecting Jews to Judaism.
”
That’s the mission of Aish
HaTorah Detroit, according
to executive director Rabbi Simcha
Tolwin.
Aish HaTorah Detroit was founded
in 1980 by his parents and has been
in its current building in Oak Park
since 2009.
“So often, there are obstacles —
whether it’s membership, big box or
services — and our mission at Aish is to
make Judaism relevant, exciting and easily
accessible to Jews of all backgrounds,
”
Tolwin said.
He notes that one in 10 Jewish kids
are in day school and one in four are in
Hebrew school, which means the major-
ity of Jewish kids are getting zero Jewish
education. For post-high school years, it’s
worse.
“
Aish HaTorah is a very clear-cut mis-
sion to reach those who are not being
reached,
” he said.
Aish HaTorah is not a synagogue,
Tolwin says, but a learning center.
“It’s a place to come and bring your
family to experience meaningful Judaism.
We have no membership structure what-
soever. We don’t have fixed seating. We
only just put in an ark about six years ago
for b’nai mitzvah.
”
Before COVID, Aish didn’t even have
daily services, just Shabbat and High
Holiday services. Only now are there three
services a day as daily services became
necessary in the community.
“The majority of the Jewish com-
munity today doesn’t go to services
on a regular basis, and when you have
a Jewish community built around
shul, the tendency is to think ‘if I go
to shul, I’m a good Jew; if I don’t go
to shul, not so good,
’” Tolwin said.
“We’re saying it’s not about shul; it’s
about you. Our definition of success
is when you take what you learned at Aish
and apply it at home. We’re not looking
to fill seats or fill membership rosters.
We’re looking to fill Jewish homes with
Judaism.
”
Having spent time in New York,
Tolwin, an Orthodox Jew, noticed Jewish
labels and denominations aren’t nearly as
enforced there as they are in a place like
Detroit.
“In Detroit, it’s still a very big deal.
There’s a need to put it into a box. The
strength to not being a synagogue and not
Aish HaTorah Detroit, although not a synagogue, aims
to fill Jewish homes with Judaism.
Connecting
Jews to Judaism
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
OUR COMMUNITY
SYNAGOGUE SPOTLIGHT
Estie Tolwin, program
director, holds a candle
while Rabbi Simcha
Tolwin reads during an
AISH Gala event.
continued on page 22
L’Shana Tova
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