L

iving in a large 
metropolitan Jewish 
community where it is 
easy to find kosher food, Judaic 
items or even a synagogue, it’s 
easy to forget that small Jewish 
communities scattered around 
the state continue to function 
and offer a center for those 
living in more isolated areas. 
Hancock, Traverse City, South 
Haven, Charlevoix and Benton 
Harbor-St. Joseph come to 
mind as examples of these small 
but strong centers of Jewish life.
Benton Harbor-St. Joseph 
is one of those historic Jewish 
communities. There has 
been an organized Jewish 

community in the Benton 
Harbor-St. Joseph area since 
1895, when the Children of 
Israel Synagogue was formed. 
An Orthodox congregation 
started in 1911 and a Reform 
congregation in 1934, then 
merged with Children of Israel 
over time to form today’s 
Temple B’nai Shalom, which is 
Conservative and dates to 1971. 
 
 
 
 In the 1930s, Benton Harbor 
was a major agricultural center 
and hosted the largest outdoor 
market in the country. The 
Berrien County Jewish Famer’s 
Association had more than 50 
members — Jewish farmers 
who had been established with 

the help of HIAS as they arrived 
as new immigrants in the U.S. 
The Jewish community, 
significantly smaller than it was 
in the early 1900s, continues to 
offer weekly services, a Sunday 
school program and Jewish 
programming developed by 
Temple B’nai Shalom.
This year, there is a unique 
Detroit-Benton 
Harbor connection. 
For Yom Kippur, 
Rabbi David 
Nelson, who served 
as the rabbi of 
Congregation Beth 
Shalom for many 
years, and Cantor 
Leonard Gutman, 
who served as the 
Chazzan Sheni 
at Congregation 
Shaarey Zedek, 
will be leading 
High Holiday 

services. Though Nelson has 
had a monthly pulpit with B’nai 
Shalom for 12 years, this will be 
the first time he will be leading 
these services.
Pre-registered guests, 
dictated by security needs, 
are always welcome; and 
information about the services 
or any other programs of the 
congregation are available 
by calling the office at (269) 
925-8021. Nelson will also 
answer any questions about 
the services or other resources 
in the general community. 
Contact him at (248) 752-4914, 
ravdavid@comcast.net.
If you’re looking for a 
relaxed, traditional holiday in 
a vacation setting, consider 
visiting B’nai Shalom. 

B’nai Shalom is located at 2050 

Broadway, Benton Harbor, MI 49022 

https://tbnaishalom.org

Metro Detroit clergy to lead Yom Kippur 
service at Temple B’nai Shalom.

Detroit-Benton 
Harbor Connection

40 | SEPTEMBER 29 • 2022 

Rabbi 
David 
Nelson

OUR COMMUNITY
HIGH HOLIDAYS

Y

om Kippur is a won-
derful time of the 
year to reflect on mis-
takes, forgive and start anew. 
But preparation is always key 
to prayer and fasting for 25 
hours, which may be a bit 
painful for those who reli-
giously drink 
a cup a coffee 
first thing in 
the morning.
Frank 
Lanzkron-
Tamarazo, 
owner of Coffee 
Roasters in 
Ferndale, says 
some of his 
customers start 

changing their coffee habits 
days before the holiday. 
“Some of my customers 
drink decaffeinated coffee up 
to a week beforehand or they’ll 
switch to tea. Some of the teas 
have caffeine, but tea has a 
chemical in it that allows the 
caffeine to be processed over 
a longer period of 
time,” Lanzkron-
Tamarazo 
explained. 
While the mas-
ter roaster himself 
has no issue with 
skipping coffee for 
a day, others like 
his brother-in-law 
take an extra step 
to avoid the split-

ting headache during the fast.
“Often before the Yom 
Kippur fast, I’ll drink eight 
or 10 cups of coffee at dinner 
because I want to get hydrat-
ed. Luckily, it doesn’t have an 
effect on me,” he said. “The 
only thing I really miss is the 
taste of coffee. My brother-in-
law starts weaning himself off 
caffeine about a month before 
Tisha b’Av, the Jewish fast day 
in the summer, so that he’s 
ready for Yom Kippur.”
It just depends on the 
person, Lanzkron-Tamarazo 
added. 

“There are some people who 
drink lots of coffee before Yom 
Kippur so that they can get 
their caffeine intake in before 
the 25-hour fast day, while 
others start preparing days in 
advanced.” 
An employee at Spreads 
Bagels & Café in Southfield, 
who has many different flavors 
of kosher bagels, says they 
have heard that some of their 
customers use caffeine pills to 
help have an easier fast.
Regardless of what everyone 
says, always do what is best for 
you and your body. 

How to Avoid a 
Fast Headache 

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

Frank Lanzkron-Tamarazo, 
owner and master roaster 
of Chazzano Coffee 
Roasters

A cup filled with 
coffee beans from 
Chazzano Coffee 
Roasters

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHAZZANO COFFEE ROASTERS

Cof
 ee master roaster shares tips to help 
wean yourself from caf
 eine for an easier fast.

Cantor 
Leonard 
Gutman

