30 | OCTOBER 13 • 2022 

An Oasis of Judaism

J

ackson’s Temple Beth Israel 
(TBI) is a Reform synagogue 
formed in 1862 by Jews of 
German background. The temple 
developed out of the Hebrew 
Benevolent Society, which had 
been organized in 1858. The 
congregation includes fifth-
generation members.
“This is either the oldest or 
second-oldest Reform congregation 
in the state of Michigan that is still 
active,” said president Cathy Glick. 
“And we have a Jewish cemetery 
that we own, and it’s the oldest 
still-active Jewish cemetery in the 
state of Michigan.” 
Dedicated in 1859, Temple 
Beth Israel Cemetery is listed on 
the National Register of Historic 
Places. There are at least 200 
people buried there, representing 
four and five generations of 
Jackson families. 
“There were some Jews from 
Detroit who moved out here. 
Some of them were trappers from 

Northern Michigan and came 
down. And the first thing they did 
was to build the cemetery,” Glick 
said. 
Like many small congregations, 
TBI started in people’s homes and 
smaller buildings. It’s been in its 
current building since 1952. 
“There are a lot of families that 
have been in this congregation for 
decades and decades,” Glick said. 
“A lot of them grew up in this town 
and congregation so they’re all 
friends with each other because 
they went to Hebrew school and 
confirmation class together.” 
The first female rabbi ordained 
in the United States, Sally Priesand, 
did her student rabbinate in the 
congregation. 
TBI has had many short-term 
and student rabbis, but one of the 
most recent long-term rabbis for 
12 years was Rabbi Jonathan Plaut, 
son of Rabbi Gunther Plaut.
TBI has had part-time rabbis 
that live in the Michigan area 

and come in every other Shabbat 
for many decades. TBI’s current 
rabbi is Nate DeGroot, formerly 
the religious leader for Hazon. 
DeGroot comes one Saturday 
morning and one Friday night a 
month and leads all High Holidays 
services. Services are lay-led on 
weekends the rabbi isn’t present. 
Besides Shabbat services, TBI 
does events for Sukkot, a latke 
party for Chanukah and a big 
second-night Passover seder, which 
usually draws about 120 people. 
For Purim, the youth group does 
a play and members dress in 
costumes.
Once or twice a year, TBI will 
hold some kind of mystery night 
or game night, which are usually 
fundraisers for the cemetery 
endowment fund. 
TBI is famous for its massive 
Election Day bake sale starting 
back in the 1930s or 1940s. 
Members start cooking and baking 
in August for the November event. 

Jackson’s Temple Beth Israel serves 
multiple counties as sole synagogue.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

OUR COMMUNITY
SYNAGOGUE SPOTLIGHT

