NOVEMBER 17 • 2022 | 31

Rabbi Arnie and 
Tarnow remained close, 
and after retiring from 
Shir Tikvah, an agreement 
was made to return to his 
roots. Rabbi Arnie visits 
once, sometimes twice a 
month.
“I still love being a 
rabbi and doing what rab-
bis do, but I didn’t want to do it full-time 
anymore,” he said. “This is the perfect 
semi-retirement pulpit for me at this point 
in my life.” 
Beth Shalom offers monthly or twice a 
month services, corresponding to the rab-
bi’s schedule. Saturday night events often 
take place on those weekends, including 
Sukkot and Simchat Torah celebrations, 
a community Chanukah party and com-
munity seder. Movie nights, Havdalah and 
guest speaker events also take place. The 
congregation’s religious school, run with 
the help of parents, consists of about 10 
kids.
A member of the community for half a 
century, Tarnow has seen “moving north” 

as something people increasingly want to 
do.
“We seem to be in a real upswing. I’ve 
served on the board on and off for prob-
ably 40 years, and right now what I’m 
seeing is more than half the board are 
people who have moved here within the 
last three, four years. We’re having a whole 
new surge of energy.”
Tarnow says the congregation is made 
up of about 50 member units, more than 
100 people total. Members are drawn from 
a 50-to-60-mile radius and include singles, 
couples and families with children.
“Members’ willingness to be involved 
and to keep the congregation going makes 
it really special,” she said. 
The congregation is well supported by 
the general community, Tarnow says, a 
fact on display at a candlelight vigil after 
the Pittsburgh Tree of Life synagogue 
shooting in 2018. 
“People from all over the community 
came,” Tarnow said. “We see support from 
around the community, and I think that’s 
really important.”
Seeing how the community has evolved 

over many decades, Rabbi Arnie believes 
the congregation is integral to the area. 
“It’s grown substantially as has the entire 
Grand Traverse region,” he said. “It’s excit-
ing. I think people are seeing the Grand 
Traverse region as a viable place for Jews 
to live and have a Jewish congregation.” 

Rabbi Arnie 
Sleutelberg

A Chanukah 
party

Member Ken 
Newbury gave 
a program on 
golems. 

A Purim party 
from several 
years ago 

“Yid Vicious” 
concert

