28 | MAY 18 • 2023
OUR COMMUNITY
D
aniel B. Syme, rabbi emeritus
of Temple Beth El in
Bloomfield Township, one
of the most revered voices in the
American Jewish community, has
been named one of the recipients of
The PuLSE Institute’s inaugural Arun
Gandhi Award for Global Justice.
Syme, a transcending voice for
racial justice, was inducted in 2010
into the Martin Luther King Jr.
International Board of Preachers
at Morehouse College in Atlanta,
and Lifestyle magazine’s readers once
voted him as one of 18 North American
Jews “who will be most influential
in shaping the future of the Jewish
community in the 21st century.”
The Gandhi Award, which was
instituted in 2019, is named after Dr.
Arun Gandhi, the 88-year-old grandson
of Mahatma Gandhi, who has been
a standard-bearer in fighting for
marginalized communities around the
world and a member of the National
Advisory Board of The PuLSE Institute
(Institute for Public Leadership and
Social Equity). Dr. Gandhi was among
the first global leaders to answer the call
of The PuLSE Institute, Detroit’s national
anti-poverty think tank, and became a
member of the organization’s brain trust.
“This award is in recognition of
your longstanding and unwavering
commitment as a conscientious and
transcending religious leader who has
demonstrated a willingness to address
issues affecting marginalized groups
across all communities,” The PuLSE
Institute wrote in its nomination of
Syme. “In pushing for causes significant
to the overall moral essence of the Civil
Rights Movement, you have shown
that members of the faith community
can be a powerful force to the historic
calling for equality.”
The letter added, “The work you
have done for decades as a faith
leader is in line with the vision of
Dr. Gandhi, the lessons from his
grandfather and the moral dictates of
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who avidly
followed the teachings of Mahatma
Gandhi marked by his historic visit to
India. Your commitment reflects Dr.
Gandhi’s mission for the light of justice,
peace and equality to prevail over the
darkness of discrimination and hate.”
Syme called the award a significant
recognition of his decades of service to
humanity.
“It is a great honor to be nominated
for the Gandhi Award, especially as it
comes from The PuLSE Institute,” Syme
said. “Throughout my life, I have tried
to advance decency and caring in our
society, most especially through my
work in Black-Jewish relations, suicide
prevention, and resistance to hate and
oppression.
“The PuLSE Institute has offered
me an opportunity to join a coalition
of caring people, led by Bankole
Thompson, a leader who epitomizes
the goodness that is possible in each
of us, as well as the entire leadership
of the Institute. I accept this award
with gratitude and humility, and hope
that my personal work will continue to
measure up to the high standards you
have established.”
Syme is a published author or
co-author of 24 books, on topics such
as Jewish parenting, youth suicide
prevention, Christian-Jewish relations,
Jewish social action, ritual, theology
and Jewish education. He is the founder
of the Single Soul Suicide Prevention
program of Jewish Family Service.
Bankole Thompson, a nationally
acclaimed Black journalist and cultural
critic, who is the executive dean and
editor-in-chief of The PuLSE Institute,
said Syme has been a consistent ally in the
fight against racial and economic injustice.
“Rabbi Syme stands out in the
faith community for his significant
outreach and willingness to join forces
with those who come from different
backgrounds and experiences but have
a common vision to combat racism
and inequality. That is why he has been
a transcending force, and this award
is to put the spotlight on not only his
contributions, but also to show that his
brand of principled faith leadership is
needed today,” Thompson said.
“I have known few faith leaders in
public life who have demonstrated
Rabbi Syme’s level of commitment to
coalition-building in addressing the
most complex issues facing us.”
Thompson added, “Rabbi Syme
continues to be a powerful model
for how we must engage other
communities outside of the Jewish
community with mutual respect in
order to address the common good.
He knows we are all bound in the same
garment of destiny.”
Syme will be honored later in 2023
alongside other recipients who will be
announced soon.
Rabbi Daniel Syme to receive PuLSE Institute’s
Arun Gandhi Award for Global Justice.
A Justice Crusader
JN STAFF
Rabbi
Daniel
Syme