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14 | NOVEMBER 2 • 2023 J
N

OUR COMMUNITY

A CONNECTION 
WITH ALL PEOPLE
Woll was a powerful interfaith 
bridge-builder and was engaged 
with the Muslim and Hindu 
communities in that space. She 
was also deeply devoted to inter-
communal bridge-building with 
the Asian American and African 
American communities. 
Woll was a founder of the 
Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit 
and a longtime American Jewish 
Committee lay leader who helped 
lead the AJC’s ACCESS Detroit 
Young Leadership Program. 
Woll’s ability to be engaged 
with the person in front of her — 
completely absorbed in the con-

versation and truly listening and 
connecting with individuals on a 
meaningful level — was universal-
ly recognized as special by family, 
friends and the many communi-
ties she impacted.
Rabbi Asher Lopatin, exec-
utive director of the Jewish 
Community Relations 
Council/AJC, says 
Woll showed it’s pos-
sible to bridge the 
divide to different 
religions, political 
views and communi-
ties while still hold-
ing onto one’s convic-
tions and being a loyal member 
of one’s community. 

Rabbi 
Asher 
Lopatin

Sam Woll at the grand 
reopening of the Downtown 
Synagogue this fall.

Rachel Rudman, Rabbi Ariana Silverman and Sam Woll at 
the grand reopening of the Downtown Synagogue.

 JAMIE FELDMAN

 JAMIE FELDMAN

