NOVEMBER 23 • 2023 | 85
J
N

Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at thejewishnews.com

An Innovator and a Mensch
R

abbi Dannel I. Schwartz, founder of 
Temple Shir Shalom, died in a car 
crash on Oct. 29. It was a stunning 
tragedy, not only for Shir Shalom, but for 
the Detroit Jewish community.
As Ronelle Grier noted in her fine 
obituary for Rabbi Schwartz in the JN last 
week, he was an “imaginative leader, a 
talented orator and devoted 
family man who had an innate 
gift for connecting with people 
and bringing them together.” 
Moreover, these tributary 
words about Rabbi Schwartz 
mirror nearly universal 
feelings toward him among 
members of Detroit’s Jewish 
community.
Rabbi Schwartz’s legendary status is 
well-earned. One only needs to spend 
a few minutes in the William Davidson 
Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 
to confirm this fact. Rabbi Schwartz is 
mentioned many times, and Shir Shalom is 
cited on 5,614 pages. 
As the title of Grier’s obit declares, 
Rabbi Schwartz was indeed “A Visionary 
Leader.” While there is much that can be 
said about Rabbi Schwartz — more than 
enough to fill a few issues of the JN — I 
found one particular story in the Davidson 
Archive to be most interesting: the founding 
of Shir Shalom; in particular, the early 
advertisements for the Temple.
It began with brief front page story with 
a simple title: “Beth El Offshoot Forming” 
(May 27, 1988, JN). On June 20, 30 families 
with Rabbi Schwartz established Shir 
Shalom in a converted office building in 
West Bloomfield. A month later, Rabbi 
Schwartz and Shir Shalom were the subjects 
of a JN feature article: “A New Song” (July 
22, 1988).
Most intriguing, however, is the novel, 
highly effective advertising blitz conducted 
by Shir Shalom after its founding. It 

featured various ads in the JN directed 
toward particular segments of Detroit’s 
Jewish population. The first ad, “You 
don’t have to wander anymore,” addressed 
the Temple’s overall philosophy of 
inclusiveness (June 17, 1988). That was 
followed by ads such as one directed 
toward single Jews that featured an image 
of pair of animals boarding Noah’s Ark: 
“You don’t have to come in pairs” (July 29, 
1988) or “The first thing to do is find the 
right temple for the kids” (Aug. 12, 1988).
The advertisements were not without 
controversary. One that drew the ire 
of some readers stated that “Ruth 
Intermarried, too” and that Shir Shalom 
would have welcomed her (Aug. 19, 
1988). Rabbi Schwartz explained that the 
purpose of the ad was not to encourage 
intermarriage, nor did he perform 
intermarriages unless the non-Jewish 
partner was converting, but that Shir 
Shalom was “trying to make people feel at 
home,” especially intermarried couples that 
were not participating in Jewish communal 
activities (Aug 26, 1988). 
Less than three months later, as its 
advertisement in the Aug. 26, 1988, JN, 
stated, the Temple had 487 member 
families, and thanked Jewish Detroit for 
the “Miracle of Shir Shalom.” Five years 
later, the current Temple Shir Shalom on 
Walnut Lake road was built. It’s a great 
story of promise and growth.
Rabbi Schwartz’s leadership, his 
superb oratory skills and, most important, 
his ability to listen, provide empathy and 
connect with people, are legendary in 
Jewish Detroit. Perhaps his legacy can be 
summed-up as follows: Shir Shalom is still 
a welcoming Temple, and it is now home 
to more than 900 families and individual 
members. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, avail-
able for free at thejewishnews.com.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair