22 | JUNE 20 • 2024
J
N

W

est Bloomfield’s
B’nai Israel
Synagogue is
celebrating its 90th
anniversary the weekend of
June 28-30 with a series of
special events.
B’nai Israel will be hosting
a visiting scholar-in-
residence for the weekend,
Rabbi Paul Plotkin. Rabbi
Plotkin was an
active pulpit
rabbi for over 40
years, 33 of them
at Temple Beth
Am in South
Florida.
B’nai Israel
will have their Friday night
Kabbalat Shabbat, Saturday
morning services and Sunday
morning minyan as they
normally do, with Rabbi
Plotkin speaking on each
day.
Plotkin recently published
a book titled Wisdom Grows
in My Garden on the life

lessons he has learned from
gardening. He’ll be talking
about the book on Sunday
morning.
“Rabbi Plotkin is going
to be wonderful to hear
from. For anybody who likes
gardening, who’s looking
for some extra wisdom, this
might be something they
would enjoy hearing,” says
Mechelle Bernard, who’s
chairing the event and is on
the B’nai Israel board.
On Shabbat, after services,
Rabbi Plotkin will be
speaking about the future
of liberal Judaism in North
America in the next few
generations.
For lunch on Saturday and
breakfast on Sunday, the
congregation is catering it
themselves. The weekend will
end with a bang on Sunday
evening, June 30, with B’nai
Israel’s big 90th anniversary
dinner. The Moroccan-style
dinner will be catered by

Chef Cari.
B’nai Israel will
also be honoring
Rabbi Mitch
Parker during
the weekend
for all the work
he does for the
congregation.
The synagogue started in
Pontiac, then became part
of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek until they sold their
old building. B’nai Israel
then entered an arrangement
with Temple Kol Ami and
has been residing in TKA’s
building ever since.
The Conservative
congregation is as tight-knit
as can be. Some families
have been involved for
generations.
“It’s a wonderful group
of people,” Bernard says.
“It feels like an extended
family. I always feel like I’m
sitting down with a bunch of
brothers and sisters, uncles

and aunts. We’re catching
up, seeing who’s doing what,
pulling each other’s chains a
little bit.
“We’re looking forward to
it, and we’re hoping other
people see and hear about us
and decide this is the place
for them, too.”
Cindy Victor, B’nai
Israel’s president, joined the
congregation in 1987. Victor
says the values B’nai Israel’s
founders had 90 years ago
are alive and well today.
“I can’t think of a better
thing to do than to honor
our 90th year with a blowout
celebration. We’re inviting
folks to join us.”
B’nai Israel is expecting
most of its congregants at
the dinner and some out-of-
town guests as well. All the
weekend festivities are free
for non-members except the
Sunday dinner, which is $36.
For those interested, email
cvictor@victorfirm.com.

Rabbi Paul Plotkin will be scholar-in-residence
for the celebratory weekend.
B’nai Israel Turns 90!

Rabbi Mitch
Parker

Rabbi Paul
Plotkin

DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER

OUR COMMUNITY

A Purim meal at B’nai Israel
B’nai Israel’s Purim celebration