As we spend 2022 celebrating the impact of the Downtown Synagogue on multiple generations over the past 100 years, I am extremely excited to share that one of those generations will soon be hitting its own“100” milestone. We now have almost 100 kids under the age of 18 in our membership. Most of them are age ten or younger and represent a tenfold increase in kids in our congregation over the past decade.

We are working to meet the needs of these children as they grow. We are blessed to have our stellar musician-in-residence Gavri Yares leading Tot Shabbat on the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month at 10:00 a.m. Gavri does an amazing job engaging the kids (and their parents), and our kids (and their parents) give rave rewards.

Each year, Hanukkah brings light into our homes and light and leadership into our synagogue. At our annual meeting we have the opportunity to express our gratitude to our outgoing board members and elect new ones.

It is wonderful that blacks and Jews alike now again make use of this sacred space. But the past, our past, pricks at us here, doesn’t it, as we confront the scars of time? We wrestle with the implications of the exposed wrought-iron rebar in the ceiling and the holes in the plasterboard above us.

Throughout history, the Jewish people have responded to crisis with resilience and reimagining. This year, for our Days of Awe, we have created both in-person and virtual ways to be in community and experience the holidays. Deep thanks to our amazing streaming team.

The timing of the Jewish New Year always made more sense to me than the Gregorian new year. It coincides with new beginnings and matches our hopeful and optimistic mood. The weather is more tolerable. School has begun. Kids are excited to reunite with their friends. With their children at school, parents – who have been hanging on for dear life over the summer – finally have a semblance of order and normalcy in their lives.

Perhaps the most transformational period in the Downtown Synagogue’s 100-year history is rapidly approaching. We are nearing the completion of a $4.5 million campaign to renovate our synagogue and to create a modern, uplifting, and more collaborative space in the heart of Downtown Detroit. With this major evolution, our leadership needs will be evolving, too.

We have re-imagined the role of Executive Director as someone who will oversee strategic, financial, developmental, and operational initiatives (see Job Description). The Executive Director will leverage the many opportunities afforded by the renovated facility and the shared workspace concept to help IADS grow and thrive. Partnering with our Rabbi and lay leaders, the Executive Director position presents a unique and exciting opportunity for an experienced leader in our community.