OUR COMMUNITY
Robbie Terman and Laura Gottlieb
Hub for Jewish Heritage Two of Detroit’s best archives combine to create the new Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage.
O
ne can read a lot of Detroit Jewish history today. There are online newsletters and journals, a wide range of books to read on your Kindle, and many other digital sources of information. There are also tried and Mike Smith true historical Alene and Graham Landau sources such Archivist Chair as the journal, Michigan Jewish History, or the online Archive of the Detroit Jewish News and Detroit Jewish Chronicle. All these resources have one thing in common: They are written by a third-party. Often, their research is from published books and articles. The best evidence is, however, contained
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in original or primary resources — documents, photographs or data — whether in paper or digital form. And, an archive is where one finds these authentic sources. In this regard, there is exciting news: the creation of the Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage. The Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage (CMJH) is a collaboration between two of the best archives of Jewish History in Metro Detroit: the Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archive at Temple Beth El and the Leonard N. Simons Jewish Community Archives at the Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit. Each archive retains ownership of its records; but for the first time, they are collaborating on preservation, collection man-
agement, reference services and the creation of digital resources. The CMJH’s mission is to preserve and provide access to the primary sources of local Detroit and Michigan Jewish history. “To understand our community today, you need to look in the past,” says Federation CEO Steven Ingber. “By protecting our archival records, we are ensuring a lasting legacy for the people and institutions that have shaped us.” To which Rabbi Mark Miller, senior rabbi of Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, adds: “Our Metro Detroit Jewish community has a storied past and engaging with that past is one of the keys to future success. Weaving together the
fascinating chronicles and the professional expertise of both the Franklin and Simons Archives will allow the Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage to not only to preserve our shared legacy, but also ensure that more and more people benefit from the vibrant stories that brought us here.” DEDICATED ARCHIVISTS The CMJH is also a partnership between two dedicated and creative archivists: Laura Gottlieb, director of cultural resources at Temple Beth El, and Robbie Terman, director of the Simons Archive. They are the idea-people behind the CMJH. “It was incredible to have an idea and then find a precedent for it in our own collections,” Terman says. “In 1899, Rabbi Franklin developed an idea of a consolidated United Jewish Charities for the community.
