January 14 - 20, 2022 | Shevat 12 - 18, 5782
A Message from our Musician In Residence, Gavri Yares

Shabbat Shalom! This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shira/שבת שירה. Shira is the Hebrew word for song or poetry. We refer to this Shabbat as Shabbat Shira because of this Shabbat’s reading from the Torah. In this week’s Torah portion, we will read parshat B’shalakh which contains the Shirat Hayam or Song of the Sea. Moshe, Miryam, and the Children of Israel sang this song after successfully crossing the Sea of Reeds as they fled Egypt and slavery. Shabbat Shira also serves as time to highlight music at our synagogue.

At the Downtown Synagogue, we recently introduced a new melody for Yigdal, the closing prayer at Friday night’s services. The melody comes from the Yiddish song “Shnirele Perele”. Two of my favorite recordings come from The Klezmatics and Pharaoh's Daughter. You can listen to our interpretation of “Yigdal” sung to the melody  “Shnirele Perele” on SoundCloud or listen and follow along with the words on Youtube. We hope you can sing along with us soon!

Shabbat Shalom!
Winter 2022 Shabbat Schedule

We are pleased to share with you our Winter 2022 Shabbat Schedule. Please keep in mind that masks are required during indoor services held at Christ Church (960 E Jefferson Ave, Detroit, MI 48207 - Park in the lot on the south side of Woodbridge, the street behind the church. For Tot Shabbat and indoor services, enter through the glass doors across from the parking lot).

As the COVID pandemic is ever-changing, we thank you for your patience as we may have to make short-term changes for Shabbat services. We continue to ask you to remain masked and socially distanced for all in-person events, and encourage you to be fully vaccinated and boosted.

We look forward to sharing in community and worship with you. If you have any questions, please reach out to us.
Shabbat Services & Event Schedule
 
Friday, January 14th (Shabbat Shira - Virtual)
6:00 p.m. - Shabbat Schmooze & Kabbalat Shabbat, Shabbat Shira
 
Saturday, January 15th (Virtual)
9:30 a.m. - Torah Study
10:30 a.m. - Shacharit

All in-person services will be live-streamed for convenience. Please find the link to join or live-stream this weekend's services at 4:30 p.m. on Fridays on our website.

Torah Portion- January 14th & January 15th: Exodus 13:17−17:16

Embracing The Dream Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. - Virtual Interfaith Service
Sunday, January 16th, 10:00 a.m.
Join the Coalition for Black & Jewish Unity on Sunday, January 16th for virtual interfaith service led by Reverend Kenneth James Flowers, and joined by guest speakers from our Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity, as we embrace the dream of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Community Tu Bishvat Family Program
Sunday, January 16th, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Eliza Howell Park, 23751 Fenkell Avenue, Detroit MI (Meet at Stick Sculpture)
Join families from across Metro Detroit for a community Tu Bishvat celebration on Sunday, January 16th featuring a nature walk, scavenger hunt, singing, and other celebratory activities! ✨ In addition to our holiday programming, we will be doing a winter coat drive/clothing swap. All donations will be provided to Cass Community Services.

This will be an outdoor and masked event, open to vaccinated adults and their kiddos. We encourage vaccination for all children who are able to be vaccinated. This is a family-focused event, but we encourage all to attend and share in the celebration! This program is held in partnership with Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, Dor Hadash, and Congregation T'chiyah.

To learn more about Eliza Howell Park before the event, click here.


Jewishness/Race/Ethnicity, Racial Justice Education Series, Workshop #3
Thursday, January 20th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and Detroit Jews for Justice have partnered for a Racial Justice Education series! Join us to better understand how the stories we tell about our histories help us focus on personal and communal identity. In this workshop, we’ll explore the transformations that Jewishness has undergone, racism within Jewish communities, and apply our learning from the last workshop.

Information for all Downtown Synagogue services and events can be found on our Facebook!
Reimagining IADS

The Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary. Since the beginning, we have been rooted in the City of Detroit and focused on nurturing a welcoming and inclusive community. As we celebrate our 100th Anniversary, let us make sure that we meet the needs of Detroit’s Jewish community for the next 100 years.

The Downtown Synagogue board, staff, and lay leaders have spearheaded a $5.2 million capital campaign to make this vision a reality. Every dollar matters toward this effort. Join us and be a part of our exciting future with your financial commitment.
The staff and board of the Downtown Synagogue is thinking of ways to support our community's needs right now. If you or a loved one needs help, please let us know- we will endeavor to connect you to services or help you directly. Please reach out to Rabbi Silverman with resource inquiries.

  • City of Detroit COVID-19 Vaccine Information: Check your eligibility and schedule your covid-19 vaccine through this resource. Eligible groups will be added to this page as additional vaccine becomes available.

  • JHelp Detroit: Visit JHelp, Jewish Detroit’s resource for connecting you to the help you need. JHelp provides resources including Planning & Finances, Career Services, In-Home Support, Mental Health support, and more.
Call for Mi Shebeirach
During our Shabbat morning worship, we read the names of people in our community who are in need of healing. As we invoke God's blessing, we also become more aware of the people who could use a little extra care. Please let us know if you would like us to read the name of a loved one.