Calendar of Events
View our full list of upcoming events
Chene Street History Project: Lecture and Presentation
June 4, 2013 7:00 PM | Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Don’t miss this fascinating lecture and presentation! RSVP please, payment at the door.
Settlers to Citizens: A Tour of Historic Jewish Windsor
June 23, 2013 9:00 AM | Jewish Community Center
Join JHSM and Jewish Windsor for an afternoon exploring Jewish Windsor…from old to new! Buses from Detroit to Windsor will depart from Congregation Shaarey Zedek, 27375 Bell Rd., Southfield.
J-Cycle III: A Bike Tour of Historic Northwest Jewish Detroit
August 18, 2013 8:30 AM | Palmer Park
Hop on your bicycle and join the Jewish Historical Society, the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, the Reconstructionist Congregation of Detroit and Hillel Metro Detroit for a ride of historic proportions. This year, we are touring Northwest Detroit…Palmer Park, Sherwood Forest, through the University District and Bagley area, past Mumford High School, along the Avenue of Fashion and see former synagogues such as Temple Israel, Adat Shalom and Beth Abraham.
Our Mission
The Jewish Historical Society of Michigan educates, celebrates and promotes awareness of the contributions of the Jews of Michigan to our state, our nation and the world. Throughout the year, we present docent-led tours of historic Jewish Detroit and Southeast Michigan and host interesting lectures, book discussions and film viewings. We publish Michigan Jewish History, an annual journal, and maintain the Jewish Yearbook Collection, the largest collection of yearbooks from Detroit-area high schools.
The Jewish Center Orchestra earned national prestige for its success in attracting world-renowned figures in composition and performances, mentoring and developing young talent and bringing world-class music and musicians to the Detroit area. Maestro Julius Chajes conducted the orchestra for more than two decades beginning in 1940.
Flora Hommel, a native Detroiter, is the founder of the Detroit-based, non-profit organization Childbirth Without Pain Education Association, which espouses and teaches the Lamaze method of natural childbirth, which Flora learned and brought to the United States from France.
In 1850, Sarah Cozens gathered a group of fellow German-Jewish immigrants and held religious services at her home, near this present-day location (at the Blue Cross/Blue Shield building in Detroit). Marcus Cohen conducted the services of the congregation which would be called the Bet El Society and is known today as Temple Beth El (Bloomfield Hills)
JCycle 2011 participants stop at the T-Plex building, in an industrial section known as Milwaukee Junction, which once housed Ford Motor Company’s first factory, research facility and offices. In 1908, Henry Ford developed the Model T here and among the many workers employed in the factories owned by various manufactures in the area were many Jewish immigrants.
