Committees

Get to know our committees, their goals, and how to get involved.

Adult Education Committee 

The goal of the Adult Education Committee at Temple Emanu-El is to initiate programs that will interest our members, build a sense of community, and help people learn. We hope to reach out to our members wherever they are, to find ways to interest them, increase their knowledge, and share with the entire Temple family Judaism’s unique call to learn. Click here to see upcoming programing or previous speaker series. The Adult Education Committee brings you…

• Fall & Spring Speaker Series 
• Presentations from politicians and professionals
• In-person and remote options for learning in various areas of interest 

Brotherhood

The goal of Temple’s Brotherhood is to serve as a social and service arm of the Temple. Brotherhood plans sporting event outings, provides latkes for Hannukah, helps out with the building needs, and supports programming by grilling hot dogs and popping popcorn! Brotherhood provides an opportunity for all Temple members to congregate, socialize, and meet in the community.  Brotherhood brings you…

• Hannukah latke fry
• Monthly game nights and sporting events 
• Events and speakers for Temple members and non-members

Building & Grounds Committee

The goal of the Building Committee is to support the ongoing needs of our Temple home. The committee welcomes Temple members who have an interest in sharing their knowledge, expertise, or experience participating in numerous projects. We only have a few scheduled general meetings per year to bring the committee up-to-date and familiarize members regarding our 34,000-square-foot structure and its operations, along with the 13 acres upon which it sits. Currently, we are delighted to be restarting the Esther Katzman social hall renovation project. 

Caring Community

The goal of the Caring Community is to prepare meals with a purpose and deliver those to Temple members in need.  Everyone goes through hard times in their lives and the Caring Community supports those that are mourning or are going through recovery from a difficult illness. The Caring Community provides meals and comfort.  The Caring Community brings you…

• A group of dedicated volunteers that provide meals
• Liaisons between our catering company and our families in need
• Provide soup and bread to new parents

Garden Committee

The goal of the Garden Committee is to strengthen our partnerships with local food rescue operations and strengthen our Jewish connections to the earth.  The Garden Committee works hard all season to help us learn about sustainable gardening practices with hands-on opportunities to help all ages. No experience is necessary and all ages are welcome!  The Adult Education Committee brings you…

• The Community Relief Garden 
• A Partnership with Hazon Detroit and Yad Ezra
• An opportunity to build community in the great outdoors

L’Chayim Environmental Committee  

The goal of the L’Chayim Committee is to focus on Tikkun Olam.  From climate change to food sustainability, the L’Chayim Committee helps ensure that our events and programming are doing what we can to do our part. The L’Chayim group provided vegan ice cream for Shavuot, a sustainable seder for Passover, and has recently started a Farm-to-Temple meat delivery service. The L’Chayim Environmental Committee brings you…

• Farm-to-Temple regenerative meat deliveries 
• Sustainable Passover Seder 
• Education on how we can improve our food, health, and climate

Membership Committee

The Membership Committee strives to ensure that new members, and all members, have a connection to Temple, our congregation, and our committees. The committee works on projects, communication, new initiatives, and events that have the goal of integrating our new congregants into our community.  The Membership Committee brings you…

• New Member Outreach
• Yearly event or programming for New Members 
• Improving touch pointsa and connections for new families 

Music Committee

The goal of the Music Committee is to support musical productions and programming within our congregation.  The Music Committee brings the Music Cafe Series to Temple each year. While collaborating both inside and outside of our Temple Family, the Music Committee helps support the arts and brings beautiful sounds and dance-worthy tunes to our events. The Music Committee brings you….

• The Music Cafe series 
• Virtual and in-person concerts and collaborations
• Musical accompanists to our services and holidays

Nechamah- Bereavement Group

“Nechamah” means “comfort” and the goal of this support group is to help people navigate the journey and process of grief. The structure for the group has followed the stages of grief (for example, denial, anger, and powerlessness) so that for eight consecutive weeks, a theme would be brought to the members for conversation. Nechamah provides a safe space for mourners, whether members or not, to share their thoughts, feelings, and challenges, and to learn that, while each person’s grief is unique, there are common threads that run through the process and help us to understand that we are not alone in the journey through grief. Nechamah offers…

• A peer group for bereavement support
• A safe space for exploring grief at any point in time
• A rolling group that begins with critical mass

Religious Committee 

The goal of the Religious Committee is to provide learning opportunities and to engage thoughts on Jewish history, ritual, and tradition. By joining with our clergy, the committee ensures that Temple offers meaningful and creative ways to worship, including assistance with shivas and minyans. The Religious Committee participates in weekly Torah and text study and takes over for Rabbi during the summer when Torah study is lay-led. The Religious Committee brings you…

• Weekly Torah Study
• Summer text study (literature/topics change each year)
• Lead shiva minyans 

Sisterhood

The goal of Temple’s Sisterhood is to make personal connections with other Temple members. The National WRJ supports our strong district and supports many causes from women’s rights to economic justice and global affairs. Sisterhood supports our Onegs, presents young family events, and assists with our Temple’s building needs. Sisterhood brings you…

• Shabbat Onegs on Fridays
• Creative family events and programming
• Mahjong Meet Ups and More

Social Action Committee 

The goal of the Social Action Committee is to move the needle on social action and social justice issues, both near and far. It uses our Reform Jewish values to address local, national, and global issues. The Social Action Committee hosts volunteer opportunities, fundraising events, and ways to get our congregation active- from filling backpacks for Samritas to signing postcards for local gun control. The Social Action Committee brings you…

• Support in sustaining the Brovary Jewish community in Ukraine
• Annual food drive with Yad Ezra & Light One Candle Project with JFS
• Book Nook- Adult and Youth Book Recommendations

Yachad Committee 

The goal of the Yachad Committee is to support our incredible Hebrew school and the programming it provides.  Click here to learn more about the Yachad Religious School. We invite any Yachad parents or any Temple members to help our Director of Education and our Yachad staff bring events to our community. The Yachad Committee brings you…

• Yachad Shabbat services and dinners
• Annual Purim Carnival, Mitzvah Day, and more