Temple Israel (West Bloomfield, Michigan)

Temple Israel is a Reform Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan.

For similarly named synagogues, see Temple Israel.

The congregation was founded in 1941 in Detroit.[1] In 1949 the congregation erected an Art Deco temple designed by architect William Kapp. It moved to West Bloomfield in 1980;[2] the original temple is now the Word of Power Church and is included in the National Register of Historic Places as part of Detroit's Palmer Park Apartment Building Historic District.

Temple Israel is among the largest Reform congregations in the country.[3] As of 2012 its website states that it is the largest in North America,[4] and the official database of the Union for Reform Judaism confirms this, reporting a membership of 3,383.[5] In 1995, Temple Israel was the first reform congregation to open a mikveh (ritual bath).[6]


The building was designed by Detroit architectural firm of Smith, Hinchman & Grylls who assigned William Kapp as chief architect.[7] In September 2016, Temple Israel officially announced a major renovation on the synagogue and display cases. It was completed in September 2017.[2]

References
  1. Olitzky, Kerry M.; Raphael, Marc Lee. The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook, Greenwood Press, 1996, pp. 177-8.
  2. "Our History | Temple Israel - Temple Israel". www.temple-israel.org. Retrieved 2021-01-19.
  3. Alexander J. Drukas, "An interview with Paul M. Yedwab, Rabbi, Temple Israel, West Bloomfield", Mlive.com, April 10, 2008.
  4. "I'm New Here" Archived 2012-09-15 at archive.today at Temple Israel official website (accessed February 13, 2012).
  5. Congregational Profile of Temple Israel Archived 2013-04-16 at archive.today, Union for Reform Judaism (accessed February 20, 2012).
  6. Sue Fishkoff, "Reimagining the Mikveh" Archived 2012-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, Reform Judaism, Fall 2008.
  7. Witsil, Frank (June 15, 2021). "Downton Abbey fame leads to Meadow Brook Hall architect getting credit he deserves". Detroit Free Press. (subscription required)

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