Rabbi David Whiman

ALPENA — Forty-five years ago, a young student rabbi named David Whiman spent the summer serving Alpena’s Temple Beth-El at 125 E. White St. Through serendipitous circumstances, Temple Beth-El is pleased to welcome back Rabbi David Whiman.

On Saturday, Rabbi Whiman will lead Temple Beth-El’s Shabbat service. Then on Sunday, Rabbi Whiman will host a Community Outreach program in which he will share the amazing story of how he reconnected with Temple Beth-El and give an intriguing presentation entitled “The Tabernacle, the Holy Temple And the Synagogue: The Furnishings and Ritual Objects of Jewish Worship.”

In 2012, Rabbi Whiman became Rabbi Emeritus of North Shore Synagogue in New York and now serves part-time at Beth Shalom in Milan, Italy. He is a superb preacher, an effective teacher, a published author, and an avid collector of antique Judaica. Synagogue carvings from his collection were featured in the exhibit “Jeweled Horses and Gilded Lions: The Synagogue and the Carousel,” which explored the connection between Eastern European Jewish and American Folk Art.

Seating is limited at both the Shabbat service and Community Outreach program so please call 989-595-3544 for reservations and important information. Temple Beth-El’s Guest Rabbi program is sponsored in part by the generosity of the Ravitz Foundation Initiative for Michigan Small Jewish Communities as well as donations by Temple Beth-El members and friends.