“There’s a synagogue in Alpena?!?!?!”

Yes, for more than 125 years, Temple Beth-El has been serving the Sunrise Side of northern Michigan’s Jewish communities.

As a result of the increase in tourism and new business opportunities in the area, more people are searching the Web and discovering this historic jewel.

In the past several months, Temple Beth-El received a variety of inquiries about Judaism. The interest in the world’s oldest monotheistic religion was sparked for many reasons: the results of a DNA test indicating Jewish ancestry, the recent knowledge of having a Jewish grandmother, the desire to worship with those who keep the Sabbath, or a longing to know more about this ancient religion.

The Board of Trustees — in accordance with the Temple’s mission to maintain their historic synagogue as a place of worship, Torah study, education, and social and life-cycle events for the Jewish people of Alpena and area residents, as well as foster, develop, and share their Jewish presence in the interfaith community — recently hosted a Judaism 101 Seminar for those who expressed interest in learning more about Torah, Shabbat (Sabbath) services, and more

The first of the three-part sessions, entitled “Judaism: The Basics,” was held on Nov. 10 and explored what Jews believe about G-d.

On Nov. 17, participants in the second session learned about “The Sanctuary: from Artifacts to TzitZit,” and, at the third session on Nov. 24, “The Shabbat Service: Format and Etiquette” was explained.

The lively, interactive, and very informative classes were deemed “excellent” by participants who expressed their desire for additional educational programs.

More information about the history of Temple Beth-El, including a beautiful video, is available at TempleBethElAlpena.wordpress.com.