Can you help identify Michigan Miracle Mission I participants?

Note: History Help Line is brought to you by the Center for Michigan Jewish Heritage, a collaboration between the Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives of Temple Beth El and the Leonard N. Simons Jewish Community Archives of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

It’s been over a decade since the last community mission to Israel. But with the Motor City Mission on the horizon (March 12-21, 2023, to be exact), we thought it would be fun to take a look back at the first community mission!

Help us identify these people. Use the link in the story below.

Michigan Miracle Mission I (MMMI) was the largest mission to Israel ever mounted from Detroit. Nearly 1,300 people made the journey to Israel in April 1993. During the trip, hundreds of photographs were taken, which are now preserved in the Leonard N. Simons Jewish Community Archives.

Unfortunately, nearly all the photographs are unidentified. As archivists, we are on a mission to make our collections more accessible. This means identifying who is in the photo, as well as the place and date. Adding this information to a record makes it easier for users to find what they are seeking.

That’s where you come in! Were you on MMMI? Know someone who was? Just want to take a look at some amazing historical photographs?


Help us identify these people. Use the link in the story below.

Visit this link to see photographs from our MMMI collection, and let us know if you recognize any people or places. Above each photograph, there is a “Send Us Feedback” button you can use to reach us.  

With your help, we can put names with the faces!

And don’t forget to register for the Motor City Mission and be a part of history in the making.