16 Friday, March 22, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS We Will Beat Your Best Price GLASS & MIRROR BI•FOLD SUPER SPECIAL Existing Doors Jews By Choice Continued from previous page 4 ft. openings 5 ft. openings 6 ft. CLOSE-UP • $123.99 Installed $128.99 Installed $145.99 Installed openings NEW MIRRORED BI-FOLD DOORS—FINEST QUALITY Slim Fold° 4 ft. openings 5 ft. openings 6 ft. openings $190.00 Installed $200.00 Installed $250.00 Installed Lowest Prices On All Types of Mirrored Walls, Furniture, Bars, Cubes, Etc. Heavy Glass Table Tops, Shelving, Beveled O.G. Edges. Shower and Tub Enclosures, Replacement Windows. MIRRORED WALL SPECIAL — 12'x8' High Call today for free estimates: 552-0088 $425.00 Atlas Glass & Mirror PERFECTION IS OUR REFLECTION Where quality work, discount prices and you the customer make us #1 552-0088 How to get the sofa you want... in the style you want . ifil ► weiwnreinvoriatn in the fabric you want • . \,ew•v•.1 .4eno. at the price you wan ...in about 30 days You don't believe us. You're used to the typical way of buying living room furniture. You shop several stores and hope they have something you like. You've had to compromise ... on style ... on fabric ... on price. And you've had to wait ... and wait ... and wait ... Not here. 30 day delivery on special orders. Over 800 fabrics. Sample our sample books. Match your favorite color or pattern or weave to your favorite style. You be the decorator. And regardless of whether you pick a classic cut velvet, a bright cotton print, or a handsome textured weave, we warranty the fabric for two years and the frame for a life-time. Custom furniture at non-custom prices. At Newton Furniture, you select the style and fabric you want. You can put contemporary prints on traditional styles. Or have a rugged corduroy on a country sleeper. And you don't pay extra. How we do it. It's really simple. We have an exclusive agreement with one of America's most modern furniture makers. They make what you order. We get your new custom furniture within 35 days. So you can enjoy it faster and for less money than you ever thought possible. You can get a custom made sofa sale priced from $499 to $1,100. 400 Styles. Look through our showroom. You'll find sofas, sleepers, chairs and recliners in every style you could imagine. Traditional, contemporary, country, even oriental. Our styles feature kiln-dryed hardwood frames with double doweling . . . and they're built to take it. • 800 fabrics to choose from • 400 styles of sofas, sleepers, and chairs - • 30 day,delivery on all special orders Livonia Sterling Heights 15950 Middlebelt Betw 5 & 6 Mile Rds 525-0030 38200 Van Dyke Betw 16 & 17 Mile Rds. 264-3400 Novi At Twelve Oaks On Service Drive Across From Hudson's Entrance 349-4600 Mon thru Sat 10 a m. to 9 p m . Sundays Noon to 5 p.m. Convenient Terms Available • Master Card & Visa Accepted psychological and philosophi- cal end of Judaism." Bill's conversion study was more like a college course. He explains, "I met with the rabbi from my college's Hillel for one academic year. We always hit on the intellectual level. I read current Jewish topics and his- tory, and learned practices and Hebrew. At the end, I wrote a paper." The Reform movement of- fers a 12-week course, "Intro- duction to Judaism," as part of its College of Jewish Studies. Meeting for two hours every Wednesday evening at Beth El, the course covers Jewish history, customs, ceremonies and Hebrew reading of basic prayers. Taught by Detroit area Reform rabbis, the course is open to anyone who wants to learn about Judaism, includ- ing candidates for conversion and their spouses. Rabbi Roman emphasizes the open nature of the course. "We'd like the community to realize Judaism is open to their inquiry. We're not an elitist, closed group." The course has also attracted many non-Jews, married to Jews, who are not presently interested in conversion, but would like more knowledge of Judaism. For those seeking Reform conversion, a congregational rabbi supplements the course with group meetings, one-to- one counseling and additional readings. Once a candidate has finished his training, he is ready for the conversion cere- mony. Traditionally, the ceremony includes a ritual cleansing at the mikveh for women and a circumcision (the taking of a drop of blood for those already circumcized) for men. The convert is blessed and given a Hebrew name that ends with "Bat Avram Av- einu" or "Bas Avram Aveinu" (son or daughter of Abraham our Father) to signify he is now a descendant of Abraham. Often the certificate of conver- sion is presented in a short, moving ceremony before the opened ark. Susan vividly recalls her conversion ceremony. "I went to the mikveh at the Jewish Center on Meyers with my mother-in-law. I took off all my clothes and scrubbed my- self very well. With a towel wrapped around me, I went into the pool and dunked all the way down in the water. Three rabbis stood behind a screen and asked me three questions. I dunked again after each answer." Sara remembers well her experience. "One of the three rabbis said to me, 'At this mo- ment you are not a Jew and can go out and still be a good person. When you become a Jew, you are a Jew forever and forever.' " Orthodox Judaism explains that halachically (according to Jewish law), a convert is under no obligation to his non- Jewish parents. For example, if a parent dies, the convert should not sit shiva. Rabbi Gordon explains, "Technically speaking, the convert becomes a new person, with a new name. While we realize he can't cut off emotional ties, we recognize the difficulties in maintaining close contact." Sara describes her relation- ship to her non-Jewish family. In a future issue we will discuss acceptance of converts by the Jewish community. "I can understand why the rabbis say to have little con- tact with your Gentile family. My family doesn't understand us —especially our complete observance of Shabbat. Since we are strictly kosher, we don't share in my family's holidays or family gatherings. They don't share in ours. My children know my parents aren't Jewish and are vaguely aware that they celebrate other holidays. The Orthodox community has become my family." Conservative and Reform Judaism offer the convert many responsible .choices. De- cisions are often based on what feels right. Susan has always tried to be understanding and sensitive to her mother's feelings. Out of respect for her mother's reli- gion, she and her husband make a point of spending the Christmas holiday with Su- san's family. They make it clear to their children that this is Grandma's holiday. For many "Jews by Choice" there is another nagging prob- lem. What do you do if you don't look "Jewish?" Every few months, Sara comes face to face with this issue in the form of a well- intentioned Jewish grand- mother. After overhearing Sara call her children by their Jewish names, and appraising her Orthodox dress and man- ner, someone will stop Sara just long enough to say, "Honey, you have such a beau- tiful Shiksa face!" ❑