4 ,C \E) Friday, December 6, 1985 v3IFHAH - 1)11- 1d::_'hi THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS THE JEWISH NEWS Serving Detroit's Metropolitan Jewish Community with distinction for four decades. Editorial and Sales offices at 20300 Civic Center Dr., Suite 240, Southfield, Michigan 48076-4138 Telephone (313) 354-6060 PUBLISHER: Charles A. Buerger EDITOR EMERITUS: Philip Slomovit: EDITOR: Gary Rosenblatt CONSULTANT: Carmi M. Slomovitz ART DIRECTOR: Kim Muller-Thym NEWS EDITOR: Alan Hitsky LOCAL NEWS EDITOR: Heidi Press EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Tedd Schneider LOCAL COLUMNIST: Danny Raskin OFFICE STAFF: Lynn Fields Marlene Miller Dharlene Norris Phyllis Tyner Pauline Weiss Ellen Wolfe ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Lauri Biafore Allan Craig Rick Nessel Danny Raskin PRODUCTION: Donald Cheshure Cathy CicCone Curtis Deloye Ralph Orme © 1985 by The Detroit Jewish News (US PS 275-520) Second Class postage paid at Southfield, Michigan and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: 1 year - $21 — 2 years - $39 — Out of State - $23 — Foreign . $35 CANDLELIGHTING AT 4:41 P.M. VOL. LXXXVII, NO. 15 A Mighty Miracle At sundown tomorrow night, the first candle will be lit on the menorah. By itself, each dim candle will be almost insignificant. But as more candles burn with each new night of Chanukah, the menorah becomes more brilliant, more incandescent, more ethereal. Chanukah has come to have many meanings. Unfortunately, some of these obscure and diminish the beauty and the power of those eight menorah candles. The most common — and the most shallow — meaning has reduced Chanukah to a time of gift-giving. In our predominanty non-Jewish world, this may have been unavoidable. Exchanging gifts for Chanukah began, it is usually assumed, to placate small children. They needed, it was thought, some consolation while a barrage of gift-giving was going on all around them. But this blizzard of gifts too often obscures the beauty of the holiday, a beauty which could dazzle a child far more than the transitory pleasury of receiving this year's hottest plaything. For Chanukah, after all, is a time of miracles. And nothing so captures a child's imagination and attention than the miraculous. The miracle of Chanukah is that of the small jar of oil that burned for eight days. The miracle of Chanukah is the victory of religion over the secularists that had so infatuated the ancient Israelis. The miracle of Chanukah is that the Jews' spiritualism and creativity managed to survive the apathy and idolatry of Hellenism. When the father of Judah Maccabee fled into the Judean hills to wage guerilla war against the Greeks who had conquered Israel, he called out, "Whoever is faithful to the Lord, follow me." Now whoever is faithful to the spirit of Chanukah should remember — even in these times when the festival is so ruled by gift-giving — that the holiday commemorates transcendence, that it honors the eternal spirit, that as the menorah gains in brilliance with each new night and with each additional candle that is lit, that we, too, gain in the knowledge that our lives are constantly open to miracles — if only we have the wisdom and a child-like openness to receive them. Educational Support The status of Jewish education has been the subject of extensive debate throughout the country for decades. Education in the afternoon school programs has been expecially singled out for criticism, including in these pages ("Who Cares About Hebrew Schools," Nov. 15). But, both national and local studies have verified that great strides are being made, and Detroit's United Hebrew Schools can proudly stand up as a leader for its innovative programs and curriculum. On the day school scene, Detroit's Akiva, Hillel and Yeshivath Beth Yehudah have well-deserved reputations for quality education. Enhancing their standing in the community is the recent record turn-out at the annual dinner of the yeshivah. Some 1,900 persons attended, demonstrating both financial support and commitment to the school. At a time when Jewish education is described as being at a crossroads, that personal commitment weighs heavily in the communal ledger. OP-ED It's Past Time to Consider Bar/Bat Mitzvah Meaning BY RABBI SHERMAN -P. KIRSHNER Special to The Jewish News It is with a deep and penetrat- ing sense of chagrin that I continue to observe the "mitzvah" all but dis- appear from the original concept as well as from the ceremony of Bar/ Bat Mitzvah. I recall a time, not too long ago, when parents and the greater family were imbued with a sense of derech feretz or good manners and a feeling of reverence for Jewish tradition and they would reinforce the rabbi's teachings, suggestions and urgings in connection with the actual obser- vance of this ceremony. Thus, did the child feel part and parcel of his/ her Jewish heritage and legacy — if only for that twenty-four hour period of Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration. This special day in a child's life always included a kiddush-luncheon in the synagogue which in Jewish life is a seudat mitzvah or a repast fulfilling a Godly commandment in which the celebrant, their family, rabbi and hazzan led the gathered congregants in kiddush, ha-Motzi and Birkat Ha-Mazon as Judaism dictates. It was, at all times, a synagogue-oriented celebration, im- pressing upon the youngster his/her need for the assumption of some religious responsibioity beyond the norm. It was also a time to cease our mundane dealngs and elevate our children and ourselves to a more re- verent and meaningful way of life — if only for the duration of this event-filled day. In today's secularistic world, with the advent of the "instant gratification" society, I have wit- nessed the movement to minimize the synagogue kiddush celebration and maximize a luncheon-party in a commercial establishment, which to- Sherman Kirshner is rabbi of Cong. B'nai Israel of West Bloomfield. tally nullifies and extinguishes the sanctity, holiness and that special warmth of Shabbat envincing the negativism of the entire ceremony. To the disdain of every Jewish religious leader, the child is usually cast into a state of doubtfulness, de- pleted of any Jewish feelings which his/her teachers had attempted to The celebration has altered its synagogue orientation that was focused on the youngster's assumption of religious responsibility implant within them as they view and become party to something which is devoid of any feeling of re- ligisity. How often youngsters come to see me and will say something like: "Rabbi, my mom and dad are so phony about life. They say one thing to me, and do something that suits themselves and is so un-Jewish." How often parents have come to the rabbi and synagogue in anger, stating: "My child is about to marry out of the faith, rabbi. Perhaps if you, or the cantor or the Hebrew teachers had taken more time with him/her, this would never have hap- pened!" We are dealing with a group of young people today who are perhaps the brightest, most perceptive and "with it" group of kids in Jewish his- tory. They are quick to perceive the sincerity and the meaningfulness or the insincerity of parental guidance as well as religious leaders. Bar/Bat Mitzvah has the poten- Continued on Page 24