IFE

Havdalah

Jewish singles
gathered at a special
service to welcome the
new week

HEIDI PRESS

Local News Editor

Les Lunsky and Dianne
Porth lead the singing.

Aaron Swirski, left, and Sharalyn
Lambert help Rabbi Sherman
Kirshner with the Havdalah service.

Singles learned Israeli dances
following the Saturday night service.

Dr. Robert Brateman, left, and
Jonathan Brateman, right, have a
conversation with Beth Norman.

ore than 100 Jewish sing--
les of all ages participated in a special
Havdalah service recently at Cong.
B'nai Israel of West Bloomfield.
According to Rabbi Sherman
Kirshner, spiritual leader of the
synagogue, the service was held at
the suggestion of the single members
of his congregation which number
about 25 between the ages of 28 and
65.
The service included a
candlelighting ceremony, blessing
over the wine and the smelling of the
spices. Rabbi Kirshner explained
that the Havdalah service is to
"make a distinction between the holy
— the Sabbath — and the profane —
the weekday."
In his remarks to the gathering,
Rabbi Kirshner quoted-from the To-
rah, saying that it is not good for
anybody to be alone. He called the
service a step in bringing Jewish
singles together.
Following the service, Kirshner
called on the participants for ideas
about what the synagogue could do to
better serve them. The singles
suggested classical music concerts
with wine and cheese afterglows, pot-
luck dinners, intersynagogue activi-
ties, a singles service and Oneg
Shabbat for Friday nights, events
tied in to holidays, lectures and dis-
cussions.
The evening was rounded out by
a responsive reading, songs and Is-
raeli dancing, conducted by Uri
Segal. ❑

85