CLOSE-UP

For Its Own Sake

Continued from preceding page

It is with great pleasure that the
Board of Trustees of Jewish Vocational Service
invites you to join us
at a Community Open House to tour
our new facility and meet the officers and staff

Thursday, May 14, 1987 • 7:30 - 9:30 PM
29699 Southfield Rd. • Southfield, MI

AMERICAN IDEAL CUT
DIAMONDS

"The World's
- Most
_Brilliant"

j

Friday and Saturday, Ma y

At our Birmingham Showroom—Woodward at Maple

David Wachter and Sons Jewellers have created this unique opportunity for
).ou to purchase loose diamonds directly from a major diamond cutting
firm. Diamond cutters, along with the Wachler family, will be present
to assist you in your selection,
These quality stones, in a full range of shapes and weights ,
specially
priced for this event, and make an ideal Mother's Day gift_
Here are a few examples of the exceptional values that await you:
114 ct. from 335,
1 ct. from 2100.
1/3 ct. from 470.
1 112 d. from 3995.
112 et, from 875.
2 ct. from 5695.
314 ct from 1440.
3 cf. from 10525.

-

All Major Credit Cards Accepted
Friday-10-9:00 pm
Saturday-10-5:00 pm

David Wachlet

ns

SINCE 1922

Always Competitivel Priced

100 S. Woodward to 131 rr ingiwn *540-4622

CERTIFIED GEMO LOG IST

24

Friday, May 8, 1987

s) MEMe ER AMERICAN GEM SCCiETY

fr

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

view it as philosophical
study; some integrate it into
their lives; for some, it satis-
fies an intellectual curiosity.
Everyone takes a different
amount away depending on
his different values."
Attorney Joel Shere also
derives great satisfaction
from the chavurah. "It's like
a Jewish high. It's a special
interlude in the week, a
break from our busy
schedule, an hour spent in
congenial atmosphere with a
stimulating and brilliant
rabbi."
Shere particularly enjoys
the group's challenging, intel-
lectual level. "It's not an hour
of rest, but an energetic proc-
ess of absorption, of asking
questions. We are a group
with disparate backgrounds
and affiliations but there are
no barriers between us. We
meet as Jews to discuss
Judaisia. We easily go from
one topic to the next."
Judy Teller is a member of
a dynamic women's chavurah
that began in 1981. "We
began the group with the
purpose of becoming involved
in original Jewish sources, to
help us live our lives as fully
observant, aware Jewish
women, within the halachic
framework. We wanted to be
as comfortable with Jewish
knowledge as we were with
secular knowledge."
Using a local Orthodox
rabbi as their resource for
questions or intellectual prob-
lems with the texts, they de-
signed a self-contained group
in which women could teach
other women. "At the begin-
ning, we included our daugh-
ters," says Teller. "We
realized they would be very
helpful since they were going
to day school high school and
were very comfortable with
all of the original sources."
"Now, most of our daugh-
ters are away at college, so
we rely on each other. We
read aloud from the original
sources in Hebrew and
everyone brings a different
commentary in English or
Hebrew to help with the dis-
cussion."
"We found we do the best
with texts that deal with
women. This year, we are
meeting once a month in the
evening to discuss the book of
Esther. We find we have spe-
cial insights to bring to this
material and often we sur-
prise ourselves with ques-
tions and insights the male
commentators had never
thought of."
While the group fluctuates
in size, there are always at
least 15 women.
As an outgrowth of their
study, the women hold an
annual Simchat Torah cele-
bration in which they chant
the Torah and Haftorah
readings for the holiday. At
this time, they also make a

Morris Music:
Like a Jewish high.

yearly contribution to their
chavurah's tzedakah project,
a Jerusalem shelter for
women and children. "On
Simchat Torah," says Teller,
"we put into practice what we
have learned, celebrating and
chanting from the Torah and
giving tzedakah."
"The tradition of Jewish
women scholars has always
been there, stronger at some
times more than others," she
explained. "We feel it's excit-
ing and inspirational to be
involved in Jewish schol-
arship."
Paul and Elaine Goldsmith
are members of a seven-
couple chavurah that is well
into its 11th year. "The group
began as a spin-off of a UJA
Young Leadership, aoach'
mission to Israel," Paul
Goldsmith reminisces. "After
the trip, we continued to
meet. Each year, we've had a
different topic and format.
Our focus changes along with
our interests and needs."
They meet five to six times
a year. In the past ten years,
they have discussed a wealth
of contemporary Jewish
topics, and studied a wide
range of topics with area lay
and educational leaders, ,re-
lating to Jewish history,
practices and Israel.
It comes as no surprise that
every member of the group is
active in the community.
They are members and offi-
cers of Federation committees
and agencies, synagogue and
day school boards and Jewish
organizations.
Elaine Goldsmith explains,
"We are all interested in the
Jewish community, in our