(TORAH PORTION . B'NAI DAVID INSTITUTE FOR ADULT EDUCATION FALL SEMESTER, 1988 • Lectures on vital contemporary issues by Rabbi Morton F. Yolkut • Discussion period to follow each lecture Patriarch Abraham Had A Better Idea RABBI RICHARD C. HERTZ Special to The Jewish News W ith this sidrah, the Torah turns from the myths of crea- tion and the stories of Adam and Noah to the history of the Jewish people. Abraham ap- pears on the scene of history as the first Jew, the patriarch of faith, land and people. At age 75, Abraham receives the call to leave his native Mesopotamia. Even though the narrative has a legendary flavor, many of the details of the story are now confirmed by outside sources, particularly archeological data. The challenge given to Abraham, "Go forth from your native land and your father's house?' suggests the Shabbat Lech Lecha: Genesis 12:1-17:27, Isaiah 40:27-41:16 difficulty of leaving one's home and picking up the wanderer's staff for a land not even identified. What a severe trial of faith for Abraham to make at his age! We see Abraham as a hus- band, as an uncle, and as a man who confronts danger, always with a serene sense of purpose. Born in Ur of the Chal- dean_, Abraham heard the voice of the one God bidding him to leave the city of his fathers and go across the hot desert sand along the fertile crescent to Canaan, accom- panied by his wife Sarah and Lot, his nephew. What made Abraham great? For one thing, Abraham had an idea: the concept of monotheism. In those days, people thought there were many gods. People made idols and worshipped them. One midrash tells us that one evening Abraham was walking about just as the stars came out, one by one. He was struck by their beauty and thought, "Surely, this must be god." But soon the moon rose and Abraham thought, "No, this must be god." At last the dawn came and the moon paled and Abraham said, "Surely the moon can- Dr. Hertz is rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth El. not be god, for its light has become dim and weak?' Then the sun rose, majestic and glorious, and Abraham thought, "At last, this is the real god." But at evening the sun sunk and once more the stars appeared. Finally, the truth dawned upon. Abraham that none of these, beautiful though they were, could be God. There must be some power of good and love behind all these whose servants they were and whose law they obeyed. That must be God. So he bowed down and worshipped the one God of the whole universe. The climax of the Abraham story is the covenant propos- ed by God to Abraham. If Abraham would follow God's commandments, God would make the descendants of Abraham His people. After 4,000 years, that cove- nant between God and the Jewish people is still alive, mentioned daily and weekly in prayers in synagogues throughout the world. It is that covenant, symbolized by the rite of circumcision, that has given the Jews the will to survive. Cantors Council Holds Conclave The Cantors Council of Detroit, in conjunction with the Tri-State Region of the Cantors Assembly, will hold a fall conference at the Butzel Conference Center in Orton- ville on Tuesday and Wednes- day. Participants in the two- day conference will include cantors from the Taronto and Chicago regions, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Cantor Moshe Taube of Congregation Beth Shalom in Pittsburgh will be the scholar-in-residence. Dr. Sholom Kalib, professor of music at University of Eastern Michigan and a com- poser of synagogue music, will present two lectures on the East European liturgical tradition. Cantor Abe Lubin of Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago and Evelyn Orbach of West Bloomfield also will give lectures. Cantor Max Shimansky of Congregation Beth Achim is president of the Cantors Council. Members of the con- ference committee include Cantors Larry Vieder of Adat Shalom Synagogue, Sam Greenbaum of Congregation Beth Shalom, and Israel Idelsohn of the Downtown Synagogue. WEDNESDAY EVENINGS NOV. 2-NOV. 16 • Free to members and non-members • Come and bring your friends for a stimulating evening in a relaxed atmosphere LECTURE SERIES 8:15-9:30 P.M. • Refreshments following the lecture GENERATIONS IN CRISIS: JEWISH ANSWERS TO CONTEMPORARY DILEMMAS NOVEMBER 2 — THE EARLY YEARS: THE JEWISH FAMILY IN CRISIS • • • • • The disintegration of the Jewish Family The divorce epidemic and single parent Jewish Homes Young Jews and drugs The intermarriage crisis What's a Jewish parent to do? The role of the Jewish community and family coping with the crisis NOVEMBER 9 — THE LATER YEARS: JEWISH REFLECTIONS ON AGING • • • • • • Longevity — blessing or curse? The challenges of the post-retirement years Aging in a youth-oriented society Jewish sources and views on aging Dealing with elderly parents Jewish geriatrics—some practical suggestions NOVEMBER 16—IN THE END: THE JEWISH WAY IN DEATH AND MOURNING • Christian encroachments on Jewish funeral and mourning practices Laws, customs, and superstitions • • The Rabbi and the mortician—religion or business? • Making final arrangements—What every Jewish consumer should know • Kaddish, Yahrzeit, and Yizkor—answers to the most often asked questions • Life after death in the Jewish tradition For Additional Information Contact: CONGREGATION B'NAI DAVID 24350 SOUTHFIELD ROAD SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN 48075 557-8210 CHILDREN OF H OLOCAUST- SURVIVORS ASSOCIATION IN MICHIGAN Guest Speaker: Helena Opatowski, Child of Survivors Topic: "Discovering My Roots": A Slide Presentation of Helena's trip to Poland with her family. SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23, 11:00 A.M. Jewish Community Center, West Bloomfield 1 Helena Shavell with her father and brother visited her father's home town of Kielce, Poland. While in Poland, they also visited Auschwitz, Maidanek and Treblinka. Helena and her family took part in ceremonies com- memorating the burial site of the 42 Jewish concen- tration camp survivors who were killed by anti-Semites in 1946 in what has been called Europe's "Last Pogrom." - ALL WHO ARE INTERESTED ARE INVITED TO ATTEND - Refreshments will be served at 10:30 a.m. Nonmembers: $2.00 CH.A.I.M. members: No Admission THE DETROIT EW S