r
panies the songs and prayers.
Boys and girls watched
carefully, then followed Stett-
ner's movements to the
Sh'ma. At one instance, even
the tiniest hands were mov-
ing with confidence: fingers
moving back and forth to in-
dicate people then opened
out, showing a book. And so
the People of the Book was
signed.
Stettner believes that by
signing, children learn that
prayers are more than just
words.
"Shalom" is made like a
wide, all-encompassing circle.
"This way, children unders-
tand that 'shalom' means
good feelings and something
wonderful," Stettner said. "It
helps them conceptualize the
prayers?'
A service this month in-
cluded a dramatic version of
"It Could Always Be Worse,"
the classic tale of a man who
complains to the rabbi about
his cluttered and not-so-quiet
household.
In the temple's play, the
rabbi advises the man to
bring his chickens into the
house. Wearing necklaces
with pictures of chickens,
three little girls moved to the
front of the room to stand
before a large drawing of a
house.
Next the rabbi tells the
man to invite his cow into his
home. A little boy asked to
pose as a cow jumps up and
enters the "house."
At the end of the story, the
man is told to empty his home
of all the farm animals. Sud-
denly, his old life seems so
blissful.
Not long after the play, the
service ended. Children ran
to make kiddush and say the
motzi. A piece of bread in her
hand, little Leah Nurenberg
played with her friends. Her
responsibility for the day was
over. It was time to relax
again.
!TORAH PORTION I
A Wise Man's Advice
For The Great Moses
RABBI RICHARD C. HERTZ
Special to The Jewish News
ethro, the father-in-law
of Moses, was the priest
and chief of a clan
called Kenites, part of the
tribe of Midianites who
wandered the desert areas of
the ancient northern Sinai
j
Shabbat Yitro:
Exodus 18:1-20:23,
Isaiah 6:1-76, 9:5-6
peninsula. Moses met
Jethro's daughter Zipporah
after fleeing a murder charge
in Egypt. He married her and
settled down, working as one
of Jethro's -shepherds until
the encounter at the burning
bush. Jethro advised Moses to
return to Egypt. Later, during
the trying days after the Ex-
odus from Egypt, Jethro join-
ed the wandering Israelite
horde. He counseled Moses to
delegate responsibilities to
others and acted as a desert
guide for a time. He was also
known by the name Hobab
and Reuel.
Zipporah is remembered as
the wife of Moses who in-
Richard Hertz is rabbi
emeritus of Temple Beth El.
troduced her tribal practice of
circumcision to the Hebrews
when she insisted on circum-
cising her son Gershon., She
w
stayed with her father while
Moses was contending with
Pharoah and leading the
tribes out of the slave labor
camps of Egypt. Ultimately,
she brought her two sons
back to Moses and joined him
in the wilderness. This week's
sedra fills in the details in Ex-
odus 18.
When Jethro's _daughter
Zipporah and his grandsons
Gershon and Eliezer arrived
in camp, Moses took them to
his tent and recounted to
Jethro all that hapened since
they last saw each other.
Jethro rejoiced over the kind-
ness the Lord had shown
Israel when He delivered
them from the Egyptians and
offered this blessing:
"Blessed be the Lord who
delivered you from the Egyp-
tians and from Pharoah and
who delivered the people from
under the hand of Egyptians.
Now I know that the Lord is
greater than all gods."
The day after Moses told his
update, Jethro joined him in
the desert and watched Moses
operate as head of the
wandering Hebrews. When
Jethro saw how Moses sat
from morning to night judg-
THE SISTERHOOD OF TEMPLE BETH EL
cordially invites
you to
A PARTY
PLANNING SHOWCASE
Sunday, January 29, 1989 10 A.M.4 P.M.
TEMPLE BETH EL
7400 Telegraph Rd., Birmingham
LUNCH AVAILABLE FREE ADMISSION
ARE YOU PLANNING A PARTY?
■ WEDDING ■ BAR/BAT MITZVAH
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Rent It • Buz Holzman's Birmingham Photographers • Catering by Design
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Photography/Channel 3 Productions, Inc. • Kushner-Gross Associates •
Leo Knight Photography • Lorio-Ross Entertainment • Marlyss & Co. •
Marcia Masserman Party Planner & Designer • Party Linens • Perry's Party
Rentals • • "Personal Passages" • Platinum Treats • Rhyme or Reason
• Sisterhood of Temple Beth El-Invitations • Star Trax • The Gourmet
Connection Inc. • The Party Planners • T.L.C. The Lesley Co. • Toss-A-Party
• Touch of Class Valet Inc. • Widdows & Lumpiesz Inc. • Invitational Art
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RICHARD (313) 838-7847 STANLEY (313) 493-1145
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
31