Don't Be Late For School!

TEMPLE BETH JACOB

79 Elizabeth Like Rd., Pontiac,
332-3212. Rabbi: Richard A. Weiss,
D.D. Services: Friday 8:30 p.m.

TEMPLE EMANU-EL

14450 W. Ten Mile Rd., Oak Park,
967-4020. Rabbis: Lane B. Steinger,
L. David Feder. Rabbi Emeritus: Dr.
Milton Rosenbaum. Cantor Emeri-
tus: Norman Rose. Services: Friday
7:45 p.m.
Shabbat R'eh will be conducted by
the Religious School Teachers'
Aides.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

5725 Walnut Lake Rd. West
s: M.
Bloomfield, 661-5700. Rabbi
Robert Syme, Harold S. Loss, Paul
M. Yedwab. Cantor: Harold Orbach.
Services: Friday 8 p.m., Saturday
10:30 a.m. (Rebbe's Tish 9:30 a.m.),
Weekdays 7:30 a.m., Sunday 9 a.m.

Services: Saturday 11 a.m. Saturday
9:30 a.m. Rabbi's Tish.
Friday 8 p.m. Service under the stars
at Cranbrook.

CONGREGATION SHIR
TIKVAH

5085 Walnut Lake Rd., West
Bloomfield, 661-0040. Rabbis:
Norman T. Roman, Rabbi Emeritus:
Ernst J. Conrad. Services: Friday 8
P.m.
Rabbi Roman will deliver the
sermon. Chevrat Torah Study Group
will meet on Saturday morning
beginning at 9:15 a.m.

• Intimate class sizes and
individual attention at
our W. Bloomfield location.

11..-

3633 W. Big Beaver, Troy, 643-6520.
Rabbi: Arnie Sleutelberg. Services:
Friday 7:45 p.m.

• Personalized instruction
at our Oak Park location.

11111.111111111ft
ft,

HUMANISTIC:

• An Experienced and Recognized
top-qualified Teaching Staff.

THE BIRMINGHAM TEMPLE

28611 West 12 Mile Rd., Farmington
Hills, 477-1410. Rabbi: Sherwin T.
Wine. Services: Friday 8:30 p.m.
Friday Rabbi Wine will present the
first of two talks. He will discuss
South Africa Today — Afrikaners,
English and Jews: Dignity will be the
theme of the service.

RECONSTRUCTIONIST:

TEMPLE KOL AMI

Act Now While
Registration Is
Still Open!

Congregation Beth Shalom Religious School

Grades K through 7. Attractive Non-Member Rates

DAVID A. NELSON

CYRL C. SERVETTER

Rabbi

Educational Director

T'CHIYAH

1035 St. Antoine at Monroe, Detroit,
393-1089. Services: Saturday 10
a.m.
Services will be conducted by Larry
Horwitz and Cathy Zumberg.

PHONE: 547-7970

An Independent, Conservative, Congregational School

UNAFFILIATED:

TEMPLE SHIR SHALOM

SEPHARDIC COMMUNITY
OF GREATER DETROIT

5642 Maple, West Bloomfield,
737-8700. Rabbi: Dannel I. Schwartz.

15751 W. Lincoln. Southfield.
557-8551.

CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM

14601 WEST LINCOLN ROAD • OAK PARK, MICHIGAN 48237 • (313) 547-7970

BS" D

TORAH PORTION

Re'eh: A Microcosm Of
The Biblical Experience

CANTOR
GAIL HIRSCHENFANG

Special to The Jewish News

A

major theme that per-
meates not only the
Thrah but Jewish life
itself is captured in the open-
ing verses of Re'eh. Moses, in
his disclosure to the
Israelites, articulates God's
plan to set before each person
the choice of the "blessing" or
the "curse." Israel is told that
if it accepts God's command-
ments it will be rewarded and
conversely, if it rejects this
path and chooses to follow
other gods, it will surely be
punished. This concept of the
blessing and the curse is often
seen as illustrating the fact
that as individuals and as a
nation the Israelites are en-
dowed with free will. A closer
reading of this idea might
sheer additional light on this
point.
This concept of free choice is
expressed elsewhere in the
Thrah, most forcefully in the
portions Bechukotai and Nit-
zavim. In each of these, the
specific ramifications of both
the blessing and the curse are
enumerated. It is clear that if
one chooses to keep the com-
mandments and do them, the

Gail Hirschenfang is cantor
of Temple Beth El.

blessing will include peace in
the land, enormous prosperi-
ty and protection from all
evil. However, in vivid and
almost frightening detail, we
are told of the curse. Terror
will reign over the one who
rejects God: illness, enemies,
famine, plagues and
vengeance shall fall upon him
who does not choose God's
ways.
It is clear that the choice
here is black or white; there
are no shades of gray, no op-
portunity for compromise. In
fact, by not choosing God's
ways you are, in effect, align-
ing yourself with other gods.
In addition, this choice
must be made by each in-
dividual. The opening words
of Re'eh are "See, this day I
set before you a blessing and
a curse." The word "see" is in
the singular (command form)
while the verses immediately
following speak to the same
idea in the form of the plural.
Here, the Torah is em-
phasizing the importance of
each individual's choice and
the community's choice as a
whole. This idea is further
underscored by the opening
verses of Nitzavim, which
begin with "You are standing
here today, all of you."
The most obvious question
for the modern reader is what
kind of choice is this in ac-
tuality? Is not the incentive

FRIENDS OF REFUGEES OF EASTERN EUROPE

Under the auspices of Chabad-Lubavitch
P.O. Box 47871
Oak Park, MI 48237

313-548-2527
313-548-4950

FOR FAMILIES FROM THE SOVIET UNION
New Synagogue Center

Led by: Rabbi Yosef Mishulovin of Moscow

GRAND OPENING SERVICE

Shabbat - August 18, 1990

10:00 a.m. - 12 Noon

at
Northgate Clubhouse near Lincoln Blvd.
Prayerbooks with Russian Translation

Sumptuous Kiddish Following Service

Everyone Welcome

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