TORAH PORTION I"'
There's a place
for you with us
at Beth Shalom
Come for Shabbat . . . stay
for the holidays . . . by
Simchat Torah you'll
never want to leave.
THE METROPOLITAN AREA'S NEWEST
SYNAGOGUE SANCTUARY
Established, strong and staying in
centrally-located Oak Park
DAVID A. NELSON
SAMUEL L. GREENBAUM
Rabbi
Cantor
PHONE: 547-7970
A Conservative Synagogue
CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM
14601 West Lincoln Road • Oak Park, Michigan 48237 • (313) 547 , 7970
What's In It
For You.
Helping always
feels good. But at JARC,
we think it's a little
different. Because
we do things with a
special sense of
family.
Your time and
caring are vital ingre-
dients in helping
men and women with
developmental dis-
abilities live full,
dignified lives.
Call us today
to volunteer. We can
put you to work feel-
ing good right away.
352-5272.
A Jewish Association for Residential Care
for persons with developmental disabilities
28366 Franklin Road Southfield, MI 48034 (313) 352-5272
52
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1990
Unhewn Stones
Continued from preceding page
tant thing was never how
elaborate or ornate was the
altar, but that a place existed
where Jews could be free to go
and pray.
In recent years, our
supreme concern as
American Jews has been for
the welfare of our brethren in
the Soviet Union, the silent
generation who had only one
place to express their Jewish
identity: their synagogues or
what was left of them. Many
have been closed by the
government authorities or
converted into museums.
Nothing of positive Jewish
life remains in the Soviet
Union except the brick and
mortar of a few dilapidated
synagogues in the big cities.
We in the West, who have
been so concerned about the
plight of Soviet Jewry, have a
powerful option they do not
enjoy. We can build a new
synagogue wherever we want.
We can revitalize Jewish life
in scores of ways. We can pray
in public worship at holiday
and Sabbath services. We can
educate our children about
what it means to be a Jew.
Wouldn't it be ironic if we in
America who are loudest in
our protests over Soviet
Jewry did not appreciate the
privilege of assuring the
perpetuation of Judaism in
our own communities?
Other agencies in Jewish
life have the responsibility of
rescuing and redeeming our
stricken brethren. Other
welfare organizations collect
funds for the distressed and
bereft. Other institutions are
established to protect and
preserve the rights of Jews
the world over. No other agen-
cy or institution except the
synagogue is charged with
the responsibility of preserv-
ing Judaism for Jews or of
rearing the new generation in
the heritage of our fathers.
With the coming of the
High Holy Days, our altars
take on a historic dimension.
These are no orignary yomin
noraim such as we have
celebrated in the past. These
are truly days of faith and
commitment.
This week's Ibrah portion
prescribes that the altars be
built with unhewn stones.
Only gradually and slowly
were the stones used to build
the synagogues smoothed
over and polished by the pro-
cesses of learning and ex-
perience. These stones shaped
our identity and sanded the
influences that have come in-
to our lives. These altars in-
fluenced our people to become
better Jews and better
human beings.
The altars of the synagogue
were built to worship the God
of our fathers who has watch-
ed over our people since the
days of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, in every land, in every
generation for 4,000 years of
unbroken continuity. We are
children of an eternal people.
The human life has fre-
quently been compared to the
voyage of a ship at sea. Each
of us has been launched upon
the sea of adult life, and when
we leave the haven of paren-
tal control, amidst good
wishes and fond hopes, the ex-
pectations are of the highest.
But the sea of life is full of
rocks and storms and cross
currents. We all need a corn-
Ki Tavo:
Deuteronomy
26:1-29:8,
Isaiah 60:1-22.
pass on board. No ship can
sail by chance. The captain's
compass is like the guiding
principles which regulate our
lives.
So too, do the altars of the
synagogue mark what we are
to avoid to escape disaster in
life. The altars of God, the
stones of their altars unhewn,
gradually are smoothed over
by the trials of life. Storms
may arise and batter us, but
we learn how to weather
them and make the best of
them.
In a few days we begin a
New Year with Rosh
Hashanah. May you find suc-
cess in building altars to God
built out of unhewn stones of
goodness and kindness, of
honor and truth, justice and
compassion. For the life you
build is up to you. El
'1 SYNAGOGUES
SZ Plans
Film, Selihot
The Congregation Shaarey
Zedek Selihot service will be
held 11:30 p.m. Sept. 15.
Selihot will be chanted by
Cantor Chaim Najman and
the Shaarey Zedek synagogue
choir.
A dedication of the newly
refurbished chapel at 9:15
p.m. will be followed by the
film Sallah. It is the story of
a North African Jew who
finds himself in a transit
camp after immigrating to
Israel in 1949. Sallah con-
fronts a bureaucracy that
stands in the way of his fami-
ly's need for permanent
housing.
Admission to the film is
open to the community at no
charge, and refreshments will
be served.