HIGH HOLY DAYS THE STAFF AT ONE ON ONE ATHLETIC CLUB WISHES ALL OF OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR =0, ONE.NONE ATHLETIC CLUB 6343 FARMINGTON ROAD • JUST NORTH OF MAPLE IN WEST BLOOMFIELD • 626.9880 High Holidays Continued from preceding page Rabbis have long debated the merits of Kol Nidre, feel- ing its intent can be misunderstood by Jew and non-Jew alike. Does Kol Niche allow us to blithely make promises we don't intend to keep? Do the words mean Jews can't be trusted? How can we vow "unwittingly," and how can Kol Nidre cancel vows made to this one but not to that one? There are rabbinic ex- planations for all this, of course, but maybe we should just follow the advice of the Talmud and not vow at all. • "Al Chet" ("For the Sins") is one of the most im- portant prayers of Yom Kippur. Interestingly enough, the word "chet" doesn't mean sin, but "to miss the mark." In other words, we're not wicked, we're just a bit off-target. Michael Strassfield, in his Guide to the Jewish Holi- days, suggests we use a do-it- yourself "Al Chet" for a change, instead of the stan- dard "sin-list" found in the Machzor. Have family mem- bers (or friends) take file cards and write down how they "missed the mark" this past year. Anonymously. One "miss" to a card. Then shuffle them, pass them around and take turns reading the cards aloud — maybe after you get back from Kol Nidre services. Hearing these real short- comings ("I still smoke." "I didn't spend enough time with my kids." "I was jealous of my friend's success," etc.) can make the "Al Chet" a personal and powerful experience. • Near the end of the Ne'ilah (Closing) Service of Yom Kippur, the words, "Adonai Hu HaElohim" ("The Lord, He is God") are repeated seven times. Tradi- tion says the seven times corresponds to the seven heavens above which God dwells. • It's customary to start building your Sukkah im- mediately after you get home from Yom Kippur ser- vices. Just hammer in one nail. It shows that our devo- tion to God never stops — that our observance of his mitzvot is continuous. ❑ NEWS immi Romanian Chief Pledges To Fight Anti-Semitism Kosins Kosins 1\1 27881 Southfield Rd. • at 11 1/2 Mile Lathrup Village 26300 Southfield Rd. north of 10 1/2 Mile, Lathrup Village Kosins • 559-3900 Big & Tall • 569-6930 Monday-Friday 10-9, Saturday 9-6, Sunday 12-5 BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR DAVID BIBER Suburban Cadillac Troy Motor Mall 643-0070 4ft AI -- l'In117% eNr-rlarrk rrs 11,4 4rtnn _ Bucharest (JTA) — Romanian Prime Minister Petre Roman has given assurances to an American Jewish leader that he will speak out against anti- Semitism and racism, which have been on the rise since the overthrow of the Ceausescu regime and the birth of new freedoms. Mr. Roman told Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti- Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, that he is committed to strength- ening democracy in Romania and welcomes the participation of the Jewish community in drawing at- tention to racist manifesta- tions in order to tackle them. Mr. Roman did, indeed, speak out at an impromptu news conference that he and Mr. Foxman held Tuesday after their hour-and-a-half meeting, which was arrang- ed:by and attended by Chief Rabbi Moses Rosen. Mr. Roman also assured Mr. Foxman that new laws offer prosecution and punishment for incitement to haixed. "While they may not be perfect, he sees no reason why the Jewish community should not utilize the legal and judicial system to pro- tect itself," said Mr. Fox- man, who is the first Ameri- can Jewish leader to visit Romania since Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown in December. The prime minister "also suggested that the Jewish community — maybe with the help of ADL — be more active." The two men agreed to schedule a conference within the next six months on the subject of anti- Semitism, with the par- ticipation of some experts from within and without Romania. Kindertransport Plans Reunion New York (JTA) — The Kindertransport Association is planning to hold a reunion Nov. 9-11 at the Fallsview Resort and Country Club in upstate New York. KTA consists of in- dividuals who, as very young Jewish children, fled the Holocaust to England without their parents. Close to 2,500 of these children im- migrated to North America.