COMMUNITY
Interfaith Seminar Sparks
Discussion Of Common Goals
SUSAN GRANT
Staff Writer
I
Robert and SuSu Sosnick, David Hermelin, Marlene and Paul Borman.
$19.4 Million Pledged
At SZ Bonds Brunch
In advance of the Nov. 19
Shaarey Zedek Israel Bond
international tribute dinner
honoring David Hermelin, in-
ternational campaign chair-
man of Israel Bonds, a brunch
was held at the home of Paul
and Marlene Borman and co-
hosted by Robert and SuSu
Sosnick. The event was at-
tended by 165 persons. Record
proceeds of $19,475,000 in
State of Israel Bonds were an-
nounced by dinner chairman
Paul Borman.
At the program were
William Davidson, general
chairman, and Rabbi Irwin
Groner, of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek. Also in the
program was a "roast and
toast," delivered by Jose Rose
and William Caroll, to the
guest of honor, David
Hermelin. A medley of songs
about "Life with David" was
presented by David's wife,
Doreen, his sister Henrietta
Hermelin Weinberg and his
children Marcie and Robert
Orley, Karen, Brian, Julie
and Francine Hermelin.
For information about the
dinner, call Israel Bonds,
352-6555.
JCCouncil Assembly
Analyzes Elections
The results of the
November 6 elections will be
analyzed at the Jewish Com-
munity Council Community
Assembly 7:15 p.m. Nov. 12 at
the Maple-Drake Jewish
Community Center. The pro-
gram will be preceded by a
dessert reception at 6:45 p.m.
Speakers will be Michael
Barone, senior editor for U.S.
News and World Report, and
Jack Casey, former president
of Casey Communications
Management, Inc. Mr. Barone
worked as an editorial page
staff member at the
Washington Post and a vice
president of the polling firm
Peter D. Hart Research
Associates. Mr. Casey is a
political consultant who has
been instrumental in the
development of Michigan's
political history — and its
future.
Mr. Barone will discuss the
implications for the Jewish
community of the national
congressional and guber-
natorial elections, and Mr.
Jack Casey
Casey will assess the effects
of the local elections on the
Detroit Jewish community.
Attendees will receive a
resource booklet containing
information on local, county
and state elected officials.
The program is free and open
to the public.
n a world torn apart by
religious and cultural dif-
ferences, some Detroiters
took a day off to try mending
a few fences.
The Fifth Annual Muslim,
Christian and Jewish
Leadership Forum held Oct.
21 at Temple Emanu-El
gave religious groups a
chance to put aside their dif-
ferences and talk about
a common goal of creating a
world without hatred.
"The honest reality is that
all our traditions have the
seeds of intolerance," said
Rabbi Daniel Polish of Tem-
ple Beth El, who led a
workshop on hate and pre-
judice. "It is perfectly possi-
ble to be a good Christian, a
good Jew and a good Muslim
and to be a person filled with
hatred."
All three religions can
point to scripture which
state their beliefs are supe-
rior, Rabbi Polish said. He
cited the book of Exodus,
when Moses orders the
deaths of those who wor-
shiped the golden calf.
"The strongest lesson
against hate in the Jewish
tradition is at the parting of
the Red Sea," Rabbi Polish
said. "In Exodus, the Jews
are celebrating wildly, say-
ing things like we're number
one, when the sea closes over
the Egyptians. God says stop
singing; my children are
drowning."
Added Iman Muneer
Fareed, spiritual leader of
the Islamic Association of
Greater Detroit, "We have
no problem with God. It is
when we move away from
God and talk about concepts
other than God that we find
problems."
In workshops, religious
clergy and group par-
ticipants discussed drug and
substance abuse, homosex-
uality, the homeless, people
afflicted with disabilities
and separation of church and
state.
During the forum,
Moslems, Christians and
Jews spoke openly to each
other about many topics, in-
cluding the situation in the
Middle East. They addressed
many other subjects, in-
cluding how a divine image
fits into the secular world.
"It was fascinating to hear
from Islamic leaders and
Christian leaders about how
they perceive God in today's
secular world," said Sharona
Shapiro, executive director
of the American Jewish
Committee. "This gives peo-
ple an opportunity to meet
with others who are con-
cerned about interfaith
issues."
Ms. Shapiro also said the
workshop on separation of
church and state explained
the need to be sensitive to
other cultures and religions.
During the workshop, she
told of her own experience of
saying the Lord's Prayer
during school and how ex-
cluded she felt when she
recited the Christian prayer.
She said the seminar
helped her understand
Islamic and Christian
thought.
The forum also gave her a
chance to network with
Jews, Christians and
Muslims interested in inter-
faith dialogue, Ms. Shapiro
said.
She wasn't the only one.
Fifteen-year-old Rachel
During the forum,
Moslems, Jews and
Christians spoke
about numerous
topics.
Jacobs, Temple Emanu-El's
youth group social action
vice president, used the con-
ference to make contact with
Mona Qureshi, leader of her
Rochester Hills' mosque
youth group.
Both girls, part of a small
delegation of high school
students at the forum, hope
to host a program with the
Moslem and Jewish youth
groups.
"I've wanted to do this for
a long time. I know so little
about the Moslem and
Christian faiths," said
Rachel, who invited the
Moslem youth group to the
temple's Thanksgiving
interfaith service Nov. 18.
The event also gave adults
an impetus to reach out to
each other. In one workshop,
focusing on strengthening
community ties, about a
dozen people said they want-
ed to continue meeting when
the forum ended.
The Rev. Oscar Ice, direc-
tor of interfaith programs for
the Greater Detroit Inter-
faith Roundtable, which
sponsored the day-long
event, said he was pleased
the forum attracted 175 peo-
ple from all faiths and be-
lieves it will spawn more
than talk.
Almost 40 people who at-
tended the forum vol-
unteered to be part of a con-
tinuing interfaith dialogue
already established by the
Roundtable for theologians,
clergy and lay people. There
are also people interested in
working on educational pro-
grams for public and private
schools.
"We may not be able to af-
fect what happens
elsewhere, but we can reach
out to those of us here," Rev.
Ice said. "That is within our
power."
❑
Savings Plan
For Israel Trips
A gift from the Ben N.
Teitel Charitable Trust is fun-
ding a savings program to
help Detroit area young peo-
ple take educational trips to
Israel.
Administered by the Jewish
Welfare Federation, the Ben
Teitel Israel Incentive Sav-
ings Plan provides $100 for
each year a student at a
Jewish day, Sunday or after-
noon school saves $150
toward Israel travel-study.
The program, a dual com-
mitment by the students'
families and the community,
is intended to promote and
encourage teenagers to visit
Israel on organized, educa-
tional trips.
_ Students enter the plan
while in the 5th grade and
may earn up to $700 each
through their senior year in
high school. They must take
their trip by December follow-
ing high school graduation.
Lonely Parents
Workshop At Temple
Birmingham Temple will
host a workshop for
"orphaned" parents and
grandparents Nov. 4.
The workshop will deal
with parents and grand-
parents who feel lonely be-
cause their children and
grandchildren are not living
nearby.
The program, from 10 a.m.
to 3:30 p.m. at the temple,
will include readings from
parents, readings from chil-
dren, discussions of myths
and realities, readings on
how to cope and a luncheon.
There is a charge. Reser-
vations are required by Oct.
31. For information, call
Florentina Rimai, 561-4429.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
61