-101111.110 ■ 111Weiikstiphio- - 4111111•000111W ,

and Jewish views on rein-
carnation. Another chapter
considers Zen Buddhist
meditation, then examines
the role of meditation in
Jewish tradition. Rabbi
Blank recommends Jews use
for a mantra the names of
God or Hebrew letters.
Throughout the book, the
rabbi includes exercises in
which the reader is en-
couraged to focus on
sephirot, centers of the body
determined by Kabbalah; to
visualize meeting one's dis-
tant ancestors; and, for wo-
men, to immerse themselves
in the mikvah.
A vegetarian, Rabbi Blank
said Torah, Tarot and Tan-
tra "flows from who I am."
He said he spent about two
hours a day writing the
book, during which time "it
was like I was in a trance."
He believes Jews' inability

to find spirituality in
Judaism has led many to
other religions or resulted in
disinterest in their own
faith. By focusing on their
relationship with God — on
spirituality — Jews need no
longer feel distant from
Judaism, he said.
"When someone says, 'My
purpose in life is to be part of
the Jewish people. I may be
just one cog in the wheel. I
may only be able to celebrate
the holidays. But this is who
I am,' that's spirituality,"
Rabbi Blank said.
A spiritual Jew ultimately
will ensure his children's
Jewish identity as well, he
added. "He will convey a
certain intensity, a sense of
`this is your place in the
world.' And those children
will always have an advan-
tage regardless of their level
of religious practice."

❑

JCCouncil Delegates
Ponder Jewish Future

NOAM M.M. NEUSNER

Staff Writer

D

etroit's Jewish Com-
munity Council Dele-
gate Assembly met
Monday to discuss assimila-
tion, intermarriage and a
host of other problems facing
the Jewish community.
In a week highlighted by
David Duke's entrance into
Michigan's presidential
primary and the U.N.'s
repeal of the "Zionism is
racism" resolution, 200 par-
ticipants had a chance to
consider where the Jewish
community is going.
The assembly featured a
question-and-answer session

-

The three leaders
discussed a
community with
intermarriage,
more children from
those marriages
and declining
affiliation.

with Temple Beth El's Rabbi
Daniel Polish, State Repre-
sentative Maxine Berman
and Jewish Federation Pres-
ident Mark Schlussel.
The three community
leaders discussed the results
from national and local
population studies, which
paint a picture of a changing
Jewish community with
more intermarriage, more
children from those mar-
riages and declining affilia-
tion.

"We are entering a fas-
cinating time. Look at the
need of the moment as a
challenge," said Rabbi
Polish. Addressing the rise
of intermarriage and single-
parent families, Rabbi
Polish advocated stronger
outreach programs and con-
solidation of community ser-
vices.
"It is a measure of our
success in America that non-
Jewish parents are not upset
when their children marry
Jews," Rabbi Polish said.
"What we have to do is
creatively convey the value
of seeking another Jew as a
mate."
Mr. Schlussel challenged
the Jewish community to
find consensus, even among
different denominations.
"We don't talk to each
other," he said. "We have to
communicate with one an-
other to find solutions."
Mr. Schlussel, who is in his
third year as Federation
president, acknowledged
that Detroit's Jewish com-
munity needs to be more
welcoming to newcomers
and should develop more
young leaders.
Maxine Berman discussed
the effects of Jewish migra-
tion on Jewish political
strength in the Detroit re-
gion.
She also addressed some of
the social needs of Jews, es-
pecially older, single Jews.
"If the religious commun-
ity looks the other way on
singles, it will come back to
haunt the community," she
said.

❑

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