DETROIT
a
4
Three Congregations
Approve Joint School
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
T
TRADITION.
Isn't there one more worth carrying on?
Friday night. The end of the week. The beginning
of Shabbat. A time to relax, reflect and renew. And as much a part of
this tradition as the candles and the challah was knowing the weekly
Jewish News had also arrived.
It brought news about the community, the nation
and the world. lbday, that tradition hasn't changed. In fact, it's gotten
better. Each week award-winning journalists combine the warmth of
community with world issues using candor and compassion to
strengthen Jewish identity and...tradition.
Keep the tradition alive. Give a Jewish News
subscription to a friend, a relative, as a special gift. If you don't
subscribe, (and you find yourself always reading someone else's copy)
maybe it's time to start your own tradition. The Jewish News. It's a
tradition worth keeping.
THE JEWISH NEWS
No Other Publication Has More Faith
Save 40% over the newsstand price. Receive 52 award-winning weekly issues
plus five Style magazine supplements for only $33.00 (out-of-state $45.00)
❑ Yes! I want to be a faithful reader of The Jewish ❑ Why should I be the only_one to enjoy? I'd like to
News. I'd like to order my own subscription.
send a gift subscription.
❑ Payment enclosed ❑ Bill my MC
VISA
I yr
2 yrs
Send my thoughtful giftto -
Card #
Exp. Date
Signature
Name
Address
MOName
City
My Address
State
Phone
City
State
Zip
Gift card to read
Phone
Please send all payments along with this coupon to:
The Jewish News, 27676 Franklin Road, Southfield, MI 48034
12
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 1992
Zip
hree congregations
have given their ap-
proval to a joint school
opening in the fall.
Students from Congrega-
tions Beth Abraham Hillel
Moses, B'nai David and Beth
Achim, as well as unaf-
filiated students, will be able
to attend classes either in
Southfield or West Bloom-
field. The congregations
have established a joint
school board and expect the
curriculum to be synagogue-
intensive.
"The idea is to have the
students comfortable with
the syangogue and ser-
vices," said Arthur Smith,
president of Beth Abraham
Hillel Moses, at a meeting
last week with presidents
Lawrence Traison of B'nai
David and Eric Gordon of
Beth Achim.
The three said the school
would show the similarities
of prayer services at all
three congregations and
would involve the clergy of
the three synagogues at both
school buildings. Classel
will be held at Beth Abra-
ham Hillel Moses and Mt
Beth Achim.
Mr. Gordon said the clergy
will be involved far more
than previously. Said Mr.
Smith, "The kids will see they
rabbi as a friend, someone
they can relate to."
The program has• been
named Congregational Re-
ligious School. It has receiv-
ed $70,000 from the Jewish
Federation, a figurcii
equivalent to the total the
Beth Achim branch would
have received next year if it
had remained under Unitee
Hebrew Schools (UHS). The i
Agency for Jewish Educa-1
tion's UHS elementary divi-4
sion will be phased out after"'
the 1992-93 school year.
Several funding proposals
for Jewish school program,1 1
will be considered at the
September meeting of the
Federation board of gover- 4
nors. A Federation spokes-
man declined to discuss the
proposals prior to the
meeting. ❑
41
,
Jewish Hospice Creates
New Living Will
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Assistant Editor
M
embers of the Jew-
ish community who
wish to give direc-
tives about the extent of
their medical care should
they become comatose or
terminally ill may now do so
by using the Jewish Living
Will.
The second of its kind to
appear in recent months (the
Agudath Israel of America
also has issued a Halachic
Living Will), the new will
was created by the National
Institute for Jewish Hospice
(NIJH), a Los Angeles-based
organization headed by
Rabbi Maurice Lamm.. It
allows signatories to de-
scribe, in detail, the care
they wish to receive should
they no longer be able to
communicate. This includes
the option of withholding —
but not withdrawing —
medical treatment.
The decision not to offer
the choice of active euthana-
sia guarantees that the will
remains halachically ap-
propriate, an NIJH repre-
sentative explained.
The majority of Orthodox
rabbis do not believe Jews
have the option of removing
lifesaving medical support!
calling this comparable to
active suicide, which is for-
bidden by Jewish law. Mau l
Conservative and Reform
rabbis disagree,
Rabbis from all
movements agree that ✓
passive euthanasia, which
means not instigating heroic
care when the patient is cer-
tain in any case to die, often 11
is acceptable.
Available at no charge, the
will must be approved by aiel
lawyer, signed and witness-
ed. It includes a durable
power of attorney, which
allows the signatory to name '4
someone to make health*
care decisions for him should
he be unable to do so.
Among the questions ask-
ed on the living will are the
level of medical care one
wishes should he (a) become I
brain damaged so that he.,
may no longer lead a
"meaningful life"; (b) fall w
into a lengthy coma with
little chance of recovery; (c)
is in a persistent vegetative
state.
For information, contact the
NIJH, 1-800-645-4286. ❑