Rabbi Bergstein
Goes To Washington
R
Rabbi Chaim Bergstein
abbi Chaim Moshe
Bergstein of Con-
gregation Bais
Chabad of Farm-
ington Hills next week
will get his two minutes
of fame. He will fly to
the nation's capital to
deliver Wednesday's
invocation for the U.S.
Senate.
Twice a month, visit-
ing clergy are invited to
offer invocations before
the Senate. But this is
only the second time in
' Michigan history that a
rabbi from the state will
get the honor. Efry
Spectre of Adat Shalom
Synagogue was the first
Michigan rabbi to
address the Senate.
Michigan Sen. Carl
Levin, who made
arrangements for Rabbi
Bergstein's visit to D.C.,
will formally introduce
the rabbi to his Senate
colleagues. Mr. Levin
also has arranged for
Rabbi Bergstein to
obtain a day floor pass,
which will allow him to
meet and discuss issues
with the senators.
Willie Blacklow, Mr.
Levin's press secretary,
said the senator plans to
spend some time with
the rabbi, introducing
him to other elected offi-
cials. On the agenda is
an informal meeting
with Joe Lieberman, D-
Conn., the first obser-
vant Jew to be elected to
the Senate. _
A few years ago, Rabbi
Bergstein said a prayer
to open the session of the
Michigan Senate. This,
he says, is even more
exciting.
"I'm apprehensive,"
Rabbi Bergstein said.
"I've never done any-
thing like this."
Senate rules state the
invocation must be broad
and non-political, but
clergy are allowed to use
the word "God." Rabbi
Bergstein says he will
utilize his few short
moments to focus upon
the thresholds of world
peace.
"It will be a prayer for
success of the people
there," Rabbi Bergstein
says. "What I wish for
them is that they help
make this a better world.
"We have to harness
the resources of the
world for the benefit of
us all," Rabbi Bergstein
says.
Jewish Lawyers In Line
For Federal Jobs
M
ichigan's Demo-
cratic Senators
Donald Riegle
and Carl Levin
have been busy in the
past few weeks holding
closed-door meetings to
discuss a replacement
for former U.S. Attorney
Stephen Markman, and
to fill two open federal
bench positions.
The senators' closest
advisers and staff mem-
bers have not been invit-
ed to the meetings, leav-
ing curious job candi-
dates on pins and nee-
dles.
Recommendations will
be submitted to Pre-
sident Bill Clinton some-
time after the Senate
reconvenes on Tuesday
from this past week's
break, but no one knows
when word will break,
and no one is leaking any
tips.
An interesting twist
for the Jewish communi-
ty is that federal judges
Bernard Friedman,
Nancy Edmunds, Avern
Cohn, Gerald Rosen and
Stuart Newblatt soon
could be one step closer
to having a minyan
among the highest ranks
at the U.S. Courthouse
in Detroit.
Among the three final-
ists in the race for U.S.
attorney for the Eastern
District of Michigan is
Detroiter Harold
Gurewitz, 48, of Detroit,
a criminal attorney.
And among the 10
finalists for two open
U.S. District Court judge
positions are Paul D.
Borman, 54, of West
Bloomfield, chief federal
defender; criminal attor-
ney Arthur Tarnow, 51,
of Detroit; Richard
Kaufman, 42, of
Plymouth, Wayne County
Circuit Court judge; and
attorney Sharon-Lee
Edwards, 48, of Detroit.
Mr. Gurewitz, who
was raised in Benton
Harbor and remained in
Detroit after completing
law school at Wayne
State University, is pres-
ident-elect of the
Reconstructionist congre-
gation, T'Chiyah.
For eight years, he was
a prosecutor in the U.S.
Attorney's Office before
launching a career in
defense work. In his
roles, he has prosecuted
those charged with feder-
al crimes, and he has
defended them.
It is his diverse experi-
ences, he feels, that best
qualify him for the No. 1
job at the U.S. Attorney's
Office.
Perhaps his most pub-
lic experience was the
case in which he helped
acquit Detroit Mayor
Coleman Young on
charges stemming from
the VISTA bribery scan-
dal.
Like Mr. Gurewitz, Mr.
Borman worked as a fed-
eral prosecutor in the
U.S. Attorney's Office
before moving into his
role as federal defender.
Mr. Borman is immedi-
ate past president of the
Jewish Community
Council, and he has been
involved in Jewish
Federation activities.
Mr. Tarnow is a crimi-
nal attorney who will
consider any types of
cases but those dealing
with drug offenders. He
also does appellate work.
He waged an unsuc-
cessful bid for Detroit
Recorder's Court judge in
1972, and he has kept
his eyes on the bench
ever since.
"It is an opportunity to
serve the public in a con-
structive way," Mr.
Tarnow said.
Paul D. Borman
❑
Harold Gurewitz