THIRD ANNUAL
DINNER TO BENEFIT
YAD EZRA

Wednesday, November 17th

6:00 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres
honoring

7:00 p.m. Dinner

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

JAMES MACY

Executive Director,
Food Bank of Oakland County

at

Adat Shalom Synagogue

A special honor will be presented to Hillel Day School in recognition of its
extraordinary support of Yad Ezra

Order your table/tickets today!

$1,000 per table
$100 per adult
$30.00 per child (ages 8-18)
Donors of $500 or more above the cost of their reservations
will be recognized as Yad Ezra Sponsors

Hanan and Lisa Lis
David Mark
Jeff and Marissa Mark
Rick and Chris Mark
Abe and Sheri Mark-Slaim

Honorary Chairpersons
Susan Citrin John Marx
Co-chairs

For information or reservations, call (313) 548-FOOD (3663)

YOU WANT IT WE'VE GOT IT!...

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Where We've Got The Spirit!

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SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 7

Men's Club Day at Book Fair

MONDAY
NOVEMBER 8

Sisterhood Day at Book Fair

TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 9

Congregational Religious School Mitzvah Read-A-Thon Begins

SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 13

Youth Luncheon for Members and Friends

SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 14

Lahav Youth Group Goes Horseback Riding
B'nai Mazel & Nitzanim Youth Groups Visit Fun With Plaster

FRIDAY
NOVEMBER 19

Kadima & Lahav Youth Groups Hold an Oneg Shabbat

SATURDAY
NOVEMBER 20

Men's Club Square Dance

SUNDAY
NOVEMBER 21

J.E.F.F. Program: Jewish Art in the Home

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RABBI IRWIN GRONER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

"And Abraham was old, ad-
vanced in age; and the Lord
blessed Abraham Dakol' with
everything."

FLORINE MARK ROSS

Co
w

The Beauty Of Age
Should Be Realized

&wee cut.

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COMING SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12: CONCERT BY GEMINI
CHANUKAH DINNER FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS

FOR INFORMATION CALL 352-8670 21100 W. Twelve Mile Rd./Southfield

ur sages sought to un-
derstand what the
Torah intended to im-
part with the word,
"everything." They say that
Abraham demanded from
God something that had nev-
er until then been bestowed
upon man. Although Abra-
ham had everything materi-
al possessions, children,
power and success, he de-
manded old age. God said to
him: "You asked for some-
thing very good and precious.
You will have old age."
This passage of the
Midrash seems bizarre to the
modern mind, because one of
the most universal fears and
concerns of our time is the
fear of growing old. In every
generation, men and women
have sought fantastic ways to
prevent the onrush of ad-
vancing years. Our era is dis-
tinguished by its effort to
stem the tide of time.
Whole industries are set
aside for this enterprise
which provide cosmetics to
conceal wrinkles, chemicals
to dye the hair, garments out-
er and inner, to conceal or
disclose those silhouettes ap-
propriate to youthful rather
than mature persons. Some
people work at fighting age so
intensely and with such in-
dustry that they sometimes
seem to be getting old trying
to keep young.
Why this desperate effort
to hide one's age? Several rea-
sons come to mind. First, age
is erroneously believed to be
a sign of uselessness and in-
effectiveness. In some indus-
tries, men and women are
displaced for the universal
crime of getting older. Sec-
ond, youth is considered more
desirable because it is asso-
ciated with strength, vitality
and excitement. Since youth
is deemed the time of vigor,
energy and joy, the onset of
advancing age is viewed with
trepidation and distress.
But Abraham demanded
age, and God blessed him by
granting it to him. The
Midrash suggests that Abra-
ham perceived a profound
human truth: Every age has
its unique beauty, its partic-

Irwin Groner is senior rabbi of •
Congregation Shaarey Zedek.

ular zest, its characteristic
blessing. Every season has its
place in nature; every period
in life has its special signifi-
cance.
What do you consider the
most beautiful of all seasons?
The time of spring with its
budding trees and leaves and
the sense of nature's renew-
al? What would it be like to
have a year without the twi-
light of an autumn day, when
the setting sun fills the col-
ored leaves with a beauty
that spring can never know.
What about the soft
snowflakes of winter, which
no season can duplicate?
Who can say that youth is
better than age? Just as life
is incomplete without each
season, so does each age bring
a different dimension of ex-
perience.
For this reason, the sages
list the qualities of each age
in Pirke Avot. At the age of
30, a person has reached his

Shabbat Chaye
Sara:
Genesis 23:1 -
25:18
I Kings 1:1-31.

full physical power; at the age
of 40, one attains under-
standing; at 50, the time for
counsel; 60, for mature age;
80, a time of great spiritual
strength.
When John Dewey, the
philosopher, was 90, a young
teacher said to him: "Profes-
sor, I hope I'll be present at
your 100th birthday." "Why
not?" said Dewey, "you look
healthy enough to last until
then."
The philosopher had a
sense of humor. I have found
that people of advanced years
have a certain mellow wis-
dom. They have dealt with
sorrow and have overcome it.
They have dealt with passion
and have disciplined it. They
have found peace and mean-
ing.
For Abraham, old age was
not a punishment, but a re-
ward. It can be a reward for
those who retain the interest
and alertness of victorious liv-
ing. It is a reward for those
who continue to fill their days
with mental and spiritual ad-
venture.

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