SEPHARDIC COMMUNITY
High Holy Day Services
Agency for Jewish Education
21550 W. 12 Mile Rd., Southfield
(East of Lahser)
Officiated by RABBI SOLOMON MAIMON
and HAZAN SASSON NATAN
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SELICHOT SERVICES
Sunday, September 4th 10:00 p.m.
Congregation Beth Achim
21100 W. 12 Mile Rd., Southfield
NON-MEMBER HIGH HOLY DAY TICKETS ONLY
Adult
Student
Senior
Child (under 18)
@
@
@
@
$100.00
$ 50.00
$ 50.00
$ 25.00
$
$
$
$
MEMBERSHIP DUES: (includes High Holy Day Tickets)
Family
$200.00 $
$100.00 $
Individual
Senior Citizen
$100.00 $
Couple
$ 50.00 $
Individual
Mail checks to: Sephardic Community of Greater Detroit, do Mr. Reuben
Rashty, Treasurer, 32451 NestIewood, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
TH E D ETRO I T J E WIS H NEWS
For reservations call:
SHIRLEY BEHAR 557-8551
SUSAN ALSPECTOR 788-1006
18
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2,625,000 pints of blood.
Surely, you can spare a few.
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Synagogues Surveyed
On Intermarried Couples
RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER
abbis of at least eight
Michigan temples and syn-
agogues will perform a
marriage between a Jew
and gentile, according to a sur-
vey soon to be released by the
American Jewish Committee, De-
troit chapter.
The AJCommittee embarked
upon the survey in an effort to
ease affiliation for interfaith cou-
ples. The survey targets a second
audience: Jews who want to
know where their congregations
stand on issues relating to mixed
marriages.
"The interfaith issue is some-
thing that is difficult to talk about
because there are so many value
judgments associated with it,"
said Victoria Green, an AJCom-
mittee board member who helped
compile the survey. "There is no
`should' in any of this. The survey
is an effort to help people find a
place where they'll feel comfort-
able."
Results of the congregational
survey will be available this fall
to the public for free in pamphlet
form. They reveal a broad spec-
trum of attitudes and approach-
es. Of 23 temples and synagogues
throughout Michigan that re-
sponded, 17 said they offer mem-
bership to interfaith couples, but
most place limits on activities in
which gentiles can participate.
Thirteen congregations said a
gentile could not serve as an offi-
cer, with six saying they would
bar gentiles from serving on com-
mittees.
"We were looking to answer
the questions that intermarried
couples are likely to ask of a con-
gregation when they're interest-
ed in affiliation," Ms. Green said.
The survey, a composite of 21
yes/no questions, included: "May
a non-Jew be a member of the sis-
terhood or men's club? Will the
rabbi perform a marriage be-
tween a Jew and a non-Jew? If
yes, will the rabbi co-officiate with
non-Jewish clergy?"
The eight congregations — sev-
en Reform and one Humanistic
— whose rabbis officiate at
mixed-marriage ceremonies in-
clude: Temple Emanuel in Grand
Rapids, Temple Emanu-El in
Oak Park, Temple Kol Ami in
West Bloomfield, Shir Shalom in
West Bloomfield, Temple Beth El
in Battle Creek, Beth Emeth in
Ann Arbor, B'nai Israel in
Muskegon and the Birmingham
Temple in Farmington Hills.
Many of these institutions
stress preconditions.
R
Emanu-El, the Reform con-
gregation in Oak Park, reported
that interfaith marriages are per-
mitted to take place in the tem-
ple as long as either the Jewish
partner or his parents are mem-
bers. Paraphrasing information
from Emanu-El's response, the
survey reads:
"While the (active) rabbis will
officiate, the service must be Jew-
ish. No non-Jewish clergy can
participate, and the couple must
learn about Judaism together (for
an extended period) before the
wedding."
Temple Emanu-El, along with
eight other congregations (five
Reform, two Conservative, and
one Humanistic), offers a support
group for interfaith couples.
Forty questionnaires were
mailed to temples and syna-
gogues of all denominations
throughout Michigan, as well as
in Windsor, Ontario.
Of 12 responses specifying de-
nomination, one was Orthodox,
four were Conservative, six were
Reform, and one, the Birming-
ham Temple, is Humanistic.
Ms. Green said AJCommittee
members were struck by the can-
dor and sensitivity of the re-
sponses.
"What I found so impressive,"
she said, "was the honesty and
the clarity and, overall, the car-
ing that all of the congregations
expressed, regardless of how they
ultimately handled the situation."
There were very few flat-out
"no's," she said.
"Some answered, `No, we won't
let non-Jews carry the Torah, but
we'll let them come up on the
bimah and read a non-denomi-
national prayer.' It's a complex
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