We Wish
The Detroit
Jewish Community
A Healthy, Happy
New Year!
The Staff Of
Lexus Of Lansing
ther they nor
their livestock
could eat food
grown during
the shmitah
year. They could,
however, main-
tain animals, col-
lect milk and
other animal
products and
keep their farms
in repair for the
following season.
"If certain
grow
things
the
without
farmer doing
anything," Rab-
bi Borchard
says, "it does not
belong to the
farmer. The
money goes to
the Rabbinical
Court, which dis-
tributes it during
The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection
the seventh
For a personal showing:
year."
During the six
Call 1-800-539-8748 OR 1-800-LEXUS-4-U
years, he adds, A new vineyard in Israel.
Exit 104 off 1-96 • 5709 S. Pennsylvania, Lansing • 517/394-8000 (CALL COLLECT)
farmers can pre-
pare for the seventh by stocking shmitah being graded higher
up food and money for them- than that of nearby, non-observ-
ing farms.
selves and their animals.
The sages reasoned that fail-
The goal for Keren Hashvi'is is
to raise $10 million throughout ure to observe shmitah laws
the seven-year cycle, but Rabbi caused the exile of Jews from the
and her husband
Borchard says if it gets half that, Land of Israel. For nearly 1,800
he's pleased. The organization years afterward, the law, which
turns over those donations to the applies only to farmland in Israel,
court. Together, donations and wasn't observed, because the
other collected money forms the small Jewish community living
basis for the sabbatical stipends. there until this century did not
As with other causes, much of farm.
Large-scale immigration in the
the funds come from outside Is-
rael. The Detroit Committee, late 1800s brought Jewish farm-
which sponsored a fund-raiser for ing, and with it, Torah-based en-
Keren Hasvhi'is on Wednesday, vironmental conservation. The
encourages its members to speak Zionist dream of returning Jews
about it from their pulpits. Sister to Palestine meant more than
committees elsewhere are doing just bringing them back to the
land; it also meant renewing their
the same.
"Rabbonim in the Diaspora relationship with the earth.
Only a handful of Jewish farm-
have always gathered together
different energies and resources ers observed shmitah in those
to help farmers in Israel," said early years. Before the birth of Is-
Rabbi Mordechai Wolmark, a De- rael, Rabbi Binyomin Mendelson
troit committee member. 'There reintroduced the law to members
are programs like this across the of his collective farm community,
country, like Los Angeles, Chica- Moshav Komemius. Those farm-
go and Cleveland. It's almost tra- ers became experts, and began
ditional for these cities to do these consulting others outside the
moshav in the intricate laws.
kinds of events."
By 1952, Rabbi Mendelson
In the months before each
shmitah year, the organization founded Keren Hashvi'is as the
asks these farmers to fill out official entity coordinating and
questionnaires, detailing their fi- promoting shmitah observance.
nancial needs and how much of Now, the organization offers lec-
their livelihoods depend on agri- tures, raises funds and arranges
culture. It then sends supervi- activities related to learning and
sors, farmers who have become observing shmitah.
670 S. Woodward
Rabbi Borchard says, "Some-
experts in shmitah laws, for as-
Downtown Birmingham
thing
very special happens. When
sistance.
644-7311
Observant farmers report ben- the land rests, the next year pro-
On The Boardwalk
efits and miracles resulting from duces much better. I don't know
following shmitah. They tell sto- if it's because the land rested or
ries of rain falling only on shmi- if God did it." 111
Next time you feed your face, think about your heart.
tah-observing farms and not on
For information about con-
Go easy on your heart and start cutting back on foods that are high in saturated
neighboring ones, farms produc- tributing to Keren liashvi'is, call
fat and cholesterol. The change'll do you good.
ing triple in the sixth year what Rabbi Wolmark at (810) 424-
they did during the previous five, 8880.
WERE
FIGHTING
FOR
YOUR
LIFE
V American Heart Association
44*
and produce of the year after
LEXUS OF LANSING
Audrey Pearl
Cy Feldman
Wish All Their Friends
and Clients
A Very Healthy
and Happy
T H E D E T RO IT J E WI S H N E WS
New Year
10
SEVENTH YEAR page 19
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MARGUERITE
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Vista
all our
friends
and
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