I\ HO\OR OF T E GRAD OPE\I\

Envisage a world illuminated

from within. A world where the

metamorphoses from kiln to

canvas has left an indelible

impression on the

D2==-

"brightness of life that shines.

The Altar's Stones
Anchor Our Lives

RABBI RICHARD C. HERTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

A vivid place where "naive

primitivism" transcends all

•

T-1-1

worldly borders... in living color.

PREMIERE DETROIT EXHIBITION
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 & 17

Welcome to the world of Europa Art. Discover one-of -

a-kind original oils, limited edition rare lithographs, pastel

drawings and select sculpture dating from the early 1900s

through the 1960s. From cubism to contemporary,

Europa Art Gallery is now open to serve the Detroit

area's most discriminating art collector.

P,BLC
RECEPT 0\
WITH THE ARTIST
SAL RA,
SEPTEMBER 16
OC)\ - 3 PV

Coming in OCTOBER - "CUBISM"

ART GALLERY

6335 Orchard Lake Road
Orchard Mall - West Bloomfield

810 • 855 • 2160

EXHIBITION CONTINUES THROUGH OCTOBER 16

RENEW YOUR gputid
OBSERVE THE HIGH HOLIDAYS WITH US

W

hen Moses was about to synagogue and all that it stands
lead the children of Is- for, by associating with it week
rael into thn Promised after week and letting its spirit
Land, the place he was seep into your spirit and by your
not permitted to enter himself, rabbi who seeks only to teach you
he assembled all the Israelites and help you and inspire you to
and gave a long sermon in which be a better Jew, a better human
he recounted all the laws he had being.
taught them in the wilderness of
Note, too, that the purpose of
wandering. He then ordered the the altar is not to worship the
Israelites that as soon as they en- state nor the class not the leader
tered the Promised Land they not is it to worship money or fash-
were to gather great stones and ion, pride or fame or power. The
build an altar unto God. "You altar you build at your synagogue
shall build an altar to the Lord is to worship the God our fathers
your God, an altar of stones. Do who has watched over our people
not wield an iron tool over them. since the time of Abraham, Isaac,
You must build the altar of the and Jacob in every land, in every
Lord your God of unhewn generation, for 4,000 years of un-
stones." (Deuteronomy 27:5-6) No broken continuity. We are the
iron tool was to be used, for the children of an eternal people.
altar was supposed to promote
One of the purposes of the syn-
peace in the land. An iron tool agogue is to offer a compass and
was a symbol of division and de- a chart to help us in our voyage
struction and even war.
through life. Not only does the
Building an altar and arrang- compass point the direction we
ing for public worship was to be should take but the chart clear-
the first duty of the Israelites on ly marks the shoals and sand
entering into Canaan. So it has bars to avoid in order to escape
been ever since. The first thing disaster. Religion does not
out people did whenever they promise an uneventful journey.
came to a new land or a new com- Life has many sorrows and
munity, was to arrange for pub- storms to batter us, but Judaism
lic worship for the education of teaches us how to weather them.
the children as well as arrange Religion is like the science of nav-
for a cemetery for their deceased. igation over life's ocean so we can
Recall the story of Jews corn- steer our ship of life safely into a
ing to the new world and you will haven.
see the first thing our forefathers
did as settlers in America was to
establish a synagogue, to build
an altar to God out of whatever
rough, unhewn stones were at
their disposal. And the stones
were really rough. The origins of
the synagogues in America were
very simple. The important thing
was never how elaborate or how
The synagogue serves as the
ornate was the altar. Rather, altar of God and the stones of the
there had to be an altar! A place altar are unhewn but gradually
where Jews were free to go and smoothed over by the trials of life.
pray to the God of their fathers.
The sea of life is full of rocks and
The rough stones began to pile storms and cross currents. All of
up year by year. Higher and high- us need a compass on board. No
er cemented together were the ship can sail by chance. The cap-
prayers offered every week to the tain's compass is like the guiding
Almighty before the altar. Those principles that regulate our life.
In a few days, we Jews begin
prayers were stones of knowl-
edge, of character, of integrity, a new year with Rosh Hashanah.
and honor, a truthfulness, loyal- We need the inspiration of the
ty, and morality. The stones be- High Holidays to help us steer
came the chief cornerstones each our ship of life in the coming year
that we may sail safely into a safe
of us builds in life.
The Torah prescribed that the haven. The altar of God build out
altar to be built was to be with of unhewn stones of goodness and
unhewn stones. Only gradually kindness, of honor and truth, of
and slowly do the stones of life justice and compassion will be
come to be smoothed and pol- built by the life you build for the
ished by the process of learning new year. ❑
and experience. Gradually these Dr. Richard C. Hertz is
stones of character are shaped distinguished professor of
and sanded by the influence that Jewish studies at the University
comes into one's inner life, by the of Detroit-Mercy.

Shabbat Ki Tavo:
Deuteronomy
26:1-29:8
Isaiah 60:1-22.

RABBI HERBERT YOSKOWITZ
RABBI BENJAMIN GORRELICK
CANTOR MAX SHIMANSKY
REVEREND JOSEPH BARAS

HIGH HOLIDAY TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

For information Call: (810) 352-8670

CONGREGATION BETH ACHIM

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(Centrally located!)

21100 W. 12 Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan 48076