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`We Are All In Exile'

Colloquium poses questions on the
wandering, wondering Jew.

T

urf wars and intolerance
must give way if the inter-
national Jewish communi-
ty expects to flourish into
the 21st century. Humanistic
groups should not be scorned by
traditional denominations. Jew-
ish federations ought to target
people, not just pocketbooks.
Those views and others sup-
porting religious pluralism sur-
faced during "Colloquium '95,"
a four-day seminar to discuss the
unaffiliated Jew.
Held in Farmington Hills at
the Birmingham Temple —
birthplace of Humanistic Ju-
daism — the colloquium drew an
international crowd of 250 peo-
ple with different Jewish back-
grounds. Some participants
called themselves secular. Oth-
ers were Orthodox. Their goal
was three-fold: To peg the unaf-
filiated Jew — who is he? To ask
why he remains separate from
the organized Jewish communi-
ty. And then to brainstorm meth-
ods of effective outreach.
According to the 1990 Nation-
al Jewish Population Survey,
more than half of America's 5.5
million Jews are unaffiliated.
More than 1.1 million identify

themselves as secular. Of inter-
married couples under 35 years
old, 87 percent are unaffiliated
compared to the 44 percent of in-
married couples in that same age
bracket.
`There isn't any one single for-
mula for reaching them," said
Rabbi Sherwin Wine, leader of
the Birmingham Temple and
founder of Humanistic Judaism.
"The purpose of this colloquium
is not to come up with all of the
answers but to clarify the direc-
tion we should go."
Speakers during the weekend
stressed the need for many entry
points to Judaism, be they reli- donors. Synagogues Artist Felice Malkin, Colloquium attracted to Ju-
gious or secular venues. Among define Jews as `95 Director Nancy Silver Shalit daism only as in-
dividuals."
and Marilyn Rowens of the
those suggested were chavurot members," she said.
She and others
— small prayer and friendship "We will not suc- International Institute of Secular
Humanistic Judaism.
at Colloquium '95
circles — Jewish book clubs, folk ceed if we divide our
criticized the me-
dance troupes, community cen- people that way."
Ms. Cardin, who delivered the dia — television, radio and corn-
ters or social action groups. Af-
filiation does not have to be colloquium's keynote address puters — for alienating Jews
considered solely in terms of syn- Thursday to 400 people at the from Yiddishkeit and each other.
"We are not a warm and com-
agogue membership and dues- Jewish Community Center in
West Bloomfield, charged the fortable community most of the
paying, the speakers said.
Shoshana Cardin, national crowd with the job of seeking the time," Ms. Cardin said. 'We suf-
vice-chair of the United Jewish unaffiliated on a person-to-per- fer from the same illness pre-
vailing through the general
Appeal, called the structure of son basis.
"The unaffiliated," she said "is community: high-tech, low-
American Jewish communities
not a group of people. They are touch."
too restrictive.
New York University Profes-
"Federations define Jews as separate individuals who can be

PHOTOS BY GLENN TRI ES

RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER

sor Norman Cantor staged two
attacks on Ms. Cardin's message.
He said 20th-century technology
offers new ways to attract unaf-
filiated Jews. Those people who
tune out to large gatherings at
temple might tune in to a color-
fully packaged Jewish television
program.
He pointed to leaders of the
Christian fundamentalist move-
ment who employ the media as
an effective mass-marketing tool.
"Charismatic leadership is ca-
pable of bringing people out of
miserable lives and giving -them

EXILE page 10

A Big Facelift

Congregation Beth Shalom announces $2.5 million
renovation and construction plans.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

wo and a half million dol-
lars can buy a lot of things.
It can cover the approx-
imate cost of a mohel for
8,333 brit milah or 20 million
pairs of Shabbat candles or about
9 million nylon yarmulkes.
And, if the folks at Congrega-
tion Beth Shalom are right, it can
also secure a part of the future.
The Conservative congrega-
tion in Oak Park is banking on
renovation and expansion plans
as a way to equip the 40-year-old
synagogue building to accommo-
date growth. And the congrega-
tion is hoping to raise the $2.5
million to add 14 classrooms to
the east end of the building as
well as renovate the existing
structure.
"Our goal is to secure a pres-

ence in north Oak Park, South-
field and Huntington Woods,"
said Dr. David Kirsch, a congre-
gant who is heading up the fund-
raising effort. 'We feel we have
an important role in maintaining
Conservative Judaism in that
part of Oakland County."
years of semi-serious dis-
dission over whether to follow the
Jewish community's northwest
migratory pattern, congrega-
tional leaders made a decision
last year to stay.
"Yes, we have had those talks,"
Beth Shalom president Art
Langer said, acknowledging that
leaders have discussed mergers
and moves in the past. "But we
have never gotten halfway be-
tween home plate and first base."

BETH SHALOM page 12

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