Editor's Notebook

immunity Views

Sifsei Zemer: Doing
That Thing They Do

hack The Community
lack Into The JCC

PHIL JACOBS EDITOR

EITH LEVICK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Ftv c; I FNN TRI EST

Saturday morn- Saturday night basketball game other community to replace their
ing began like all between my team, the Wolver- old one.
It is as if the "pseudo-ness" pro-
other Saturday ines, and our arch-rivals, the
mornings — sit- Dovells; Sunday afternoon swims; motes a decay that slowly erodes
ting in front of the "Battle of the Bands"; the teen the mortar that holds the home
the TV watching dances; the daily activities always together. In some instances, the
my favorites roll available at the JCC. The Center decay and chaos are so powerful
out: "The Lone was not just a "club" but a home that the home collapses. In oth-
Ranger," "Rin Tin to the entire Jewish community ers, a void or hollowness prevails.
Tin,,, . uy,,, “sky living in northwest Detroit.
The time has come to rebuild
,
our
home, our community center.
What
happened
to
our
home?
,:mg." Like clockwork, the phone
When
we left the JCC, we did not
What
has
replaced
the
commu-
Pang at 10 a.m.
leave
a
building, a gym or a place
nity
center
that
was
the
hub
of
"Hi, it's Zuk. What time are we
oing? Are we go-
-ig early with
our dad? Great,
II see you around
loon."
Saturday was
lways my favorite
' / - -- of the week.
1 After watching
CV, my best friend
nd I were off to
he JCC. On our
Vay to the Center,
ur conversation
ways focused on
major con-
erns: Would we
be able to play in
fl- -,, big gym with
he older players,
r were we rele-
ated to the small
with our own
age group?
The other criti-
cal issue centered
n our ability to The renovated health club at the Maple Drake Jewish Community Center.
sneak into the
teen Lounge so we could hang activities for all ages? Over the to work out. Left behind is a sym-
bol of what every Jew is proud of:
_-_-2)und the older kids. Between years, the JCC has experienced our heritage and sense of com-
basketball games, Zuk and I care- a disassociation that has been dif-
'fully walked through the crowd- ficult to understand. What was munity.
Can the JCC restore the com-
,'ed gym, dodging the constant flow once a true community center
munity
part of the center? From
turned
into
a
"pseudo-communi-
s, and found our way to
'of jogger
this writer's view, it is already
I ithe double metal doors. Quickly ty" center.
The term community implies happening. However, a critical
We slipped our way into the cafe-
teria for a Coke and chips and genuine communication, au- question remains: Who will take
made our way to the Tweenfreen thenticity and sincerity among its on the accompanying responsi-
lounge. After a couple of games of members. When these integral bility? The JCC? The old mem-
ping pong and talking with our elements are missing, a pseudo- bers? The new members? The
,iends from other schools, we had community emerges, a place community as a whole? The an-
time for more basketball. By 4:30 where people pretend they are a swer is "yes" to all of the above.
Considering what I have al-
p.m., we were bidding farewell to community. Sincerity is replaced
ready
experienced, the leadership
by
pretentiousness;
communica-
our friends. Another great day at
tion is filled with generalizations at the JCC is responding to the
the JCC.
This flashback was a wonder- and the warmth of the home be- needs of its members: Repairs
have been made; facilities have
ful memory that helped pass the comes sterile.
been improved; new equipment
time on the Stairmaster recently
is in place.
as I worked out at the JCC health
Over the next few years, more
club. This was my third time back
changes
are scheduled. The point
to the JCC since my exodus two
are being done. The
is
that
things
years ago. The initial feeling upon
happening.
is
change
a summer visit was that of ela-
The bottom line is that we are
tion; I did not have to fight for the
the
community, and it is incum-
exercise machine.
bent
on us to accept the challenge
Upon my second visit, my ela-
of being part of the JCC's restora-
tion vanished and was replaced
As the pseudo-community pro- tion process.
my something more sullen, a
The JCC has great potential,
sadness I could not quite explain. gresses, growth begins to stifle.
but
we all need to become in-
Dysfunction
and
chaos
emanate.
Then it hit me. Where were the
people, the energy that once filled Members become uneasy and dis- volved in the reformation process.
satisfied. Their needs are no The Center is more than just a
the air at the JCC?
' The excitement of watching a longer being met. They, too, are place to exercise. It is a part of our
feeling chaotic and uncertain. For Jewish tradition. The JCC has
many, the only logical solution is made a commitment; it is time for
Dr. Keith Levick is a psychologist
to leave home, to search for an- us to reevaluate ours. ❑
in Farmington Hills.

-

Where were
the people,
the energy that
filled the JCC?

Maybe you've we get together, we enjoy it. But
see the fun but it's easier now than it was at
quirky Tom first. I think the vocalists would
Hanks film agree that it's the three musi-
That Thing You cians who make it go. We value
their input and their arrange-
Do.
It's about a ments."
basement band What has made the group
"The even more excited, according to
called
Oneders" (pro- Mr. Ishakis, is that they typi-
nounced Wonders) that makes cally know most of the people for
it to the top of the charts on the whom they perform. What's also
strength of one song, "That different for the audience is to
Thing You Do." see their friends — whom they
In our community, there's a live, pray and socialize with —
band that practices not in a singing and performing.
basement but in a beit midrash '1-'1 feel like rm at home," said
(study and social hall) at Young Mr. Ishakis. "I think it gives us
a more secure feeling. It prob-
Israel of Southfield.
That thing it does is also mu- ably means more to the crowd
sic, only it's in Hebrew and some when they are listening to peo-
of it is from the prayers in our ple they know. Also, they know
who we are. And they enjoy it
religious services.
No, MTV isn't around the cor- because they are listening to a
ner, nor does the band want it bunch of amateurs who sound
halfway decent."
to be.
Last year at a similar event
But the members of the
group, which calls itself Sifsei at Young Israel of Southfield,
Zemer (Words of Music), are the group was called back for
wonders of their own, and they several encores. The truth is, ac-
already have a loyal following cording to Mr. Ishakis, the
that has heard the group play crowd wouldn't have minded if
Sifsei Zemer kelit going even
since 1994.
"It was something that all of longer.
"I think we offer a nice blend
us really wanted to do," said
Allen Ishakis, a vocalist and one of songs taken from religious
of the group's founders. "For me, services, holidays, the Bible and
it was like a dream. I knew the Siddur," he said.
Mr. Ishakis said he doesn't
these other guys who fiddled
around with music, and we got know what the future of the
together, and I learned that band is. He would like it to keep
everyone craved a chance to on going, even though it takes
hours of rehearsal time, with
sing."
The band consists of guitarist some band members coming to
Allen Platt; drummer Stuart practice straight from their jobs.
"We would like to go out of
Pieczenik; keyboardist Chanan
Posner; vocalists David Unger, town," said Mr. Ishakis, "like
Joseph Greenbaum, David Chicago or Cleveland or some-
Wayntraub and Mr. Ishakis; thing like that. We'd like to keep
and soundman Kerry Silver. on going with it."
No, this is not a story about a
David Snow, Tzvi Silverstein
and Rabbi Shaul Broner were huge controversy on the streets
original band members who no or arguments between the de-
longer perform. nominations of Judaism. This
Sifsei Zemer plays what Mr. time, we have a group of guys
Ishakis describes as oldies, He- who love to make music, Jewish
brew songs that were performed music. There aren't any top 40
by groups in the '60s and '70s. lists for what they do. Most of
The group will perform 8 p.m. the band members probably
Saturday at Young Israel of don't know or care what the lat-
Southfield to benefit the Akiva est rages in music are.
PTA. Admission is $12.50 per They prefer the old-fashioned,
person, with a dessert afterglow the melodic and the spiritual.
Judging from the packed audi-
after the performance.
"This is a novelty," said Mr. ences they've played to, they
Ishalds. 'This is a bunch of guys aren't the only ones looking for
from the community who are all something that not only sounds
volunteers." good, but feels right. ❑
They rehearse once a
week, and Mr. Ishakis said
it wasn't as easy as he thought
to form a band. He learned
quickly that a bunch of guys
getting together to sing for fun
still have a great deal to learn
about arrangements and har-
mony.
"It's a lot of work," he said. "It
takes a lot of time as well. When

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