Is there such a thing as a soulmate?
How long does it take to find a
soulmate? Is a soulmate forever?

BELIEFS page 37

If you're are a Reform, Ortho-
dox, Reconstructionist, Human-
istic, Conservative or any other
kind of Jew, you need to know
what calling yourself that label
means. If you are devoutly Re-
form and educated in the tenets
of Reform, be proud of it. But Re-
form Judaism has nothing to do
with not attending synagogue or
not having knowledge.
There are Reform Jews who
are devoutly Reform. And it has
nothing to do with mixed seat-
ing. And there are Reform Jews
who are just plain religiously
lazy. There are Orthodox and
Conservative Jews who have lost
their Jewish hearts somewhere
along the way. It works all sorts
of ways.
And if one denomination isn't
for you, fine. Just take the one
you choose seriously. Be able to
define it and teach it as an
example to your children. Con-
servative? Why are you Conser-
vative? What's the theology all
about? Do you know? Can you ex-
plain it? Orthodox? Why?
Who are you Jewishly? This is
important, and yet we treat our
beliefs with less research and ac-
tion than we take in buying a car.
If a Jew criticizes where you
are going as a Jew, you know
how to prove him wrong. It's not

Find out the

JEWISH SECRETS

TO SELF IMPROVEMENT

"How To Find and
Keep Your Soulmate"

With Noted Lecturer Rabbi Shmuel Irons

Tuesday, May 6, 1997 • 7:30 p.m.
Jewish Community Center
Maple/Drake Building

There is no charge for this program.
Refreshments will be served.

by calling him a name or corn-
paring your brand of Judaism to
his.
Pick up a book, a Siddur, a
Bible. We spend so much time
and money on soccer lessons and
piano, and in a quick second we'd
change teachers or coaches if we
felt our kids weren't learning.
Well, be selective. Find a Ju-
daism coach, a teacher.
Enough of this. We shouldn't
be in the position of being uned-,,—)
ucated. Want a good Jewish self- "—\
image? Learn. Then you'll be
proud.
If you're Jewishly secure, who
cares what anyone says, gentile
or even Jew?
Commonalities?
Yes, we have them in abun-
dance. But the bottom line is the
Torah. We read the same Torah
portion no matter if we call our
congregation Temple Israel or -)
Young Israel. The lessons are the
same, the prophets and the sages
all the same.
By the way, are you a Jew?
Why? What makes you proud
about being a Jew? And really,
who cares what the answer to
that question is, as long as it is
important to you?
At least, though, find out what -/
those answers are for yourself ❑

Call (810) 661-7649 to
pre-register for the lecture.

Alabama Lessons

Jewish Secrets will be held on the first Tuesday of each
month. This lecture series is brought to you by Mr. Fred
Ferber and the Jewish Community Center.

A judge brings Alabama back to the forefront of civil
rights consciousness.

Sperber's North Kosher Restaurant,
located inside the JCC, will now be
serving dinner until 8:00 p.m.

NEIL RUBIN CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

G

CC

Jotith Community Cm,

THE DETROIT J EWISH NEWS

CID

38

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c_f 0

adsden, Ala., about 90
miles north of Birming-
ham, is the newest host of
our country's roving media
circus. And Rabbi Mark Peilen,
who has led the 75-member Jew-
ish community there for 16 years,
wants to know why few Jews
have contacted him about it. He
could use their support.
Recently, at least 8,000 Al-
abamians rallied in Montgomery
in support of Judge Roy Moore.
He's purposely hung a plaque of
the Ten Commandments in his
Gadsden courtroom.
Judge Moore also has someone
start court sessions with a prayer.
He'd let a Jew lead one, he says,
but Muslims, Buddhists and oth-
er non-Christians are out. "They
do not," he told USA Today, "ac-
knowledge the God of the Holy
Bible on which this country was
founded."
The judge has a powerful ally
in Gov. Fob James. The Republi-
can politician has vowed to use
the National Guard to ensure
that the plaque stays.

So the national media and
Jewish groups are having a field
day.
The American Jewish Con ;
gress has urged the Alabama Ju-
dicial Inquiry Commission to
investigate Moore's actions. The
Anti-Defamation League has
filed a brief to support the Amer-
ican Civil Liberties Union suit to
end this flagrant violation of the
separation of religion and state.
On the other side of the issue,
Toward Tradition, a conservative
Jewish political group, co-spon
sored the recent rally.
"At first, we didn't really rec-
ognize that there's a Jewish
community there," Jay Kaimen,
the ADL's Atlanta-based head
said.
He notes that Gadsden's Jews,
and the roughly 10,000 Jews in
the rest of the state, don't side
with the judge. They just don't
know how to respond.
In a few months, the Alabama
state supreme court will rule on
the Ten Commandments and
prayer issue.

❑