Program Launched To
Rekindle Shabbat

A Federation-sponsored, congregationally based
program is set to increase Jewish identity in Detroit.

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN STAFF WRITER

M

aybe you already ob-
serve Shabbat, and
maybe you don't.
A program set to be
launched jointly by area syna-
gogues and the Jewish Federa-
tion of Metropolitan Detroit may
shed some light on how to do
Shabbat, or how to make your
Shabbat experience a little bit
more spiritual.
With a kickoff set for Shabbat
Bereshit (Oct. 24-25), the
"Rekindling Shabbat" program
is designed to prompt congrega-
tions to reach more people in
new, innovative ways.
The Detroit program was
inspired by an effort in Houston
called "Reclaiming Shabbat,"
according to Kari Grosinger,
"Rekindling Shabbat" coordina-
tor. Houston's federation "worked
with each congregation to im-
prove services so people would
want to come," she says.
For example, some shuls or-
ganized services for singles, and
"synagogue attendance soared,"
Ms. Grosinger notes.
Robert Naftaly, president of
Federation, says, "As you begin
,-- to try to deal with this big thing
called 'continuity,' one question
is, Will the Jewish community
survive here in America with
democracy and freedom and con-
cern with birthrate?"
Federation created a "conti-
nuity committee" to look at ways
to answer that question. The
group looks within the Detroit
\ Jewish community for ways to
/—' help individuals "feel part of this
community — if people want to
stay Jewish and connected with
the community," Mr. Naftaly
says.
And "Rekindling Shabbat"
falls under that umbrella.
Harlene Appelman, Federa-
tion's director of community out-
reach and education, says, "I
\ don't think there's anything
/--' lacking. I think we can enhance
everything.
`The congregations work very
hard at delivering a wonderful
Shabbat experience to their con-
gregants. But sometimes when
everybody gets together the syn-
ergy of everybody's ideas and the
excitement of the community be-
hind it create even more excite-
\—, ment and make it even more
/-- attractive."
The Houston effort was
backed by the entire Jewish
community there, she says.

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"Rekindling Shabbat," says
Mr. Naftaly, is "a piece of a big
puzzle but an important part of
it: something that can appeal to
a large cross-section of our com-
munity. The issue of what [one's]
affiliation is doesn't make any
difference because everyone can
celebrate Shabbat."
The program has been en-
dorsed by the Michigan Board
of Rabbis, and each synagogue
is forming its own programming

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committees, Ms. Grosinger says.
For the kickoff Shabbat on Oct.
25, "Rekindling Shabbat's" plan-
ners are hoping "to do a youth
group Havdalah and Cranbrook
Planetarium" event.
The people behind "Rekin-
dling Shabbat" — Federation's
continuity committee members
— are hoping to appeal to Jews
at all levels of observance —
from secular to Shomer Shab-
bat.
"Any synagogue and temple
can be a part of the program. We
certainly have a lot of seats
available in the synagogues and
temples, so we don't have to
build the capacity," Mr. Naftaly
said. "[The program] has the
ability to generate a tremendous
amount of input for people from
the community to sell something
that can be positive about being
Jewish.
"In times of crisis, the com-
munity pulls together. My hope
is that we will pull together
through a joint observing of the
Shabbat at any level.
"I think it's a way for us to
show solidarity with each other
by increasing the attendance
and the observing of Shabbat,
[so we] all get a good feeling of
being Jewish, being part of this
community," he says.
The Mandel Berman/Avern
Cohn Pilot Fund for Continuity
has contributed a grant to fund
the program. 0

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