ADAT SHALOM SYNAGOGUE
salutes our congregation's many
outstanding high school graduates
"There was no rabbi at the
"You can't recreate someone's er Jewish classmates. "People see
early experiences," she says. 'Tye me running around making all time, and Hillel was in a state of
had some people tell me they these arrangements — taking flux. I really felt there was some-
don't want to be Jewish anymore. some exams early and some late thing lacking. Hillel should be for
For others, Hillel represents He- because of conflicts with the hol- more than pizza and movies," she
says.
brew school, and college is the idays.
Brian Newman of Farmington
"Several Jewish students have
time to break loose from all of
said to me, 'Oh, I should be doing Hills, considered Michigan State
that.
"Many people really lose their this, too.' The point is that they and Oakland University before
Jewish identity until they decide don't, but it is not my place to pass making his decision to attend
Eastern Michigan University.
to get married and raise their chil- judgment on them."
Religion didn't enter into his
Intermarriage, she feels, is one
dren, but we want them to know
it's there and keep it on the back of the biggest threats facing young choice. He felt that EMU, with
Jews, and she points to statistics 14,000 students, was just the
burner."
Shani Saks, of Oak Park, is that show intermarriage around right size.
Now, with his freshman year
completing her second year at the 50 percent mark. "A number
Michigan State University's Col- of Jewish friends in my class are behind him, he is high on the di-
lege of Human Medicine. Work- non-practicing, and are dating versity of EMU's student popu-
lation. He believes this interaction
ing toward a specialty in internal non-Jews.
"If someone wasn't raised par- will help him on the next step of
medicine or primary care, she is
the only Orthodox Jew in that col- ticularly Jewish, with no founda- his career path — to attend a Re-
lege and one of a handful of Or- tion, why are their parents form rabbinical college.
"I believe that ignorance is a
thodox Jews on the MSU campus. surprised when intermarriage oc-
dangerous thing. The more I see,
Her strict adherence to Jewish curs?" she asks.
"I believe this is a danger for the better off I will be," he says.
ritual is often at odds with college
Most of all, Newman believes
life. 'It is not an easy religion, and all small groups, the big fish swal-
the rituals take a lot of time. Most lowing the little fish phenomenon. that multi-cultural exposure has
of the people I meet here don't I've noticed that some Indian shown him why he needs to be
know what an Orthodox Jew is," sects get married early. Maybe Jewish. Despite growing up in a
that's one deterrent," she says, predominately Jewish communi-
she says.
"I don't wear pants or jeans to pointing out that her Indian ty and getting "the standard is-
class, I wear skirts. On Saturdays, friend was married at age 19, sue" Conservative religious
I'm not in the bars or tailgating with the encouragement of her education, Newman realizes that
he never understood what it
parents.
at MSU football games."
She sees positive signs, such as means to be a small minority in
Saks and her family belong to
Young Israel of Oak Park, a close- the increasing numbers of college the larger world.
Newman says that most of the
knit community of friends and students who have visited Israel
time he is "dominant"
neighbors where the Sab-
about being Jewish. He
bath observance is the
points to a recent experi-
highlight of the week. "No
ence at EMU when a
car and no TV," she says.
young African-American
"We go to synagogue ser-
student started lecturing
vices as a family."
him on the horrors of slav-
Between her family life
ery in the South. "He saw
and attending a parochial
me as a white person. He
high school, Saks h a d little
did not know that I am
contact with people of oth-
Jewish. After he finished,
er religions or minorities —
I told him that what he
until she started college at
said was all true, but I'm
Wayne State University.
Jewish and we were slaves
"My entire high school had
first!"
200 people," she says of Sal-
Newman and Claybon
ly Allan Alexander Beth Ja-
ponder the increasing ten-
cob School for Girls. "For
sion between Reform, Con-
my first [college] biology lec-
servative and Orthodox
ture I sat in an auditorium
elements of Judaism.
with 300 students from all
"We're talking about it, but
walks of life."
we're not going to picket
She was pleasantly sur-
yet," says Claybon.
prised to find many simi-
- "It's a disadvantage to
larities between her values
have three movements, but
and those of a young Indi-
we've got to make it work,"
an woman attending
Newman says. "People
Wayne, who is now a friend
need to start taking an ac-
and classmate at MSU.
tive role in Judaism now.
"She respects my beliefs.
"This is the time of the
Indian women are sup- After a year at EMU, Brian Newman wants to be a rabbi.
activist. Gays are one ex-
posed to be modestly
dressed, and the closeness of the and are interested in its history ample of a minority that is trying
to fit in. Jews, for the most part,
family is an important part of her and politics.
Despite her heavy course load fit in. We've adapted successful-
culture," Saks notes.
Saks feels that many of her in- as a medical student, Saks made ly to American culture. EMU has
structors at MSU view her beliefs time to teach a six-week course an entire course on the Holocaust,
as a cultural curiosity, but this on the Jewish holidays last year but where do we go from here?
has helped her in many ways, at MSU's Hillel. She says her vol- We need to backtrack a bit and
particularly when holidays con- unteerism came out of a combi- say, 'Who are we now?'
"Otherwise, the whole spiritu-
nation of her own dismay and the
flict with her exams.
The biggest divide is often be- needs of the Jewish student com- al part of what a Jewish person
is will get lost," he says. ❑
tween her values and those of oth- munity at MSU.
We wish a special Mazal Tov to these
students, who have completed our
fouryear High School Program:
Robyn Berlin
Lisa Beriow
Beverly Betel
Steven Brookenthal
Beth Farber
Leonard Feingold
Melissa Fischer
Jeremy Fogel
Jeffrey Galens
Jessica Gales
Stacy Gastwirth
Marcia Gordon
Lisa Gutman
Todd Horowitz
Jason Miller
Neil Rosenbaum
Julie Rosenthal
Marjorie Rudick
Benjamin Salba
Todd Schafer
Bradley Terebelo
Alissa Waller
Amanda Warner
Rachel Weiss
Janne W izenberg
Alison Young
Stephanie Zameck
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