To Heal

Beth Shalom offers a special service to give
congregants emotional comfort.

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN STAFF WRITER

ealing does not necessar-
ily mean finding a cure,
says Rabbi David Nelson
of Congregation Beth
Shalom in Oak Park.
It can mean spiritual and
emotional relief, "being able to
deal with the challenges that
confront each of us personally.
It's a much wider definition."
And that definition also in-
cludes a Jewish element, says
the Conservative rabbi. "In every
daily service there are special
prayers that are supposed to be
personalized healing prayers,"
he explains. "But unless you
know the Hebrew, you might not
know of their existence."
Which is why on Sunday,
June 22, at 5 p.m., Beth Shalom
will be hosting its first healing
service, devoted entirely to giv-
ing congregants emotional com-
fort at whatever level they can
appreciate it.
"So many people that I see in
synagogue services are seeking
something beyond just the writ-

H

ten words of the prayerbook,"
says Rabbi Nelson.
"I have a sense that if you're
really in pain and come to have

that pain [relieved], you can sit
in a synagogue service and not
have a lot of relief. [This will be
a] service of comfort."
Rabbi Nelson participated in
a healing service two years ago
at a rabbinic conference in New
York. Led by a rabbi who was
also a trained healer, Rabbi Nel-
son recalls being "touched."
"There must have been 70 or
80 rabbis in this room, very per-
sonal, and I saw that it could be

Rabbi David Nelson: Healing at Beth Shalom.

done even within the context of
a traditional service. It's not go-
ing to be for everyone, [but] the
minute I mentioned the idea
that I was going to do a [healing]
service — different in the sense
of reaching out, comfort — a
number of people persistently
kept asking, When's it going to
be?' I don't know if a lot of peo-
ple [will come], but [there are]
people who have been waiting
for this."
The healing ser-
vice will be interac-
tive. Rabbi Nelson
has prepared read-
ings and prayers
to intersperse with
items from the
prayerbook.
"The direction it's
going to take de-
pends on the recep-
tivity of the people,"
he says. There will be
music, and Kathryn
Grace, a local healer
who happens to be
Jewish, will con-
tribute to the service.
"I believe that this
will be the first of
many. My phone has
been ringing off the
hook with very spe-
cific questions," says
Rabbi Nelson. ❑

Veterans Award
Scholarships

The Department of Michigan of
the Jewish War Veterans and the
Jewish War Veterans Auxiliaries
will have its 56th year conven-
tion June 19-21, during which
scholarships of $500 each will be
presented to young people of
Michigan.
Scholarship recipients are
Meredith Battin, David Chud-
now, Randall P. Cobb, Matthew
Chas. Cohn, Stacy M. Gastwirth,
Corrine Gonte, Michael L. Hit-
sky, Nykel Johnson, Marni Katz,
Stacy Lipson, Lauren Lossia,
Maureen McCoy, Colin Quinn,
Philip Adam Rubin, Marjorie
Rudick, Carmen Russell, Linda
Jeanette Rustin, Leslie Shewach,
Laura St. Clair, Janet Siegel,
Mathew Stoffer, Shauna
Trompeter, Laura N. Walker,
Miriam Weiner, Jennifer Lynn
Weisman, Aaron Wylie.

Publicity Deadlines

The normal deadline for local news and
publicity items is noon Thursday, eight
days prior to issue date. The deadline for
out-of-town obituaries is 10 a.m. Tuesday,
three days prior to issue date.
All material must be typewritten, dou-
ble-spaced, on 81 /2 x 11 paper and include
the name and daytime telephone number
of sender.

Detroit's Original Discounter

LEVIN'S BEAUTY SUPPLY

New Arrivals
for Spring:

0.P.I South Seas

Tongues will

Polish Collection
12 NEW Essie
Polish colors

wag when word

gets around that .

you've got a

fabulous new yard

ensemble. What

Levins New

your neighbors

Spring Colors:
11 Lipsticks
12 Eye Shadows
2 Blushes
3 Lip Glosses
6 Waterproof
Eyeliner Pencils

won't know is how

little you paid.

RUSTICS

NOW OPEN
SUNDAYS!

BIRMINGHAM 810-644-1919 • 690 S. WOODWARD
LIVONIA 313-522-9200 • 29500 W. 6 MILE RD.
NOVI 810-348-0090 • 48700 GRAND RIVER • Please call for store hours.

CASUAL OUTDOOR FURNITURE AT COMPLETELY RELAXED PRICES

Professional Hair & Nail
Supplies, Including
NAILTIQUES

West Bloomfield

851 7323

-

Orchard Lake Road In The
West Bloomfield Plaza

Oak Park

547 9669

-

24695 Coolidge At
10 Mile Road

Open. M Sat. 9 6 • Closed Sun. • Thurs. Til 8 p.m.

-

-

