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Prayer Makeover

Temple Israel ushers in the New Year with new
services and a colorful, explanatory siddur.

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN
StaffWriter

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S

oon, you won't have to worry
about wearing your finest to
attend Friday night services at
Temple Israel. What the
largest Reform synagogue in town is
aiming for is a relaxed sense of Jewish
camaraderie with a bit of innovation
in alternative weekly services that will
start Oct. 24.
The idea came from the seeming
emptiness of Friday nights in the main
sanctuary when there is no bar mitz-
vah. Although 50 people may attend,
the sanctuary can hold scores more,
giving an impression of emptiness.
When Rabbi Paul Yedwab first
came to temple 11 years ago, he recalls
thinking that the non-bar mitzvah
Friday night services were a bit
"depressing." But the idea for alterna-
tive, informal Friday night services
also grew out of the popularity of the
temple's summer, outdoor, informal
prayer gatherings.
For years, Cantor Harold Orbach
advocated taking services outdoors
into the Eisenberg courtyard. Two
years ago the temple finally did. By
the end of that summer, "800 people
were coming to pray with us on a
summer evening," Yedwab says. "We
literally outgrew the outdoors."
Caryn Gross, a Temple Israel mem
ber, says the summer services "incor-
porated a little more of a spiritual,
relaxed feeling."
Member Helene Kroll says the
informality of the alternative services
will lessen the pressure on people to
dress up. "Sometimes people think, 'I
don't know if I feel like putting a suit
on,'" she says. "Maybe the congrega-
tion feels the rabbis are more
approachable in informal attire." They
do not wear prayer robes at the sum-
mer services and will not at the alter-
native services.
What begins Oct. 24 is an indoor
extension of the summer services, so
people can enjoy informal prayer year-
round. The alternative service (7:30
p.m.) will follow a weekly Shabbat
dinner (6:15 p.m.) at the temple.
Dinner reservations are required by

the Wednesday before. Regular Friday
night services start at 8 p.m.
"I guarantee you'll have more fun
than the latest Arnold Schwarzenegger
[film] — more fun, feel better ... I
--\/
think we'll be able to compete, but
not if [people] have to get dressed up,"
Yedwab promises.
"I believe these services will com-
pete with the cultural cornucopia on
any given Friday night — they cost
less, you'll enjoy yourself more," he
says.
A key to the attraction is interaction,
Yedwab says, asking "people to come, -=/\
ask questions, discuss, eat cookies ..."

A key to the
attraction is
interaction.

— Rabbi Paul Yedwab

Now that temple has two cantors
(both tenors) — long-time vocal
leader Orbach and cantorial student
David Katz — they will switch off
between the Friday services and also
do a duet for both audiences, Yedwab
says.
The alternative services are "family-
friendly" but "not necessarily geared to
children." The temple's new singles
group, JEMS (Jews who Enjoy
Mingling and Schmoozing), is a big
supporter of the effort and will have a
singles table at the Shabbat dinners.
The new services begin the same
week as the community-wide, Jewish
Federation-sponsored Rekindling
Shabbat program kick-off.
Temple Israel has also designed a
"new, beautifully adorned prayer
book" designed by Yiftach Maas, hus-
band of Sivan Maas, former shlichah
for the Michigan/Israel Connection.
The new siddur has "prayer notes" in
the margins, providing context and
explanations for the prayers and parts
of the service. The siddur is dedicated
to the memories of Harry Laker and
Sam Meltzer and in honor of Florence
Meltzer and Sarah Laker. ❑

_ /