Rabbi Arnie meets
with the Shir
Tikvah high school
class. The classes are
held in homes of
members instead of
a school classroom

East Of Woodward

Rabbi
Arnie Sleutelberg
has led the
growth of Shir
Tikvah in Troy.

PHIL JACOBS

Editor

May the door of this synagogue be wide
enough to receive all who hunger for love, all
who are lonely for fellowship.

May it welcome all who have cares to unbur-
den, thanks to express, hopes to nurture.

May the door of this synagogue be narrow
enough to shut out pettiness and pride, envy
and anger.

May its threshold be no stumbling block to
young or straying feet.

May it be too high to admit complacency self-
ishness, and harshness.

May this door open the way to our search for
God and our commitment to humanity.

May this synagogue be, for all who enter, the
doorway to a richer and more meaningful

— A prayer from the
Shir Tikvah Shabbat Siddur.

12/26
1997

72

I

is a Saturday night in Troy. It's
the holiday season. The traffic
anywhere near 16 Mile is head-
ing towards the twinkling
lights at the Collection.
There's a turnoff to be made. A
quiet street leads to a townhouse
complex and a clubhouse. Usually
the place of birthday parties and
bridge clubs, tonight, there's a differ-
ent collection. The lights flicker from
the candles of a group standing with
hands held in a circle. They hold
sticks textured with spices. They fol-
low their leader as he sings
"Hamavdil ben chodesh lachol" or
Blessed are You, Hashem, who sepa-
rates between the holy and the secu-
lar."
When the Havdalah flames of the

individuals are extinguished, there
are moments of reflection, and wish-
es for a good week. It may sound
mushy, it's not meant to be. But
there is a warmth in the room among
the members. The hugging, the kiss-
es, the handshakes. Some are dressed
for an evening out, others comfort-
able in sweats and jeans.
It's Jewish.
It's in the middle of Troy, east of
Woodward.
This is what the new members ar e
seeing, perhaps for the first time.
It's Shir Tikvah.
Since he left the small town of
Hudson, Michigan as a rabbinical
student, Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg has
surrounded himself with a circle. He
draws his strength from its perime-