ditorials

Lunch And Learn:
A Satisfying Meal

Separately, breaking bread and studying Torah
are deeply rooted Jewish masorot (traditions).
Together, they open stimulating, new vistas
for participants.
Enter Lunch and Learn, the popular prac-
tice of learning together spiritually over lunch.
Scan almost any synagogue newsletter, or
almost any synagogue bulletin board, and
you're bound to find an announcement of a
lunch and learn.
Some lunch and learns are led by a rabbi.
Many are lay led. Others serve up a combina-
tion of discussion leaders.
No matter. They're all instructive in their
own right and in their own way.
Ohr Somayach Detroit hosts one of the
larger Lunch and Learn series at the Max M.
Fisher Jewish Federation Building in Bloom-
field Township. It's an Orthodox group but
the discussion topics cross Judaism's varied
streams. The programs draw 100 or more
participants — from power brokers to

IN FOCUS

retirees. Reform, Conservative, Orthodox,
Reconstructionist, Humanistic, Sephardic and
unaffiliated Jews have the opportunity to rub
elbows, munch on sandwiches and hear schol-
arly views on thought-provoking topics.
Sometimes, guests from other faiths attend.
There's little to feel uncomfortable about
because the thrust is to learn together, not
challenge each other.
Attendance at synagogue lunch and learns
may pale in comparison to Ohr Somayach's.
But smaller lunch and learns offer the same
golden opportunity to stretch your knowledge,
hone your beliefs and help you grow religious-
ly. Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
and business groups host lunch and learns,
too.
The backdrop for a lunch and learn is
immaterial. What's important is the commit-
ment to looking beyond the moment — and
coming away from the gathering intellectually
focused and spiritually aroused. ❑

Who Should Teach Bible?

This curriculum is supposed to be taught
Few people would argue against the belief that
from a historical perspective. We agree with
the Hebrew Bible is one of history's most sig-
such an approach. It's just that most public
nificant texts. And it's nearly impossible to tell
school social studies or history
Jews, Christians, Muslims and
teachers are ill-equipped to
many others that the work is
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walk the fuzzy line dividing
merely about a nation's
religion and state. And is it fair
chronology and not its faith.
to
ask them to keep their per-
That's why we are concerned
sonal views on the topic out of
about the decision in Lee
the classroom?
County, Fla., to allow a high
Recognizing the complexity,
school to teach an elective
the judge ordered the course
course on the Bible. Not sur-
videotaped and subject to
prisingly, the course came
review. Thus, free speech is
about in March 1996 when a
likely
inhibited by the presence
new, politically conservative
of cameras.
majority took over the local
It should be clear that as
school board.
Jews we do not oppose teaching
In January, U.S. District
about the Bible in public
Court Judge Elizabeth
schools. We are the people of
Kovachevich excluded the
that particular book and seek to
Christian Bible from the class.
apply
its multi-layered mean-
She wrote that it's "difficult to
ings
in
our homes and our syn-
conceive how the account of
agogues. And we strive to
the resurrection or of miracles
infuse its standards, and even
could be taught as secular his-
demands, into our daily lives.
tory."
We agree that knowledge of
Right on. But what about
the Bible is critical to a compre-
the splitting of the Red Sea, a
hensive understanding of West-
talking donkey and a flaming
em thought. But our children
bush that didn't burn? As but
need a course that results more
one example of the sensitivities
from the desire to educate them
involved, the course is referred
about one of history's great epics than an effort
to as Old Testament. That's insulting to Jews.
to appease the political winds of the day.
To us, there's nothing old about it.

❑

Helping Hand

Jake Metzger, 7, was one of the Great Purim Parcel Project vol-
unteers who pitched in Sunday to brighten the Purim season
for needy Jews. Participants in the Agency for Jewish Educa-
tion/Jewish Experiences for Families-sponsored event prepared
and delivered shalach manot (charitable parcels of donated
food). What a great way to get into the spirit of Purim, a time
of merriment, feasting and good will. Purim runs from
Wednesday, March 11 (Fast of Esther) through Friday, March
13 (Shushan Purim).

LETTERS

Lease Of Land
For The Mikvah

This is to respond to the let-
ter in the Feb. 27 Jewish News
("Mikvah Use In Question"),
which questioned the lease of
land to an Orthodox institu-
tion for construction of a
mikvah on United Jewish
Foundation-owned property.
The land, which stood
vacant for some years, was
leased for this purpose
because of the mikvah's vital
importance to the Orthodox
community, whose 14,000
members form an anchor in
the Oak Park-Southfield area.
You may know that the
Neighborhood Project has
worked closely with the
Orthodox synagogues and
institutions to preserve the
fine sense of Jewish commu-
nity there and strengthen and
revitalize the entire area.
It is true that only conver-
sions conducted by Orthodox

Temple Israel mikvah.

rabbis will be allowed at the
new mikvah. This is not a
new policy; it continues a tra-
dition that has been followed
for centuries by observant
Jews.
However, there are other
mikvot in the area — one
under Conservative auspices
(Beth Achim) and one under
Reform auspices (Temple
Israel) — which do accom-

3/6
1998

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