Best Wishes For A
Happy New Year
J topical issue if it relates to the spiritual
issue I'm approaching."
Congregation Shir Tikvah's Rabbi
Arnie Sleutelberg said he "might men-
tion" the Clinton scandal but he's
"pretty much a traditionalist when it
comes to the High Holidays." He
prefers to talk about helping his con-
gregants look inward and will also be
addressing how the temple's new
building in Troy can facilitate the con-
gregation's spiritual growth.
However other spiritual leaders, like
Rabbi Avram Jacobovitz of Machon
L'Torah, feel more strongly about
using the Clinton scandal as a spring-
board for understanding repentance.
"Regret is only part of the repen-
tance process," said Jacobovitz. "Repen-
tance is a much more serious
process...You have to work in a method-
ical way to remove remnants of the
wrongdoing, and that's a lifetime job."
While he wants to avoid politics
and will be discussing other matters as
well in his sermons, Jacobovitz
believes the issue does need to be
addressed from a moral perspective.
"Our youngsters are very much affect-
\-- ed and confused by the news, and
clarification is in order," he said.
Although Beth Shalom's Rabbi
David Nelson jokes his sermons will
be "about the usual boring subjects I
always talk about on the High Holi-
/--
days," he expects to include Clinton
in his discourse. However, he stresses
that repentance is a personal matter.
"The president should have privacy,"
he said. "Judaism never believed in sin
so perpetual and permanent that it
stains you forever. What we all need in
personal terms is healing and reconcil-
iation with those closest to us."
Of course, others, like Adat
Shalom's Rabbi Daniel Nevins, are
avoiding Clinton altogether for the
holidays, preferring to focus on gener-
ic spiritual matters. "I spoke about
Clinton a few weeks ago, and I think
a lot of people did," Nevins said. "I
don't want to make it the focus of my
High Holiday sermons."
Instead, he'll be addressing more
general themes of repentance.
Temple Beth El's Rabbi Daniel
Syme was at the Friday morning
breakfast that the besieged president
hosted for religious leaders, but said
he intends to steer clear of discussing
Clinton in his sermons.
"It's not a question of avoiding
him," he said. "On Rosh Hashanah, I
speak to issues that I hope will touch
people's hearts. This is a time of year
when people are hopefully most
attuned to their potentials and their
capacity to make their lives better per-
sonally and Jewishly. It's not the stuff
of what great controversy is made." ❑
Wayne State University
The Detroit
Medical Center
With a network of nearly 3,000 physicians practicing
in the community and over 130 out-patient centers.
'Children's Hospital
of Michigan
'Detroit Receiving and
University Health Center
'Grace Hospital
'Harper Hospital
'Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital
•Hutzel Hospital
"Barbara Ann Karmanos
Cancer Institute
'Rehabilitation Institute
of Michigan
'Sinai Hospital
MINER
LUMBER CO:
would like to wish all of
our friends and customers
a very happy and healthy
New Year.
The Epstein Families
Above: Rabbi Irwin Groner: Will mention
Clinton, but prefers to focus on Jewish
identity.
Top right: Rabbi Paul Yedwab:Will
address topical matters only if they relate
to the spiritual matters at hand.
Right: Rabbi Avram Jacobovitz:
"Clarification is in order"
Ken & Nancy
Stuart & Suzi
Lauren & Jason
Isadore
Robert & Janet
Jeff & Dana
A
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(313) 891-6500 (248) 540-5550
Detroit Jewish News
9/18
1998
65