EDITOR'S WATCH

Pray For Our Faith This Yom Kippur

Greenberg said, "There's less coopera-
om Kippur, which starts at
tion and communal activity and will-
sundown on 9 Tishrei (Sept.
ingness to do things together than there
29), is the holiest of the High
ever has been." No one, he said,
Holy Days — a day of
"should fool themselves into thinking
prayer, fasting and introspection.
that the big picture is a truly good one
It's the day we seek divine
when the atmosphere is one
forgiveness for sins against
of an almost total break-
God. It's the day we examine
down."
our motives while renewing
Strong stuff, indeed.
our spirituality. And it's the
He's entitled to his opin-
day we resolve to make peace
ion, of course. But the same
with those we've hurt instead
JTA story, and what I've
of dwelling on personal needs.
heard or witnessed, seem to
Temple Israel Rabbi Harold
convey that the picture isn't
Loss describes the Day of
so bleak.
Atonement as a time when
In just the last year, I've
ROBE RT A.
we strive to move people in
compiled
these examples of
KLAR
S
their hearts."
local
inter-stream
coopera-
Ed itor
I also see it as a time for
tion, some more substantive
cogent thinking about whete
than others:
our faith is going. The inter-factional
• A panel discussion on spirituality,
battles we're waging over religious plu-
hosted by the Jewish Community Cen-
ralism, intermarriage, patrilineal
ter of Metropolitan Detroit, features an
descent, kashrut and assimilation are
Orthodox, a Reform, a Conservative
tearing at the fabric of our 4,000-year-
and a Humanistic rabbi on the same
old faith.
dais.
Markedly different philosophies
• Reform and Conservative Jews
punctuate each stream of Judaism. And
speak openly and profoundly about
members of each stream strike markedly
their learning experiences at Oak Park-
different relationships with God.
based Machon L'Torah/The Jewish
New York Rabbi Irving Greenberg, a
Learning Network of Michigan and the
long-time analyst of Jewish religious
West Bloomfield-based Sara Tugman
and communal life, predicted 13 years
Bais Chabad Torah Center in West
ago that religious extremism would
Bloomfield — both headed by Ortho-
polarize the Jewish people into virtually
dox rabbis.
two religions.
• During the March of the Living to
And he hasn't changed his mind.
Poland and Israel, the JCC Maccabi
In a Jewish Telegraphic Agency story
Games and the local Walk for Israel,
about our colliding philosophies,
Reform, Orthodox and Conservative

T

"

binic cooperation from across the U.S.
teens co-mingle in a way that doesn't
Among the examples:
undermine the integrity of any of the
• In Houston, the 14th annual can-
streams.
tors
concert takes place in a Reform
• Temple Israel hosts the 12th annual
temple,
with Orthodox, Conservative
intercongregational seniors luncheon,
and
Reform
cantors performing togeth-
which attracts participants from
er.
Reform, Conservative and Traditional
• In Los Angeles, 38 Reform, Recon-
synagogues.
structionist,
Orthodox and Conserva-
Detroit's
Allied
Jewish
Campaign
•
tive rabbis jointly call for a code to gov-
draws financial contributions from all
ern how Jews with dif-
streams and those con-
ferent opinions speak
tributions help support
and write about each
programs and services
other.
in all streams.
Rabbi Mark
• Midrasha adult
Schneier,
the New
education classes
York Board of Rabbis
offered by the Agency
president, said he
for Jewish Education of
developed the study
Metropolitan Detroit
because "people only
include students and
hear about the divi-
faculty from several
siveness and the con-
streams.
flict.
• The Michigan
"I'm trying to give a
Board of Rabbis reflects
more balanced view of
Reform, Conservative,
the state of the Jewish
Orthodox, Reconstruc-
union," he said.
tionist and Humanistic
"There's a calling out
Rabbi
Harold
Loss:
Yom
Kippur
membership.
there
for the Jewish
—
a
day
we
"strive
to
move
peo-
• Lunch-and-learns,
ple
in
their
hearts."
and rabbinic commu-
growing in popularity,
nity to find ways to
typically appeal to Jews
unite, and there's a very strong founda-
of all stripes, from observant to secular,
tion of rabbis out there making a con-
regardless of the host agency.
certed effort to find ways to cooperate
Mirroring the national trend, Detroit
and find areas of common cause."
rabbis also cooperate in chaplaincy,
The $10,000 study was underwritten
where the intent is to inspire healing,
by
philanthropists Charles Bronfman,
not observance.
Michael
Jesselson and Michael Stein-
The JTA story cites a New York
Board of Rabbis study listing hundreds
YOM KIPPUR on page 37
of recent examples of inter-stream rab-

Letters Policy

Yoskowitz and the officers of the Com-
synagogue. There was one hidden bless-
-
mittee 2000. Now I have something
ing and lesson I shall remember and will
special
to pass on to the next generation.
apply the rest of my life.
I can say I celebrated my brit milah, my
As I reflect on a few months ago,
pidyon
haben and my bar mitzvah at
when I was studying for my bar mitz-
Congregation
Beth Achim.
vah, my synagogue was negotiating,
Special
thanks
go to Cantor Max Shi-
debating and making decisions regard-
mansky,
who
helped
me with my Torah
was
not
ing a merger. At one point, I
portion
and
Haftorah
studies and other
sure if I was going to have my bar mitz-
prayers.
Our
ritual
director,
Rev. Joseph
vah at Beth Achim or at Adat Shalom.
Baras, helped my mother with her
Like other members, I felt very sad, hurt
prayers. On behalf of my mother, I
and was asking why.
would like to thank my Hebrew teacher,
An agreed merger was finally reached.
Mrs. Rivka Schuchman, who translated
Rabbi Yoskowitz and the Beth Achim
my mother's prayers into Hebrew.
board stopped in the middle of every-
I thank all my teachers, family and
thing and acknowledged a higher
friends
who helped me reach this special
importance, tradition. They added one
time,
including
my parents, Rachael and
more bar mitzvah, mine, before they
Israel Browner.
closed the shul as we knew it. I know it
I will take with me many lessons
was with the help of God and I thank
learned
during my studies. The special
HaShem; this was a blessing.
lesson
I
learned from my shul was to
A very special thanks to Rabbi

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stop and acknowledge God, no matter
how busy I am. The Torah words,
"which Moses gave to us is the heritage
of all Israel," tell me to listen to the
instructions of my father. With the help
of God, I will go forth with my abbas
teachings, "Go forward with the spirit of

God, which is the spirit of righteousness
and kindness."
To my synagogue, todah rabah; God
is truly awesome.
Pele Joez Browner

West Bloomfield

9/2,
19%

Detroit Jewish News

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