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JARC Presents

For Openers

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Awesome Prayer

Quotables

W

hat's it like to attend a prayer breakfast at the
White House?
When you're one of only 100 clergy of all
faiths from around the nation engaging President Bill
Clinton in discussion about pressing issues of the day, while
standing in front of the famous portrait of Abraham
Lincoln, it's something special.
That's the word from Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple
Israel. "It is not only the individual in the office who makes
such a visit memorable," he told congregants, "it is the
understanding that this house is so much a part of the great
history of our nation."
Rabbi Loss said he was awestruck by last
week's conversation — frank, fascinating
and off-camera.
He said the president "called for a better
i nation — asking us, as spiritual leaders, to
consider what individuals of faith could do
to stem the terrible tide of crime in our
),
country.
Rabbi
The conversation ranged from the role of
Harold Loss
the media and television in promoting vio-
lent images in our home to the tragedies in
American schools and houses of worship
over the past year.
"We were in the most powerful house in the nation,"
Rabbi Loss said, "and there was the recognition that there
were no simple answers."
The discussion distilled these necessary steps: limiting
access to guns, giving parents more control over their chil-
dren's television viewing habits, providing more resources for
mentally ill people and creating ways to identify, evaluate
and treat people in need before they erupt violently.
Invigorated by the robust debate, Rabbi Loss said, "As an
American, I am proud of the incredible accomplishments of
our nation. We are the most powerful nation in the world.
With power comes responsibility, and there is much that
must be done.
"As a Jew," he added, "I stand in awe of the story of our
people. The world is still in need of our efforts to bring
about tikkun olam — the healing of the world."
As he prepared to leave, Rabbi Loss said he took only
those White House documents that had been given to him.
"Oh, and I did remove from the table one additional
item — a packet of Equal with the White House stamp." 7

— Robert A. Sklar

z.

"The state has to stop relating to the
Reform and Conservatives as a threat. They
are all Jews, and everyone has the right to
pray at the Western Wall."

— Rabbi Michael Melchior, Israel's diaspora
airs minister, on promoting pluralism in
the Jewish state.

"We want this to be a living, breath-
ing building — not a Holocaust
memorial or a mausoleum with
flushing toilets."

— Michael Spingarn, of Beth
Israel Synagogue in Berkeley,
Calif:, on plans for a national fund-raiser to replace its rundown
facility with a $5 million re-creation of the wooden synagogue in
the Polish town of Przedborz that was destroyed by the Nazis.

Rabbi Michael Melchior

Yiddish Limericks

A fella named Jonah set sail,
But found his trip of no avail.
He thought he could duck
His duty. No luck.
`2I mentsh tracht, un Got lacht," * said the whale.

RABBI, WI-16/0

GROIO- UP,

DOTS OF

commirrEE5

007

Sunday, October 24
Fisher Theatre
2:30 Matinee and
7:30 Evening
Performances

Tickets from $50. Call JARC
248-352-5277. ext. 418
for further information.

* A man thinks and God laughs

— Martha Jo Fleischmann

The
Virtual

Voter

I consider superstition to be ...

entertaining myth.
1:- biblical truth.
c somewhere in between.
something I adhere to.
Vote on IN Online www.detroitjewishnews.com

Results from last week's poll (38 respondents)
Does the practice of naming Jewish community facili-
ties in honor of major donors encourage you to give to
Jewish charities?
Yes. (5%) No. (63%)
v. Would give anyway. (29%)
Wouldn t give otherwise. (3%)

'

GILAPEJEWZ BY Mendel

WANT TO CI-IPHR L-013 AND

FOR
SIGNS
OF INTELLIGENT
LIFE IN THE
UNIVERSE

START WITH A SUB-(ommiTTEE
OR TWO, WORK MY WAY UP To

TASK FORCES, iEM, PARE I. SA
IT... STEERING COMMITTEES!

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WIN TWO TICKETS*

to Lily Tomlin on October 24 by
correctly answering the trivia
question in today's JARC ad.

* Or your seats will be upgraded to the
next category if you purchase tickets.

QUESTION: Many of us know

that Lily is from Detroit. From
which high school did she
graduate?

Fax this week's answer to JARC
at 248-352-5279, or email us at
jarc©jarc.org by midnight on
Wednesday, October 13. Include
your name and daytime phone
number. In case of several correct
entries, a winning name will be
drawn at random. Good luck!

CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL
AND DEBBIE YENDICK, WINNERS
OF THE SEPTEMBER 24TH
CONTEST. ENJOY THE SHOW!!!

1*

10/8

MICS 4209

1999

Detroit Jewish News

5