Spirituality
•
Farmington Hilts/West
3055 W.
MAPLE RD
(WEST OF HAGGERTY),
COMMERCE TWP.
48390
OPEN SATURDAYS
•
Capatilized Cost Reduction
000.00
S 500.00
S 495.00
S 469.00
_ y Refundable Security Deposit
BROUGHT TO YOU EXCLUSIVELY BY VOLVO
FINANCE NORTH AMERICA, INC. 'Offered
through Volvo Finance North America, Inc. by
participating Volvo retailers through December 31,
Acquisition Fee
1999. Sub;ect to credit approval and avalability from
existing
retailer inventory. Retailer prices will vary
First Month's Payment
and effect customer cost. 5469 payment based on
Amount Due At Lease Inception
S 1,464.00 29-month closed-end lease for new 2000 V70 All
plus taxes, title and registration fees Wheel Drive Cross Country with Sunroof/Leather
Package and Touring Package. The refundable se-
curity deposits required. Taxes, title and registra-
tion fees extra. Customer table for insurance. maintenance, repairs. S.15/mile over 12,000 miles/year and a $295 disposition fee. See your authorized Volvo retailer for com-
plete details. 01999 Volvo Finance North America, Inc. -Volvo for life" is a registered trademark of Volvo. Always remember to wear your seat belt. www.volvocars.corn
•
et/
4
Good
4%4
Scents
• Salvatore Feragamo
• Gucci Rush
• Emporio Men and women
• Good Life
• Doulton
• Le Baiser De Lalique
Men and Women
• Gaultier's Fragile
• Lolita Lempicka
• Fracas
All At Discount Prices
WEST BLOOMFIELD
OAK PARK
Orchard Lake Rd. in the West Bloomfield Plaza
24695 Coolidge Hwy. at 10 Mile Rd. Plaza
851-7323
diet- Man- ever/
12/24
1999
54
for band and dj booking information
call Leslye Sklar at (248) 788-3880
547-9669
the entire congregation.
"This is a chance to continue
learning about Judaism — practical
things, like how to create a Jewish
home," he said. "This is a class that
involves self-selecting among the par-
ticipants. No one is requiring them
to come or recommending that they
come. They are coming together and,
at their own request, learning more
about Judaism."
The demand for such services for
converts has grown considerably in
the past few decades. Whereas few
people converted to Judaism in the
1950s and 1960s, later decades have
seen a large influx in the number of
converts. A 1990 Council of Jewish
Federations study found that there
are 185,000 converts to Judaism
annually in America, made up of 70
percent who formally converted and
30 percent who adhered to practices
but had not converted. The study
also predicted there would be an esti-
mated 200,000 such converts in this
country by 2000.
Support services for converts do
exist in some cities; Philadelphia, for
example, is home to the Jewish
Convert and Interfaith Network. But
most communities offer nothing,
according to Sue Stettner, director of
Detroit's Interfaith Connection.
Besides the Temple Israel program,
metro Detroit has two other groups
designing programs and services to
welcome and embrace converts to
Judaism, and provide support and
information to those considering it.
One program is affiliated with the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit; the other is run by a fledg-
ling group of Conservative movement
converts and Jewish-born mentors.
Project NAOMI (Newcomers
Affiliated through Outreach and
Mentoring Initiative) is a new pro-
gram of the Interfaith Connection,
which is sponsored by the Federation
and affiliated with the Agency for
Jewish Education of Metropolitan
Detroit.
"It is a major step forward," said
Judah Isaacs, AJE's executive director.
"Ten years ago, we would not have
had something like this. There has
been a change in attitude in general
(toward converts). Some of it comes
from without and some of it comes
from within. There is a greater accep-
tance of the convert."
The Federation program strives to
help congregations create a welcom-
ing environment through active out-
reach. A mentoring program assists
those considering conversion, as well
as those who have converted.
"We want to validate the fact that
people who are making a decision to
connect with the Jewish community
will be welcomed," said Stettner, who
is also heading Project NAOMI. "We
are delighted that people are choos-
ing Judaism, especially in light of the
rising rate of intermarriage. We need
the people and we need two Jewish
parents in a family."
For Project NAOMI, the
Interfaith Connection will work with
individual synagogues and temples to
develop mentoring programs.
Mentors sit with conversion candi-
dates during services, and invite
those individuals to their homes for
Shabbat dinner.
"By welcoming and outreaching to
the Jews by choice, the mentors will
invigorate their own learning about
Judaism," Stettner said. "It will strength-
en the ties to a congregation and make a
congregation more inclusive."
A small group of Conservative
men and women, in conjunction
with Temple Israel's Cooper, is
assembling 60 welcome baskets to
be given to converts at the Temple
Israel Mikva within the coming year.
The baskets will include candlesticks
and candles, educational flip charts,
resource books, kiddush cups, kip-
pot, coupons for discounts at area
Jewish businesses, tzedaka boxes,
mezuzot, challa covers, holiday cards
and a number of other goods, all
wrapped in a bath towel emblazoned
with the words Mazel Toy. All of the
items were donated by area agencies,
businesses and individuals, said
Vivian Honig, one of the
Conservative group members. She is
a member cf Congregation Beth
Shalom.
"When newcomers move to our
community, we give them a welcome
basket," she said. "I think we need to
welcome the Jews by choice as we
would someone to a new home. We
can also provide some of tools that
make Judaism so special."
The towels, donated by a private
individual, particularly excited
Honig. A friend of hers who'd gone
through conversion had complained
of being left dripping wet at the
mikva submersion with no one to
offer a welcome.
"By giving them the towel we are
literally and figuratively wrapping the
newcomer right out of the mikva
with welcoming gestures," Honig
said.
"Isn't that what we should be
doing?" Fl