6
t1
Spirituality
men
Jewish learning program
adds Rosh Chodesh prayer
service to its agenda.
SHELLI DORFMAN
Sta Writer
ow does a women's Rosh
Chodesh study group
mark its 3 1 /2 years of
learning suc-
cess?
With the inception of a
learners' prayer service —
one organized, conducted
and attended by women
only, in celebration of the
first day of each new
month.
Tradition says that during the time
of the exodus, because women did
not participate in the sin of the
Golden Calf in the wilderness, they
were given Rosh Chodesh as a gift.
Women's study sessions and prayer
groups often meet on this festival.
"We were looking for a deeper
experience to add to the study com-
ponent," explains Nancy Kaplan, pro-
gram coordinator for Eilu Eilu, the
adult Jewish learning project of the
Detroit Conservative movement.
Beginning with a Nov. 10 Shachrit
Eilu v' Eilu learning minyan
brings women together in
prayer to celebrate the
Eilu v' Eilu program coordinator Nancy Kaplan organized the minyan.
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morning service, the minyan for Rosh-
Chodesh is now held at 9 am. monthly
at Congregation Beth Shalom a second
service is held the same evening, at 7:45,
at Shaarey Zedek B'nai Israel.
Beth Shalom member Ruth Miller
Marcus led the first minyan
with Adat Shalom
Synagogue member
Ruthellen Kass Singer read-
ing from the Torah.
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek educator Susan
Krakoff acted as service
"guide" and also held a 20-
minute study session.
Each service includes prayer, study
and music; the morning minyan
includes reading from the Torah.
Starting this tradition, says Beth Ahm
member Kaplan, coincides "with the
increasing number of Conservative syna-
gogues counting women in the minyan,
giving women the opportunity to take
active roles in the service."
For Marcus, the Eilu v' Eilu minyan
is a step toward adding. "a level of obser-
vance within Conservative Judaism."
Fern Selling, a new member of Beth
Shalom, attended the service "looking
for spiritual, positive changes," which,
she says, she is finding.
Eilu Eilu is a beneficiary of the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit's Max M. Fisher Jewish
Community Foundation. In addition to
the participating synagogues, other spon-
sors include Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit in Farmington
Hills and the Women's League for
Conservative Judaism-Michigan Branch.