Community

Spirituality

abbi Singer's
ppearances

New York rabbi helps
educate about Christian
outreach groups
looking to convert.

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN

StaffWriter

p

arents and students of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek's
Hebrew High School were greet-
ed by disturbing statistics in a
recent synagogue mailing.
"This year, 5,000 young Jews walked
across the line that their grandparents
would never consider — they bought the
Christian message, making nearly 150,000
Jews praying in Christian churches around
the country," wrote Shaarey Zedek Rabbi
Joseph Krakoff and Michael Wolf, director
of SZ's department of education and youth.
The two joined with other members of
the congregation in inviting Rabbi Tovia
Singer to address the group. As the national
director of Outreach Judaism, an organiza-
tion committed to educate about and
counter the efforts of Christian groups who
target Jews for conversion, Rabbi Singer will
speak to the teens about to enter universi-
ties, the most targeted arena for such
groups.
"This program is a must for parents,
because we don't realize how at-risk they all
are," says Michael Balkin, past president of
Shaarey Zedek's Men's Club and member of
the Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, Inc.
in New York, who sponsored the program
where he first heard Rabbi Singer speak.
"These people [Christian proselytizers]
are so well-trained that unless you really
learn how to counter them, you could be
caught."
After introducing the issues discussed by
Rabbi Singer to Shaarey Zedek Rabbis
Krakoff and Stephen Weiss, Rabbi Singer
was asked to speak not only with synagogue
youth and their parents, but to be a part of
a weekend of programming, aimed at the
entire Jewish community.
"We are trying to prepare high-schoolers
for college," Rabbi Krakoff says. "In
Detroit, this is a bigger problem than in

1/26
2001

60

some areas, because our kids go to school
everywhere. But still, we are trying to
address different populations, because we
see this as a problem across the board."

Community Outreach

While in the Detroit area Thursday, Feb. 1 ;
through Sunday; Feb. 4, Rabbi Singer's pro-
grams will be geared toward most every seg-
ment of the Jewish community.
He will spend one morning speaking
with students at the Jewish Academy of
Metropolitan Detroit in West Bloomfield. A
program addressing young adults will take
place at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, at Shaarey
Zedek B'nai Israel.
At an oneg Shabbat program at 8 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 2, at Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield, for all high school-aged stu-
dents, Rabbi Singer will offer an inside look
at missionary groups and information on
how to respond if approached by their
members.
"He does an incredible role-playing pro-
gram with the kids," Rabbi Krakoff says of
a technique used by Rabbi Singer for stu-
dents to become active participants in a
hypothetical situation of being manipulated
by missionaries.
After delivering the sermon at Shaarey
Zedek on Saturday, Feb. 3, Rabbi Singer
will hold a lunch-and-learn session dis-
cussing how missionaries often offer con-
trived interpretations of Jewish text, with
many Jews falling prey to manipulated vers-
es shown to them.
On Saturday, Feb. 3, at 8 p.m. at Shaarey
Zedek, he will speak to the parents of high
school students on the workings of mission-
ary groups at colleges. He will teach parents
how to help their children respond if
approached. The rabbi will discuss how
young persons, often being vulnerable, may
fall prey to those showing them support and
friendship while away from home, taking
the role of the family.
"He will give an introduction to cults
and missionaries and offer advice on how to

ursday, Feb. 1, at 8
: The Disputation:
em for Jesus Exposed at
arty Zedek B'nai Israel.
ed toward young
adults.
Friday; Feb. 2 at 8 p.m.:
Get An Inside Look at
Groups Like Jews for
Jesus and Learn From the
Experts How to Respond,
at Shaarey Zedek. Area-
wide high school oneg
Shabbat program for all
Jewish high school stu-
dents and youth group
members. Dessert served.
turday, Feb. 3: Rabbi
know if their children are involved," Rabbi
er will deliver the ser-
Krakoff says.
mon during Shaarey
A 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, Men's Club
ledek's Shabbat services,
breakfast at Shaarey Zedek will deal with
ollowed by a lunch and
"The Bartle for the Jewish Soul: Are the
earn discussing how mis-
Missionaries Winning?"
sionaries often manipulate
Congregation Beth Israel in Flint will
ewish 'text.
host Rabbi Singer in a talk titled, "Jews for
urday, Feb. 3 at 8
Jesus Uncovered," at 1 p.m.
p. m.: Your Children
Sunday, Feb. 4. Rabbi Singer
Are the Target
will speak at a Michigan
Confronting the
State Hillel program in East
Missionary World,
Lansing at 6 p.m. Sunday,
at Shaarey Zedek. A
Feb. 4.
program with a spe-
A ineting with residents
cial emphasis on
of area Jewish senior facilities
high school parents
will take place on Friday,
-- an orientation on
Feb. 2. "The elderly are a
haw missionary
major target of missionaries,
groups work, help-
Rabbi Singe
who are trying to make sal-
Tarents learn how to
vation with seniors," Balkin says. "Some
Children respond to
local residents of these apartments have
IT approaches.
been receiving post cards and letters from
undayi_Feb. 4 at 10:30
the Messianic Jews, who are Jews for Jesus."
- The Battle for the
In addition to lecturing on college cam-
ewish Soul: Are the
puses and synagogues nationally, Rabbi
Aliksionaries Winning? at
Singer counsels families whose children
*Zedek. Men's
have become involved with missionaries. He
itakfast.
is the author of "Let's Get Biblical," a tape
Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.:
series and study guide, as well as numerous
• esus Uncovered
articles, and is a frequent guest on television
*res
.' ation Beth
and radio shows.
0 Catkin Road,
The weekend's events are sponsored by
the Shaarey Zedek Men's Club, Sisterhood,
Cultural Commission and the Family and
Parenting Center. Other sponsors are the
Shaarey Zedek United Synagogue Youth,
Cary R. Miller Photography; the Diem
rmation on
family and the Jewish Federation of
:Zedek programs,
Metropolitan Detroit's Young Adult
8) 357-5544.
Division.
r nation on the
"It is important that this program edu-
tel program, call
cate the community on different levels,"
7) 332-1916.
Rabbi Krakoff says. "We don't just want to
r information on the
hip those who are at risk. We also want to
Israel program, call
sensitize others so that if they suspect some-
732-6310.
one els,2 has been approached, an antenna
will go up." ❑

"

