-44111104worwarommoeimisomimir

• Are you battling with your
child over food?

• Is your child sneaking food?

• Is your child gaining too
much weight?

The (enter

• Do weight problems
run inyour family?

Rabbi Daniel Polish

Rabbi Joshua Bennett

and nobody has ever brought forth a
complaint."
She says the troop is a plus for the
310-member family congregation,
working on such projects as a-recent
rebuilding of a children's play area
behind the synagogue. For now,
there will no changes made in that
relationship, with a commitment
made by both sides earlier this
month for the calendar year:
In the meantime, Rome says the
synagogue's board will work together
with McCrea, with her expectation
being an attempt at trying to affect
change within the Scouts, beginning
with letters written to the organiza-
tion.
As liaison between West
Bloomfield's Temple Israel congre-
gants and the Reform synagogue's
inclusionary Kulanu committee,
Rabbi Joshua Bennett works with
the committee which encourages
inclusion of all diverse groups -with-
in the Jewish community, including
homosexuals. But as a former Eagle
Scout, he is disturbed by the recent
Supreme Court decision.
"While I feel Boy Scouting is a
valuable organization for young men
in our community, I am deeply trou-
bled by the decision to exclude
homosexual leaders from the Boy
Scouts," he says.
Rabbi Daniel Syme of Temple
Beth El also has mixed emotions. "I
was very active in the Scouts," he
says of his membership in long-gone
Scout Troop 146 at Temple Israel.
"As an 11- to 12-year-old, I enjoyed
the wonderful character-building
experiences.
"I never felt the slightest bit of
prejudice or discrimination. I loved
Scouting, but under the current cir-
cumstances; I would never encourage
any young person to enter the Boy
Scouts."

ht
lay eme el you
and your child.

For more information about
classes and locations, call:

Rabbi Daniel Syme

In Defense, In Protest

Defending the policy, Gregg Shields, a
Scout spokesman, says, "The Boy
Scouts of America has long-held tradi-
tional American family values. We
believe that an avowed homosexual
just isn't a role model for those values.
And that's the basis for our policy."
of the Reform movement's recom- .
mendation that its congregations disas-
sociate with the Boy Scouts, Shields
says, "We regret that they made that
decision. We appreciate the support
that we've received from the Jewish
community for so many years. And
from many branches of the Jewish
community, we still have a great deal of
support." He says the troops sponsored
by Reform synagogues are still welcome
as are Scouts looking to join new
troops if theirs have disbanded.The
Reform movement, which represents
about 1,000 congregations and 40 per-
cent of the nation's 6 million Jews,
ordains openly gay men and women as
rabbis. Reform rabbis have officiated at
commitment ceremonies for gay men
and lesbians.
To protest the Boy Scouts' stand, sev-
eral Reform rabbis have already
returned their Eagle Scout badges.
Among them is Rabbi Paul Menitoff,
executive vice president of the Central
Conference of American Rabbis.
In a Jan. 29 statement, he suggests
the recent rejection of charters for
troops that challenged the Boy Scouts'
new policy is an indication that
attempting change from within the
organization will be ineffective.
"It is a clear signal to congregations and
public schools that their only option is to
withdraw their sponsorship from Boy
Scout groups," he says. "For these groups
to do less is to lend their endorsement
and support to an organization that
promotes prejudice in America." ❑

— The New York Times
contributed to this story.

Weltman Leads Again

LL

Robert Wellman (middle) receives the 2000 Sales Leadership Award from Dan Elsea (right), Vice
President and General Manager of Real Estate One, and Jan Britton (left), Office Manager

Real Estate One Associate Broker, Robert Weltman, has led his office for the seventh
consecutive year in sales of existing homes.
With over $17,000,000 in sales for 2000, Weltman, an expert in the sale of older, classic
homes, features a video tour and discussion of older home architecture on his web site
www.robertrealtor.corn.
Weltman is certified by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington,
D.C. He specializes in marketing homes in the City of Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham,
Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Pleasant Ridge, Detroit (Indian Village, Palmer
Woods and Sherwood Forest), Berkley, Ferndale, Bloomfield Township, Huntington
Woods and Royal Oak.
He can be reached at (248) 626-8888 or (248) 548-9100 x-108 or emailed at

rweltman@juno.com .

•

G 4

•

i Clinical Teaching

...

•

. Testing/Evaluation

First fully accredited

isAbi

LIT I

LINIC

(248) 545-6677 (248) 433-3323

•

IC3 Education Clinic in the

United States to receive
North Central Accreditation.

•

Nok Aocited by the North Central Assodetion of Colleges and Schools-.

Oak Park

Bloomfield Hills

www.Idclinic.com

2/2
2001

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